What Are the Missing Pieces?

[HailMary]

Offensive Coordinator

Defensive Lineman

Offensive lineman

Linebackers

Cornerback

Wide Receiver

Tight end

 

That about sums it up

 

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR experience! He's on a two year plan.

[RuntheDamnBall]

As an aside, I read the list of threads and this one says "What are the missing pieces?" and right below the next thread reads "Flynn on way to Buffalo"....could this be the zombie apocalypse??

Sort of?

 

I mean, the team is competitive with a guy who was on the practice squad ten days ago starting. A guy who Detroit was going to cut.

 

The team has most of the players it needs to win, but not enough of the health it needs to win.

 

Hopefully EJ will do his part and take care of himself on the field.

[BuffOrange]

QB and health are obviously the correct answers.

 

Sure, we could upgrade OL, LB, CB, TE, and OC. We might be pretty good like the Bengals if we got all that by miraculously hitting on every single draft pick...

 

Or we could be legitimately good just by having a good QB.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

This team clearly has some good traits. When you look at the 4 losses we have, 2 could have easily gone our way, and the Cleveland game is going to be a question mark due to the injury to EJ and the horrid play of Tuel. With all of that being said, it seems we are missing one or two pieces that make this team 4-2 right now. What are those pieces? I cannot pinpoint it myself.

 

a winning QB

[CountryCletus]

Experience

 

Quite possibly the shortest thread that needed edited, hahaha

 

But I agree 100%, mesh... Get a LG, and CB... I gotta say, our needs list has dwindled from 4-5 positions to 2... Arrow is MOST DEFINATLEY pointed in the right direction!!!!

[mjt328]

There are still quite a few missing pieces. But another good draft and some development by our younger players would really be huge for this team. These are what I see as the biggest problem areas:

 

 

Quarterback:

This has been the biggest hole for the last decade. Through 6 games, we still aren't getting a consistent, high level of play out of our QB. Hopefully, Manuel becomes that guy soon. At this point, it's way too early to tell. He's shown some good signs, but also some troubling ones. If he develops into a top guy, this team becomes a playoff contender instantly. If he bombs though, the rest of the team really doesn't matter.

 

Offensive Play-Calling:

Hackett has gotten a lot of criticism so far, and for good reason. Regardless of the talent level and inexperience he's working with, his play calling has been predictable and unimaginative. The complete opposite of Pettine.

 

Cornerbacks;

Assuming Manuel is our long-term guy, CB is easily our biggest weak spot. Every team should have 5-6 capable corners. We have 2-3, when everyone is healthy.

 

Pass Rush:

I really like the guys on our defensive line, but they are just too inconsistent. They were nowhere to be found yesterday. They were nowhere to be found against the Jets. We could really use another strong pass rusher on the edge.

 

Play Maker in the Passing Game:

We have a couple great route runners (Stevie and Woods). We have deep speed (Goodwin and Graham). We have good pass catching backs and a tall red-zone threat (Chandler). What I don't see is great YAC ability. I like the idea of adding an explosive tight end -- somebody like Chandler, but with moves and speed to do something after getting the ball.

 

Offensive Line:

This group was SOOOOO close to being set. Then we let Levitre walk. Left guard is a big problem area. Pears has been inconsistent (it would have been nice to see what Hairston could do this year).

 

Linebacker:

Alonso has been great in the middle. Lawson has been very good on the outside. We could still use an upgrade over Moats/Bradham.

 

 

 

[artmalibu]

that is 100 percent wrong. Going for it was absolutely the right call. The only time a team should ever kick a 19-yard FG is if it's the last play of the game, to put you ahead, or if it is to put your team up by three scores with only a few minutes left. You can certainly complain about the plays that were called, but going for 6 is the percentage, smart move in that situation.

 

I guess if you watched the whole game and saw the outcome, you might rethink. The only time you go for if is in time of desperation and that was not the case! If you believe what you posted then you would always want to go for 2 after a TD, and we saw how that worked for Chan in the past.

[BuffOrange]

I guess if you watched the whole game and saw the outcome, you might rethink. The only time you go for if is in time of desperation and that was not the case! If you believe what you posted then you would always want to go for 2 after a TD, and we saw how that worked for Chan in the past.

 

I guess if you watched the whole game you would've noticed a 4th down produced one of our TD's.

The 2pt point doesn't make sense. The difference between 7 and 3 is greater than the difference between 2 and 1. But since you brought it up, going for 2 in the 3rd Qtr (OMG too early!) did win the Carolina game.

[thewildrabbit]

LG, swing guard, RT (Pears is 32), swing tackle, CB2, FS, and a 2013 version if a TE. I like Chandler. He'd be an excellent TE2 and red zone target. But I want a Graham/Gronk/Cameron/Davis/Thomas/Gonzalez split the seam of the D TE that the Bills have never had

yep, a better O line, better TE would make a huge difference IMO

[K-9]

We still need a quality starting OLB to compliment Kiko and Manny. With Manny out, we need two. That's not a slam on Moats, whom I have a ton of respect for, but he's limited physically and just isn't a starting LB in this league. Bradham just isn't that good. I'd say "yet" but I have my reservations about his ceiling.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[bmur66]

There are still quite a few missing pieces. But another good draft and some development by our younger players would really be huge for this team. These are what I see as the biggest problem areas:

 

 

Quarterback:

This has been the biggest hole for the last decade. Through 6 games, we still aren't getting a consistent, high level of play out of our QB. Hopefully, Manuel becomes that guy soon. At this point, it's way too early to tell. He's shown some good signs, but also some troubling ones. If he develops into a top guy, this team becomes a playoff contender instantly. If he bombs though, the rest of the team really doesn't matter.

 

Offensive Play-Calling:

Hackett has gotten a lot of criticism so far, and for good reason. Regardless of the talent level and inexperience he's working with, his play calling has been predictable and unimaginative. The complete opposite of Pettine.

 

Cornerbacks;

Assuming Manuel is our long-term guy, CB is easily our biggest weak spot. Every team should have 5-6 capable corners. We have 2-3, when everyone is healthy.

 

Pass Rush:

I really like the guys on our defensive line, but they are just too inconsistent. They were nowhere to be found yesterday. They were nowhere to be found against the Jets. We could really use another strong pass rusher on the edge.

 

Play Maker in the Passing Game:

We have a couple great route runners (Stevie and Woods). We have deep speed (Goodwin and Graham). We have good pass catching backs and a tall red-zone threat (Chandler). What I don't see is great YAC ability. I like the idea of adding an explosive tight end -- somebody like Chandler, but with moves and speed to do something after getting the ball.

 

Offensive Line:

This group was SOOOOO close to being set. Then we let Levitre walk. Left guard is a big problem area. Pears has been inconsistent (it would have been nice to see what Hairston could do this year).

 

Linebacker:

Alonso has been great in the middle. Lawson has been very good on the outside. We could still use an upgrade over Moats/Bradham.

 

Great Analysis. I totally agree.

[Section242]

Need to get more talent at WR and TE. Gilmore to not play with a club on his hand.

[frogger]

A top TE, good news several in this year's draft

A LG, good news lots of 2nd round and third round talent

Health!!!!

More LB depth

A better ST coordinator

[tennesseeboy]

The offensive line needs upgrading for sure and a little depth on both lines wouldn't hurt. We need a quality tight end. The other receivers other than Johnson are looking good and may be what we need. A linebacker or two would be nice. I think we are pretty close, and I suspect Manuel is the qb and Lewis looks like a pretty good backup in the little we've seen of him. We need a little more time to gel.

[RealityCheck]

QB is the missing piece. Consistent, quality play at that position makes this team a division leader at this point in the season. I don't know how to accurately grade the rest of the team when so many plays are left on the field in the passing game. It completely skews the game when the most important position on the field is so wildly inconsistent.

[Charles Romes]

The team needs the Pats to win the Super Bowl this year so they go away finally like the Giants. They are going to continue to average 1.9 wins a year against us until Brady is out of the equation and the only way that happens is if they get a 4th ring and step off the accelerator.

[AKA Bigdog]

We need a starting QB. A better OL. Some coaching.

[l< j]

Health goes a long way. If we have an injury report that is just a little shorter, we are 3-3 and very possibly 4-2. If we were 4-2, we would all be ecstatic.

[machine gun kelly]

EJ might be the answer, but maybe not so that is a ?

 

CB, TE (Basketball Style - See Graham or maybe Gonkowski if we didn't take Troup) and LG.

 

Depth at RB as Freddy is 32, and my favorite player but they tail off in their 30's, and a pass rusher.

 

We need a lot, but less than three years ago. I know everyone wants to bust on mgmt, but they hit on most players the last two years. Name another team who hit like we did with Gillmore, Glenn, Bradham (durable not stud), EJ, Woods, The Legend of Kiko, and Goodwin.

 

We did well as we had to do to compete.

[Jim in Anchorage]

The team needs the Pats to win the Super Bowl this year so they go away finally like the Giants. They are going to continue to average 1.9 wins a year against us until Brady is out of the equation and the only way that happens is if they get a 4th ring and step off the accelerator.

OK on this Pats obsession here. Lets say the Bills never beat the Pats. Would not 14-2 get them in in the playoffs. They can't beat Cincinnati. Lets think about all the non Pats games they lose first..