Edge Pressure

[LABILLBACKER]

On 8/17/2019 at 4:11 PM, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

Managed to be the #2 defense last year with the same pash rush. 

Here we go again with that useless yardage ranking. We ranked 18th in points allowed. Thats the only defensive team stat that matters. I agree with the OP that McD will have to be creative masking the rush deficiencies of Murphy & Lawson. We won't have Jerry forever. 

[JoshAllenHasBigHands]

17 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Here we go again with that useless yardage ranking. We ranked 18th in points allowed. Thats the only defensive team stat that matters. I agree with the OP that McD will have to be creative masking the rush deficiencies of Murphy & Lawson. We won't have Jerry forever. 

We are also second in DVOA. 

[JoshAllenHasBigHands]

48 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Here we go again with that useless yardage ranking. We ranked 18th in points allowed. Thats the only defensive team stat that matters. I agree with the OP that McD will have to be creative masking the rush deficiencies of Murphy & Lawson. We won't have Jerry forever. 

 

Also, and I am a little late with this, Murphy has looked like our strongest pass rusher through camp and in the preseason. He looks fasssst. 

[GoBills808]

4 minutes ago, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

 

Also, and I am a little late with this, Murphy has looked like our strongest pass rusher through camp and in the preseason. He looks fasssst. 

He looks like a guy who's really excited to be playing high level football again but isn't thinking the whole way through yet...flying around like a missile but missing some basic assignments. I think he'll be fine. Fast is fine, discipline is better.

[ColoradoBills]

47 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Here we go again with that useless yardage ranking. We ranked 18th in points allowed. Thats the only defensive team stat that matters. I agree with the OP that McD will have to be creative masking the rush deficiencies of Murphy & Lawson. We won't have Jerry forever. 

 

18th is the Team Points Against.  Buffalo had the most points scored against when the offense was on the field (35 points).

That takes them to 14th best.

One could "factor in" the horrible offensive play (especially in the beginning of the season) and the D would move up a few spots.

 

Beane, McDermott and the players also cited they need to improve the red zone which was bad last year.

I will agree that points against is more important than yards but yards against is also a valid tool to measure a D by.

 

So in my ranking (which I can care less what other people think) the Bills did not have the 2nd best D in the league.

But they surely were better than 18th.

It's reasonable to rank them around 7th or 8th best.

They must get better in the Red Zone this year to get to "one of the best" this coming year.

FWIW

[JoshAllenHasBigHands]

10 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

He looks like a guy who's really excited to be playing high level football again but isn't thinking the whole way through yet...flying around like a missile but missing some basic assignments. I think he'll be fine. Fast is fine, discipline is better.

 

Shaq is disciplined, but he doesn't get sacks. I haven't watched close enough to see Murphy missing assignments, but I will take your work for it. I just notice him constantly jumping off the screen at me. 

 

I'll take sacks over the occasional missed assignment. 

[GoBills808]

Just now, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

 

Shaq is disciplined, but he doesn't get sacks. I haven't watched close enough to see Murphy missing assignments, but I will take your work for it. I just notice him constantly jumping off the screen at me. 

 

I'll take sacks over the occasional missed assignment. 

 

In McD's defense I think he prioritizes defensive discipline. Which is why a guy like Lotulelei, while not jumping off the screen, is a perfect fit...not flashy but does everything right.

[JoshAllenHasBigHands]

1 minute ago, GoBills808 said:

 

In McD's defense I think he prioritizes defensive discipline. Which is why a guy like Lotulelei, while not jumping off the screen, is a perfect fit...not flashy but does everything right.

 

That makes alot of sense.  And, McD knows how to coach defense, who am I to argue with that philosophy. 

 

Is he really missing assignments?  Can you describe that a bit? I'm very interested. 

Edited August 19, 2019 by JoshAllenHasBigHands

[GoBills808]

2 minutes ago, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

 

That makes alot of sense.  And, McD knows how to coach defense, who am I to argue with that philosophy. 

 

Is he really missing assignments?  Can you describe that a bit? I'm very interested. 

I don't think it's anything huge to worry about really, he just lost contain on at least one play on one of the early drives iirc. Overran his assignment. He just looked really enthusiastic which is to be expected.

 

 

[Formerly Allan in MD]

5 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

Do you honestly think Oliver will be taking on double teams when the season starts?

Not initially.

[LSHMEAB]

Hughes may be our most irreplaceable player this season. I don't even want to think about this issue if......

 

My take is that you really NEED two guys you can count on off coming off the edge. I'm an edge pressure guy. Always have been. Always will be. When I think of an effective defense circa 2019, I think of guys flying out of nowhere to disrupt plays. I love Lorax, but I just can't expect much out of him at his age. It's somewhat odd that he had 6.5 sacks in 2018 and only 3 in 2017. The eye test says he regressed despite the numbers. I generally go with the numbers, so I'll have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Let's hope the optimists are right and the groans are warranted.

 

The alternative and something that has more import than it used to with modern offenses is an interior stud. Would have liked to see them pick up McCoy because as much as I love Oliver, alot is being asked of a rookie.

Edited August 19, 2019 by LSHMEAB