Poor roster decisions still an issue with this regime

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Even for a bad take, this stands out as exceptionally clueless. They're playing better than any other D in the league right now, and Edmunds inside has a major role in that standing.

 

And so now we're playing incredible defense with 5 DBs so we ought to hurry and change? Yeah, makes total sense.

 

 

I don't think the second half of it is totally horrible. I mean I would put Edmunds back in at MLB but to me their plan vs Indy should be not dissimilar to their plan vs Baltimore in the playoffs last year, where they were 40% in a 4-3 base with Klein on the field alongside Edmunds and Milano (which is way up on their usual 3 linebacker percentage). The only way we can lose this game is if we let Jonathan Taylor beat us. I'd have done more of it in Tennessee too where I think they literally ran a 4-3 like twice in the game. I am absolutely fine with the Bills base defense being nickel. But there are certain games that call for the "Baltimore plan" and I think Indy is one. 

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yup.

 

The Bills have shown over and over again that they're best and most productive running with 11 personnel and that means three receivers. Davis is our fourth-best WR. When they run four WRs he goes in, but they're a lot more successful going with three.

 

So my argument on equalling up the Sanders / Davis split is that Sanders has been most effective so far going deep. Davis is much more the box his man out and use his size to win contested catches guy. In the games where teams are trying to take the deep passes away with the 2 deep shell I think there is an argument to say that Davis beating his corner a few times with size might open some other things up? I have been generally pleased with Sanders. He has shown more left in the tank than maybe I imagined when we signed him and Eric Wood seems to have said Davis has been dealing with an ankle which has limited him somewhat but I definitely think there is a legit gameplan argument for a more even split of reps between the two. 

[The Dean]

5 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Brown and Williams are engaged with blockers. And Breida is running an angle route.  There is really only two possibilities here. Breida is either supposed to pick up the blitz and that is why Josh never looked to his right thinking he had adequate pass protection. Or Josh failed to recognize the free rusher pre-snap and should have hit hit his hot receiver.  If Josh looks right and recognizes the blitz he dumps it off to Breida for a few yard gain.  

Sanders played really well yesterday too.  Difficult choices. But a little more Davis on the filed makes sense.  Kumerow should not be dressing for any games moving forward.  Davis should get all his snaps.  

 

Like I said, the blitzer was likely Josh's responsibility. But I'm talking about helping your QB out. Breida was obviously not the hot read on a timing pattern. Josh  is looking to his left and not in position to hit Breida on a quick pass. At the very least, he could have alerted Allen (I think he can probably run and shout at the same time). But I think a more experienced back would have chipped the safety on the way out. Players go beyond their basic responsibility some time to make plays.

 

Let me put this another way, I think he's hearing about it this week. 

[Shaw66]

Gunner -

 

Replying to your last two posts.

 

First, both comments make sense, and I wouldn't be so critical of the OP if he'd offered some discussion of how Bills personnel should be used differently.   All he did is say "I think some subs should get more playing time" and leave it at that. 

 

Whatever. 

 

I had a similar thought about Klein and the 4-3.  I didn't remember that the Bills did that against the Colts last season.  I think it makes a lot of sense against the teams that run well.   I keep remembering how the Bills completely respected the play fake in the Titans game this year.  In the second half it was crazy how sucked in the linebackers were, leaving that huge open area over the middle that Tannehill exploited.   If the Bills get the Titans in the playoffs, and if the Titans are still pounding the ball like that, it seems to me that the 4-3 makes a lot of sense.  The two outside linebackers can play the run and bite on the play fake, and Edmunds can play his usual style, dropping to the middle.   Yes, you lose Johnson on the slot guy, you're still challenging Tannehill to find his third best receiver with Edmunds, White, and Wallace all poaching the short zones.   Edmunds' big presence in the middle will make things a lot tougher over the middle.  

 

I like how Klein hits, but the most impressive thing about him is his speed.  He covers more ground than I thought.   He isn't just a thumper.   So, if you have Milano on one side and Klein on the middle, Klein's less of a liability in zone pass coverage than I thought.  

 

As for Davis, I've thought often this year that the Bills needed his presence in the red zone.  I think when you can come at defenses with Knox and Davis roaming in the end zone, Josh has better options than throwing at the three starting wideouts.  I thought it was interesting that the Bills stubbornly went back to Diggs for the touchdown on the same play that almost had clicked the play before.   That play was their best option - an extraordinary route runner creating just enough space for a a great thrower to zip the ball into.  Well, okay, that's nice, but how about a guy with some size running across the end zone?  Bigger target, shorter throw, bigger window.   And, of course, the same is true on third down anywhere on the field.   So, yeah, I can see a role for Davis.  We saw him do it last season, and they seem to have gotten away from it.  

 

With regard to all of these things, of course, it's not like Daboll and McDermott and plenty of other people haven't thought of these things.   There are reasons why Davis isn't as prominent in the offense this season as last (probably because Davis was a better option than an injured Brown, and isn't a better option than a healthy Sanders).  Whatever the reason, I think the reality is that the Bills probably already are getting more or less the best they can out of their talent.   There may be improvements to be made on the margins, and it's McDermott's job to push his coaches to find them.  It isn't likely that a dramatic increase in snaps for Davis (and decrease for others) makes the offense better.  If it were that obvious, the Bills would have done it already.  

[Orlando Buffalo]

18 hours ago, FilthyBeast said:

Not trying to spoil yesterdays thumping of another bottom feeder, but there are a few issues that I perceive as puzzling at best in terms of the active gameday roster:

 

1) Matt Breida/Zack Moss - why did it take half the season to realize this guy should be active and getting snaps? Zack Moss has proven to be useless and we keep wasting carries on him for the same 2 yard gain almost every time he touches the ball. Should be Singletary/Breida the rest of the season without question. If they insist on dressing Moss then keep Taiwan Jones inactive.

 

2) AJ Klein - no he should not permanetly replace Edmunds, but this guy is a true grisled veteran that is always around the football. He proved it last year when he replaced Milano for a significant stretch and again this year when on the field. I get he's not the best in coverage but he's a throwback type of player....gritty and physical which is what this team needs more of.

 

3) Gabriel Davis - this is the trickiest one because obviously we can't really reduce the top 3 WR's snap counts but seems like all he does is make big plays when he's on the field.

 

4) Obada - seemed like he was very disruptive yesterday and had the only official sack of the game. Again another tricky situation because of the numbers game but if we are going to insist on giving former Panthers players playing time it should be him over Vernon Butler.

 

5) Punter is horrible and will cost this team down the stretch just like the Steelers game. Should have already found a replacement by now.

I am not sure how much you pay attention but most of  these takes are terrible if you understand what the Bills are doing. Haack is supposed to be slow so the coverage can get down field, he doesn't outkick the coverage which Bojo did a few times. Obada and Butler are not the same position. Davis has been injured. AJ Klein is a good player, Edmunds is pro bowler. I have no issue with the RB stuff but I I think Breida  is a lesser blocker on passing downs so that might be part of reason.

[Shaw66]

13 hours ago, The Dean said:

 

Sorry, I didn't mean he came from his blind side. But I said he was blindsided. So I can see the confusion. 

 

As you can see from the video he is totally unaware of the blitz on this. It was well disguised, I'd say. Breida say it, though.

 

From what  I see, Josh might have had 2 seconds. Maybe.

 

 

I'm not sure you're correct, but I'd really like to know the answer.  

 

As I understand it, Josh has overall responsibility for the blocking assignments.   At the line of scrimmage, Josh is supposed to recognize that that guy on the edge is a potential rusher.   Yes, it was well disguised, but that doesn't matter.  The guy is in position to apply immediate pressure.   When Josh sees that, he has to assign responsibility for that guy.  Responsibility is going to fall either to Breida or to Josh.   That is, either Breida has to block him, or Josh has to check the guy post-snap to see if he's coming.  If he's coming, Josh has to get the ball to Breida.  

 

What we know is someone made a mistake.   The Bills know who made the mistake.  My guess would be that Breida made the mistake, because I think Josh is mature enough now not to have missed the blitz possibility altogether.   He never even took a peak that way, which suggests to me that Josh was comfortable that he was protected if the blitz was coming.   Plus, Breida hasn't seen a lot of playing time, and maybe one of the reasons he hasn't is that he hasn't been good on pass protection assignments - I don't know that, just speculating.  But it could just be that the guy just didn't register in Josh's mind as a threat, and he paid the price.  

[ganesh]

4 hours ago, downunderbill said:

Show me a regime that has hit on every player they draft or sign and you'll see a team that wins the Superbowl every single year and don't lose any games. 

 

You just can't pick superstars or diamonds in the rough at every position. No team in history has ever done that 

The Dallas Cowboys under Jimmy were pretty close.

[ColoradoBills]

5 hours ago, JGMcD2 said:

How many teams in the league have the luxury of wondering which depth defensive end should be active or how much their #4 WR should be playing? Or how many more snaps their 3rd string linebacker should get alongside their starters?  

 

This type of logic has no place on this board.