So....what's up with the D?

[Success]

For starters, I am NOT a defensive mind, at all.  But from my viewpoint, it seems like we never press - our CB's and safeties generally drop back and give a ton of cushion, trying to prevent the "big play," but often giving up chunks of yards in the process and long, time-consuming drives.

 

I guess that's often called "bend, don't break."  Which can work. But today was rough.

 

Are we lacking personnel?  I feel like we have good LB's and a decent enough line, and I like our CB's.  Safety is a weak point, but overall, it seems like we're not playing up to our talent level or potential.  This is about as bad a defense as I've seen since Allen got here.

 

[Simon]

1 minute ago, Success said:

Are we lacking personnel?  I feel like we have good LB's and a decent enough line, and I like our CB's.  Safety is a weak point, but overall, it seems like we're not playing up to our talent level or potential.

 

Dorian Williams and Damar Hamlin are both problem spots and Miami spent the majority of their day attacking those two.

I hope that both of them are backups by New Years.

[Royale with Cheese]

2 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

Dorian Williams and Damar Hamlin are both problem spots and Miami spent the majority of their day attacking those two.

I hope that both of them are backups by New Years.

 

Dorian has speed and came make some good plays when he crashes the line.  Anything misdirection or in coverage, he's lost.  

[Simon]

1 minute ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Dorian has speed and came make some good plays when he crashes the line.  Anything misdirection or in coverage, he's lost.  

 

I think he's a marginal athlete, which just isn't enough when your read/react is usually a beat late.

[TD716]

Not holding gaps , d-line. Epenesa weak link for our run defense. Our 2nd string dline was stuck out there on Miami 2nd half TD run. Miami rushed to the line and we couldn’t sub. Still think we need a one tech d-lineman. Jones has taken a step back this year and holding point of attack isn’t Oliver’s strong suit. Looks like we need a Coleman replacement also b/c of injury 

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

I think he's a marginal athlete, which just isn't enough when your read/react is usually a beat late.

 

So he slid perfectly into the Tremaine Edmunds role.

[ProcessImproverMan]

All the first round picks and free agency money we invested in our front four isn't stopping the run and isn't getting consistent pressure, which puts pressure on the rest of the defense. Oliver, Jones, Rousseau and Miller should be playing better run defense than they are and getting more pressure than they are. Two first round picks and a bunch of free agency money thrown at 3/4 them and nothing really. Watch Watt, Garrett, Dexter Lawrence, Eagles front line of Carter, Davis, etc, Jones for the Chiefs, Hutchinson for the Lions when healthy, etc and you will see alot of guys taken with first round picks producing. Our guys are invisible alot. 

 

When your front four cannot do it, the rest of the team has to cheat some 

[boyst]

9 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

Dorian Williams and Damar Hamlin are both problem spots and Miami spent the majority of their day attacking those two.

I hope that both of them are backups by New Years.

Hamlin is hard for me to swallow. He doesn't make mistakes. He is just not that good. I wish I had the words to describe the problem more efficiently than that and can break it down to a running back we used to have, and I forgot his name.

"The bills run on first down and he gets you 3 yards, bills need 3yards on 3rd and 3, he gets you 3 yards.  The bills need 6 yards on 3rd and 6 and he gets you 3 yards."

 

Damar hamlin is consistent, reliable, and plays smart enough but just overall isn't effective or the quality we need for this defense. And I really wish he was better. 

 

He will forever be among the most memorable to play the game for me not because of what happened on the field but how far he was able to take it selflessly afterwards.

[BuffaloBillyG]

All I know is this. If something doesn't improve soon we will have to put up 50 to beat the Lions in a few weeks. That game in particular could get real ugly real fast

[Bill51390]

Oliver has been useless and injuries. 

[Rich Stadium Original]

Obviously some massive holes as the D line was blow up most of the game. Hoping the LBs would be filling those holes, but Fins misdirection usually had them out of position.

And with the safties in such a deep cover 2 defense, you are relying on the LBs to cover those relief/swing passes to the sidelines (think Milano in his prime), but nobody was there, and they seemed to be open for 8-10 yards the whole game.

[wjag]

IMO, The LBs were not the issue today as much as the DLINE was getting blown off the ball.

[BillsFan130]

They dared Miami to run/do short passes and execute long drives all game long. And Miami did.

 

They need to mix in more run blitzes and pressures, because in my opinion it's way too passive and predictable 

 

 

[boyst]

6 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

I think he's a marginal athlete, which just isn't enough when your read/react is usually a beat late.

He is as good or better than Edmunds on the average line but Edmunds was far better in pass coverage. Williams reaction time is always too late - even when he reads the play accurately. He can't get himself into the position well enough and has fooled the eye more than a few times when he was in the wrong place at the right time. Most often he is in the wrong place 

 

Makes me think of Kiko who was almost always in the wrong place but had a knack to get that ball and threw himself around like a missile. Alonso was one of the luckiest players but least disciplined we have ever seen.

[Simon]

Just now, boyst said:

Hamlin is hard for me to swallow. He doesn't make mistakes. He is just not that good. I wish I had the words to describe the problem more efficiently than that and can break it down to a running back we used to have, and I forgot his name.

"The bills run on first down and he gets you 3 yards, bills need 3yards on 3rd and 3, he gets you 3 yards.  The bills need 6 yards on 3rd and 6 and he gets you 3 yards."

 

Damar hamlin is consistent, reliable, and plays smart enough but just overall isn't effective or the quality we need for this defense. And I really wish he was better. 

 

He will forever be among the most memorable to play the game for me not because of what happened on the field but how far he was able to take it selflessly afterwards.

 

With 5 DBs going against 5ish skill players, he's jsut generally the least capable athlete among those 10 guys and sometimes it stings the defense.

I always give a ton of credit to guys who manage to create successful careers above and beyond their natural skillset and Hamlin is no exception.

He's just limited in what he is capable of and can be taken advantage of by smart opponents.

 

[Royale with Cheese]

I think I read that no player has ever returned in the same season with a torn bicep?  Should I have Milano in doubt this year?

[Bruffalo]

Part of it is personnel,like safety,LB, and DT but a lot of it is coaching.  McDermott's (and Babich, by extension) decision making is so ingrained in the school of "limit the explosive play" that I truly think he's often not putting his players in the best spots to succeed. 

[JohnNord]

21 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

Dorian Williams and Damar Hamlin are both problem spots and Miami spent the majority of their day attacking those two.

I hope that both of them are backups by New Years.

The interior DL hasn’t played well consistently either - specifically Daquan and Oliver.  There were multiple times when players were in the good position and they could bring down the RB.  
 

On Tua’s 4th down scramble, the Bills secondary took away every WR but the DL allowed him to break contain up the middle.  

[Bangarang]

Our DL struggles to get pressure, we miss Milano and our safety play is mediocre. 

[MJS]

It is a week to week league. The Dolphins offense is DESIGNED to attack our weaknesses (short passes, strong run game, insane speed, lots of screens, etc.) Their offense is really good when it clicks. Tua played the best game I've ever seen him play (and still lost to us).