A Few Thoughts About The Game

[reddogblitz]

In the case of Stevie Johnson, there are many people who believe that he had been distracted for several weeks. He spent a lot of time with what looked to be overblown celebrations, tweeting,

I like what David Nelson does when he scores a TD. Acts like it ain't no big thing. He's been to the EZ before and he'll be there again. And I suspect he's right.

[8-8 Forever?]

Losing guys from the O-Line absolutely killed the bills today. Minnesota's D is too good to stop with 2nd and 3rd team guys. We need to get some better players.

This is just one long preseason.. good to see Wang getting some reps. Need to get more of him on tape so the coaches can see what he can and can't do. Same for Moats. So all good. Frankly, Maybin should be playing a lot as they already know what they have in the other OLBs. Just start the guy and let him play an entire game or two. Like in preseason. too bad this is probably preseason for 2012, not 2011.

[Bill from NYC]

Good post, as usual! Here are some of my thoughts.

 

 

11) After yesterday's game, I'm less optimistic than I'd been. A few weeks ago, I would have said that if the Bills could get an elite QB, two elite pass rushers for their defensive front-7, and a few solid players at other positions (such as RT and LB), they'd be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Now I'm not so sure. Fitz is solid, but not elite. Everything else from that list is still a need. Plus they can't have guys like Bell getting dominated as he was yesterday, or McKelvin playing the way he did. Then you have to think about whether McGee will fully recover from his injuries. As scary as it is to say this, the Bills might actually have a hole at starting CB. I'm not happy about that, for obvious reasons! Especially because you'd normally expect to have to use a first round pick on your #1 CB. I mean, with all the early draft picks that have been dumped into the secondary over the last five years or so, you'd think that was one part of the football team we wouldn't have to worry about!!

 

The four most valued positions on draft day are QB, RDE, LT, and CB. A guy like Nix might think to himself, if CB is one of the four most premium positions, and if the Bills don't have a true #1 CB, and if the best player available when the Bills' first round pick comes along is a CB, it might make sense to . . .. Conversely, if the Bills ignore the apparent CB problem over the next few years, it will hurt them. A team should have a good #1 CB--like an Antoine Winfield--so that you're not forced to double-cover the other team's best WR.

 

Again, I truly do enjoy your football posts. Time and again they make sense and are thought provoking. However, I will not debate the above with you. Nope, I will merely ask you to take it back.

[Bob in STL]

I like what David Nelson does when he scores a TD. Acts like it ain't no big thing. He's been to the EZ before and he'll be there again. And I suspect he's right.

 

 

Me too.

 

I think Nelson couild be the next star WR for the Bills.

[Orton's Arm]

Again, I truly do enjoy your football posts. Time and again they make sense and are thought provoking. However, I will not debate the above with you. Nope, I will merely ask you to take it back.

 

Thanks for the compliments about my posting in general. I got a chuckle out of that last part!

 

I wish I could take back that stuff about the first round CB. Unfortunately, I think a first round CB is a strong possibility for either 2011 or 2012. I'm not one to object to having talented cornerbacks, but the amount of first round picks this team has used on defensive backs over the years is absolutely staggering; and is a key reason for the decade-long playoff drought.

 

Since 2001, the Bills have used three first round picks on defensive backs: Nate Clements, Donte Whitner, and Leodis McKelvin. They used a second rounder on Byrd, and third rounders on Coy Wire and Ashton Youboty. Of those players, Clements went first-contract-and-out, Whitner proved better at hitting and tackling than at covering TEs, McKelvin gets fooled far too easily, Byrd hasn't been playing well lately, and Wire and Youboty were not starter quality. There's not a single success story in any of that.!!

 

The front office's dysfunctionality WRT the defensive secondary is a microcosm of the mismanagement of the team as a whole. Take Jabari Greer for example. He was an UDFA, he played well for the Bills, he wanted to stay in Buffalo, and his contract demands were inline with his performance. But we let him walk, having been outbid by the Saints by $500,000/year.

 

Leodis McKelvin had been drafted shortly before Greer walked away. Possibly McKelvin's presence on the roster was why the Bills weren't more aggressive about keeping Greer. But at least right now, McKelvin's instincts look poor, which may well prevent him from being a good player. That means that the Bills will have blown the 11th overall pick in order to get a downgrade from Greer at one of the starting CB spots.

 

As of today, the nickel package for the 2011 Bills will contain McGee, McKelvin, Florence, Byrd, and Whitner. Of those five guys, there's not one you can point to and say, "This guy is a solid answer!" Not one. McGee has nerve damage + age, McKelvin questionable instincts, Florence is getting older, Whitner is a liability in coverage, and Byrd hasn't played well lately. If Jauron was still here to see that mess, he's shake his head, wait until draft day, and then . . . !

 

Right now the Bills' secondary is a mess because the Bills have sometimes drafted poorly (Whitner, Youboty, possibly McKelvin and/or Byrd), and because they've let their best players walk. Back when Winfield was a Bill, no Bills' DB was more worth keeping than him. You could also say the same about Clements--at least after Winfield had left--and you could say it about Greer. That's three different times in the past decade when the Bills' DB with the best combination of youth + proven accomplishment walked in free agency with no compensation!!

 

As a Bills fan, I'd love to be able to tell myself that we got some compensation for the misery of the Jauron years. You'd think that with a defensive back as the head coach, another defensive back as the defensive coordinator, and a slew of early picks used on DBs, that the Bills' defensive secondary would be in fine shape, even if everything else was in shambles. Unfortunately that isn't the case; and there seem to be about as many holes at DB as at any other four or five randomly chosen positions you'd care to name. My own preference is to focus on key areas like QB, OL, and DL first if and when possible. But there's a chance the Bills' front office may see things differently.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

To add to what Edwards' Arm wrote, after allowing Jabari Greer to walk, the Bills then extended Terrence McGee, who was coming off a so-so year.

 

Indeed, the Bills are much thinner at cornerback than most people would think, owing again to poor personnel decisions.

[Ramius]

Well, as long as Detroit picks before we do, you won't have to worry about Patrick Petersen being on the board when we're up.

[Bill from NYC]

 

Thanks for the compliments about my posting in general. I got a chuckle out of that last part!

 

I wish I could take back that stuff about the first round CB. Unfortunately, I think a first round CB is a strong possibility for either 2011 or 2012. I'm not one to object to having talented cornerbacks, but the amount of first round picks this team has used on defensive backs over the years is absolutely staggering; and is a key reason for the decade-long playoff drought.

 

Since 2001, the Bills have used three first round picks on defensive backs: Nate Clements, Donte Whitner, and Leodis McKelvin. They used a second rounder on Byrd, and third rounders on Coy Wire and Ashton Youboty. Of those players, Clements went first-contract-and-out, Whitner proved better at hitting and tackling than at covering TEs, McKelvin gets fooled far too easily, Byrd hasn't been playing well lately, and Wire and Youboty were not starter quality. There's not a single success story in any of that.!!

 

The front office's dysfunctionality WRT the defensive secondary is a microcosm of the mismanagement of the team as a whole. Take Jabari Greer for example. He was an UDFA, he played well for the Bills, he wanted to stay in Buffalo, and his contract demands were inline with his performance. But we let him walk, having been outbid by the Saints by $500,000/year.

 

Leodis McKelvin had been drafted shortly before Greer walked away. Possibly McKelvin's presence on the roster was why the Bills weren't more aggressive about keeping Greer. But at least right now, McKelvin's instincts look poor, which may well prevent him from being a good player. That means that the Bills will have blown the 11th overall pick in order to get a downgrade from Greer at one of the starting CB spots.

 

As of today, the nickel package for the 2011 Bills will contain McGee, McKelvin, Florence, Byrd, and Whitner. Of those five guys, there's not one you can point to and say, "This guy is a solid answer!" Not one. McGee has nerve damage + age, McKelvin questionable instincts, Florence is getting older, Whitner is a liability in coverage, and Byrd hasn't played well lately. If Jauron was still here to see that mess, he's shake his head, wait until draft day, and then . . . !

 

Right now the Bills' secondary is a mess because the Bills have sometimes drafted poorly (Whitner, Youboty, possibly McKelvin and/or Byrd), and because they've let their best players walk. Back when Winfield was a Bill, no Bills' DB was more worth keeping than him. You could also say the same about Clements--at least after Winfield had left--and you could say it about Greer. That's three different times in the past decade when the Bills' DB with the best combination of youth + proven accomplishment walked in free agency with no compensation!!

 

As a Bills fan, I'd love to be able to tell myself that we got some compensation for the misery of the Jauron years. You'd think that with a defensive back as the head coach, another defensive back as the defensive coordinator, and a slew of early picks used on DBs, that the Bills' defensive secondary would be in fine shape, even if everything else was in shambles. Unfortunately that isn't the case; and there seem to be about as many holes at DB as at any other four or five randomly chosen positions you'd care to name. My own preference is to focus on key areas like QB, OL, and DL first if and when possible. But there's a chance the Bills' front office may see things differently.

 

You know, I actually tried to answer you but I cannot. You are kicking my ass. It is too much for me to even entertain the idea of a first round corner. Sorry.

[tennesseeboy]

Look at the bills defensive backs playing well in the nfl. Winfield, Clements, Greer, Leonhard. It is pretty pathetic to think of how we put such a priority on the db positions but fail to keep them. I kind of feel like buffalo is a feeder team for the league.

[Peace]

Look at the bills defensive backs playing well in the nfl. Winfield, Clements, Greer, Leonhard. It is pretty pathetic to think of how we put such a priority on the db positions but fail to keep them. I kind of feel like buffalo is a feeder team for the league.

 

The Bills corners are good. They just don't have a pass rush.

[rockpile]

He is too small to run over anyone.

 

If Spiller only could find a split second whole to run thru he would not have to "bounce" anywhere!

I will hold off one more year to judge this kid.

[reddogblitz]

If Spiller only could find a split second whole to run thru he would not have to "bounce" anywhere!

I will hold off one more year to judge this kid.

If the Bills OLine could open up holes like the Clemson line did, he'd be awesome. I haven't given up on him, but I'm very skeptical at this point.

[Sisyphean Bills]

You know, I actually tried to answer you but I cannot. You are kicking my ass. It is too much for me to even entertain the idea of a first round corner. Sorry.

Want to talk about RB or WR? The Bills have spent high picks on RB with Henry, McGahee, Lynch, and Spiller. They've also spent high picks on WR with Reed, Evans, Parrish, and Hardy.

 

And for the counter-argument: they did take Mike Williams, JP Losman, and Aaron Maybin at the key positions of QB, LT, and DE.

 

What a mess.

[Orton's Arm]

You know, I actually tried to answer you but I cannot. You are kicking my ass. It is too much for me to even entertain the idea of a first round corner. Sorry.

The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

 

Many Bills fans--myself included--have gone through some of those stages WRT the Bills' past early draft picks on CBs. I think stage 3/the bargaining stage = "at least we won't have to worry about the defensive secondary anymore." Stage 4 = a recognition that the Bills' secondary still has plenty of holes, or at least serious question marks. The other part of stage 4/depression stage is the realization that the Bills may well use yet more early picks on DBs.