Draft To beat NE

[Mr_Blizzard]

In another 4 years, Bob Brady will be too old to play and they will need a new QB

 

. . . and the Bills will be working on another rebuilding plan

[Orton's Arm]

I've thought along these lines for years. Living in NorCal, I witnessed the Niners/Cowboys rivalry of the 80's and early 90's. Each offseason, they would make moves to counter the other team's strengths. Alvin Harper torching the Niners CBs, they draft one, Eric Davis, in the next draft. Cowboys O-line struggling to stop Charley Haley, they sign him away as free agent.

 

Even though the switch to 4 team divisions lessened the importance of divisional games slightly, you still want to beat the team(s) that you're competing with for the division title.

It's also worth noting that both teams had elite QBs (Aikman for the Cowboys, Young for the 49ers). Those two QBs largely canceled each other out.

 

If only one of those teams had had an elite QB, the competition between them would have been considerably different.

 

Over the last decade, the Patriots have had a significant advantage over the Bills in terms of quarterback play. A Bills win therefore requires the Bills to outplay the Patriots in other areas of the game by enough to cancel out the Patriots' quarterbacking edge. It has been a very long time since that's happened.

 

If the Bills want to beat the Patriots, it would really help if the Bills could eliminate the Patriots' advantage in quarterback play. The only way to do that is to acquire an elite quarterback of our own.

[bisonbrigade]

It's also worth noting that both teams had elite QBs (Aikman for the Cowboys, Young for the 49ers). Those two QBs largely canceled each other out.

 

If only one of those teams had had an elite QB, the competition between them would have been considerably different.

 

Over the last decade, the Patriots have had a significant advantage over the Bills in terms of quarterback play. A Bills win therefore requires the Bills to outplay the Patriots in other areas of the game by enough to cancel out the Patriots' quarterbacking edge. It has been a very long time since that's happened.

 

If the Bills want to beat the Patriots, it would really help if the Bills could eliminate the Patriots' advantage in quarterback play. The only way to do that is to acquire an elite quarterback of our own.

I guess 21 td's and 11 int's in 11 games isnt good enough. Fitz must really suck. Imagine if he played with a top five defense feeding him the ball with turnovers. No lets draft enougher rookie QB who will take three years to get to Fitz's level of play. Mean while the defense still stinks. Sure.

[Mr. WEO]

It's also worth noting that both teams had elite QBs (Aikman for the Cowboys, Young for the 49ers). Those two QBs largely canceled each other out.

 

If only one of those teams had had an elite QB, the competition between them would have been considerably different.

 

Over the last decade, the Patriots have had a significant advantage over the Bills in terms of quarterback play. A Bills win therefore requires the Bills to outplay the Patriots in other areas of the game by enough to cancel out the Patriots' quarterbacking edge. It has been a very long time since that's happened.

 

If the Bills want to beat the Patriots, it would really help if the Bills could eliminate the Patriots' advantage in quarterback play. The only way to do that is to acquire an elite quarterback of our own.

This simple point is being missed by many, EA. Witness all the posters telling us that "this is how we have to deal with Brady this year" stuff---like it's just that simple.

 

I guess 21 td's and 11 int's in 11 games isnt good enough. Fitz must really suck. Imagine if he played with a top five defense feeding him the ball with turnovers. No lets draft enougher rookie QB who will take three years to get to Fitz's level of play. Mean while the defense still stinks. Sure.

No Fitz doesn't suck. He's having a fine year. But in case you miss the point, Brady and the pats are putting up 32 points a game against the absolute BEST defenses in the League--while their own defense is not very good (hint--it's BOTTOM 6, not "top 5"). The Bills are averaging less than 20 points a game. Oh, and the Bills and pats have run the same number of plays from scrimmage. And the two defenses have produced nearly the same number of turnovers for their offenses.

 

What does this tell you?

 

Review the math.

[bisonbrigade]

This simple point is being missed by many, EA. Witness all the posters telling us that "this is how we have to deal with Brady this year" stuff---like it's just that simple.

 

 

No Fitz doesn't suck. He's having a fine year. But in case you miss the point, Brady and the pats are putting up 32 points a game against the absolute BEST defenses in the League--while their own defense is not very good (hint--it's BOTTOM 6, not "top 5"). The Bills are averaging less than 20 points a game. Oh, and the Bills and pats have run the same number of plays from scrimmage. And the two defenses have produced nearly the same number of turnovers for their offenses.

 

What does this tell you?

 

Review the math.

It tells me we need a defense better than the Jets and Steelers. Whats your idea winning footbal games 48 to 45. Doesnt work. Fitz puts plenty of points on the board, with a lackluster line and no TE. So drafting a rookie QB is going to put 45 points on the board a game????

[Mr. WEO]

It tells me we need a defense better than the Jets and Steelers. Whats your idea winning footbal games 48 to 45. Doesnt work. Fitz puts plenty of points on the board, with a lackluster line and no TE. So drafting a rookie QB is going to put 45 points on the board a game????

Better than the Steelers, Ravens, Jets.....OK. Brady will be long gone before this FO puts together such a defense. As I pointed out, Fitz/Bills don't put up many points. But you know what? The pats do--with an defense worse than ours. How, exactly, do you think they do it?

 

Let's hear your theory.

[Orton's Arm]

No Fitz doesn't suck. He's having a fine year. But in case you miss the point, Brady and the pats are putting up 32 points a game against the absolute BEST defenses in the League--while their own defense is not very good (hint--it's BOTTOM 6, not "top 5"). The Bills are averaging less than 20 points a game. Oh, and the Bills and pats have run the same number of plays from scrimmage. And the two defenses have produced nearly the same number of turnovers for their offenses.

 

What does this tell you?

 

Review the math.

A solid post! Fitz is a solid QB; and is a lot better than Edwards or Losman. No doubt about that. But like you've pointed out yourself, he's still not at Brady's level of play; and that still gives the Patriots a significant advantage.

 

If you want a solid offense, you should have very good-to-eilte players at three key positions: QB, LT, #1 WR. Players like that often last a very long time: look at the length of Orlando Pace's useful career, or Peyton Manning's, or Jerry Rice's. More generally, elite offenses seem to last a long time. Joe Montana and the 49ers' offense put that team in Super Bowl contention for a decade. Conversely, the Chicago Bears had an elite defense in '85, but they failed to maintain that defense for nearly as long as the 49ers maintained their elite offense. The Bears won just one Super Bowl to Montana's four because their elite defense came and went so quickly. Likewise, the Ravens won that one Super Bowl back in 2000, but they too failed to maintain an elite defense over the course of a number of years. This is not to say they weren't still good for a while--but there's a big difference between having an above-average, tough defense, and having a Ravens of 2000 defense.

 

The Patriots are another example of this: their defense has obviously faded, and is being rebuilt. Meanwhile, their top-tier offense keeps performing at a high level. Another example is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had an elite defense for a while back in 2002, but that's long since faded away. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning and the Colts maintained an elite-level offense for a very long period of time.

 

If you want an elite offense, you may be able to get by with a LT who's merely above-average. Matt Light is no Orlando Pace. You may even be able to get by without an elite WR; as the Patriots' offense did for many years. But you have to have an elite QB. That's the one position where you can't afford to skimp. That's why I favor trading up in the draft to take Andrew Luck, assuming that option will be available to the Bills. He's being billed as a safe pick who will pan out somewhere between Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning. Surround a guy like that with the kinds of unexpected success stories that keep cropping up on the offense--Steve Johnson, Nelson, etc.--and you'll have a very Patriots'-like offense! If you were to then add an Orlando Pace and a Larry Fitzgerald to the mix, and fill all offensive holes with solid players, you'd have an offense that would be feared.

[BillnutinHouston]

Basically, I think if you have a chance to draft what seems to be a one-in-a-generation QB, like a Manning or Brady, then you do whatever you can to get him, because that kind of QB can raise the level of your team and make you a contender year in and out.

 

However, if you can't get someone like that, then why bother with questionable guys when we already have a suitable Qb in Fitz? I say, in that case, draft front seven all the way.

 

This is my view as well.

[Pneumonic]

Also keep in mind that it's not just the drafted players that you must hit on to combat the Pats. Of the players on the Pats 53 man roster, 15 of them went undrafted. So, the Pats coach=up players like few other teams do.

[ColdBlueNorth]

Also keep in mind that it's not just the drafted players that you must hit on to combat the Pats. Of the players on the Pats 53 man roster, 15 of them went undrafted. So, the Pats coach=up players like few other teams do.

My point as well.

 

I keep hearing that Brady and Belicheat have been the only constant on the Patriots team over the years. That, right after a post discussing Cassel's success at NE.

 

The constant has been Belichick, and most times he simply out-coaches his opponent. The other thing NE has is poise and confidence. They believe they will pull out a game regardless of the score in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter. How many close games have we had against NE where our team shot itself in the freakin foot to lose it in the end? Green Bay with a rookie QB took them down to the wire - a solid job of coaching there by McCarthy, but it slipped away from them in the end.

 

New England's defense isn't that good, and they give up a lot of yards, but they are top 5 in red-zone defense. You can get down there, but they make it hard to come away with a TD. That is a trend the Bills have to find a way to reverse.

[billnutinphoenix]

I'd LOVE a HIGH PICK but if it means beating the Pats and giving the Jets the division, that'd be awesome!!!