So why the Cover 2 again?

[Mikie2times]

I like Jauron, but to me a big part of reviewing his performance should be the way we transition to the Cover 2. It's only his first year but I'm already left questioning the decision, direction, and implenation of this defense. If you’re going to sign on with a club and sell your style in the way Jauron did you better be aware of who you have, and what you will need. What favors has this style done for us in the secondary or on the DL?

 

This style forced us to seek safety help with our draft picks, and is exposing our CB's who are being asked to stay in coverage much longer then the hybrid days. To top it off we've picked a style that exaggerates one of our weakest defensive areas, stopping the run. We would be lacking in talent right now in any system, but I just don't think Marv was acclimated with our roster enough to know if the Cover 2 would be a good fit or not. With the fragile state of this team, if it even costs Jauron a year of total rebuilding it could ruin his chance for success.

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

I was looking at the bears defensive stats in their first year in the cover 2 in lovies first year as a hc. Now granted I cant compare it to the bills after 8 games, but the point is from 04-05 they took a huge step foward in defensive production. Like you stated in your post. "We would be lacking in talent right now in any system". Have Patience we've had 1 draft under a new regime. The right mix of players isn't going to happen over night. Whether we went to a cover 2 3-4, 4-3, 4-6 or whatever we lacked talent on defense. Is there other areas that could've been addressed other then safety? You betcha, but it was still a huge need. Maybe I'm being overly optomistic about this system, but I really believe once we get the dl together the system will work.

 

 

Bears 2004 defense

Team Defense

|---------- PASSING -----------||----- RUSHING -----| TOTAL

CMP ATT YD YPA TD INT ATT YD YPA TD YD

286 515 3340 6.49 23 17 496 2050 4.13 9 5390

NFL rank 9 18 15 16 18 16 27 25 16 10 21

 

Bills 2006 first 8 games

 

Team Defense

|---------- PASSING -----------||----- RUSHING -----| TOTAL

CMP ATT YD YPA TD INT ATT YD YPA TD YD

167 269 1683 6.26 11 7 223 944 4.23 7 2627

NFL rank 27 24 19 14 19 22 15 19 23 23 18

 

 

Pretty much comparable if you extend the bills to a 16 game stretch. I expect the bills defense to pick it up and actually come up with better #'s in the rest of the season. Especially as it relates to turnovers and run defense. I know you can't bank on a turnaround like the bears had within the system from 04-05, but another draft some solid pickups in free agency and I can see the team taking a big jump fowards on defense. Offense well that's a whole different story.

[Mikie2times]

I was looking at the bears defensive stats in their first year in the cover 2 in lovies first year as a hc.  Now granted I cant compare it to the bills after 8 games, but the point is from 04-05 they took a huge step foward in defensive production.  Like you stated in your post.  "We would be lacking in talent right now in any system".  Have Patience we've had 1 draft under a new regime.  The right mix of players isn't going to happen over night.  Whether we went to a cover 2 3-4, 4-3, 4-6 or whatever we lacked talent on defense.  Is there other areas that could've been addressed other then safety?  You betcha, but it was still a huge need.  Maybe I'm being overly optomistic about this system, but I really believe once we get the dl together the system will work. 

Bears 2004 defense

Team Defense

            |---------- PASSING -----------||----- RUSHING -----|  TOTAL

              CMP  ATT  YD    YPA  TD INT  ATT  YD    YPA  TD    YD

              286  515  3340  6.49  23  17  496  2050  4.13  9  5390

NFL rank    9  18  15      16    18  16  27  25    16  10    21

 

Bills 2006 first 8 games

 

Team Defense

            |---------- PASSING -----------||----- RUSHING -----|  TOTAL

              CMP  ATT  YD    YPA  TD INT  ATT  YD    YPA  TD    YD

              167  269  1683  6.26  11  7  223  944  4.23  7  2627

NFL rank  27  24  19    14  19  22  15  19    23  23    18

Pretty much comparable if you extend the bills to a 16 game stretch. I expect the bills defense to pick it up and actually come up with better #'s in the rest of the season. Especially as it relates to turnovers and run defense. I know you can't bank on a turnaround like the bears had within the system from 04-05, but another draft some solid pickups in free agency and I can see the team taking a big jump fowards on defense.  Offense well that's a whole different story.

830426[/snapback]

Let’s look at the example you gave. Chicago drafts Tommie Harris, then trades for Ogunleye. Two instant impact players on the DL. Then Lance Briggs comes out of nowhere to go along with the best MLB in football, and a playmaking secondary. This year they draft another DE that's among the NFC leaders in sacks. All these outstanding playmakers and yet Chicago still sometimes struggles against the run. The same thing happened intermittently when Tampa had things in full swing. Those teams showed they could mold dominating defenses, but even then how can we compare them to our current team and the likelihood they will find similar talent?

 

Over the last decade we haven't been able to find good players at positions TB and CHI showed you need. We compare more to a defense like Indianapolis right now and in the future. Right now we play the run a little better then them, but we still have oversized, and less then ideal LB's for the system. We will get smaller and faster. Notice how quick Indianapolis is this week. They just don't have the freak size/speed athletes Chicago has, and TB used to have. The bottom line is why this defense? Why couldn't we just play a standard 4-3 that doesn't require such individualized skills sets. Look how it forced us to draft safety with our first pick. Even if it pans out, what will we need to draft next year, and the next year. The offense is flat out dismal, and looks like we could be forced to draft defense for awhile. I know, I'll give it time. I'll relax if they show some aggressiveness this off-season.

[Alaska Darin]

Yeah, our defense has made a ton of plays over the years. That's why we've been in the playoffs and so successful against the upper eschelon teams of the NFL like New England and Pittsburgh. The term paper tiger comes to mind.

 

BTW, we were going to have to draft/find safeties no matter what defense we decided to change to.

[Mikie2times]

Yeah, our defense has made a ton of plays over the years.  That's why we've been in the playoffs and so successful against the upper eschelon teams of the NFL like New England and Pittsburgh.  The term paper tiger comes to mind.

 

BTW, we were going to have to draft/find safeties no matter what defense we decided to change to.

830437[/snapback]

No FA or early draft pick was athletic enough as a SS so we had to draft Whitner. No DT was available past McCargo that fit the "system" so we had to draft McCargo. Doesn't matter if they work out or not, you can't find value when you have to draft a specific player.

 

Also who said we were any good the last few years on D? We could at least stop the run up until last year, but we weren't very good. The point is had we gone to a 4-3 this year maybe a wider group of FA's and draft choices that fit would have been possible. I just can't visualize a scenario that has the Cover 2 accelerating our defensive overhaul with who we have, and the type of players we've been able to get the last decade.

[BADOLBILZ]

I like Jauron, but to me a big part of reviewing his performance should be the way we transition to the Cover 2.  It's only his first year but I'm already left questioning the decision, direction, and implenation of this defense. If you’re going to sign on with a club and sell your style in the way Jauron did you better be aware of who you have, and what you will need. What favors has this style done for us in the secondary or on the DL?

 

This style forced us to seek safety help with our draft picks, and is exposing our CB's who are being asked to stay in coverage much longer then the hybrid days. To top it off we've picked a style that exaggerates one of our weakest defensive areas, stopping the run. We would be lacking in talent right now in any system, but I just don't think Marv was acclimated with our roster enough to know if the Cover 2 would be a good fit or not. With the fragile state of this team, if it even costs Jauron a year of total rebuilding it could ruin his chance for success.

830407[/snapback]

 

I agree with your main point, but don't water it down by claiming they lack defensive talent. Talent-wise, they are one big run stopping NT away from having a good defense or two big DT's and a healthy Takeo Spikes from being the AFC's best. Secondary is very talented, LB's are good, ends are good(the same guys from the #1 ranked D two years ago).

 

But like you said, the system and talent don't mesh, and I have no idea what they were thinking switching to this approach BEFORE they had the talent in place. As it's been said, this defense is so simple, a caveman could learn it. Get the talent, and THEN if you want to play cover 2, do it. For now, they should have plugged the gaping hole in the middle and given themselves a fighting chance to win. Especially with a young QB in training.

 

Gomer Phillips wasn't going to win when it mattered for the Bills, but at least the guy knew that you need offensive and defensive coaches who can adapt their schemes to fit the talent, and to his credit, even Gregg Williams learned that fat guys were players too. Jauron has been coaching far too long to not know better than this.