Jerry Jabber Posted November 18, 2013 Posted November 18, 2013 Earlier in the season, I was critical about Kyle Wiiliams and the D-line's inability to stop the run, and felt the D-line wasn't getting enough pressure on the opposing QB's. I felt if KW couldn't come back to form and if his foot injuries continue to hinder his game, then the Bills should look into replacing in in the offseason. I am eating a big bowl of crow as KW is having a great year so far. Yesterday, KW had one of his best games in his career as he had 2 sacks including a forced fumble which set up the Bills first and goal at the 4 yard line. The run defense has improved up the middle where it was a big problem in years past. Dareus has stepped up his game as well. IMO, this is the defense we were expecting to see last year (lots of pressure on the QB which leads to sacks, bad decisions/INTs). Even though it took a little time, I'm glad to see how well the defense is playing now that players are coming back healthy and getting accustomed to Pettine's scheme. Now, if the offense can play consistently good week in and out, then the Bills will be a playoff contender.
ganesh Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 The problem with KW and Dareus is that they are INCONSISTENT. They cannot put two games together where they can harass the QB.
Dorkington Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 They had a pretty good game on Sunday stopping the run.... then of course they gave up a big one. They need to stop having these lapses on defense, in general. We gave up 65 yards on 22 carries (2.95 yards per carry)... then our bozo defense falls asleep for a play, and gives up a 70 yard run. If we could just stop with the inconsistent play, we'd be dominant on defense. Final line ends up being a 5.8 yards per carry.
BigBuff423 Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Those who have problems with this Defense are people who fail to take the totality of circumstances into account: a new Defensive scheme (not an excuse, but it's not like flipping a switch either), significant injuries to start the year, and the fact that in retrospect, this team played some playoff contenders and solid teams in the first half of the year. As said with the first point, injuries aren't an "excuse", but if the guys who are 2nd/3rd string were starters...they'd be playing somewhere else. It's no accident that players getting healthy has made a big impact on how this Defense has done and keep in mind, they keep getting better...
Wooderson Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 They had a pretty good game on Sunday stopping the run.... then of course they gave up a big one. They need to stop having these lapses on defense, in general. We gave up 65 yards on 22 carries (2.95 yards per carry)... then our bozo defense falls asleep for a play, and gives up a 70 yard run. If we could just stop with the inconsistent play, we'd be dominant on defense. Final line ends up being a 5.8 yards per carry. We were up 20+ points. Our defensive scheme at that point was to keep the clock running. Who cares about the final stats, we dominated the game and won. That's all I care about.
wnysteel Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 They had a pretty good game on Sunday stopping the run.... then of course they gave up a big one. They need to stop having these lapses on defense, in general. We gave up 65 yards on 22 carries (2.95 yards per carry)... then our bozo defense falls asleep for a play, and gives up a 70 yard run. If we could just stop with the inconsistent play, we'd be dominant on defense. Final line ends up being a 5.8 yards per carry. giving up a long play in garbage time doesn't matter to me. when it counted, the defense got it done.
Dorkington Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 It's unlikely to have mattered, but weird things happen in the NFL. I'd rather not see it happen, garbage time or not.
Dorkington Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Who's overreacting? You think the coaches will sit in the room and say that play was acceptable? No, they'll look for what happened on that play, make adjustments and work on having it not happen in the future. You people are focusing on the fact that I didn't like that *one* play, even though I said right at the beginning "they had a pretty good game stopping the run". It seems like no one is allowed to have a middle ground opinion here. It's either "OMG THEY 100% SUCK", or "OMG THEY 100% ROCK". You can't say anything like "They 90% rocked, but had 10% of suck that needs to be cleaned up".
JPS Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Echo that. They've been inconsistent, but overall better than I thought they would be. I think part of it is having a quality MLB behind them.
Dorkington Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Kiko has been a godsend. I love that he's aggressive, and seems to have amazing instinct.
marauderswr80 Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Apologize when they can put a few games together! No apologies needed right now!
Jerry Jabber Posted November 19, 2013 Author Posted November 19, 2013 Apologize when they can put a few games together! No apologies needed right now! Thanks! IMO, the defense would be playing better if they were able to get consistent play by the offense every week. When the defense is on the field most of the game, and back on the field very quickly after a fast 3 and out, it's hard for them to maintain a high level of play for 60 minutes.
mattsox Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 The problem with KW and Dareus is that they are INCONSISTENT. They cannot put two games together where they can harass the QB. I agree. We need to start dominating consistently!!!
papazoid Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Love means never having to say you're sorry
DC Greg Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Those two are great. Again, I think fans have a tendancy to attribute every run that goes for a gain up the middle as a bad play for the D tackles. Every player on the defensive front is responsible for exactly ONE gap. There are six gaps in between the tackles. Of course it's awesome when you have a D tackle that can split a double team or shed a single man block to make a big play (which these guys do almost as well as anyone in the league). But if you really watch, they do an excellent job of controlling their gaps and not getting pushed around. Linebackers need to fill their gaps on runs as well. This is a big difference between the casual fan who just sees "run for a gain up the middle, must have been the big guys fault" and someone who is familiar with how defensive scheme responsibilities actually are in run defense.
BillsBytheBay Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 It's unlikely to have mattered, but weird things happen in the NFL. I'd rather not see it happen, garbage time or not. every team gives up yards in gabage time. Its kinda the point. Keep it IN bounds, and the clock rolling.
C.Biscuit97 Posted November 19, 2013 Posted November 19, 2013 Apologize when they can put a few games together! No apologies needed right now! They might be the best DT combo in the game. The Bills are tied for 9th in yards per carry. http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/rushing/sort/yardsPerRushAttempt/position/defense
San Jose Bills Fan Posted November 20, 2013 Posted November 20, 2013 I probably said it 4-5 times before the season started and I'll say it again. Kyle was hobbled last year with the bone spurs which caused his achilles tendon to inflame. He had the same problem the year before with the other foot. The last time Kyle was truly healthy was in 2010 when he was named All-Pro. That was the year he also made the Pro Bowl and was named Pro Football Focus' Defensive Player of the Year.
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