NFL Source - Elam Benched Tonight

[balln]

6 hours ago, RocCityRoller said:

Thanks. I was really down on Jackson since the Minny game. I trust ProFootball Reference more than PFF and even Football Outsiders so I wanted to look up the advanced defensive stats on the DB trio, and T Johnson too.

 

I was surprised how, despite 2-3 clear bad games Dane Jackson still was the best of the 3 CBs.

It also showed what many thought, that Benford was having a better season than Elam.

 

Elam is more a press cover guy, changing to a heavier zone scheme is not going to be easy. He also was more gifted athletically or on par with a lot of the WRs he faced in college. Won't be the case in the NFL. That said he has the traits and mentality to improve. This season has been trial by fire for the young CBs and I think overall they did enough to help bridge the gap.

 

I know many think Benford will be moved to S. Maybe the right play would be to keep Benford at CB and move Elam to S or Big Nickel (Siran Neal position) where his brand of more physical DB play could be better utilized? He is basically the same size as Poyer and Hyde. If I recall correctly Hyde was available because Green Bay knew he was a good DB, but couldn't figure out how to utilize him. He was a utility DB for GB. McDermott and Frazier knew he was a S and has become a difference maker with their tutelage.

Thought elam wasn’t a good tackler 

[DapperCam]

I think Elam isn’t a great tackler, and the Bills knew the Pats were going to test that. This turned out to be correct, Pats players even said in postgame that the goal was to force Bills to tackle the Pats skill players.

 

I think it was just a matchup thing. If we were playing a team with speed at receiver I bet he’d be out there.

[Billz4ever]

After watching Rhodes mildly jog on the Jones TD, I was fuming.  Little to no effort from him on that play.

[Big Turk]

22 minutes ago, DapperCam said:

I think Elam isn’t a great tackler, and the Bills knew the Pats were going to test that. This turned out to be correct, Pats players even said in postgame that the goal was to force Bills to tackle the Pats skill players.

 

I think it was just a matchup thing. If we were playing a team with speed at receiver I bet he’d be out there.

 

Pretty much...Bills will do whatever is needed to find any edge they can in games, even if it means deactivating a 1st round pick for a game.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Big Turk

[clayboy54]

Maybe resting the ankle for the stretch run also went into this decision.

[34-78-83]

29 minutes ago, clayboy54 said:

Maybe resting the ankle for the stretch run also went into this decision.

I think that was it more than anything. Leslie Frazier had mentioned something earlier in the week about him managing the pain. But its "spicier" to say and think he got "benched"

[Max Fischer]

We don't know the reason Elam didn't play. The Bills CANNOT say it's due to injury because they never gave him a designation. Let's see what happens next week before declaring Elam a bust. My guess is he get 20-25% of the snaps. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

1 hour ago, Billz4ever said:

After watching Rhodes mildly jog on the Jones TD, I was fuming.  Little to no effort from him on that play.

 

I dunno if you've ever chased someone who is clearly faster than you... but... he can't catch him.  

25 minutes ago, Max Fischer said:

We don't know the reason Elam didn't play. The Bills CANNOT say it's due to injury because they never gave him a designation. Let's see what happens next week before declaring Elam a bust. My guess is he get 20-25% of the snaps. 

 

Is he healthy enough to play and practice? Yes.  Is he in pain and/or less effective?  Probably also yes.

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, Beck Water said:

 

People love to get all mystery/conspiracy minded but I don't think that was it.  I think it was a matchup decision based on wanting to play nickle and zone against a run-heavy offense with a lot of passes to the RB and wanting to throw a lot of different "looks" at Jones in a hostile environment.

 

Elam needs to progress as a zone corner still and as a sure tackler of a tank like Stevenson.

No need to be conspiratorial to understand that this was almost certainly a disciplinary measure, even with the face-saving comment from McDermott. The only other option is that the coaches thought that Elam was the Bills 7th best option at CB in a zone-heavy game plan run against a limited QB and pedestrian WR corps. That would be a considerably worse situation. 
 

There’s also no need to make any more out of it than that. A rookie messed up, the coaches held him accountable (without making what happened public), he hopefully has learned his lesson and we all move on. It’s not that big a deal unless it continues to happen. 

[SectionC3]

3 hours ago, RocCityRoller said:

Hey Gunner, I usually agree with you. But 'Rhodes is washed', and 'Singletary has stone hands' makes me wonder if your Sleep Number mattress is working for you! I replied to your comment about Singletary in the other thread.

 

As for CBs:

Elam is giving up a 70% completion percentage against. That is bad.

By any account that is bad.

 

Jackson has drawn/ mirrored the #1 WR most of the season due to injuries and gave up 56%, not great, but understandable.

That includes guys like Jefferson vs MIN.

 

As for Rhodes, yes he is 32. Yes he regressed a lot in past years. He also played in a Frazier defense in the past.

I'm waiting to see Rhodes stats vs New England, because he was a shut down CB vs. Detroit.

 

I only have his 1 game vs Detroit to work with.

He played 25 snaps. His receiver was targeted once. 1 time in 25 snaps (4% targeted)

The pass allowed went for 5 yards.

 

It's a tiny sample, but he wasn't 'washed'. I'll take 4% target against and 5 yds allowed by my CB any day.

 

ProFootball Reference is updating stats, so let's look at targets against snaps as another qualifier when the data is complete.

If QBs are making throws against, that means they think a WR is open or could catch a pass vs a DB.

I bet the stats do not agree with you, and much of the board TBH.

 

I am willing to bet QBs do not like throwing against Benford or Rhodes.

They were too busy destroying Dane Jackson to waste time throwing at Rhodes. 

[Billz4ever]

56 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

I dunno if you've ever chased someone who is clearly faster than you... but... he can't catch him.  

 

Is he healthy enough to play and practice? Yes.  Is he in pain and/or less effective?  Probably also yes.

He never made an effort even when he was close to him. Let's not make excuses for a lack of hustle.

[Orlando Buffalo]

The game plan needed smarter not faster players- except the one TD- and Elam is not there yet. I am not worried since when on the field he has been solid.

[Dr.Sack]

Dane Jackson is a better tackler, while Elam is better in man coverage when we are forced to blitz to create pressure.

[Einstein]

6 minutes ago, Orlando Tim said:

The game plan needed smarter not faster players- except the one TD- and Elam is not there yet. I am not worried since when on the field he has been solid.

 

Meanwhile McDuffy in KC Is absolutely locking people down.

[Goin Breakdown]

18 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

Joes tweet is all fine and dandy but the plan was for a CB (assumed). Given the rash of injuries at DB I'm not sure grabbing Elam was "wrong" in hindsight. He may still have a very good career. He's a rookie. That being said Pickins on this team would've been nice for sure. 

[Buddo]

As Elam is pretty focused on improving, a 'disciplinary' reason seems a stretch, unless it's for being stupidly late for some reason.

 

Game plan decision would be more likely, and if he's nursing a knock (ankle), then leaving him out, could be a plus point on the balance scales.

 

As someone else has pointed out, he's not been on the injury report, so he's pretty much got to count as a 'healthy scratch'.

 

Very likely he could have played if needed/necessary, but it was probably deemed to be better for him long term, if he didn't have to.

 

Let's not forget also, we are getting to the 'rookie wall' period, and getting him the extra rest - (especially with the next game not for 10 days) may well play into countering that as well.

 

It might also be that they are looking to have him as fully fit as possible, for when he opposition has more speed on the field.

[Chaos]

22 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

No need to be conspiratorial to understand that this was almost certainly a disciplinary measure, even with the face-saving comment from McDermott. The only other option is that the coaches thought that Elam was the Bills 7th best option at CB in a zone-heavy game plan run against a limited QB and pedestrian WR corps. That would be a considerably worse situation. 
 

There’s also no need to make any more out of it than that. A rookie messed up, the coaches held him accountable (without making what happened public), he hopefully has learned his lesson and we all move on. It’s not that big a deal unless it continues to happen. 

In current physical shape with a sore ankle he could very well be deemed the 7th best option. And that is not a problem at all. 

[Southern_Bills]

On 12/2/2022 at 8:07 AM, Billz4ever said:

After watching Rhodes mildly jog on the Jones TD, I was fuming.  Little to no effort from him on that play.

 

I can understand, but Rhodes did the smart thing and saved his gas for another play. He isn't running Jones down lol

[Einstein]

12 hours ago, Goin Breakdown said:

Joes tweet is all fine and dandy but the plan was for a CB (assumed). Given the rash of injuries at DB I'm not sure grabbing Elam was "wrong" in hindsight. He may still have a very good career. He's a rookie. That being said Pickins on this team would've been nice for sure. 

 

If I were to guess, the Bills would trade Elam for a couple of those names right now.

[Saxum]

On 12/2/2022 at 2:23 AM, Big Turk said:

 

And I'm sure you probably never played sports before. 

 

I am sure he is a member in good standing in North American Tiddlywinks Association.