Fewell733 Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Ok, so reading the box score of the Tampa/Dallas game and watching our very solid performance I sort of assumed that Tampa would be an easy game. I watched the Tampa/Dallas game on the NFL game rewind (totally worth the $40 btw) and my impression is now more cautiously optimistic. Strengths: Tampa is FAST and aggressive on defense. They swarm like crazy. They bring corner blitzes which Trent has struggled with in the past. And they stop the run. They are aggressive and they hit hard. They are a young team though, and they were playing at home. The young defense could look a lot different on the road. Offensive Line - Tampa can run the ball. Their offensive line is actually a lot like ours is right now. Undrafted athlete at LT, high draft picks at both guards, and the RT is kind of like Butler. They lost their starting center which could be a big blow. They're also mobile and have a few very good backs to block for. Running Back - they have 2 or 3 dynamic backs. All of which are arguably more dangerous than anything New England had to offer. Weaknesses: Big Plays - What killed Tampa was a few big plays. Shots down the field or medium-deep that went all the way because of a missed tackle or a bad angle by a safety. Pressure - They don't generate pressure on defense without bringing extra people. They don't have any dangerous pass rushers. Key will be recognizing the blitz. Byron Leftwich - The offense isn't dynamic enough to generate that many points. Leftwich is the reason. He misses a lot of positive plays with his inaccuracy and also with his slow decision making. Makes a lot of bad passes. He costs his team a lot of points. Conclusion The Bills aren't going to be able to rely on the same approach as last week on offense. Tampa's defense is much more swarming than New England's and will be better against screen plays and outside runs. Trent is going to have to be able to read when the safety's aren't hanging back and take the shots 15-25 yards down field. Deep slants and pump fakes could lead to a bunch of big plays against the TB safeties. Grinding out long drives may be tougher as opposed to hitting a few big plays. Also identifying and taking advantage of blitzing corners and linebackers will be key for Trent and his blockers. On defense, bend but don't break will be fine against a mistake prone QB like Leftwich so long as we can perform as well against the run as we did on Monday Night. With the new center, and Leftwich's poor mobility, slow delivery, and mediocre decision making, a focus on bringing extra pressure right up the gut should cause some turnovers. In all, the Bills could win handily if Trent recognizes the deep coverages and successfully takes the shots. If he doesn't, it could be a very close game decided by a turnover or big play on special teams.
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Really nice analysis. I wonder if the Bucs will blitz less and look to shut down the screens. Hopefully, that will open up some plays to the receivers.
dave mcbride Posted September 18, 2009 Posted September 18, 2009 Ok, so reading the box score of the Tampa/Dallas game and watching our very solid performance I sort of assumed that Tampa would be an easy game. I watched the Tampa/Dallas game on the NFL game rewind (totally worth the $40 btw) and my impression is now more cautiously optimistic. Strengths: Tampa is FAST and aggressive on defense. They swarm like crazy. They bring corner blitzes which Trent has struggled with in the past. And they stop the run. They are aggressive and they hit hard. They are a young team though, and they were playing at home. The young defense could look a lot different on the road. Offensive Line - Tampa can run the ball. Their offensive line is actually a lot like ours is right now. Undrafted athlete at LT, high draft picks at both guards, and the RT is kind of like Butler. They lost their starting center which could be a big blow. They're also mobile and have a few very good backs to block for. Running Back - they have 2 or 3 dynamic backs. All of which are arguably more dangerous than anything New England had to offer. Weaknesses: Big Plays - What killed Tampa was a few big plays. Shots down the field or medium-deep that went all the way because of a missed tackle or a bad angle by a safety. Pressure - They don't generate pressure on defense without bringing extra people. They don't have any dangerous pass rushers. Key will be recognizing the blitz. Byron Leftwich - The offense isn't dynamic enough to generate that many points. Leftwich is the reason. He misses a lot of positive plays with his inaccuracy and also with his slow decision making. Makes a lot of bad passes. He costs his team a lot of points. Conclusion The Bills aren't going to be able to rely on the same approach as last week on offense. Tampa's defense is much more swarming than New England's and will be better against screen plays and outside runs. Trent is going to have to be able to read when the safety's aren't hanging back and take the shots 15-25 yards down field. Deep slants and pump fakes could lead to a bunch of big plays against the TB safeties. Grinding out long drives may be tougher as opposed to hitting a few big plays. Also identifying and taking advantage of blitzing corners and linebackers will be key for Trent and his blockers. On defense, bend but don't break will be fine against a mistake prone QB like Leftwich so long as we can perform as well against the run as we did on Monday Night. With the new center, and Leftwich's poor mobility, slow delivery, and mediocre decision making, a focus on bringing extra pressure right up the gut should cause some turnovers. In all, the Bills could win handily if Trent recognizes the deep coverages and successfully takes the shots. If he doesn't, it could be a very close game decided by a turnover or big play on special teams. Thanks.
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