Kemp2Warlick Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) Mike sounding like a Pats* fan here....http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast Edited August 17, 2013 by Beerball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangarang Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Did you even read the entire article? I didn't see a single issue with what was said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kemp2Warlick Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 must be the homer in me.....looking thru my kool-aid glasses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladiebla Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Nothing wrong with that article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Cain Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Still don't understand why teams don't think we won't be blitzing, that's our defense, prepare for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) http://espn.go.com/b...-trick-or-treat  I think it was cool to read Ponder saying this in Rodak's article: "Just their whole defense was pretty exotic. They had some exotic personnel and different schemes, it was a little different and sometimes it was a little hard for us to identify."  After quoting Leslie Frazier saying something about the Vikes not preparing for the game the same way as the Bills, Rokak goes on to say:  Was the Vikings not being ready for Pettine's defense the Bills' problem? Not at all. And come the regular season, when teams do prepare for it, Pettine still has ways of keeping defenses off balance.  Seeing Frazier's name reminds me I wanted him to be chosen as our head coach instead of Gailey a few years ago. Frazier went 3-13 in his first year as a HC of the Vikes but 10-6 last year. He's already produced one more winning season than Chan. But Chan's gone now and I'm happy thus far with Marrone. Edited August 17, 2013 by hondo in seattle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Partly true, but its not like we gameplanned either...in an interview with John Murphy earlier in the week Pettine said they are using nowhere close to their whole complement of defensive pressures in the preseason... Â I can't wait til we get to see how Pettine plays the chess game with opposing coordinators... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Lightning Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I don't have an issue with this. Kinda reinforcing that Petine can adapt his D if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 As those of us who live in Atlanta can attest to - in case there is need for a recent example, anyway - an upgrade at the DC spot can have a huge bearing on performance. Mike Nolan had average talent on that side of the ball to work with last year, yet he was able to get them to perform at a higher level than their talent would indicate. He was a big reason why the team took out Seattle and came within a hair of taking down the 49'ers. That's not to take anything away from what Matt Ryan and the offense achieved, cause they took another step up, as well. But Nolan is a difference maker as a DC, and Pettite has significantly better talent to work with than what Nolan has. Â I have no doubt that our D will be the real deal in 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblehead Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 It actually sounded about right. Encouraging is the appropriate word. My issue was the quotes from the Vikings, insinuating that we were going full board with everything. Sounded like he was trying to make excuses for his teams play. I think mike rodak has been doing a good job covering the bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Partly true, but its not like we gameplanned either...in an interview with John Murphy earlier in the week Pettine said they are using nowhere close to their whole complement of defensive pressures in the preseason... Â I can't wait til we get to see how Pettine plays the chess game with opposing coordinators... Â How good does it feel to know that we have thinkers on both sides of the ball now? Hackett may be young, but I heard the same thing about Jon Gruden when I was living in Philly in the late 90s and he was the OC there. Not saying our boy is the next Gruden, but clearly Hackett has far more functioning neurons than we're accustomed to. Same thing with Pettine. Friggin Wannstedt....the minute I heard him say he was here as a favor to Chan, I just couldn't get past it. I hated every minute he was on our sideline after that and I was thrilled when we cleaned house and kicked his complacent arse out the door. Pettine is legit, and you're exactly right that we're going to be able to engage very capably in some chess matches this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 As those of us who live in Atlanta can attest to - in case there is need for a recent example, anyway - an upgrade at the DC spot can have a huge bearing on performance. Mike Nolan had average talent on that side of the ball to work with last year, yet he was able to get them to perform at a higher level than their talent would indicate.  I have to hop on the bolded because part of my personal agenda is exorcising from this board the misguided opinion that "players win games."  The two most important factors in the success of an NFL football team is:  1) Coaching 2) Quarterbacking  You need both to be successful.  As to the rest of the team, most teams are very similar in talent and more to the point, a team with better coaching and quarterbacking will destroy a team with (for instance) better offensive and defensive lines.  It's hard to express how bad a coach Dave Wannstedt was.  And yes, he cost us more games than any non-QB player ever could have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I have to hop on the bolded because part of my personal agenda is exorcising from this board the misguided opinion that "players win games."  The two most important factors in the success of an NFL football team is:  1) Coaching 2) Quarterbacking  You need both to be successful.  As to the rest of the team, most teams are very similar in talent and more to the point, a team with better coaching and quarterbacking will destroy a team with (for instance) better offensive and defensive lines.  It's hard to express how bad a coach Dave Wannstedt was.  And yes, he cost us more games than any non-QB player ever could have.  No doubt...just thinking about that guy still gets me riled up. I know we all have been in the same boat over the past decade, but last year was really the first time I couldn't give a flying fart what happened to this team the rest of the season. I still remember John Murphy trying to convince people not to give up hope since we were technically mathmatically alive for the playoffs up until a certain point, but it just was like a perpetual kick to the nuts to watch this team play. If it wasn't for the RedZone channel, I dont' know what I would have done.  So yeah, upgrading our QB position x3 and having so much more confidence in our coaching has completely rejuvenated me. Nothing against Chan, but something tells me I won't have to worry about Hackett calling a Brad Smith lob into the endzone when we're driving in the 4th quarter to put the game away like he did last year against Arizona. Or have a superstar-in-the-making at RB only getting half the number of carries that he should have. So sick of coaches who outsmart themselves...it really feels like coaching is a strength for us now and that feels great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microscopes Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 http://espn.go.com/b...-trick-or-treat  I think it was cool to read Ponder saying this in Rodak's article: "Just their whole defense was pretty exotic. They had some exotic personnel and different schemes, it was a little different and sometimes it was a little hard for us to identify."  After quoting Leslie Frazier saying something about the Vikes not preparing for the game the same way as the Bills, Rokak goes on to say:  Was the Vikings not being ready for Pettine's defense the Bills' problem? Not at all. And come the regular season, when teams do prepare for it, Pettine still has ways of keeping defenses off balance.  Seeing Frazier's name reminds me I wanted him to be chosen as our head coach instead of Gailey a few years ago. Frazier went 3-13 in his first year as a HC of the Vikes but 10-6 last year. He's already produced one more winning season than Chan. But Chan's gone now and I'm happy thus far with Marrone.  That Christian Ponder quote got me excited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in Syracuse Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 The reality of last nights game was that Ponder didn't throw a single pass without having a Bills defender in his face. When you can put that kind of pressure on a QB it has a cumulative effect. The clock in his head starts to speed up and the result is bad decisions and bad throws. Â The fact that a certain QB in our division HATES to get hit and hates having people in his face makes the prospects of this season that much more promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCOHEN13 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I have to hop on the bolded because part of my personal agenda is exorcising from this board the misguided opinion that "players win games."  The two most important factors in the success of an NFL football team is:  1) Coaching 2) Quarterbacking  You need both to be successful.  As to the rest of the team, most teams are very similar in talent and more to the point, a team with better coaching and quarterbacking will destroy a team with (for instance) better offensive and defensive lines.  It's hard to express how bad a coach Dave Wannstedt was.  And yes, he cost us more games than any non-QB player ever could have.  So very true... We had WAY too much talent on that D last yr to be one of the worst D;s in history... Going to be great seeing us be a top 10 D this yr with practically same core of players. With influx of playmakers like Kiko who will be an every down LB and guys like Lawson, Hughes (gotta find a way to have both him and Mario on field in passing situations.. Those 2 will wreak havoc on outside and Dareus and Kyle inside.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 The reality of last nights game was that Ponder didn't throw a single pass without having a Bills defender in his face. When you can put that kind of pressure on a QB it has a cumulative effect. The clock in his head starts to speed up and the result is bad decisions and bad throws. Â The fact that a certain QB in our division HATES to get hit and hates having people in his face makes the prospects of this season that much more promising. Â One thing I loved seeing last night was when our LDE would sometimes pull up a bit just as he was coming level with the pocket. If I had a dime for how many times Kelsay used to just go flying by on the outside, completely taking himself out of the play and creating a huge hole for the offense to exploit, I'd be rich. Pettine has these guys using their brains and we're pressuring far more intelligently even after only two preseason games. The pocket is being disrupted, we're containing their backs, and so far except for that one TY Hilton play where he had Brooks beat by a few steps, we're not seeing TEs or anyone else just running free through our defensive backfield. It's a beautiful thing, and to know that we're not even scheming yet is exciting as hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 when it's tough for them it's just right for us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 One thing I loved seeing last night was when our LDE would sometimes pull up a bit just as he was coming level with the pocket. If I had a dime for how many times Kelsay used to just go flying by on the outside, completely taking himself out of the play and creating a huge hole for the offense to exploit, I'd be rich. Pettine has these guys using their brains and we're pressuring far more intelligently even after only two preseason games. The pocket is being disrupted, we're containing their backs, and so far except for that one TY Hilton play where he had Brooks beat by a few steps, we're not seeing TEs or anyone else just running free through our defensive backfield. It's a beautiful thing, and to know that we're not even scheming yet is exciting as hell. Â Such a great point AJ. Â Maybinizing is a losing pass rush strategy. Yes occasionally you'll get a coverage or second effort sack on the "return trip" when running past the pocket but it's always better to compress the pocket and trap the quarterback in an ever-shrinking space. Â Many QBs are very uncomfortable having no escape lanes when they're in the pocket. Better to trap them and not let them extend plays with their legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Nothing wrong with this article. Â It was a simple classic no news article. Something ESPN has been good at for 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Such a great point AJ.  Maybinizing is a losing pass rush strategy. Yes occasionally you'll get a coverage or second effort sack on the "return trip" when running past the pocket but it's always better to compress the pocket and trap the quarterback in an ever-shrinking space.  Many QBs are very uncomfortable having no escape lanes when they're in the pocket. Better to trap them and not let them extend plays with their legs.  lol@Maybinizing  And yep, there was a play last night that was a perfect example of what you said about how the QB reacts when they have no escape lanes. I dont' remember who else we had on the play, but I recall our #91 (Im too lazy to look it up lol) lined up on the left, and as he pulled up on that side and assessed the play, you could see Ponder all of a sudden looking frantic. It was so refreshing to see that. I can't even remember the outcome of the play, but I know it was in our favor. As excited as I am about EJ's progress and the season that Spiller is likely to have, I can't wait to watch this defense. I've always just felt - like many of us - that it's just not right when the Bills don't have a stout, playmaking defense. Something about a cold weather team, it just feels right when we're solid on that side of the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) He was right, its preseason and they were playing a team that had never seen or prepared for their defense. The Bills had the ultimate element of surprise and it worked. Not to say the Bills defense won't be effective but that you can't base it on how well it worked in this game. Edited August 17, 2013 by billsfan89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I've always just felt - like many of us - that it's just not right when the Bills don't have a stout, playmaking defense. Something about a cold weather team, it just feels right when we're solid on that side of the ball. Â Add to that Marrone's credo that "you pass to score and run to win" and the fact that the Bills have run the ball on nearly half their plays (80 of 163) and it looks like Buffalo might finally have a team with a stout defense and a strong run game. Â Just the kind of team a city like Buffalo should have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kemp2Warlick Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 Nothing wrong with this article.  It was a simple classic no news article. Something ESPN has been good at for 5 years. ..I never said anything was wrong with the article. I still think it had a NE bias from this reporter.. Mike Rodak Verified account  @mikerodak  Buffalo Bills reporter for http://ESPN.com . Formerly New England Patriots reporter for http://ESPNBoston.com . Providence College alum. Buffalo, NY via Boston · espn.go.com/blog/afceast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Add to that Marrone's credo that "you pass to score and run to win" and the fact that the Bills have run the ball on nearly half their plays (80 of 163) and it looks like Buffalo might finally have a team with a stout defense and a strong run game. Â Just the kind of team a city like Buffalo should have. Â Amen to that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 My only issue with the article was this  EJ Manuel: Enters the game at the start of the second half and leads the Bills on an 80-yard touchdown drive. Isn't spectacular, but continues to avoid making critical mistakes.  How can you not love that drive? He went 6 for 6 and probably a 100+ passer rating. Granted was against 2nd stringers, but still, a great drive for the rookie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billshank Redemption Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I had nothing wrong with that article whatsoever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangarang Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 ..I never said anything was wrong with the article. I still think it had a NE bias from this reporter.. Mike Rodak Verified account  @mikerodak  Buffalo Bills reporter for http://ESPN.com. Formerly New England Patriots reporter for http://ESPNBoston.com. Providence College alum.  Buffalo, NY via Boston · espn.go.com/blog/afceast   You're trying to make an issue out of something that isn't there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 ..I never said anything was wrong with the article. I still think it had a NE bias from this reporter.. Mike Rodak Verified account  @mikerodak  Buffalo Bills reporter for http://ESPN.com . Formerly New England Patriots reporter for http://ESPNBoston.com . Providence College alum. Buffalo, NY via Boston · espn.go.com/blog/afceast don't see it. If anything it was just an article submitted to meet his quota. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 ..I never said anything was wrong with the article. I still think it had a NE bias from this reporter.. Mike Rodak Verified account  @mikerodak  Buffalo Bills reporter for http://ESPN.com. Formerly New England Patriots reporter for http://ESPNBoston.com. Providence College alum.  Buffalo, NY via Boston · espn.go.com/blog/afceast  I think after Astro, Rodak has been the best training camp reporter out there. Way better insight than the Buffalo press corp. Light years ahead of James Walker. I think he writes very fairly when it comes to the Bills judging the 20-25 pieces he's blogged so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I think after Astro, Rodak has been the best training camp reporter out there. Way better insight than the Buffalo press corp. Light years ahead of James Walker. I think he writes very fairly when it comes to the Bills judging the 20-25 pieces he's blogged so far. Â And this is the most important thing. Â Rodak replaced James Walker who doesn't even deserve to have a job. Â I haven't formed an opinion of Rodak yet but he couldn't possibly be worse than Walker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) The reality of last nights game was that Ponder didn't throw a single pass without having a Bills defender in his face. When you can put that kind of pressure on a QB it has a cumulative effect. The clock in his head starts to speed up and the result is bad decisions and bad throws. Â The fact that a certain QB in our division HATES to get hit and hates having people in his face makes the prospects of this season that much more promising. Â It's kind of like in that Steven Seagal movie where he writes on the mirror "Anticipation of Death is worse than death itself"... Â Well, in some cases the anticipation of pressure may be worse than the actual pressure itself...even if they actually have the time, they are anticipating a rush and a defender to be in their face and hurry their throws... Edited August 17, 2013 by matter2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefootballexpert Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I thought it was a well written article with a lot of truth to it. You can't tell, even one iota how the Bills defense is going to be at this time. Teams don't practice for the blitz this early in the preseason. It will be a WHOLE different story when the bullets start flying. Have you heard the term live by the blitz, die by the blitz? In the regular season teams watch film and game plan for different protections to pick up blitzes. Remember if the blitz doesn't get there the defense is vulnerable for a big play against them. Someone on the offense is left WIDE OPEN. I think that's what the writer was pointing out. Don't get excited over this defense just yet. It's only preseason and you have to wait until they're up against the big boys before you will see what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Here's a different - and interesting - take on the Bills defense...  http://nfl.si.com/2013/08/17/the-all-22-christian-ponders-confusion-against-buffalos-defense-speaks-to-a-larger-issue/?sct=nfl_bf4_a4  The article is mostly about Ponder but does break down some of the things the Bills were doing including using psycho fronts (love that expression!). The last sentence concludes:  As for Buffalo’s defense? Things are looking pretty bright right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorkington Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 I don't see anything wrong with being realistic about our D. Sure, it's encouraging what we are seeing so far... but it's also pre-season. I think it's fair to wait for "final" judgement until we see some regular season games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 must be the homer in me.....looking thru my kool-aid glasses All that sugar can't be good for your eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobChalmers Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Hey Leslie, exactly what does game-planning or scheme have to do with the way Hughes abused Matt Kalil 1-on-1 for a sack on the first play from scrimmage? Â Vikings are just whining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 My only issue with the article was this  EJ Manuel: Enters the game at the start of the second half and leads the Bills on an 80-yard touchdown drive. Isn't spectacular, but continues to avoid making critical mistakes.  How can you not love that drive? He went 6 for 6 and probably a 100+ passer rating. Granted was against 2nd stringers, but still, a great drive for the rookie. Well, it wasn't "spectacular." It was workman-like, NFL-quality which is why I loved it. But spectacular? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Well, it wasn't "spectacular." It was workman-like, NFL-quality which is why I loved it. But spectacular? No. What does he have to do to be spectacular? I loved the drive, especially with all the penalties that could have stalled that drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts