So, how is everyone feeling about this defense going into the playoffs?

[FireChans]

2 minutes ago, Chaos said:

Disagree. That is a recipe for failure. We need to get in shootouts and let Josh win 48-44 for us. 

Meh, that's how you get into "whoever has the ball last wins" games.

 

I'd prefer to shorten games, try to double up a possession and then win that way, similar to our Chiefs game this year. We outpossessed them by almost 10 minutes, and had an extra drive on them. They ran 51 plays to our 71.

[DrBob806]

Scared

[BuffaloBillyG]

3-5 stops a game is all I need. Be it turnover, punt or helped by penalty. I don't care how many yards they give up. I don't care how easily teams move it between the 20s. Just buckle down to holding them to FGs and a few stops a game and this offense is good enough to do the rest.

[Peace Frog]

52 minutes ago, Rubes said:

Now that all of the meaningful regular season games are done, having seen how this defense has performed the last few weeks against the Rams, Lions, Patriots, and the Jets, how are you all feeling about their impact on our playoff chances?

It seems to me that this defense is exactly what we’ve come to know: bend and hope they don’t break. Gives up yards and first downs in chunks, forces offenses into long drives, and hopes the other team screws up and either kicks field goals or turns the ball over. Seems to work okay against below average offenses (New England**** or the Jets), not quite so much against very good offenses (Lions, Rams, Ravens). Sometimes does well against certain teams or schemes (eg, Miami, SF), other times not so much.

 

They say offenses win in the regular season, defenses win in the playoffs. I feel like this defense is going to struggle in the playoffs, where most teams have strong offenses. Seems to me like it’s all going to come down to whether Josh can play out of his mind and carry them on his own.

 

I’d just hate to see another great season by Josh wasted by a porous defense (and crappy special teams, too).

 

[itaos]

Wish I had more optimism for the bend but don’t break but then sometimes break style for the playoffs.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

There are no elite defenses this season! Some are better than others, but offense has to carry the day (even for teams like the Ravens, Chiefs, Lions etc.. Yes getting an occasional stop or turnover give extra possessions. But, you need to score in the Red Zone and double dip around halftime to win. And, be prepared to put up 30.

Edited December 31, 2024 by D. L. Hot-Flamethrower

[Dan]

58 minutes ago, Kelly to Allen said:

Fully healthy I think they will be dominant.

 

Against KC it's going to be tough but they'll do enough to win 

 

Von Miller and Rousseau/ Oliver will be too much for a KC oline imo. 

I think the forgotten point is that we haven’t had a fully healthy D since …49rs game?  They’ve been testing one or more injured players since then.   Plus, this will be the first time that we’re fully healthy going in to the playoffs in recent memory.  Hopefully they stay that way!  
 

But, that’s what has me cautiously optimistic.  Being fully healthy and all the day 1 starters playing is pretty big.   They still have to execute and draw up plans to beat the best QBs and RBs in the league.  But no excuses this time.   

 

 

46 minutes ago, Bimmer323i said:

Can’t even read any of the news articles on here anymore cause there all locked… Why even bother posting em… I wouldn’t pay 5 cents to subscribe to any of those rip off news media outlets 

If the articles are so bad that you wouldn’t pay 5cents, why are you upset that you can’t read them?

[machine gun kelly]

51 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

I don’t like this d against the Ravens. However, they may play more three linebacker schemes on early downs. They sampled this concept some in the last two weeks. 
 

it is not typical for the Bills but they may need it to counter heavy offensive sets. 

Bill, I’m guessing the same with a healthy Milano, Bernard, and Williams we’ll play more base (3 LB’s) which means we’ll be more susceptible to the pass against Baltimore.  Cine may also play more as well in that game so it’s not normally a great idea pulling one of our best in Taron, but we’ll have Taron out there for Denver and KC if we get that far.

 

These base ideas are unique to our Baltimore opponent.  The key with the Ravems is clog up the middle along with a base defense, and you invite Lamar to only throw outside the hashes.  He can do that, but not nearly as well as the other elite QB’s like Burrow, Josh, and Herbert.

[notpolian]

The defense is obviously the weak area of the team, but if they can avoid big plays and produce turnovers, anything is possible.  So I'll take hopeful.

[GETTOTHE50]

I hope for 2 things:

 

1. better success stopping the run.

2. No third and long conversions after a time out. 

[hondo in seattle]

I think we're going to in the playoffs pre-Super Bowl.  And people will blame McD because the defense will let us down.  Never mind that it's just not that talented.  

[Eastport bills]

I’m concerned about our defense matching up with Baltimore. We are a light, smallish  speed defense in the front seven. We struggled against runners not nearly as tough as Henry. I think our  safeties are physical, especially Rapp, but they get out of position against top receivers, as shown with Nicua, St.Brown, etc. Those TEs are very good, and with heavy boxes to protect against Lamar and Henry,we’re vulnerable. To me, we need a slow track, a big effort from Josh and the offense and a couple of turnovers, which we excel at.

[Coffeesforclosers]

The D has to make 1-2 stops and get a TO per game.

 

We're living dangerously, but they can do it.

[buffalo2218]

I'm not sure how to feel at this point. I wished McDermott would get over his fear of getting beat over the top and stop giving so much cushion to every team like every opposing WR we go against is Tyreek Hill. He's not doing this offense any favors thinking holding a team to 3 points every drive is a win. As much as we rotate lineman, it wouldn't hurt to play more aggressive

[3rdand12]

1 hour ago, SF Bills Fan said:

Cautiously optimistic. 

This

 Every Game. Always

[PromoTheRobot]

I feel like they are holding some cards back.

[BillsFan130]

Not feeling great 

[Pokebball]

jekyll hyde

[Royale with Cheese]

3rd down scares me a lot.

But they usually do a good job with second half adjustments.  So, uneasy but somewhat confident at the same time.

[skibum]

Not great. They have two major kryptonites: Superstar QBs, and a punishing run game. Not a lot of playoff teams have neither of those things.