The Big Cat

And at this point, I trust that you'll be able to evaluate whether they were open because of: Scheme Our players getting beat Their players making plays No.'s 2 and 3. I think you'll find 1 to be in short supply. But if we're going to say the scheme should never put a guy in a situation to get beat one v one, well that's pure poppy rooster.

And I don't disagree with that principle. Like, at all. In fact, I believe it's absolutely the sign of a good coach. But you can't set every player up with what he does best on every play. That's just not feasible, particularly in football. So when you're asked to do the things you don't do best, you have to at least be competent.

Then if he can't hack it in the scheme, then we can name one of the teams that won't be paying him top dollar this offseason. The way arguments like this are frequently framed are suggestive of duties that are prohibitively difficult. I don't by that crap. Just because it's not something he excels at doesn't give him a free pass to outright suck at it. And if he was in fact a top 12 CB, then he wouldn't. Same thing was true last year of Mario. Oh, he's not being asked to do the one thing he does well! That's not a free pass to suck at literally everything else. And in Gilmore's case that includes the basics. Like tackling.

The loss of AW last year cannot be overstated. His loss was felt on MNF too and will be for the rest of the year. Whaley's misses have been few, but not adequately addressing safety this off season disappointed me greatly.

You really think that they are hopeless each and every play?

Re: Darby--there is such a thing as a sophomore slump. For all players, there is such a thing as a slump, in general. Again, I ask, do you really think these two are playing poorly play in and play out, or have opposing QB's just exposed them on a handful of lapses? And has that exposure been magnified by the fact that QB's made great throws to good receivers and the outcome was that much better in their favor?

How? How does a top 12 corner get exposed more? You can either cover or you can't.

We're blitzing less.

Fitz played like an All-Pro. We weren't the cause. Players make plays. He was hot that night. Also, sounds like you're arguing that lapses from our CB's have been sustained and not isolated/exposed. On that we fundamentally disagree, and the film/stats don't flatter your position.

Are they bad on every play? Or have we just played two QB's the last two weeks that have made them pay dearly for a small number of lapses? And if it's more so the latter, then credit be to the opposition. They've made plays. It's what players do. And which piece of the puzzle does coaching comprise? Does it credit for having the team hang tough on prime time in a hostile environment after things went sour early? Is it the part of the puzzle that put players in a position to hold the opposition to 3 points on 55 yards in the second half? How about for the scheme that has generated more sacks than any other team in the NFL? The blame coaches crowd would be a lot more credible if they were willing to credit coaches too. But that's exceedingly rare. My position on the matter has been simple and unwavering since Jauron was in town: Players make plays. Scheme can only carry bad players so far. A great QB cures all.

Nobody...and I mean nobody...is suggesting it doesn't. But let's not pretend that the difference between Brady and Taylor is Belichick, that the difference between Sherman and Gilmore is Carrol, Julio Jones and Robert Woods Dan Quinn. It gets more preposterous as we go, doesn't it? Players make plays. Better players make better plays more frequently. https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/796797973808222208

"ridiculous." all anybody needs to know.

Joe B is my least favorite and I have found him to be the least reliable.

1-4 against CIN, JAX, CLE, MIA and NYJ, huh? Reasonable.

Whaaaaaaaaaat's the deeeeeeeeeeeeeal with airplane food?

ha just proves what i've also been trying to communicate: doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure this **** out. and also--a point that i've made elsewhere--bumbling bills team of the past had these mishaps against chester fezzywigh, newly aquired TE from the saskatchewon rough riders catching passes from a fourth string rookie out of north east montana community college. this was russel wilson and jimmy graham. it happens. it's okay. it sucks. but it happens.

If a play comes down to one guy making a play against another guy, then it's not coaching. Sorry. It just isn't. And there isn't a player past, present and future that will tell you otherwise. You can avoid mismatches all you like, but you can't avoid them altogether. Players make plays,

99/100 I'd agree with you. But when your "brother" torpedos your kicker's leg, takes a shot at a defenseless receiver and mean mugs your coach...nah.

I don't understand how a player being "exposed" would be considered a negative to a person who has spent the better part of a decade hammering--simply--"players make plays." Every tactic can be exposed. There's no such thing as a the full-proof strategy. At some point, it'll inevitably boil down to 1v1. Last night, against the Pats* and against the Jets, our guys lost those match ups when it mattered most. Duke Williams v Mike Wallace in Baltimore--the difference between a win and a loss. It happens. Yes, it's a team game, all sports are. But it doesn't matter which sport it is, at some point, you gotta beat the guy directly in front of you.

Get your history right.

Players make plays. We needed a three and out to get one more chance at the endzone. Got them to third down. GUESS who makes the play.... KYLE !@#$ING WILLIAMS. Players make plays.

Those two plays put 12 points on the board. Wilson's duck and chuck that hit Baldwin in stride 50 yards down the field set up another 6. They made ridiculous plays. And we didn't make as many.

You didn't answer my question. Which defense gets by with poor CB play like we've had? Good luck getting an answer to that one. You're even less likely to get an acknowledgement that opposing players do good stuff sometimes. It's always the coaches' fault. Blows my mind. As a former athlete, it blows. my. mind.

Which defense gets by with poor CB play? Why is this framed as though Rex is the only DC who can't figure out what to do with poor CB's?

No. Because on one it was Blanton. On the other it was Blanton and Robey.