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Two Reason For Hope No One Is Talking About.


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1. This June-July period has been incredibly quiet on the Bills front. Nobody has lost an arm, gotten a DUI, been arrested, run around naked, or threatened a holdout. I think McDermott and Beane have a focused group. Compare this to previous years - Kiko's ACL, Zay Jones' shenanigans, Shady's legal situation, Rex's skydiving, Karlos Williams' weight gain, etc. You can take it for granted but we're not losing anyone in the summer.

 

Unconnected from #1, but 

 

2. I recently listened to this podcast from The Ringer NFL show, focusing on defensive innovation during this era's offensive explosion. Although the pod did not discuss the Bills specifically, you can't listen to it as a fan and not feel great about the defense McDermott and Frazier are building. The hosts focuses specifically on the need for versatility in your linebackers as well as the need for high level talent on the back end. Guys like Milano, Edmunds, and Vosean Joseph have all been drafted with a recognition of where the game is headed. As NFL offenses get more multiple, defenses need hybrid-type LBs who have the power to hit in the box and the speed to matchup with TEs and backs. We are stockpiling these types of players.

Edited by Flip Johnson
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To get there, I see the biggest defensive Needs this way:

 

1) run defense can’t occasionally randomly get stream rolled for 200 yards  

 

2)  need a really solid CB not named Tre White

 

3) young Tre Ed is to the defense as Josh is to the O.  Will need to have taken a monster step

  

4) Ed will need to adapt to a less familiar role.  

 

5) get better at keeping opponents out of the end zone 

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26 minutes ago, MJS said:

Coverage linebackers are definitely important in this era of football. The run stuffing linebackers of old are pretty much obsolete.

 

Unless you are playing the Patriots, who realize you have a bunch of 228# LB’s and pound the ball down your throat. Be ahead of the curve for once. Not the standard set, but have the guys to stand up against it. 

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3 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Unless you are playing the Patriots, who realize you have a bunch of 228# LB’s and pound the ball down your throat. Be ahead of the curve for once. Not the standard set, but have the guys to stand up against it. 

That's why you have to have a good defensive line, I suppose. Luckily Edmunds can cover AND thump the running back. Milano, although small, is also good at knifing into the backfield and making plays.

3 hours ago, FeelingOnYouboty said:

I keep coming back to how good Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox looked in OTA’s. I think they’re going to be sparks for our offense in Year 1.

I doubt Singletary sees much of the field, but we'll see.

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5 hours ago, MJS said:

Coverage linebackers are definitely important in this era of football. The run stuffing linebackers of old are pretty much obsolete.

And the Pats recognized this, cramming the ball down everyones throats down the stretch last season.

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5 hours ago, FeelingOnYouboty said:

I keep coming back to how good Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox looked in OTA’s. I think they’re going to be sparks for our offense in Year 1.

I have high hopes for Knox and I think he's given more than the average opportunity to make an impact due to our depth chart. Hope he makes the most of it. 

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2 hours ago, MJS said:

That's why you have to have a good defensive line, I suppose. Luckily Edmunds can cover AND thump the running back. Milano, although small, is also good at knifing into the backfield and making plays.

That was part of the old Jimmy Johnson system: fast as heck playmakers at LB and DB that can't be run against because your DL is dominating (and deep so that they can't be worn down.) The Bills DL isn't there yet but they're working on it.

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6 hours ago, FeelingOnYouboty said:

I keep coming back to how good Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox looked in OTA’s. I think they’re going to be sparks for our offense in Year 1.

I can see how a small, shifty RB and a fast TE could look good playing without contact. Let's see how they look when the hitting starts and they have to block, break away from physical coverage, etc. I'm not saying that they won't be successful in the NFL but I suspect that there will be an adjustment period for both of them.

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6 hours ago, MJS said:

Coverage linebackers are definitely important in this era of football. The run stuffing linebackers of old are pretty much obsolete.

 

Famous. Last. Words.  

 

A couple of other posters mentioned the Pats going run heavy last season -- and they added another RB in the off season. 

The Jets have added Le'Von Bell.

The Ravens are apparently building a run-first offense and the Lions seem to be trying to give Matthew Stafford a running game for the first time in his career.   The Seahawks have always been a run-heavy offensive team in the Pete Carroll era.

 

Power running backs haven't become obsolete, either.  Most playoff teams have one -- Todd Gurley, Mark Ingram, Ezekiel Elliott, etc.

 

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Unless you are playing the Patriots, who realize you have a bunch of 228# LB’s and pound the ball down your throat. Be ahead of the curve for once. Not the standard set, but have the guys to stand up against it. 

The Arena Football crowd and dire need for showtime; the running game, the power running game, and run stuffing linebackers still win super bowls. Great coaches do what it takes to win - run, pass, special teams.

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These posts are great but it always comes down to people in one of two camps: those who see hope and optimism, and those who insist the Bills will never figure it out.

 

The latter group has had a good run but their window of opportunity is closing. 

 

Edited by eball
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8 hours ago, Flip Johnson said:

1. This June-July period has been incredibly quiet on the Bills front. Nobody has lost an arm, gotten a DUI, been arrested, run around naked, or threatened a holdout. I think McDermott and Beane have a focused group. Compare this to previous years - Kiko's ACL, Zay Jones' shenanigans, Shady's legal situation, Rex's skydiving, Karlos Williams' weight gain, etc. You can take it for granted but we're not losing anyone in the summer.

You do realize that if something does happen we will have to kill you?

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1 hour ago, ScottLaw said:

Need your linebackers to be able to do both as we saw in that week 16 game against the Pats who took advantage of our LBs issues in stopping the run(particularly Edmunds)

scott and his hard on for edmunds continues...

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7 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Unless you are playing the Patriots, who realize you have a bunch of 228# LB’s and pound the ball down your throat. Be ahead of the curve for once. Not the standard set, but have the guys to stand up against it. 

6'5" 250+ in the middle and Im not certain but I dont believe Milona played in the games the run D struggled.

1 hour ago, SoTier said:

 

Famous. Last. Words.  

 

A couple of other posters mentioned the Pats going run heavy last season -- and they added another RB in the off season. 

The Jets have added Le'Von Bell.

The Ravens are apparently building a run-first offense and the Lions seem to be trying to give Matthew Stafford a running game for the first time in his career.   The Seahawks have always been a run-heavy offensive team in the Pete Carroll era.

 

Power running backs haven't become obsolete, either.  Most playoff teams have one -- Todd Gurley, Mark Ingram, Ezekiel Elliott, etc.

 

 

 

 

They can do that if they can stop your offense.  The key is to score lots of points and then it forces them to have to move the ball through the air against the #1 pass D in the NFL.

Edited by formerlyofCtown
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34 minutes ago, eball said:

These posts are great but it always comes down to people in one of two camps: those who see hope and optimism, and those who insist the Bills will never figure it out.

 

The latter group has had a good run but their window of opportunity is fading. 

 

Optimism without results to justify it is just fantasizing.  The Bills need a lot of pieces to come together to have a successful season in 2019.  They need to have a lot of young players become outstanding/elite players in the next year or so in order to become a regular playoff contender.  They need their offensive coaching staff to prove they're significantly better than their predecessors.  They need their HC and DC to prove their can match wits with Belichick and his staff.

 

The Bills could put it all together.  They could also fail to achieve some or all of these pieces and be just as mediocre as they been for the last twenty years.   There are no guarantees.

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