The defense sucked....again

[Bermuda Triangle]

most of the threads here seem to be about Allen and his horrid play of late (and I'll be the first to say that he has been really bad), but is the defense getting yet ANOTHER free pass today?

 

The Vikes had their highest yardage output of the season today and converted countless 3rd & 4th and long plays.  I frankly don't even remember the last time Minnesota punted.    Did anyone honestly think that the D would force a punt in OT?  

 

Up 27-10 late in the third quarter, the Vikes gash the Bills for an 81-yard TD (let me guess, Sean - bad run fit, and you'll get that fixed!), score a TD on their next drive, and then march 75 yards, only to get stopped on 4th and goal from the 1.  In OT, they fairly easily drove downfield for the GW FG.

 

Is this the mark of a good defense?

[RiotAct]

no it sure as hell isn’t.  Don’t worry though, Tre White will be back for the Super Bowl!!!!!!

[Ethan in Cleveland]

The defense is missing White, Hyde, Poyer, Elam, Rousseau and now Edmunds. 

That is over half the starters. 

I'm not saying the defense is great, but they at least have an excuse. 

There is no excuse for how poorly Allen is playing. A fumbled snap on the goal line??? That is high school level nonsense. He has been reckless with the ball all year.

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Missing Pieces

 

Poyer

Hyde

Edmunds (2nd half)

White

Elam

Groot

 

Bills Starting Secondary Today:

 

- 6th Rd CB Rookie!

- 6th Rd S

- 7th Rd CB

- Undrafted S (First start)

 

Yet they still came up with huge stops (4th and goal, 3 points in OT) and created multiple take aways.

 

Be mad that we gave up 30 points in regulation all you want, but don’t ignore the fact they were severely hampered by injury and their coaching staff refused to try and do anything brazen to  create an advantage

[Bermuda Triangle]

Just now, Ethan in Cleveland said:

The defense is missing White, Hyde, Poyer, Elam, Rousseau and now Edmunds. 

That is over half the starters. 

I'm not saying the defense is great, but they at least have an excuse. 

There is no excuse for how poorly Allen is playing. A fumbled snap on the goal line??? That is high school level nonsense. He has been reckless with the ball all year.

He's always had issues with snaps under center on sneaks - I had hoped that the issue was in the past, but I guess not.  Truly embarrassing.

 

The D has had plenty of time to adjust to not having Hyde and White.  The failure by Lewis to not simply knock the ball down on 4th and 18 was incredible....has the defense not learned anything from the past 2.5 seasons?

[transient]

If Cam Lewis plays smart situational football and knocks the ball to the ground instead of inexplicably going for the INT on FOURTH and forever the game is over. How that wasn’t drilled into their heads in that situation is beyond me. If the ball that he got a hand on first is simply batted down it’s a Bills win. 

[Big Turk]

2 minutes ago, transient said:

If Cam Lewis plays smart situational football and knocks the ball to the ground instead of inexplicably going for the INT on FOURTH and forever the game is over. How that wasn’t drilled into their heads in that situation is beyond me. If the ball that he got a hand on first is simply batted down it’s a Bills win. 

 

I simply don't understand how a team that practices as much situationally as the Bills do under McD are so bad in those situations when they actually happen.

[Simon]

1 minute ago, transient said:

If Cam Lewis plays smart situational football and knocks the ball to the ground instead of inexplicably going for the INT on FOURTH and forever the game is over. How that wasn’t drilled into their heads in that situation is beyond me. If the ball that he got a hand on first is simply batted down it’s a Bills win. 

 

He has no business being out there in an NFL defensive backfield.

I know he's become an excellent ST's player and that the DB room is decimated by injuries, but he has yet to show anything he belongs out there with that defense.

[ALLinALLEN]

The D has been decimated with injuries but I'm still so confused as to the plan and the play of the guys up front.

 

Oliver, Miller, Epenesa, Phillips, Lawson, Settle, and Boogie and NOBODY can get pressure enough to make plays or force throws? And Leslie and sean (the D whisperer) dont have the brains to maybe adjust the scheme or plan when 6 defensive back/lb's are out? It's mind blowing no adjustments have been made there.

 

Will probably throw a 1st round pick there again next year thinking that'll solve it...

[thenorthremembers]

1 minute ago, Simon said:

 

He has no business being out there in an NFL defensive backfield.

I know he's become an excellent ST's player and that the DB room is decimated by injuries, but he has yet to show anything he belongs out there with that defense.

Agree he doesn't but they probably put him out there because Jaquan Johnson showed what an absolute liability he is playing down in the box.  They have no good options right now.

[Big Blitz]

Are Tim Settle and DaQuan Jones playing?

 

Didn’t notice them at all.  
 

 

[DCbillsfan]

Good points being made.  Just a demoralizing loss.  For me, I'm ignoring all of this crap about the Super Bowl, #1 seed, and playoffs.  I just want win number 7.

[zow2]

I was at the game but barely noticed Von. Did he do anything?! There were so many drop backs by Cousins today and i saw him

hardly pressured.  OT it got a little better. but he still threaded passes.

[Motorin']

17 minutes ago, Bermuda Triangle said:

most of the threads here seem to be about Allen and his horrid play of late (and I'll be the first to say that he has been really bad), but is the defense getting yet ANOTHER free pass today?

 

The Vikes had their highest yardage output of the season today and converted countless 3rd & 4th and long plays.  I frankly don't even remember the last time Minnesota punted.    Did anyone honestly think that the D would force a punt in OT?  

 

Up 27-10 late in the third quarter, the Vikes gash the Bills for an 81-yard TD (let me guess, Sean - bad run fit, and you'll get that fixed!), score a TD on their next drive, and then march 75 yards, only to get stopped on 4th and goal from the 1.  In OT, they fairly easily drove downfield for the GW FG.

 

Is this the mark of a good defense?

 

No free passes! You better be standing in the locker room Monday morning charging them for their hall passes! 

[BisonMan]

From the fumbled snap to the failure to play a 4th and long like it's a Hail Mary situation, I certainly think coaching is to blame. 

 

The Bills knew they were going to run a QB sneak the second that they made the goal line stand. Allen and Morse should have been practicing snaps on the sideline for a minute or two when that situation arose to ensure the most like failure point on that play was taken care of. Make a good snap there and the game is over or, at worst case, we give up a safety and set them back into their territory with no TOs and very little time. 

 

On the 4th and long for the Vikings, the coaches should have been drilling it into the secondary to play that like a Hail Mary and just try to "knock it down". The should have called a timeout before that play to ensure that everyone was on the right page because that was the ballgame if we just communicate that correctly to the players. 

 

Going back to the KC playoff game, the same knuckleheaded coaching showed up with 31 seconds left. Trying to keep them away from the sidelines while they had 3 timeouts. Timeouts were meaningless, yardage was the key point of failure. Again, they blew it. 

 

I hate to say it but Bill Bill Belichick doesn't have teams making those mistakes. 

[RiotAct]

14 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Missing Pieces

 

Poyer

Hyde

Edmunds (2nd half)

White

Elam

Groot

 

Bills Starting Secondary Today:

 

- 6th Rd CB Rookie!

- 6th Rd S

- 7th Rd CB

- Undrafted S (First start)

 

Yet they still came up with huge stops (4th and goal, 3 points in OT) and created multiple take aways.

 

Be mad that we gave up 30 points in regulation all you want, but don’t ignore the fact they were severely hampered by injury and their coaching staff refused to try and do anything brazen to  create an advantage

Care emoji 

[Charles Romes]

8 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

He has no business being out there in an NFL defensive backfield.

I know he's become an excellent ST's player and that the DB room is decimated by injuries, but he has yet to show anything he belongs out there with that defense.

I think what the DBs are told is that the best way to avoid PI called every other play now is to always go aggressively for the ball and by making it clear you are going for the catch all contact with the defender may be excused and the PI flag will not come down. Jefferson is just a vastly superior player. 

[Mango]

The defense held up better than I thought they would today. Jefferson was a cheat code. 
 

With 6 starters out the defense needed the offense more than ever to keep them fresh. Defensive woes didn’t start until the offense sputtered. 

[Mr. WEO]

13 minutes ago, transient said:

If Cam Lewis plays smart situational football and knocks the ball to the ground instead of inexplicably going for the INT on FOURTH and forever the game is over. How that wasn’t drilled into their heads in that situation is beyond me. If the ball that he got a hand on first is simply batted down it’s a Bills win. 

 

Come on.  It's not "inexplicable".  That ball was sailing over Jeffersons head--naturally the DB is going to put his hands together thinking he's catching an INT.  Jefferson makes an insane catch.  That's not one I'm putting on Lewis.  

[CoudyBills]

23 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

no it sure as hell isn’t.  Don’t worry though, Tre White will be back for the Super Bowl!!!!!!

In 2024