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"The Hughes Thread" aka Stills 69 yd TD


uncle flap

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byrd could have seen what was happening and adjusted but he didn't. We could argue he should have but the play could have gone the other way. The other guy would have had a step and enough for Brees that he could have got it in there to him.

 

Of course now go back and look at the coulda woulda shoulda....but... if its and buts were whatever the quote says I would sound smarter quoting it.

 

yup - byrd sells out on helping hughes, and we leave a deep zone uncovered.

 

the saints scouting, play design and ability to execute there left our players in a no win situation, or atleast as close to one as an offense can force.

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The one thing I learned from watching the play several times, (for sure, that is) is that Jerry Hughes can really run for a big lb! He got close enough to take a shot at the WR at the 10 yard line.....most lb's couldnt get that close.

 

I agree. Too bad he took two steps toward the backfield instead of getting into his pass coverage immediately. He's got wheels. At least he would have forced Brees to make a slightly more difficult throw, which I'm sure he would have done anyway given how accurate that bastard is.

 

GO BILLS!!!

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I agree. Too bad he took two steps toward the backfield instead of getting into his pass coverage immediately. He's got wheels. At least he would have forced Brees to make a slightly more difficult throw, which I'm sure he would have done anyway given how accurate that bastard is.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

or maybe been able to tackle him at the catch, or slow him down a little. odds are they get a completion there, but if everyone executes theres a good chance its just a big first down instead of 7 points.

 

before the game i had mentioned that even if we execute well that they are a team that has potential to steam roll you too, and its plays like this that do it. all the defense can do is try to make it more challenging and make the tackle so they have to do it more times to get down the field - and eventually a throw will sail or receiver bobbles it. its a tough offense.

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or maybe been able to tackle him at the catch, or slow him down a little. odds are they get a completion there, but if everyone executes theres a good chance its just a big first down instead of 7 points.

 

before the game i had mentioned that even if we execute well that they are a team that has potential to steam roll you too, and its plays like this that do it. all the defense can do is try to make it more challenging and make the tackle so they have to do it more times to get down the field - and eventually a throw will sail or receiver bobbles it. its a tough offense.

 

Agree entirely here. All you can do against Payton and Brees most games, is make them work as long and hard as they can for everything they get. It's one of the most prolific offenses in history, after all. There is no "stopping" the Saints at home from what I've seen over the years.

 

Oops. There I go making excuses for our secondary again.

 

GO BILLS!!!

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On the positive side, Stills had a great start on Hughes and Hughes nearly caught him just before the goal line...not for nothin', but that's great speed for a linebacker and considering Stills had the ball much of the way, it wasn't like he had to stop....

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Pettine called a bad play. I still don't understand all the love that guy gets around here.

 

True story. When a coach makes a bad call, they deserve to lose their job. Never might the 90% of the time blitz are called with the same coverage that never give up a big play. For some reason, you probably were a person who would complain about the cover 2 and how it was not aggressive. Hindsight is the best.

 

And props to the OP for a well thought out and designed thread. We need more of these. :thumbsup:

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Pettine called a bad play. I still don't understand all the love that guy gets around here.

 

Your opinion is as valid as any other, but as seen in the pictures, had either Hughes or Byrd or Gilmore, whomever it was "truly" assigned to Stills followed the play as called, Kyle Williams may have very well gotten a sack. Brees may have gone to another WR but he may not have had that opportunity. Saints made a good call and Brees made a nice throw with Stills open, but that's the key...Stills was open, I don't think Pettine called a bad play, I just think their players executed their play and the BILLS did not...

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True story. When a coach makes a bad call, they deserve to lose their job. Never might the 90% of the time blitz are called with the same coverage that never give up a big play. For some reason, you probably were a person who would complain about the cover 2 and how it was not aggressive. Hindsight is the best.

 

And props to the OP for a well thought out and designed thread. We need more of these. :thumbsup:

 

agreed - even if i disagreed with his final conclusion, much credit is due for a good topic and well thought out post on it. when we hear that the board is a place to discuss issues and we dont have to all agree, this topic (both in this thread, and the other where flap discussed it) ended up being the type that actually embody what that should mean.

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This was a really well designed play against the Bills defense. I don't think that Gilmore was in man. Gilmore probably has deep third...which means he would take the deepest man on that third of the field....and the receiver hugs the border of that third...running up along the numbers...until the last moment....and then Stills follows behind and to the outside meaning the man with the shallow third has to follow him up. Now, I agree in questioning what Byrd's responsibility. Because, at the very last moment, Gilmore's man does peal off to the middle and Gilmore still follows....Maybe it was too late in the play for him to feel comfortable passing him off? Not sure....but for most of the play the man is careful to, just barely, stay in Gilmore's zone.

 

Now, as for Pettine's call. yes, the coverage got us burned and burned badly. But aren't we all excited that we have a defense play caller who is aggressive and gambles? Well, it aint gambling if you can't lose. With this kind of defense we will get torched sometimes...but the feeling is we will also make big game winning plays instead of dying from 1,000 paper cuts.

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If this was the defense called and Hughes had coverage, it is a bad scheme. Hughes in a tweener DE/OLB. He should have the flat and short but not tto track a WR down the sideline. I think Coach Marrone was being diplomatic. The coverage was a bust. It happens. 1 guy runs the wrong coverage and the over the top DB fails to over the mistake. This is a live and learn experience.

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If this was the defense called and Hughes had coverage, it is a bad scheme. Hughes in a tweener DE/OLB. He should have the flat and short but not tto track a WR down the sideline. I think Coach Marrone was being diplomatic. The coverage was a bust. It happens. 1 guy runs the wrong coverage and the over the top DB fails to over the mistake. This is a live and learn experience.

 

 

by moving stills in motion the saints forced him to cover a WR and our defense to have to adjust on the fly.

 

the play design was such that hopefully your LB can hang with anyone as long as the blitz worked, but hughes killed it biting on the play action destroying any of the layers built in to minimize damage. if he wouldve stayed with his man, worst (and short of an offensive mistake, probably also our best) case scenario shouldve been a nice first down play.

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Thanks for the props, fellas.

 

I'd be happy to start more threads like this if people are interested. I usually don't use the All-22 service unless a particular play comes to mind I want to rewatch, so this helps me feel like I'm getting my money's worth. Let me know if you guys have any requests in the weeks going forward.

 

Even when we disagree, I truly enjoy these discussions. The board gets hard to read sometimes, and I'm glad there are those that are interested in having a conversation rather than an argument.

 

What's funny to me is that I see I was guilty of a kind of confirmation bias. I used the same evidence to back up my gut, when that evidence actually isn't as convincing as it would seem. Bouncing my thoughts off of you guys helps us all see things in a broader perspective.

 

Like I said upthread, I didn't want to beat this to death. It wasn't like that single play cost the Bills the game, and the Saints are really the ones who deserve credit, rather than the Bills failing to field a perfect defense.

 

Looking forward to doing this again soon- let me know if I can be of service!

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