My Meaningless Opinion

[R. Rich]

It's just one game! It's not the end of the world! Calm down, everyone.

 

Okay, now that I've gotten those out of the way.....

 

We suck! We're hopeless! The end is near!!

 

 

Alright, now that both polar extremes have been placated, on w/ the show....

 

 

 

My first thought on what took place comes from my thought on Week 1:

 

4. We need a LOT more out of the DEs and the LBs in terms of pass rush (DEs) and coverage (LBs). Seattle moved the ball a bit once they figured out our LBs had trouble covering the pass. Let's hope that gets worked on this week.

 

Seven weeks later, and we still don't have a consistent, scary pass rush. People, it's one of the main culprits in BOTH of our losses.

 

Pass protection was awful today also. Jason Peters........uh boy. Oh, and did Derrick Dockery block anyone today? Ever? Langston Walker did get a block on the FG, and that was great. Other than that, he didn't do much either. Preston got yanked; I wonder if it was for the shotgun snap? Just curious.

 

Here's a question to ponder: were those inexperienced corners just that good, or did Evans have some trouble getting open today? Hmm...

 

Robert Royal....yikes! Dropsies abound, and not much in pass protection either. You couldn't have had a worse game for us, unless you were....

 

Trent Edwards.....ugh! This was a clunker of a game from a guy many people think has the potential to be one of the very best QBs in the game. Let's just chalk it up to Trent still learning on the job and hope we don't see a repeat of this. Ever. Okay, ever is a bit unrealistic. Then again, we're Bills fans. We thrive in the realm of the unrealistic.

 

Marshawn Lynch did have that great TD run though. Hey, it's something. As I've said before, I just wish the guy had more of the chance to take on LBs and DBs instead of getting met @ the line of scrimmage by D linemen so often. The biggest line in the league certainly can do better by this kid.

 

Another positive was the contributions of Fred Jackson. He gives the team a nice compliment to Lynch and is a very effective runner 'tween the tackles.

 

Well, we're 0-1 in division play so far. It's still a long ways off, and we're still tied w/ New England for the top spot. Still, unless this team develops the kind of pass rush that can force quicker throws, get more sacks (especially in critical situations where we need 'em..........like third downs), and force some turnovers, we could see more of the same. I don't think this team will tank the rest of the way, but they have to work on those issues to even hope to remain as the frontrunner in the AFC East. Protect Edwards better, open up some holes for Marshawn (PLEASE!!!!), and get after the QB to where our guys in the secondary don't have to cover for a year or so, and then let's see what happens.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll finish watching the Stillers-Giants game, then get in a bit of Madden as the Bills and whoop up on Miami in my futile attempt @ petty, meaningless revenge.

[Indy Dave]

Agree with much of that, Rich. The biggest thing I agree with is that people need to calm down. There are so many 'tards on this board during the game, and especially after the game.

 

I still like this team. A week from today, we'll have a two-game lead on the Jets and a game on the Pats, and we'll be in sole possession of first place again.

 

And if you don't want to think about next week, then take this to heart.

 

Pittsburgh is going to win their division.

Tennessee is going to win their division.

Someone is going to win the West (either Denver or San Diego).

Let's say New England makes the playoffs.

 

Who else is there? The Jets? The Ravens? We're currently a game in front of them and yes, despite what happened today, we're playing better football than both of them. The Colts? I see the Colts every weekend. While I don't think they're dead yet, this team is a mess right now. The Chargers? All I hear is how dangerous they are. Well, they have five losses and we have a tie-breaker on them. Jacksonville? Same thing.

 

We have problems. We need to get better. But I'll take 5-2 and the direction I feel we're headed this season and be just fine with it, even with today's stinker.

[34-78-83]

I'm not sure if I watched the same game today. The pass protection was horrible???? I don't think so. Trent had plenty of time to throw on almost all dropbacks. He was out of sorts today. He held the ball way too long , like our other QB usually does. When they blitz, he needs to know to get rid of that ball. I see a lot of posters talking about the blocking today as the main problem and I just think thats crazy. Even the run blocking was the best it has been this year. Of course the Bills weren't patient enough to use it consistently.

 

I thought the game was lost by Trent, some poor coaching (get Mcgee the heck out of there when hes still hurt obviously), and lack of manning up by our coverage guys.

[kegtapr]

Oh shut up Rich. There is no reason this team shouldn't have gone 15-1! Divisional opponents on the road should be easy wins.

[Lofton80]

Excellent post as always. The problem with the pass rush is the cover two scheme depends on the front 4 to bring the pressure. Schobel appears to be the only capable pass rusher. Today seemed like a repeat of the Cardinal game. Watching the Giants and Steelers, they bring a lot of rushers not just the front 4.

[ans4e64]

Excellent post as always. The problem with the pass rush is the cover two scheme depends on the front 4 to bring the pressure. Schobel appears to be the only pass rusher. Today seemed like a repeat of the Cardinal game. Watching the Giants and Steelers, they bring a lot of rushers not just the front 4.

 

 

[santoro770]

I definitely agree with Trent's game - I think Mcgee is the #1 reason we were down so much today. I'm thinking that we would have given up maybe 14 points on defense without Mcgee in there. Did he give up all of Mcginn's passing yards?

[dave mcbride]

I'm not sure if I watched the same game today. The pass protection was horrible???? I don't think so. Trent had plenty of time to throw on almost all dropbacks. He was out of sorts today. He held the ball way too long , like our other QB usually does. When they blitz, he needs to know to get rid of that ball. I see a lot of posters talking about the blocking today as the main problem and I just think thats crazy. Even the run blocking was the best it has been this year. Of course the Bills weren't patient enough to use it consistently.

 

I thought the game was lost by Trent, some poor coaching (get Mcgee the heck out of there when hes still hurt obviously), and lack of manning up by our coverage guys.

Josh Reed going out was a huge blow to Edwards. Hardy simply can't do what Reed does.

[Andrew in CA]

Although I'm not calm right now, b/c the Bills absolutely BLEW a victory, you are right. There were enough positives in this game to assure me that the Bills can be a very successful team. Poor play calling doomed the Bills, IMO, but Jackson was impressive, The DLine backups did OK, and I liked what I saw out of Scott. However, if the Bills lose the Jets game and/or the Pats game, I will not be calm until I see an x next to their name in the standings.

[Big Turk]

Josh Reed going out was a huge blow to Edwards. Hardy simply can't do what Reed does.

 

Yes I agree, Reed is going to be sorely missed if he misses any length of time---his production on 3rd down to consistently move the chains and his run blocking will be missed...

[BillsfaninFl]

It's just one game! It's not the end of the world! Calm down, everyone.

 

Okay, now that I've gotten those out of the way.....

 

We suck! We're hopeless! The end is near!!

 

 

Alright, now that both polar extremes have been placated, on w/ the show....

 

 

 

My first thought on what took place comes from my thought on Week 1:

 

 

 

Seven weeks later, and we still don't have a consistent, scary pass rush. People, it's one of the main culprits in BOTH of our losses.

 

Pass protection was awful today also. Jason Peters........uh boy. Oh, and did Derrick Dockery block anyone today? Ever? Langston Walker did get a block on the FG, and that was great. Other than that, he didn't do much either. Preston got yanked; I wonder if it was for the shotgun snap? Just curious.

 

Here's a question to ponder: were those inexperienced corners just that good, or did Evans have some trouble getting open today? Hmm...

 

Robert Royal....yikes! Dropsies abound, and not much in pass protection either. You couldn't have had a worse game for us, unless you were....

 

Trent Edwards.....ugh! This was a clunker of a game from a guy many people think has the potential to be one of the very best QBs in the game. Let's just chalk it up to Trent still learning on the job and hope we don't see a repeat of this. Ever. Okay, ever is a bit unrealistic. Then again, we're Bills fans. We thrive in the realm of the unrealistic.

 

Marshawn Lynch did have that great TD run though. Hey, it's something. As I've said before, I just wish the guy had more of the chance to take on LBs and DBs instead of getting met @ the line of scrimmage by D linemen so often. The biggest line in the league certainly can do better by this kid.

 

Another positive was the contributions of Fred Jackson. He gives the team a nice compliment to Lynch and is a very effective runner 'tween the tackles.

 

Well, we're 0-1 in division play so far. It's still a long ways off, and we're still tied w/ New England for the top spot. Still, unless this team develops the kind of pass rush that can force quicker throws, get more sacks (especially in critical situations where we need 'em..........like third downs), and force some turnovers, we could see more of the same. I don't think this team will tank the rest of the way, but they have to work on those issues to even hope to remain as the frontrunner in the AFC East. Protect Edwards better, open up some holes for Marshawn (PLEASE!!!!), and get after the QB to where our guys in the secondary don't have to cover for a year or so, and then let's see what happens.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll finish watching the Stillers-Giants game, then get in a bit of Madden as the Bills and whoop up on Miami in my futile attempt @ petty, meaningless revenge.

 

Great post! Funny, with some good points.

[deep2evans]

Great post! Funny, with some good points.

 

What do you mean funny? Do you think he's some sort of clown?

[rockpile]

Quote of the week:

"Then again, we're Bills fans. We thrive in the realm of the unrealistic."

 

R.Rich

 

p.s. everybody loves a clown!

[The Dean]

Well done, Richy Rich. This too shall pass.

 

 

 

Maybe.

[reddogblitz]

2 main reasons we lost:

 

1. St. Trent had a bad game

2. The defensive scheme didn't give us a chance to win

 

Trent had a bad ame. 2 fumbles and a pick and an off day passing the football. Gonna happen from time to time. Our defense played the same sorry scheme we played against the Cardinals with the same results. If we are gong to play everyone back and try to cover the receivers and depend on our front 4 to put pressure on the QB, more losses will follow. We blitzed some today with success. But not enough of it. Our DBs aren't good enough to cover guys all day and our front 4 isn't good enough to put consistent pressure on the QB. If Chad hadn't had all day back there he wouldn't have had near as good a day passing the football even if the receivers aren't covered as tight. BRING BACK THE BLITZING MULTIPLE LOOK DEFENSE PLEASE. So are we have 5 wins with it and 2 without.

 

I too thought Trent had plenty of protection. He just didn't pass well. I saw probably some of the best run blocking I've seen all year. Fred looked very good. I'm starting to think he should be in there most of the time and let M Lynch spell him for a change of pace.

 

When you're offense only scores 16 points and gives up 2 and turns it over 3 times, it's going to hard to win most games.

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

That safety was huge. If we'd punted and the defense held them to a 3, like they did after the safety, we'd have only been down 7. I'm sure our final drive would've looked a lot different. Royal's fumble may have cost himself his QB's confidence and a future roster spot, but it didn't really cost us the game.

 

To me, the phins look a lot like us last year. They're scrappy and scheming ways to stay in games- to mask a lack of overall talent. One key difference, we had a QB on which to build a future, they do not.

 

Speaking of our QB- I wasn't in his shoes, but it seems the constant 6 DB formations froze him. I would imagine it looked like a hornet's nest while he was looking for a receiver downfield. I'm sure he'll be seeing a lot of similar formations in practice & will get more comfortable with that look.

 

Our quick-hit passes looked amateurish next to the carps'.

 

This is not the first time I thought Copeland Bryan & Brian Scott looked solid.

 

As for the offensive line- with 6 DB's out there, I'd hope our line would be able to pass block. True, Peters got beat on the safety, but what the hell was the 50 million dollar man looking at? Shtt, Porter even ran into him and he did nothing. Was Dock out 'til 4 getting hammered last night? He stood out throughout the game- not in a good way.

 

 

So I've got a billion more thoughts to add to a very good post by R.Rich, but I'll cut it off.

 

p.s. If you don't see me post on these boards again, give my thanks to Derrick Dockery. I was so pumped on the Bills in this game that I guided a fresh-off-the-boat Sicillian man I know into throwing a shttload of cash on the Bills this week. Thanks, Dock!

[SKOOBY]

Nice RR!!

[R. Rich]

I'm not sure if I watched the same game today. The pass protection was horrible???? I don't think so. Trent had plenty of time to throw on almost all dropbacks. He was out of sorts today. He held the ball way too long , like our other QB usually does. When they blitz, he needs to know to get rid of that ball. I see a lot of posters talking about the blocking today as the main problem and I just think thats crazy. Even the run blocking was the best it has been this year. Of course the Bills weren't patient enough to use it consistently.

 

I thought the game was lost by Trent, some poor coaching (get Mcgee the heck out of there when hes still hurt obviously), and lack of manning up by our coverage guys.

 

 

It's hard for me to review the performance of Derrick Dockery and say he did anything positive in terms of good pass protection (nice chip on the Porter safety) or run blocking. This could've easily been the worst game he's played as a Bill. Whittle getting one of those ill timed penalties that's reminiscient of the "same old Bills" we thought we were rid of also doesn't give them a ringing endorsement. Peters did get flat out beat by Porter on those sacks, but I guess since Porter is good it's no big deal. Funny; I thought Peters was good too. Now, I am not saying Peters sucks, but I also don't think the "Porter is good" defense is much of a defense @ all. It was a substandard performance by the entire offense, from the coaching (for whatever reason, the Bills' offense is like an open book to opposing defenses; watch the pre-snap recognition and the defense's reaction and flow to the play) on down to the players. Nobody can say they "did their job" in this one.

 

As for the coverage guys manning up, if you mean in the masculine sense.....well, they could be a bit more physical (like Youboty was w/ those great open field tackles earlier this year). If you mean by playing more man coverage........have you seen our (lack of a) pass rush? Putting those guys in man coverage and playing more of a press coverage w/ the level of pass rush we currently have would be to QBs what blood in the water is to sharks.

[Bill from NYC]

It's hard for me to review the performance of Derrick Dockery and say he did anything positive in terms of good pass protection (nice chip on the Porter safety) or run blocking. This could've easily been the worst game he's played as a Bill. Whittle getting one of those ill timed penalties that's reminiscient of the "same old Bills" we thought we were rid of also doesn't give them a ringing endorsement. Peters did get flat out beat by Porter on those sacks, but I guess since Porter is good it's no big deal. Funny; I thought Peters was good too. Now, I am not saying Peters sucks, but I also don't think the "Porter is good" defense is much of a defense @ all. It was a substandard performance by the entire offense, from the coaching (for whatever reason, the Bills' offense is like an open book to opposing defenses; watch the pre-snap recognition and the defense's reaction and flow to the play) on down to the players. Nobody can say they "did their job" in this one.

 

As for the coverage guys manning up, if you mean in the masculine sense.....well, they could be a bit more physical (like Youboty was w/ those great open field tackles earlier this year). If you mean by playing more man coverage........have you seen our (lack of a) pass rush? Putting those guys in man coverage and playing more of a press coverage w/ the level of pass rush we currently have would be to QBs what blood in the water is to sharks.

 

On the safety Peters was beat. That said, Dockery was standing there like a fool. No other way to describe it, like a :censored:ing fool. On the only other sack that I can recall from the outside, there was plenty of time to throw, which leads us to one little problem.......why on earth did they stop running, and choose to attack no less than 6 defensive backs? I mean, wtf? Jauron doesn't have the ba!!s to try to punch it in from the 1 early in the game, but he wants to continue to challenge a secondary that is playing 6 deep? Sorry, he played a huge part in this debacle. Wtf???

 

Yes, the play was sloppy all around. Royal and Dockery were vomit inducing, and Lynch, in stride, dropped a possible touchdown. The pass rush was unspeakably bad, and posters are correct....Whitner would do well to stop talking and make a play. McKelvin on returns, I don't know....is he brain dead and on life support?

 

The next game will be telling wrt Jauron, in terms of whether or not he can get this team back together, or simply stand around with a dumb, blank stare.

[34-78-83]

It's hard for me to review the performance of Derrick Dockery and say he did anything positive in terms of good pass protection (nice chip on the Porter safety) or run blocking. This could've easily been the worst game he's played as a Bill. Whittle getting one of those ill timed penalties that's reminiscient of the "same old Bills" we thought we were rid of also doesn't give them a ringing endorsement. Peters did get flat out beat by Porter on those sacks, but I guess since Porter is good it's no big deal. Funny; I thought Peters was good too. Now, I am not saying Peters sucks, but I also don't think the "Porter is good" defense is much of a defense @ all. It was a substandard performance by the entire offense, from the coaching (for whatever reason, the Bills' offense is like an open book to opposing defenses; watch the pre-snap recognition and the defense's reaction and flow to the play) on down to the players. Nobody can say they "did their job" in this one.

 

As for the coverage guys manning up, if you mean in the masculine sense.....well, they could be a bit more physical (like Youboty was w/ those great open field tackles earlier this year). If you mean by playing more man coverage........have you seen our (lack of a) pass rush? Putting those guys in man coverage and playing more of a press coverage w/ the level of pass rush we currently have would be to QBs what blood in the water is to sharks.

 

Thanks for the reply RR ... I guess what I was getting at was

a- there was more running room (ie. holes) during that game than I had seen in any of the previous games this year.

b- Focussing on the line as a whole unit (which is generally how I evaluate when I watch because none of us can know specific assignment for sure) I thought Trent had plenty of time to pass for most of the game. The problems crept up when Whittle went out and Fowler had to come in and play hurt while Duke moved over to RG. If you look at the safety again, try watching Fowler. OUCH! Trent held the ball too long on some of Miami's blitx plays IMO.

c- I did mean more man or atleast Bump Zone coverage but I understand what you're getting at with the pass rush. I think we need to send more guys when we do decide to bring 'em