What must be fixed to make playoffs?!?

[Guest dog14787]

Agree completely.All off-season I kept hearing that there were going to be major changes in the passing game but the running game was staying basically the same. And I kept thinking WHY? We couldn't run effectively last year. Turk needs to take these two weeks and revamp the running game.These plays stink. We haven't been able to run the ball since Kent Hull retired.Run the occasional pitch-out and sweep.Varieyt Turk!

 

If you look at what has changed with the Steelers since Bill Cowhers departure and then you see Big Ben get thrown around like a big rag doll half the time now, you should realize, wow, not having a good running game in the NFL hurts your passing game and gets your QB killed.

 

Call it conservative, call it what you want, you have to run the ball in this league, simple as that.

[Biggwigg]

Again.................

 

Before the season began, if we were asked if we would be happy being 4-1 before the BYE break would everyone be happy? EVERYONE on this board would be exstatic........

 

We are 4-1, you guys are acting like we are 1-4 or 2-3.....I dont get you guys.

Yeah, but the way we are playing 4-1 can easily turn into 9-7 0r 8-8, which most of the times doesn't get it done. The way Miami is playing we have only one easy game left, KC.

[Guest dog14787]

Yeah, but the way we are playing 4-1 can easily turn into 9-7 0r 8-8, which most of the times doesn't get it done. The way Miami is playing we have only one easy game left, KC.

 

 

I agree,

 

The way this league is right now, anybody could beat anybody on any given day. Tom Brady will be back next year and it will be twice as hard to make the big dance after his return. We have two weeks to make adjustments and one of them adjustments needs to be running the ball with authority.

 

TE's concussion is a pretty bad one, a couple more in a row like it could end his career,let me repeat that, CONCUSSIONS COULD END TE's CAREER!!!. So anyone who wants to say the hits TE's been taking are normal and just goes with the territory, I have to wonder how many concussions you have had in your lifetime.

 

I would get ready for Mr. Conservative, Dicky baby with his steadfast and calming nature to fix this mess we call a running game and to see to it Trent Edwards gets the protection he deserves in the future.

 

Confidence, theres that word again, I have confidence Dick Jauron and the rest of our coaching staff will come out after the bye with a different approach and attitude on offense and we will run the ball more regardless of wether or not it works well to begin with and billieve this adjustment in the long run will makes us a much better and more balanced football team.

 

Beast mode, O-line needs to turn on the beast mode and maybe Marshawn can give them some pointers.

 

There's a huge difference between attacking and protecting and thanks to the remnants of fairchilds pathetic offense, we have way to much protecting and not enough attacking. We need to teach our O-line to attack properly

[Billsjunkie]

Nothing IMO....now do we need to get better in certain areas. Sure.

But even if we continue to play the ball we are playing now than we will make the playoffs.

[Ozymandius]

Nothing.

 

Not saying the Bills couldn't improve in several areas, but to make the playoffs against THIS schedule? They just need to keep playing like they have been in going 4-1. Don't overreact to one bad loss. Every team will throw up a stinker every now and then, especially if your starting QB goes down in the game.

 

Besides, that was just a loss against an NFC team. If the Bills spend two weeks being grumpy and come out kicking arse against San Diego, an actual AFC playoff contender, then overall, it's not a disastrous tradeoff. The SD game is much, MUCH more important than the Ariz game.

[Guest dog14787]

Nothing?

 

We can't run the ball, half our wins were last ditch efforts and we haven't played a game in our division yet, along with that our O-line can't pass protect and our QB is knocked out with a concussion.

 

O-line need fixing? Nawww

[billfan63]

No he didn't say that.

sure did

[Alphadawg7]

Nothing.

 

Not saying the Bills couldn't improve in several areas, but to make the playoffs against THIS schedule? They just need to keep playing like they have been in going 4-1. Don't overreact to one bad loss. Every team will throw up a stinker every now and then, especially if your starting QB goes down in the game.

 

Besides, that was just a loss against an NFC team. If the Bills spend two weeks being grumpy and come out kicking arse against San Diego, an actual AFC playoff contender, then overall, it's not a disastrous tradeoff. The SD game is much, MUCH more important than the Ariz game.

 

 

Nothing? Really? "Against this schedule" you say

 

Ugh...you do realize, we havent played a single division game yet right? Miami just put up 2 impressive wins and no longer look like a cake walk, NE is still a pretty good team, and the Jets are just going to get better as the season goes on...so those are 6 tough rival and divisional games, plus SD and Denver. So, how is our schedule so fluff? We had to come behind against 2 of the worst teams in the NFL, so no team is a gimme. I mean KC just beat DEN...

 

I love Trent, but he isnt exactly intimidating defensive coordinators right now. Marshawn is a stud, but with no holes and no blocking and an average passing game right now, he cant do his thing. A lot of this falls on the shoulders of our O-line which run blocks about as good as Rob Johnson quarterbacks and isnt much better than a C grade in pass blocking either.

 

Our D had been solid until the AZ game, but the AZ game was the first real offense and test we had, so that is really concerning going up against teams like SD, DEN, Jets, and NE. What makes it worse, was the lack of adjustments and blitzing.

 

Then add in that we are not healthy and have a history of not being healthy. We have a QB that has been injured in every year hes played football, and is getting killed back there, and a defensive unit that cant stay healthy either. We have a lot to be concerned about.

 

Yes, I am estatic to be 4-1 and I love the grit we showed in pulling out those wins. But I would be lying if I didnt have serious concerns after 5 games about our poor O-line play, our dismal defensive play and game plan against the first real offense we played, and our lack of pass rush. The good news...we will get a true test with SD in week 6 to see where we are really at and if AZ was just one of those games or if we just got exposed...

[KCNC]

I have not heard anyone mention that we gave the ball 4 times vs. the Cards. You can't win against anyone when you give it up that much, I don't care who you have on defense (unless of course you are the Cowboys playing against the Bills). But I'm telling you, if we win the turnover battle we have a good chance of winning the games coming up.

[Guest dog14787]

I have not heard anyone mention that we gave the ball 4 times vs. the Cards. You can't win against anyone when you give it up that much, I don't care who you have on defense (unless of course you are the Cowboys playing against the Bills). But I'm telling you, if we win the turnover battle we have a good chance of winning the games coming up.

 

Many may view our offense as a bit conservative at first in our efforts to get the running game on track and I expect there will be some complaining. Before you do though maybe you should take a good look at some of the teams that traditonaly run the ball well, teams like the Steelers and the Redskins for instance. Do you ever wonder how the Redskins seem to be able to plug anybody in at the QB position and win ball games? Or do you wonder how the big Tuna seems to have a knack for building a good football team. Bill parcell understands one of the basic fundamentals of winning football games, run the football.

 

Yup, and winning the tunover battle will become easier to do for a conservative, more well balanced football team.

 

I hope everyone including all our Buffalo Bills players have had enough time to get over last weekends loss to Arizona so we can all enjoy this weekends football games.

 

Everything is going to be allright, I know

[apuszczalowski]

three things need to be fixed to make the playoffs,

 

1. Offensive Line

2. Offensive Line

3. Offensive Line

Really?

 

Cause I think with a defence giving up 41 points that it doesn' matter if they had the greatest o-line in the history of the NFL, they still probably won't win when teh defence is stopping no one

[H2o]

Really?

 

Cause I think with a defence giving up 41 points that it doesn' matter if they had the greatest o-line in the history of the NFL, they still probably won't win when teh defence is stopping no one

 

 

I think that the defensive performance shows just how important McGee is to our secondary. You also have to take into account the turnovers and the points scored off of them. I still say that our running game is the key to how far we go and that hinges on the OL. Our defense will be solid all year long, except for a lapse here and there. Granted that 41 points doesn't seem like just a lapse, but the score was 24-17 in the 4th quarter. It seemed like our guys just rolled over after the score that made it 31-17. I'm more worried about our team quitting than I am our defensive performance week in and week out. Our D will be just fine, but they need to play every snap with the same intensity and focus whether up or down. They should all be made to watch the playoff game against Houston where we were down 35-3 in the 3rd quarter and we all remember the end result. In general though, our OL and rushing attack needs to get it going or our players could be at home on the couch watching the playoffs again.

[Zakgold]

1.) All the money the Bills spent on the O-line is NOT paying dividends. I am sick and tired hearing how BIG our line is when they are simply TERRIBLE at run blocking. Lynch has to earn every yard because the line can't simply PUSH anybody off of the line of scrimmage! And then when Lynch breaks one...it comes back for holding or tripping or some nonsense. You would think with all of that BEEF and physics behind these guys that they can block and push people off of the line. They don't. When you can't run in the NFL, that spells trouble.

 

2.) We haven't played anybody tough and real. Oakland? St Louis? Seattle? Maybe JAX is a decent team, but we didn't dominate the Jags until the 4th quarter. Face it, we were lucky.

 

BTW...I attended the JAX game. Sat 20 rows up from where Hardy coaught his first TD in the NFL. Never went to a "hotter" game than that. Spent over $70 on water for me and my two boys. $6 for a 1.5 liter bottle!!

 

3.) Defensive pass rush...rather lack of it. Do I long for the days of Bruce and Biscuit. The AZ game was a perfect example. We knew AZ had a crappy running game and we KNEW they were going to pass...so where was the pressure? What happens when we play against a "good" team??

 

4.) We haven't dominated all 4 quarters of a game. Fortunately during the 4 wins, we dominated the 4th quarter, but again...we haven't dominated anybody this year!

 

Now these guys need to get to work! it is a LONG season, isn't it?

[Orton's Arm]

After those lackluster wins and the beating Arizona gave us, what improvements must we make to be contenders? A few question the Bills need to answer.

 

1) What is up with the O-line. They were were supposed to be a strength, but are average at best. The run blocking is horrendous. Peters has to step it up, Fowler sucks, and Dockery is overpaid.

 

2) Were is the pass-rush? Why are we paying Kelsay and Schobel so much money? Were are the blitz packeges? Some of these question must be answered.

 

3)How good is our LB corps? We need Crowell more than we thought.

 

4) Will we ever have an offensive TE. I miss Riemersma so much.

I agree with each of the points you've made. If anything, you've understated exactly how badly the offensive line has played. Lynch is averaging 3.5 yards per carry, down from 4.0 yards per carry from last year. And I doubt the median run is anywhere close to that 3.5. He's had a few big runs where he's turned the corner and broken free for big gains. However, when the Bills run between the tackles, it's pretty much a waste of a down.

 

In addition to the pathetic run blocking, the line has also done a very poor job of pass protection, except in the 4th quarter. The absence of credible offensive line play is this team's single biggest problem.

 

But the other things you mentioned are problems as well. The Bills need to get better with their front four. Hopefully Ellis can begin contributing later in the season, and hopefully Schobel will improve after his foot injury heals. If the need for offensive linemen wasn't so dire, I would suggest the Bills address the defensive line early in the 2009 draft. Unfortunately, the need for offensive linemen is dire, and the Bills simply can't afford to pass up good OL with their first 2 - 3 picks in the 2009 draft.

 

I agree that the drop-off from Crowell to Ellison is bigger than we thought. Re-signing Crowell should be a high priority this off season. If we don't re-sign Crowell, the Bills will likely use a 1st or 2nd round pick on a LB, and we simply can't afford to do that right now.

 

I'd rate our off-season priorities as follows:

 

1. The offensive line . . .

 

2. The defensive line

3. Re-sign Crowell

4. Obtain a pass catching TE

5. Extend either Greer or McGee

 

This last thing is crucial. Unless the Bills extend one or the other of those two guys, there's a serious chance they will use a 1st round pick on a CB. The plan would be for McKelvin and the first rounder to be our starting CBs, with Youboty at nickle and Corner at dime. I do not want to see that happen. It's almost impossible to imagine the Bills doing that and adequately addressing our disaster of an offensive line. Without an offensive line, our running game comes to a halt. And it's hard to expect much from the passing game when the quarterback spends the first 40 minutes of the game on his back. By re-signing Crowell and extending one of their current starting CBs, the Bills would free up draft picks to use on the defensive line, pass catching TE, and, above all, the offensive line.

[Fan in San Diego]

I agree with each of the points you've made. If anything, you've understated exactly how badly the offensive line has played. Lynch is averaging 3.5 yards per carry, down from 4.0 yards per carry from last year. And I doubt the median run is anywhere close to that 3.5. He's had a few big runs where he's turned the corner and broken free for big gains. However, when the Bills run between the tackles, it's pretty much a waste of a down.

 

In addition to the pathetic run blocking, the line has also done a very poor job of pass protection, except in the 4th quarter. The absence of credible offensive line play is this team's single biggest problem.

 

But the other things you mentioned are problems as well. The Bills need to get better with their front four. Hopefully Ellis can begin contributing later in the season, and hopefully Schobel will improve after his foot injury heals. If the need for offensive linemen wasn't so dire, I would suggest the Bills address the defensive line early in the 2009 draft. Unfortunately, the need for offensive linemen is dire, and the Bills simply can't afford to pass up good OL with their first 2 - 3 picks in the 2009 draft.

 

I agree that the drop-off from Crowell to Ellison is bigger than we thought. Re-signing Crowell should be a high priority this off season. If we don't re-sign Crowell, the Bills will likely use a 1st or 2nd round pick on a LB, and we simply can't afford to do that right now.

 

I'd rate our off-season priorities as follows:

 

1. The offensive line . . .

 

2. The defensive line

3. Re-sign Crowell

4. Obtain a pass catching TE

5. Extend either Greer or McGee

 

This last thing is crucial. Unless the Bills extend one or the other of those two guys, there's a serious chance they will use a 1st round pick on a CB. The plan would be for McKelvin and the first rounder to be our starting CBs, with Youboty at nickle and Corner at dime. I do not want to see that happen. It's almost impossible to imagine the Bills doing that and adequately addressing our disaster of an offensive line. Without an offensive line, our running game comes to a halt. And it's hard to expect much from the passing game when the quarterback spends the first 40 minutes of the game on his back. By re-signing Crowell and extending one of their current starting CBs, the Bills would free up draft picks to use on the defensive line, pass catching TE, and, above all, the offensive line.

 

The OL played better without Jason Peters in there. The first game where Walker played LT and was it Chambers played RT they were very good.

[Orton's Arm]

The OL played better without Jason Peters in there. The first game where Walker played LT and was it Chambers played RT they were very good.

I'll give you that. But the Peters insertion/Walker move is no excuse for the way the interior of the line has embarrassed itself and flat-out nonperformed in the first 40 minutes of football games. Even if you believe (and I do) that Peters will perform better once he's back into shape, and even if one gives Walker the benefit of the doubt because of being flip-flopped, I think it's obvious the interior of the Bills' line is in serious need of an overhaul.