ESPN...Teams targeting tired Bills D

[Kemp2Warlick]

ESPN NFL Nation ‏@ESPN_NFLNation8m

Opponents targeting tired Bills defense http://es.pn/1bKEqqZ

 

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[KGUNBILLS]

Has Rodak been reading what we write on TBD? I did not know he was so clever. Brilliant!!!

 

[QCity]

Great article - love the breakdown by quarter. The only thing Hackett is doing with his "fast" offense is wearing down our own team.

[CSBill]

Yuuup, the hurry-up offense will wear a defense out, yours, and even the opponents sometimes.

[Dean Cain]

"My left quad got worn down with 2:00 to go in the 4th Qtr." Alex Carrington

[FLFan]

There is a better way to fix it - make first downs. No matter how much they slow down, if the cannot stay on the filed, it is not going to help. Pace is not the problem - execution is. If they cannot fix that, it does not matter how long they do or do not take to snap the ball.

[White Linen]

There is a better way to fix it - make first downs. No matter how much they slow down, if the cannot stay on the filed, it is not going to help. Pace is not the problem - execution is. If they cannot fix that, it does not matter how long they do or do not take to snap the ball.

It just doesn't matter as much if they don't make first downs. Clearly going 3 and out kills your defense but you're dismissing all the other opportunities for rest. What about 2 first downs and then a punt? That could be anywhere from say 2-4.5 minutes. Ask anyone who's ever boxed, wrestled, or played on the line in football, that kind of rest can be crucial. We're not ready to run plays that fast. In theory it sounds simply wonderful with the problems we have on offense it sounds stubborn.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

There is a better way to fix it - make first downs. No matter how much they slow down, if the cannot stay on the filed, it is not going to help. Pace is not the problem - execution is. If they cannot fix that, it does not matter how long they do or do not take to snap the ball.

 

Frankly, that's not an option at this point. Slowing down is.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Isn't that an offense's job? Tired or not?

 

"In other news, NFL offenses will try to score points this weekend!"

[BuffaloBill]

Great article - love the breakdown by quarter. The only thing Hackett is doing with his "fast" offense is wearing down our own team.

 

Agreed.

[Punch]

It just doesn't matter as much if they don't make first downs. Clearly going 3 and out kills your defense but you're dismissing all the other opportunities for rest. What about 2 first downs and then a punt? That could be anywhere from say 2-4.5 minutes. Ask anyone who's ever boxed, wrestled, or played on the line in football, that kind of rest can be crucial. We're not ready to run plays that fast. In theory it sounds simply wonderful with the problems we have on offense it sounds stubborn.

 

Getting 2 first downs and punting is still making first downs and is not a pace or tempo related solution to extending drives.

 

Right?

[YoloinOhio]

Ugh. Just ugh.

[BillsFanM.D.]

Every time this topic comes up I can only think of Parcells after Super Bowl 25: "Power wins football games." He repeated it so many times I think I remember puking.

 

In essence, he was dissing the 'no huddle, hurry up game' the Bills employed.....and trumpeting traditional offense. Sounds like the current debate all these years later.

[silvermike]

If we're going to do this, I'd like to see a bigger commitment to depth on defense. If we can't keep them off the field, let's get enough mid-range guys to keep the personnel shifting long enough to give them some air.

[HeHateMe]

I'd like to see the coaches scrap this no huddle garbage, it makes no sense with such a young offense.

[YoloinOhio]

I'd like to see the coaches scrap this no huddle garbage, it makes no sense with such a young offense.

I read the opposite awhile ago... that they actually tend to use it more with young/rookie QBs because it helps them with the defenses not being able to substitute. Not sure how accurate that is but it made sense at the time. No, I don't have a link.

[freeagentqb]

Even Dick Jauron was smart enough to scrap the no huddle uptempo offense. Hope Marrone does the same.

[CodeMonkey]

I read the opposite awhile ago... that they actually tend to use it more with young/rookie QBs because it helps them with the defenses not being able to substitute. Not sure how accurate that is but it made sense at the time. No, I don't have a link.

That was probably true at one point but defenses have adapted. The Jets seemed to substitute without too many issues last Sunday.

[RevWarRifleman]

There is a better way to fix it - make first downs. No matter how much they slow down, if the cannot stay on the filed, it is not going to help. Pace is not the problem - execution is. If they cannot fix that, it does not matter how long they do or do not take to snap the ball.

+1

[K-9]

Using the same 3rd down conversion percentage, I would invite anybody with the time or inclination to calculate just how much extra rest time the offense would have saved for our defense by taking the maximum time allowed between snaps.

 

Rogers wasn't undressed in the secondary because he was tired.

 

Our LBs didn't take improper pursuit angles or over pursue because they were tired.

 

It's a question of execution.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[boyst]

You can make a point that a bad defense is bad with any type of statistic you want. Our defense has been bad. Our stats show a lot of injuries. Our stats show we have had a lot of problems stopping the movement of the ball against some pretty above average offenses. Our defense is not what is losing us these games as much as it is our entire team.

[mjt328]

There is a better way to fix it - make first downs. No matter how much they slow down, if the cannot stay on the filed, it is not going to help. Pace is not the problem - execution is. If they cannot fix that, it does not matter how long they do or do not take to snap the ball.

 

But what happens when the players seem incapable of "executing" the game plan?

 

Should the coaches remain stubborn and keep running the same plan over and over and over, then blaming a lack of execution? Or should they adjust to something that has a better chance of success?

 

 

Bottom line. The Bills offense is having trouble sustaining drives. They have a rookie quarterback who is having lots of trouble with his reads. Maybe they need to slow down, just to help Manuel get his feet under him.

[BillsVet]

If we're going to do this, I'd like to see a bigger commitment to depth on defense. If we can't keep them off the field, let's get enough mid-range guys to keep the personnel shifting long enough to give them some air.

 

Hard to disagree with this statement given the near 20M in cap room they entered the season with.

 

You'd think they'd anticipate the secondary group, given their youth and inexperience, might need some veteran leadership.

[RevWarRifleman]

Frankly, that's not an option at this point. Slowing down is.

I have to disagree here. One of the best quotes Andre Reed told a TV media guy back in the day about Buffalo's "K- Gun" offense was: "It's all about execution." And then he went on briefly about when the ball is snapped, all 11 players are executing properly the play Kelly called at the LOS. I agree w/ MDFan. it's all about execution. On a side note, though, I do think they should slow down the offense occasionally just to change things up on opposing defenses a bit. That's my opinion, anyway. Go Bills1

[Hapless Bills Fan]

There is a better way to fix it - make first downs. No matter how much they slow down, if the cannot stay on the filed, it is not going to help. Pace is not the problem - execution is. If they cannot fix that, it does not matter how long they do or do not take to snap the ball.

 

This is the jist of Marrone's response to the question of whether the O should slow down - that in his view, it's really a problem of 3rd down conversions, our O not getting enough and our D allowing too many. Valid point - if the D gets the stop and gets off the field, they don't get worn down. If the O converts and stays on the field, the D can sit down.

[Nathan]

The sooner they scrap this disaster of a no-huddle the better. Why you would try to implement this with a rookie quarterback is lost on me. Our record could easily be 0-3 and time of possession is the reason why. Not to mention our defense is being decimated by injury. Gimmicks don't usually work in the NFL, at least over the long haul, and this is nothing more than that.

[All_Pro_Bills]

The issue with the Bills offense is similar to what I face in the business world working with companies on process reengineering. Everybody wants to do everything faster. So they define all these intricate processes with the intent to cut cycle time without regard to their capacity and capability to execute the system. The more important variable they fail to comprehend besides speed is certainty of execution. Simply, if you can't do it right it doesn't matter how fast you go. Like a pitcher that throws a 96 MPH fastball but can't get it over the plate. Speed is irrelevent. As with the Bills offense, if they can't get at least 10 yards over the course of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd down then the pace of execution is not a factor acting in their favor.

 

Until the offense develops the ability to move the ball with regularity and put more TDs on the board this no huddle fast pace offense is ineffective and as these statistics on the Bills defense indicate might be doing more harm than good. Do it slower right and then work on speeding it up. That's the way to do it.

 

Sooner or later the coaches need to deal with this reality and modify their strategy. Given current time of possession numbers this defense might be on the field for what amounts to 2 or 3 extra games over and above what is typical for a 16 game season.

[Captain Hindsight]

But what happens when the players seem incapable of "executing" the game plan?

 

Should the coaches remain stubborn and keep running the same plan over and over and over, then blaming a lack of execution? Or should they adjust to something that has a better chance of success?

 

 

Bottom line. The Bills offense is having trouble sustaining drives. They have a rookie quarterback who is having lots of trouble with his reads. Maybe they need to slow down, just to help Manuel get his feet under him.

No. Think about everything in life and how you would want your kids to handle a difficult situation. If life is hard, work harder. Don't wuss out, get better at it. I hope they stick with it all year and never let up.

[K-9]

Are people still confusing pace with scheme? And are we still confused about how the lack of execution is what's responsible for taking our offense off the field and keeping our defense on it?

 

Oh, and the no huddle is not a gimmick by any stretch of the imagination.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[offsides#76FredSmerlas]

I would like to see them mix it up. Don't stay in the no-huddle the whole game but rather give the defense a change up and maybe use it once a quarter. This will keep the opposing defense guessing and will also allow our defense a much needed rest. The better our offense gets over time the more we could run the no huddle. -sounds logical anyways...

[dave mcbride]

This is a good piece, but it's worth noting that the Bills have played 3 very good defenses so far, which is skewing the stats. Let's look at the points allowed by our three opponents in their two games against opponents other than the Bills:

 

The Pats: 13 points (6.5 per game; max allowed is 10) and 320.5 ypg.

 

The Panthers: 12 points (6 per game; max allowed is 12) and 260 ypg.

 

The Jets: 30 points (15 per game; max allowed is 17) and 241 ypg.

 

Here are their rankings:

 

The Pats: 2nd in points allowed; 9th in yards given up

 

The Panthers: 4th in points allowed; 11th in yards given up

 

The Jets: 7th in points allowed; 3rd in yards given up

 

For all three of our opponents, the Bills offense has represented the stiffest test, point-wise.

Edited September 27, 2013 by dave mcbride

[offsides#76FredSmerlas]

I was nothing more than a JV football coach in high school so I don't claim to know all the ins and outs of the game but it seemed like the Bills were getting blitzed right up the middle the entire game by the Jets. I would have loved to have seen a middle bubble screen to take advantage of their rush from time to time just to keep the Jets on their heels a bit.

[thebandit27]

Using the same 3rd down conversion percentage, I would invite anybody with the time or inclination to calculate just how much extra rest time the offense would have saved for our defense by taking the maximum time allowed between snaps.

 

Rogers wasn't undressed in the secondary because he was tired.

 

Our LBs didn't take improper pursuit angles or over pursue because they were tired.

 

It's a question of execution.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Thank you...the failings of the offense thus far aren't based solely, or even mostly, on the tempo. The plays are there to be made, but the players aren't making them...yet. This is a young team with a young coordinator and a new offense...anyone willing to give them more than 3 weeks of real game experience before we decide that it's no good?

 

Personally, I want to see them run this offense for the entire season and get the experience...I'm not fooling myself into thinking this is a Superbowl contending team, so what I want to see is improvement and efficiency while they form their own offensive identity.

[K-9]

This is a good piece, but it's worth noting that the Bills have played 3 very good defenses so far, which is skewing the stats. Let's look at the points allowed by our three opponents in their two games against opponents other than the Bills:

 

The Pats: 13 points (6.5 per game; max allowed is 10) and 320.5 ypg.

 

The Panthers: 12 points (6 per game; max allowed is 12) and 260 ypg.

 

The Jets: 30 points (15 per game; max allowed is 17) and 241 ypg.

 

Here are their rankings:

 

The Pats: 2nd in points allowed; 9th in yards given up

 

The Panthers: 4th in points allowed; 11th in yards given up

 

The Jets: 7th in points allowed; 3rd in yards given up

 

For all three of our opponents, the Bills offense has represented the stiffest test, point-wise.

 

I'm glad you put that qualifier in there because I was wondering how much our poor offense helped the D stats of our first three opponents.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[thebandit27]

The sooner they scrap this disaster of a no-huddle the better. Why you would try to implement this with a rookie quarterback is lost on me. Our record could easily be 0-3 and time of possession is the reason why. Not to mention our defense is being decimated by injury. Gimmicks don't usually work in the NFL, at least over the long haul, and this is nothing more than that.

 

They implemented this offense with their rookie QB because it's the offense that they want to run long-term, and he needs to learn it, so why wait?

[QCity]

Someone needs to tell Hackett that the old K-Gun's effectiveness wasn't primarily due to the tempo. It was effective because the offense was packed with Hall of Famer's and Pro Bowler's.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I have to disagree here. One of the best quotes Andre Reed told a TV media guy back in the day about Buffalo's "K- Gun" offense was: "It's all about execution." And then he went on briefly about when the ball is snapped, all 11 players are executing properly the play Kelly called at the LOS. I agree w/ MDFan. it's all about execution. On a side note, though, I do think they should slow down the offense occasionally just to change things up on opposing defenses a bit. That's my opinion, anyway. Go Bills1

 

Easier said than done.

 

Theoretically, if we execute on 100% of plays, yes, it will work. But the offense hasn't really shown any signs of being able to consistently execute and stay on the field.

 

The one thing we can control is the time it takes to run plays.

 

If you really want to be smart about it, you can run the no-huddle, but ramp it down if, say, by XX point in the game, your offense hasn't run XX plays.

[dave mcbride]

I'm glad you put that qualifier in there because I was wondering how much our poor offense helped the D stats of our first three opponents.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Once you look at our opponents, the story changes. Unfortunately, the Bills have to play the Ravens this week, so it won't get any easier. The Ravens' defensive stats are skewed because of the blowout loss to Denver, but since that game they haven't allowed a TD and look dominant. Denver's offense is pretty much unstoppable, as far as I can tell. Barring serious injuries, I expect them to win the Super Bowl.

[Captain Hindsight]

Someone needs to tell Hackett that the old K-Gun's effectiveness wasn't primarily due to the tempo. It was effective because the offense was packed with Hall of Famer's and Pro Bowler's.

And they executed. No offense works if they are not executing. The uptempo has nothing to do with this.

[dave mcbride]

And they executed. No offense works if they are not executing. The uptempo has nothing to do with this.

As I point out above, the strong defenses we're playing have a lot to do with the failure to execute.