Do you still trust the defense at all?

[Wayne Arnold]

They were playing without emotion on Sunday. For whatever reason.

 

I think with:

• Von Miller and Da'quan Jones on the DLine
• Edmunds back with an extension (franchise tag?)
• Tre White back to his old self
• Hyde back
• Elam, Benford, Rousseau, Basham, Epenesa improved

Yes, I do think this is a Super Bowl caliber defense.

[Bruffalo]

You can't trust the defense in football. Any defense, not just the Bills.

 

The game is heavily skewed to offense. Going against that and putting your hope in the side that's inherently disadvantaged is foolish. 

[damj]

I trust our defense when the game is on the line slightly less than day old gas station sushi during a mid-august power failure in Arizona

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

2 hours ago, TheFunPolice said:

I don't trust ANY defense. 

 

Why? Times have changed.

 

Today's great QBs lead offenses that will beat ANY defense. It's a combination of rules and also how dynamic these young guys are. 

 

Go back and watch games even from the early 2000's. Almost every QB hit from back then would be roughing the passer now. You used to be able to hold WR a bit and get away with it. Now any little fingertip on a WR is holding or illegal contact or DPI. 

 

Also, most top QBs from the 2000's could barely move. Big Ben could move a little, but Peyton, Eli, Brady never were super athletic in that way. Today's top guys are FAR more athletic. 

 

Couple that with the refs swallowing whistles in the playoffs, except for DPI and RTP. OL hold every play, knowing they might get docked once or twice but not over and over again.

 

Great QB with a few great weapons will move the ball and score points on any defense these days. If you're up 4 against any of these top QBs with under 2:00 to go it's a loss. 

 

This just isn't true, the notion that you don't need a good to great defense is just false. Patrick Mahomes lost because of that swarming TB defense. Joe Burrow was harassed all game by the Rams and got 7 sacks on Burrow but it was a close game because the Bengals defense was very good also getting 2 INT and 2 sacks on Stafford. Even the SB where Mahomes played the 49ers he had lots of trouble for most of the game, it was 20-10 49ers until the 4th QTR. Rams vs Patriots was an all defensive game as well. 

[Royale with Cheese]

I do when Von comes back.  Von and Rosseau are a good DE duo.  The upsetting part is that it seems Rosseau production drops a level without Von.  Not just Rosseau, the entire line.  We expected to have a fall back without Von but this line after he was hurt, was worse than last years and that's very disappointing.

 

As long as Von is healthy, I'm comfortable with that.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Not without Von Miller. There are reasons we signed him.

Edited January 25, 2023 by Buffalo_Stampede

[DQW87]

They play too far off.  Don't want to give up the big play, and hardly ever did. This worked fine against weaker teams.  But good teams expose it badly and continue drives with no problem.  How many first downs did the Bengals get?? 10 yrad off receivers on 3rd and 5 just doesn't cut it against the good QB's. I say either change defensive coaches ot or make them try a new philosophy.  Even if it's not all the time, at least give the appearance once in a while that you are playing tight.

[TheFunPolice]

56 minutes ago, BuffaloBillsGospel2014 said:

 

This just isn't true, the notion that you don't need a good to great defense is just false. Patrick Mahomes lost because of that swarming TB defense. Joe Burrow was harassed all game by the Rams and got 7 sacks on Burrow but it was a close game because the Bengals defense was very good also getting 2 INT and 2 sacks on Stafford. Even the SB where Mahomes played the 49ers he had lots of trouble for most of the game, it was 20-10 49ers until the 4th QTR. Rams vs Patriots was an all defensive game as well. 

 

Mahomes lost to Tampa because he had a busted up foot and couldn't move, plus his WR decided to drop everything that came their way. All of his OL were also out. Bad combo.

 

I'm not saying defense doesn't matter at all, but it's just secondary. 

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

No and quite frankly I don't know how any of you can! We've failed in big moments, we can't adjust, we haven't developed, we haven't selected well. We've spent tons of money at the neglect of offense. What does that leave? It ought to be 100% no across the board.

[Success]

I only trust them if they're fully healthy.

 

But even without that, they have enough talent to be very solid.  We need a new philosophy on D.  Even if Frazier stays, the D has to change.

 

[Old Coot]

3 hours ago, Bruffalo said:

You can't trust the defense in football. Any defense, not just the Bills.

 

The game is heavily skewed to offense. Going against that and putting your hope in the side that's inherently disadvantaged is foolish. 

I agree. This is why the Bills play a "bend but don't break" style of D. You are hoping that the D will make enough plays to stop long drives by your opponent's O.

[Rocbillsfan1]

Why would I trust the defense if I don’t even trust the coach(McDermott) 

[BillMafia716ix]

The loss of Von Miller really hurt us and once he went down, nobody else stepped up. We lost to KC because we couldn’t get to Mahomes and the same thing happened vs. Burrow. 

[BillsPride12]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I do when Von comes back.  Von and Rosseau are a good DE duo.  The upsetting part is that it seems Rosseau production drops a level without Von.  Not just Rosseau, the entire line.  We expected to have a fall back without Von but this line after he was hurt, was worse than last years and that's very disappointing.

 

As long as Von is healthy, I'm comfortable with that.

Even with Von out, the Defensive line should have had better production.  That line is filled with higher end draft picks.  I have been giving them some time and benefit of the doubt but I have to admit at this point Beane has whiffed on a lot of draft picks.  It's a double whammy when you spend so many draft picks on one area and it doesn't pan out because not only has the DL been bad but then we have wasted resources on other areas we could have been drafting for.  

[B-Large]

its not good when fans routinely think to themselves "3rd and 19, they're gonna give this up easily".....

 

30 first downs last Sunday.  30.  Man.

[BillMafia716ix]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I do when Von comes back.  Von and Rosseau are a good DE duo.  The upsetting part is that it seems Rosseau production drops a level without Von.  Not just Rosseau, the entire line.  We expected to have a fall back without Von but this line after he was hurt, was worse than last years and that's very disappointing.

 

As long as Von is healthy, I'm comfortable with that.

I was really expecting Rosseau to step up once Von went down. He had maybe 1 or 2 good games after the injury and was a no show in the playoffs 

[Jauronimo]

After a little reflection I think injuries played a much bigger role on defense than we want to admit.  Losing DaQuan was huge.  DaQuan was our run defense.  Phillips hasn't been right since about week 3.  Oliver was playing with a pec injury and was invisible since his injury.  Obviously losing Von was a huge blow.  Poyer was playing hurt all year.  Hyde to IR.  Tre did not look like he was fully confident in his knee. Hamlin going down and putting Marlowe into the game plan.  Marlowe going down and putting Jaquan and Cam Lewis out there.  Benford to IR.  

 

People who know the game far better than me have posted about what you can reasonably do with coverage when you are playing 3rd string safeties.  The answer is go vanilla.  When your three best interior lineman are hurt or out and your line is getting blown off the line of scrimmage I don't know what defensive calls a coordinator can make.  Frazier tried a lot of different looks. Nothing worked.  Bungles backup Oline picked up the blitz and pass protected better than our starters.

 

 

[BillMafia716ix]

3 hours ago, Wayne Arnold said:

They were playing without emotion on Sunday. For whatever reason.

 

I think with:

• Von Miller and Da'quan Jones on the DLine
• Edmunds back with an extension (franchise tag?)
• Tre White back to his old self
• Hyde back
• Elam, Benford, Rousseau, Basham, Epenesa improved

Yes, I do think this is a Super Bowl caliber defense.

The key is going to be Rousseau. He really has to step up his play. He was doing fine when Von was playing. Then tailed off once Von got hurt 

[B-Large]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I do when Von comes back.  Von and Rosseau are a good DE duo.  The upsetting part is that it seems Rosseau production drops a level without Von.  Not just Rosseau, the entire line.  We expected to have a fall back without Von but this line after he was hurt, was worse than last years and that's very disappointing.

 

As long as Von is healthy, I'm comfortable with that.

 

He's a 34 year old guy with 2 ACL tears to the same knee.  That makes me worry a bit, and I'd feel much better if someone had emerged and stepped up this season.  If he has lingering issues next season, we can't have no answers.   

[BillMafia716ix]

3 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

After a little reflection I think injuries played a much bigger role on defense than we want to admit.  Losing DaQuan was huge.  DaQuan was our run defense.  Phillips hasn't been right since about week 3.  Oliver was playing with a pec injury and was invisible since his injury.  Obviously losing Von was a huge blow.  Poyer was playing hurt all year.  Hyde to IR.  Tre did not look like he was fully confident in his knee. Hamlin going down and putting Marlowe into the game plan.  Marlowe going down and putting Jaquan and Cam Lewis out there.  Benford to IR.  

 

People who know the game far better than me have posted about what you can reasonably do with coverage when you are playing 3rd string safeties.  The answer is go vanilla.  When your three best interior lineman are hurt or out and your line is getting blown off the line of scrimmage I don't know what defensive calls a coordinator can make.  Frazier tried a lot of different looks. Nothing worked.  Bungles backup Oline picked up the blitz and pass protected better than our starters.

 

 

Injuries definitely played a part which is why I think Frazier is going to keep his job.