The question is ... will this defensive performance show up in the playoff?

[SCBills]

7 minutes ago, Brand J said:

Rousseau is a good player, kind of unbelievable he didn’t register a single statistic today. He had a bad game, it happens. I scoff at the idea of paying him $25M/yr though. Too rich for what he brings game after game in my opinion. Anything above an $18M AAV and I let him sign with someone else, draft his replacement.

I think he still has potential, but I honestly wouldn’t care who we let go on this defense if they do this again in the playoffs.  
 

I just feel like at a certain point, it’s time to blow it up and even see if a guy like Oliver has any offers in a trade.  Probably even follow the Chiefs model of letting corners walk.  Benford and Douglas might as well have been Dane Jackson and Levi Wallace out there today. 
 

Hopefully this isn’t a conversation we need to have. 

[Sojourner]

13 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Bills Defense needs a gamewrecker, but we never draft high enough to get one… so we either need to get lucky, or McDermott needs to figure out how to make due without a Chris Jones. 
 

If the Defense pulls this again in the playoffs, I don’t know how you pay anyone on that side of the ball except Rousseau and maybe Bernard.  
 

Extend Cooper and Shakir, bring back Hollins and Ty.. Offense is set.. and then draft replacements for a bunch of guys on Defense next year.   

Drafted Ed before Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffrey Simmons @ his position alone. Montez Sweat & Brian Burns @ DE after him in the same draft. 
 

OK selection, bad extension imo. 
 

The only guys worth paying right now on the defense are Bernard, Benford, Rapp and Rousseau. Hopefully that changes. 

 

[SCBills]

3 minutes ago, Sojourner said:

Drafted Ed before Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffrey Simmons @ his position alone. Montez Sweat & Brian Burns @ DE after him in the same draft. 
 

OK selection, bad extension imo. 
 

The only guys worth paying right now on the defense are Bernard, Benford, Rapp and Rousseau. Hopefully that changes. 

 

Even Benford though.. Chiefs didn’t pay Snead.  Does Benford take away his side of the field?  He didn’t today.  That’s the only way I’m paying huge money to a corner.  
 

Bernard is small and gets injured often.  
 

Rousseau is above average at everything, with more potential, but doesn’t wreck a game. 
 

IF this defense folds in the playoffs, I think Rousseau and Bernard are guys we should take back at our price point.. and if they walk eventually, fine. 
 

Benford, I honestly don’t know.. just keep drafting corners and coach them up.  At some point McDermott being a defensive guy who has a stellar track record with secondary players has to come into play given all we sacrifice to not have an offensive guy. 

[hondo in seattle]

It's a no name defense.  Beane gave McD lemons and -most of the time - McD is able to make lemonade.  Sometimes it just doesn't work.  The Rams were smart enough to figure the Bills out.  And when the mind games neutralized each other, it became player versus player - and they had better players.  

 

Josh Allen and good coaching got the Bills to 10-3.  But that combo isn't good enough every week.  

[DapperCam]

Defense lacks talent/depth and will probably have at least one pretty bad game in the playoffs. We’ll all just have to hope that the offense is up to the task and we don’t have any special teams gaffes.

 

I don’t think there is a team in the AFC that can throw on us like that other than the Bengals.

[bmur66]

Good teams expose this defense in the playoffs. The Rams were playing like this game meant everything. Did anyone even get a hand on Stafford?

[Scott7975]

Yes this defense will show up in the playoffs too. The only reason the D has been good is because they got turnovers after the other team marched down the field. Can’t always rely on turnovers. I just pray we don’t have to play the Ravens. 

[peterpan]

5 hours ago, Bookie Man said:

Desperately need a disruptor on the DL. Since Ed got paid, he's been invisible. AJE shows up once every 5 games. Can't get any heat with our front 4. 

This has been a big part of our D failure the entire McD era.  When you rush four and play zone, you better have a HOFer on that DL to bring constant pressure.  And despite all the effort, we don’t have any beasts on the DL.  Chiefs have Chris Jones, that dude is a game wrecker.

[Buffalo Boy]

   It is sadly amusing to watch a bunch of you act surprised by this.

   It’s McD. It’s his scheme. It’s his and Beane’s idea of a defensive roster.

   Lucy is gonna yank the ball away before you can kick it. She ALWAYS does. It’s a Fait accompli.

   Today was one in a string of examples of why those who are objective about it say Josh is keeping him in his coaching position. Without Josh, he’s a .500 coach. 

[BillMafia716ix]

I’m not going to overreact to one game. Rams are a very dangerous team when they have all their weapons and Stafford is a HOF QB. 
 

Run defense definitely needs to be tighten up for sure. Milano looks a lil rusty out there right now but he’s been out for over a year so it’s excepted. I’m concerned bout our interior line play. Ed Oliver needs to start making more plays. We paying him way too much for him to have zero impact on the game. 

[hondo in seattle]

I don't think it's a scheme problem as much as a talent problem.  

 

Yesterday's game was horrific to watch.  But overall this D has been good this season and that's a testament to McD and Babich.  There's not a ton of talent on this roster.  

 

And I do think this will haunt us in the playoffs.   We can win 6 consecutive games in the regular season, but winning consecutive games against playoff caliber teams in January will require some luck.  

 

Edited December 9 by hondo in seattle

[Straight Hucklebuck]

I think it's safe to wonder if the run defense up the middle is good enough to compete at the high-end. 

 

The Bills flunked against physicality and Derrick Henry, Detroit will be the Final Exam here.

 

Can they do anything when Detroit runs up the middle, and how do they contain Gibbs sweep plays to the outside behind Sewell?  

[Gregg]

1 minute ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

I think it's safe to wonder if the run defense up the middle is good enough to compete at the high-end. 

 

The Bills flunked against physicality and Derrick Henry, Detroit will be the Final Exam here.

 

Can they do anything when Detroit runs up the middle, and how do they contain Gibbs sweep plays to the outside behind Sewell?  

 

I think next week will be like yesterday. The Lions will put 40 or more on the Bills. Can Allen and the offense keep up.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

9 hours ago, SCBills said:

Even Benford though.. Chiefs didn’t pay Snead.  Does Benford take away his side of the field?  He didn’t today.  That’s the only way I’m paying huge money to a corner.  
 

Bernard is small and gets injured often.  
 

Rousseau is above average at everything, with more potential, but doesn’t wreck a game. 
 

IF this defense folds in the playoffs, I think Rousseau and Bernard are guys we should take back at our price point.. and if they walk eventually, fine. 
 

Benford, I honestly don’t know.. just keep drafting corners and coach them up.  At some point McDermott being a defensive guy who has a stellar track record with secondary players has to come into play given all we sacrifice to not have an offensive guy. 

It certainly is a good point and something to think consider. 

 

Instead of handing out big money contracts on defense, continue to invest in Josh Allen. 

 

$100M to Rousseau, $80M for Benford, $40M for Bernard and you're out of money and back to depending on street free agents to fill out the WR group. 

[HopelessNJBuffaloFan]

This is NOT a superbowl team. We have an easy division, which pretty much cements us a playoff spot every year. We have a great QB who is going to win us a lot of games. We have a sieve as a defense that cannot truly stop any real playoff contending team. Bills in 4 Lines...

[WNYFAN1]

5 hours ago, bmur66 said:

Good teams expose this defense in the playoffs. The Rams were playing like this game meant everything. Did anyone even get a hand on Stafford?

Yep. Having a great year, obviously. But 2-3 against teams with a winning record.

 

Bills feast on bad teams.

[Gregg]

9 minutes ago, HopelessNJBuffaloFan said:

This is NOT a superbowl team. We have an easy division, which pretty much cements us a playoff spot every year. We have a great QB who is going to win us a lot of games. We have a sieve as a defense that cannot truly stop any real playoff contending team. Bills in 4 Lines...

 

Unfortunately, you are correct. The defense will let them down again in the playoffs. 

[RyanC883]

It has the last few years.  No reason to believe it won't again.  Past few playoffs= D and HC game-management failures.  I keep thinking it will change, no idea why it doesn't.  McD is outthinking himself at the end of games at the wrong time (declining the penality), and not thinking enough at the other times (passing at 1st and goal).  

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

5 minutes ago, WNYFAN1 said:

Yep. Having a great year, obviously. But 2-3 against teams with a winning record.

 

Bills feast on bad teams.

 

Arizona, Miami, SF, and Indy while all under .500, are not "bad teams".  Thats 5 games against teams that are all 1 game under .500 and capable of flipping a switch and playing really well.  

[RyanC883]

43 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

It certainly is a good point and something to think consider. 

 

Instead of handing out big money contracts on defense, continue to invest in Josh Allen. 

 

$100M to Rousseau, $80M for Benford, $40M for Bernard and you're out of money and back to depending on street free agents to fill out the WR group. 

 

that would be awful.  Only pay players like that who are game-changers.  Bernard, okay.  Benford and Rousseau,. both very good, not game-changers.  Get WR vet help and draft replacements for Greg R. and Benford.  Might keep Benford, no way for Rousseau.