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You’re not wrong. Defense was always going to be a problem even before the injuries. This defensive “guru” of a head coach is wasting JA’s prime years

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Apologies in advance for a very long post. This idea that McDermott scapegoats guys or sets them up as fall guys needs to be retired. He's only ever trying to make the team better (and obviously he's not going to fire himself). But to think that he sets guys up so when the team fails he can project blame on to them and throw them to the wolves is such the opposite of who Sean is as a man. After almost 9 years coaching this team, Bills fans should know that about his character. I posted this in another thread recently, but think it should be repeated as so many posters continually say that basically we didn't make any changes on defense except for adding Bosa: This off-season, the Bills hired Ryan Nielsen as a senior defensive assistant and Jason Rebrovich as assistant DL coach. -Ryan Nielsen was the DC for Jacksonville last year, he was the DC and DL coach for Atlanta prior to that, and in his stint in New Orleans, he was DL coach, co-DC, and assistant Head Coach. In college, he played as a defensive tackle for USC. He has coached for 13 years in college and 8 years in the NFL. -Jason Rebrovich started his pro-coaching career in Buffalo, eventually becoming both a DL coach and an outside LB coach for the Bills, he then went to Jax and became their DL coach, and then in Green Bay, he was outside LBs coach, DL coach, and pass rush specialist. He's coached 12 years in college and 12 years in the league. During the Giants preseason game, they talked a little bit about bringing Nielsen in and said that he was brought in specifically to help the D-line and pass rush and that he would probably help Sean install more 5-man fronts and other variations. And obviously, Rebrovich (as DL coach, outside LB coach, and Pass rush specialist) was brought in to help the pass-rush scheme and to help the young pass rushers develop. The Bills brought in 6 FAs on the DL/outside LB: Joey Bosa, Michael Hoecht, Larry Ogunjobi, Shaq Thompson, Casey Rodgers, and Marcus Harris. The Bills drafted 3 new guys for the DL: Sanders, Jackson, Walker. They also added a first round cornerback (Hairston), a 5th round CB (Hancock), and a 6th round CB (Strong), and brought back Tre and Dane (however you feel about them). I'd say that is a lot more change than just adding Bosa. Kind of seems like you guys aren't really paying attention. Spagnolo and McDermott are both proteges of Jim Johnson (see below). And as far as McD not having it in him to change, see above, regarding the two new coaching hires. I am no big Xs and Os guy, so those who are more knowledgeable, please correct me if I am wrong, or where I might be wrong. But the idea that the scheme is the problem and won't work in the playoffs made me think about the fact that Sean and Steve Spagnuolo were both proteges of Jim Johnson. Now, it has been many years since they worked with Jim, so I'm sure they picked up other nuances elsewhere along the way, or developed their own wrinkles. But I wondered, if at the core, it is a similar system. I couldn't find anything definitive comparing the two teams/systems or specifically stating that they both run the old Johnson system (or a variance of it), but here are a few things I found: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Spagnuolo "Spagnuolo learned under Philadelphia defensive coach Jim Johnson, and shares the same aggressive, blitz-heavy approach as his mentor. Spagnuolo uses a 4–3 base defense with a heavy emphasis on multiple blitz packages, including corner and safety blitzes." https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2023/2/8/23591081/chiefs-eagles-super-bowl-lvii-quarterbacks-changed-steve-spagnuolos-career “Steve’s very creative [and] smart,” observed Andy Reid. “A real tribute to Springfield College. He’s been in the league, and he had a good tutor in Jim Johnson when he was young. So he’s been able to build off of that scheme [and] be very innovative with it.” So, it does appear that his core is still the Jim Johnson system (like Sean). https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5224800/2024/01/26/steve-spagnuolo-chiefs-defense-nfl-playoffs/ "Spagnuolo’s best blend of producing an effective pass rush, exceptional coverage and timely blitzes occurs when he employs dime personnel — six defensive backs, one linebacker and four linemen, a personnel grouping he used most in the league." "'Spags is a wizard, man,' defensive end Mike Danna said. 'He’s got tons of blitzes, and he knows how to get after a quarterback.' The Chiefs blitzed on third down at the fifth-highest rate in the league (39.3 percent)." I couldn't find a 3rd down blitz percentage for Buffalo last year (if anyone else can find it, would be interesting to see...but my gut tells me ean blitzes less). "Kansas City had just 17 takeaways in the regular season, tied for the fifth-fewest in the league. But Chiefs defenders are just as happy getting a third- or fourth-down stop as they are generating turnovers because of one reason: They have Mahomes, the league’s best quarterback. 'The ability to get stops and prevent first downs is more predictive than the ability to get takeaways,' Schatz said. 'Takeaways are hugely important, but they’re not as predictive. If what you want is consistent defense, being able to get stops is more important.' They also talked about him disguising coverages and blitzing CBs/safeties. Ok, so the Bills run a lot of dime package as well. McD also blitzes corners and safeties and disguises his coverage (when he's got the players to do so). The Chiefs played 35% man coverage and 65% zone coverage in 2024, while the Bills played 25% man coverage and 75% zone coverage. So, they appear to be running a very similar system with the main differences being a 10% difference in man/zone coverage, a higher focus on getting off the field on 3rd down rather than getting turnovers, and Spags is a "wizard" with blitzes. (I'm not saying McD is as good as Spags, just trying to assess if they are running a similar system.) As far as turnovers, some say the Bills can't repeat the turnover ratio from last year, well, that is more on Josh than the defense as the defense has been 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, and 3rd in takeaways over the last 5 years. So, Sean's defense is very good at creating turnovers. But is the Chiefs philosophy on that better? And Spags may be a wizard at blitz packages, but it also helps to have a player like Chris Jones (which McD has not had). Hopefully Bosa can at least help in that category this year (what could have been if Von didn't get injured...he was playing really well his first year with the Bills). Plus, as I said, Sean brought in those two new coaches to help with the blitz packages/pass rush. He is at least trying to improve where we have been lacking (we'll see if it all works, coaching, new players, etc.). But, at the core, it appears they run a similar system. So, I don't think the Bills defensive system is incapable of winning in the playoffs or against good teams or needs to be scrapped, we just need to improve in certain areas (mainly rushing the QB). As far as third downs go, the Bills were terrible last year (30th place) and mediocre in 2023 (18th place). But how much of that was just adapting without Hyde and Poyer (and add in the weak pass rush). But, in 5 of the prior 6 years (2017-2022), they finished 11th or higher in third down percentage (with four top 10 finishes and a first place finish in 2021). So the system is capable of getting stops, we just haven't done it well the last two years (again, is that more personnel?). Obviously fixing the pass rush and adding a 1st round corner were the #1 priorities this year. Unfortunately safety may have to wait until next year (if Cole doesn't come on). But I don't think you can underestimate how much aging/moving on from Poyer and Hyde affected things the last two years defensively. The safeties at least won't be worse than last year, because even if we have to start Damar, he and Rapp will have more experience in the scheme and with each other (not ideal, but not a total disaster). Let's hope the pass rush works. But, yeah, having said all of that, I do not think the scheme (overall) is the problem. It seems more personnel to me. Not that we don't have good personnel, but we have not had that elite pass rusher and/or (for the last two years) the type of young, healthy safeties that allow you to take more risks. We can talk philosophy a bit in regards to Sean (amount and type of blitzes, emphasis on turnovers, etc.), but overall, over the last 8 years, I think Sean and the system have proven very competent and capable of winning. Yes, we have had let downs in the playoffs and areas we need to improve, but we have consistently been a good defensive team under McDermott. Of course, I'd take a little more aggressiveness...and hopefully we'll see that this year with the DL improvements.

You idiots feel for this crap too.

I hope Ravens play Jackson and all starters and run the plays that we’ll see in week 1.

It's not bad... Better at certain times of the year. I have a theory on how Father Baker knew there was natural gas under the Basilica in Lackawanna. He kept on drilling and praying until he hit gas... The Basilica generates its own natural gas to this day... Anyway... My theory is he knew of the "Eternal Flame" atop the ridge/escarpment. But let's give credit to prayer and hitting the under WNY...😉 ...You can actually see the top of the Basilica and Bills FieldHouse from the toboggan hill @ Chestnut Ridge.

I definitely should'nt get too excited for Zy Alexander. Right?

100%… hasn’t even lucked into a game changer which seems to happen often enough for other teams around the league.

Andre showed up in the playoffs. Diggs disappeared. Andre is a HOF Wr, Diggs won’t get close. There’s not really an argument here.

Hey y’all, been gone for a few weeks so just catching up. Heard something this week that I figured I’d share. It seems to fit here. The Bills have been dangling Ray Davis out there. They’re really high on Gore and there are a bunch of RB needy teams. I heard Davis was a part of a trade offer for Parsons. With the number of teams looking for RB help now, my bold prediction is that Ray Davis is traded before the start of the season.

Don't we hear some version of this gibberish each year? So you're setting the line at the defense giving up on average 39.5 points a game over the course of the season? I'll take the under in any amount you wish to make it.

There are three exposed areas of large boulders within a few miles of I-86. From east to west, there's Rock City Park near Olean, Thunder Rocks in Allegany State Park near Salamanca, and Panama Rocks near the little village of Panama. Panama Rocks is privately owned.

I'll be your thigh doctor

There are 55 million here on visas!!?? W.T.F??

Be interesting to see who they trade for.

This gives the team an excuse if they lost week 1. They will just say shaking off rust. Even if it is defense that does them in.

And no joke, I told the wife you guys were talking Arbys...guess what I just Door dashed 🤣

Sounds like Jones tried to circumvent the agent and negotiated with Micah directly. Probably got Parsons to agree to a deal that strongly benefits the Cowboys. I'd tell him to shove it too.

They can funnel it over from USAID. (Annual budge: $40 billion.) Win/win!

Those assclowns from Detroit took the guy I was hoping would be there in the 2nd The Bastards.

I was all about two 1 techs One early who could move two and one from the bottom who could just not be moved. That's what we missed on the line. I too am concerned it's not been solved by players or scheme tweak

Probably just had some bad wings last night.

They invested mostly in guys that are highly injury prone or are suspended for half the season. Also, I'll never trust a McD-coached defense to show up in the playoffs. He couldn't stop the Chiefs with 13 seconds when he had his best defense.

Trump is working on an entirely new financial system. None of that is going to matter.

Like this post ! Go Bills