Defense vs Green Bay and their performance

[Einstein]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

There was definitely an element of letting the Packers kill their own time too. I said it at Half Time in the GDT. They were 17 down and their scoring drive took 8 and a half minutes. Was going to be hard at that rate for them to close the gap. 

 

I think the Bills were fine with them being run heavy but they will have wanted to be better in terms of their run defense. They didn't need to go to more 3 linebacker sets or a bigger personnel grouping or bring a safety up. The tacklers just needed to make the plays that were there ti be made at and around the line.

 

I get this point, but I have a hard time thinking McD and Frazier were actually content with letting them rip off 5 to 10 yard runs every play.

 

I assume they’d rather let the offense have the 7 minute drives than the defense.

[TH3]

10 minutes ago, Einstein said:

Has anyone watched the game again yet? Curious to hear what you noticed on second watch (or even first watch) about the defense. 
 

Perhaps i’m a bit spoiled but we are not used to seeing this elite defense give up over 200 yards rushing and over 6 yards per play this season. Green Bay also won Time of Possession by 7 minutes. 

 

Did Green Bay exploit a weakness in our defense or was it something else? This year, we typically stop the run even in nickel.

 

Go Bills!

 

.

Defense and Frazier on the HOTSEAT!

[Big Turk]

2 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

I have it recorded, but have not seen it a second time yet.

 

I do remember clearly watching a LOT of Bills tacklers simply failing to make the stop on first contact.  I would call it sloppy tackling as much as anything.

 

Honestly, we are not used to playing that type of football game; we are built to shut down elite passing offenses.

 

GB went 1980s on us and I think it caught a lot of the D off guard.

 

Maybe they need to do more tackling drills.

 

I don't know.

 

 

 

I also would like to add that Aaron Jones is a much better RB than I thought he was...dude runs with power, with great balance and has some speed.  Very impressed with him.

[Jauronimo]

LaFleur was content to stick with the run game and salt his own clock instead of play for a win and Leslie Frazier was content to let him do it.  

[FilthyBeast]

Unless this trend continues it's just a game anomaly.

 

And considering the Jets QB and passing game is horrible there's very little chance this team gives up anything close to that output on the ground again this next week since they will literally be daring Wilson to beat them in the air.

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

I get this point, but I have a hard time thinking McD and Frazier were actually content with letting them rip off 5 to 10 yard runs every play.

 

I assume they’d rather let the offense have the 7 minute drives than the defense.

 

Sure, we'd like to stuff those runs, but the scheme was to play the pass. 5-10 yards with the entire play happening in front of the defenders, as opposed to getting deep behind them, is a win. I dont think they were that upset either.

[Jauronimo]

This thought could have slotted in nicely into any of the other threads discussing the game or specifically, the defensive performance in the game.

[billsfan1959]

Even when GB was running the ball, the Bills D was still primarily concerned with the pass. This wasn't a normal situation in which a team was set on running the ball and the defense tried everything they could to stop it - and couldn't. In the end, it allowed GB to only lose by 10...

[Big Turk]

 

[Warcodered]

I think they held the back to back MVP to 17 points.

[mikemac2001]

3 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

LaFleur was content to stick with the run game and salt his own clock instead of play for a win and Leslie Frazier was content to let him do it.  

Yep we stayed in nickle even though they had multiple TE sets. 
 

we were not gonna give up a big pass let them waste the clock and get out with a W 

[HappyDays]

I think our coaches were elated that Green Bay kept running the ball in the 2nd half. It became clear that they were going to run out of time using that strategy so we kept our defensive scheme as is and let them have those yards. When you build up a 3 score lead against a team that is down most of its WRs you can concede the run.

[Big Turk]

I think the bigger story is that GB felt so overmatched they were seemingly happy to "lose just not by that much"...with one of the best QBs ever to play and the reigning back to back MVP at QB.

 

LaFleur...WTF are you doing man?

Edited October 31, 2022 by Big Turk

[ngbills]

I would be pissed as a GB fan. They played to not get blown out. Down big and just eating clock. They wanted to get out losing only by 10 instead of 20+. 

 

The Bills D played like a team with a big lead. A bit sloppy but the intensity dropped after being up big. They did look a bit slow in space even early as Jones had a lot of room to run. If the game was closer would the D have been different...hope so. 

[bigK14094]

There was a lot of poor tackleing for sure.  Edmunds was knocked downfield 5 yards a number of times.  He wraps the runners up, but he doesn't deliver the blow to stop them.  Thats the wrap I see on him.

[Big Turk]

5 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

Even when GB was running the ball, the Bills D was still primarily concerned with the pass. This wasn't a normal situation in which a team was set on running the ball and the defense tried everything they could to stop it - and couldn't. In the end, it allowed GB to only lose by 10...

 

Both Rousseau and Miller stated in post game interviews they were rushing as if GB was going to be passing and couldn't believe they kept running it.

Just now, ngbills said:

I would be pissed as a GB fan. They played to not get blown out. Down big and just eating clock. They wanted to get out losing only by 10 instead of 20+. 

 

The Bills D played like a team with a big lead. A bit sloppy but the intensity dropped after being up big. They did look a bit slow in space even early as Jones had a lot of room to run. If the game was closer would the D have been different...hope so. 

 

It almost was like they got deflated when they realized GB wasn't even trying to win.

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

I think the bigger story is that GB felt so overmatched they were seemingly happy to "lose just not by that much"...with one of the best QBs ever to play and the reigning back to back MVP at QB.

 

LaFleur...WTF are you doing man?

 

This. It was noticeable in the quick sideline interview with LeFleur after halftime, when the reporter asked him what the team had to do to comeback in the 2nd half, he was speechless, didnt know what to say, and then gave some stammering response about taking it one play at a time. They were just trying to get out of there without getting blown out.

[The Frankish Reich]

22 minutes ago, Wayne Cubed said:

Agree with Gunner, the tackling wasn't good which is why the running yards were higher than normal.

 

Other than that, the strategy was correct. The Bills defense does not care about yards. They'll take yards over points, every time. Also, the poor offensive showing the sencond half, didn't punish the Packers.

As simple as: you have a big lead. You don’t want to give up a quick strike. The other guys are more interested in establishing some kind of offensive rhythm rather than in actually winning the game.  The Packers basically raised the white flag when they didn’t even try to get in field goal range in their last possession of the first half:

 

3rd & 16 at GB 26

(1:06 - 2nd) (Shotgun) A.Jones left guard to GB 34 for 8 yards (V.Miller; T.Edmunds).

 

Garbage time rushing yards. 

Edited October 31, 2022 by The Frankish Reich

[Big Turk]

4 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

This. It was noticeable in the quick sideline interview with LeFleur after halftime, when the reporter asked him what the team had to do to comeback in the 2nd half, he was speechless, didnt know what to say, and then gave some stammering response about taking it one play at a time. They were just trying to get out of there without getting blown out.

 

Yeah and to "see how it goes".  I was like did he seriously just say that?

[US Egg]

Most of the crowd seemed spent by halftime.

 

It’s their fault for the second half Bills malaise.