Mister Defense

Bills 38, Saints 13 Hopefully we see the defense progress, especially on 3rd downs and against the runs--and get some pressure on their QB, consistently. And the Bills run wild, today, though, maybe trying to do the opposite of what they have done--setting the rung up by a great passing attack early. Then, run baby run... They will need all of these things, in my estimation, to make a solid run at the #1 seed and the championship, so a perfect opportunity today to make some hay.

Just got online to check ticket prices for NO game. I had decided not to go to this game a few months ago when some friends bought tickets, but now may want to go with them, just get a single ticket. But, yeah, I was shocked by the prices! Thought there would be mega tickets, so lotsa cheap ones--it is New Orleans! No time right now, but scanned over the thread and saw some of the reasoning. Makes sense. Question to all--are there folks selling tickets at the game anymore? Haven't needed that in years, so don't know. And am I likely to get a ticket for 100 or so?

Kimmel's next show will be one of the most watched TV shows in TV history, I think. I cannot wait. A big shock today that he is back. Shows that the people can make a difference still, will embolden them.

I agree that, despite most of the Ravens' game, and some against the squished Thursday, they seem to be a better defense. I don't think the concerns are dumb, but think it is definitely a glass is half empty take, and for some, the last drops in the glass. That seems to contradict what we have seen, and know, overall. And the fact that they had a bunch of players not playing Thursday, who hopefully will be there in December, and young players ascending, learning, I believe there will be a 'consensus' that this defense in much improved by that time. It doesn't have to be a great defense, or even very good, by the end of the year--just good. And consistently improving. I think that will be enough to beat the Chargers, Ravens, Broncos...Eagles, Rams..?

But that was not enough, as that would still mean that there was almost no actual depth on the roster if the pick, or Benford, got hurt. Loved the dominance of defense in the draft, but they needed an earlier 2nd CB, as in the cupboard, behind Benford, it was bare. Strong is a project, likely not for immediate help. The Bills have an excellent team, but this weakness at corner needs to be fixed. Cut White after doing a deep dive into practice squads or free agents and bringing in someone who could at least run down the field with receivers. White cannot do so consistently. That spells disaster for the defense, as on Sunday. Wait , THREE more weeks for Hairston? I thought he was coming backer after this week? Better not let White start again...

Well, of course the Bills have needs now, every team does, even the top ones. And the Bills are well aware of this. But just surprised at what you list as the most needful positions! Not expecting to see those, especially RB and WR, as your first, and even pass rush as your next. I think that is why the very legitimate question in the OP has so many negative reactions. A good topic, but bad choices there! Wouldn't cornerback be #1 for everyone, and with a bullet?? I assume it is for the Bills. We have a starting CB in White who cannot cover NFL receivers in the pass game on a consistent basis. Just like he could not last year with the two teams who cut him. He will lose games for the Bills, as he almost did on Sunday, whether he is a starter or backup. Corner should be #1 on the Bills list of most obvious, glaring needs. I think the pass rush looks a lot better this yea, but a great pass rusher added would be nice, of course. The pass rush, with our new star to be, I think, Walker ended the game with his pass rush, a giant of man coming straight for little concussion prone Tua. Like Tua said after the game, he saw "color" in front of him, before he threw the ball around that color to Bernard. Safety would likely be my second choice. The reason is we are just not sure how good our safeties are still. I think they are a big question mark, though they may both end up having solid years in the end. So, yes they could use some help, but it is the defensive back field that has the most question marks, even when Hairston plays and plays well--as we would then be one injury away from having a CB in White who is no longer an NFL CB, A great player before the two career ending injuries, and one of my favorite players, but done now. Ready to coach. Just watch the Dolphins game again to see the clear consistent evidence.

Yes, and watching his movement, even when not a football move, like his celebration after that great TFL, he does not look like an older player who just last year suffered the kind of injury that usually takes a few years to come back from fully. Pretty surprising to see how good he looks physically already. Could end up being one of the best, overlooked pickups in the off season. Thompson seems to provide much needed depth at the position and more veteran leadership. One of the many players I am looking forward to seeing more of as the season progresses, and he does on this team.

Yeah, loved to see those blocks, from a guy that was not supposed to be good at it originally. And also form the Knox and Dawes. So consistent, and it is the Bills now taking their game to the opponents, with the tights ends vital. It is that physical game that pushed the Bills to the next level once Brady took over, toughened up the offense, and helped create what is now a superb running game, one of the best in the league. Not a coincidence Josh won his MVP in Brady's first full year. Just before the game I was telling someone that not enough is being said about how good our tight ends are now, maybe the best group in the league, with great variety and physicality. Looking forward to how they keep progressing, and help the offense become the best ever maybe.

Agreed.. but running backs are so underpaid, though changing, and they often only get one big contract like this, that to me it was different. One slip on the turf this year, without a new contract he would never get his due. I think that is why his team members did not just support him in the kind of general way team members do in these situations, but were quite specific in what they said. Such as Allen, and when he said those things I knew the contract would get done. Cook's success means Josh has more success. And gets things like MVPS--and championships.

So, not a fan of the contract Cook received, I am assuming? Digging in your heels a little, eh? Yup, or comically trying to justify their absurd, team undermining stance. Or trying to come up with new reasons of why they were right all along.

Yeah, and our shock at any Bills' fan flippantly saying, 'Let 'em walk,' etcetera over the off season is till fresh in all of our heads. That we can easily get a replacement... ...and Some saying they would very happy to get a 3rd round pick!!! (for the running back we chose in the 2nd round, a steal, and who we groomed into an elite back--a 3rd round pick!!!! Want to destroy an NFL team from the bottom up? Do outrageously stupid things like that. ...and that 13, 15 million a year was an outrageous number... I will now say it again on here--by the end of this year the current contract, and even a 15 mil a year one, will look like a tremendous bargain for what (almost-see my bold above) everyone, will consider to be one of the top backs in the league, if not the best back. A vital cog in the best offense in the NFL

Hm... interesting take, gives me a sliver of hope for White... Because he is so fuc*ing slow, his best days can now very easily catch up to him, no matter how far behind him they are. Our only hope--if he ever starts, or even plays much, again. Very surprised if he is on the team by Thanksgiving, as he cannot ever be trusted on the field now. I was going to say, maybe by the goal line, but then i remembered--Nope! He looked like me getting burned by Waddle in the end zone.

Well, yeah, but having one of the slowest, maybe the slowest corners in the league, slower than Douglas even?, a player that almost cost the Bills the game tonight, was the main reason for those cushions it seems. Never again hopefully. The Bills need to check out every practice squad and all former players not playing, leaving no stone un- turned. A great player in his hey day, will likely make a good coach, but he cannot start at corner again in his career. And use him as a backup at your own peril. The Bills need a good backup or two now at corner, even when Hairston returns. Pretty obvious. Like I said as a point in my OP, players like White make it much harder to evaluate this defense than it was with dorsey's offense. TBD still, but I do not think the defense played awful tonight, but the 3rd down conversions and defensive breakdowns are still a concern. And the consistency. But then again, Tre White played...

I had predicted the Bills would win by 15 in a text just before the game. 35-20 When I soon realized Tre White, the former starting caliber cornerback, was today the starting corner, covering Waddle, maybe Hill a little, I sent him a text saying 'reverse that score', though I took it back right after. But said, have said on here since the signing, that Tre White can no longer play corner in the NFL, and is definitely no longer a starting corner. It is very complicated to explain why this is the case: Tre White is very slow now, (runs like my fat as* uncle I sent the text too, and i told him this). While most of the receivers he will play against are very fast. If I can see this, why can't the Bills' coaches? Have to take your chances with Stong or Ingram or bring in someone else now. Tre White cannot be our starting corner, and should only be used on certain running downs. Yup, some good plays, two great ones, a pass break up and run stop, but he cannot consistently be successful as an NFL corner. To me this means he cannot play corner anymore. Why? He will get burned again and again, and again and again, and those few good plays a game, or more, will mean nothing. Time to coach.

Big game for the Bills--is the defense we saw last week, sharp, disciplined, stingy against the run and pass, almost no big plays, and consistent, the defense we will see going forward, consistently? It sure looked like it last week against the jets, and not against the Ravens, one of the best offenses in the league. Now, a team that is in the middle of those two teams offensively, so an important, early bell weather game, to me at least. So, I really want to go to this game, may make a late play to get there. Bills 34, Squished 20

Huh? You are actually trying to make the case that because the Bills did not get the "projected" best players and the ones you wanted, think we need, and instead they got the players they got that even though it includes one of the best running backs, slot receivers and corners in the league, and a quality starting linebacker, that the Bills had "no plan" (and you actually said it not me), that "The year we drafted elam... It was different. Bad draft." How would someone even respond to analysis like this? It is sooo far gone,, bizarre, and off kilter that there is almost nothing to say---just read over his comments, let them sink in.... But i will try to briefly hit some of these 'points'...from his post above: 1. "Got a steal there but it wasn't until round 5 that we projected to actually get someone that was at the time considered a great pick - Shakir." I am literally laughing, and no offense meant, when I read that sentence again. For real. Your analysis that it was a "bad draft" with "no plan" is based on this, one of the most bizarre takes ever. Not good because while the Bills did get three of the best players at their positions, all stars in this league already, and a a quality starting linebacker, it somehow doesn't count. A shocking way to look at this draft, or really, the same can be said for any other area in which this 'logic' is applied. 2. "We needed help at CB and double dipped hedging our bets. I don't think that's effective. Hindsight is 20/20 so judging the results by the fruit on the vine isn't fair." So, let me sum this up: It is "not fair" to judge a draft by the performance of the players picked in that draft, not fair to judge "the results by the fruit on the vine" "Isn't fair." The poster is saying what I point to in #1 above, in an even more direct, bizarre way. I will just repeat his crystal clear ideas--it is not fair to judge a draft by how the players actually play, but on things like how they were projected to play! Laughing again. I cannot believe someone can believe these things. An understatement. 3. See his post above--HUH? Because they did not pick the players you wanted, as YOU had the far superior plan, not the folks who actually had one of the best drafts in the NFL that year, it was a bad draft, no plan. Makes sense--for maybe one person in the world. 4. And as for the last point, well, we could not ask for a better last point to bring these remarkable ideas together sharply. It is is the perfect ending for, well, a remarkable post, analysis of the Bills 2022 draft. And I am not just saying that to be nice: " I never said it was a bad draft. I said it was not planned well.See above. Words matter." His actual words, his post, yesterday at 1026 am: "The year we drafted elam... It was different. Bad draft. The plan sucked." 5. Yup, I agree words do matter. That is why I responded to the original posts and to this beauty. Truly a striking post and analysis, and from beginning to end. Don't judge that draft, or any draft, by "the results", the "fruit on the vine", by the way the players actually perform, as that is "unfair". Instead, the fair way to judge it is by these other criteria that the poster so painstakingly lays out. If any other posters believe this, raise your hand right now, please. The one thing I agree with in your post is that "words matter"

Yes, I agree and did not say Bernard was in the same category as Cook, Shakir, and Benford, and called him a solid starter only, which overall he has been for the Bills, a pleasant surprise. This year hopefully he joins the rest in the higher tier, but his size may prevent that. We will see. But I really do think that they did get those elite playmakers you speak of, and that we all want more of, and in the 22 draft that the other poster rips apart. See bold above.

Probably been said on this thread, but with the Ravens, Jags, Lions, and Commanders all coming up for the Chiefs before the Bills, and we all know the Biils' much easier schedule (an understatement) it sure looks like the Chiefs may be out of the running for a top playoff spot by then, with the Bills 4 or more games up on them by then. It is hard to imagine this current Chiefs' team overcoming their weaknesses, and their high level opponents, and being any factor at all in the fight for the top seed this year. Bills, Ravens, Chargers?, Broncos? Still catching up on weekend NFL games, so likely a few more in there too.

Wait, you think the 2022 draft was "bad"? "No plan"--and then that this most recent draft was also like that? 2022 draft--Four quality starters: James Cook, a pro bowl running back, and by almost anyone's standards, one of the top 5 backs in the NFL now, Khalil Shakir, a great slot receiver, a vital part of this great offense, and our Superstar's go to player, Terrel Bernard, our solid starting linebacker, playmaker, and Christian Beford, one of the best cornerbacks in the league. 4 high quality starters, most of them likely pro bowl players, several of them some of the best players at their positions--Cook, Shakir, and Benford--and you just flatly say it was a "bad draft"! Am I missing something here? What the heck would a good draft be to you then? That is your evidence to support your post I challenged, in which you said they "seem to go into the draft without a plan"--but somehow, with no good plan, draft 4 high level starters? And you are making the point that they did the same thing, "no plan", for the draft this year. I really hope, by your definition, you are right--and they had the same kind of "bad' plan this year they had in 2022. And have drafted 4 more high level, pro bowl caliber starters. I would take that--and every GM in the NFL would as well, I think. Sheesh, what would you think makes a good draft, by your unusual standards? Do you really believe this stuff?

Yes, it was clear to all, I think, and clearly indicated by McBeane, that they were undermanned on defense last year, rebuilding, especially in the secondary and line. Yes, Douglas was a great, needed pickup, and played well, but fell off a cliff last year. I really don't think those 2 new D-line suspensions will have much of a negative impact though. They were so dedicated to that area in the off season that they should be fine. Especially true because of the rather easy schedule early, with games against the squished, Saints, Pats (maybe their most difficult test until the Chiefs) but in the Ralph, the Falcons, and Carolina coming up. Those suspensions could pay dividends even---the young'uns getting lotsa playing time--some fresh D-line players for the 2nd half run. Let's hops we see Bishop continue to grow and grow, but I like the fact that he is playing better now and more physical. I think how well he plays, and Hairston, will be key in the second half of the year. If those two come through, and the D-line keeps improving, I think that will be enough to make this a great team by December.

What are you talking about? They clearly had a plan, to bolster the D tackle, D end, and cornerback positions, first and foremost, and then some more. Those were the glaring weaknesses last year that prevented the Bills from taking the next step. I loved that focus, although I really wanted them to get another cornerback earlier than they did so, as there was no quality depth at the position, beyond the need for a starting CB. To say they had no plan makes no sense, so can you elaborate? You mean a plan you liked? Offensive weapons early, instead?

well, yeah, but last year things were not good on the defense, like I said, and though we saw spurts of excellence, there was not a consistent progression in defensive quality last year. I assume a huge majority of Bills' fans had the same kinds of concerns I did. And many likely the same concerns about Babbich. But the game outcome was almost exactly what I was hoping for when I posted this. Almost a perfect game defensively. A good sign, even if the Jets have a weak offense this year, again.

yeah, I agree, as last week was the first time I had ever seen Fields like an actual starting caliber NFL quarterback in his career, though I had not seen a slew of his games. But even so, yesterday the defense looked disciplined and sharp, big changes from last week. We need to see more of course, but no high end offenses coming up soon to evaluate.

Yup, I do give my constructive criticism at times, like this! (Just check out my comments in the prediction thread before the Ravens’ game.) Here, I assumed many had some of the same concerns that I do. And yeah, those two extremes probably don’t define either of our views—eternally optimistic or pessimistic! I knew I could not watch the game in real time yesterday, hence was able to post that OP close to kick off. Was able to watch the game late yesterday. That is also why I did not respond to anything in this thread until now--had not watched the game, did not know the score, all phone notifications off until I did so. The defense we saw yesterday had ALL of the qualities I, and probably most on here, wanted to see, and had been concerned about in the OP: --Yesterday, the defense was sharp and disciplined and detail oriented, in all areas, consistently, the big picture things and in the details, player performance --Looks like there were excellent fundamentals and they were likely the hallmark of their success--the assignments, the tackling, and teamwork etcetera, al looked top notch. A great relief. --This time, the defensive line and linebackers played lights out, stopping the run, stopping the pass, pressuring the QBs, showing what they are capable of consistently yesterday. And like you said, BOSA! If BOSA is the guy we have seen the last few weeks, and yesterday he took the next step, this defense is much better with that improvement in itself. --Almost no big plays given up and great work on 3rd downs. Yes! -And looks like an excellent game plan, and consistently, throughout the game. I never said I was there yet, as far as Babbich being the problem, but leaning in that direction. More than anything yesterday I wanted to see the defense look, well, the way it looked yesterday! I am not discounting Babbich in this performance, but it seems after dismal performances like against the Ravens, the defense usually plays much better. Same was true even at the end of the Ravens’ game--they finally looked like the defense I describe above, that we saw yesterday. Do you and others think McD becomes extremely hands on in these situations , after very poor defensive performances? That he is much more directive with Babbich and the defense after big defensive breakdowns in game? The defense sometimes looks like a different animal in these cases, as they did yesterday. Not off my hot seat yet, and I am sure Babbich is concerned about my views, very likely read them just as the game started yesterday, motivating him to do better. But a great game yesterday. Now, will we keep seeing that discipline and competence, even against the top offenses?

Yeah, but like with Dorsey, it may be more than that--Dorsey did not have them prepared to play, hence those dismal starts, game after game. McD blasted (many) key areas of the defense in his press conference--it sure sounded like he was talking about the coaching more than anything else. But I agree that Babbich may have a longer leash. That is why I posted this today, though I had planned to do it yesterday. If it is clearly a Babbich problem, he may not to just go.