Jim Leonhard

[GRHater69]

In a perfect world by week 5 or 6 I think they thought the person to be the QB of the D would have been Aaron Williams going into the season, but we all know how that worked out. Losing him hurt them in many ways.

[BADOLBILZ]

Makes you wonder why they never signed Dewan Landry. At least he knew the defense and played well last year. It isn't like we had good safeties.

 

Then again no one signed him and lots of teams have crap safeties so there is probably more to it

 

Landry wanted more money.

 

I don't pretend to have a lot of inside info but I was told by someone in the know that their offer to him was open ended.

The most fascinating comment by Polian (for me at least) is the reliance of Rex's D (and the Pettine derivative) in recent years on this guy: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LeonJi23.htm. This is even though he was probably running a 5.2 40 in his last couple of seasons.

 

Note that he played for Pettine (running Rex's scheme) in 2013 for the Bills and in 2014 for Cleveland. He had 4 picks for the Bills in 2013 too.

 

According to Polian, the D couldn't really be run without him because he was the only one who understood it. The Bills defense is obviously not populated by mensas [EDIT: except for Manny Lawson], and without one it appears that it can't work. The one guy who seems to fit the bill is Corey Graham, and surprise surprise: he's one of the only players to publicly buy into the system.

 

 

Great post/subject, by the way.

 

I think there are a lot of folks out there who thought that D excelled in spite of Leonhard........like that D was so airtight even an undersized and slow safety could do it.

 

What I find interesting is how does Ryan struggle to make intelligent decisions and yet has put together the most complicated defensive playbook.....perhaps in the history of the NFL?

 

It's like the information was bestowed upon him a la Biff from Back to the Future.

[The Big Cat]

I've been screaming about safety play since September.

 

Rex's scheme needs good ones, we aint got 'em.

 

"This Just In" Rex: Football players are not typically mensas, and even mensas solve problems better when they have a bit of time, not 'read and react'. Any scheme which requires a 1:100 football braniac to understand is a Bad Scheme

 

Unless it works 10 out of 11 years.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I think this is a good post and sound theory.

 

But does it explain how poor the d-line has played?

[NoSaint]

There is no reason for any defense to be that complicated

Right. If only one guy- a 64 year old safety can make it work, it's not a viable scheme to run in the NFL.

I've been screaming about safety play since September.

 

Rex's scheme needs good ones, we aint got 'em.

 

 

So why's he running it?

[DC Tom]

There is no reason for any defense to be that complicated

Wade Phillips may be (is, in my opinion) one of the best DCs ever. And that's with a straight no-frills 3-4 that makes linebackers like John Holocek look good.

[Kelly the Dog]

Good post, Dave. That was the most interesting thing in that article by far. It's incredible that Rex doesn't know or address this. He just HAD to know that the players didn't understand it enough. Then again the first year on the Jets they learned it quick.

[The Big Cat]

Good post, Dave. That was the most interesting thing in that article by far. It's incredible that Rex doesn't know or address this. He just HAD to know that the players didn't understand it enough. Then again the first year on the Jets they learned it quick.

 

And great LBs and so so dlineman.... Again, why did we pay Dareus and Hughes a **** ton of money if that money could've been used to get Rex his safeties and LBs?.... Or better question, why'd we hire Rex to begin with?

 

Do Whaley and Rex even talk?

 

 

Right. If only one guy- a 64 year old safety can make it work, it's not a viable scheme to run in the NFL.

 

So why's he running it?

[boyst]

so, evidently intelligence > football instincts?

Guys playing the sport for 15+ years now lack the ability to play effectively because they're not rocket surgeons?

 

 

Wade Phillips may be (is, in my opinion) one of the best DCs ever. And that's with a straight no-frills 3-4 that makes linebackers like John Holocek look good.

took the words from my mouth.

 

There are historically far better examples of teams running much better defenses much more primitively.

belichek has done the same. hole clogging, hard hitting linebackers, straight up coverage man to man (and hole clogging, man on man with regard to brady).

[BADOLBILZ]

I've been screaming about safety play since September.

 

Rex's scheme needs good ones, we aint got 'em.

 

Unless it works 10 out of 11 years.

 

That wasn't the point of dave's thread.

 

It's not about "good" ones it's about specific ones.

 

And Rex D didn't succeed in his last couple seasons in NY.

 

Bottom half of the league in points allowed and dead last in takeaways is not successful.

 

This Bills team is actually BETTER in those categories than his last two Jet's defenses.

 

Rex committed the cardinal sin of coaching......jamming a scheme on personnel that can't execute it.

 

Personnel......who had proven successful in a scheme he should have been easily able to replicate.......but was either too stubborn or too dumb to do so.

 

It's not your fault that you didn't understand exactly how complicated the scheme was to implement when you made your confident takes last winter.......but the foundation of Rex D was already suspect by virtue of diminishing returns.

[machine gun kelly]

I loved watching the Bruce Arians "A Football Life" as he was criticizing coaches who live at the facility. To paraphrase, he said "Why, it's not that complicated in football unless you make it" His point was coach well, place your guys in a place to be successful, and have a balanced life where you don't absolutely ignore your families. He's not out to impress anyone.

 

Rex on the other hand must have seen his players did not match the scheme, and makes it more complicated than it needs to be. Hence the mess we are in now.

[billsfanmd07]

Honestly it feels like our D players were the exact opposite of what Rex needed. Is it worth the risk of changing our roster over when he makes so many other game day mistakes?

[boyst]

I loved watching the Bruce Arians "A Football Life" as he was criticizing coaches who live at the facility. To paraphrase, he said "Why, it's not that complicated in football unless you make it" His point was coach well, place your guys in a place to be successful, and have a balanced life where you don't absolutely ignore your families. He's not out to impress anyone.

 

Rex on the other hand must have seen his players did not match the scheme, and makes it more complicated than it needs to be. Hence the mess we are in now.

Arians ablity to this on offense is currently unmatched in the NFL. Playing and coaching defense is easy. Playing and coaching offense is much, much more exhausting and dynamic.

[NoSaint]

Good post, Dave. That was the most interesting thing in that article by far. It's incredible that Rex doesn't know or address this. He just HAD to know that the players didn't understand it enough. Then again the first year on the Jets they learned it quick.

He did bring both leonhard and Bart Scott that first year

[apuszczalowski]

This is the issue with Rex and why it's better to say bye now then hope after a few years he can get the defence back to where it was when he took it over. If this really complicated defence that very few players have the ability to run it successfully is going to take an off-season or 2 of completely retooling a defence is going to get you to a place where you already where with the current players running a simpler defence, why change a thing? Is this complicated defence really that great or worth running if it means turning over half the players on The defence side of the roster?

[Kelly the Dog]

He did bring both leonhard and Bart Scott that first year

Good point. Forgot about Scott that first year.

 

We definitely would have signed Scott this season and it probably would have helped tremendously. The Jets overpaid for him IMO more because they didn't want us to have him rather than he was worth it to them. But it turned out to be money well spent.

[zonabb]

More support for my constant refrain for drafting players with brains over sheer brawn and athleticism. Yes physical tools matter but often players drafted high with great physical talent lack the mental and emotional intelligence to be more than average players. McKelvin is a classic example of this type of player. Physically gifted but mentally lacking. He doesn't seem to be able to be taught to play, instead relies on his speed and gets burned often because he lacks technique that comes from learning the game. Looks at the Pats, who seem to draft smarts all the time. You all hate them but look at how many guys they draft that don't seem to be physically imposing but who are ballets. Why? Because they can learn the system and buy in.

[BADOLBILZ]

Good point. Forgot about Scott that first year.

 

We definitely would have signed Scott this season and it probably would have helped tremendously. The Jets overpaid for him IMO more because they didn't want us to have him rather than he was worth it to them. But it turned out to be money well spent.

 

 

They tried like hell to get David Harris last offseason.......even though they had previously told the media that they were set at LB.

[Fixxxer]

They should have kept Searcy then, he wasn't the most athletic safety by he made plays with us, in both Pettine and Schwartz defenses.

[dave mcbride]

Good point. Forgot about Scott that first year.

We definitely would have signed Scott this season and it probably would have helped tremendously. The Jets overpaid for him IMO more because they didn't want us to have him rather than he was worth it to them. But it turned out to be money well spent.

David Harris, I think you mean.