Two Reason For Hope No One Is Talking About.

[eball]

3 minutes ago, SoTier said:

 

Optimism without results to justify it is just fantasizing.  The Bills need a lot of pieces to come together to have a successful season in 2019.  They need to have a lot of young players become outstanding/elite players in the next year or so in order to become a regular playoff contender.  They need their offensive coaching staff to prove they're significantly better than their predecessors.  They need their HC and DC to prove their can match wits with Belichick and his staff.

 

The Bills could put it all together.  They could also fail to achieve some or all of these pieces and be just as mediocre as they been for the last twenty years.   There are no guarantees.

 

I think most of this is spot on.  It’s actually one of your better efforts.  What I never understand is when fans automatically assume none of it will happen.  And what fun is following your team if you’re not going to be optimistic?

 

No guarantees indeed.

[SoTier]

30 minutes ago, formerlyofCtown said:

6'5" 250+ in the middle and Im not certain but I dont believe Milona played in the games the run D struggled.

They can do that if they can stop your offense.  The key is to score lots of points and then it forces them to have to move the ball through the air against the #1 pass D in the NFL.

 

Except that the Bills haven't proven they can score "lots of points" against anybody under McDermott.  They mostly have lots of points scored against them.  It's why their points scored differentials have been massively negative in both of McDermott's first two seasons.  Last season they not only couldn't score "lots of points", they gave up "lots of points", too. 

 

Hopefully experience helps Edmunds and the other young LBs improve.  Unfortunately, the laws of physics are pretty immutable: when a bigger body smashes into a smaller body, it's the smaller body that gets knocked off its trajectory  while the bigger body's course is frequently unaffected by a smaller body smashing into it.

Edited July 16, 2019 by SoTier

[Royale with Cheese]

I really like our linebackers.  I think @Buffalo716 has it right that Milano will be a strong contender for defensive MVP for us. 

[Dopey]

56 minutes ago, Cripple Creek said:

You do realize that if something does happen we will have to kill you?

or at least ban him for a month.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

two-reason-for-hope

 

1) Josh Allen 

 

2) The retirement of Brady and Belichick 

[oldmanfan]

14 minutes ago, SoTier said:

 

Except that the Bills haven't proven they can score "lots of points" against anybody under McDermott.  They mostly have lots of points scored against them.  It's why their points scored differentials have been massively negative in both of McDermott's first two seasons.  Last season they not only couldn't score "lots of points", they gave up "lots of points", too. 

 

Hopefully experience helps Edmunds and the other young LBs improve.  Unfortunately, the laws of physics are pretty immutable: when a bigger body smashes into a smaller body, it's the smaller body that gets knocked off its trajectory  while the bigger body's course is frequently unaffected by a smaller body smashing into it.

You may want to consider the concept of tackling.  Where the defender does things like wrap his arms around the runner to bring him down, especially around the legs. 

[TigerJ]

8 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Unless you are playing the Patriots, who realize you have a bunch of 228# LB’s and pound the ball down your throat. Be ahead of the curve for once. Not the standard set, but have the guys to stand up against it. 

Buffalo hasn't done a great deal to address run defense.  Changing out the retired Kyle Williams for Ed Oliver doesn't seem to address run defense.  It looks like they're hoping that maturation from Tremaine Edmunds and the return to full health from Trent Murphy will be enough.  I hope that's enough.

[Flip Johnson]

9 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Unless you are playing the Patriots, who realize you have a bunch of 228# LB’s and pound the ball down your throat. Be ahead of the curve for once. Not the standard set, but have the guys to stand up against it. 

 

This is the exact point. The Pats used 2 TEs or a FB in the playoffs last year and mashed the ball on the ground against nickel defenses. Then when teams went with bigger personnel, the Pats split the TE out wide and got Gronk matched up against slower or smaller players. Versatile offensive pieces have to be matched up with hybrid-type defensive pieces.

[billsfan_34]

3 hours ago, H2o said:

I have high hopes for Knox and I think he's given more than the average opportunity to make an impact due to our depth chart. Hope he makes the most of it. 

Many have liked him to Hockenson

[MJS]

3 hours ago, vorpma said:

The Arena Football crowd and dire need for showtime; the running game, the power running game, and run stuffing linebackers still win super bowls. Great coaches do what it takes to win - run, pass, special teams.

Run stuffing linebackers don't win anything. You have to primarily be good in coverage. The really good LB's are good at both. The decent ones are good at coverage. The run stuffers are almost gone because they cant cover.

[formerlyofCtown]

3 hours ago, SoTier said:

 

Except that the Bills haven't proven they can score "lots of points" against anybody under McDermott.  They mostly have lots of points scored against them.  It's why their points scored differentials have been massively negative in both of McDermott's first two seasons.  Last season they not only couldn't score "lots of points", they gave up "lots of points", too. 

 

Hopefully experience helps Edmunds and the other young LBs improve.  Unfortunately, the laws of physics are pretty immutable: when a bigger body smashes into a smaller body, it's the smaller body that gets knocked off its trajectory  while the bigger body's course is frequently unaffected by a smaller body smashing into it.

I think they may have addressed the Offense a bit in the offseason.

[vorpma]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

Run stuffing linebackers don't win anything. You have to primarily be good in coverage. The really good LB's are good at both. The decent ones are good at coverage. The run stuffers are almost gone because they cant cover.

Not arguing with you, you have to do both - no kidding; been that way since the advent of the forward pass. But you can still get your butt whipped by the power running game, sorry, you still need a balanced offense and good coaches can beat pass crazy offences; just ask Marv Levy and the no huddle! You guys have to get grounded in reality and stop fantasizing about Showtime Offenses lighting up the board; go to Arena Football because the NFL and good coaches will find a way to shut it down!

[Jerome007]

Rex Ryan was a damn buffoon but I fail to see how his skydiving was a detriment or related to the other stuff. If he had been a serious dedicated coach, all his marketing ploys would have been added benefits.

 

 

[Figster]

3 hours ago, ShadyBillsFan said:

two-reason-for-hope

 

1) Josh Allen 

 

2) The retirement of Brady and Belichick 

Good D's have come and gone over the years in Buffalo, some probably good enough to win a championship.

 

If you had/have a franchise QB...

[billsintaiwan]

13 hours ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

To get there, I see the biggest defensive Needs this way:

 

1) run defense can’t occasionally randomly get stream rolled for 200 yards  

 

2)  need a really solid CB not named Tre White

 

3) young Tre Ed is to the defense as Josh is to the O.  Will need to have taken a monster step

  

4) Ed will need to adapt to a less familiar role.  

 

5) get better at keeping opponents out of the end zone 

And,as often as possible, score more points than the other team. This is the key to victory.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

1 hour ago, Jerome007 said:

Rex Ryan was a damn buffoon but I fail to see how his skydiving was a detriment or related to the other stuff. If he had been a serious dedicated coach, all his marketing ploys would have been added benefits.

 

 

I think part of the problem was exactly that--as a HC, he couldn't juggle competency with marketing at the same time. 

[Capco]

8 hours ago, billsfan_34 said:

And the Pats recognized this, cramming the ball down everyones throats down the stretch last season.

 

This was predicted years ago.  It was just a matter of time.  When front 7's get smaller but offensive lines stay the same size, this is what you get.  

[Buffalo716]

5 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I really like our linebackers.  I think @Buffalo716 has it right that Milano will be a strong contender for defensive MVP for us. 

We have a core of LBrs that are tailor-made for the modern NFL

[Bill from NYC]

6 hours ago, eball said:

These posts are great but it always comes down to people in one of two camps: those who see hope and optimism, and those who insist the Bills will never figure it out.

 

I am not feeling the above in this thread.

 

Nobody said that run stuffing LBs are more important that pass defending LBs.  Even in college the pass defending LB is more important. The problem is that those guys tend to be smaller and this can make life easier for big, strong backs. Other teams have started to notice this.

 

This btw can actually help the Bills. Gore is very strong and Yelden has some power as well. The Bills can't always be on the losing end of the power game and be successful in Buffalo imo, and it seems that they recognize this.

 

 

[aristocrat]

Great now come the string of arrests and failed drug tests