The defense is missing an emotional leader

[JoPoy88]

Just now, Sharky7337 said:

This aged well. 

Desperate much?

[Sharky7337]

1 minute ago, JoPoy88 said:

Desperate much?

Lol go eat some crow and then flame some more legitimate posts

[JoPoy88]

Just now, Sharky7337 said:

Lol go eat some crow and then flame some more legitimate posts

Nothing about you screams “legitimate” son. 

[Dr.Sack]

I agree based on what I witnessed tonight. We need a leader.

[Sharky7337]

4 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

Nothing about you screams “legitimate” son. 

Ok internet tough guy. Go enjoy your crow pie.

[SCBills]

On 9/28/2020 at 11:09 PM, Johnny Hammersticks said:

If y’all don’t think Poyer and Tre are emotional leaders on this defense, I think you need to re-examine your opinion.  

Tre almost opted out.  I’m not criticizing his thought process, as it would’ve been entirely his right, but that makes it a bit difficult to view him as an emotional leader on this defense. 
 

 

Edited October 14, 2020 by SCBills

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 9/29/2020 at 2:53 AM, Chandler#81 said:

You don’t know this anymore than I do. But EVERYBODY -from ‘deep within’ to 2 Moderators living thousands of miles away and every Bills fan the world over -including the original poster DOES know that ‘something’ is missing. We think it’s internal motivation and what has been made public in years past has been fiery leadership from Defensive players. Assuredly, that’s missing. Whether that’s the only thing is subject to discussion.

 

Could just be me, but I think we got some guys like Hughes and Po that are plenty fired up.  Maybe too fired up.

 

What I think we’re missing on this defense is

1) Gap integrity.  Someone in the Shoutbox this am - think it might have been @Jauronimo - quipped that he felt sorry for Edmunds girlfriend because Edmunds can’t figure out what hole to fill.  Harsh, but not inaccurate.  And our DEs like Mr Fired-up Hughes get all fired up and fail to SET THE DAMNED EDGE!

2) A plan to back up Milano when he’s out.  “Next Man Up” doesn’t do it.  They need to fundamentally change some things up when Milano is out, because they haven’t found the guy who can fill Milano’s role in their scheme.  What exactly, I can’t tell you nor can I tell you whether the players who can do whatever it is are on the current roster.

3) Possibly not “fiery leadership”, but “too many veterans out of the building” who could steady the younger guys and hold them accountable - ‘Zo in particular, and possibly Star.

[LABILLBACKER]

On 9/29/2020 at 6:02 PM, Penfield45 said:

24th ranked defense is terrible 

 

if that continues I can’t see us winning the division. 
 

teams will figure out how to limit our offense and that’s when troubles will come. Mcd needs to fix this defense ASAP 

We need Milano, White and Wallace back asap. Then McDermott has to find a creative way of pressuring the QB. Would it kill Sean to occassionally blitz Edmunds?

[Sharky7337]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

We need Milano, White and Wallace back asap. Then McDermott has to find a creative way of pressuring the QB. Would it kill Sean to occassionally blitz Edmunds?

The times Edmunds seemed to blitz he got lost so im not sure that is even an option

[Merle]

On 9/28/2020 at 10:02 PM, Sharky7337 said:

It was one game. But I think we are seeing the void left by the departures of Kyle and Lorenzo. 

 

Edmunds does not seem to be a leader of men type and is young. Milano has fire but im not sure he fits the bill either.

 

I'm not saying there is no leadership at all - just maybe less of it.

 

We are missing some playmakers up front and we don't seem to have that veteran guy pumping them up.

 

They may turn out to be awesome and that opponent has a great offense. But I think next year the defense will be re-upped to a certain degree. Really I think we need to address our lines here or there and a linebacker/ tight end. 

 

Seeing KC who got better on defense and has a dynamic offense makes this a tough sledding this year. 

 

Not to mention New England 

We could definitely use a Darryl Talley type player on D!

[Green Lightning]

On 9/28/2020 at 11:07 PM, LABILLBACKER said:

Yeah Edmunds may pan out as a good LB but there's no way he develops as an emotional /  vocal leader. That's not gonna happen. We don't have one now and hopefully that changes down the road. 

I'd settle for just a good linebacker. He's an amazing athlete but not a great football player. He always seems to be in the wrong place to make a play. He's big and fast but can't shed blocks. It's frustrating to watch.

[BillsPride12]

Edmunds was drafted to be a cornerstone of this defense and with that territory comes leadership responsibilities but you can't be the leader when you are just about the worst Defensive player on the field(not an exaggeration this season).  I love Ed Oliver as a person, seems like a super cool dude but I think he might be too much of a fun-loving and laid back kinda guy to be a defensive leader and he isn't performing on the field right now either.  This team is really lacking a Kyle Williams personality right now who can not only talk the talk but walk the walk and lead as an example and have guys respond.  

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Merle said:

We could definitely use a Darryl Talley type player on D!

 

I don't disagree.  Talley was a fiery over-achiever. 

 

But if I was going to get somebody from that team, it would be Bruce.  We need someone to frighten and brutalize QBs the way he did.  At least, as much as the rules these days allow.

Edited October 15, 2020 by hondo in seattle

[Buffalo716]

5 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I don't disagree.  Talley was a fiery over-achiever. 

 

But if I was going to get somebody from that team, it would be Bruce.  We need someone to frighten and brutalize QBs the way he did.  At least, as much as the rules these days allow.

Yea coming across the greatest defensive end in nfl history isn't hard lol

 

There will never be another Bruce Smith

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Merle said:

We could definitely use a Darryl Talley type player on D!

 

25 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

I don't disagree.  Talley was a fiery over-achiever.

 

I loved Darryl Talley as a player.  He was my favorite guy from the Superbowl years and I had him as my avatar for a long time.

 

But please bear in mind that Talley had a 14 year career, and in his 3rd or 4th season (I think it was 1985, might have been 86) Jerry Sullivan wrote a column in which he quipped that Talley had "finally improved to achieve mediocrity", leading Talley to conspire with Kent Hull to set (painful) picks on Sully at charity basketball games for years thereafter - but also lighting a fire under Talley to take another step.

 

Kyle Williams, another player I loved, showed flashes but really came on in his 4th or 5th season.

 

I guess my point is: Don't rule out that we already HAVE a Darryl Talley or a Kyle Williams type player in our front 7.  These guys sometimes take time to develop the mental skills that let their physical skills shine.

 

1 hour ago, BillsPride12 said:

Edmunds was drafted to be a cornerstone of this defense and with that territory comes leadership responsibilities but you can't be the leader when you are just about the worst Defensive player on the field(not an exaggeration this season).  I love Ed Oliver as a person, seems like a super cool dude but I think he might be too much of a fun-loving and laid back kinda guy to be a defensive leader and he isn't performing on the field right now either.  This team is really lacking a Kyle Williams personality right now who can not only talk the talk but walk the walk and lead as an example and have guys respond.  

 

I think you might have something.  Again, keep in mind that Kyle Williams didn't walk in the door as Kyle Williams.  He developed into that guy over time.

It's not "isn't performing on the field either", it's that in the locker room of an NFL football team, you can't just annoint yourself a "leader of men" and start firing up in the locker room and have it impress other men instead of them being like "yeah, yeah, shut up".  It must start with a proven and acknowledged level of play.

 

We didn't have Kyle last season.  I think McBeane goofed and let "too many leaders walk out of the room" on DL with both Shaq, Jordan Phillips, and Star.  They couldn't do anything about Star, and they thought they brought in that leadership with vets on the DL, but so far it's not working out quite as they planned.

[hondo in seattle]

17 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Yea coming across the greatest defensive end in nfl history isn't hard lol

 

There will never be another Bruce Smith

 

I didn't need to suggest that Beane needed to go out and find a Bruce Smith - an impossible task.  

 

 Instead I was imagining how much fun it would be to have Bruce - in his prime - on this team.  Our CBs look a lot better if opposing QBs were hurrying the ball.   

 

And it would be so much fun to see Bruce drop a QB on a critical play, crushing the hopes and morale of our enemy.  

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

21 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Could just be me, but I think we got some guys like Hughes and Po that are plenty fired up.  Maybe too fired up.

 

What I think we’re missing on this defense is

1) Gap integrity.  Someone in the Shoutbox this am - think it might have been @Jauronimo - quipped that he felt sorry for Edmunds girlfriend because Edmunds can’t figure out what hole to fill.  Harsh, but not inaccurate.  And our DEs like Mr Fired-up Hughes get all fired up and fail to SET THE DAMNED EDGE!

2) A plan to back up Milano when he’s out.  “Next Man Up” doesn’t do it.  They need to fundamentally change some things up when Milano is out, because they haven’t found the guy who can fill Milano’s role in their scheme.  What exactly, I can’t tell you nor can I tell you whether the players who can do whatever it is are on the current roster.

3) Possibly not “fiery leadership”, but “too many veterans out of the building” who could steady the younger guys and hold them accountable - ‘Zo in particular, and possibly Star.

 

1 - It's not always the DE on the edge, especially on passing plays.

2 - Backups that are good enough to start, tend to leave and start.  

3 - There are vet's there.  Hughes, Addison, Hyde, Poyer, etc.  The entire defense seems like they haven't fit together yet.  They're also banged up all over.  I know hyde hasn't missed games yet, but he's banged up.  White.  Edmunds.  Milano.  Wallace.  They brought back a lot of players, but the defensive line is massively different than a year ago.  Hughes is playing snaps on his off side.  The Nose tackles aren't doing their job.  There just isn't any cohesion there yet and it shows. 

 

Continuity was one of the things teams had as an advantage going into a truncated offseason.  Our major roster turnover was there, and along the offensive line (where they're also struggling a bit).  

[blacklabel]

They voted Poyer captain so I'd assume he's an emotional leader out there. Harrison Phillips is a guy with a lot of heart and he likes to get the guys riled up. They obviously believe in Edmunds, he's still playing hurt and I think he hesitates when he doesn't have Milano next to him. Hughes is a fiery guy. They have some personalities on that side of the ball but yeah I'm sure they miss a guy like Lorenzo. They probably miss Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips as well. Both guys were always trying to get things fired up. 

 

I'll tell you what they miss the most: us, the crowd. They've said as much several times now, when the chips are down late in the game and they're dragging ass, they feed off that energy from the fans in those situations. I do think it's a tad unfair that some stadiums can have fans while others can't. McDermott agrees, he was none too pleased about that. The league tries to pride itself on its parity and keeping the playing field level so we can get "any given Sunday" situations but they missed on the fans. If all of them couldn't have fans then they should've waited until all teams can, but whatever.  

 

Trust the process. It's one ugly game, but looking back on it I don't think they played that bad. The turnovers and uncharacteristic mistakes did them in. That first INT that deflected off Roberts snatched the wind right outta their sails. Josh pressed a little bit to make a play. I don't think he saw Butler on that second INT until about .02 seconds after the ball left his hand. Butler was somewhat hidden behind another DB so there's a chance Josh thought there was only that one DB there so he chucked it and just never saw Butler. Sh*t happens. Too many mistakes and turnovers and most every team is gonna struggle when their opponent starts every drive inside your territory. 

 

Regroup, refocus and show everyone that game is NOT who you are. Show up for the Chiefs cause you can bet they're ready after they got shelled by Vegas.

 

Sometimes this sport, man....yeesh. Just...go Bills....please?

Edited October 15, 2020 by blacklabel