How do you deep down, really feel about this defense?

[VW82]

Way improved over last year. With that said we're still susceptible to a good play action team as the Titans game showed. We'd have a hard time with a team like the Browns.

[DrPJax]

11 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

So right now as it stands, the Bills are #1 in the NFL in total yards, points and turnovers (tied) on defense. 

 

Am I the only one who doesn't think they are as good as the stats show?

 

I certainly think this is a good defense but I don't feel they're elite.  Their numbers are elite but I'm not there yet with them.

 

What about yous guys?

I feel ya cuz I think we all want to see them get some more sacks and be a legit run stoping team IN CRITICAL TIMES; they didn’t against Tennessee but they did come thru yesterday !  The one difference tho that I am really encouraged by is that this year they are CAUSING TURNOVERS and I think we lead the league at somewhere around a +13 differential!   That is winning football and if they keep creating those 1-2 extra possessions in every game, I think it’s a formula we coukd actually bring a home a Lombardi with. 
 

At a pre game sponsored party in Pasadena for SB 27 I was at because of the ticket package, Hank Stramm was giving a talk on his opinion who would win, Bills or Cowboys.  He said he had developed a formula he used to help him predict the winner.  While he didn’t divulge his entire secret formula , he did say one part was turnover differential.  He then went on to explain how he predicted the Cowboys were going to win SB 27 and he predicted a wide margin. I laughed thinking the game had passed him by and was ready to finally see the Bills third time was a charm story happen.  
 

Hank turned out to know football much better than I did and I never forgot how Important he thought turnovers differential was!  This was back in early 93 , before we have been deluged with pregame shows, expert analysts, and analytics!  Pretty craZy to have been at a dinner party with the guy who coined the matriculating the ball down the field line and get some insight into how football was their lives then. Classy , well dressed guy of course!  Stood on a box behind his speaking podium, shorter than me and I’m 5’9”. 😀👍. True story so maybe this D can be real ! 

[Reader]

They've been great. Obviously we still have weaknesses but considering we can't be perfect we're in a really good spot with them.

 

[akcash]

It's a solid defense. Just like we were overrated in '19, we're overrated now. But we are playing fundamentally sound.

[BuffaloBill]

Are you guys looking for perfection? This D has proven to be very good - yes, the schedule has been favorable but so what?

[Greg S]

The true test will come next week against the great Mike White and the explosive Jets offense. The Chiefs game showed they can stop elite level offense's but the Titans game also showed they can be beaten. Its a good defense but the 70's Steelers, 85 Bears, and 01 Ravens they are not on that level.

[John from Riverside]

They are very good one healthy I would like to see more sacks

[boater]

Bills 31 - Titans 34

 

Against a good team they got scorched for 34 points. Elite = No.

[GunnerBill]

6 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

On the money, as usual.  And McDermott does one additional thing - he steels his guys to be tough at the goal line.  They're currently second in the league in red zone scoring defense.  If you're going to lead the league in scoring defense, you have to be good in the red zone.   So, not only does McDermott insist that you won't hurt him long, which allows teams to attack consistently for short yardage, he also insists that you won't hurt him with short yardage once you get inside the red zone.  It makes sense, of course, because there is much less territory to defend, but you can see that the rushing defense tightens up too.  It doesn't hurt so much to bite on play action from the five, because the guys in the box don't need to take deep drops.  

 

Again, whether we think it's pretty or not, whether he think it's flashy or not, there's no arguing that it's effective.  

 

Yep and that was the issue early last year... we were not playing good redzone defense which traditionally McDermott's teams here have. 

 

Your last para is characteristically perceptive - a lot of fans seem to like heavy blitz defensive schemes and all press man coverage - and they can't get over the fact that isn't what McDermott and co do. The Dolphins played that sort of style yesterday. I know which I prefer.

[Freddie's Dead]

Deep down, this defense is Lights *****in' Out.

[dpberr]

Built to beat KC.  Built to defend the pass at an elite level.  

 

Is in deep trouble against 1) any above average ground game or 2) monster OL with a significant weight advantage that they can't push.

 

  

[Solomon Grundy]

I really think Kyle Fuller would be a good grab for this defense 

[FilthyBeast]

1 minute ago, Greg S said:

The true test will come next week against the great Mike White and the explosive Jets offense. The Chiefs game showed they can stop elite level offense's but the Titans game also showed they can be beaten. Its a good defense but the 70's Steelers, 85 Bears, and 01 Ravens they are not on that level.

 

I still don't think the Chiefs win means much and even if they somehow turn it around and make the playoffs our win will have an asterisk given the circumstances of when/how it came.

 

I want to see this team and defense pummel another truly good team which all elite contenders typically do at least once over the course of a full season but the sad reality is outside of the Bucs game there might not be any other opportunities to do that this year.

[colin]

top 10 for sure, maybe top 5.  we lack a little physicality up front at times, big targets in the guts of our zone are always a concern.

 

how they play vs better teams will tell me how confident i am in the playoffs.  that tenn game was a wake up call.  i think we had the wrong guys active tho.  aje woulda done better work.

[Not at the table Karlos]

They will beat up on bad teams. Balanced teams can give them trouble. Good QBs can pick it apart. Finesse 

[NewEra]

I feel that our D is right around top 10.

 

We’ve only played 2 good QBs, Mahomes and Tannehill.  Yes, I think Tannehill is good.  Not great.  

I’m happy with our run D. I thought we played ok vs Henry.  The long run was nonsense and should’ve been called back.  
 

our safeties are far and away the backbone of the D.  Poyer is the man. 

 

Our pass rush is hit or miss. 
 

Jerry is still a demon on the edge, regardless of what some people here have to say.  
 

they just have to compliment 17.  Good enough to win it all
 

 

 

 

[Buffalo Junction]

Lower end of Top 10, and could use another playmaker. That said, when the other team becomes one dimensional they seem to flourish more than some other teams defenses with more “top end” talent. For that reason improving the offensive consistency by the playoffs might be a deciding factor with regards to how this season ends. 

[Big Turk]

They are really really good.

[Marv's Neighbor]

No doubt, our D kept us in the game for yesterday's first half.  But I'm really not sold on Frazier's ability to adjust, when we have to.   Too many 3rd and long conversions.

[SCBills]

I think they’re a Top 10 Defense, but are probably towards the bottom of the Top 10 if everyone played the same schedule.  
 

I think we have way too much assets/money tied up into the DL for the product we see on the field.  
 

The back half is very talented in Edmunds, Milano, Johnson, White, Poyer and Hyde.  
 

That being said, nobody in our secondary is Jalen Ramsey or Tyrann Matthieu, and we certainly don’t have a Donald or Bosa. 
 

They lack a true difference maker which makes them very good, but not elite.  

[nedboy7]

We lead in both yrds/game and pnts/game by quite a bit.  So I would have to say we are somewhat elite.  109 in points total.  Next team is the Saints with 128.  Saints gave up 22 to the Giants.  So we gave up 31 to the Titans who were a possible top team.  Are elite teams supposed to shut out every team and win every game?  I think most here would agree TB is a good D.  They gave up 25 to the Falcons.  So having a tough game against the Titans doesn't necessarily make us average.  Now if were middle of the pack with the caliber teams we have played so far that would be concerning. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 hour ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

Given the shear amount of garbage QB's we'll have faced this year when the regular season is over, this team better be in the top 5.

 

But we've seen what happens when we play remotely competent QB's this year in Big Ben and Tannenhill. Yes we beat Mahomes but still think that's somewhat hollow given the Chiefs current state of affairs.

 

This is why I really don't know what to expect from this team come playoff time. We could be one and done or have a similar deep run like last year.

Big Ben was just lobbing up prayers and their receivers made the plays in tight coverage… that game felt like a tough luck loss to me more than anything. Tennessee is a pretty special case as their running game demands so much attention that it’s hard to say tannehill having a great game is what beat us…I can’t think of any other team like that these days. Browns are close ish but kind of a lesser version. So it’s hard to extrapolate anything based on that titans loss unless we see them again in the playoffs which is very doubtful if Henry misses a lot of time. I just don’t think we can say things like well look what tannehill did Brady will def torch us which is the kind of stuff fans love to say haha

[Ray Finkel]

The defense played physical and nasty against KC.  I wish we would bring that type of play each week. I also agree we do not make the QB uncomfortable in the pocket.  

[YoloinOhio]

[frostbitmic]

IMO we have the best pair of Safeties in the game with Poyer and Hyde.

 

At DE I'd like to see Rousseau and Epenesa get the most snaps

 

They're a good defense that raises my blood pressure too often for my comfort level.

[Shaw66]

I think the comments in this thread are kind of funny.  Lower top 10?   Lead the league in yards against and points against, lead the league in takeaways, and you think there are 7, 8 or 9 better defenses?   What makes those defenses better?  Their teams have cheerleaders?

[Hebert19]

2 hours ago, Bubba Gump said:

I don't like the zone defense. WR's are always open in the middle of the field and make uncontested catches. Brown, and Parker were running wide open the past two games. 

This is a product of us playing with 5 DBs all the time.  We need Edmunds and Milano near the line to help with the run but if they get fooled with play action they can't get the depth to take the middle away.  

[Mango]

58 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I think they’re a Top 10 Defense, but are probably towards the bottom of the Top 10 if everyone played the same schedule.  
 

I think we have way too much assets/money tied up into the DL for the product we see on the field.  
 

The back half is very talented in Edmunds, Milano, Johnson, White, Poyer and Hyde.  
 

That being said, nobody in our secondary is Jalen Ramsey or Tyrann Matthieu, and we certainly don’t have a Donald or Bosa. 
 

They lack a true difference maker which makes them very good, but not elite.  

This is true of a couple position groups. The Bills push the top of the list on OL and LB spending as well, and we don’t get elite production out of either. 

[billybrew1]

I feel the defense is holding back its A game, but eerily, I'm  not certain.

[JohnNord]

I think they are an above average defense and good enough to win a Super Bowl with a competent offense.  They do have weaknesses and aren’t the great defense that the advanced stats labeled them.  
 

They are missing a bonafide pass rusher and the pass rush can disappear at times.  This makes me and little weary to think how they might do trying to prevent a good offense from scoring on the last possession of a game.  

[Don Otreply]

They’re good, not great, jmo. Imo they are held back on occasion by the scheme and coaches, again jmo.
 

Go Bills!!!

[FilthyBeast]

One thing I would like to see McDermott get away from later in the season is such a heavy dline rotation and focus on the hot hand so to speak in terms of guys that are getting pressure and giving them the bulk of the snaps, similar to shortening the bench rotation so to speak in the NBA playoffs.

 

And I do think we'll have a great opportunity to pad our sack numbers the next few weeks given the opponents on deck so it will be somewhat disappointing if we don't get at least 4 sacks against in each of these games against the Jags and jets.

 

At the end of the day though if we could snag a pass rushing DT in a trade in the next 24 hours it would go a long way to help this team make a serious run at a SB this year.

[ProcessTruster]

2 hours ago, RalphWilson'sNewWar said:

I think…

they are going to be well fed and get very fat against all the rookie/back-up/3rd stringers at QB they will face all season.

 

and then seem very normal against the well balanced veteran QBs they will face.

 

good news…they really won’t face a Qb Like that until January.

Brady and his WRs will likely light em up pretty good in Tampa.   Bills really don't have an answer to either TB's offense or defense.   Tampa is like LAs offense and Steelers defense.    But yeah, Bills is good enough against 90% of the league for sure.  

[GoBills808]

Would love to hear which defenses you think are better

 

[Mikie2times]

It is an elite defense, Top 5. Somewhat assisted by the QB's we have faced, but I think defensive play against below average QB's is a sign of an elite defense. That is where they show the most in today's game. Elite defense in today's game is a defense that makes it very difficult to lose against average teams. Then one that can flash against above average teams and sometimes dominate a game. This is just what elite defenses looks like in todays NFL. An elite defense is still perfectly capable of laying an egg and does so much more frequently than ever before. Elite defenses will also still fall victim more often than not to elite offenses. It's just not the same game anymore. The last formidable defense that was consistent and dominant was probably the Legion of Boom and that was 7-10 years or so in the prime. We really haven't seen anything in the modern era close to that since. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

9.2

 

nobody is perfect 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Cinderella B says D players ain’t 💩 ?

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tom-brady-took-shot-nfl-215353748.html

 

[billsherd]

It's hard to have elite defense in this league now. They are good not great, good teams will score on them because rules are in favour of the offense.  

[That's No Moon]

3 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

So right now as it stands, the Bills are #1 in the NFL in total yards, points and turnovers (tied) on defense. 

 

Am I the only one who doesn't think they are as good as the stats show?

 

I certainly think this is a good defense but I don't feel they're elite.  Their numbers are elite but I'm not there yet with them.

 

What about yous guys?

I don't trust them at all. Not at all.

[blacklabel]

Even though the numbers weren’t as good last season, I kinda liked what they were doing down the stretch. They seemed to mix it up a lot more. More exotic looks, more blitzes, disguised coverages, etc. This year they get Lotulelei back and they’ve pretty much gone back to the standard rush four and everyone else cover. I’d like to see them get a little more aggressive. But that’s not necessarily the type of defense McDermott favors. They seem to be fine giving up the underneath stuff and preventing the big play and then tightening up in their own end to hold teams to FG tries. That’s all well and good but that can also wear the defense down by the end of the game. They definitely need to create more three and outs and keep creating turnovers to give the offense an extra possession or two per game.