Bills lead NFL with best defensive passer rating...

[wonderbread]

And given our stagnant offense, we'd be getting BLOWN out. Suddenly getting chipped away by the run doesn't seem all that bad.

 

You take the good, you take the bad,

you take them both and there you have

The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life.

 

There's a time you got to go and show

You're growin' now you know about

The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life.

 

When the world never seems

to be livin up to your dreams

And suddenly you're finding out

the Facts of Life are all about you, you

[Rico]

Stats are for losers. The whole scheme needs to be trashed, so this is nothing to build on at all.

[Quester74]

Clearly a large majority of you overlooked a point the OP made:

"Teams are averaging a middle of the NFL 32.8 passing attempts a game, so it can't be argued that teams just decide to run the ball all the time, because clearly that isn't the case."

 

So it is not that opposing QBs aren't trying to pass much. And most of the time, quick and large chunks of yards are obtained through the air. If our pass D was not strong, we would have seen a lot more points racked up against us. Let us give credit where credit is due - our pass D is good.

 

No one is ignoring that statement.

 

I would have to imagine that the Bills are among the league leaders in 20+ yard rushes allowed.. when the opposition is gobbling up such huge yardage on a single rush, you don't have to pound the rock quite as many times.

 

The fact is, when I'm watching the game, and the opposing QB drops back to pass.. I'm relieved. We may actually stop the play.

[Mr. WEO]

Clearly a large majority of you overlooked a point the OP made:

"Teams are averaging a middle of the NFL 32.8 passing attempts a game, so it can't be argued that teams just decide to run the ball all the time, because clearly that isn't the case."

 

So it is not that opposing QBs aren't trying to pass much. And most of the time, quick and large chunks of yards are obtained through the air. If our pass D was not strong, we would have seen a lot more points racked up against us. Let us give credit where credit is due - our pass D is good.

The pass D is great at getting turnovers, that's for sure. They are 28th in the league, though, in yards allowed in the air.

 

Also, you cannot discount that our run defense is the worst in the league in almost every category (yards, avg per carry, first downs)--this clearly has had an impact on opposing gameplans. The secret's out, you don't have to go to the air to beat the Bills. Run, run, run, chew up the clock, watch the Bills go 3 and out, take a shot downfield every now and then....

[Fan in Chicago]

The pass D is great at getting turnovers, that's for sure. They are 28th in the league, though, in yards allowed in the air.

 

What ?

# 5 is pass yards allowed/game.

[Kelly the Dog]

The pass defense has been stellar, in almost every phase. Yes, teams can run all over us, but those stats are particularly skewed by the totally inept offense. If we would hold the ball or score or just get a couple more decent drives the defense would likely not have caved late in the games like they repeatedly did when they ran out of gas. Huge chunks of the running stats happened when the team just died. Although I'm not a huge fan of the Tampa 2, even without the injuries Fewell has done a very good job with the defense. Counting the injuries and the amazingly pathetic offense, the defense has been better than could be expected.

[Guest dog14787]

The pass defense has been stellar, in almost every phase. Yes, teams can run all over us, but those stats are particularly skewed by the totally inept offense. If we would hold the ball or score or just get a couple more decent drives the defense would likely not have caved late in the games like they repeatedly did when they ran out of gas. Huge chunks of the running stats happened when the team just died. Although I'm not a huge fan of the Tampa 2, even without the injuries Fewell has done a very good job with the defense. Counting the injuries and the amazingly pathetic offense, the defense has been better than could be expected.

 

 

Yup, I agree, the stats and rankings are very misleading and our defense when healthy is pretty darn good in my opinion.

 

If your Defense is on the field most of the game the numbers and results are generally not good.

[Quester74]

No one is ignoring that statement.

 

I would have to imagine that the Bills are among the league leaders in 20+ yard rushes allowed.. when the opposition is gobbling up such huge yardage on a single rush, you don't have to pound the rock quite as many times.

 

The fact is, when I'm watching the game, and the opposing QB drops back to pass.. I'm relieved. We may actually stop the play.

 

Just as I thought.. 2nd, behind only Tampa..

 

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?off...mp;d-447263-p=1

[Nanker]

Passer rating doesn't come from most passes attempted. It is about efficiency.

 

If people in fact thought that running against Buffalo was the only way to go, it would tend to make our rating against the pass LOWER, not higher. Because as teams ran a higher and higher percentage of the time, the defense would begin to sell out to protect against the run.

You can't underestimate the impact on QB ratings that INTs have. I don't. The fact that we're leading the league in that department is a cause to celebrate.

 

Let me run an example of the importance that the INT has in nosediving QB ratings.

Let's take a hypothetical set of game statistics and run them through the NFL QB rating formula.

Bear in mind that 158.333... is a "perfect" score.

If our theoretical QB - let's call him Doogie Flatus has a lights-out game. Here are his stats:

He completes 10 of 12 passes for 990 yards (I think it's the maximum legally possible, i.e., 99 yfs is the longest play statistically allowable - IRRC). And he has 3 TD passes and no interceptions. Doogie's QB rating is 158.333 - a "perfect" rating.

However, if he completes 10 of 12 for 990 yards, 3 TD passes and has 2 INTs - Doogie's QB rating is 118.8 - a 40 point swing in QB rating. Throwing any more TDs - (or INTs) at that point doesn't change the rating.

[The Big Cat]

Stats are for losers. The whole scheme needs to be trashed, so this is nothing to build on at all.

 

Here we go again.

 

And just which of the defensive schemes is guaranteed to work everytime?

[KD in CA]

A more important stat would be where we rank in run defense...

 

That would be dead last. 63 yards per game worse than the average of our 3 division rivals.

 

And surprise, surprise. The Bills lead the league in most rushing attempts against. Thus, for the next five months, I will harp endlessly about focusing the entire draft on the front 7.

[manbeast]

Something the Bills can build on for next year is their league leading opposing QB passer rating(not to mention they lead the NFL in INTs, and have the league leader in INTs). Opposing QBs have a 59.8 rating against Buffalo, worst in the NFL(or best if you are a Bills fan). I know a lot of people are surprised, but I really am not that surprised. I personally believe the Bills have the deepest secondary in the NFL, bar NOONE. How often can a team lose its entire secondary to injury and have their replacements actually play BETTER as the Bills did? Very rarely. In fact, it usually leads to a "smoke and mirrors" defense that tries to hide players or give them lots of help.

 

The fact that teams are running the ball so well makes it even more impressive. Theoretically the running game should allow the opponents to use play action passes to burn the Bills, but it doesn't happen too often. Teams are averaging a middle of the NFL 32.8 passing attempts a game, so it can't be argued that teams just decide to run the ball all the time, because clearly that isn't the case. In fact, the Bills are at or near the top of the NFL in just about every stat category there is in passing defense.

 

In a complete reversal of how football is supposed to work, it appears the Bills secondary is actually creating sacks for their lineman and linebackers many times. The QB is forced to hold onto the ball because noone is open, and they try and run or get sacked eventually. The Bills might lead the NFL in coverage sacks, as the opposing QBs usually have a lot of time to throw the ball initially before the rush eventually catches up with them as noone comes open.

We do have a pass rush when will you people realize that our D-line is suppose to penetrate not clog the running lanes unfortunayly we need another larger LB which was suppose to be Maybin but he didn't get to camp hopefully. a rookie salary limit will end these hold-outs

I am hoping the Bills can put together some semblance of a pass rush next year, because this could quickly become a top flight defense. If they can get an initial pass rush, that will make the already stellar secondary that much better and should create even more opportunities for turnovers and incompletions.

 

 

 

 

I am sure there will be plenty of replies making up reasons or excuses why the Bills pass defense has been so good and how they really suck, but I think those people are just trying a little too hard...the Bills clearly have one of the best, if not the best secondary in the NFL and when it comes back completely healthy next year it will be even better...

[Astrobot]

I am hoping the Bills can put together some semblance of a pass rush next year, because this could quickly become a top flight defense. If they can get an initial pass rush, that will make the already stellar secondary that much better and should create even more opportunities for turnovers and incompletions.

 

I think we are one dominant DT away, plus getting our injured players back to form. I think one will come from the draft in RD 2 or 3.

[manbeast]

That would be dead last. 63 yards per game worse than the average of our 3 division rivals.

 

And surprise, surprise. The Bills lead the league in most rushing attempts against. Thus, for the next five months, I will harp endlessly about focusing the entire draft on the front 7.

you will also notice that it's peculiar they can have that many plays run against them I think our only defensive problem is our offense not sustaining drives.

[spartacus]

Has anyone noticed how our penalties per game have dropped since Fewell took over?

 

PTR

 

coincides directly with Bell leaving the field and taking his 3-5 false start penalties per game with him

[spartacus]

The pass defense has been stellar, in almost every phase. Yes, teams can run all over us, but those stats are particularly skewed by the totally inept offense. If we would hold the ball or score or just get a couple more decent drives the defense would likely not have caved late in the games like they repeatedly did when they ran out of gas. Huge chunks of the running stats happened when the team just died. Although I'm not a huge fan of the Tampa 2, even without the injuries Fewell has done a very good job with the defense. Counting the injuries and the amazingly pathetic offense, the defense has been better than could be expected.

 

if the pass defense was so stellar, then they should be able to stop a few 3rd down conversions, force some 3 and outs and get their butts off the field.

 

a little too convenient to blame the defense failures on the offense

 

of course, this line of logic goes all the way back to the Super Bowl teams-

where the offense scored too quickly and put too much pressure on the D

[KD in CA]

you will also notice that it's peculiar they can have that many plays run against them I think our only defensive problem is our offense not sustaining drives.

 

Fair point. The Bills have 6.5 more plays run against them per game than the league average, so that should be taken into account.

 

BUT....giving up 5.0 yards per carry over the course of a season? That's like playing Jim Brown or Bo Jackson every week. That's 0.8 more per carry than average and that's a huge difference. I don't see 6 extra plays making that big a difference.

[Big Turk]

The pass D is great at getting turnovers, that's for sure. They are 28th in the league, though, in yards allowed in the air.

 

Also, you cannot discount that our run defense is the worst in the league in almost every category (yards, avg per carry, first downs)--this clearly has had an impact on opposing gameplans. The secret's out, you don't have to go to the air to beat the Bills. Run, run, run, chew up the clock, watch the Bills go 3 and out, take a shot downfield every now and then....

 

 

You are looking at it from the wrong way...they are 28th, as in, allowing the 28th fewest yards through the air of any team---as in rank in the top 5 in the NFL...

 

Your point about being able to run the ball is well taken. However, teams are still throwing the ball nearly 33 times per game against Buffalo, and are doing it very ineffectively. Again, with the teams running the ball so well, they should be able to pass much easier, but they clearly are not. Play action is where most big plays originate from in the passing game. Running the ball very well ,should make these play action fakes much more inviting for the safeties and linebackers to bite on, but it doesn't matter much. This team ranks in the top 5 in most defensive passing categories and in the top 8 in all of them across the board. Clearly they are very good in pass coverage. Its OK to admit the Bills are good at something. It really is. Lets all stop trying so hard to think up all the reasons why, even though every statistical category says otherwise, the Bills still suck at defending the pass.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Some of the young DBs have been playing pretty good, but almost any defense will have a good pass defense when a little league team could run all day against them.

 

billsfreak, in spite of the extremely poor run defense and the extremely poor offense, it is inarguable that the pass defense has been excellent.

 

How bout we keep it real? The Bills haven't exactly faced the "A" list of QBs...

 

They start out with BRADY in his first game back from knee surgery, , BREES, Henne twice, Leftwitch, Derek Anderson and that miserable performance, the rookie Sanchez twice, the washed up Delhomme, SHAUB, Vince Young, & Matt Cassel. By my count, 2 "A" list QBs, and a "B" list QB (Shuab).

 

Facing that bunch, they better have good games.

 

This is an intelligent post. Thank you.

 

Stats are for losers. The whole scheme needs to be trashed, so this is nothing to build on at all.

 

So throw the baby out with the bathwater? The spirit of the post is that we're not going to turn over the whole roster this offseason so we need to focus on those aspects that can be built upon. C'mon Rico.

 

The pass defense has been stellar, in almost every phase. Yes, teams can run all over us, but those stats are particularly skewed by the totally inept offense.

 

More excellent analysis. I've thought strongly that the offense is a much bigger problem than the defense for the past several years. Yeah, I know, but it's still true.

 

You can't underestimate the impact on QB ratings that INTs have. I don't. The fact that we're leading the league in that department is a cause to celebrate.

 

What you say is true. The Bills are also at or near the top in passes defensed. And that's another indication of the quality of the pass defense.

[Orton's Arm]

How bout we keep it real? The Bills haven't exactly faced the "A" list of QBs...

 

They start out with BRADY in his first game back from knee surgery, , BREES, Henne twice, Leftwitch, Derek Anderson and that miserable performance, the rookie Sanchez twice, the washed up Delhomme, SHAUB, Vince Young, & Matt Cassel. By my count, 2 "A" list QBs, and a "B" list QB (Shuab).

 

Facing that bunch, they better have good games.

This.

 

Add in the fact that some of their games (such as the Cleveland game) were played in windy/bad conditions, making it harder for both teams to pass the ball.