Casey D Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 It is interesting to see how many people want to pin the loss entirely on Bledsoe. I was at the game and just watched the game on tape, and this was, most assuredly, a team loss. Let's take a look: Coaching-- extremely cautious game plan. On both sides of the ball, very few chances were taken. We played to "not lose," not to win. No downfield passing. Horrible decision to run gadget play with Williams substituting for a dinged McGahee. Going for the missed FG instead of a first down--although not clearly wrong--certainly did not show a go for the jugular attitude. Understandable errors and meekness from a rookie staff--hopefully a tough lesson learned. Special teams--worse game of the year. Fumble on first punt of the game set up Pittsburgh 3-0. 4 penalties on returns. Moorman's punting was horrible, as were Lindell's kickoffs(especially when compared to Pitt, who kiced off into the endzone consistently). And of course, the 28 yard field goal miss. Defense-- no answer for Pittsburgh's running game. Allowed 60 yard run right after missed FG. Allowed a 9 minute all run drive with 11:30 left in the game for a FG. The line was simply getting blown off the ball by a very physical Pittsburgh O-line. Offense-- four dropped passes, Evans did not make a catch until 2 minutes left. Line with injuries did not provide much time to throw or running room. Lack of real TE's hurt. Bledsoe-- not good. Could have had 3-4 picks. Tried to make too much happen by holding ball too long on Pitt. fumble TD(although Reed failed to recognize he was the hot receiver and left Bledsoe in a world of hurt), after Bills had fallen behind. Penalties--12 overall, to go with 3 turnovers. Reed's stupid and totally unnecessary pass interference on Burns' first down at 5 probably prevented the Bills from opening up an 8 point lead with a quarter to go. If Bills fix just a couple of these things, they win. That said, the Bills finished 9-3. They went 3-4 against playoff teams, which is not good enough, but not terrible either. They have two decent QBs--hopefully Losman can come along to the satisfaction of the coaches to start, but until he is Bledsoe has shown he can win games while the kid learns. A little help up front on the O-line, a better third receiver(Reed has to go), and a fully healthy McGahee with a year of experience and it should be a great year next year... CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1billsfan Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Wrong, the defense came away with three turnovers and scored a damn touchdown!!!! What did the offense and specials do?..........GAVE AWAY 16 POINTS AND THE GAME! Try as you may, you can't pin this one on the defense bro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Wrong, the defense came away with three turnovers and scored a damn touchdown!!!! What did the offense and specials do?..........GAVE AWAY 16 POINTS AND THE GAME! Try as you may, you can't pin this one on the defense bro. 191543[/snapback] Uh, yeah you can. 9 minute ALL RUNNING PLAY drive with numerous missed tackles against a team with a Toronto Maple Leaf forward at QB. Are you friggin' kidding me? Top shelf defenses don't wilt in the 4th quarter at home against 2nd and 3rd stringers when their season is on the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1billsfan Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Uh, yeah you can. 9 minute ALL RUNNING PLAY drive with numerous missed tackles against a team with a Toronto Maple Leaf forward at QB. Are you friggin' kidding me? Top shelf defenses don't wilt in the 4th quarter at home against 2nd and 3rd stringers when their season is on the line. 191545[/snapback] Even great defenses get spent when their offenses and specials keep giving it up to the other team. C'mon, you can't figure that one out???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Even great defenses get spent when their offenses and specials keep giving it up to the other team. C'mon, you can't figure that one out???? 191549[/snapback] Nothing more than excuse making. Great defenses make plays when the game is on the line. Giving up 9 minute drives against a 3rd string QB/RB with nary an offensive starter on the field ain't the stuff legends are made of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark VI Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 It was a total team lack of effort that led to the loss. You are correct. Still doesn't change the fact we need improvements at various positions on this team. Kicker,OL,TE and QB. Like other posters have pointed out, you cannot expect the Defense and Special Teams to have the number of TD's they registered in 2004. That was a freak occurance. So the offense MUST improve and the above positions need a boost. Bledsoe deserved PLENTY of blame. He was below average to terrible in multiple games since the middle of 2002. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eSJayDee Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Let's see, the defense gave up 1 TD & 5 FGs. Twice they took the field w/ Pitt already in FG position. They also scored a TD. So basically, they were responsible for surrendering 9 points. ST gave up the ball once inside our 20 & missed a FG that they should make over 90% of the time. So let's say their contribution was a net loss of 6 points. The offense scored 2 TDs & drove into position for 2 FGs. They also surrendered the ball deep in their territory AND gave up a TD. So their output amounts to like 10 points. Out of those results, which is more likely to create or win or loss? Dee giving up 9 points? I certainly hope you win most of those. ST surrendering 6 points? It certainly doesn't help you win, but it isn't the cause of the loss. (Ask the Rams about lousy ST.) How 'bout an offense that only nets 10 points? Let's see, on an average, that would make you the worst offense in the league, by a large margin. Also I suspect the 260 or whatever yards they gained would probably also rank them last. (I'd like to add that surprisingly, our Dee held their offense to 5 less yards.) Our offense at its best is only mediocre, one a bad day (which is about 1/2 the time), it sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey D Posted January 3, 2005 Author Share Posted January 3, 2005 Wrong, the defense came away with three turnovers and scored a damn touchdown!!!! What did the offense and specials do?..........GAVE AWAY 16 POINTS AND THE GAME! Try as you may, you can't pin this one on the defense bro. 191543[/snapback] No one is "pinning" the loss on the defense--it was a team loss. If you think the defense's performance was top-notch, I disagree. Buffalo was winning 17-16 with a quarter to play--no scoring, Bills win. Did the defense give up that 60 yard run than led to Pittsburgh going ahead for good? Thought so. This is a really good defense, but it was average yesterday, especially when all the chips were on the line...CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKC Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 No one is "pinning" the loss on the defense--it was a team loss. If you think the defense's performance was top-notch, I disagree. Buffalo was winning 17-16 with a quarter to play--no scoring, Bills win. Did the defense give up that 60 yard run than led to Pittsburgh going ahead for good? Thought so. This is a really good defense, but it was average yesterday, especially when all the chips were on the line...CD 191578[/snapback] A team loss no doubt, much in the same fashion as our team wins along the way. That sadi, the most disappointing thing was waiting for one of the high-priced/high-profile players on offense to come up with a big play, yet on the overall they failed. Moulds was awful; a team isn't going to win with their "go to" WR dropping 2 or 3 balls in the "big game". Bledsoe's continued lack of accuracy in the short game creates difficulty that's merely exacerbated by the poor hands he's throwing to on many occasions. I suspect if Burns simply makes the easy play and picks up the blind side rusher the Steelers pay big for that blitz and it slows everything else down for the balance of the game. In fact just the opposite happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Here's the headline we DIDN'T see this morning, or any other time this year (except maybe the game in Miami): "Remarkable Performance by Bledsoe Bails Out Off-Day for Bills' D, Special Teams." Contrast that with the headlines we DID see all season: "Bills D, Special Teams and Willis Dominate, Despite Mediocre Day by Drew." The guy NEVER bails out the rest of the team - in fact, they're usually bailing him out. It's a miracle we ended up 9-7 with him at the helm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdharge Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 No one is "pinning" the loss on the defense--it was a team loss. If you think the defense's performance was top-notch, I disagree. Buffalo was winning 17-16 with a quarter to play--no scoring, Bills win. Did the defense give up that 60 yard run than led to Pittsburgh going ahead for good? Thought so. This is a really good defense, but it was average yesterday, especially when all the chips were on the line...CD 191578[/snapback] This was a total loss But I be Damn if the Defense take the lions share of this.This my friends has to go strictly to the Coaching Staff for not having the B***s to go for the throat and having Faith in his team.The Coaching Staff IMHO was playing to close to the vest. Imagine this everyone at the Ralph was screaming go for it ...... Willis was gashing them remember we started a the 1 inch line.Imagine yourself on Defense you feel that if the go for it either the will be able impose their Will or the Defense will have the Offensive Deep in Bills Territory.Now as a fan or Defense might have felt at the time; if my team miss that 4th and 1 fine we went for the juglar and didnt make.Iwouldn't have been frustrated if my coach said F**k it lets go for it.That was the same way the Defense felt but if you play it safe and you blow it I felt it;Well they was saying just what i said What the F**k.I was close enough I heard them. thats when they pop that quick hitter between the tackles for the 58 yard run .They was truly thinking of that series......We all were Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Nothing more than excuse making. Great defenses make plays when the game is on the line. Giving up 9 minute drives against a 3rd string QB/RB with nary an offensive starter on the field ain't the stuff legends are made of. 191559[/snapback] 1) The D played against Pitt's first string Oline all game. 2) The D was put into pressure situations several times in the first three quarters and responded every time. 3) The D has played dominant football, especially in the second half, for the last 8 games. 4) Our O was so anemic in the first half, the Steelers had run 35 plays to our 15.......yet the D was still keeping them out of the endzone. 5) Bledsoe sucks. 6) The D should NEVER have been in the position of having to stop a late game drive by the Steelers......we played a JV team, particularly their defense, and we choked.....particularly our offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 1) The D played against Pitt's first string Oline all game. 191727[/snapback] No they didn't but don't let that get in the way. Tell me more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1billsfan Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 No they didn't but don't let that get in the way. Tell me more. 191730[/snapback] He did tell you more. See 2 through 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 No they didn't but don't let that get in the way. Tell me more. 191730[/snapback] they played most of the game, man Look, our defense got us three turnovers........that should be more than enough against a team at full strength.......they did their job. By the fourth quarter they were most likely exhausted, not to mention frustrated. There was no excuse for our offense to have played as poorly as they did. They played like crap from the first possession of the game. I'm sorry, but the fourth quarter should have been irrelevant. We should have been able to have OUR backups in by then. How many turnovers did the D get for us this year? How many points did they score? Hell, they made the offense look better than it really was all year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey D Posted January 4, 2005 Author Share Posted January 4, 2005 they played most of the game, man Look, our defense got us three turnovers........that should be more than enough against a team at full strength.......they did their job. By the fourth quarter they were most likely exhausted, not to mention frustrated. There was no excuse for our offense to have played as poorly as they did. They played like crap from the first possession of the game. I'm sorry, but the fourth quarter should have been irrelevant. We should have been able to have OUR backups in by then. How many turnovers did the D get for us this year? How many points did they score? Hell, they made the offense look better than it really was all year! 191741[/snapback] Why are you such an apologist for the defense. They are very good, but they failed at key times yesterday. After the missed FG--and they had been off the field about 15 minutes at that point--rather than stuff Pitts third string QB and RB, they ripped a 60 yard run. They failed in the clutch. Fatigue, that's absurd at that point in time. Defense also failed in Jax game and first NYJ game. That's not to say they aren't really good, they are. But if they want to be considered an elite defense, they need to hold leads and take control late in the game...CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey D Posted January 4, 2005 Author Share Posted January 4, 2005 they played most of the game, man Look, our defense got us three turnovers........that should be more than enough against a team at full strength.......they did their job. By the fourth quarter they were most likely exhausted, not to mention frustrated. There was no excuse for our offense to have played as poorly as they did. They played like crap from the first possession of the game. I'm sorry, but the fourth quarter should have been irrelevant. We should have been able to have OUR backups in by then. How many turnovers did the D get for us this year? How many points did they score? Hell, they made the offense look better than it really was all year! 191741[/snapback] And as to playing most of the game, when Pitt got the ball with 11:15 remaining, Pitt led the time of possession battle by about 1 minute. And the problem with that was that Pitt was 8/18 on third down conversions, and 1/1 on fourth. That's not good defense...CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Why are you such an apologist for the defense. They are very good, but they failed at key times yesterday. After the missed FG--and they had been off the field about 15 minutes at that point--rather than stuff Pitts third string QB and RB, they ripped a 60 yard run. They failed in the clutch. Fatigue, that's absurd at that point in time. Defense also failed in Jax game and first NYJ game. That's not to say they aren't really good, they are. But if they want to be considered an elite defense, they need to hold leads and take control late in the game...CD 191744[/snapback] If you want to call me an apologist for the defense, I'll accept that. They deserve someone to defend them. They've been dominant all year long. But more importantly, I sat here and watched the game as it happened. I saw how it went, and aside from a few third down conversions that they allowed to Maddox I felt they did their job. Spikes even tried to get the offense fired up following his interception, and Bledsoe and the rest of them came out like a bunch of floppy fish. I'll use the example I've used since the game ended, which some people still just don't seem to get........if you took out NINE of our defensive starters for over half the game, you'd probably lose to any healthy team in the NFL. Well you know what? Yesterday WE were supposed to be the healthy team........Aside from Willis, the rest of the offense was AWOL.......and Drew literally gave them points on two separate occasions. I'm sorry, but that is unacceptable. Like I said, the fourth quarter should have been irrelevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Fatigue, that's absurd at that point in time. 191744[/snapback] To say that, you must have very little understanding of the game. Why do you think that teams try to establish the run? What is it always said that being able to run and stop the run are the two keys to winning a championship? Think about it........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1billsfan Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 To say that, you must have very little understanding of the game. Why do you think that teams try to establish the run? What is it always said that being able to run and stop the run are the two keys to winning a championship? Think about it........... 191769[/snapback] Don't bother. The fact that the offense and special teams gave away 13 points and the defense scored 7 is complete lost on them. They will never get how these facts were the iceberg to the team's titanic failure yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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