What if Chan works his magic...

[CarolinaBill]

Good post. I have a question for you. I have and others have been saying for some time now that opposing defenses are going to "stack the box" and squat on the short passes thus forcing the Bills QB and WR to beat them with long and intermediate passes. I just don't think the Bills will be able to do it. I hope I am wrong. I am sure Gailey and Co. must know this too. What do you think their counter attack is for this?

 

Open to all to answer...

you cant stack the box with 3 and 4 wide sets, it leaves too many ppl uncovered

[4BillsintheBurgh]

If a starter emerges that is pro bowl caliber than we are good for the future. then it's up to management to continue to draft play makers to help support that QB. The Offense needs a play maker or two every year through FA or the draft. Stock the Offensive Line with late round picks and fill in defense as needed.

 

Chan and Buddy need a year at least to figure out what they have on the roster especially at the QB, Oline, and WR positions. If Hardy, Johnson, or Easley emerge as a solid 2nd receiver i think they are set there. I am not in love with their RT at all. LT is another story. I have hope that Bell or Meredith emerge. A center might be nice or another guard if Wood moves over.

I think they will also have room for a high round OLB that can get after the qb. Heck, you could probably throw in bruising tailback on the need pile as well but we'll see. Seems like they'll go with the most talented player on the board, although I bet they could justify reaching a little for a qb if they think it's needed.

 

It's going to be tough for a qb to play at a pro bowl level considering our offensive line, but one of these guys may play "well enough" for them to push a qb down the list as a need. I am personally hoping this year that Chan is just looking for a backup/seat warmer for a first round qb pick in 2011.

[shoretalk]

I'm not so sure about Chan Gailey's prowess when it comes to offenses, but what impresses me about Gailey is his apparent leadership abilities. Gailey exudes confidence and in my opinion the men under him will unite, feed off of his confidence and excel as a football team.

 

Football is not rocket science and Chan Gailey doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to get our Buffalo Bills football team back on track and headed in the right direction in my opinion.

This is sooo true! We have not had a coach with this type of positive leadership in recent memory. It's hard to not get enthusiastic when Gailey speaks. When you realize that with play to not lose Jauron had this team winning 7 games every year it doesn't take much to see that Gailey's game-day approach will bring wins not losses especially late in the game.

 

That being said ... we just don't know what magic if any he can create with our QB's or even with just one of them. For you nay sayers ... give the guy a chance because Edwards was getting national headlines after going 5-0 and before his injury so we don't know if his failure ever since is due to his inabilities or the influence of Jauron. I am willing to give him another shot ... Brohm is the mystery guy but definitely had the skills coming out of Louisville. We all will know better in September but even then the question about magic won't be known until the middle of the season.

 

One other key is how healthy our players are ... so the new strength and fitness coaching staff will have the chance to really make this a better team, which means more wins.

 

Lots of if's but I see many probably's too.

[K-9]

Good post. I have a question for you. I have and others have been saying for some time now that opposing defenses are going to "stack the box" and squat on the short passes thus forcing the Bills QB and WR to beat them with long and intermediate passes. I just don't think the Bills will be able to do it. I hope I am wrong. I am sure Gailey and Co. must know this too. What do you think their counter attack is for this?

 

Open to all to answer...

 

The best way to get defenses to not "stack the box" is to spread them out. But again, that puts A LOT of pressure on your QB and Oline, especially at the edges. Your QB must be able to read a defense pre/post snap and your skilled personnel must be on the same page when it comes to hot reads, etc. I don't think we're there yet.

 

I know everyone would like to hit long and intermediate passes against a stacked defense but a stacked defense like the ones we face are constantly run AND pass blitzing so you don't have time for those 5 - 7 step drops. Again, our edge protection hasn't shown itself to be up to the challenge as of yet. So the passing you'd like to see, especially to the middle of a crowded field (that's what a stacked box does), is VERY low percentage at best.

 

Ideally I'd like to see a single back, 3 receiver formation with a tight-end that can stretch a seam and catch. But I'm not convinced we have the personnel at this point. Nelson has potential at TE but our #2 and #3 receivers haven't shown they're up to it to this point. I look for a lot of motion by Spiller to help create favorable matchups and help our QBs read coverages pre-snap.

 

So the short term solution to getting them to back off is to kill them to the outside with speed. Yards will be hard to come by up the middle against a stacked D. That's why I like the idea of Spiller beating stacked defenses to the outside. We finally have someone to do that. Once we SHOW we can beat a team doing that they will be FORCED to back off and play us honestly.

 

I know I keep harping on it but the key is manageable down/distance situations. Ds will HAVE to play us honestly if they can't make us one-dimensional. That's when you'll see that long and intermediate passing game open up. Not before. And not until we prove we have a QB and OLine that can manage it.

 

I'll be interesting to see what formations Gailey comes out with. That's going to tell us right off the bat if he believes we've got the players to dictate to a defense or not.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[mpl6876]

The best way to get defenses to not "stack the box" is to spread them out. But again, that puts A LOT of pressure on your QB and Oline, especially at the edges. Your QB must be able to read a defense pre/post snap and your skilled personnel must be on the same page when it comes to hot reads, etc. I don't think we're there yet.

 

I know everyone would like to hit long and intermediate passes against a stacked defense but a stacked defense like the ones we face are constantly run AND pass blitzing so you don't have time for those 5 - 7 step drops. Again, our edge protection hasn't shown itself to be up to the challenge as of yet. So the passing you'd like to see, especially to the middle of a crowded field (that's what a stacked box does), is VERY low percentage at best.

 

Ideally I'd like to see a single back, 3 receiver formation with a tight-end that can stretch a seam and catch. But I'm not convinced we have the personnel at this point. Nelson has potential at TE but our #2 and #3 receivers haven't shown they're up to it to this point. I look for a lot of motion by Spiller to help create favorable matchups and help our QBs read coverages pre-snap.

 

So the short term solution to getting them to back off is to kill them to the outside with speed. Yards will be hard to come by up the middle against a stacked D. That's why I like the idea of Spiller beating stacked defenses to the outside. We finally have someone to do that. Once we SHOW we can beat a team doing that they will be FORCED to back off and play us honestly.

 

I know I keep harping on it but the key is manageable down/distance situations. Ds will HAVE to play us honestly if they can't make us one-dimensional. That's when you'll see that long and intermediate passing game open up. Not before. And not until we prove we have a QB and OLine that can manage it.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Thanks for the feed back.

[spartacus]

I just don't get it "what if Chan works his magic..."

 

So many of you talk about this guy as if he is the second coming of the great Vince Lombardi. Granted the guy has had moderate success with former QB's and moderate success at the NFL level. I for one really hope he does an outstanding job with our team. Without a doubt he is an improvement over DJ. At the same time, let's take a step back and see what Chan does before we pronnouce him some magical wizard like coach.

"pronnouce him some magical wizard like coach."

 

 

who else but a wizard could make himself disappear from NFL relevance for a decade?

[spartacus]

The best way to get defenses to not "stack the box" is to spread them out. But again, that puts A LOT of pressure on your QB and Oline, especially at the edges. Your QB must be able to read a defense pre/post snap and your skilled personnel must be on the same page when it comes to hot reads, etc. I don't think we're there yet.

 

I know everyone would like to hit long and intermediate passes against a stacked defense but a stacked defense like the ones we face are constantly run AND pass blitzing so you don't have time for those 5 - 7 step drops. Again, our edge protection hasn't shown itself to be up to the challenge as of yet. So the passing you'd like to see, especially to the middle of a crowded field (that's what a stacked box does), is VERY low percentage at best.

 

Ideally I'd like to see a single back, 3 receiver formation with a tight-end that can stretch a seam and catch. But I'm not convinced we have the personnel at this point. Nelson has potential at TE but our #2 and #3 receivers haven't shown they're up to it to this point. I look for a lot of motion by Spiller to help create favorable matchups and help our QBs read coverages pre-snap.

 

So the short term solution to getting them to back off is to kill them to the outside with speed. Yards will be hard to come by up the middle against a stacked D. That's why I like the idea of Spiller beating stacked defenses to the outside. We finally have someone to do that. Once we SHOW we can beat a team doing that they will be FORCED to back off and play us honestly.

 

I know I keep harping on it but the key is manageable down/distance situations. Ds will HAVE to play us honestly if they can't make us one-dimensional. That's when you'll see that long and intermediate passing game open up. Not before. And not until we prove we have a QB and OLine that can manage it.

 

I'll be interesting to see what formations Gailey comes out with. That's going to tell us right off the bat if he believes we've got the players to dictate to a defense or not.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

you do realize that all of those 3-4 defenses in our division are designed to take away the outside?

 

 

it was first used heavily as a defense to control  OJ Simpson.

[K-9]

you do realize that all of those 3-4 defenses in our division are designed to take away the outside?

 

 

it was first used heavily as a defense to control  OJ Simpson.

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree then. The 3-4s played in OJ's day weren't played with safeties crowding the LOS nor were they played with the liberalized passing rules of today. Hell, Miami introduced it's version BEFORE they narrowed the hashes and OJ hadn't made a mark yet. Offenses enjoyed a liberalized crackback blocking scheme that you can't use anymore.

 

Still in all, OJ's speed to the outside KILLED most of the 3-4s MOST of the time. Yes, they're designed to maintain the edge but if you beat it you can damage it. You need speed like OJ's to do that. We have that in Spiller.

 

The 3-4s we face in our division now DO NOT play us honestly. They don't have to. They can crowd the LOS because they KNOW what we can't do; harm them to the outside. But there are ways to get to the edge on a 3-4 IF you have the people to do it. The zone blocking scheme will help but it's going to be the use of formations to spread it out, the use of motion to isolate personnel, and the use of speed to the outside to loosen it up. At least that's the idea. Whether we have the personnel at QB and OLine, TE and #2 and #3 receiver remains to be seen.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Conch]

and one of our QBs becomes a legitimate starter with a strong backup (a la Trent or Brohm in either position... I've more or less given up on Fitz), do we draft a QB provided that a top one is available come our pick round 1 in the next draft? or do we use that pick on another position?

What if I light a gaseous flatulence and there is no one in the forest to hear it? Did it really happen or does it only happen if the gas backs up into my colon just prior to ignition? Let me speculate......

[thewildrabbit]

You guys get me with the eternal optimism about a guy who was fired in his last job as OC, now he is the HC of a team filled with college coaches he will need to train.

 

So not only is he going to do his 80 hour a week head coaching job, he will be setting up the game plans each week and then calling plays during the game AND coaching the QB's. Plus overseeing the rookie O line coach and helping with protection set ups, not to mention helping the WR and RB coaches.

 

I'm not even going to mention the defense here because he must be trusting the entire scheme and strats with Edwards his DC.

 

If this guy can get this team to a winning record like 8-9 wins, he should get coach of the decade.

[kenny3000]

He is more of a sorcerer than a wizard! know your mages!

 

best part of this thread so far..

[BillsPhan]

and one of our QBs becomes a legitimate starter with a strong backup (a la Trent or Brohm in either position... I've more or less given up on Fitz), do we draft a QB provided that a top one is available come our pick round 1 in the next draft? or do we use that pick on another position?

 

What is your definition of legitimate starter? Here's mine:

 

(1) He must be healthy enough to start at least 13 of the 16 games.

 

(2) He must lead the team to at least an 8-8 record by his second year of being the full time starter

NOTE: Even with the 2-14-0 team Jimbo inherited from the 1985 season, he led them to a slight improvement of 4-12 in '86, and then led them to 7-8-0 in the strike shortened '87 season....BUT, 3 of those games that were played in 1987, were with replacement players off the street of all things. The Bills lost 2 of those 3 fake games. The one win ironically was over the SB defending "Lawrence Taylor" Giants (LT crossed the picket line and played just about every position on defense.) Now, that of course would have been a loss if the regular players were on the field that day, but the other two fake games were lost to two extremely beatable REAL teams of 1987, who just happened to field better fake players then Marv did for that pathetic month of football! Add that all up, and the Bills would have quite possibly finished 9-7-0 in 1987, and just may have even snuck into the playoffs in just Jimbo's second season at the helm!

 

(3) He must throw more TD passes then Int's, every single year of his career as a legitimate starter.

 

(4) He must always keep his completion percenatage at or over 60%.

 

So to sum up for this coming 2010-11 season, our mystery starting QB needs to start 13 games, throw more TD's then ints', and finish the year with at least a 60% completion percentage, regardless of the Bills' record. If they even play a 2011-12 season, he will need to lead the Bills to at least an 8-8 record, on top of repeating those other elements from 2010, and then so on, and so on, and so on.

[Thoner7]

I just don't get it "what if Chan works his magic..."

 

So many of you talk about this guy as if he is the second coming of the great Vince Lombardi. Granted the guy has had moderate success with former QB's and moderate success at the NFL level. I for one really hope he does an outstanding job with our team. Without a doubt he is an improvement over DJ. At the same time, let's take a step back and see what Chan does before we pronnouce him some magical wizard like coach.

 

 

Yea. He basically hasn't been any good since he left the Steelers in 96 or whatever. Fired by/after poor performances with the Cowboys/Dolphins/GT/Chiefs. Sure he made Thigpen look pretty good, but tahts one player. On the whole he hasnt shown much to be happy with. "Works his magic"??? - judging from his past performances that means 8-8 or 9-7 with no playoff appearances.

[CodeMonkey]

Yea. He basically hasn't been any good since he left the Steelers in 96 or whatever. Fired by/after poor performances with the Cowboys/Dolphins/GT/Chiefs. Sure he made Thigpen look pretty good, but tahts one player. On the whole he hasnt shown much to be happy with. "Works his magic"??? - judging from his past performances that means 8-8 or 9-7 with no playoff appearances.

You can't really say that. He sucked into the playoffs somehow with the cowgirls with 10-6 and 8-8 records.

[BillsPhan]

Good post. I have a question for you. I have and others have been saying for some time now that opposing defenses are going to "stack the box" and squat on the short passes thus forcing the Bills QB and WR to beat them with long and intermediate passes. I just don't think the Bills will be able to do it. I hope I am wrong. I am sure Gailey and Co. must know this too. What do you think their counter attack is for this?

 

Open to all to answer...

 

Here's one thought: find 5 offensive lineman who can pass block well enough to give the mystery starting QB enough time to throw over the heads of the "squating" DB's and exploit the one on one coverages for long gains via the pass! Then, when the defense backs off a little, RUN the ball down their throats.

 

Wow, I haven't seen that kind of offense from the Bills since Kent Hull retired along with Jimbo in February of 1997. Well, Flutie and Rebuen Brown and Eric Moulds and running back Smith had some nice offensive games after 1997 for a couple of seasons, but certainly CRAP after those guys left. Well alright, I'll give it up a little for the first 8 games of 2002, when Drew Bledsoe lit up the NFL and led the Bills to a 5-3-0 record. Oh, and then again for 6 of the last 7 games in 2004, when he went on a 6 game winning steak that featured tons of points and nice running yardage from Travis Henry.

 

So let's sum up shall we? Two seasons of Flutie ball, plus 8 games from Bledsoe and company in '02, and 6 games from Bledsoe and company in '04. THAT'S ALL FOLKS. That's 46 games of good offensive football out of the past 208 since Kelly and Hull retired. Man, I hope that Gailey is only even at least half as good as people are making him out to be!!

[mpl6876]

Here's one thought: find 5 offensive lineman who can pass block well enough to give the mystery starting QB enough time to throw over the heads of the "squating" DB's and exploit the one on one coverages for long gains via the pass! Then, when the defense backs off a little, RUN the ball down their throats.

 

Wow, I haven't seen that kind of offense from the Bills since Kent Hull retired along with Jimbo in February of 1997. Well, Flutie and Rebuen Brown and Eric Moulds and running back Smith had some nice offensive games after 1997 for a couple of seasons, but certainly CRAP after those guys left. Well alright, I'll give it up a little for the first 8 games of 2002, when Drew Bledsoe lit up the NFL and led the Bills to a 5-3-0 record. Oh, and then again for 6 of the last 7 games in 2004, when he went on a 6 game winning steak that featured tons of points and nice running yardage from Travis Henry.

 

So let's sum up shall we? Two seasons of Flutie ball, plus 8 games from Bledsoe and company in '02, and 6 games from Bledsoe and company in '04. THAT'S ALL FOLKS. That's 46 games of good offensive football out of the past 208 since Kelly and Hull retired. Man, I hope that Gailey is only even at least half as good as people are making him out to be!!

 

Very good post and I am impressed with you Bills knowledge. As far as I'm concerned, keep the post coming because that was impressive.