Pass coverage coaching (or lack thereof)

[Ramius]

This has bothered me most of the season, but particularly over the past few weeks. I'm seeing all of our pass coverage guys (safeties, CBs, and LBs in coverage) following their assignment and rarely looking back for the ball. They stay with or chase the receiver and just keep running even when its obvious the ball is in the air. There's no looking back and attempting to deflect or intercept the ball. They are playing the man when you should be playing the ball.

 

This has to be coaching, or lack of coaching. Its been consistent throughout the team, so there's no one particular player i can single out. It's not a difficult concept. If you can't see the QB, watch the WRs eyes, and look back when he's tracking the ball. It's baffling to me why none of our players ever seem to do this.

[I'm Spartacus]

this was my point exactly a week or so ago (specifically with McKelvin).

NO ball skills with our secondary personnel. They need to turn around and bat the ball away!!! It's terrible execution!!! Why can't our coaches tell them to do this?

[cantankerous]

Chan has no idea what's going on with the defensive side of the ball, he says as much in his press conferences.

 

Where is the accountability on the defensive side? The "we need to play better" excuse doesn't work for me.

 

When fans watching at home can see this I wonder why nobody in the organization has a clue.

Edited November 22, 2011 by cantankerous

[All_Pro_Bills]

This has bothered me most of the season, but particularly over the past few weeks. I'm seeing all of our pass coverage guys (safeties, CBs, and LBs in coverage) following their assignment and rarely looking back for the ball. They stay with or chase the receiver and just keep running even when its obvious the ball is in the air. There's no looking back and attempting to deflect or intercept the ball. They are playing the man when you should be playing the ball.

 

This has to be coaching, or lack of coaching. Its been consistent throughout the team, so there's no one particular player i can single out. It's not a difficult concept. If you can't see the QB, watch the WRs eyes, and look back when he's tracking the ball. It's baffling to me why none of our players ever seem to do this.

You're on to something here. How many times do you find yourself yelling 'turn around' or 'play the ball' at the TV during the season? Too many times to count for me. It seems possible to play DB this way because I observe it while watching other teams play during the season. Even the street free agents NE played last night knew enough to turn around and look for the ball when it was in the air.

 

I think its coaching or more specifically, a lack of it.

 

It would be a good question for DC Edwards or HC Gailey.

[Got_Wood]

Completely agree on this. Catavolos has been around a while and players like him, but he's not getting results out of a pretty talented group of guys (high draft picks). This defensive staff needs a complete overhaul.

Edited November 22, 2011 by Got_Wood

[Geno Smith's Arm]

I think that these guys have been coached all their lives, and that Chan Gailey isn't to blame if they can't remember to turn to the ball. They are PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS. They have been playing the position for many years (aside from George Wilson). I think Chan has other responsibilities to take care.

 

It's the players fault, they are too caught up in the moment, and are panicking.

 

Chan has no idea what's going on with the defensive side of the ball, he says as much in his press conferences.

 

Where is the accountability on the defensive side? The "we need to play better" excuse doesn't work for me.

 

When fans watching at home can see this I wonder why nobody in the organization has a clue.

 

Is he supposed to fire everyone? Point them out to the press? Beat them?

 

None of these are good ways to find replacements for the guys already here. No one would want to join the staff.

[cantankerous]

 

 

 

 

Is he supposed to fire everyone? Point them out to the press? Beat them?

 

None of these are good ways to find replacements for the guys already here. No one would want to join the staff.

 

You're right, he should do nothing. The HC should only concern himself with the offense.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

You're right, he should do nothing. The HC should only concern himself with the offense.

 

I didn't say that. And Chan didn't say that. he said he was busy so he didn't know exactly who made the mistake that allowed a guy to score. Not a big deal, but some people are grasping for straws for ways to place blame. They need more players.

 

I don't think he is doing nothing, he just isn't telling the press everything he is doing. And I just don't think there is much one can do at this point. They don't have enough good, healthy players. That's why they are losing games. Lots of teams lose games. These Bills won 5, and now they have lost 5. Some teams have lost more than 5.

 

They finished 3rd from the bottom last season. Why are you so shocked that they are struggling?

Edited November 22, 2011 by Matthews' Bag

[EldaBillsFan]

Honestly we have physical corners that should be jamming....... and we aren't. Jamming....we are giving wr way too much space and ability to get into their routes ....

[The Big Cat]

I think that these guys have been coached all their lives, and that Chan Gailey isn't to blame if they can't remember to turn to the ball. They are PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS. They have been playing the position for many years (aside from George Wilson). I think Chan has other responsibilities to take care.

 

It's the players fault, they are too caught up in the moment, and are panicking.

 

 

THIS

[sllib olaffub]

We argue about this stuff - who is responsible for the terrible defensive play - Gailey, Edwards, the Players? What we're doing is avoiding a glaring point, and we've been doing it, more or less, for a long time: whether it is Gailey, Edwards, or whoever - if this style and this poor quality of play were going on for as long as it has been in a place like Green Bay, or New York, or Philly, or Pittsburgh - they would make a change. There wouldn't be "we need to keep working on things" excuses for more than a week or two. This defense has been miserable for almost 2 years under this coordinator! And a big part of the problem is the attitude that permeates the Buffalo Bills, and that attitude is this: that they aren't supposed to be as good as the elite teams, that they are handicapped, whether it be because of the small market, or Wilson, or maybe the history of losing. But, it boils down to everyone accepting this style of play for way, way too long.

 

When Gailey came here he said he needed to change the culture, the mentality of the players and the place. He said when he walks out on that field he expects to win every game. He was full of it. They (and I mean Gailey and Nix) act like they're forced to work with second hand players. Why?

How about this: WHY DON'T THEY START ACTING LIKE THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE BEST. WHY DON'T THEY START PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM THAT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN PLAY WITH ANYONE, INSTEAD OF A TEAM OF CASTOFFS WHOSE ONLY CHANCE AT WINNING IS IF EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY EVERY WEEK, ALL SEASON. You can't sustain that. We deserve better, as the long suffering fans of these Buffalo Bills; we deserve to see a winning franchise before it is gone.

[cantankerous]

We argue about this stuff - who is responsible for the terrible defensive play - Gailey, Edwards, the Players? What we're doing is avoiding a glaring point, and we've been doing it, more or less, for a long time: whether it is Gailey, Edwards, or whoever - if this style and this poor quality of play were going on for as long as it has been in a place like Green Bay, or New York, or Philly, or Pittsburgh - they would make a change. There wouldn't be "we need to keep working on things" excuses for more than a week or two. This defense has been miserable for almost 2 years under this coordinator! And a big part of the problem is the attitude that permeates the Buffalo Bills, and that attitude is this: that they aren't supposed to be as good as the elite teams, that they are handicapped, whether it be because of the small market, or Wilson, or maybe the history of losing. But, it boils down to everyone accepting this style of play for way, way too long.

 

When Gailey came here he said he needed to change the culture, the mentality of the players and the place. He said when he walks out on that field he expects to win every game. He was full of it. They (and I mean Gailey and Nix) act like they're forced to work with second hand players. Why?

How about this: WHY DON'T THEY START ACTING LIKE THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE BEST. WHY DON'T THEY START PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM THAT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN PLAY WITH ANYONE, INSTEAD OF A TEAM OF CASTOFFS WHOSE ONLY CHANCE AT WINNING IS IF EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY EVERY WEEK, ALL SEASON. You can't sustain that. We deserve better, as the long suffering fans of these Buffalo Bills; we deserve to see a winning franchise before it is gone.

 

Great post, very well said.

 

I B word and moan because I'm tired of watching and supporting a losing team! *sigh* I don't expect much out of them the rest of the season. **bigger sigh**

[Coach Tuesday]

We argue about this stuff - who is responsible for the terrible defensive play - Gailey, Edwards, the Players? What we're doing is avoiding a glaring point, and we've been doing it, more or less, for a long time: whether it is Gailey, Edwards, or whoever - if this style and this poor quality of play were going on for as long as it has been in a place like Green Bay, or New York, or Philly, or Pittsburgh - they would make a change. There wouldn't be "we need to keep working on things" excuses for more than a week or two. This defense has been miserable for almost 2 years under this coordinator! And a big part of the problem is the attitude that permeates the Buffalo Bills, and that attitude is this: that they aren't supposed to be as good as the elite teams, that they are handicapped, whether it be because of the small market, or Wilson, or maybe the history of losing. But, it boils down to everyone accepting this style of play for way, way too long.

 

When Gailey came here he said he needed to change the culture, the mentality of the players and the place. He said when he walks out on that field he expects to win every game. He was full of it. They (and I mean Gailey and Nix) act like they're forced to work with second hand players. Why?

How about this: WHY DON'T THEY START ACTING LIKE THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE BEST. WHY DON'T THEY START PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM THAT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN PLAY WITH ANYONE, INSTEAD OF A TEAM OF CASTOFFS WHOSE ONLY CHANCE AT WINNING IS IF EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY EVERY WEEK, ALL SEASON. You can't sustain that. We deserve better, as the long suffering fans of these Buffalo Bills; we deserve to see a winning franchise before it is gone.

 

It's the fans and their dollars who have to put pressure on the Bills to make these changes. But know that you're up against self-titled Uber-Fans who drive 500 miles from New Hampshire every weekend to pay Mr. Wilson for the privilege of consuming his sub-par product. Those kinds of fans have been lining Ralph's pockets for decades and, coupled with the league-wide subsidy that make it almost impossible for an NFL owner to lose money, provide Ralph with little incentive to make a change. So you're left with rooting for nature to take its course, as much as I hate to say it.

[NewEra]

<br />Honestly we have physical corners that should be jamming.......  and we aren't. Jamming....we are giving wr way too much space and ability to get into their routes ....<br />

I agree to an extent. When you jam a Wr, the cb is in a tough position after the Wr gets off the jam. The key to jamming the wrs, is having a pass rush that can get to the qb while the Wr's are still trying to get off the jam. in order for us to get that rush, we NEED to bring at least 6 guys, or more. Our dc obviously doesn't like to blitz, so it's pointless to jam. Obviously, our dc is clueless, as you would think he would try SOMETHING DIFFERENT, seeing that we are getting killed EVERY week on defense. I agree with you elda, that we should be jamming AND blitzing. Our defensive game plan is one of the worst in league history. Fire Edwards and see if stache can help the D. If he can't, fire both of them. Worst case scenario is firing Edwards after the season and hiring stache as dc next year. We're position to test drive the car before we buy it. FIRE EDWARDS PLEASE.

[RealityCheck]

Our corners are playing terrible football. They themselves own it in my opinion. They are in a good position often enough to at least knock the ball down. To call it coaching is ludicrous.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

We argue about this stuff - who is responsible for the terrible defensive play - Gailey, Edwards, the Players? What we're doing is avoiding a glaring point, and we've been doing it, more or less, for a long time: whether it is Gailey, Edwards, or whoever - if this style and this poor quality of play were going on for as long as it has been in a place like Green Bay, or New York, or Philly, or Pittsburgh - they would make a change. There wouldn't be "we need to keep working on things" excuses for more than a week or two. This defense has been miserable for almost 2 years under this coordinator! And a big part of the problem is the attitude that permeates the Buffalo Bills, and that attitude is this: that they aren't supposed to be as good as the elite teams, that they are handicapped, whether it be because of the small market, or Wilson, or maybe the history of losing. But, it boils down to everyone accepting this style of play for way, way too long.

 

When Gailey came here he said he needed to change the culture, the mentality of the players and the place. He said when he walks out on that field he expects to win every game. He was full of it. They (and I mean Gailey and Nix) act like they're forced to work with second hand players. Why?

How about this: WHY DON'T THEY START ACTING LIKE THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE BEST. WHY DON'T THEY START PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM THAT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN PLAY WITH ANYONE, INSTEAD OF A TEAM OF CASTOFFS WHOSE ONLY CHANCE AT WINNING IS IF EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY EVERY WEEK, ALL SEASON. You can't sustain that. We deserve better, as the long suffering fans of these Buffalo Bills; we deserve to see a winning franchise before it is gone.

 

You think Chan Gailey wouldn't like better players?

 

He has only been here a season and a half. There has a been a tremendous turnover of the roster. They had a great start to the season, and then their lack of depth caught up with them.

 

All this "coach speak" that you want to see enacted is pretty silly.

 

"Why don't they start acting like they are expected to be the best?".

 

Wow, laughable. They did act like that at the beginning of the season, and then they lost some games. This is what a team looks like that "acts like they are expected to be the best" but aren't. This Bills team is EXACTLY THAT!

 

To compare them to the Packers is kind of odd. To be like the Packers or Steelers they need CONTINUITY! That means letting coaches develop, not just firing guys left and right. It should also be noted that the Green Bay Packers were TERRIBLE for decades prior to the arrival of Favre. During my youth they were a JOKE.

 

When does the continuity start? Right now? Right after George Edwards is fired? After Chan is gone? When?

Edited November 22, 2011 by Matthews' Bag

[Gray Beard]

The film sessions should show that they are not turning around soon enough. PI penalties can sometimes be avoided if the ref thinks the DB is playing the ball. That won't happen if the DB isn't even looking for it. I believe it is a coaches responsibility to point out the trend and try to drill the DBs during the week on turning around and playing the ball. These are non-contact drills that just reinforce the habit. It seems like a very fixable situation if the coaches realize it and decide to make it a priority for even a little while during practice. But I'm probably wrong. I played DB is high school several decades ago, and my perception of the coaches' ability to point out such things to professional players who obviously are excellent at their jobs is likely misguided and naive.

[Simon]

I want some of you to go outside right now and run a 40 yard sprint at your absolute top end speed. 30 yards into that sprint I want you to turn around, locate a small moving target in the air in less than .5 seconds, judge its trajectory and get your hands on it. And when you turn yourself around, I want to see you maintain that full speed without stumbling or losing any momentum whatsoever.

After you've done this a few times, pick yourself up off the ground, wipe all the mud and leaves off yourself and take a minute to think about what a coach could possibly tell you to make you able to perfectly execute such an intricate, athletic maneuver without any loss of speed. When you realize there is no answer to that, you'll then realize this is not a coaching issue.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

The film sessions should show that they are not turning around soon enough. PI penalties can sometimes be avoided if the ref thinks the DB is playing the ball. That won't happen if the DB isn't even looking for it. I believe it is a coaches responsibility to point out the trend and try to drill the DBs during the week on turning around and playing the ball. These are non-contact drills that just reinforce the habit. It seems like a very fixable situation if the coaches realize it and decide to make it a priority for even a little while during practice. But I'm probably wrong. I played DB is high school several decades ago, and my perception of the coaches' ability to point out such things to professional players who obviously are excellent at their jobs is likely misguided and naive.

 

Aw, shucks.

 

So you think with all the video of receptions and misplayed balls these DB's have generated, it never gets brought up?

I think the Db's are getting outplayed, and lose their composure while trying to keep up with the receiver.

[Beerball]

This has bothered me most of the season, but particularly over the past few weeks. I'm seeing all of our pass coverage guys (safeties, CBs, and LBs in coverage) following their assignment and rarely looking back for the ball. They stay with or chase the receiver and just keep running even when its obvious the ball is in the air. There's no looking back and attempting to deflect or intercept the ball. They are playing the man when you should be playing the ball.

 

This has to be coaching, or lack of coaching. Its been consistent throughout the team, so there's no one particular player i can single out. It's not a difficult concept. If you can't see the QB, watch the WRs eyes, and look back when he's tracking the ball. It's baffling to me why none of our players ever seem to do this.

It's absurd, isn't it? You can't pin it on one player though McKelvin is the worst IMO. Time after time we see decent coverage beat by an offensive player making a play for the ball while our guys are oblivious.

 

I want some of you to go outside right now and run a 40 yard sprint at your absolute top end speed. 30 yards into that sprint I want you to turn around, locate a small moving target in the air in less than .5 seconds, judge its trajectory and get your hands on it. And when you turn yourself around, I want to see you maintain that full speed without stumbling or losing any momentum whatsoever.

After you've done this a few times, pick yourself up off the ground, wipe all the mud and leaves off yourself and take a minute to think about what a coach could possibly tell you to make you able to perfectly execute such an intricate, athletic maneuver without any loss of speed. When you realize there is no answer to that, you'll then realize this is not a coaching issue.

I'd be happy if they turned around and stumbled. Instead they make no play on the ball because they don't know it's coming.