Once again we didn't play what we practiced

[Mark Long Beach]

This one is from Whitner, but we've heard this refrain before.

 

“We previously played the ‘Tampa 2’ and it’s just spot dropping and breaking on the football,” said Donte Whitner. “Now everything that we do basically turns into man. We’ve always had the athletes to play man and, but we never really did it. We did it in practice, but we’d never do it in the game. Now we’re doing it from day one and we’re playing man up on guys and the safeties are playing with the opportunity to jump a couple of those routes. We’re liking it.”

 

 

taken from: http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-3...43-dcbed0b3d719

 

 

I thought that we did mix it up a bit more, but that's not Donte's memory. Probably a result of our coaches getting too conservative and predictable last year. No real surprise there.

 

I guess that I'm just surprised to hear (again) that we would spend a fair bit of of precious practice time for something that we wouldn't use or use enough during the game.

 

 

I think Dick Jauron is a good man, but not a good head coach. He was able to get us to play hard (which I liked) but not effectively (which I didn't).

[HelloNewman]

This one is from Whitner, but we've heard this refrain before.

 

 

 

 

taken from: http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-3...43-dcbed0b3d719

 

 

I thought that we did mix it up a bit more, but that's not Donte's memory. Probably a result of our coaches getting too conservative and predictable last year. No real surprise there.

 

I guess that I'm just surprised to hear (again) that we would spend a fair bit of of precious practice time for something that we wouldn't use or use enough during the game.

 

 

I think Dick Jauron is a good man, but not a good head coach. He was able to get us to play hard (which I liked) but not effectively (which I didn't).

 

 

He certainly does not mention all the bad angles and poor arm tackling he has done last year though

[BillsPhan]

This one is from Whitner, but we've heard this refrain before.

 

 

 

 

taken from: http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-3...43-dcbed0b3d719

 

 

I thought that we did mix it up a bit more, but that's not Donte's memory. Probably a result of our coaches getting too conservative and predictable last year. No real surprise there.

 

I guess that I'm just surprised to hear (again) that we would spend a fair bit of of precious practice time for something that we wouldn't use or use enough during the game.

 

 

I think Dick Jauron is a good man, but not a good head coach. He was able to get us to play hard (which I liked) but not effectively (which I didn't).

 

Donte Whitner talks a lot, but plays very "quietly." I could care less if the defense is "liking" the new schemes, I just hope they can play better defense using them.

[PDaDdy]

It's time to see what some of these guys, including Donte, can do in the new system. Sometimes in the correct system with effective coaching underperformers can find their niche and flourish. Unfortunately conversely sometimes the opposite is true. It will be interesting on both sides of the ball to see who emerges with the whole new organization. Hopefully we won't have anyone who finds the new organization a detriment. Byrd in particular. He was, and to an extent George Wilson, were the only real stars on the defense imo last year. Plenty of guys that did a good job for 3 quarters but I place a high value on guys who can get us the ball from the defensive side.

[H2o]

$20 says Whitner looks like Polamalu's twin brother out there in a Bills' uni this coming season. Tackles for loss, INT's, solid run support, and big hits on WR's coming the middle.

[drewfla]

$20 says Whitner looks like Polamalu's twin brother out there in a Bills' uni this coming season. Tackles for loss, INT's, solid run support, and big hits on WR's coming the middle.

 

 

I'll take that action. The only way he looks like Polamalu's twin is if he gets a wig. His play will never live up to that.

[Hossage]

Jauron was doctrinal with the tampa2. However, I will give him credit because we really played it well. Our defenseive backs were very disciplined and had very good footwork. Our games were a study in the properties of the zone defense. The way to beat a zone is to use seams and crossing patterns, especially with big receivers, and that is what we saw all year long.

 

If we ran man coverage, we would have seen timing patterns and a lot of vertical routes with fast guys.

 

Fans have been down on whitner because he looks bad tackling a running back with a full head of steam. That shouldnt be his job. Donte doesnt get a lot of interceptions, but he is an excellent cover safety. He doesnt blow assignments and give up long passes. Whitner in a nickel safety role is good enough for an all star team. You dont fine many strong safeties that can cover one on one and play centerfield. He is a good tackler and a thoroughbred football player.

[drewfla]

Jauron was doctrinal with the tampa2. However, I will give him credit because we really played it well. Our defenseive backs were very disciplined and had very good footwork. Our games were a study in the properties of the zone defense. The way to beat a zone is to use seams and crossing patterns, especially with big receivers, and that is what we saw all year long.

 

If we ran man coverage, we would have seen timing patterns and a lot of vertical routes with fast guys.

 

Fans have been down on whitner because he looks bad tackling a running back with a full head of steam. That shouldnt be his job. Donte doesnt get a lot of interceptions, but he is an excellent cover safety. He doesnt blow assignments and give up long passes. Whitner in a nickel safety role is good enough for an all star team. You dont fine many strong safeties that can cover one on one and play centerfield. He is a good tackler and a thoroughbred football player.

 

 

Thank you Ms. Whitner. I'm sure your son is a very nice young man when he isn't getting tasered. I would agree with you on the cover 2 argument though. We had small fast guys that swarmed when a pass was caught. If they could have had any degree of success stopping the run they would have had a much better 3rd down conversion number. However when you are 3rd and 3 or 3rd and 2 every time it's tough for the D to stop.

[Conch]

I'll take that action. The only way he looks like Polamalu's twin is if he gets a wig. His play will never live up to that.

He will have to speak with a girl's voice too.

[DrFishfinder]

He certainly does not mention all the bad angles and poor arm tackling he has done last year though

More players than just Whitner are guilty of the above.

[kota]

i am encouraged by the statements guys like Whitner are making. Last year all we heard about from the players is how much they loved Jauron's coaching staff. I believe they actually felt that way. Now they have a coach that is tougher on them and showing them another side of NFL football. I think they are slowly learning how piss poor Jauron's plan was.

 

Maybe it is just blind optimism but i feel the Bills have a real plan going into the season. Something that hasn't been in Buffalo for at least 3 years and possibley more.

[KOKBILLS]

He certainly does not mention all the bad angles and poor arm tackling he has done last year though

 

This much is true...

[mpl6876]

I think it is far too easy for players and fans to blame a coaching staff after they have departed and were unsuccessful. They are valid criticisms but I prefer to look beyond that. I am not looking or interested in making excuses for the Bills prior poor play/record. It serves very little purpose for me.

 

Currently, I think the new regime in the short term is in "big trouble" for the reasons that have been stated over and over.

 

No QB, weak OL, weak WR, weak OLB, pass rush?, stopping the run?, new defensive scheme, new coaches, inexperienced coaches, and very tough division.

 

Hate to beat a dead horse but it gets a little tiresome hearing all the excuses.

 

On the other hand, I know it gets tiring hearing the same old thing I am saying too.

 

Frustration cuts both ways.....

[frogger]

I expect to see an improved Whitner, it might be possible that the tampa 2 wasn't the right defense for him. One thing I think we will see is a nickel package with 3 safeties and whitner moving into the slot. "experts" said he had the cover skills of a corner coming out of college (they didn't say a first round corner, but still) his size and physical nature are ideal for this style defense, if he can get his hands on the slot WR and not allow a clean break, it might let the blitz get to the QB. This also why I think McGee might be expendable. He isn't the "mix it up at the line" corner this defense needs. Drayton Florence might be a better fit, having played in a pressing 3-4 in SD. If his health was better i would put McGee back as kr.

[Sisyphean Bills]

i am encouraged by the statements guys like Whitner are making. Last year all we heard about from the players is how much they loved Jauron's coaching staff. I believe they actually felt that way. Now they have a coach that is tougher on them and showing them another side of NFL football. I think they are slowly learning how piss poor Jauron's plan was.

 

Maybe it is just blind optimism but i feel the Bills have a real plan going into the season. Something that hasn't been in Buffalo for at least 3 years and possibley more.

Statements like, "He's the best coach I've ever had in the NFL" were laughable coming from young players that had never spent a millisecond under any other coach nor had any success. And some fans lapped it up like a hot dog.

[Mark Long Beach]

Statements like, "He's the best coach I've ever had in the NFL" were laughable coming from young players that had never spent a millisecond under any other coach nor had any success. And some fans lapped it up like a hot dog.

 

sure. But He may even be the best coach they ever had. He was up-front, honest, smart, organized and a host of other good qualities. He also wasn't good enough on the NFL level. Quite different things were being said about Nick Sabin.

[Sisyphean Bills]

sure. But He may even be the best coach they ever had. He was up-front, honest, smart, organized and a host of other good qualities. He also wasn't good enough on the NFL level. Quite different things were being said about Nick Sabin.

Actually, one comment I distinctly recall was qualified exactly as I wrote in my original post. "He's the best coach I've had in the NFL." The qualifier could be taken as an exception that proves the rule: in other words, he wasn't the best football coach they ever played for, but he was the best and only coach they'd played for in the NFL.

 

You're conflating being a good person with being good at one's profession. Dick Jauron is a great person and he never says a bad word about anyone. Unfortunately, his record shows that he was lousy as an NFL head coach. There is no contradiction; both are true.

 

And contrastingly, Nick Saban may be an !@#$, but he builds football teams (on the collegiate level anyway) and wins.