Got_Wood Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 In my opinion, this is one of the big reasons we continue to lose. Our safeties have terrible pass coverage abilities. Donte is consistently late to react, he takes bad angles, and doesn't know how to read the quarterback's eyes. Byrd plays too deep, doesn't look for the hit, and appears to be a bit slower after his injuries. This is, in my opinion, one of the weakest positions on the team. We give up deep passes up the middle far too often, and it has cost us the game on several occasions. Just ask Todd Heap, Mercedes Lewis, Dustin Keller, Randy Moss, Jermichael Finley, and Anthony Fasano what they think of our coverage deep up the middle. It's pathetic. This offseason would be a good time to let Donte hit the open market, and find ourselves another safety. We may even get a compensatory draft pick for him considering he was a top 10 pick, and may sign a decent contract somewhere else due to his big tackle numbers. Just an observation that I believe needed some attention.
PromoTheRobot Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 The DB play is being compromised because they have to cheat up to help the front 7 on running plays. That makes them susceptible to trick plays like the flea flicker. It's a team game and players don't play in a vacuum. PTR
b stein 22 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 This is the reason george wilson should be playing. He played great last year when donte was injured.
Lofton80 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 It is pretty obvious the opposition targets the middle of the field in the passing game, particularly in the red zone. It does seem like our defenders fall down a lot in coverage.
Got_Wood Posted October 25, 2010 Author Posted October 25, 2010 The DB play is being compromised because they have to cheat up to help the front 7 on running plays. That makes them susceptible to trick plays like the flea flicker. It's a team game and players don't play in a vacuum. PTR I don't think this is accurate actually. You consistently see Byrd playing 15-20 yards back from the line of scrimmage, and playing a center fielder type of role. Yet he somehow can't make plays. And Donte gets caught making terrible angles and overpursuing consistently. Watch the first Randy Moss TD against us. Donte for some reason decided to sprint towards the line of scrimmage as Moss runs right by him over the middle for a 7 yard TD. Same thing happened against Dustin Keller when we played the Jets. It's consistent plays like this that contribute to losing games.
34-78-83 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 I agree the safety play has been particularly horrific
jr1 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 Andra Davis has more interceptions this year than Byrd and Whitner combined
BuffaloBillsForever Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 First offensive play for the Ravens. Instead of running the ball with rice against the worse rushing defense in the league, who did they try to pick on? Donte Whitner. Every team this year has noticed this and are eating us alive with their opposing tight ends. Heap had a monster game, and he wasn't even healthy.
evilbuffalobob Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 If our guys were actually so good, we should be able to play up, yet still cover. They're average at best. Very disappointing.
vincec Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 If our guys were actually so good, we should be able to play up, yet still cover. They're average at best. Very disappointing. This. They just seem lost out there. Once again though, I blame the coaching for a lot of this. They didn't seem lost last year...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 If our guys were actually so good, we should be able to play up, yet still cover. They're average at best. Very disappointing. So you are suggesting a "good" safety can play up and still cover long? PTR
akm0404 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 As most thinking Bills fans would have and did expect, Jairus Byrd came way back down to earth in year two. He was fortunate to get a lot of lucky breaks last year, and it looks like his luck ran out. I hoped it wasn't a fluke, but sadly it appears to have been. He is completely invisible, and the only sniff of making a play that he has had all year was meekly waiting behind Todd Heap in the end zone thinking he'd have one come right to him, before Heap leaped in front of him and made the play. At least Donte gets in the picture and is around the ball as he is getting smoked. So you are suggesting a "good" safety can play up and still cover long? I think people are suggesting that a "good" safety can either cover or tackle, some can even do both. Ours don't appear to be able to do either. You can't have it both ways - if you think Byrd is being forced to play deep and that is why he doesn't make any tackles, you have to wonder why, even playing deep, he gets burned deep regularly and is rarely near the ball.
Thoner7 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 Flea flicker anyone? Thanks for being so aware Byrd, and even more so Donte. I have long since thought our safetys are over rated and that Wilson is the best one. Donte also dropped a pick that could have been a TD and won us the game – but Donte couldn’t make a play to help this team win, story of his career. He has been average at best. I was never impressed with Byrds deflected interceptions last season – 3ish of those were TDs if it was a good pass, 3ish were spoon fed to him, and 3ish others were good plays. But he is never in tight coverage and neither is Donte. I agree with the Op and I think our best safety (GW) is on the bench, and I miss another playmaker…. Jim Leonard, he just makes plays.
Buftex Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 As most thinking Bills fans would have and did expect, Jairus Byrd came way back down to earth in year two. He was fortunate to get a lot of lucky breaks last year, and it looks like his luck ran out. I hoped it wasn't a fluke, but sadly it appears to have been. He is completely invisible, and the only sniff of making a play that he has had all year was meekly waiting behind Todd Heap in the end zone thinking he'd have one come right to him, before Heap leaped in front of him and made the play. At least Donte gets in the picture and is around the ball as he is getting smoked. I think people are suggesting that a "good" safety can either cover or tackle, some can even do both. Ours don't appear to be able to do either. You can't have it both ways - if you think Byrd is being forced to play deep and that is why he doesn't make any tackles, you have to wonder why, even playing deep, he gets burned deep regularly and is rarely near the ball. Byrd had a great hit on Whitner yesterday! I agree with the Op and I think our best safety (GW) is on the bench, and I miss another playmaker…. Jim Leonard, he just makes plays. Leonard would look just as inept in the Bills defense as Whitner or Byrd. Our front 7 is sub-standard...I hate the Jets as much as anyone, but their defense is a complete unit.
PromoTheRobot Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 I think people are suggesting that a "good" safety can either cover or tackle, some can even do both. Ours don't appear to be able to do either. You can't have it both ways - if you think Byrd is being forced to play deep and that is why he doesn't make any tackles, you have to wonder why, even playing deep, he gets burned deep regularly and is rarely near the ball. Whatever you say, coach. You must be studying game films and know all the schemes, right? I mean why else would you be saying stuff like this? It's not like you are just some dude watching TV like the rest of us. PTR
Buftex Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 I agree with the Op and I think our best safety (GW) is on the bench, and I miss another playmaker…. Jim Leonard, he just makes plays. Leonard would look just as inept in the Bills defense as Whitner or Byrd. Our front 7 is sub-standard...I hate the Jets as much as anyone, but their defense is a complete unit.
Got_Wood Posted October 25, 2010 Author Posted October 25, 2010 Whatever you say, coach. You must be studying game films and know all the schemes, right? I mean why else would you be saying stuff like this? It's not like you are just some dude watching TV like the rest of us. PTR I don't think you need to be a coach or scout to recognize the problems our safeties are having. I do think it's a little tougher on the safeties when there is no pass rush and QB's have a long time to throw the ball. We need to address the pass rush in the offseason as well. But you can see the mistakes these guys are making out there. The safeties are contributing to these losses, and it's painfully obvious.
ThePebble19 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 This might seem like sort of a cop-out, but our complete inability to put together any sort of pass rush affects the play of the rest of the defense. I think Byrd and Whitner are getting out of position, covering up for the underneath coverage not being able to hold a man in coverage for 5-6 seconds on every single play. That isn't to say that they aren't playing bad, because they are. But the lack of a pass rush is not helping the safeties and corners at all.
HurlyBurly51 Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 The DB play is being compromised because they have to cheat up to help the front 7 on running plays. That makes them susceptible to trick plays like the flea flicker. It's a team game and players don't play in a vacuum. PTR How do you explain the Heap TD? He just easily sets up in between Whitner and Scott, and they just watch him catch an easy TD. Pretty piss poor. And that's not an isolated incident.
PromoTheRobot Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 I don't think you need to be a coach or scout to recognize the problems our safeties are having. I do think it's a little tougher on the safeties when there is no pass rush and QB's have a long time to throw the ball. We need to address the pass rush in the offseason as well. But you can see the mistakes these guys are making out there. The safeties are contributing to these losses, and it's painfully obvious. Actually yes you do...if you want to know what you are talking about. PTR How do you explain the Heap TD? He just easily sets up in between Whitner and Scott, and they just watch him catch an easy TD. Pretty piss poor. And that's not an isolated incident. Okay, which TD was that? I don't have them all memorized. And also are you basing everything on the snapshot of the catch? What about what led to it? Was there a run fake? What formation was the D in? PTR
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