I wonder if the Bills will be able to run the ball without Levitre

[Doc]

That they played the Steelers??

The Steelers aren't a good football team anymore.

BTW, Johnson averaged 4.8 YPC against the Steelers last year.

[C.Biscuit97]

That they played the Steelers??

 

The Steelers gave up 3.7 ypc rush last year and the Pats gave up 3.9 ypc. Best part of the Pats' D is their run defense. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/stats/byteam?group=Defense&cat=Rushing&conference=NFL&year=season_2012&sort=1136&timeframe=

[shibuya]

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=TM&offensiveStatisticCategory=RUSHING&defensiveStatisticCategory=null&season=2013&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=false&Submit=Go

 

 

According to this The Bills are the 3rd best rushing team in the league and the Titans are 8th

 

In regards to YPC Buffalo Averaged 4.0 ypc and Tenn 2.7 ypc. Buffalo ranked #8 here and Tenn ranked #22

 

pretty stupid to start a debate about Levitre when all the other evidence clearly says something else at this point

[C.Biscuit97]

http://www.nfl.com/s...false&Submit=Go

 

 

According to this The Bills are the 3rd best rushing team in the league and the Titans are 8th

 

In regards to YPC Buffalo Averaged 4.0 ypc and Tenn 2.7 ypc. Buffalo ranked #8 here and Tenn ranked #22

 

pretty stupid to start a debate about Levitre when all the other evidence clearly says something else at this point

 

Fact, if the Bills still had LEvitre, they would have averaged double the ypc.

[Mango]

Our lack of running game wasn't because of or LG, it was our lack of qualified scheming

[C.Biscuit97]

Our lack of running game wasn't because of or LG, it was our lack of qualified scheming

 

Again, the Pats were one of the best run defenses in the league last year. They deserve credit too.

[GA BILLS FAN]

Fans need to stop rationalizing all the dumb FO moves and face facts -- Bills are under spending to the cap and not one of you Kool Aid drinkers has offered a legitimate reason for it --- not one --- let's face it, if they were trying to win THIS YEAR, they would have spent on FA's, Levitre and Byrd -- if they were trying to win NEXT YEAR they would restructure contracts and move dollars into this year to free up cap room next year --- they are doing neither -- WHY ? -- because Brandon wants to manage the team to make money --- does he want to win, absolutely, but first, he needs to make the team profitable --- as long as #1 is profit and #2 is winning --- we will get inferior players, coaches and continue to lose --- UNLESS, we strike GOLD, like they did in early 90's when Ralph found a young genius named Polian, who had a few great drafts and found a franchise QB, RB, WR, DE, etc. etc. --- not sure if lightning will strike again, but, as a Bills fan, that's all we can hope for under the existing ownership, afterall, Russ is a younger version of Ralh

Edited September 9, 2013 by TXBILLSFAN

[thewildrabbit]

Fans need to stop rationalizing all the dumb FO moves and face facts -- Bills are under spending to the cap and not one of you Kool Aid drinkers has offered a legitimate reason for it --- not one --- let's face it, if they were trying to win THIS YEAR, they would have spent on FA's, Levitre and Byrd -- if they were trying to win NEXT YEAR they would restructure contracts and move dollars into this year to free up cap room next year --- they are doing neither -- WHY ? -- because Brandon wants to manage the team to make money --- does he want to win, absolutely, but first, he needs to make the team profitable --- as long as #1 is profit and #2 is winning --- we will get inferior players, coaches and continue to lose --- UNLESS, we strike GOLD, like they did in early 90's when Ralph found a young genius named Polian, who had a few great drafts and found a franchise QB, RB, WR, DE, etc. etc. --- not sure if lightning will strike again, but, as a Bills fan, that's all we can hope for under the existing ownership, afterall, Russ is a younger version of Ralh

As a Bills fan, all so heart wrenching-ly true.

 

Somehow RW found a way to fire the best GM this franchise has ever seen.

 

At the end of the 70's it was so bad for the Bills that only 30k season tickets were sold for an 80k stadium. RW hired finally paid top dollar for a HC in Chuck Knox. Then Knox turned out to be a mini Bill Belichick by building a playoff team despite having a moron at GM in Stew Barber. The Bills make the playoffs under Knox, and the stadium was filled again. So the owner realizes he no longer needs a top HC, and RW let Knox leave for Seattle.

 

I read a 2011 report from Forbes that stated the Bills made 41 million that year, and that is after playing the players. The primary goal is to make the team as profitable as possible in order to make the franchise more enticing for the next owner.

[GA BILLS FAN]

As a Bills fan, all so heart wrenching-ly true.

 

Somehow RW found a way to fire the best GM this franchise has ever seen.

 

At the end of the 70's it was so bad for the Bills that only 30k season tickets were sold for an 80k stadium. RW hired finally paid top dollar for a HC in Chuck Knox. Then Knox turned out to be a mini Bill Belichick by building a playoff team despite having a moron at GM in Stew Barber. The Bills make the playoffs under Knox, and the stadium was filled again. So the owner realizes he no longer needs a top HC, and RW let Knox leave for Seattle.

 

I read a 2011 report from Forbes that stated the Bills made 41 million that year, and that is after playing the players. The primary goal is to make the team as profitable as possible in order to make the franchise more enticing for the next owner.

Memories --- I remember exactly the way you do --- painful --- there is hope, albeit, small -- striking gold with one of these retread coaches or young ones --- I like Marrone, maybe Hackett turns out to be a budding offensive genius, Pettine has a DC attitude --- if you get the right coaches and players play up to and above their potential --- it's just a shame that Brandon isn't making it any easier on the team --- imagine going into next off-season with $40M+ to spend on FA's ? --- another decent draft, retaining the guys on this team --- anything is possible --- albeit a long(er) shot than most of the NFL teams

[CardinalScotts]

yes the correct answer is titans couldnt with him

[Webster Guy]

Definitely missed Levitre in game one. I watched him carefully the last few years because I had a nice experience with him and my son at training camp a few years ago (raining, he stood there and talked to us for awhile and signed some stuff, very cool. So was Leodis)

 

Colin got handled by an all pro in Wolfork, which is understandable. Big Vince pushed him into running lanes quite a bit and played lower and stronger.

 

I still think we should have signed Levitre, it would have been nice to have Glenn Levitre and Wood together again this year. He's a durable, athletic team player and a mauler out there.

 

Marrone has really downplayed continuity though, saying it's overrated. Maybe he's right, because our pass protection was pretty good yesterday, better than I expected anyway

[thewildrabbit]

Definitely missed Levitre in game one. I watched him carefully the last few years because I had a nice experience with him and my son at training camp a few years ago (raining, he stood there and talked to us for awhile and signed some stuff, very cool. So was Leodis)

 

Colin got handled by an all pro in Wolfork, which is understandable. Big Vince pushed him into running lanes quite a bit and played lower and stronger.

 

I still think we should have signed Levitre, it would have been nice to have Glenn Levitre and Wood together again this year. He's a durable, athletic team player and a mauler out there.

 

Marrone has really downplayed continuity though, saying it's overrated. Maybe he's right, because our pass protection was pretty good yesterday, better than I expected anyway

They not only missed Levitre in the run game. They also missed Chad Rinehart who started at LG for the Chargers.

 

The run blocking stunk big time as Spiller had no holes. The pass blocking was better because the Patriots D was keying on Spiller and not blitzing EJ much. I think the reasoning there was that EJ only partially played in the first two pre season games and hadn't really seen much of as 1st string defense. Therefore didn't have much game experience, so belicheat sat back in coverage waiting for EJ to make mistakes. Which to his credit he didn't do. EJ played well despite the lack of a decent run game.

[DefenseWinzChampionshipz]

Thread fail.

 

This guy has a bigger problem than a small thread fail... I say take the " thread" out and put a "life" in there and it will be more accurate...

[papazoid]

Definitely missed Levitre in game one. I watched him carefully the last few years because I had a nice experience with him and my son at training camp a few years ago (raining, he stood there and talked to us for awhile and signed some stuff, very cool. So was Leodis)

 

Colin got handled by an all pro in Wolfork, which is understandable. Big Vince pushed him into running lanes quite a bit and played lower and stronger.

 

I still think we should have signed Levitre, it would have been nice to have Glenn Levitre and Wood together again this year. He's a durable, athletic team player and a mauler out there.

 

Marrone has really downplayed continuity though, saying it's overrated. Maybe he's right, because our pass protection was pretty good yesterday, better than I expected anyway

 

this

[Doc]

So again, how do you acccount for Chris Johnson averaging just 2.8 yards per carry the other day, when last year against the Steelers, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry? If Levitre were so key in the run game, he should've done even better, or at least the same. You can't take one game and use that as proof that they missed Levitre and ignore the other game that says that they probably didn't.

[dollars 2 donuts]

They not only missed Levitre in the run game. They also missed Chad Rinehart who started at LG for the Chargers.

 

The run blocking stunk big time as Spiller had no holes. The pass blocking was better because the Patriots D was keying on Spiller and not blitzing EJ much. I think the reasoning there was that EJ only partially played in the first two pre season games and hadn't really seen much of as 1st string defense. Therefore didn't have much game experience, so belicheat sat back in coverage waiting for EJ to make mistakes. Which to his credit he didn't do. EJ played well despite the lack of a decent run game.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with respect to losing rinehart. Levitre leaving i get, but signing chad for a couple of million per year for two years should have been a no brainier. I know it has been previously mentioned on the broad that he followed his coach to SD, but money is money and doubling his pay should have been an "easy" button right smack dab in the middle of the GM control board.

Edited September 10, 2013 by dollars 2 donuts

[papazoid]

So again, how do you acccount for Chris Johnson averaging just 2.8 yards per carry the other day, when last year against the Steelers, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry? If Levitre were so key in the run game, he should've done even better, or at least the same. You can't take one game and use that as proof that they missed Levitre and ignore the other game that says that they probably didn't.

 

Levitre led his team to an upset victory over the 7.5 point favored Pittsburgh Steelers (without him they would have lost). LG Colin Brown had a very difficult day, as he graded out poorly and finished at -7.8 and was just as bad as a run blocker (-4.9) as he was in pass protection (-3.2) he was the primary reason his team lost. I thought I heard the field microphones pick up spiller lamenting he misses Levitre.

 

seriously though, Tennessee played alot of the game in a 3 tight end formation. they rushed 42 times vs 20 pass attempts. pit overloaded the box. I do not know how andy played individually. I did watch Colin Brown all through preseason and this new England game and we have reason to worry.

 

 

[K-9]

Levitre led his team to an upset victory over the 7.5 point favored Pittsburgh Steelers (without him they would have lost). LG Colin Brown had a very difficult day, as he graded out poorly and finished at -7.8 and was just as bad as a run blocker (-4.9) as he was in pass protection (-3.2) he was the primary reason his team lost. I thought I heard the field microphones pick up spiller lamenting he misses Levitre.

 

seriously though, Tennessee played alot of the game in a 3 tight end formation. they rushed 42 times vs 20 pass attempts. pit overloaded the box. I do not know how andy played individually. I did watch Colin Brown all through preseason and this new England game and we have reason to worry.

 

Levitre "led" his team to victory?

 

The Legend of Levitre continues to grow even in his absence.

 

I wonder if profootballfocus has moved him up from his 39th best run blocking guard from last year.

 

From PFF themselves:

 

2. Andy Levitre - to TEN: 6-year, $46.8m

2012 Grade: +17.3

2012 Snaps: 1,039

Summary: Heading into just his fifth season in the league, Levitre should be in line to become the highest paid interior lineman in this free agent class. He’s improved greatly since being drafted in the second round in 2009 and the Buffalo Bills will have a major hole to fill if they are unwilling to pay him.

He’s certainly benefitted from playing in Buffalo’s system that relies on quick, short passes, but Levitre was our top pass protector among guards grading at +15.7 with a league-best PBE of 98.5. If there’s a complaint, he can improve his -0.7 run blocking that ranked 39th at the position. However, his ability to prevent interior pressure will make him a hot commodity

 

 

Andy Levitre (OG) to TEN: 6-year, $46.8m deal

 

"We like Levitre. He was our ninth ranked guard and can really hold up in the pass blocking game. But is he a player that is going to be the difference between the Titans winning and losing games? In all honesty no. He’s not a difference maker in the run game, and while good in space, he’s getting considerably more money than guards like Evan Mathis and Ben Grubbs who are just far better players. The Titans got their man, but at the end of the day, they’ve spent a lot of money over a long period without pushing their team on."

 

 

GO BILLS!!!

Edited September 10, 2013 by K-9

[Alaska Darin]

The creases were there - CJ simply wasn't hitting them and Freddie was. It wasn't an OLine problem, it was a "CJ's head isn't in the game" problem.

[papazoid]

Bills' Fred Jackson might cut into C.J. Spiller's touches

 

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett had planned on feeding C.J. Spiller this season until the running back "throws up," but during Week 1 Fred Jackson did a good amount of eating.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000241881/article/bills-fred-jackson-might-cut-into-cj-spillers-touches