Poz is consistently being exposed.

[PushthePile]

I disagree Pushpile, I think it is a testament to our DT's. I like Stroud and Williams but other than those two, we are weak up front, and now with Williams being injured, it's been like watching a trainwreck. Not only is it because of our DT's but Mitchell, Buggs and now Ellison have been injured, so that definitely is factoring in as well, and when you throw in Scott and Whitner in the injury mix who are better in run support, it makes it all the worse. But the one factor that I believe is as big as any of the things that I just mentioned is our offense. We are not able to win the Time of Possession battle. Every game, our Defense gets worn out, by the time we get into the fourth quarter opposing offenses are trampling our depleted D.

 

So gauging Poz's effectiveness in these circumstances in my view makes it difficult to determine.

I think you make alot of valid points as to why our defense as a whole is failing against the run. The breakdowns are definately not all Poz's fault. I just can't overlook the plays where he gets whipped one on one. Like I said earlier, I bought the Poz jersey and thought we drafted a beast. I'm begrudgingly starting to come to terms that he is outmatched more often than not. If this defense was running on all cylinders, I honestly think it would stand out plain as day.

 

If I was gameplanning against this defense, I'd play smash mouth football and run it down their throats and that's whats happening.

[PDaDdy]

Poz has not been great but he also cant flow to the ball because there are blockers 4 yards downfield in his way. poz is not great but with a better front he would improve. A lot of people talk about moving him to the weak side. I watched the Texans game 3 times, once in the stadium and twice from my TV recording. IMO he would be better suited on the strong side. Either way his play would improve if we had a decent defensive system.

 

Let's give him the Marshawn Lynch treatment. Let's "trade him now while we can get something for him" if he can manage to stay healthy for a few weeks straight. He doesn't seem to be any better than the guys backing him up. Those guys look just as capable when he is not in the game. POZ dances too much before hitting a hole and can't penetrate unless he has a full head of steam!!

 

 

ROFLOL. It just came to me in this post that Poz is the defensive "player" equivalent of Lynch.

 

I wonder why it is people want to get rid of Lynch because he is supposedly no better than Jackson but Poz is a corner stone of the defense.

[PDaDdy]

Trade him to the Jets for David Harris.

 

 

How is your buddy Nate Clements doing?

[bananathumb]

I think you make alot of valid points as to why our defense as a whole is failing against the run. The breakdowns are definately not all Poz's fault. I just can't overlook the plays where he gets whipped one on one. Like I said earlier, I bought the Poz jersey and thought we drafted a beast. I'm begrudgingly starting to come to terms that he is outmatched more often than not. If this defense was running on all cylinders, I honestly think it would stand out plain as day.

 

If I was gameplanning against this defense, I'd play smash mouth football and run it down their throats and that's whats happening.

 

 

Yep, run up the gut or pass up the gut. We can't stop the running game with Poz and nobody can cover TEs. (Maybe Scott if he was playing SS). We are defenseless until we get bigger and better LBs, one stud MLB and an OLB who can cover.

[pioniere]

Great post, I think you hit the nail on the head. Poz is too slow and isn't nearly physical enough. I don't see him starting at MLB for too many other teams. There's a reason he didn't go in the 1st Round of his draft year. Of course, I was one of those who wanted to trade up and take Patrick Willis, but the Bills' braintrust wanted to outsmart everyone instead.

[keepthefaith]

Let's give him the Marshawn Lynch treatment. Let's "trade him now while we can get something for him" if he can manage to stay healthy for a few weeks straight. He doesn't seem to be any better than the guys backing him up. Those guys look just as capable when he is not in the game. POZ dances too much before hitting a hole and can't penetrate unless he has a full head of steam!!

 

 

ROFLOL. It just came to me in this post that Poz is the defensive "player" equivalent of Lynch.

 

I wonder why it is people want to get rid of Lynch because he is supposedly no better than Jackson but Poz is a corner stone of the defense.

 

I'm amazed that so many of the Bills' recent draft picks are not performing up to expectations. Get a coaching staff in here that knows how to develop players, preaches a more aggressive scheme on both sides of the ball and can game plan worth a crap and many will be better players.

[PDaDdy]

I'm amazed that so many of the Bills' recent draft picks are not performing up to expectations. Get a coaching staff in here that knows how to develop players, preaches a more aggressive scheme on both sides of the ball and can game plan worth a crap and many will be better players.

 

Those things indeed could be true. OR, our players could just sucks. Perhaps a little from column A and a little from column B. I was being a little tongue and cheek because I actually like Lynch a lot and would love to see what the guy can do behind a line that could open holes. A line that could get a guy through the line of scrimmage at full speed instead of dodging would be tacklers in the backfield or looking for cut back lanes.

 

Poz isn't all that bad but he definitely could be better. The biggest problem with the defense is being on the field for so long. By scheme I guess Poz has a lot of coverage responsibilities which he doesn't seem at all cut out for. In fact I think he is a complete non factor waste in the passing game.

 

Early in games they haven't been bad. Late in games being so small they just don't have the stamina to stand up to the bludgeoning that some of the offenses we play can dish out. This isn't the Ravens, the Bucanneers or Bears of old that spent most of their draft picks on defense and could win games with an offense scoring 10 pts or less. This is a Bills team that spent a LOT of picks on the offensive side of the ball or on little guys in the secondary. We can't try to play like those teams because our defense WILL wear down. I truly think Fewell has done a great job with what he has been given and has done the best he can to overcome an impotent offense but those guys can only be on the field for so long.

[PushthePile]

I'm amazed that so many of the Bills' recent draft picks are not performing up to expectations. Get a coaching staff in here that knows how to develop players, preaches a more aggressive scheme on both sides of the ball and can game plan worth a crap and many will be better players.

Fair enough but you can't set up a special gameplan for a MLB who gets wiped out in collisions. I would also argue that many of our young defensive players are showing serious upside.

[BobbyC81]

Great post, I think you hit the nail on the head. Poz is too slow and isn't nearly physical enough. I don't see him starting at MLB for too many other teams. There's a reason he didn't go in the 1st Round of his draft year. Of course, I was one of those who wanted to trade up and take Patrick Willis, but the Bills' braintrust wanted to outsmart everyone instead.

 

 

I'm not so sure the Bills would've taken Willis had he been available. Remember Levy's post-draft comments that they had 3 players targeted for their 1st round pick and they were all still available??? He also was happy that they actually got two of them, with getting Poz in the 2nd.

 

This past draft, they were probably set on taking Maybin that they wouldn't have picked Crabtree if he was still there. The holdout aside, Crabtree is an impact player. while Maybin is a project.

 

Living in No Cal, it's annoying seeing the Niners with both Willis (especially him) & Crabtree that were taken the pick before the Bills. Willis IS the key to the success of the Niners defense.

 

Looking back, I'm still amazed at some of the personell decisions made this offseason when Jauron knew he was in a make-or-break situation. Signing TO led us to believe that they were committed to winning but trading Peters, drafting the project in Maybin and two interior offensive linemen that became starters reflected just the opposite. Add to that the Langston Walker issue & adding Bell to the OL inexperience and these moves made no sense for a coach that needed his team to win to keep his job.

[PDaDdy]

I'm not so sure the Bills would've taken Willis had he been available. Remember Levy's post-draft comments that they had 3 players targeted for their 1st round pick and they were all still available??? He also was happy that they actually got two of them, with getting Poz in the 2nd.

 

This past draft, they were probably set on taking Maybin that they wouldn't have picked Crabtree if he was still there. The holdout aside, Crabtree is an impact player. while Maybin is a project.

 

Living in No Cal, it's annoying seeing the Niners with both Willis (especially him) & Crabtree that were taken the pick before the Bills. Willis IS the key to the success of the Niners defense.

 

Looking back, I'm still amazed at some of the personell decisions made this offseason when Jauron knew he was in a make-or-break situation. Signing TO led us to believe that they were committed to winning but trading Peters, drafting the project in Maybin and two interior offensive linemen that became starters reflected just the opposite. Add to that the Langston Walker issue & adding Bell to the OL inexperience and these moves made no sense for a coach that needed his team to win to keep his job.

 

What makes you think Jauron is GM? I actually doubt he was in favor of several of those moves. You bring up your own great points on why it is most likely that those moves were NOT of Jauron's doing.

[cåblelady]

Take pictures......please!

[mousetrap08]

You are right about Poz. We should be drafting LBs right from the get-go come April. Lots of them.

NO! we need more DB's can't have enough you know.

[realtruelove]

Make him the strength and conditioning coach.

[Stussy109]

Why is he dropping into coverage all the time. They should have him up to help the run/pass rush. The coaching sucks.

 

He can't blitz or get any penetration for the life of him. K Mitchell is our best blitzing LB, turning sideways, hopping over blockers to get pressure on the QB. Poz takes them head on and loses every time.

[Paup 1995MVP]

I think Poz sucks. I said it previously and I will continue to say so now. Poz rarely dominates a collision when he is making a tackle. He always kind of holds on, and kind of rides the man to the ground 2-3 yards up the field. The Texans had absolutely gaping holes to run thru up the middle in the second half. That is inexcusable. Poz has a lot of responsibility for that. That is his territory. He does not dominate or impose his will. His game is WEAK!! We can and have to do better at MLB. Poz would be a decent backup where maybe he could learn how to become a good player.

 

Our linebackers have to be amongst the worst if not the absolute worst group of LB's in the league. LB is a super important position on your defense. They provide a strong sense of toughness. We do NOT have that at all. It makes our team weak. The talent level on this team is just terrible at certain positions-LB, OT, QB, TE and not great at most other positions. Combine that with terrible, uninspiring coaching and leadership, and you have a god awful, boring, crappy team which is painful to watch.

[Thurman#1]

I completely agree about the time on the field. However, I think that Poz is starting to show his physical limitations. Even early in games he struggles to win heads up collisions. Even though our OLBs are adequate at best, they are virtually on an island many times. Inside support is coming late or not at all. I am starting to see a trend with big gains to the outside. Our opponents never seem to get to the edge. Their RBs are being contained and turned inside. Where no one is waiting or someone is getting dragged. I have his jersey, trust me I wanted him to be a stud too. Our LBs are weak and I'm starting to think MLB is the most glaring.

 

 

I don't see it. Early in games, he's winning his matchups consistently.

 

He isn't the problem.

 

A lot of the problem is that Williams and Stroud aren't on the field all the time. They're rotated in and out. Stroud in particular is very good. But we need a guy who is just plain huge to play the #1 slot. Williams does as good a job as you can expect, but he's physically limited. We need a Raji type. (But who doesn't?)

[Thurman#1]

Why is he dropping into coverage all the time. They should have him up to help the run/pass rush. The coaching sucks.

 

 

It's what the MLB does in the Cover 2. It's what Urlacher does in the same defense in Chicago.

[Thurman#1]

I think Poz sucks. I said it previously and I will continue to say so now. Poz rarely dominates a collision when he is making a tackle. He always kind of holds on, and kind of rides the man to the ground 2-3 yards up the field. The Texans had absolutely gaping holes to run thru up the middle in the second half. That is inexcusable. Poz has a lot of responsibility for that. That is his territory. He does not dominate or impose his will. His game is WEAK!! We can and have to do better at MLB. Poz would be a decent backup where maybe he could learn how to become a good player.

 

Our linebackers have to be amongst the worst if not the absolute worst group of LB's in the league. LB is a super important position on your defense. They provide a strong sense of toughness. We do NOT have that at all. It makes our team weak. The talent level on this team is just terrible at certain positions-LB, OT, QB, TE and not great at most other positions. Combine that with terrible, uninspiring coaching and leadership, and you have a god awful, boring, crappy team which is painful to watch.

 

 

 

Ray Lewis is absolutely horrible.

 

Or at least you would have thought so a few years ago before they drafted Ngata. Now he's awesome again, when nobody hits him before he hits the ball carrier.

 

Same problem with Poz.

[Mickey]

I think Poz is barely adequate, all things considered. He is no playmaker, thats for sure. He is not what we had hoped we drafted. But on a team that has as many needs as this one does, he hardly stands out as screeching for replacement. On the bright side, he won't be hard to sign when his contract expires. We won't have to worry about that pesky problem of signing a pro bowler to a new deal.

 

We need a pass rush mpre than anything on defense, still.

[PushthePile]

Ray Lewis is absolutely horrible.

 

Or at least you would have thought so a few years ago before they drafted Ngata. Now he's awesome again, when nobody hits him before he hits the ball carrier.

 

Same problem with Poz.

Ray Lewis explodes through a ball carrier. Poz ends up on his back and gets dragged for three yards. The difference between the two couldn't be more glaring. At 34 Ray is still making plays from sideline to sideline. He doesn't play at an all-time level anymore but he is still one of the best in the league.

 

DTs make a huge difference on a LBs ability to make plays. Stroud and Williams are doing a decent job this year, and have been healthy for the most part. They don't dominate but they do a nice job of eating up blockers. The Ravens were completely dominated up front for a season. It's not what we are experiencing in Buffalo. Our biggest problem at the tackle position is depth. Come the fourth quarter those blockers are getting to the second level and thats when we look like a highschool team.

 

My problem with Poz is that even early in games, when he roams free for the most part, he gets beat. Nic Harris made a couple of plays Sunday that I know Poz couldn't have made. I'm not advocating Harris to MLB, I'm just saying LBs need to stop ball carriers in their tracks.

 

If you focus in on Poz for an entire Sunday and then watch other MLBs around the league you will see a huge difference. Every team in the league doesn't have dominating tackles.