Bills quietly move up to #7 overall defense in NFL

[BobChalmers]

Hard to believe - or maybe it isn't - but with one game to go, they've become a top 10 defense!

 

#7 overall allowing 330.1 yds/gm

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/stats/totals.html

[LB3]

You can't post positive statistics! It goes against the recent narrative.

[TPS]

The way it's shown, I can see how you miss the #1 team, bills are actually #8.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

So defense DOESNT win championships

Edited December 24, 2013 by over 20 years of fanhood

[Pete]

#7 D, #2 rushing team in NFL, #1 sacks, #2 interceptions- looking at that, I would think we would be in playoffs

[Ludwig van]

A lot of improvement for one year..

Now to get Ej some Oline and weapons.

High hopes for the future

[Big C]

A lot of improvement for one year..

Now to get Ej some Oline and weapons.

High hopes for the future

 

Or get the o line and weapons some QB. Lolol.

 

Priority on offense should be LG and some bigger, tougher receiver or tight end.

[DanInUticaTampa]

A lot of improvement for one year..

Now to get Ej some Oline and weapons.

High hopes for the future

 

And add these:

Cut down on penalties

Adjust playcalling on offense

Qb coach

Another linebacker

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Hard to believe - or maybe it isn't - but with one game to go, they've become a top 10 defense!

 

#7 overall allowing 330.1 yds/gm

 

http://sportsillustr...ats/totals.html

 

number 1 after next week

[San Jose Bills Fan]

So defense DOESNT win championships

 

Nor does a strong running game.

 

Go figure.

[vincec]

The continuous see saw between offense and defense has been a Bills storyline for a long time. When is the last time they had both a good offense and a good defense? 2001?

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Buffalo spent 3 out of their 1st 4 picks on offense in 2013, and are likely to draft offense heavily again in 2014. I have confidence that the offense will only continue to improve. I really believe (for once in a long time) this team is headed in the right direction.

[NoSaint]

#7 D, #2 rushing team in NFL, #1 sacks, #2 interceptions- looking at that, I would think we would be in playoffs

 

A decade late. Though interceptions and sacks are normally good starts. It's a pass and stop the pass league to win games, with the ability to run or stop the run seperating champions from playoff teams.

[Mark Vader]

And add these:

Cut down on penalties

Adjust playcalling on offense

Qb coach

Another linebacker

Agreed on all points.

 

The continuous see saw between offense and defense has been a Bills storyline for a long time. When is the last time they had both a good offense and a good defense? 2001?

Sad, but all too true.

[NoSaint]

Buffalo spent 3 out of their 1st 4 picks on offense in 2013, and are likely to draft offense heavily again in 2014. I have confidence that the offense will only continue to improve. I really believe (for once in a long time) this team is headed in the right direction.

 

Yup. Until last year, almost every premium resource since Spillers pick went to the D.... Top picks, premiere free agents. Now it's playing catchup

[Utah John]

That high defensive ranking is hard to square with almost every opponent rushing for more than they had averaged prior to playing the Bills. Any opponent that committed to running against the Bills did so effectively. Miami's O-line is a disaster and maybe that's why they didn't try running, but the Bills actually have a good pass defense so it was pretty stupid not to attack where we've shown we're not good.

 

Other than Alonso, and Jerry Hughes who is more of a defensive lineman, I don't think much of the Bills' LBs. That's probably the weakest area on the defense and the easiest to patch through free agency. I don't think the defensive line needs anyone else, considering Carrington is coming back and they have a bushel full of really good linemen already.

[thewildrabbit]

#7 D, #2 rushing team in NFL, #1 sacks, #2 interceptions- looking at that, I would think we would be in playoffs

Me too.

 

Alas, still #23 against the run, and although #1 in rushing attempts with 511 attempts, the Bills still can't control the LoS or clock by running the ball.

 

The failure to find an adequate replacement for the LG position really came back to bite them in the A$$.

[OCinBuffalo]

3 problems with this D that I can see:

 

1. The Bills D has given up 27 TDs in the air. That's tied for 21st in the league, and only 4, or less, better than the rest of the 8 teams behind them...except for the Vikings, last, with 36. In contrast, the 11 teams in the top 10 on this have given up 21 TDs, or less, which is 6 fewer. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/stats/2013/team_defense/0_byRECPT_TD.html Think about it for a second: what if we spread 3 of those passing TDs out among the games we've lost closely? (How about the Bengals, Chiefs, and first Pats game?) Yeah, despite everything, we are in the playoffs, aren't we? (In contrast, the Bills have only allowed 8 rushing TDs, which puts them in the top 7.)

 

Thus, the next time I hear "never draft DB high"? Yeah, you can bet I'm gonna haul this stat out...so, thanks OP!

 

2. Another problem? The Bills are 15th in the league in PPG at 23.6. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/stats/2013/team_defense/0_byPTS_PER_GAME.htmlNot bad, but not good enough. Especially with our sacks/INTs. Teams like the Ravens and Dolphins are ahead, and that's why one of them will be in the playoffs. The Pats are tied with the Ravens...which is why we didn't win the Division this year. They held teams closer to the magic 20 point line than we did.

 

It's a game of inches, and 3 or less point wins. We need to be giving up less than 20 a game to be considered a "great" defense. And, yes, offensive contribution, by scoring, forcing the opponent into throwing situations, and keeping the D rested all play into this...but only so much. Not getting off the field, on 3rd and forever, which is how Miami got half their yards this past game, is also a problem. Too many games we've had too many chances to get off the field on 3rd and long, and didn't.

 

3. The Bills are 23rd in rushing yards per game, which might just have something to do with why the passing #s aren't as high. Teams don't have to make that many passes, they only have to throw TDs in/near the Red Zone, because they've already run the ball so well to get there.

 

We have to get better against the run. We have gotten better over the course of the season. Perhaps this is due to the team "coming together?" More than a few players have talked about getting better at the run via trusting each other/the system. Who knows?

 

 

In all cases, we've been much better at everything on D, since we've had our starting DBs in place.

 

So I'll say it again: we are a different team when we have our best DBs(that we shouldn't have drafted ) in place, and the defense this past games proves it = they got away from the run, because FIRST we stopped the pass, they got behind, and then they were forced to pass...and we knew it.

 

It was a downward spiral, which...is precisely what we want to do to teams, and it ALL started with excellent DB play.

 

Having just re-watched the game, we can all talk about how good Robey(another DB) was, but, other than his sacks, most of the rest came after 3 seconds of rush....which means our DBs were covering Miami's high-priced FA WRs well enough to allow the D line to do it's job. If our DBs do the same next week? Then it will be Brady's turn to get thrown around.

 

Amazing what happens when you invest high draft picks in the defensive backfield, in a passing league. This is made clear by what happens when they don't play. 12 of the TDs in the air were allowed when Gilmore/Byrd weren't in the game(I am counting the Bengals game because Gilmore had the club on his had, and couldn't cover much with it).

 

So, while we are decent on D, we still have holes, especially in depth at DB, and we have a big one if Byrd leaves. IMHO, we need to sign Byrd, because he is a guy that makes the players around him better.

 

Remember this at draft time. We don't want to turn a strength into a weakness, which is exactly what happened this year, when parts of our stength got hurt, and we didn't have the guys to replace them.

[Chandler#81]

All of us Flag Bearers BILLIEVED we'd have a Top 10 defense in the glory that is our offseason. Finally, one of our expectations was realized. I 'quitely' thought the 103 yards yielded to Miami would catapult us..

[machine gun kelly]

#7 D, #2 rushing team in NFL, #1 sacks, #2 interceptions- looking at that, I would think we would be in playoffs

 

A little thing you left out was 29th in passing, and we're in a passing league. Very frustrating as I'm sure you. We need to work on this passing unit, and we will be in the playoffs. I'm praying Whaley does the right thing and finds a reasonable solution for Byrd. He's played very well since his return.

 

If EJ spends night and day working in the off-season with a QB coach, then we'll see how he does next year. We need a better back up. I like Thad more than some, but want a veteran who can come in and perform mid game.