Bills Biggest Weaknesses Against the Jets

[dpberr]

They clearly had the mental edge as well. The Bills looked intimidated and weak.

 

+1. The Bills did not come out on the field armed for bear like they did against the Patriots and Eagles.

 

I don't think the Jets are all that much better than the Bills. It's just that our team showed up yesterday with no intensity. We lose those games.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Our offensive line has not been the issue. Also, what pass rushers do the Jets have? And it would be great if our receivers could just get away with pushing off like Burress does. It was a freaking joke.

 

Not against most teams, but against the Jets it was.

 

This was a close to the vest game. The O-line had a beat up Levitre playing out of position and some other guy at guard. That can work against the Redskins, but not against a team with 2 shutdown corners playing single coverage, freeing up a guy for pass rush and run support. The O-line managed, but the game plan had to be super conservative.

 

The defense played okay, 3 points in the 1st half is pretty good when your offense isn't moving the ball, they kept the Bills in the game for a half.

[C.Biscuit97]

Not against most teams, but against the Jets it was.

 

This was a close to the vest game. The O-line had a beat up Levitre playing out of position and some other guy at guard. That can work against the Redskins, but not against a team with 2 shutdown corners playing single coverage, freeing up a guy for pass rush and run support. The O-line managed, but the game plan had to be super conservative.

 

The defense played okay, 3 points in the 1st half is pretty good when your offense isn't moving the ball, they kept the Bills in the game for a half.

 

Fair enough and the injuries have hurt. But Fitz did miss some throws. And you have to beat one on one coverage at some point. They finally did at the end of the game but it was too late.

 

The gameplan on how to stop the Bills is out. Fitz is going to have to hit some deep passes to keep the defense honest.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Fair enough and the injuries have hurt. But Fitz did miss some throws. And you have to beat one on one coverage at some point. They finally did at the end of the game but it was too late.

 

The gameplan on how to stop the Bills is out. Fitz is going to have to hit some deep passes to keep the defense honest.

 

No other teams on the remaining schedule have a defense anywhere near the Jets.

 

I can't think of any other team that has 2 CB's like them. The Eagles maybe? (I don't think they played man to man against the Bills though).

Fitz did miss some throws , and there were other mistakes, but they had to play a near perfect game, or get some huge defensive plays to win a close to the vest game. They stayed in it for a half, but a few mistakes, some calls against them, and there you go.

 

I even wonder how different the game might have been if the Wilson interception wasn't overruled. Sanchez could have easily slipped into the goat role. The Jets are vulnerable too.

 

It was an important game, but I think people are overreacting because they feel like the Jets rubbed our faces in it. Lots more football to play for both teams, and all teams are evolving. This team can learn a lot about the Jets from this game,more I think, than the Jets will gather about these Bills, because the Bills were playing out of character.

Edited November 7, 2011 by Matthews' Bag

[2003Contenders]

1. Were the Jets a more physical team? Yes. They dominated the line of scrimmage and controlled the game from the start.

 

2. Are the Jets more talented, benefiting from better drafts over the last several years? Yes. I do not think you can even argue this, no matter how much you love the Bills. I would take Fred over Greene/LT but where else are the Bills better in terms of sheer talent? Personally, I would take Fitz over Sanchez because I believe that Sanchez is their weak link. However, if the Jets had a truly elite QB, they would be the best team in the AFC. Period. With that said, I also believe that the Eagles are a vastly more talented team -- and yet the Bills found a way to beat them.

 

3. Did the Jets play lights out, maybe their best defensive game of the year? Yes. There was clearly a sense of urgency with the Jets on Sunday. Maybe it was the extra bye week of preparation. Maybe it was because they felt like they matched up so well against the Bills and were very confident. Maybe they understood that the game represented a 2-game swing. A loss would have put them 2 games behind the Bills; a win put them in a virtual tie but with the tie-break advantage. For some reason, the Bills didn't get the memo about the importance of this game. The Jets didn't even do anything all that special; they just executed exceptionally well, especially on defense. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the opponent, and say "Good game. Hopefully, we will return the favor next time."

 

4. Did the Bills make too many mistakes yesterday? Yes. Fitz was wildly inaccurate (less than 50% completion percentage), missed some open receivers and tossed 2 INTs. Fred had his first fumble of the year and dropped a couple of passes. The WRs were erratic, dropping a number of passes too. Special teams allowed a huge return to open the 3rd quarter, which greatly impacted field position for the next several possessions. Drayton Florence and Leodis had their usual melt-downs.

 

5. Were the Jets aided by the refs frequently? Yes. The George Wilson non-INT reversal was terrible. That gave the Jets 3 points. I wonder if Wilson may have hurt his cause by acting somewhat suspicious when he got up? The Plaxico non-call on PI was ridiculous. The same ref called PI on Leodis on the next series, which looked like pretty good coverage. Was that a bias against defense -- or just a bad ref aiding the Jets? Those 3 calls alone add up to 17 points for the Jets that they MAY not have scored otherwise. I hate PI calls unless it is obvious interference, so I will not complain about all the non-calls on Revis. Still, the calls were very inconsistent. The point is that the refs certainly did the Bills no favors yesterday.

 

There any number of reasons why the Bills lost to the Jets yesterday. There may not be anything the team can do about some of these issues (at least this year), but they can certainly work on the things that they can control. If they can approach each game as a must-win (which is probably the case now after yesterday, anyway) and cut down on mistakes, they will win more games than they lose going forward.

[Spiderweb]

1. Playcalling: The Jets were stacking the box on us almost every down. We have to be able to pass the ball to create play action runs and screens against teams like the Jets. They're blitz happy, and you have to combat that with a better passing game and misdirection.

 

2. Lack of a Big Play WR: We are sorely lacking speed and athleticism in our WR group. Stevie and Nelson are keepers, but it's obvious that Roosevelt and Jones are mediocre talents on the outside. This should be a big priority in the offseason.

 

3. Outside Line Backer: Batten was awful. He gets pushed around out there like Maybin. And when you don't have speed to make up for it, then you're useless. It really hurt our run defense out there. Kelsay is pretty good when he's healthy. But we need a force on the outside BADLY. This needs to also be addressed in the offseason.

 

4. Special teams: What happened to our special teams? We used to get much better field position when Roscoe was returning punts, and McGee/Mckelvin were returning kickoffs. Yes the new kickoff rule has changed the game a bit, but we had several return opportunities that got us nowhere against the Jets. And McKnight pulled off a big return against us that made a big difference in the game. Something needs to change here.

 

5. Costly Mistakes: Two early interceptions from Fitzpatrick killed our momentum. We can't do that early in football games and expect to pull ourselves out of a hole. The Freddy fumble inside our own 20 hurt bad too. Add in McKelvin and McGee's deep pass interference calls and we were sunk. These big types of mistakes will lose ballgames every week.

 

Reality was that the Jets normally Blitz more often than they did yesterday, electing instead to keep their LBs crowding the short passing game Gailey and Fitz favor. I noticed a few more run blitzes than pass blitzes and their run blitzes were very effective. Even when we ran against 6 in the box, which was probably 4-5 times, we did very little overall, save one 20 plus yard run by Jackson. Play after play, it seemed as if the Jets knew where we were going before we did. Chan needs to work on that. Our tendencies are pretty well known now.

 

Oh, and no more pass completions short of the first down. Any WR who comes up a yard or less short in their route needs to be taken to the woodshed.

[dave mcbride]

Our offensive line has not been the issue. Also, what pass rushers do the Jets have? And it would be great if our receivers could just get away with pushing off like Burress does. It was a freaking joke.

I think our line really isn't all that great, and that Fitz's ability to get rid of the ball ASAFP covers up for a lot of the weakness. Demetrius Bell just isn't that good -- he isn't. Is he horrible? No. But the position could certainly be upgraded. I will say that the line is playing better than I expected it would.

 

Re: the Jets' pass rush, they can clearly get after it. Calvin Pace is a heckuva player now, and they have a bunch of guys who can bring it (Westerman, Wilkerson, etc.).

[PromoTheRobot]

You forgot "ability to commit penalties without getting flagged."

 

PTR

[xsoldier54]

That's total BS. And the same loser mentality fans have had the past decade. This team is on the rise, whether you like it or not.

Really? Total BS? Did you watch the game. The Jets were better in every single phase of the game. They were clearly the better team. I agree that the Bills are getting better, but they are not as good as the Jets yet.

[SF Bills Fan]

Play calling was a big problem yesterday. When they pinched the safeties, that is when we should have pitched outside to Fred for a run. It worked when we did it. We were not going far running up the middle. We could have used the screen pass more effectively. It was clear that the Jets with the extra week were well prepared to stop us. I think the Jets have more talent than the Bills do, but the Bills are young and on the rise. However, yesterday we were flat out outcoached and beaten by a better team.

[Green Lightning]

At this point in time, it's just true that the Jets are the better team - period. We're getting better and our D didn't get "run over" like the last two years. But let's be serious. We've got a ways to go to match their secondary, O-line and linebackers. A beatdown like we got yesterday, isn't the worst thing that could happen to all the young guys we had on D-line, LB's, O-line and receivers. It's how you learn. But realistically, the Jets, at this point in time, are the superior team and I can't wait to beat them as we improve.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

 

 

Oh, and no more pass completions short of the first down. Any WR who comes up a yard or less short in their route needs to be taken to the woodshed.

 

There is a good reason why passes are open just short of the 1st down. Defenses set up to allow them to catch it, then tackle them short. Sometimes that is the only option open. Many times the QB has to take that option and let the WR try to make a play to get the 1st.

 

"Taking a WR out to the woodshed" isn't going to change that. Do you beat your children?

 

I think our line really isn't all that great, and that Fitz's ability to get rid of the ball ASAFP covers up for a lot of the weakness. Demetrius Bell just isn't that good -- he isn't. Is he horrible? No. But the position could certainly be upgraded. I will say that the line is playing better than I expected it would.

 

Re: the Jets' pass rush, they can clearly get after it. Calvin Pace is a heckuva player now, and they have a bunch of guys who can bring it (Westerman, Wilkerson, etc.).

 

 

The line with Bell and Levitre in proper position is pretty good, and when they are in there Fitz has a bit more time to work with, and the receivers have a bit more time to get open, and the RB's have better timed & executed blocks.

 

The Jets have lost 3 games this season too.

[Gray Beard]

I think that going into the game Chan and Fitz were uncomfortable with the O-line. I think the Bills need to run the ball to beat the Jets, but without Bell (or even Hairston) playing and more importantly a beat up Levitre playing out of position AND not inside powering the inside running game, I think Chan & Fitz played too conservatively. They knew the CB's were great, and that there would be single coverage with an extra guy for pas rushing/run support, but they didn't have the horses on the line to match it. I think that really effected the gameplan.

If I was a coach with a guard who has a sore shoulder playing tackle, I would have a blocking tight end (Smith) or a back (McIntyre) helping him on most plays. I rarely saw that. Is it really that complicated?

[Got_Wood]

1. Were the Jets a more physical team? Yes. They dominated the line of scrimmage and controlled the game from the start.

 

2. Are the Jets more talented, benefiting from better drafts over the last several years? Yes. I do not think you can even argue this, no matter how much you love the Bills. I would take Fred over Greene/LT but where else are the Bills better in terms of sheer talent? Personally, I would take Fitz over Sanchez because I believe that Sanchez is their weak link. However, if the Jets had a truly elite QB, they would be the best team in the AFC. Period. With that said, I also believe that the Eagles are a vastly more talented team -- and yet the Bills found a way to beat them.

 

3. Did the Jets play lights out, maybe their best defensive game of the year? Yes. There was clearly a sense of urgency with the Jets on Sunday. Maybe it was the extra bye week of preparation. Maybe it was because they felt like they matched up so well against the Bills and were very confident. Maybe they understood that the game represented a 2-game swing. A loss would have put them 2 games behind the Bills; a win put them in a virtual tie but with the tie-break advantage. For some reason, the Bills didn't get the memo about the importance of this game. The Jets didn't even do anything all that special; they just executed exceptionally well, especially on defense. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the opponent, and say "Good game. Hopefully, we will return the favor next time."

 

4. Did the Bills make too many mistakes yesterday? Yes. Fitz was wildly inaccurate (less than 50% completion percentage), missed some open receivers and tossed 2 INTs. Fred had his first fumble of the year and dropped a couple of passes. The WRs were erratic, dropping a number of passes too. Special teams allowed a huge return to open the 3rd quarter, which greatly impacted field position for the next several possessions. Drayton Florence and Leodis had their usual melt-downs.

 

5. Were the Jets aided by the refs frequently? Yes. The George Wilson non-INT reversal was terrible. That gave the Jets 3 points. I wonder if Wilson may have hurt his cause by acting somewhat suspicious when he got up? The Plaxico non-call on PI was ridiculous. The same ref called PI on Leodis on the next series, which looked like pretty good coverage. Was that a bias against defense -- or just a bad ref aiding the Jets? Those 3 calls alone add up to 17 points for the Jets that they MAY not have scored otherwise. I hate PI calls unless it is obvious interference, so I will not complain about all the non-calls on Revis. Still, the calls were very inconsistent. The point is that the refs certainly did the Bills no favors yesterday.

 

There any number of reasons why the Bills lost to the Jets yesterday. There may not be anything the team can do about some of these issues (at least this year), but they can certainly work on the things that they can control. If they can approach each game as a must-win (which is probably the case now after yesterday, anyway) and cut down on mistakes, they will win more games than they lose going forward.

 

Great reply, thanks. I think we agree in a lot of areas. We'll see how they do when they don't have the bye week to prepare. I expect the next meeting to be much more competitive.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

If I was a coach with a guard who has a sore shoulder playing tackle, I would have a blocking tight end (Smith) or a back (McIntyre) helping him on most plays. I rarely saw that. Is it really that complicated?

 

Yeah, it could be.

 

I trust that Chan knows more about the game/teams than you do, and he decided that wasn't the best approach. Obviously, whatever you add to one area, you take away from another. Maybe they did the wrong thing, but I'm sure it was reasoned out. I just don't think they match up well with the Jets, and without the line at full strength, had to make do.

 

I'm not gonna tear into them, or think that YOU know more than the coaches. They were over-matched THIS GAME,with the tools available to them RIGHT NOW.

Edited November 7, 2011 by Matthews' Bag

[billnutinphoenix]

I think the Bills will beat them 2 times NEXT YEAR...But, we need to address OLB - I'd say get a Free Agent and a #1 Pick...Furthermore, we need a big physical corner...

Edited November 7, 2011 by billnutinphoenix

[NastyMan]

[b]1. Playcalling: The Jets were stacking the box on us almost every down. We have to be able to pass the ball to create play action runs and screens against teams like the Jets. They're blitz happy, and you have to combat that with a better passing game and misdirection.[/b]2. Lack of a Big Play WR: We are sorely lacking speed and athleticism in our WR group. Stevie and Nelson are keepers, but it's obvious that Roosevelt and Jones are mediocre talents on the outside. This should be a big priority in the offseason.3. Outside Line Backer: Batten was awful. He gets pushed around out there like Maybin. And when you don't have speed to make up for it, then you're useless. It really hurt our run defense out there. Kelsay is pretty good when he's healthy. But we need a force on the outside BADLY. This needs to also be addressed in the offseason.

 

4. Special teams: What happened to our special teams? We used to get much better field position when Roscoe was returning punts, and McGee/Mckelvin were returning kickoffs. Yes the new kickoff rule has changed the game a bit, but we had several return opportunities that got us nowhere against the Jets. And McKnight pulled off a big return against us that made a big difference in the game. Something needs to change here.

 

5. Costly Mistakes: Two early interceptions from Fitzpatrick killed our momentum. We can't do that early in football games and expect to pull ourselves out of a hole. The Freddy fumble inside our own 20 hurt bad too. Add in McKelvin and McGee's deep pass interference calls and we were sunk. These big types of mistakes will lose ballgames every week.

I totally agree with the "playcalling" that also goes hand in hand with coaching. What was Chan thinking trying to beat them down the field to open up the middle. I watched the whole game and I saw 1 screen attempt on the first series, and not another one until the forth quarter when we were getting out buts kicked. It seemed like Chan was out coaching himself. I mean the screen is our bread and butter and we should have kept running them all afternoon with FJ and Spiller. I was so disappointed. I would have rather gotten beat running screens all day then throwing deep to open up the run game. It should have been the other way around.

 

As for WR I think most teams only have two and some only one big time reciever. Johnson made some big catches against the best DB in the league, including his career long totally faking out Rieves. So we got that, just not Burress size, well Nelson is just not used in the same manner.

 

And totally agree Batten stunk.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Reality was that the Jets normally Blitz more often than they did yesterday, electing instead to keep their LBs crowding the short passing game Gailey and Fitz favor. I noticed a few more run blitzes than pass blitzes and their run blitzes were very effective. Even when we ran against 6 in the box, which was probably 4-5 times, we did very little overall, save one 20 plus yard run by Jackson. Play after play, it seemed as if the Jets knew where we were going before we did. Chan needs to work on that. Our tendencies are pretty well known now.

 

This is actually a very key observation. I have not had the time (nor frankly, the inclination) to score the game (tabulate what sets we are running by down and distance).

My impression, though, is that we have become quite predictable, and are not doing a good enough job at self-scouting to spot and stop it.

 

Rex can go toe to toe (sorry) with anyone when it comes to doing his research and putting a game plan together accordingly. Give him two weeks, and he'll know what you want for breakfast before you do.

 

I don't mind that the team got outplayed. They're a young team and will make mistakes. I have the strong feeling we got way outcoached, and moreover that Chan has been preparing unevenly, like he overworks one week and gets tired and can't put in as much time the next. That bothers me, 'cuz he's NOT a young coach and should know better. If he can't carry the workload and his assistants can't help him enough, he needs to find higher quality offensive assistants and a better stats guy for next year.

[Sisyphean Bills]

I think our line really isn't all that great, and that Fitz's ability to get rid of the ball ASAFP covers up for a lot of the weakness. Demetrius Bell just isn't that good -- he isn't. Is he horrible? No. But the position could certainly be upgraded. I will say that the line is playing better than I expected it would.

 

Re: the Jets' pass rush, they can clearly get after it. Calvin Pace is a heckuva player now, and they have a bunch of guys who can bring it (Westerman, Wilkerson, etc.).

When you're right, you're right.

[Gray Beard]

Yeah, it could be.

 

I trust that Chan knows more about the game/teams than you do, and he decided that wasn't the best approach. Obviously, whatever you add to one area, you take away from another. Maybe they did the wrong thing, but I'm sure it was reasoned out. I just don't think they match up well with the Jets, and without the line at full strength, had to make do.

 

I'm not gonna tear into them, or think that YOU know more than the coaches. They were over-matched THIS GAME,with the tools available to them RIGHT NOW.

I agree with your comments. I don't mean to be as arrogant as it seems. I think the Jets were better in too many facets of the game for the Bills to handle them this week. I believe the Jets are good enough to go deep into the playoffs this year. When watching the game, it's too easy to have 20/20 hindsight and start thinking that the coaches are overlooking things that seem so obvious. Clearly there are reasons why they are coaches and I am a couch potato. Things like injury details, film study, and practices are things that most fans don't have access to, which makes it kind of foolish to try to second guess things that happen in the game. For example, I think Fitz may be hurting more than he is letting on.