My view about why the Bills are not doing good this year

[Nextmanup]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

Kinda seems that whenever the league gets too far in one direction, some teams go the opposite direction to force things back to the middle...it's smart...keeps things in balance

I understand your point, but the league isn't moving back to a run-centric type of offense.  Not even close.

 

Should the Bills D be modified to be a bit better suited to run stopping?  Perhaps.

Should we rebuild as though it's 1984?  No!

 

 

[Lane Meyer K12]

The weather is a huge factor. When the weather is bad and a team has a good running attack they can still be successful. In the New England game one could see that if Allen threw to one side of the field he was accurate, the other and the wind took hold and it effected the accuracy a great deal. The bottom line is in a place like Buffalo there has to be a competent run game to compensate for weather. If the Bills were playing week to week in a dome it would be lights out for the rest of the league. That is not the case, however, and in the case of the New England game the Patriots did what made sense for an offense to do in a game with 50mph wind gust. The Bills could not match the Patriots run attack on offense and could not stop it on defense. Allen needs a Thurman Thomas to complete the trifecta for when the weather is bad and throwing isn't as solid of an option. 

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, Nextmanup said:

I understand your point, but the league isn't moving back to a run-centric type of offense.  Not even close.

 

Should the Bills D be modified to be a bit better suited to run stopping?  Perhaps.

Should we rebuild as though it's 1984?  No!

 

 

 

I meant more that they make sure it doesn't get too far to one side... definitely leans pass heavy

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

7 hours ago, maryland-bills-fan said:

it is actually quite simple and understandable.

 

The Bills figured that they had to go through KC and the Ravens to get to the SB.  Those teams are based on running QB's and high scoring offenses that use run/pass options and have to be outscored.

 

So they drafted and built the Bills to use Allen's passing and scrambling on offense. They can score a lot of points to outscore those teams. Not a lot of hat-on-hat push at the line of scrimmage and combination/pulling blocks and 7 yard runs from good solid, fast running backs.  No need to force the opponent to defend against 40 yards from a running back, if the passing game works.

 

So they drafted and built the Bills defense to have a lot of light, range linebackers for pass defense and a lot of light pass rushers who could run down the scrambling/runnng mobile QB.   Fast light DB's can keep up with freelancing WR and not be outrun by speedy QB'ss.   We drafted a bunch of speedly DE's to track down Mahones and not to outmuscle  330 pound OLmen.

 

 

What has happened is this strategy is NOT the one to use now, because the league has figured out the counter to this approach.  Several teams (NE, Colts, Titans ...) have brought back the good old fashioned strong running games, that the Bills defense is weak against.   Teams are going back to the 1940, 1950 1960 5 man defensive lines (you can get there by blitzing to harrass the medium/long passing game as well as affording gap coverage.  We went light on road grader offensive linemen and break-away running backs.

 

Opps !!!

Agreed. 
 

The “problem” though for the Colts, Titans, and Patriots is that their model

will not win you any Super Bowls. None of those teams are built to come from behind or score in big chunks. Just wait until you get into the playoffs. 
 

i think teams like the Bills and KC have the better model. 

[balln]

6 hours ago, BillMafia716ix said:

Josh hasn’t been good on 3rd down and we haven’t been able to score in the redzone.

boom. yes

[Houston's #1 Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, BuffaloBillies said:

We just need a few better, bigger, stronger players on both sides of the ball in the trenches.

 

We're going to see first hand on Sunday the type of guy we need anchoring our D-line...

 

 

For the O-Line. Prolly need 3 new dudes.

Keep Spencer Brown and Dawkins (but maybe move him inside).

I'm not sold on anyone else....upgrade the remaining 3 spots.

 

I think the running game would take care of itself then.

 

Easier said than done, of course. 2-3 FAs and 1-2 high draft picks.

 

 

It's funny you show Vita. I REALLY want to draft him! I wish we could have gotten a little further up the ladder to draft him instead of grabbing Tremaine @ 16. But, taking Josh first was still the right call. But, I was really high on Vita.  

[Steptide]

I honestly dont think it has anything to do with schematic changes league wide. I think when you're not getting the ball to your best players (Diggs, Bease, Davis) on a regular basis, you're going to struggle. Let's use our upcoming opponent (Bucs) for example, they throw all the time are not known as a running team. The bills need to make a concerted effort to throw effectively to their best players 

[SoCal Deek]

Defense:  The Bills are not doing as well as people would like (although I'd suggest they're fine) because they are not big enough up the middle at DT and MLB.  Fix those two positions and they are pretty much perfect.

 

Offense: The Bills are not doing as well as people would like (and they definitely are not) because the middle of the Offensive Line is a mess including both Guards and Center.  Fix those two/three positions, and they are close to perfect.

 

Neither side of the ball seems all that hard to fix in one off-season....but they better hurry, because the minute they get those five or six slots fixed, there'll soon be other needs popping up.

Edited December 9, 2021 by SoCal Deek

[TampaBillsJunkie]

7 hours ago, maryland-bills-fan said:

it is actually quite simple and understandable.

What has happened is this strategy is NOT the one to use now, because the league has figured out the counter to this approach.  Several teams (NE, Colts, Titans ...) have brought back the good old fashioned strong running games, that the Bills defense is weak against.   Teams are going back to the 1940, 1950 1960 5 man defensive lines (you can get there by blitzing to harrass the medium/long passing game as well as affording gap coverage.  We went light on road grader offensive linemen and break-away running backs.

 

You nailed it. Pats, Colts, Titans have big OL and had their way with the Bills front 7.  For the Jags and Pitt it took game changers on the DL (Allen for Jax and Heyward/Watt for Pitt) to wreak havoc on Allen and our piss poor OL and stifle our offense.  We couldn't counter them just moving the chains and putting up a few points. Very sad way to go into the last few games. 

 

I have hope the Bills can right the ship and sneak into the playoffs. Maybe even take the East with a win Sunday and REVENGE sex on Billy Cheat.

 

 

 

 

[The Frankish Reich]

14 minutes ago, TampaBillsJunkie said:

REVENGE sex on Billy Cheat

AAAGH, THE MENTAL IMAGE IS GOING TO DRIVE ME INSANE

[wagne591]

I will give you my assessment and take it for what it is worth...and I like Sean McD but i think when it comes to Belichick he is obsessed with beating him at his own game and I don't know why.  I was doing some analysis of the box scores and just broke down Pass vs Run plays... I just broke down the Pats games just to see what happened.  The two games that were close 2020 week 8 and 2021 week 13 were very similar when you look at Pass vs Run and the score remained close throughout.  Now during week 16 in 2020 when we blew out the Pats I found that the score stayed close going midway through the second quarter at 10-10 but the then Bills scored TD's on back to back drives making it 24-10 at the half.  During the Week 16 matchup the Bills threw the ball 30 times in the first half and ran the ball 12.  They opened up the third quarter with 13 passes to 6 runs and lead going into the forth 31-10 which the games was over at that point but they score another TD early in the forth then benched the starters game over 38-10.  so When it counted the Bills threw the ball 43 times vs 18 runs.  I think the Pats have big men to play a big game but when the Bills had all those guys the LB's, DB's, and linemen running all over the field (sure it was tight in the middle of the second) but i think they all got winded.  In the two close games 2020 Wk 8 first half 13 Pass vs 15 run and for the game 19 Pass vs 35 run (almost opposite of the blow out).  On Monday night it was 12 Pass vs 14 run in the first half and 33 pass vs 21 run for the game.  So my question to McD is why didn't you come out throwing the ball and let Josh do his thing wear out the D early in the game and us the running game as fodder instead you played the Patriots way and tried to beat Belichick at his own game and lost.  Make him play your game....throw the ball.   Sorry guys that was kind of long winded.  Last year we threw to set up the run and this year it seems like we are doing it opposite of what works.  Doesn't the old saying go "Don't fix it if it ain't broke"

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by wagne591

[maryland-bills-fan]

8 hours ago, NewEra said:

Balance is important.  last season we didn’t have D or the running game to finish the job.  
 

We underestimated just how unbalanced our offense was last season.  We thought it would take x amount to become just balanced enough, when it was actually going to take xx amount.  We didn’t do nearly enough this offseason to improve our run game. 
 

I have no problems with our defense this season.  It’s not the best, but it’s certainly good enough imo.  If we had this years defense on last years team, I think we would’ve beaten the chiefs and lost to Brady in the SB.  That TB front 4 would’ve made our OL look really bad, just like they did KC. 
 

these next couple drafts are going to be monumental.  Who we decide to resign and let walk almost equally important.  
 

We are short on big beefy defensive tackles.  Star has been a no-show on several games where we needed him.   Butler is not a very good player.  Phillips is playing okay, but is not the immovable rock in the middle of the d-line.  The rest (including Oliver) are lighter, penetrating "speedy" DT's to chase down mobile QBs.

7 hours ago, Never NEVER Give-up said:

. . .probably because Brady uses the short passing game as a substitute for the run game.

...and the evil genus is somehow able to collect a bunch of specialty players, run them in and out of a game, and get a result like they have an all pro RB.

[4_kidd_4]

Opps!

[billybob71]

Historically great teams were able to impose their style of play on the opposition most games. If the Bills are a Super Bowl team and their identity is a passing attack that is very hard to stop, one that can be explosive but also disciplined and methodical with a top defense that is hard to score points on, we better start seeing both on a consistent basis starting this week. Unfortunately they have been an inconsistent, middling team with no clear identity in Nov and Dec so far.

[Andy1]

If we fix the offense, I think we win a lot of the games we have lost. O line and RB need improvements. It’s easier to build an effective run attack than a pass attack. Should be doable in the off season. Until then, let’s make a playoff run.

[wagne591]

20 hours ago, Andy1 said:

If we fix the offense, I think we win a lot of the games we have lost. O line and RB need improvements. It’s easier to build an effective run attack than a pass attack. Should be doable in the off season. Until then, let’s make a playoff run.

And yet we drafted Boogie Basham instead of Creed Humphrey (a pro bowler and possible all pro as a rookie) in the second round.  If we went back and drafted Creed we would have a solid O-line right now and not one with questions going into week 14. 

[John from Riverside]

I just think we are very unbalanced.   Have we even had a 100 yard rusher all season?  Have we come anywhere close to that Josh Allen wasnt running it?

 

Our defense has been excellent this year....there are going to be games where they are not going to dominate.

 

How do you help out a struggling defense

 

- Long sustained drives

- Dont commit penalties

- Dont drop touchdowns

 

 

[Nihilarian]

The Buffalo Bills were built to stop Tom Brady in New England and his passing offense!

 

It's why the defense plays mostly in the Nickle all game long. The offense was built to compete with that NE passing game because they knew they would need to score a ton to keep up with them. 

 

Now that the Patriots have moved on from Brady they went back to what won for them when Brady was first in the league. A stout run attack which allows the QB to manage the game and just make first downs. Of course, along with a top defense which is ole smileys forte.

 

The problem is the Bills were so intent on stopping the pass... it made them weak against the run. They drafted smaller, quicker D linemen to get to the QB faster. This allowed them to be more susceptible to an opposing power run game.

 

 

On offense the Bills were every explosive until...they ran into teams with a stout front four which also ran a cover 2 shell defense. Suddenly, the Bills OC hasn't been able to figure out a way to scheme against this type of defense successfully. 

 

Heavy pass rush, cover 2 shell = screwed on offense for Buffalo!

 

Hard to believe that as explosive as this offense was in 2020. That they would fall to a 1-6 Jacksonville Jaguars team 6-10 with the 30th ranked defense because the Bills OC simply doesn't have the wherewithal to have his offense counter that horrifically bad team and couldn't score more than 6 points!!! ... against a team that was 1-15 last season and 1-6 when they played Buffalo. Currently the Jags are 2-10.

 

How the guy still has a job as the Bills OC is beyond me. Is it because the Bills beat Miami 2x, a team that has no pass rush and plays in man coverage? Or the Jets who also have no pass rush and ran a cover 3? The Bills also beat Washington, Houston, New Orleans all those teams playing with back up QBs.

 

This next game. I kind of doubt the Bills will have a good game on the road against the 9-3 Tom Brady led Bucs...

[Hebert19]

I think we are overthinking things. 

 

To be a consistent team you need the odd thing go in your favor.  Some of it is stuff you can control like turnovers and penalties which we are not...and sometimes it's just a bounce here and there.  We are also not getting good these. 

 

Same team.  Capable of winning games...but 4x we have lost in close games.  A bounce here or there.  1 less penalty.  1 less turnover.  Maybe we win 2 or 3 of them. 

 

Can't overthink the why.  We need to make some of our own luck. 

[BuffaloBillsGospel]

Our DL is full of undersized players and a useless Star luteleilei, I'm not saying I hate Ed Oliver or that he's a bad player but he often gets pushed around. Star Luteleilei was basically brought in to blow up run plays and most teams run right at him and over him. A guy like the DT that NE selected in the 2nd round over a guy like basham would have made more sense, We need to get bigger and stronger in the middle.

 

As far as the O-Line goes we need both a LG/RG and possibly C, I don't think our RB's are terrible but there are literally no holes being opened for these guys to run through and think Zack Moss could easily be an every down back but we need to run more to be able to know for sure. Play calling is huge imo, it seems almost every game no matter if it's offense or defense this team will not adjust, they have a philosophy and they stick to it until the end and i hate that mentality.  If the run game isn't working how about some screens? The deep ball isn't open, hey isn't that what we brought in Beasley and Sanders for? These are just my opinions.