BADOLBILZ

It's definitely a reflection of overall team strength, IMO. The 2017 Bills had a -57 point differential.......the lowest by an AFC playoff team since the 1980's.......but THAT number was skewed by the epic (post-Dareus trade) -80 point differential 3 game defensive collapse though. Without that they were otherwise +23. I mentioned in the Peter King thread though that the 1991 Redskins produced what was then the highest point differential in the SB era at the time.......+261..........greater than even the 1985 Bears..........and King had the audacity to prognosticate the Cowboys over the Skins and the vaunted 49ers to win the SB in 1992 despite the Cowboys only having a +32 point differential in 1991. And he was right.........but the Cowboys finished +160 in 1992.

The 1991 Redskins had a point differential of +261.........the 1991 Cowboys were just +32 and had only the 17th ranked defense in the league. The disparity was MASSIVE and it was still pre-widespread free agency where rookies weren't expected to be huge contributors. Close games within the division were expected and seen as less of a barometer then than even today (and you might recall the eventual 7-9 Patriots had the 13-3 Bills on the ropes at home last season). The Niners were considered a co-favorite in 1992.........they had a relatively down year(10-6) in 1991 but were +154 and loaded with established talent and were so unconcerned with the Cowboys that they traded them said Charles Haley. The Cowboys were seen as more in the mix with the Lions and Bears than the top of the NFC at that point. It was a bold take by King and was featured on SI promo's for months before camp.......so preceding the Haley acquisition..........even if you are taking a very retrospective angle.

In the spring/summer of 1992 Peter King preposterously predicted.....with absolute certainty........that the Cowboys would win the NFC and Super Bowl XXVII. In a conference that included the 49ers and the unbelievably dominant Redskins of the season prior........and of course the Bills in the AFC. Ever since then his picks have had my attention.

I think that's the perception because Wade Phillips actually gave the Bills a difference making D coordinator for the first time in Smith's career and the team became built around their defense. But he was at his peak in 1990, IMO. 19 sacks playing read and react (and 5 more called back on defensive penalties). IMO, considering the constraints of his position, that was the greatest pass rushing season a player has ever had. What he could have been in a 4-3 like White played his entire career in became obvious when he went to Washington........a shell of his former self........and put up a 10 sack season..........he had A LOT of seasons with those kind of numbers in his PRIME because he wasn't in a defense that was built around his strengths. IMO if he had played in the defense's that White played in you could easily add 5-7 sacks per year IMO........which would have put him closer to 300 career total.

My point was that when he and White both retired there was a very strong bias towards White based considerably on the perspective of the time that their positions and the schemes they played in didn't matter.....and because of an NFC East media bias that was more prevalent at the time. That's changed. And today he would be viewed in a much more favorable light compared to White. Bruce was the better pass rusher. Considerably so. In today's game I'd much rather have Bruce Smith. In his time........he was actually underrated.........I respect White but the perception that he was the clearly better player is wrong. Reggie White would still be great now but he would be challenged much more by the RT's of today.........they still aren't the quality of the LT's but they are considerably better at protecting the QB than they were 25-30 years ago. Also, nobody would play Bruce Smith at end in a 3-4 and ask him to 2-gap and read and react today..........his ears would be pinned back and he'd be attacking on every down........and there is a good chance he'd be lining up against RT's as well rather than always being matched up against the best OT. He was a freak of nature.........there are some great pass rushers today but there isn't a good comp for his combined size, athleticism, bend and technique in todays game.

I know you are implying that Marino wouldn't allow himself to be sacked........but he wasn't an offensive tackle. Richmond Webb was though.......perennial pro bowler and 2x first team all pro LT. Bruce Armstrong was also great for New England......6x pro bowler at LT. That's two tremendous LT's right in division for much of his career with the Bills. There were great LT's in the NFC as well.......but Reggie didn't face them. What great pass blockers was Reggie facing? Back then RT's were really glorified offensive guards..........the success that White had dominating the less athletic RT's lead to other teams deciding to put their best rushers on weaker pass blocking RT's. It's since been a windfall for guys like Strahan and the Watt bros. The Bills did it with Jerry Hughes last year. The only "great" pass blocking RT that White had to face was Erik Williams of the Cowboys. They matched up in the playoffs when White was in his prime for the Eagles........and Williams blanked the minister of defense........not even a single tackle. His crowning moment was getting two sacks in the SB for Green Bay against a journeyman named Max Lane. Bitter Bills fans remember the dominant Tony Boselli giving Bruce fits.........but Bruce also gave dominant HOF'ers Walter Jones and Orlando Pace their worst career games allowing multiple sack performances to #78.

If Jimmy Walker hadn't been such a deadbeat NBA dad.........Jalen Rose would have been Jimmy Walker Jr............and we wouldn't have 500 "Jalen/Jaelin/Jaelon/Jaylon's" in the NFL.

As the old schoolers who don't care about perspective die off..........Bruce will continue to gain ground on Reggie White in terms of notoriety. The old-timers don't care about the difference between rushing against Jumbo Elliott/Jim Lachey/Mark Tuinei in the SB versus lining up across from the pathetic Max Lane. But today we know and highlight the difference between rushing against an Eric Fisher or a Mike Remmers..........it is massive and can decide Super Bowls. Bruce Smith has been slowly gaining that respect over time. It's the Joe DiMaggio/Ted Williams dynamic.............in 1965 DiMaggio was considered the greater player by a lot........no contest. 60 years later Ted Williams is often cited as the best left handed hitter of all the time......and DiMaggio is really only brought up when someone has a hitting streak. The reason is because Ted Williams had the numbers advantage.........Bruce has that......he is the all-time leading sacker......getting to 200 mattered in the long run..........you can't talk about pass rushing greatness without Bruce........his sack total is the focal point for all great pass rushers and with the game being much more about passing now........the viewed importance of pass rush is heightened.

There were A LOT of people on TSW who were very upset with Beane for allowing he and Shaq to leave. They simply are not trustworthy players...........the fanbase falls in love with anyone who panders to them.......so these two counterfeit namesakes of NBA greats did that to try to create additional pressure for management to pay them. Fortunately Beane didn't fall for it. They are who they were before they ramped up for their money grab. Yeah but they were guys with motivation/work ethic issues prior to their contract runs. Pretty sure paying them was going to produce diminishing returns regardless once they got paid......whether here or elsewhere.

Oh I value coverage..........I know the numbers indicate that you should begin your defensive build there. But Belichick with his willingness to adapt from season to season and his opponent-specific-heavy game planning are the "exception that proves the rule" (as I hate to say). Unless you are willing to complicate your approach in coverage.........you aren't going to be able to run the same guys out there and do the same things for 3 seasons and not have good passing teams exploit a modest pass rush.

Yeah, this is why the key to McDermott's defense being anything but middling is pass rush. @GunnerBill for some reason disagrees with this but you can throw all kinds of different coverage adjustments out there but they are all defeatable with time and talent........which is the kind of offense you face A LOT when you start playing first place schedules. There are multiple years of McD's defense and the specific back 7 personnel they use on tape. Literally year 3 for those guys(save for Klein). The mystery of the first two seasons is gone and the piece of cake schedule of fragile opposing QB's from 2019 isn't coming back. Pass rush will dictate whether this defense looks like a top 10 unit again or not.

Yeah, the "he can cover receivers like a CB" thing has never really materialized. He tends to be more physically gifted than the vast majority of TE's and of course has a huge range advantage on the average Y receiver............but in zone the lack of instinctive reaction always shows up. And that's just the coverage aspect..........in terms of taking advantage of playmaking opportunities in the passing game he's lost. Teams have caught on now........that's why the same level of awareness produced diminishing returns last season. Now man coverage...........that's something he can do. Which is really what he always should have been doing..........simple responsibilities and beat the man in front of him..........it's a shame to waste his talent the way they have. Hopefully a switch kicks on this season but the practice work and preseason games I saw and all the reports from camp(or lack thereof) indicate nothing has changed.

Admit it, you were surprised he was just average in zone coverage. The way some talk up the impact of his length you would ASSUME that zone coverage would be a strength. But in reality, anything generally associated with "instinctive" play at the MLB position has been a weakness for Edmunds. He has been credited by some as a big difference maker in the passing game that teams are afraid to throw near.........and yet he had a 114 passer rating against and 4 TD passes allowed last season.

It's a sobering stat, that's for certain.

Thanks....but it was actually 0 for 72 And no, he's not a good blitzer. Obviously.

It's not correct. He blitzed 72 times with 0 pressures. Right in his stat line in pro football reference and has been cited here multiple times. And yes he had a couple sacks but not on blitzes (the subject of this thread). See for yourself, Lahey. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/E/EdmuTr01.htm

Yeah and I know it's been proven very difficult to maintain consistent defensive success from year to year...........but technically the Steelers are defying that rule with regard to their pass rush being dominant year after year. So it can be done. Which brings me back to Edmunds and the blitz..........it's not easy for him, with that wide, rangy frame to get thru that A gap unscathed. Had they instead made him and edge player from the start they might have that TJ Watt kinda' reliable presence by now.

Yeah I am concerned about the lack of speed. Beane implied that it was on the agenda after the AFCCG loss. Didn't really happen though.........nor did the TE situation. If 4-5 wide works at a high level it will be because the NFL has changed in the past couple of years.........because even in the post 2010 rule change era that empty backfield stuff has not served as a reliable base offense for anyone. Yeah, nobody has that much coverage inventory on D.........but it simplifies everything else for the rest of the defense and shortens the QB's time to throw. More plays = more opportunities for the offense to make mistakes. Exemplified by the 3rd and 20 the Bills starting offense got themselves into on the first drive versus GB's backups. Josh Allen making a great throw to Davis polished up a drive that otherwise might have typified what can happen when you play dink and dunk. So many defense's are literally designed to try to force teams to run 10-12 play drives for this reason. I don't actually think they will run 4-5 wide a ton...........I don't think Daboll is the next Bill Walsh like some folks but I think he's smarter than that. I think the dink and dunk stuff is to try to address teams throwing zone coverage(with some success) at Allen. On that 3rd and 20 throw they basically got GB into a man coverage situation........and Allen delivered the dagger.

Team defense(yards allowed) alone is an antiquated way of judging a defense. The two years where they were top 10 in both points allowed and yardage they had a double digit sacker. McD's defense team rank in points allowed 2011-2016: 27th 18th 2nd 21st 6th 26th That's inconsistency and it's a bit disingenuous to call a team like that a top 10 defense in an era of so many advanced statistics. Points matter in the equation. Here are the Bills ranks in points allowed under McD: 18th 18th 2nd 16th People can talk all they want about how they use the back 7........and no question McD does a good job there.........but the defense doesn't work right without that pass rush..........it's the #1 component.

So if you aren't in the top 4 DE's in the NFL you aren't excellent? Greg Hardy had 26 sacks and 48 QB hits in a 2 year stretch. Charles Johnson had 12.5 and 11 sack seasons. In truth, the Carolina McDefense was inconsistent..........his 2016 defense ranked 26th in points allowed and 21st in yards. The great season they had(2nd in points and 2nd in yards) was 2013 when Hardy and Johnson both put up double digit sacks from the DE position. That's excellent DE production.

They had excellent DE's in Carolina...........Greg Hardy, Charles Johnson and prime Mario Addison.

Edmunds blitzed 67 times without generating a single pressure last season. On paper he is ideal.......unfortunately games aren't played on paper they are played on tv.

Agreed

When the Bills went empty backfield last year, they were doing defense's a favor. It bogged the offense down. For an old, immobile soft-tosser like Big Ben it might be a way to utilize his recognition skills and hide his lack of arm strength. But for a young guy who can make every throw like Allen......no thanks. Stretch the field......use play action to create separation.......use an extra blocker to buy time for longer routes to develop.........give your skill players room to work so they don't get battered. I could make a highlight reel of body slams that Beasley and Diggs absorbed last season and when it mattered most, in January, they were beat up and it showed. And that was with mostly 11 and 12 personnel. So many things wrong with the 4-5 wide stuff. Fans should know this by now but there is still a perception that the empty backfield/4-5 WR approach is playing wide open.