BackInDaDay

yes .. it's all true.. it left me rattled and broken - like my Hyundai!

is it true that Kim's pet name for Rex is Sum Dum Fuk?

can't wait for the 'Salute to American Nail Salons' halftime show.. ready.. set.. go..

these 4-3 under and over fronts are technically still a 3-4, except the weak side OLB is now a hybrid 'open side' LB/DE spread to a 7-tech to rush the edge.. they're 1-gap defensive fronts that can easily shift the strong (closed) side LB to the LOS to complete a 5-2, and walk safeties up into. as a 1-gap defense from end to end, it's got a lot in common with Buddy's original 46 - quick to the running lanes, and real versatile in choosing what gaps to overload.. but unlike the 46, which died at the hands of the quick hitting WCO pasing game - it still gives you 4 backer type athletes who you can mix into pass coverages - and if your closed side DE is willing and able - you can drop him, too.. it's like a damn swiss army knife.. and the best thing is, it gives a quick, powerful DT outside leverage on the guard (Kiffen put this in at TB, and Sapp's in the HOF because of it). since everybody - including the NT - is a 1 gap defender, its hard for the center to go second level without the NT left sitting in the hole he leaves. same goes everywhere.. a man pulls, a defender fills. if a weakside TE/FB flexes to create an 8th gap, we walk the safety up. 4-3 under 4-3 over TE T G C G T TE T G C G T SLB DE NT DT LB/DE DE DT NT LB/DE MLB WLB SLB MLB WLB i still hope i don't see Dareus lined up as that closed side, 5-tech DE - he's got no business out there, that a traditional DE can't handle better.. i'm hoping Kyle has enough in the tank to handle that NT spot.. the LB playing the gap between he and Dareus could make a lot of plays - especially in the 'under' front - chasing strong side plays down from the backside, taking away cutbacks, hitting back against counters, and being tough enough to let our SLB stay closed side in an 'over' front. if it were me, that WLB spot would be what i'd fill with the most athletic and aggressive college player left at 19 - that or a SS with the same traits.

Dareus will not play a 5-tech. He'll play the 3-tech DT in both the 4-3 'over' and 'under' fronts, and in a straight 4-3 front. asking him to play the closed side in either the under or over is wasting his ability to burst and disrupt the interior, and we have DEs on the roster who are better suited to rush/contain the edge against OTs. Darues will once again wreak havoc this year if the Barnes kid can be effective at the NT - or another big body is added to fill that spot. i'm thinking Kyle may be given chance to take the spot - he's bit light, but if his injury hasn't slowed him down, he could do well as an over/under 1-gap NT. otherwise,.he's probably going to get less reps in 2016 - spelling Dareus as the 3-tech, or joining him in traditional 4 DL beefy fronts. Wynn can definately handle the strong (closed) side DE spot if his knee's in good shape, but unless Whaley's got something cooking over there - it might be wise to make a modest offer to Carrington. Hughes is our open (weak) side DE/LB, to complete the front.

it's not what I plan.. it's what I observed, and schematically, it's the alignment of the SAM when the DT shifts closed side in an over front. edit - in fairness to your observation regarding Lawson assigned to an inside gap - it may have been a choice made in context of who the coaches thought was a better compliment to Hughes when a particular formation was expected, and Lawson's length was an advantage over Bradham's.. i don't recall the particulars, but you got me thinking - yeah - seeing Lawson inside Hughes was odd enough that i remembered it. but it seems to me, if the Bills had anything you consider as a 'base' D - it was the 4-3 under, with Lawson in the more recognizable SAM spot on the closed side. so getting back to the OP's original point - i'm not sure how much of a drop off we have with Bradham leaving. it obviously wasn't such a big deal to the coaches, so i'm guessing they think they may actually be able to improve that position via draft or FA. i think Lawson and Hughes are a good fit. i'm not sure if Brown can handle the calls, but that's nothing that can be solved via the draft... so he'll probably be the Mike until someone makes their case to take his job. so we're back to the Will - and if there's an outstanding playmaker out there - who warrants a 1st rounder, that could really help solidify things. lots of ways to go with that pick though - anyone arguing BPA wouldn't be wrong, either. edit2- here's as good an explanation i could find for bringing the SAM to the weak side on an 'over' front call.. "Many 4-3 over tackle gurus, Lovie Smith for example, started trading “Sam” and “Will”. Lining “Sam” up opposite the tight end and “Will” with the tight end. This is because one of the areas offense exploit in both the “over” and “under” defenses is iso and zoning to the quick side. The alignment and spacing makes it tough to defend those schemes. By switching the linebackers you get more favorable match ups." that came from a Michigan site.. and Lovie probably borrowed that concept from Kiffin - as Kiffin was of the same mind.

in the '4-3' fronts Rex uses - Hughes is our open-side DE - which is equivalent to a '3-4' OLB with his hand on the ground. Preston's our Mike and Bradham was our Will. Lawson played the Sam in the under front - outside Mario on the strong, or 'closed' side. and i saw them bring him to the weak, or 'open' side- to play inside Hughes in the over front. that said, i agree that we only need one LB, and depending on the talent level of Bradham's replacement - current depth moving up, rookie, or FA - the D will be impacted accordingly.

i think the HC wants to improve his defensive front talent. from what i saw last season, his '3-4' looks were predominantly the same 4-3 under/over fronts he used with the Jets. It's an excellent 1 gap D that's very adaptable to moving safeties in and out of - to create an 8 man rush defense, or to overload blitz. anyway.. i'm guessing that young Barnes will be given a long look to earn the starting NT job - allowing them to keep Dareus as the 3-tech that floats from closed to open sides. but i think we'll add depth there in the draft. same thing with bolstering the closed side DE spot.. i like Wynn, and he may be fine as Mario's replacement - but they may decide to use a high round pick on a special kid to man that - or they may just add mid-round depth. i think the biggest bang for their buck will be using the first round pick to find a WLB talent who can burst into his assigned gaps, and chase with the best of them. to me, that's the key to these fronts given the current roster. either that, or a special player at the safety spot who can support our CBs and be a big hitter as that 8th man in the box. on a kinda related topic.. i have no idea where Kyle Williams fits. last season there were gameplans where he was brought in as the closed side DE in some 4-3 over fronts - which stacked him over the strong side TE - where he had no chance of generating an outside pass rush from. he was most effective as the 3-tech, but moving Dareus inside to NT was more like subtraction by addition. i have no idea what his future is in 2016.

i'm guessing Rex's time with the excited and impressionable new owners was spent effectively pitching his successes and excusing his failures - same as any presser he's ever given after his teams under-achieve... and i can understand the Pegula's excitement in signing him up. what i don't understand - and what concerns me - is that they seem to be agreeable to Ryan's plans of rebuilding a team, that many thought was very close to playoff caliber. the fact that the Pegulas are ok with Rex bringing his failed brother onto this staff, leads me to believe that the Pegulas need to hear a voice - stronger than Rex's. here's why.. because for whatever reasons - the coaches failed the team. regardless of the money involved in the pros, football will always be a team game that demands each players' commitment to excel in whatever's being asked of him. when players try and fail to commit to what's being taught - coaches can either recognize and adjust to them, or keep pushing them. in fairness to Rex's staff - both decisions will lead to uncertain outcomes - but in hindsight, we're able to clearly see where this staff led the team in 2015.. and how that direction now impacts the upcoming season. i'd like to agree with the you about your 'short leash' speculation, but i think Rex has a tight hold of the keys - and will leave Whaley on the side of the road (as he did Tannenbaum in NYC) before crashing.

when i read former Bills champion Bill Hudson passed away, my mind put Hudson and Buffalo together and i thought.. geez, Dick Hudson died. I never knew he was 'Bill', either. just think, he played on the last bills team to win every post-season game put in their path - over 50 years ago. thanks for that, Mr Hudson.. RIP

he got a chance to win a game, he tried his best but failed.. it's not like he refused to hold the door for an old lady

not trying to be funny.. Pegula may know fracking, but he doesn't seem to know squat about running sports franchises.. and i can count on one finger the number of middle-aged Korean women are in on NFL FO decisions. but hey, lets be all PC and pretend both she and her husband have a clue. they've screwed this team up for years to come with their Ryan hire.

john and yoko should stick to poisoning the planet, and hire a football man to run their team

thanks.. or you could go negative.. The Buffalo Bills Dope and Change

The Buffalo Bills We're Still Here inspiring, yes?

but in Dunne's story the guy in the ice is told to 'chill'.. ya know.. like, he's in the ice.. so he's already physically gonna be cold.. and then someone yells 'Chill!'.. as in, relax.. but it's funny, cause he's in the ice.. so it's got two meanings.. ya know?

pardon me if this quote from the BN has already been posted, but it's a hidden gem in Dunne's story... ' McCoy is pushed back into a bucket of ice and then held back as someone can be heard yelling, Chill! ' I could care less about anything else in this story.

back to the bottom bunk that guys gonna catch a cold..

3 cops and 4 pro football players walk into a bar... ..yada...yada...yada a bottle of champagne! . .

yeah, I was happy to see that proclamation, but the year old highlight film, and shaky web updates make me wonder how they're trending.. be a shame to see it go... Staten Island used to have a very well organized men's touch tackle league.. 8 on 8 with a ton of ex-local star players.. live blocking.. no pads.. and the 'touches' were like the center punch an O lineman jacks up a D lineman with. not sure if that's still going, either. guess my point is, there's no shortage of men who will play the game - and will play it at whatever level they can.. I wouldn't be shocked if one day another Foolish Club caught on

http://www.townbeef.com/ i've posted these guys in the past, but figured they should get an honorable mention in light of another startup. not sure how they're doing lately - their website has an old 2014 preview still running - but believe me when i tell you that this no-pads tackle football league is the closest thing i've ever seen to a real Fight Club. my son, and some of his HS teammates got involved years ago, and their team only lasted a season or two.. i was actually asked to coach at one point, but it's basically a 7 on 7 scramble drill that's meant to be dominated by the best athletes.. just run, throw, catch, and tackle. and you gotta love the purity of true mayhem. when i was in my 30's and 40's i had to settle for pickup flag and two hand touch games to feed the beast, but man, this would have been fun!. (until you have to hide your dislocated shoulders from your wife, because you're taking the fam to Disney World in a week )

well, if Rex has gotten to the point where he thinks he can execute an effective 2-gap 3-4 front with a combination of our current roster and limited additions - let him close the concessions on Sundays, and feed the multitude of fans with a case of power bars and a bag of his favorite dog biscuits

sorry Bandit.. missed your post as I was editing my own. agree with where Rex has been, but getting those traditional 3-4 defenders doesn't seem doable in one offseason

yep, we have the depth for multiple fronts that don't require a 2 gap NT and DE - we only have a kid named Barnes on our DL depth chart who's carrying (360) more than Darius's (314). we just aren't gonna run the traditional 3-4 some posters are trying to flesh out. if we can't sign a vet LB who's experienced in such fronts, we have to hope our staff can coach up Brown to be more effective - and/or we can draft a kid from a school that employed similar defenses edit- not sure about the 4-3 under being used much by Ryan in either Baltimore or NY.. there were very good 2-gap NT/DTs on those teams, but that doesn't mean he didn't let them disrupt as 1 gap defenders - considering the LBs playing in those fronts

there are defensive fronts - like the 4-3 under - that can employ two penetrating 1 gap DTs.. so the 1 tech doesn't have to be a behemoth as he would have to be in a 2 gap 3-4.. we saw this plenty last season.. we definately won't be playing any traditional 2 gap 3-4 .. we aren't built for it. like it or not, Rex will stay the course.. but he has to get better talent to play the LB and Safety spots