The Rubes Top Ten List

[Rubes]

1. It Really Comes Down To This: our offensive line is not very good, and our defensive line is not very good. It's really not much more complicated than that. Sure, we could have better play calling on offense, but play calling doesn't matter a whole lot if the line can't run block or pass block very well.

 

2. It Really Comes Down To This #2: After a handful of games, offensive and defensive coordinators have enough film on you to discover your weaknesses. Good teams find them and exploit them; bad teams don't. It was pretty clear once we hit the Rams game that opposing offensive coordinators had figured out our defense, with only a few game-saving plays helping us against the Rams and Chargers. By the San Diego or Miami game, it was pretty clear that opposing defensive coordinators had pretty much figured out how to confuse our offense. Neither Turk nor Perry have had any good answers to this. Part of this is because of injuries, but that excuse only goes so far.

 

3. As far as those injuries go, does our defensive line miss Schobel? Sure, of course. Not because Schobel would be in there making tackles and sacks by the boatload, but because he at least commands some additional attention. Right now, the only lineman that demands more than single blocking is maybe Stroud, and even then teams can usually get by with blocking him one-on-one. With Schobel in there, it maybe frees up Williams or Stroud to make some plays because of the attention given to Schobel. Without him, we're constantly playing 4 on 5 up front, and we're not winning.

 

4. Do we really need to keep proving it to ourselves week after week that Duke Preston is not very good? Oh, and by the way, Kirk Chambers isn't all that fantastic either. I can't recall how many times I saw our offensive linemen getting pushed around, or standing around watching the play collapse in front of them. Everyone, including Dockery and Walker. Seriously, I find this difficult to fathom.

 

5. I don't know what it is, but Turk's play calling is just all out of sync. We keep dropping into the shotgun on 3rd and 1's, and forget about throwing the ball when we get inside the 10 yard line. At the beginning of the game, when Marshawn rips off a 7 yard gain on 1st down, Turk follows this up with two pass calls, both of which fail, and we end up failing to convert 2nd and 3. When we got the turnover in the 4th and ripped off some great runs, we had a 2nd and 5. Turk follows this up again with two pass calls, both of which fail, game over. Seriously, when the run is working, it's not terrible to stick with it. Stop outthinking yourself.

 

6. And please, just once: how about a play action fake? Especially around the goal line?

 

7. An encapsulation of this team: when we got the turnover, we absolutely needed to get at least 3 points from it, and we got nothing. Then, with one last chance, when we needed the defense to step up and stop them, we allow a 9 minute drive to ice it. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

8. All I would like is just one playmaker on defense, preferably the defensive line. We get absolutely zero pressure on opposing quarterbacks, even when we blitz. It's really pathetic, actually. We will never go anywhere until we figure out how to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

 

9. We have really turned into a cream puff team. Nobody fears our offense, and nobody fears our defense. It pains me to say that.

 

10. There is no better place in ths country to watch the Bills when you're away from home than McFadden's in D.C. Case closed.

 

As bad as things look, I still like our chances to rip off our next 3 in a row against Cleveland, K.C., and San Francisco. That would make us 8-4 with 3 of our last 4 games against our division opponents, two of them at "home." That would be the true gut check for 2008. We're no Super Bowl contender, but if we have any hope of eventually getting there, we need to stand up and make something happen, not curl up and die like so many Bills teams in the past. We'll see.

[Kelso_Helmet]

1. It Really Comes Down To This: our offensive line is not very good, and our defensive line is not very good. It's really not much more complicated than that. Sure, we could have better play calling on offense, but play calling doesn't matter a whole lot if the line can't run block or pass block very well.

 

2. It Really Comes Down To This #2: After a handful of games, offensive and defensive coordinators have enough film on you to discover your weaknesses. Good teams find them and exploit them; bad teams don't. It was pretty clear once we hit the Rams game that opposing offensive coordinators had figured out our defense, with only a few game-saving plays helping us against the Rams and Chargers. By the San Diego or Miami game, it was pretty clear that opposing defensive coordinators had pretty much figured out how to confuse our offense. Neither Turk nor Perry have had any good answers to this. Part of this is because of injuries, but that excuse only goes so far.

 

3. As far as those injuries go, does our defensive line miss Schobel? Sure, of course. Not because Schobel would be in there making tackles and sacks by the boatload, but because he at least commands some additional attention. Right now, the only lineman that demands more than single blocking is maybe Stroud, and even then teams can usually get by with blocking him one-on-one. With Schobel in there, it maybe frees up Williams or Stroud to make some plays because of the attention given to Schobel. Without him, we're constantly playing 4 on 5 up front, and we're not winning.

 

4. Do we really need to keep proving it to ourselves week after week that Duke Preston is not very good? Oh, and by the way, Kirk Chambers isn't all that fantastic either. I can't recall how many times I saw our offensive linemen getting pushed around, or standing around watching the play collapse in front of them. Everyone, including Dockery and Walker. Seriously, I find this difficult to fathom.

 

5. I don't know what it is, but Turk's play calling is just all out of sync. We keep dropping into the shotgun on 3rd and 1's, and forget about throwing the ball when we get inside the 10 yard line. At the beginning of the game, when Marshawn rips off a 7 yard gain on 1st down, Turk follows this up with two pass calls, both of which fail, and we end up failing to convert 2nd and 3. When we got the turnover in the 4th and ripped off some great runs, we had a 2nd and 5. Turk follows this up again with two pass calls, both of which fail, game over. Seriously, when the run is working, it's not terrible to stick with it. Stop outthinking yourself.

 

6. And please, just once: how about a play action fake? Especially around the goal line?

 

7. An encapsulation of this team: when we got the turnover, we absolutely needed to get at least 3 points from it, and we got nothing. Then, with one last chance, when we needed the defense to step up and stop them, we allow a 9 minute drive to ice it. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

8. All I would like is just one playmaker on defense, preferably the defensive line. We get absolutely zero pressure on opposing quarterbacks, even when we blitz. It's really pathetic, actually. We will never go anywhere until we figure out how to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

 

9. We have really turned into a cream puff team. Nobody fears our offense, and nobody fears our defense. It pains me to say that.

 

10. There is no better place in ths country to watch the Bills when you're away from home than McFadden's in D.C. Case closed.

 

As bad as things look, I still like our chances to rip off our next 3 in a row against Cleveland, K.C., and San Francisco. That would make us 8-4 with 3 of our last 4 games against our division opponents, two of them at "home." That would be the true gut check for 2008. We're no Super Bowl contender, but if we have any hope of eventually getting there, we need to stand up and make something happen, not curl up and die like so many Bills teams in the past. We'll see.

 

1. O and D lines are indeed atrocious.

4. Kelly Preston and Marilyn Chambers are atrocious

5. It's sad when 3rd and 1's are more likely to be passing plays.

6. Chicken vs. Egg. For the play action to work, we'd need a running game to cause the D to bite on it.

10. McFadden's is even crazier when the Bills win a big game...

[Dan]

9. We have really turned into a cream puff team. Nobody fears our offense, and nobody fears our defense. It pains me to say that.

I'd say that about sums it up. These guys have no fire. No spirit. And no will to play hard. Gutless is how they looked to me. If they had have the desire to win as us fans watching the game, it wouldn't be so bad. But, once again, we have a huge game, in the division, could be in 1st place or 4th place at the end of the day, against a team you haven't beaten in 5 years - and what do they do? They lay a huge egg as the seemed more interested in getting some lobster chowder after the game than they did playing. In essence, cream puffy are how they played.

[marauderswr80]

I'd like to add to the list........

 

1.) When the ball carrier is running try to strip the ball away, try to make something happen.

 

2.) Screens? Where are they?

 

3.) Learn to disguise a blitz.

[Rubes]

6. Chicken vs. Egg. For the play action to work, we'd need a running game to cause the D to bite on it.

 

I don't necessarily believe the run game has to be working well for play action to be effective. You just have to run enough times for the defense to be looking for it. I think we run enough as it is for it to work -- although I agree it would work better if we actually gain yards when we run the ball.

[tbonehawaii]

I agree. Especially re #1. If we don't draft the best available DE with our first pick the front office is Nucking Futs.

[MattM]

Completely agree on 1. Absolutely no D line push or pressure on passing plays and our O-line has looked atrocious the last few weeks. Problem is, it takes time and cash to build those out. I see us drafting a DE in Rd 1 next year, but that's just to replace an aging Schobel ultimately. How do you fix the other 2-4 guys you need to do this right (another D lineman and a C and guard, IMHO)? Ralph may sign one FA starter, but it's unlikely we'll find the other 2-3 guys we need in the draft, especially with our propensity to not draft those positions high......

[I 90]

1. It Really Comes Down To This: our offensive line is not very good, and our defensive line is not very good. It's really not much more complicated than that. Sure, we could have better play calling on offense, but play calling doesn't matter a whole lot if the line can't run block or pass block very well.

 

Eight or nine years of this now. And the say this team lacks an identity.

[Rubes]

Completely agree on 1. Absolutely no D line push or pressure on passing plays and our O-line has looked atrocious the last few weeks. Problem is, it takes time and cash to build those out. I see us drafting a DE in Rd 1 next year, but that's just to replace an aging Schobel ultimately. How do you fix the other 2-4 guys you need to do this right (another D lineman and a C and guard, IMHO)? Ralph may sign one FA starter, but it's unlikely we'll find the other 2-3 guys we need in the draft, especially with our propensity to not draft those positions high......

 

I'm not so sure we need all of those players, necessarily...one more D-lineman, a playmaker, will help a lot. We definitely need a new Center, but I think Butler is probably serviceable at the RG position, when healthy. I'm not ready to give up on Dockery just yet.

[keepthefaith]

I don't necessarily believe the run game has to be working well for play action to be effective. You just have to run enough times for the defense to be looking for it. I think we run enough as it is for it to work -- although I agree it would work better if we actually gain yards when we run the ball.

 

Predictability my friends is a big part of the problem. You can predict the Bills running the ball from the couch with a high degree of accuracy looking at the formation and down/distance. When the Bills run, 11 guys on the other side know it's coming and they know who is getting the ball. You can't succeed in that scenario unless you can dominate the other team physically which the Bills can't. I picked run or pass before ever play today once the Bills got to the line. I missed on 3 plays over the entire game. I'm no football expert. Chances are the Patriots could do at least that well. I'll bet their defensive coaches were home for early dinner each night this past week after looking at film. Bills tendencies just to easy to spot.

[Indy Dave]

Let me summarize Rubes' long email:

 

Our offensive line sucks.

Our defensive line sucks.

Our coaching sucks.

 

That about covers it. And he is right on.

[Big Turk]

The coaches are coaching scared.

 

The coaches are silently telling this team they have 0 confidence in the players by the calls they make(shotgun passes on 3rd down and 1, repeatedly punting inside the opposition 40 yard line, playing 20 yards off WRs in coverage giving them easy first down after first down,etc)

 

The players are losing confidence in themselves because the coaches have none in them, causing the players to wonder why and doubt their abilities

 

The players are playing scared because they are following their coaches lead.

 

The OL couldn't open up holes against a pop warner team.

 

The OL couldn't pass block against a bunch of 70 year olds in wheelchairs.

 

The DL couldn't beat a fat girl to get to the QB

 

The DL CAN actually stop the run pretty well. All this does however is allow the opposition QB to complete 3rd and 7 after 3rd and 7 because he can stand around all day and wait for a receiver to get open. Or in most cases, just wait for the receiver to turn around because the Bills players are so far off him, they aren't even in the picture when he catches it and jogs for the first down.

[Rubes]

Let me summarize Rubes' long email:

 

Our offensive line sucks.

Our defensive line sucks.

Our coaching sucks.

 

That about covers it. And he is right on.

 

 

Yeah, I guess that's what I was saying.

[Tcali]

Eight or nine years of this now. And the say this team lacks an identity.

well we did have decent lines in the early 2000s---just no QB and 35 yr old DBs.

[ieatcrayonz]

 

Yeah, I guess that's what I was saying.

The good news is that Edwards didn't even crack the top 10 so you probably drank yourself completely blind.

[Tcali]

The coaches are coaching scared.

 

The coaches are silently telling this team they have 0 confidence in the players by the calls they make(shotgun passes on 3rd down and 1, repeatedly punting inside the opposition 40 yard line, playing 20 yards off WRs in coverage giving them easy first down after first down,etc)

 

The players are losing confidence in themselves because the coaches have none in them, causing the players to wonder why and doubt their abilities

 

The players are playing scared because they are following their coaches lead.

 

The OL couldn't open up holes against a pop warner team.

 

The OL couldn't pass block against a bunch of 70 year olds in wheelchairs.

 

The DL couldn't beat a fat girl to get to the QB

 

The DL CAN actually stop the run pretty well. All this does however is allow the opposition QB to complete 3rd and 7 after 3rd and 7 because he can stand around all day and wait for a receiver to get open. Or in most cases, just wait for the receiver to turn around because the Bills players are so far off him, they aren't even in the picture when he catches it and jogs for the first down.

 

Yeah but they are laughing all the way to the bank......

..ooops wrong thread.

[TheKing]

4. Do we really need to keep proving it to ourselves week after week that Duke Preston is not very good? Oh, and by the way, Kirk Chambers isn't all that fantastic either. I can't recall how many times I saw our offensive linemen getting pushed around, or standing around watching the play collapse in front of them. Everyone, including Dockery and Walker. Seriously, I find this difficult to fathom.

What I find hard to fathom is this;

 

You obviously have someone in charge of free agent signings.

The Bills spent a boat load of money in the last two years on free agents and have almost nothing to show for it.

Yet no one has been fired.

 

I'd love to have a job where I do nothing more than decide on free agents and even if I am a total failure at it I collect a big paycheck for a job that doesn't require me to lift a finger.

 

Almost as good as a government job.