What defensive players fit Rex's scheme?

[Pete]

I am still wrapping my head trying to figure out what is wrong with our pass rush. We are 30th in the league in sacks. Is it injuries? Wrong players for scheme? If it is the later, who stays next year? And who/what positions do we target in free agency and draft?

[12Kachy]

Everyone on the Jets.

[Nihilarian]

I am still wrapping my head trying to figure out what is wrong with our pass rush. We are 30th in the league in sacks. Is it injuries? Wrong players for scheme? If it is the later, who stays next year? And who/what positions do we target in free agency and draft?

Go back and re watch the New England game when Brady was under pressure for 20 of his 40 drop backs, and was screaming at his O line to block better. That was also without Kyle Williams and Mario Williams!!

 

That was the anomaly of the season because sacks usually go hand in hand with pressures, hits, hurries, and the Bills haven't been getting it done because of the scheme Ryan has run in every game but that last Patriot game.

 

Marcel Dareus stated in the pre season he was being asked to do things he wasn't asked to do last season, and publicly stated he was being used incorrectly. Rex Ryan then told the media that his defense was so complex that it takes awhile for the players to grasp / understand it. What that statement is, is complete horse crap because Ryan is asking his DT's to play gap control over rushing. He is also asking his D line to play a zone blitz, and have them drop into pass coverage more then they should.

 

Some of us saw this in week two in that first game against the Patriots when Ryan had his defense play a soft cover rather then a pressure. What a debacle that was as Tom Brady set a Buffalo Bills worst ever 466 passing allowed by a single player.

 

Then there is a distinct lack of D linemen rotation, as Schwartz rotated the line much more last season and thus kept those superstar pass rushers fresher in the fourth quarter.

 

The Buffalo Bills went from 1st in the NFL to now 30th, and from 4th overall to now 20th, 22nd in pass defense. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Bills secondary just get a whole lot better after this last draft with the addition of possible Defensive rookie of the year in #2 pick Ronald Darby?

 

Now, think back to 2010-2011 with George Edwards as the Bills DC when neither the 3-4 or 4-3 worked. Now think back to 2012 with Dave Wanstedt as the Bills DC, and you will find similar results as this season with elite defensive talent.

 

Its all in the lame scheme Rex Ryan is asking his players to run this year, and it is stinking up the league. Just last game at KC Alex Smith had all day to throw with very little pressure on him, and suddenly he becomes a great deep passer.

 

Read what Vic Caruccui wrote after the week two game against New England. http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/10/07/bills-d-line-experiencing-disconnect-with-scheme/

 

There was also a huge thread on the subject. http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/181760-carucci-disconnect-exists-between-dl-and-scheme/page-14

 

 

Bottom line the current defensive scheme Ryan is running is not working with the elite defensive talent he has on the defensive line or the elite defensive backs on the roster. Cover scheme over pressure scheme never works.

Rex Ryan = George Edwards / Dave Wannstedt!!

[jr1]

Guys that don't have emotional disabilities like Jerry Hughes

[1st Ammendment NoMas]

No one fits this **** scheme.

[jeffismagic]

Dareus would be a 3-4 DE in Rex's dream scenario. Bills would need a big run stuffing DT. Think Jenkins when he was on the Jets. Mario would be a pass-rushing linebacker or 3-4 DE. Bills would also need a bigger safety that could be moved around and a bigger run stuffing linebacker. Kyle Williams will probably be gone next year.

[maddenboy]

a couple years ago, there was an article about what Rexy likes in D-linemen.

 

Long and lean. Stop the run on the way to the QB.

 

Think of the Jets' D-linemen. Wilkerson, Richardson, etc. No squat fireplugs there. They are long and lean.

[KDIGGZ]

I said this when we hired Rex and people said don't worry about Rex he will fit his scheme to our players. You guys give him too much credit. He is a one trick pony. He only knows his way of running the defense which is the way his daddy taught him. And our players don't fit that scheme because we have a great defensive line and crappy LBs. We have the personnel for a 4-3 defense and that is one of the reasons they played so well with Schwartz. It was very simple. 4 linemen rush and funnel the plays up the middle. Now they have linemen dropping into coverage and LBs blitzing. And its resulting in mismatches and lack of pressure on the QB. I was pulling my hair out vs the Pats because certain plays they had our best pass rusher Hughes covering Amendola in the slot. Wtf? And guess where Brady threw the ball? Rex's defense is supposed to confuse offenses (who is rushing who is in coverage?) But so far the only ones who are confused are the defensive players themselves

[simpleman]

Bottom line the current defensive scheme Ryan is running is not working with the elite defensive talent he has on the defensive line or the elite defensive backs on the roster. Cover scheme over pressure scheme never works.

Rex Ryan = George Edwards / Dave Wannstedt!!

 

Exactly why the Bills defense is so poor this year, even with more talent added over last year

 

Rex Ryan = Dave Wannstedt!

 

Only Rex is also the head coach, which makes it doubly worse

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Rex is too worried that a team will run 200 yards on them so he has his DT and LBs playing run first in a passing league. Only time they didn't lay this way was second cheaters game

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

It is as if sacks were all that mattered.

 

The Bills finished 9*-7 leading in sacks (8 free game wk 17 v Pats*)

 

The Bills could also match last seasons 9-7 and the HC and his defense sucks.

 

BBBFS Battered Buffalo Bills Fan Syndrome

[87168]

Guys that don't have emotional disabilities like Jerry Hughes

so everyone must have been diagnosed with "emotional disabilities", including last year's Jets.

[BuffaloBillsMagic1]

Rex is too worried that a team will run 200 yards on them so he has his DT and LBs playing run first in a passing league. Only time they didn't lay this way was second cheaters game

yeah, we will lead the league in run defense so he is a genius but be 7-9 as our cbs get killed as passers have 4 or more seconds to find wrs down field....

Edited December 4, 2015 by BuffaloBillsMagic1

[BmarvB]

I am still wrapping my head trying to figure out what is wrong with our pass rush. We are 30th in the league in sacks. Is it injuries? Wrong players for scheme? If it is the later, who stays next year? And who/what positions do we target in free agency and draft?

 

Wrong scheme for the players we have here. Pettine & Schwartz had the right idea and got the best results. Rex is trying to force square pegs into round holes with his scheme. And he's too stubborn to adapt it to the players up front so they can do what they do best.

The results is speaking for itself!

[dpberr]

The one thing no player on the defense has is the experience.

 

One of the reasons the Ryan scheme worked well in Baltimore and New York was because you had guys like Ray Lewis and David Harris anchoring that linebacker unit. They instinctively knew the scheme and what to apply when.

 

IMO, they ask a lot of Preston Brown. He's only in his second year, and he's not only the shot caller of a complicated defense but he's also got to out strategize the opposing quarterback.

 

If there was one Jets player that *should* have come to the Bills, it was David Harris.

[BillsFan130]

Go back and re watch the New England game when Brady was under pressure for 20 of his 40 drop backs, and was screaming at his O line to block better. That was also without Kyle Williams and Mario Williams!!

 

That was the anomaly of the season because sacks usually go hand in hand with pressures, hits, hurries, and the Bills haven't been getting it done because of the scheme Ryan has run in every game but that last Patriot game.

 

Marcel Dareus stated in the pre season he was being asked to do things he wasn't asked to do last season, and publicly stated he was being used incorrectly. Rex Ryan then told the media that his defense was so complex that it takes awhile for the players to grasp / understand it. What that statement is, is complete horse crap because Ryan is asking his DT's to play gap control over rushing. He is also asking his D line to play a zone blitz, and have them drop into pass coverage more then they should.

 

Some of us saw this in week two in that first game against the Patriots when Ryan had his defense play a soft cover rather then a pressure. What a debacle that was as Tom Brady set a Buffalo Bills worst ever 466 passing allowed by a single player.

 

Then there is a distinct lack of D linemen rotation, as Schwartz rotated the line much more last season and thus kept those superstar pass rushers fresher in the fourth quarter.

 

The Buffalo Bills went from 1st in the NFL to now 30th, and from 4th overall to now 20th, 22nd in pass defense. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Bills secondary just get a whole lot better after this last draft with the addition of possible Defensive rookie of the year in #2 pick Ronald Darby?

 

Now, think back to 2010-2011 with George Edwards as the Bills DC when neither the 3-4 or 4-3 worked. Now think back to 2012 with Dave Wanstedt as the Bills DC, and you will find similar results as this season with elite defensive talent.

 

Its all in the lame scheme Rex Ryan is asking his players to run this year, and it is stinking up the league. Just last game at KC Alex Smith had all day to throw with very little pressure on him, and suddenly he becomes a great deep passer.

 

Read what Vic Caruccui wrote after the week two game against New England. http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/10/07/bills-d-line-experiencing-disconnect-with-scheme/

 

There was also a huge thread on the subject. http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/181760-carucci-disconnect-exists-between-dl-and-scheme/page-14

 

 

Bottom line the current defensive scheme Ryan is running is not working with the elite defensive talent he has on the defensive line or the elite defensive backs on the roster. Cover scheme over pressure scheme never works.

Rex Ryan = George Edwards / Dave Wannstedt!!

Good post. And ya the thing I can't figure out is why he completely changed his game plan from new England's last week. The New England game plan actually worked and looked like the Rex defence's of old. He must have been scared of K.C taking advantage of the bills being over aggressive by doing screens, but still. Any way you look at it Andy Reid was one step ahead of him

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Good post. And ya the thing I can't figure out is why he completely changed his game plan from new England's last week. The New England game plan actually worked and looked like the Rex defence's of old. He must have been scared of K.C taking advantage of the bills being over aggressive by doing screens, but still. Any way you look at it Andy Reid was one step ahead of him

 

Andy Reid has a strong screen game... It's worth scheming against. The run defense is what fell apart in that game.

Also darby and gilmore had poor games.

[The Big Cat]

Uh oh.

 

https://twitter.com/MarkLud12/status/672822640206348288

 

http://twitter.com/viccarucci/status/672823352185257984

[Formerly Allan in MD]

Rex has a scheme? What he really needs is some common sense. When you inherit about the best pass rush in the league, you use it from day 1.

[Direhard Fan]

I'll say it again. Our biggest enemy is REX Don't know if one horse pony is the right name but Terry got conned. Our players must be livid and can't or won't say much. Sad.

[....lybob]

M William, K Williams, Lawson, McKelvin are cap casualties - does Nigel Bradham fit anywhere? I have the feeling Rex might like Powell or Steward more as a inside LB pairing with Brown

 

Dareus moves to 3-4 DE, Hughes to OLB - Rex needs NTs TJ Barnes is a fit - Damon Harrison, Terrance Knighton are free agents , Rex needs 3-4 DEs Bryant, Charles, Carrington, Wynn, Worthy would be potential fits M Wilkerson would be a very expensive free agent option, the draft has some options, OLB - Randell Johnson? Lavar Edwards? unless you got JJ Watt this is where your pass rush comes from in a 3-4, no great options pop out at me in free agency (Von Miller is on the free agent list so for you dreamers) but the draft has some interesting fits .

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

M William, K Williams, Lawson, McKelvin are cap casualties - does Nigel Bradham fit anywhere? I have the feeling Rex might like Powell or Steward more as a inside LB pairing with Brown

 

Dareus moves to 3-4 DE, Hughes to OLB - Rex needs NTs TJ Barnes is a fit - Damon Harrison, Terrance Knighton are free agents , Rex needs 3-4 DEs Bryant, Charles, Carrington, Wynn, Worthy would be potential fits M Wilkerson would be a very expensive free agent option, the draft has some options, OLB - Randell Johnson? Lavar Edwards? unless you got JJ Watt this is where your pass rush comes from in a 3-4, no great options pop out at me in free agency (Von Miller is on the free agent list so for you dreamers) but the draft has some interesting fits .

 

I could see restructuring K williams. The team seems to lack a vocal leader with him out.

 

They also need a solid SS who can thump.

[RyanC883]

Apparently not pro-bowl caliber players. Cut Rex. Get Hue Jackson and Schwartz in here. It will be easier/less expensive to fix the HC hiring mistake (which I was a fan of at the time) than to switch the personnel, only to have that fail as well (like it did for NYJ).

I'll say it again. Our biggest enemy is REX Don't know if one horse pony is the right name but Terry got conned. Our players must be livid and can't or won't say much. Sad.

 

Terry must be pissed. I totally agree with you that the main issue is Rex. Conned me as well. Get a HC who knows how to win with pro-bowl players, not use the excuse of a "scheme" to excuse poor coaching and play calling on defense. Jackson, Schwartz, and Roman next year.

[PromoTheRobot]

I'd love to know what exactly Rex's scheme is. One that doesn't make proper use of talented players, apparently.

Edited December 4, 2015 by PromoTheRobot

[BillsFan130]

 

Andy Reid has a strong screen game... It's worth scheming against. The run defense is what fell apart in that game.

Also darby and gilmore had poor games.

But 0 sacks on one of the highest sacked quarterbacks in the nfl? that is inexcusable. I get you got to caution against the screen but it seemed like the bills were playing scared

[Blokestradamus]

Well, my very much written in pencil starting base D for next year looks like this:

 

Mario - NT unknown - Dareus

SOLB unknown - Brown - ILB unknown - Hughes

Darby Gilmore

 

Williams Graham

 

Kyle is probably gone, Bradham doesn't fit, McKelvin is expensive for depth. Lawson is still a serviceable player but Rex typically likes his OLB's a little bigger. TJ Barnes, Ty Powell and Randell Johnson are the current roster guys that would fit the missing pieces the best but you'd like to do better.

[Marty McFly]

Rex's scheme of a base 3-4 requires really good LBs. Which is one of our weaknesses on the current roster. Instead of letting us rock the 4-3 and letting the players play, hes trying to install his scheme at the cost of our 2015 season. This is why our Def went from #4 to #26 or whatever it is. Next year when we start healthy and he gets another draft and free agency in, there will be no more excuses for missing the playoffs. We have the talent to be 7-4 rite now but injuries and coaching have us at 5-6. Texans will prob kill our playoff hopes this sunday so lets call it a playoff game and enjoy watching us play for our lives with 2 OL starters out against super sayin Watts, and the other 5 starters that are out. Im hoping for a win but with our back up OLine playing, I could see Watts creeling TT and taking him out the game. Then we gotta deal with turnover EJ again.

As much as Id like to see this happen, it wont. Business doesnt work like that, Pegula will give Rex at least another year to get his **** together. No matter how much we need Schwartz back. Stupidest move this off season was not throwing bags of $$$ at Schwartz to work with Rex. If Rex put his ego aside and let Schwartz run the Def, and just played the role of HC we would be somewhere between 8-3 and 6-5 at worst.

Apparently not pro-bowl caliber players. Cut Rex. Get Hue Jackson and Schwartz in here. It will be easier/less expensive to fix the HC hiring mistake (which I was a fan of at the time) than to switch the personnel, only to have that fail as well (like it did for NYJ).

 

Terry must be pissed. I totally agree with you that the main issue is Rex. Conned me as well. Get a HC who knows how to win with pro-bowl players, not use the excuse of a "scheme" to excuse poor coaching and play calling on defense. Jackson, Schwartz, and Roman next year.

[Nihilarian]

It is as if sacks were all that mattered.

 

The Bills finished 9*-7 leading in sacks (8 free game wk 17 v Pats*)

 

The Bills could also match last seasons 9-7 and the HC and his defense sucks.

 

BBBFS Battered Buffalo Bills Fan Syndrome

Sacks do matter so very much, and is a huge reason why this team paid Mario Williams 100 million a few years ago!! The team just recently signed Dareus, Hughes to big $$$ contracts too. No pass rush allows the opposing QB all day to throw. Remember Buddy Nix crying like a baby (2010-2011) that the Bills D didn't have any pass rush, and rookie QB's were having all day to throw. That was the reason why Super Mario was such a big deal. Over 100 pages in a thread talking about signing him. The Bills FO locked Mario up somewhere, and wouldn't let him leave until he signed.

 

Last year the Buffalo Bills terrorized opposing QB's, and they hated playing against Schwartz's wide nine scheme for good reason. However, Schwartz's scheme wasn't perfect and Brady did some damage in the first game between the teams. BUT! In the second game when Brady played only in the first half he went 8 of 16 for 80 yards, and then Bill Bellycheat pulled him so he wouldn't get injured.

 

Last season the Bills defense was #1 in sacks in the league with 54 sacks, #4 overall, #4 in yards allowed, #4 in points allowed. Kyle Willams, Mario Williams, and Marcel Dareus all went to the pro bowl too.

 

The problem last year was with the offense and Bills OC Buddy Hackett calling mostly simplistic passing plays all game long. To his credit QB Kyle Orton still managed to go 7-5 despite playing behind the very worst offensive line in the league for most of the year, and with game plans being setup by Jimmy the Chimp. Plus the team didn't have either Fred Jackson (525 yards)or CJ Spiller (300 yards) run very much last season.

Last year the Bills offense finished 18 in points, and 26th in yards.

 

On a side note do you know what team leads the NFL in sacks this year? Denver with 37. Do you know which team has the #1 defense in the NFL, Denver.

 

Buffalo currently has only 16 sacks!!!!!

 

Mario Williams 3.0

Jerry Hughes 3.0

Marcel Dareus 2.0

Manny Lawson 1.0

Kyle Williams 1.0

Corey Graham 1.0

Nigel Bradham 1.0

Duke Williams 1.0

Nickell Robey 1.0

Stefan Charles 1.0

AJ Tarpley 1.0

 

Nine sacks between the three pro bowlers so far...

 

If Schwartz was the DC this year, and with the addition of CB Ron Darby along with Shady McCoy in this years big play offense (#9 in points right now) I could see this team being 9-2 right now.

 

I am greatly hoping the Bills don't waste more years attempting to draft players to fit Rex Ryan's craptastic scheme. Mostly because the Jets are without CB Revis, and still winning with noodle arm Fitz, and Chan Gailey calling plays. Ryan's Jets defense was #24 in point allowed last year, look familiar?

Edited December 5, 2015 by Nihilarian

[JohnC]

Rex has a scheme? What he really needs is some common sense. When you inherit about the best pass rush in the league, you use it from day 1.

The non-thinker over-thought the situation. The only person he outsmarted was himself! When one thinks he is smarter than he really is and acts on that premise you have a classic example of what it is to be a fool.

[realtruelove]

The non-thinker over-thought the situation. The only person he outsmarted was himself! When one thinks he is smarter than he really is and acts on that premise you have a classic example of what it is to be a fool.

This

[papazoid]

mario - "still learning the defense"......... Translation = to complicated

 

dareus - "just running the play thats called "........Translation = i'm not being utilized right.

 

Mario - "still doing the same thing".....translation = that idiot rex didn't get the message the last time I chirped. i'm best coming from the edge, not over the guards.

 

rex - "we have to get a better challenge system in place:....Translation = we currently don't have a system.

 

rex- "I think their is a league rule on showing in stadium replays"....Translation = I don't actually know the rule.

 

rex - "we're out of mulligans".......Translation = we've screwed up to many ways to count.

[papazoid]

5 @ DL - Mario, Dareus, NT , Kyle, Hughes

1 @ LB - Brown

5 @ DB - Darby, Williams, Rambo, Graham, Gilmore

 

 

draft a QB & NT with first two draft choices.

[Cleveland Rocks?]

I am surprised that the fans here are so attached to players' stats who have had some individual success but never won anything, vs. the coaches who have won playoff games with their schemes and are in process of implementing them and getting the ideal personnel groups in place while dealing with injury after injury. Like you, as a Browns fan I want my team to make the playoffs for the first time in forever but it seems like a lot of the sentiment here is to cling to what you have had in the past that didn't work. Your team was not really 9-7 in last year, you know it was a .500 team that "won" a glorified scrimmage in the final week against backups. The Bills clearly have some really good (and young) talent, certainly better than about half the teams in the league, but it isn't like it was some juggernaut of a team that got "slowed down" by the new coach. They have a better shot at the playoffs now with 5 AFC wins than they did last year, when they had 4 actual AFC wins (NE does NOT count, people) ALL SEASON. The offense was not good last year at all and the defense was good in some games, but certainly not all the games. I think there is a bit of revisionist history going on with that. It seemed pretty inconsistent from an "outsider's" point of view. It was overrated because of some really good performances against teams like Green Bay and Detroit. And Cleveland! There were some bad ones too and I saw the denver game that people say was awesome vs Manning, but they lost partly because they couldn't stop the run in that game. Not good enough. Kyle Williams though, is an elite player on the DL and has been a huge missing piece for ya'll, not to mention your starting SS being out.

 

Anyway - as far as who fits the scheme - Mo Wilkerson is a name that will be available. His agent is Chad Wiestling and I heard through someone with the Browns that Wiestling has made it known that he doesn't want to be in NY and they know that. He doesn't want to sign there, thinks their QB situation is going nowhere and they can't pay him what he has earned because of their terrible contracts with aging Revis, Cromartie and Marshall. He wants to play in his old scheme and not a fan of Todd Bowles.. Now of course Browns fans who hear this think we are getting him - and maybe so because we desperately NEED a guy like that whereas for you he's just piece- but just FYI since his old scheme is in your town. If you part ways with Mario Williams?

 

Just FYI. Good luck in the playoff race!

Edited December 5, 2015 by Cleveland Rocks?

[Vinaccia]

I am surprised that the fans here are so attached to players' stats who have had some individual success but never won anything, vs. the coaches who have won playoff games with their schemes and are in process of implementing them and getting the ideal personnel groups in place while dealing with injury after injury. Like you, as a Browns fan I want my team to make the playoffs for the first time in forever but it seems like a lot of the sentiment here is to cling to what you have had in the past that didn't work. Your team was not really 9-7 in last year, you know it was a .500 team that "won" a glorified scrimmage in the final week against backups. The Bills clearly have some really good (and young) talent, certainly better than about half the teams in the league, but it isn't like it was some juggernaut of a team that got "slowed down" by the new coach. They have a better shot at the playoffs now with 5 AFC wins than they did last year, when they had 4 actual AFC wins (NE does NOT count, people) ALL SEASON. The offense was not good last year at all and the defense was good in some games, but certainly not all the games. I think there is a bit of revisionist history going on with that. It seemed pretty inconsistent from an "outsider's" point of view. It was overrated because of some really good performances against teams like Green Bay and Detroit. And Cleveland! There were some bad ones too and I saw the denver game that people say was awesome vs Manning, but they lost partly because they couldn't stop the run in that game. Not good enough. Kyle Williams though, is an elite player on the DL and has been a huge missing piece for ya'll, not to mention your starting SS being out.

 

Anyway - as far as who fits the scheme - Mo Wilkerson is a name that will be available. His agent is Chad Wiestling and I heard through someone with the Browns that Wiestling has made it known that he doesn't want to be in NY and they know that. He doesn't want to sign there, thinks their QB situation is going nowhere and they can't pay him what he has earned because of their terrible contracts with aging Revis, Cromartie and Marshall. He wants to play in his old scheme and not a fan of Todd Bowles.. Now of course Browns fans who hear this think we are getting him - and maybe so because we desperately NEED a guy like that whereas for you he's just piece- but just FYI since his old scheme is in your town. If you part ways with Mario Williams?

 

Just FYI. Good luck in the playoff race!

Excellent post. Hopefully the Browns get Paxton Lynch or Connor Cook and the good fans of Cleveland don't suffer anymore from the QB embarrassment of Johnny Manziel. People here demand immediate results and are somehow delusional about last year with how bad the coaching was. You're absolutely right. It takes time with a new system and nobody even wants to give the coach one year. It's frustrating that we haven't won more but it's more frustrating to think people are demanding for the firing of Rex Ryan before even a single season is over with. I for one have always been a supporter of Ryan. He's made the bills relevant again and a key destination for FAs.

[PromoTheRobot]

I am surprised that the fans here are so attached to players' stats who have had some individual success but never won anything, vs. the coaches who have won playoff games with their schemes and are in process of implementing them and getting the ideal personnel groups in place while dealing with injury after injury. Like you, as a Browns fan I want my team to make the playoffs for the first time in forever but it seems like a lot of the sentiment here is to cling to what you have had in the past that didn't work. Your team was not really 9-7 in last year, you know it was a .500 team that "won" a glorified scrimmage in the final week against backups. The Bills clearly have some really good (and young) talent, certainly better than about half the teams in the league, but it isn't like it was some juggernaut of a team that got "slowed down" by the new coach. They have a better shot at the playoffs now with 5 AFC wins than they did last year, when they had 4 actual AFC wins (NE does NOT count, people) ALL SEASON. The offense was not good last year at all and the defense was good in some games, but certainly not all the games. I think there is a bit of revisionist history going on with that. It seemed pretty inconsistent from an "outsider's" point of view. It was overrated because of some really good performances against teams like Green Bay and Detroit. And Cleveland! There were some bad ones too and I saw the denver game that people say was awesome vs Manning, but they lost partly because they couldn't stop the run in that game. Not good enough. Kyle Williams though, is an elite player on the DL and has been a huge missing piece for ya'll, not to mention your starting SS being out.

 

Anyway - as far as who fits the scheme - Mo Wilkerson is a name that will be available. His agent is Chad Wiestling and I heard through someone with the Browns that Wiestling has made it known that he doesn't want to be in NY and they know that. He doesn't want to sign there, thinks their QB situation is going nowhere and they can't pay him what he has earned because of their terrible contracts with aging Revis, Cromartie and Marshall. He wants to play in his old scheme and not a fan of Todd Bowles.. Now of course Browns fans who hear this think we are getting him - and maybe so because we desperately NEED a guy like that whereas for you he's just piece- but just FYI since his old scheme is in your town. If you part ways with Mario Williams?

 

Just FYI. Good luck in the playoff race!

It's not just about stats. The Bills D was playoff caliber last year. Unfortunately our offense sucked. Now it's the opposite. The Bills can never seems to fire on both cylinders at the same time. You fix one side and the other falls apart. Rex inherited a great defense. He should make it work, period. F#%! scheme.

[zonabb]

All this issue really comes down to is what I've argued for constantly.... continuity. Pick a coach and draft the players for that coach to help him be successful. Drafting players in April for a new coach hired in February isn't going to help that coach completely in year one. Problem is, people here and in the media, 11 games in are clamoring for this guy's head. Great, fire him. Then what? Hire someone else who has a scheme that isn't a 100% fit for all the players and next fall, we're back here with the same complaining... The 3-year window for coaches is a joke. If you think the coach is good enough to hire and in almost all cases new coaches are handed sh!tty teams, how is three years enough when you need to rebuild an entire team with 7 draft picks a year who all take time to develop?

 

As an organization, any organization, you live and die by your management. Management lives and dies by its talent. What management typically gets is the opportunity to find and develop its talent. I was always told when I was in consulting that I would never, ever be held accountable for project failures if I was forced to use staff I didn't get to pick. On the other hand, I'd be held to the fire for failures when I picked the team. So in many ways, I think the GM/Coach model of the NFL is out of date when the GM picks the players and imposes them on the coach. I'm not clear on how it works in Buffalo but I think the GM and scouting team role is to identify the best players to fit the current scheme and the coach should have a high level of power when it comes to selection.

 

Here's a good read on how Belichek sees it. http://nesn.com/2015/12/bill-belichick-being-patriots-head-coach-gm-interrelated-to-me/

 

The Patriots are who they are mainly because of the QB but the Belichek role as coach and GM I think, and as the article suggests, is under appreciated. Yes he misses like they all do but I would argue his teams roll on, replacing talent because he knows what he needs and has the power to pick players.

[Cleveland Rocks?]

It's not just about stats. The Bills D was playoff caliber last year. Unfortunately our offense sucked. Now it's the opposite. The Bills can never seems to fire on both cylinders at the same time. You fix one side and the other falls apart. Rex inherited a great defense. He should make it work, period. F#%! scheme.

I just think that sometimes fans have a homeristic view of their team. I don't think it was a playoff caliber defense last year, because they couldn't rise to the occasion in conference games they had to have to make the playoffs. Like SD, KC, Raiders, Miami. Win 1 or 2 of those games and they are in, but they got shredded. They played well most of the KC game with their pass defense, but then couldn't stop the run when they had to keep them out of the end zone. Their best games came against terrible QBs and offenses like the Browns and Jets, or NFC teams. I still think they had a really good pass rush last year, but that doesn't win games on its own. Teams found ways to beat them when it mattered. Then they have some fairly different personnel this year with FA departures and injuries. That said, your new defense looked pretty, pretty good in the last three games I saw which were Miami, Jets and Patriots.

Edited December 5, 2015 by Cleveland Rocks?

[reddogblitz]

NE does NOT count, people

 

While I agree with most of your post you lost me on this. Doesn't count my A$$. Look in the record book. It's a win whether you think we are worthy or not.

 

But I do agree with you that this season is FAR from over and we are very much still in this.

 

Rex' craptastic system as I've seen it called was good enough in Baltimore to have one of the best defenses ever. Often compared to the 85 Bears. His system was good enough to get to AFC championship game 2 years in row and good enough to beat the Patsies** in the playoffs.

 

I too don't like how some things have gone so far this year but let's give Rex and company a little more time.

[YoloinOhio]

While I agree with most of your post you lost me on this. Doesn't count my A$$. Look in the record book. It's a win whether you think we are worthy or not.

 

But I do agree with you that this season is FAR from over and we are very much still in this.

 

Rex' craptastic system as I've seen it called was good enough in Baltimore to have one of the best defenses ever. Often compared to the 85 Bears. His system was good enough to get to AFC championship game 2 years in row and good enough to beat the Patsies** in the playoffs.

 

I too don't like how some things have gone so far this year but let's give Rex and company a little more time.

the record book is about the only place that win in week 17 counts...and on the Douggernaut's resume. I think in evaluating the 2014 team it probably counted very little if you are looking at it realistically. It was a .500 team. However, let it not go unsaid that WE were also down some starters. Dareus, Gilmore and McKelvin and then I think Glenn went out during the game. Ron Brooks started at CB. So it wasn't like all of our starters vs their backups. Edited December 5, 2015 by YoloinOhio

[reddogblitz]

It was a .500 team.

Still not convinced.

 

It WAS a .562 team.

 

Look it up.

 

.500 Is your opinion and opinions are like A$$holes if you know what I mean.