Football Outsiders - Bills D is now ranked 21st overall

[CommonCents]

I'm confused as to why some of you guys would be in favor of Rex bringing in a DC and just being HC. He has had clock management problems, discipline and lack of accountability with his players, varying effort levels on week to week basis, failure to make in game adjustments. What exactly does Rex do as a HC that would liken anyone to that statement?

 

Seems he also gets overly involved in the draft process...the guy seems like he has a fun personality but if his defensive schemes are now outdated he is beyond useless as an NFL coach. I'm not convinced that this is the case, I do think the players on D share in the blame not just in the talent department but for lack of effort and buying in.

Edited December 9, 2016 by Commonsense

[Dopey]

The defense isn't great by any means, but it doesn't help when after they gave up a 12 play drive for a TD, that they don't have time to catch their breathe, have a cup of water, let alone make adjustments before they are back out on the field after a 3 and out or bomb TD.

Huh. Let's start with that 12 play drive they gave up 1st. So, they're tired cuz they were on the field for a 12 play drive. I have an idea, don't let them go on a 12 play drive. Now if the o goes 3 and out, they're not so tired.

I'm confused as to why some of you guys would be in favor of Rex bringing in a DC and just being HC. He has had clock management problems, discipline and lack of accountability with his players, varying effort levels on week to week basis, failure to make in game adjustments. What exactly does Rex do as a HC that would liken anyone to that statement?

Seems he also gets overly involved in the draft process...the guy seems like he has a fun personality but if his defensive schemes are now outdated he is beyond useless as an NFL coach. I'm not convinced that this is the case, I do think the players on D share in the blame not just in the talent department but for lack of effort and buying in.

agreed, he might have success as a dc. I think he has too much on his plate.

[BADOLBILZ]

I'm confused as to why some of you guys would be in favor of Rex bringing in a DC and just being HC. He has had clock management problems, discipline and lack of accountability with his players, varying effort levels on week to week basis, failure to make in game adjustments. What exactly does Rex do as a HC that would liken anyone to that statement?

 

Seems he also gets overly involved in the draft process...the guy seems like he has a fun personality but if his defensive schemes are now outdated he is beyond useless as an NFL coach. I'm not convinced that this is the case, I do think the players on D share in the blame not just in the talent department but for lack of effort and buying in.

 

As I've said, I don't think he's that bad on the sideline and I do think players want to play well for him. Their buy-in issue is with his scheme, not him.

 

Short of going full on, cut-throat HC like Belichick I think Rex is capable of being Ron Rivera or John Fox.....in fact, probably better.

 

Also the unit that is tough to build is the offense. Offenses thrive on continuity. The personnel is well suited for this scheme. There is MUCH improvement that can come here with very little adjustment. I don't want to see it thrown to the curb the way Schwartz D was in favor of a new HC and his own new, lopsided plan.

[CommonCents]

 

As I've said, I don't think he's that bad on the sideline and I do think players want to play well for him. Their buy-in issue is with his scheme, not him.

 

Short of going full on, cut-throat HC like Belichick I think Rex is capable of being Ron Rivera or John Fox.....in fact, probably better.

 

Also the unit that is tough to build is the offense. Offenses thrive on continuity. The personnel is well suited for this scheme. There is MUCH improvement that can come here with very little adjustment. I don't want to see it thrown to the curb the way Schwartz D was in favor of a new HC and his own new, lopsided plan.

Much improvement is right, I don't agree with the Fox and Rivera comparisons though. They are both hard asses, benching Newton etc. That's the kind of stuff Rex needs to do and reign in these kids, I really think he is too soft and gets taken advantage of. Effort, focus, playing through injuries, just buying in...we always hear it but rarely see it.

 

You made a good call on the production he would get out of veteran backers like Lorax etc. and I don't hate the personnel on the field I do think this group of players as a whole sells the coaches short though. Whether it's brains, or just don't give a care this defense looks nothing like the Jets amoeba D when they peaked.

Edited December 9, 2016 by Commonsense

[BrooklynBills]

Hire Mike Pettine.

[BmarvB]

 

 

This is closer to the eyeball test. They are a bottom third defense. Some of the other rankings are definitely skewed by the quality of offenses they played......including a shutout of a thoroughly helpless Pats offense in NE.....so the 29th rank collectively makes sense.

 

This defense has been a whopping disappointment.

 

It's easy to blame the QB for the teams results......it's hard to resist, in fact.......but they are scoring points on offense.

 

Agreed. TT didn't cost us the Raiders or Dolphins games. The defense did. Offense did their part. They weren't the ones who blew a double digit lead in the second half.

[BADOLBILZ]

Much improvement is right, I don't agree with the Fox and Rivera comparisons though. They are both hard asses, benching Newton etc. That's the kind of stuff Rex needs to do and reign in these kids, I really think he is too soft and gets taken advantage of. Effort, focus, playing through injuries, just buying in...we always hear it but rarely see it.

 

You made a good call on the production he would get out of veteran backers like Lorax etc. and I don't hate the personnel on the field I do think this group of players as a whole sells the coaches short though. Whether it's brains, or just don't give a care this defense looks nothing like the Jets amoeba D when they peaked.

 

I have the same concerns about the effort, focus and willingness to play thru injuries and distractions under Rex.

 

But I think the fact that he needs the players to buy in to his defense weakens him. He can't be the bad guy because of it and sometimes you gotta' be that as a HC.

 

As for the issues with Rex D.......I think a significant and undiscussed reason for it's ineffectiveness is that his amoeba D and LeBeau's zone blitz were both de-fanged by the emphasis on QB and receiver safety.

 

Those guys were putting a hurt on offenses and QB's like Roethlisberger and Rodgers were literally getting concussed out of the league by tactical defense.

 

Without the fear of violence at the QB and in the middle of the field they just don't have the impact.

 

The game has really slowed down for QB's.........which is in great part why defenses that sprint to the QB are flourishing......because they speed things back up.

[peterpan]

I'm very glad to see this thread. For one the first minute this season, the D has been terrible and allows other teams to pick up big chunks of yardage very quickly. This is no ones fault but the D.

 

It's crazy people blame TT for our 6- 6 season when you can easily show that our O produces yards and points.

 

Hiring of Rex was idiotic. Many said it from the start as it was painfully obvious.

 

What pains me is how close, yet how far, we are from being good. Keep Schwartz and we are a top 5 D. Draft K Mack instead of Watkins and we at maybe the best D I the league. Two simple moves!!! With that D we are maybe leading the divison. Instead we are goig to finiish .500 at best.

 

Woof

Plus leaving your DBa 1v1 with the new rules simple doesn't work. Rex needs to adapt and he hasn't.

[rant_and_go]

Not CBs to start playing zone coverage. They do play that in Rex's defense too in the red zone.

Mid to deep zone, where the QB just throws the ball to an area and and knows his WR with 4" of height on the coverage man will get the ball. Need LBs and safeties, who play zone, to get vertical. It's easier to find those guys in the NFL than to gut the team.

 

Bills are onto something. All the top defenses hate to play them. You beat them with quick passing against the defense and forcing errors on the offense. They're not miles away. They remind me of the 2002 Chiefs. Got all the hard to find parts, now glue it together.

[Freddie's Dead]

SHOCKING! Um, maybe not so much. Rex is the 2nd coming of Greggggg Williams. Remember "We'll have a defense like you've never seen"? And boy have they delivered!

[Nihilarian]

 

.......very nice work sending The Big Cat to the litter box in that thread btw......it's funny listening to people blame 3 and outs for the defensive woes when the team is scoring at or near a top 25% of league rate.

 

But this is more than fine in it's own thread.

This is hilarious!

 

 

I'm waiting for the PC when Rex says "Look........I'm not going to get any better so we just gotta' score more points".

 

As I've said before.......it's time for Rex to graduate up to HC only and hire a real DC to run a good D.....and focus on being the motivational leader for this team instead of the reason for players to be discouraged.

 

Or just go away.

 

Forget Roe V Wade.......this is Rex V Wade.....time to abort this full impregnation and get back to the type of D that is working in this league.

Even better!

 

 

It really was crazy to read fans complaining only about the QB, Bills offense when the team was up 24-9 midway through the third quarter and lost by 14 in a 38-24 beatdown.

 

 

I honestly would really like to see the Bills sweep the next four games and finish 10-6 even if they don't make the playoffs. Mostly because this owner seems to be enthralled by Rex Ryan, Doug Whaley, and Russ Brandon. After the Raider game, Terry was giving a multitude of excuses as to why the Bill lost to the Raiders just like one of the three amigos. I don't see change coming anyway after this season so might as well embrace the suckitude that will be in Buffalo for a few more years as we are stuck with the current status quo. Firing them now would mean the owner would have to admit he made a mistake.

 

Should the Bills win out they will pay and keep Tyrod Taylor as he may eventually develop into a better thrower! Should the Bills lose out he might end up developing into a better pocket passer for the NY Jets! The only way Ryan gets fired is if the team bottoms out to a 4-12 like he did in NY and as bad as his defense is that isn't likely to happen with a QB like Taylor who isn't a turnover machine.

 

Kinda makes you now think about the reason his 2014 NY Jets team went 4-12 with his defense that was 6th in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Nihilarian

[Fixxxer]

I'm confused as to why some of you guys would be in favor of Rex bringing in a DC and just being HC. He has had clock management problems, discipline and lack of accountability with his players, varying effort levels on week to week basis, failure to make in game adjustments. What exactly does Rex do as a HC that would liken anyone to that statement?

 

Seems he also gets overly involved in the draft process...the guy seems like he has a fun personality but if his defensive schemes are now outdated he is beyond useless as an NFL coach. I'm not convinced that this is the case, I do think the players on D share in the blame not just in the talent department but for lack of effort and buying in.

 

I think Rex will come back next year, if that is the case I prefer he takes a humility pill, ditches his system and brings someone like Vic Fangio or his old pal Pettine to run the defense. Then he can focus on the head coaching tasks, where he could get a lot better. (he's not as awful as people think he is)

[BADOLBILZ]

 

I think Rex will come back next year, if that is the case I prefer he takes a humility pill, ditches his system and brings someone like Vic Fangio or his old pal Pettine to run the defense. Then he can focus on the head coaching tasks, where he could get a lot better. (he's not as awful as people think he is)

 

I would expect Rex to try to manipulate Terry to let him quit and keep his salary sometime in the next 13 months before he would give up his D scheme but if he wants to stay and win he should more than just consider it.

[John from Riverside]

The defense isn't great by any means, but it doesn't help when after they gave up a 12 play drive for a TD, that they don't have time to catch their breathe, have a cup of water, let alone make adjustments before they are back out on the field after a 3 and out or bomb TD.

The problem with all of that?

 

That does not fit what we were sold as fans.....its supposed to be a suffocating D and run the football

 

We are running the football

 

Where are the turnovers....

 

where are the 3rd down stops

 

Why are we giving up over 20 points a game

 

THAT is the major reason why we are not better this year

[Solomon Grundy]

Didn't he bring his brother and others to handle the D??

 

The Bills haven't adapted to Rex's D because they were very good before he showed up. If they were a bad defense under Schwartz, the new scheme would be an easy sell, but they were a top 5 defense. It's like at work if your unit is performing very well and a new manager shows up and says, "No, no, no. We need to change directions." It just doesn't work. Rex should have allowed Schwartz to hang around. Whaley and the Pegula's should have known that Rex had a very different defensive philosophy and never hired him in the first place as the defense was the only strength of the team.

And he STILL have a job!!! #G-Ro