Nihilarian

The reason why the defense looked so good against the Patriots is because Ryan called more blitzes more often, and managed to get hurries on Tom Brady to the tune of 20 of his 40 drop backs! 50%! He hasn't blitzed that often against any other team all year. That, and the Patriots were missing key offensive weapons in RB Deion Lewis & WR Julian Edleman big time. The defense in being bad this season has nothing to do with the players still learning Rex Ryans scheme! What defense on earth is so complicated that veteran players can't grasp it or understand it by week thirteen? The very simple truth is Ryan is asking them to do things that doesn't fit what they do best. He has been running a passive cover, gap control scheme which a big departure from what he ran with the Jets! Plus, he isn't rotating the defensive line players as much as Schwartz did last year in keeping them fresh in the fourth quarter. Then he isn't blitzing nearly as much as he has done in the past with his jet teams, nor as much as Pettine or Schwartz did the last two years. Sacks go hand in hand with defensive hits, hurries, and pressure on the QB. This years scheme is currently 27th in hurries, 29th in sacks, 30th in sacks percentage. Ryan has three all pro D linemen from last year plus Jerry Hughes, and he is positioning them differently then Schwartz did, and utilizing them differently. The Bills are currently 20th in total defense, and 23rd against the pass. The current defense could be just as effective as it was last year in getting pressure on the QB should Ryan ever get his head out of his backside, and start utilizing his players like he did in the past. And guys, the offense is far better because of better play on the line by LG Richie Incognito, and Shady McCoy is a freaking beast who has enough shake to open his own smoothie king! The Bills are game planning better, and running the ball more to help the young QB manage the game rather then force him to carry it with 40+ passes like Hackett used to do. Tyrod Taylor in the way he is being used is a huge upgrade at QB, and the offense is currently 10th in scoring in the NFL.

Gee, that looks so eerily familiar, and I hope Rex learns from Rob's failure in NO. But alas, after further review there is more to this story then just Rob Ryan failing at his job. The bigger problem was the player turnover, and not properly replacing the veterans they lost on defense. Then the head coach had to get involved in setting up the game plans, and even calling some the plays. The real issue was hiring former Saints DC Dennis Allen who had worked with Sean Payton previously in NO. Sean Payton basically hamstrung Rob Ryan in the scheme, and with the play calls, and then made him the scapegoat. Kinda why the defense still stinks or is perhaps even worse now without Ryan. It looks like Rob Ryan was given complete control of the defense in 2013, and when it went #4 in points & yards against, and even #4 in sacks in 2013 in his first year in NO. Then the defense faltered in 2014, and the HC got imvolved. Who really knows if Rob Ryan had any say at all in player acquisition for the defense, and the team had a fairly large turnover on the defense between 2013, and 2014. Who on the team deceided to spend 54 million on Jairus Byrd? Then screwed up in the draft with the 2nd round pick on a CB who stunk. I kinda hope the team does hire Rob Ryan, and gives his brother a swift kick in the ass to blitz more in Buffalo

Good choices. I have my list. LeSean McCoy Tyrod Taylor Jerry Hughes Sammy Watkins Richie Incognito Seantrel Henderson Cyrus Kouandjio IK Enemkpali Boobie Dixion Duke Williams What does it say about the RT position when a guy off the waiver wire is better then the starter, and backup. RG Kraig Urbik is playing better then Miller did when he was in there, but dunno how long he can stay at a decent level. Also on honorary mention is Marquise Goodwin who stinks when he is healthy...which is almost never.

Taylor played just about a perfect game this week, and fans really shouldn't ask for more from a guy who has only started only 10 games so far. His line gave him a lot of time on certain plays, and mostly JJ Watt was a non factor in rushing the passer. That could be because the Texans were more concerned about stopping McCoy who rushed 21 times for 112 yards. Now think about how Taylor would look like on last years team with Hackett calling 40+ pass plays a game behind one of the worst lines in the league, and with mostly no rushing game. My point being is it looks like Greg Roman is doing an outstanding job in developing this young QB so far, and this is the type of run first offense with McCoy at RB that is perfect to develop him in.

All I want to mention is that Rex Ryan used to live by the Blitz, and his past defenses were almost constantly blitzing as even he stated the worst he has even been in sacks was 11th. This years Bills are 29th in sacks. In the last game against the Patriots in week 11 Tom Brady was under tremendous pressure all game long, and that was to the tune of 20 of his 40 drop backs. Rex Ryan hadn't run that same scheme all year up until that game, and he hasn't run it again since. Currently the Bills defense is 23rd against the pass, and 15th against the run, so I'd have to say if they are struggling somewhere its against the pass. Considering the gap control defensive scheme the Bills are running this year it is a bit disconcerting the Bills are not doing better against the run. Still this is Rex Ryan's 2015 craptastic defense. A lesson on how to neuter three all pro's on the D line.

The Bills line gave Tyrod the time to throw, and contained JJ Watt as well. The offense showed up big time in this game, and put up 390 yards of offense against a defense that had allowed only 250 yards the last 4 games. The Bills might have finally found the franchise QB of the future if he keeps playing like this! Great game for Taylor, and the offense!

It is the scheme the players are being asked to run, and what is so frustrating for me is when this team does bring the kitchen sink in a heavy blitz they usually get to the QB very quickly. They just don't run it more then a handful of plays a game, and instead play a soft cover gap control defense. Marcel Dareus has been saying he was being used incorrectly since the pre season games, and the other players just keep quiet while doing their jobs while knowing its the wrong scheme for the players on the roster. To add to this the defense was maddeningly ineffective at times, and if not for the offense in getting 390 yards against a defense that had only given up 250 yards the last four games this game would have been lost. Tyrod Taylor had a perfect game 3 TD's passing, one TD running, and looks to be the franchise QB of the future at this point. McCoy earning every penny of his 6 mill per with outstanding play every game now, and Eagle fans must be so pissed he is a Bill.

The 8th seed again, and now face a Washington team at home leading their division at 5-6! The next game @ Philly who just pounded the Patriots are still in it at 5-7 Then they play Dallas at Buffalo, and believe it or not Dallas is still in it at 3-8 as the 16th seed Finally the NY Jets at Buffalo, and the Jets are currently the 6th seed at 6-5

You asked, I answered in what winning coach was there to hire, and now you say he wouldn't have taken the job in Buffalo. You or I don't know that, and in my opinion in that Fox has a defensive background he might have loved to coach this Buffalo Bills front four. Speaking of Brady / Belichick I think that Rex Ryan isn't the guy that will dethrone the Patriots from atop the division any time in the near future no matter who he has on defense. This. We expected greatness on defense this year, and some of the players are giving that at times Darby, Gilmore, Rambo have all been playing so well despite the lack of pass rush leads me to think these men might have made to the pro bowl this year if Schwartz was still the DC. Sal Maiorana is certainly entitled to his opinion on keeping Rex Ryan for more years. I happen to disagree simply because I've seen enough ineptitude over the years to realize this is just another example of the team spinning its wheels while wasting more precious years that the team can never get back. Haven't we all have seen enough of that? Ryan is a supposed defensive guru, and that part of the team is clearly under performing. So the new owners keep him and allow him to retool the defense like he wants. Then only to see the team keep failing is so many areas like they are this year. Penalties-poor special teams coverage units-poor game management- poor reg flag management on the road- undisciplined teams. The Bills with this win moved back into 8th place, and it was mostly because of the offense playing well. The Buffalo Bills offense managed 390 yards against a defense that had given up an average of only 250 yards the last four games.

My favorite line in the game by the announcers. McCoy has enough shake in him to open his own smoothie king Clearly the offense is the bright spot of the team this year with McCoy, Taylor, and finally Sammy getting more passes thrown his way. Some of this years Bills DB's would be in the pro bowl this year if the Bills had last years pass rush. Gotta love Rambo!

You're right, I don't like Ryan, and I didn't like the hire of a 4-12 head coach who clearly had lost his team last year. I clearly remember Ryan on the sidelines looking lost during this two beatings the Bills gave the Jets last year in 43-23 & 38-3. However, I want what all Bills want and that is to win, and have the team get into the playoffs!! Should Ryan get this years team into the playoffs I'll shut my mouth about him but still will dislike how he neutered a playoff defense, and turned them into an average to bad defense this year. Great coaches don't make players fit their schemes, and instead get the most out of the players they already have. The Bills have 1/4 billion dollars in their defensive line, and its players are mostly being misused this season. Should Ryan return as the Bills HC next year I can see the Bills retooling the defense again to fit his scheme. Three of the four Bills D linemen made the pro bowl last year, and played on one of the best defenses this team has had in years, and now it needs to be dismantled because the HC can't figure out how best to utilize the players on the roster. What really gets me is when the Bills do call an all out blitz they usually get to the QB, so its very frustrating watching this passive pass cover defense this season. Anyway in response to the question. It might have been better if the Bills had given it another week or two before hiring Ryan because John Fox became available, and he could have accepted the job the job in Buffalo. There is no doubt in my mind he would be making better use of the Bills front four this year. Plus, Fox was just coming off three years in a row in the playoffs in Denver. Hrrmm, a 6-10 / 8-8 / 4-12 HC the last three years or a 13-3 / 13-3 / 12-4 HC. Decisions, decisions.

Whoa, student body left.. nice run for a first

wow Mills starting at RT over Cujo

Rex brought the kitchen sink on that blitz, looked good!

The Bills still have a shot at the playoffs this year if Ryan will change up his defense to just rush the passer like he used to do. Its a long shot, but still a shot. Currently 10th seed.

No pressure...

There is more to this debate then one simplistic answer, as teams are far more complicated then one QB or 5 linemen. The Bills have been attempting to obtain both over the last 15 years without much success. Its more about the team president, GM, coaches, and then the players. My reasoning is it all starts at the top, and if that isn't the right guy then just about everything else fails. Lets talk about something most every Buffalo Bills fan should know about in ex Bills GM Bill Polian. Think back to the mid 80's Bills, and the Bill Polian days, and then look at his history throughout the different jobs he has had over the years. He managed to get Jim Kelly signed, and then went on to Carolina where he drafted Kerry Collins. Then the Colts, and Peyton Manning. Three different teams he found three different QB's, and all three went to a super bowl at some point. Granted those were all first round picks, and two were first overall. Collins was the 5th pick. Still, other teams have had a myriad amount of chances at drafting QB's in the first round, and have failed greatly mostly because those players went to bad teams. With Polian it wasn't just all about the QB because he managed to build playoff teams so quickly at each job. In Buffalo he was hired as director of pro player personnel in 1984, and took over as GM in 1985, and by1988 the Bills were 12-4, in 3 short years. We all know the result of those years, as he did take over a league worst team and had a couple of decent players to start. He managed to talk Ralph Wilson into paying Kelly more then any other QB in the league, and made him the highest paid. After he signed Kelly In 1986 Polian drafted LT Will Wolford with a 1st round pick, and obtained Kent Hull from the folded USFL. In 1995 Polian took over an expansion Carolina Panthers team and in two short years had them in the playoffs 7-9 the first year, and 12-4 the second year! A playoff team from scratch in two years, wow! To give that astonishing feat some perspective the Houston Texans became an expansion team in 2002, and finally made the playoffs in 2011. In 1998 Polian was hired by the Colts after a 3-13 season, and with Manning as a rookie he had another 3-13 season, and the very next year the Colts went 13-3. This time two short years again. My entire point is, it isn't just about finding that elite franchise QB because even if you beat the odds, and get lucky enough to find a future HoF QB in the draft. What makes you think that's the only piece needed to build a playoff team. What makes you think he will survive long enough to take the team to the playoffs. First you need a great GM who is also good talent evaluation at all levels like Polian was. Then find good coaches, good players at all positions, QB, RB, WR, O line, and on defense to build a playoff team. Bill Polian proved it on three different teams that you don't need more then three years to build a playoff team. Sadly, it looks like the Bills still need to find that guy at the top who can evaluate the draft through both sides of the ball, and then hire the right head coach. I'm really hoping this off season the Pegula's hire that football czar that they talked about last off season or find a Polian clone who can find that elusive franchise QB, and then quickly build a playoff team around him.

What do you think will happen to a Buffalo Bills fan base that is so beaten down by bad teams over the last 15 years, and without even a hint of playoffs in all that time. Of course they will go ballistic because they expected greatness on defense. That was a big reason why this team set a record for season seat sales this year. Bills fans are so desperate for a winner they bought into a 4-12 head coaching hire. This fan base bought into Rex Ryan, and all his big talk and bluster just like all the Jets fans did. There is no question the man is so very likable with his down to earth persona in having beers with fans at the local watering hole. Getting his truck painted in the Bills color scheme. Then they also bought into the 6 mill dollar RB acquisition in Shady McCoy, and they bought into big money for TE Charles Clay. But what matters most is what happens on the field, and with just like the Jets fans he is letting Bills fans down. Its his defense that is letting the team down this year no question, and its not because the excuses he used with a tear in his eye when he was fired from the Jets " the GM was out to get me fired, and didn't get me the players i needed". Its not because the QB is so bad he throws interceptions every game, and is ruining the year for us all. (Geno Smith) Bills fans have earned the right to be unhappy with another loser of a choice at head coach, and now we fans have to wonder... do we need to wait three more years before these new owners realize they made a mistake? Just like the team did with Greg Williams 3 years wasted- Mike Mularkey 2 years wasted - Dick Jauron 3 1/2 years wasted- Chan Gailey 3 years wasted-Doug Marrone 2 years wasted-Rex Ryan one year, and I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH of losers to already know that next year the team will be spinning its wheels again in trying to obtain the players "needed" to fit Rex Ryan's defensive scheme. I guess the four pro bowl defensive linemen already on the team weren't good enough for Rex Ryan...

This is exactly the problem because Rex Ryan isn't running that same scheme that got him the #1 defense with the NY Jets!! If you recall the Bills hired the Jets DC in Mike Pettine, and he came to Buffalo and perhaps blitzed a bit to much. Still the Bills were #2 in sacks in 2013, but actually had more sacks then the Bills had last year under Schwartz. Buffalo had 57 sacks in 2013 under Pettine, and 54 last year under Schwartz. The difference is that Carolina had 60 in 2013, and no other team had more then Buffalo last year. We were all expecting Rex Ryan to come into Buffalo and run his overload blitz all the time. Which basically means he usually always sends one more then is blocking, and the defense is usually always in nickle or dime in the secondary. This is what Mike Pettine ran in Buffalo, and a big reason as to why he had so many sacks, but wasn't so good against the run. To get a tad more complicated Ryan ran a myriad of overload, gap, and simulated pressures in a 4-3 under. This way it was very difficult for the opposing QB to figure out who was blitzing, and who wasn't. This year the Bills defense is in more of a gap control, pass cover scheme that really is better suited for elite LBers, and average D linemen. Ryan doesn't have elite LBers, and instead has arguably the very best front four in the league. He simply doesn't know how to utilize those D linemen like Schwartz did, and whats crazy is that Jim Schwartz cut his teeth under Jeff Fisher who cut his teeth as Buddy Ryan's DC on the Eagles in the early 90's. Rex Ryan seems damned and defiant in running this particular bad cover rather then pressure scheme this year when he could have easily gone back to his old defense at any time. In fact it looked like he went back to it in the second Patriots game. I dunno why he is doing this, and his brother *Rob Ryan was just fired as the Saints DC because he had the 31st defense against the pass. This years Bills defense is heading in the same direction. Stats, and the past aside all I know is this years defense sucks and is in the top third worst in the league against the pass because of no pressure on the QB. Opposing QB's look like they have all day to throw, and this extends their drives. Look whats happened in the second half of games. It sure isn't because the Bills CB's are bad either, because Darby is probably DRotY, and Gilmore is more then good enough. You leave any DB out to dry long enough with no pass rush, and he will eventually get burned. JMO

Sacks do matter so very much, and is a huge reason why this team paid Mario Williams 100 million a few years ago!! The team just recently signed Dareus, Hughes to big $$$ contracts too. No pass rush allows the opposing QB all day to throw. Remember Buddy Nix crying like a baby (2010-2011) that the Bills D didn't have any pass rush, and rookie QB's were having all day to throw. That was the reason why Super Mario was such a big deal. Over 100 pages in a thread talking about signing him. The Bills FO locked Mario up somewhere, and wouldn't let him leave until he signed. Last year the Buffalo Bills terrorized opposing QB's, and they hated playing against Schwartz's wide nine scheme for good reason. However, Schwartz's scheme wasn't perfect and Brady did some damage in the first game between the teams. BUT! In the second game when Brady played only in the first half he went 8 of 16 for 80 yards, and then Bill Bellycheat pulled him so he wouldn't get injured. Last season the Bills defense was #1 in sacks in the league with 54 sacks, #4 overall, #4 in yards allowed, #4 in points allowed. Kyle Willams, Mario Williams, and Marcel Dareus all went to the pro bowl too. The problem last year was with the offense and Bills OC Buddy Hackett calling mostly simplistic passing plays all game long. To his credit QB Kyle Orton still managed to go 7-5 despite playing behind the very worst offensive line in the league for most of the year, and with game plans being setup by Jimmy the Chimp. Plus the team didn't have either Fred Jackson (525 yards)or CJ Spiller (300 yards) run very much last season. Last year the Bills offense finished 18 in points, and 26th in yards. On a side note do you know what team leads the NFL in sacks this year? Denver with 37. Do you know which team has the #1 defense in the NFL, Denver. Buffalo currently has only 16 sacks!!!!! Mario Williams 3.0 Jerry Hughes 3.0 Marcel Dareus 2.0 Manny Lawson 1.0 Kyle Williams 1.0 Corey Graham 1.0 Nigel Bradham 1.0 Duke Williams 1.0 Nickell Robey 1.0 Stefan Charles 1.0 AJ Tarpley 1.0 Nine sacks between the three pro bowlers so far... If Schwartz was the DC this year, and with the addition of CB Ron Darby along with Shady McCoy in this years big play offense (#9 in points right now) I could see this team being 9-2 right now. I am greatly hoping the Bills don't waste more years attempting to draft players to fit Rex Ryan's craptastic scheme. Mostly because the Jets are without CB Revis, and still winning with noodle arm Fitz, and Chan Gailey calling plays. Ryan's Jets defense was #24 in point allowed last year, look familiar?

OMG what a great ending to a game! Hail Mary on a run, and Rodgers to Rodgers!! Amazing!

I hear ya man, and I would think so too if I didn't know there was an strange type of clause that many owners have used over the years to fire under performing head coaches, and then refused to pay them. Then its up to the said individual to hire a lawyer, and sue the team for money owed or ask the league for an arbitration. Think of it as a little guy going up against a billion dollar corporation. This has happened a bunch of times in the past, and even the late Buffalo Bills owner did this with Wade Phillips when he refused to pay what was owed on his contract after he fired him. Al Davis did the same thing with Mike Shanahan who even won an arbitration from the league, and Davis still refused to pay him. Shanahan never did get his money owed afaik. Besides 20 million dollars to someone who has 5 billion is 20 million out of 5000 million. Money won't be the issue if these new owners decide they want to fire or keep Ryan.

Cmon now, its tough to stay upbeat when the opposing QB has all day to throw every game. From 1st to 30th in sacks, only Rex Ryan could get that done.

I have to believe Rex Ryan was promoted by Doug Whaley, and Russ Brandon in hopes that he would install his "Mike Pettine" style of defense who was his DC when that Jets defense was #1 in the league. That clearly hasn't happened and for some reason Ryan has abandoned his overload blitz scheme he used with Pettine, and is now running some lame cover scheme that gives the opposing QB's all day to throw. How in the world do you go from first to thirtieth in sacks, and not have to answer for that? BTW Pettine had the Bills #2 in the NFL in sacks in 2013.