oldmanfan

Brady needs to diversify the offense the way it ran last year. As for Coleman, just throwing back shoulder sideline routes isn’t working. Run him in somecslants, crossing patterns and such.

Don’t think he’d add to the room

It’s always sad to see vets slow down. For PFF fans, Lewis was the highest rated guy on the D last week. Perhaps Cam goes in there and Hancock to safety.

McD has a perfect record in post-bye weeks.

I feel good about it. McD has a perfect record the week post-bye and we get the two guys back from suspension

Got it. I’m not particularly worried either way

Yeah. Let’s just give up. The Bills record right now parallels recent seasons. They had the bye week to analyze the first 6 games and to figure out where things need to be fixed. From the comments in this thread it seems most think the coaches just sat with their thumbs up their behinds all week. Are there problems? Yes. Brady needs to look critically at what his calls have been and get back to what was so successful last season, and McD and Babich need to look critically at personnel and maybe make moves there as well as address the run D in particular. But it is factually true that McD is undefeated in the week after the bye, which suggests he is good at using the bye week to recalibrate. There are no super teams in the league this year. The Bills win Sunday they’re still one of the best in the league.

Negative Nancies will be out in full force all week. McD has a perfect record after bye weeks. I suspect this last week was used by Brady to recalibrate his play calling, and by McD and Babich to have a come to Jesus conversation about the defense. I foresee Brady getting back to things that worked last year like the 4 + 1 formation, and to make sure Cook is used more especially in the fourth quarter. I think we’ll see a more aggressive defense with more blitzing and stunts, and perhaps some personnel changes. So I’m not particularly worried about this week. The one thing that could cost us is injuries; if we’re missing both Palmer and Kincaid that will really hamstring the offense. But I don’t think our D will put up another poor effort.

Played really good the last two. Keep working hard every shift and keep it going

Is the Colts offense that good or is the Chargers defense that bad?

I am not saying anything of the kind. What is wrong with all of you? He should have made different calls last week and didn’t. A bye week allows the coaching staff to look critically at what they have done over the season thus far and make appropriate adjustments for the rest of the season, be it personnel groupings, seeing what plays have consistently worked and vice versa. For example, I would be stunned if we see the jet sweep thing on short yardage situations again.

So now we switch to Brady. OK. Brady needs to scheme better to get Coleman open and leave Cook in the game in the 4th quarter. This is simple logic. Any coach I have ever had, and for any team I’ve coached, you look at what you did poorly and take steps to fix it. You’re just looking for something to argue about.

When it is an issue in a particular game like it was against the Falcons you emphasize it going into the next game. That is what coaches do.

They will review and emphasize blitz pickups. Is that too complicated?

I say 12-5. We lose to the Bengals, Bucs (sadly because I’ll be in town for that one), and the Eagles. They’ll get stuff straightened out over bye week.

Looking at early round draft picks. Can’t say anything about Hairston and Sanders because they’re hurt. Coleman needs to be put in situations where he can use his skills, not just run sideline back shoulder. Bishop is getting better. You have Cook, Kincaid, and Torrence that are solid, Epenesa runs hot and cold but makes plays. Elam is really the only truly bad pick where they tried to fit a square peg into a round hole. They’ll clean things up over the bye. I suspect Brady has been told having Cook on the sideline in a close game in the 4th ain’t going to work. Kromer is going to make sure the O line knows their blitz pickups. And wouldn’t be surprised to see a new WR (Davis if off the IR) and perhaps a CB added. There is not a great team in the league right now; all have flaws.

Got a lot to clean up over the bye, but there are no super teams this year. We’ll be OK

No one performed well last Monday night, including the coaches, everyone on the O and D lines (Walker was OK), the back 7 on D, the WRs, the TEs, the RBs (maybe not Cook and Davis made one good play). And Josh. It is OK to acknowledge that last one even though we all love the guy and know how great it is to have him as QB. The bye week comes at a good time. There needs to be a lot of introspection, some direct discussions about individual players that need to sit, trades that might be needed, and so on.

I would remind everyone that with the same HC and OC, and similar offensive personnel, Josh was the league MVP last year and the offense was top 5 in the league. What needs to be done is for Brady to stop some of the “cuteness” and get back to things that worked last year. Get back to the 4+ 1 sets that teams couldn’t cover. Get back to the 6 O linemen sets with Anderson. Throw the ball to the RBs to free things up more for the WRs. Use Cook and quit sitting him down at vital points of the game. I agree having another WR of high caliber could help. But we can be doing a lot more right now on offense, as last year showed.

Brady needs to put Coleman in positions where he can succeed. Slants would be effective as an example. All they want to do is throw back shoulder on the sidelines.

I am generally one of the most optimistic folks around, but I disagree. I can see us not making the playoffs. And that is primarily due to our coordinators. Both Brady and Babich seem incapable of making adjustments when the opposition throws things at us. Look at the offense. Other teams have now figured out they can cover man on man outside and stack up against the run and/or send multiple guys at Josh. Brady does nothing to counter. Where are throws to running backs? Slants - something Coleman can run? Screens or draws to negate the rush? Nothing. Where are the 4:1 configurations no one could stop last year? The overstacked lines with Anderson that were successful? Instead we see these jet sweeps that don’t work. We see Josh having to resort to hero ball. And inexplicably we see Cook sitting on the bench in crunch time. Look at the defense. Atlanta had two weapons: Bijon and London. You can’t take at least London away by double teams? Belichick was a genius at doing that; all we do is play zone and let the guy get open time after time. Teams run all over us now. It can’t just be about gap responsibility, there is a combination of poor schemes and poor player performance. When they walked right down the field and scored first series I knew we were in trouble. Other teams have no problem figuring out how to beat our D. It can’t be figuring things out after halftime, it has to begin at the opening whistle with a DC that has adequately prepared for the game. One last thing: stupidity. We may very well have won this game if it weren’t for two stupid defensive offside penalties. Is it really that much to ask that a professional football player know how to line up? We could have won last week too if not for really stupid penalties and decisions. I hope they use the bye for serious introspection. Maybe a trade or two. I think they still have the talent to win a championship, but the poor coaching and dumb plays have to stop. Otherwise we’ll be outside looking in. With a talent like Josh that should never happen.

I respect Herm’s thoughts - the man knows football. So if Cook is a weapon use him.

Opposing teams have figured out Brady right now; he needs to change things up. And effective changing up doesn’t mean pulling your star RB out of the game, or calling jet sweeps on 3rd and 1.

If your WRs are having trouble getting separation, and teams are rushing more guys knowing they have the WRs covered, then you have to change your calls. We need to call more slants -Coleman can actually run those. Call some screens and draws. Get the ball out to your RBs especially Cook. How Cook is not on the field in crunch time is mystifying.

Thanks, fixed!