Last Guy on the Bench Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 (edited) I've been enjoying the defensive play as much as the next guy. But I keep having the feeling that the offense is actually much closer to good (and getting closer all the time) than it appears, and the defense is more vulnerable. If you look at the teams we've played, it will lower your confidence in the defense a little bit. By yards, we have played 8 of the worst 10 offenses in the league, with only the Browns and Pats (16 and 17) even respectable. The average offensive ranking of our ten opponents is 25th! We've played 10 teams so the worst the average could be would be 27th (if you had the actual 10 worst teams on the schedule). By yardage, we've played close to the worst collection of offenses you could play. Meanwhile, the average defensive ranking of the teams we've played is 17th. Only three are in the bottom 10 on defense (Giants, Bengals, Dolphins). They aren't the best defensive teams (except the Pats #2 and the Broncos and surprisingly the Jets tied for #8), but they average out to average. Granted, the Bills' own performance affects both of these rankings, but only 1/11 for everyone but the Dolphins, so it doesn't affect them that much at this point in the season. I don't think the Bills offense has really looked outgunned against anyone, except maybe Philly (we even out-gained the Pats by 150 yards despite Josh being in a panic most of the game). And they seem to be improving. I wonder if when all is said and done, at least by next year, the strength of this team might actually be offense? Meanwhile, the defense is about to face the #1 (Dallas) and #2 (Baltimore) offenses in the league. So I guess we'll find out how good they are. Unfortunately, the upcoming defenses are also going to be tougher, NE 2, Dallas 6, Pitt 7, Baltimore 14, so let's hope the Bills' offense continues to come together. We are about to learn a lot about this team. I hope we like what we learn. Edited November 25, 2019 by Last Guy on the Bench Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st Ammendment NoMas Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Either way, I think we are trending in the right direction. With cap space and the way we've been drafting, both sides of the ball are being set up for success. I can see Top 10-12 or better for both the Offense and Defense. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 No. And no. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProcessYaDigg Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I think our Offense is definitely trending up and our defense is and rightfully so, a top 5 defensive unit. Who cares about who we've been playing. The schedule is beyond their control. McD continues to make adjustments that keeps our team in the game, every game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCBills Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Defense is absolutely a Top 10 defense in this league. I think we’ll find out if they’re truly a Top 5 unit over these next few games. I do think the Offense is close to being a unit that we can start to feel comfortable expecting 25+ ppg with. The OL is becoming very good and Allen/Singletary/Brown/Beasley/Knox is a strong base of playmakers. Up-tempo, strong run game and a speed based passing attack is our identity. If Allen starts connecting on those deep passes now that he got one out of the way, watch out.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I agree that we are about to learn a lot over the next five weeks. My feeling is that Josh and the offense are trending up, and the defense is very solid but not dominant. Against Dallas and Baltimore the Bills are going to need to score at least 24 points, so the timing couldn't be better for the offense to be showing signs of life. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramza86 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 We are the the team gauging part of our schedule. I think minus Baltimore (Who I personally think will beat us by 20+) We should win the rest of our games if the offense continues trending upwards. (Including the Pats) I think these games arent easy though. Jets are playing good football, Pats are Pats. Steelers are always tough (Much tougher if they keep Rudolph benched). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie's Dead Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Yes. No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 LOL and LOL The offense is better and the defense 3rd in total yards., 3rd in passing yards, 15 in rushing yards and 3rd in points allowed. Far far better than last season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome007 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 54 minutes ago, eball said: I agree that we are about to learn a lot over the next five weeks. My feeling is that Josh and the offense are trending up, and the defense is very solid but not dominant. Against Dallas and Baltimore the Bills are going to need to score at least 24 points, so the timing couldn't be better for the offense to be showing signs of life. Yep. My take exactly. The run D has got me worried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Offense and defense are worse than we think. I can't get over how incredibly easy the schedule has been. It's not that we've played losing teams it's that we've played so many teams that lack talent and haven't looked great doing so. We're going to find out a lot about the Bills in the coming weeks. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Finkel Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 3 minutes ago, Jerome007 said: Yep. My take exactly. The run D has got me worried. The big question is do we have the ability to get into a shoot out if the defense is having a bad day. As of now I would have to say no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrior9 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I feel like we still lack the "killer instinct" on offense.. too conservative at times when great teams are aggressive... IE: before half, end of game, etc. Yesterday we were in Denver territory (I believe) with 5 minutes or so and we ran the ball on 3rd and 3. I get we were up 20-3 but man, go for the jugular. There was a game this year when there was 40 seconds left before half and we had 2 timeouts and we knee it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Just now, warrior9 said: I feel like we still lack the "killer instinct" on offense.. too conservative at times when great teams are aggressive... IE: before half, end of game, etc. Yesterday we were in Denver territory (I believe) with 5 minutes or so and we ran the ball on 3rd and 3. I get we were up 20-3 but man, go for the jugular. There was a game this year when there was 40 seconds left before half and we had 2 timeouts and we knee it out. We are NOT the Patriots with "something" ( actually nothing) to prove Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I do think it will be interesting to see how Josh plays in a nice, controlled environment for a change, without the wind howling in his face... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrior9 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 6 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said: We are NOT the Patriots with "something" ( actually nothing) to prove And I get that. But even against Washington. I feel like we "take our foot off the gas." It's not about being the Patriots. It's about having the "finishing" mentality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJS Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Part of the reason those offenses are ranked so low is BECAUSE they faced our defense. We also held the Patriots to under 20 points. I have confidence in the defense. And actually, I have confidence in the offense as well. I think the offense is average but can pick it up in crunch time. Elite defense and an average, opportunistic offense can get the job done even in the playoffs. We'll see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnbillsbacker Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 The offensive line play has gotten much better. Assuming Ford can play and Knox turns out to be an ok TE, I think the Bills are 1 WR away from having a really good offense next season. A 2nd quality TE could help as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Schick Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 10 minutes ago, warrior9 said: I feel like we still lack the "killer instinct" on offense.. too conservative at times when great teams are aggressive... IE: before half, end of game, etc. Yesterday we were in Denver territory (I believe) with 5 minutes or so and we ran the ball on 3rd and 3. I get we were up 20-3 but man, go for the jugular. There was a game this year when there was 40 seconds left before half and we had 2 timeouts and we knee it out. Says the guy who would absolutely blast McDermott if we threw an incompletion or worse in that situation. Did you not watch the Denver offense completely unravel in their previous possessions? Why in the world would you “go for the jugular” in that situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrior9 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Chuck Schick said: Says the guy who would absolutely blast McDermott if we threw an incompletion or worse in that situation. Did you not watch the Denver offense completely unravel in their previous possessions? Why in the world would you “go for the jugular” in that situation? How do you know I would blast McDermott? lol I've never done that. AND the fact that our defense was playing that well absolutely allows you to be more aggressive. I guess based on your post:reputation ratio, coming off assuming and being directly negative instead of having a conversation is your forte. Edited November 25, 2019 by warrior9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRebound Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Not sure to the OP, but it’s not like the defense gives the ball to the offense in great field position like the Pats D does. Our offense usually has to go length of the field to get points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 7 minutes ago, warrior9 said: And I get that. But even against Washington. I feel like we "take our foot off the gas." It's not about being the Patriots. It's about having the "finishing" mentality With a 13 point lead and 5 minutes to go .... Running out the clock is also a "finishing" mentality. lets not pretend the Donks Defense is horrid. If they had pressed the passing game they could risk turnovers I would LOVE to see the Bills win by 30 points every week. I'ts just not necessary IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrior9 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Just now, SlimShady'sGhost said: With a 13 point lead and 5 minutes to go .... Running out the clock is also a "finishing" mentality. Getting first downs is finishing. We did not get the first down there. There may have been more time left, I'd have to go back and look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codyny13 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 We are going to learn a lot about this team...until next week when we...learn a lot about this team...by end of the season we’ll know a lot more. The true test is next year when we really learn about this team. ??? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Schick Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 40 minutes ago, warrior9 said: How do you know I would blast McDermott? lol I've never done that. AND the fact that our defense was playing that well absolutely allows you to be more aggressive. I guess based on your post:reputation ratio, coming off assuming and being directly negative instead of having a conversation is your forte. Based on your knowledge of football— that giving an incompetent offense the ball back deep in their territory with about 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter down 3 scores- is somehow not a good strategy , I’ll take that as a compliment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrior9 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Based on my knowledge of football? As if you know my football pedigree, where I played, coached, etc. I never said that was not a good strategy. I'm just saying I'd like to be more aggressive in certain spots. If your defense is playing an inept offense, you can absolutely be more aggressive. Their QB was 2-10 or something like that in the second half. I'd like to see more than a 3 TE 2 RB set on 3rd and 3 there, that's all. 24 minutes ago, Chuck Schick said: Based on your knowledge of football— that giving an incompetent offense the ball back deep in their territory with about 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter down 3 scores- is somehow not a good strategy , I’ll take that as a compliment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par73 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 The rush defense still is a weakness. The Broncos averaged 5 yds/carry yesterday. I was surprised by the Denver coaching-- every time they had a third and three or 2, they went empty backfield and threw the ball. Really did the Bills a favor, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said: Offense and defense are worse than we think. I can't get over how incredibly easy the schedule has been. It's not that we've played losing teams it's that we've played so many teams that lack talent and haven't looked great doing so. We're going to find out a lot about the Bills in the coming weeks. Oh hi. How'd your prediction this week work out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 14 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said: Oh hi. How'd your prediction this week work out? I didn't make one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Just now, Buffalo_Stampede said: I didn't make one. Awaiting the football asteroid to wipe us all out, still? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 1 minute ago, Joe in Winslow said: Awaiting the football asteroid to wipe us all out, still? Well I still believe the Bills are in trouble over the next 4 if that's what you mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VW82 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 (edited) One thing is for sure, our lines are better than people think, especially the pass blocking. Edited November 25, 2019 by VW82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome007 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Do I feel this team is solid and a serious contender? Nope, not fully. But do I think they can win the next 4 games, and mostly, win a playoff game? For sure. They are good, and when things align, some bad calls and plays by the other team... this a team that has a chance. Could they lose the next 4 games? Sure, that too. Of course, as a fan I'm not super confident but damn it's exciting and fun. Meaningful football in December!!! They COULD go far. I wouldn't bet the house on it, oh no, but they could. And I'll root for that. But it's exciting to think they are good enough to compete right now, and one more year of great salary cap space for signings and draft by Beane in 2020. The future is bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngbills Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Disagree. Our Defense is dependable and can keep us in any game. The O is still leaving us vulnerable. Look at the Bronco game. The O did look good yet was only up 6-0. It took a huge interception by the D or this game could have went differently. The Broncos take a 7-6 lead there and who knows how the momentum goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billykay Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 1 hour ago, warrior9 said: Based on my knowledge of football? As if you know my football pedigree, where I played, coached, etc. I never said that was not a good strategy. I'm just saying I'd like to be more aggressive in certain spots. If your defense is playing an inept offense, you can absolutely be more aggressive. Their QB was 2-10 or something like that in the second half. I'd like to see more than a 3 TE 2 RB set on 3rd and 3 there, that's all. W9 - if we were up by 7, I would agree with you. With 5-6 minutes to go & up by 3 scores however , you run out the time & get into the locker room and celebrate with a cold beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dablitzkrieg Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 4 hours ago, yungmack said: No. And no. This is well thought out. Well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefenseWins Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I think that the Bills (both offense and defense) are rounding into form (aka: peaking) at just the right time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 We scored 20 points and gave up 3. So no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I dunno about the defense being worse... I mean we sit and watch them and even when they are having a bad day, it's like an average day for most teams. On days they are average they are holding teams to like 300 yards of offense and 180 yards passing. On days they are really good they are holding teams to under 200 yards of total offense. We have been so spoiled watching them force 3 and out after 3 and out that when they have an off day we think its terrible but in reality they are still better than half the teams in the league on their worst days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmanfan Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 I don’t get it. I honestly don’t get it. Sure , the next few games should he good tests. But why do fans of the team assume the sky is falling? I get it from national pundits who know bupkus about the Biils, but the fans? We can’t beat teams in a shoot out? What makes you think we’ll get in a shootout? That happens when teams can throw on you and score quickly. Is there anything about the Bills pass defense that would suggest that? Run defense? Maybe. But what about them defending our running game? Denver had a well ranked run defense and we had our way with them. We’ll see what happens. But let’s get psyched, stop with the worrying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts