Loaded Questions

[ColdBlueNorth]

With the season over and not much more than the draft to look forward to I wanted to get a consensus on how folks felt about Fitz, about Elite QB's, and where they fit as part of a rebuilding effort.

 

Not to add fuel to the fire, but there seems to be some strong feelings on drafting an "Elite QB of the Future" for the Bills so I came up with some loaded questions meant to create some more debate on the topic and also gauge the stance of others here on the Wall.

 

My stance is simple:

 

That if we consider NE a good team to model ours after then:

 

You go after QBs with the qualities you are looking for - and they can be found anywhere in the draft, or not. You build up the talent and the supporting cast around your QBs (particularly the Offensive Line)and then you coach up that QB to play comfortably (once again the Offensive Line is key) within your system. You coach them to protect the ball and to not turn it over or panic. Protecting the ball is made more of a priority for anyone that is part of moving the ball.

 

If you don't have the talent up front to be dominant, you build your defense around pressuring QBs, take-aways, and preventing the big score. For as many large chunks of yards NE defense gives up in the middle of the field check out their defensive ranking in the red zone - teams do not come away with TDs. Running backs don't scamper through their secondary all the way to a TD celebration. Better linebacker, Safety, and DB play preventing the deep burn.

[reddogblitz]

WYou build up the talent and the supporting cast around your QBs (particularly the Offensive Line)and then you coach up that QB to play comfortably (once again the Offensive Line is key) within your system. You coach them to protect the ball and to not turn it over or panic. Protecting the ball is made more of a priority for anyone that is part of moving the ball.

 

If you don't have the talent up front to be dominant, you build your defense around pressuring QBs, take-aways, and preventing the big score. For as many large chunks of yards NE defense gives up in the middle of the field check out their defensive ranking in the red zone - teams do not come away with TDs. Running backs don't scamper through their secondary all the way to a TD celebration. Better linebacker, Safety, and DB play preventing the deep burn.

IMHO a huge part if St. Tom's success is due to his awesome offensive line. Looks like he's playing flag football with a 16 Mississippi rush back there. There's probably 15 other QBs in the NFL that could have led the Patsies to 14-2 this year.

 

I agree with you. QB IS the most important position in football. But a good offensive line is more important. A good QB with no help from the OLine looks like a mediocre QB at best.

Edited January 4, 2011 by reddogblitz

[ColdBlueNorth]

IMHO a huge part if St. Tom's success is due to his awesome offensive line. Looks like he's playing flag football with a 16 Mississippi rush back there. There's probably 15 other QBs in the NFL that could have led the Patsies to 14-2 this year.

 

I agree with you. QB IS the most important position in football. But a good offensive line is more important. A good QB with no help from the OLine looks like a mediocre QB at best.

 

True that, but do others feel the same way?

 

Bell is weak, and our right-side is weaker. Gailey has no faith that we can run on anybody, and he was touted as a guy who leans heavily on the run. We get down in the red zone and we go empty backfield, we have a one dimensional offense (throw it before you are killed) and it has really hurt us for too long.

 

The big boys need upgrades on both sides of the line.

[Mr. WEO]

IMHO a huge part if St. Tom's success is due to his awesome offensive line. Looks like he's playing flag football with a 16 Mississippi rush back there. There's probably 15 other QBs in the NFL that could have led the Patsies to 14-2 this year.

 

I agree with you. QB IS the most important position in football. But a good offensive line is more important. A good QB with no help from the OLine looks like a mediocre QB at best.

No one is better protected than the Manning boys. They have been sacked only 7 more times, COMBINED, than Brady this year. Meanwhile, the Lions have had several years of low sacks allowed, to no avail..

 

Cutler and Big Ben get spalttered routinely, but they're doing OK.

 

A top O-line is nice, but it's all about the QB. Saying that 15 QBs could have gone 14-2 with the pats is nonsense. There was an interesting analysis by Pat Kerwin recently about the success of teams that were able to pressure Brady. It didn't make any difference:

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d184b7/article/battering-brady-makes-sense-in-theory-but-its-risky?module=HP_cp2

[thewildrabbit]

Actually you need both a good QB and O line...its a team game and you need a team playing together to win.

 

I'm hoping the Bills upgrade both lines in the draft. Perhaps this year they might actually take a O tackle or two early.

[Phil Hansen Forever]

Look at Matt Cassell when he stepped in for Brady. The machine picked up the pace and kept winning, even though Cassell wasn't all that great.

 

The Bills need a really good TE, a better front line and plenty of new talent on defense, if you can legitimently call what we saw this year as "defense".