Defensive Line

[TFBillsfan]

With Tre out, it’s going to be critical for the DL to bring pressure in addition to the offense potentially scoring more. While I’m not as concerned about the offense, I do have major questions on if this DL is much different than last year. The Bills are currently 25th in sacks with Addison the team leader at a whopping 4 sacks. For all that has been invested in this DL, one has to question if they can truly make a difference down the stretch. Can they stop the run and in obvious passing situations  get to the QB?

 

Ed has shown the most potential. Star certainly helps when playing. But overall we are still lacking a difference maker at DE. Groot as a raw rookie has the second most sacks at three. 
 

Would love to hear what others think of our DL?

[LeGOATski]

Would be a good time for Groot to go on a tear. They can't blitz LBs and DBs too much or it'll leave them vulnerable.

[Toyo321]

They need to do something to mix it up against NE.  They have to put Mac & Cheese on the ground!!

 

Oliver should have a big game..

 

I never liked NE and its Kraft Mac & Cheese anyway...  

Edited November 30, 2021 by Toyo321

[billybrew1]

1 hour ago, TFBillsfan said:

With Tre out, it’s going to be critical for the DL to bring pressure in addition to the offense potentially scoring more. While I’m not as concerned about the offense, I do have major questions on if this DL is much different than last year. The Bills are currently 25th in sacks with Addison the team leader at a whopping 4 sacks. For all that has been invested in this DL, one has to question if they can truly make a difference down the stretch. Can they stop the run and in obvious passing situations  get to the QB?

 

Ed has shown the most potential. Star certainly helps when playing. But overall we are still lacking a difference maker at DE. Groot as a raw rookie has the second most sacks at three. 
 

Would love to hear what others think of our DL?

Those that complain we should have drafted a DT with our second rounder make a real good argument, especially for how things are going for this year.

Next year Beane can hopefully make up for it. He can sign the fifth year option for Ed number one. (Though I'm against a new contract after that unless he continues to improve. We can let Hughes and Addison go and have Epenesa, Groot and Basham be our top three. We can sign Star for one year. Sign a FA DT from another team and draft a DT in the first two rounds to fix the DT position. We will just need the fourth DE....

But as far as this season goes we are not really built to stop the run against the top running teams. Star will make a huge difference if he is back at full strength but that is still a huge if....

It also seems that this year we simply have too many ends and none are top notch. (Though Addison was sure feeling it last week, hey?!

I still like our three young ends... I hope they make more impact as the year progresses. I like Basham as a prospect from what I've seen. It's not his fault he is not playing. We are really healthy there and have depth there. That's all that's to it.

 

I like the ur chances vs. the pats at home next Monday night if Star, Brown And Feliciano are all back and 100% healthy and ready to go. If that is so, I think we beat the pats. However, I do not like our chances in the big picture this year but I'm very happy that I think we have plenty of resources heading into 2022. Should the Bills keep the right players, sign the right FAs spending big bucks, and having our best draft McBeane draft ever.... As far as this year goes, White was our second most important player on the roster and #1 on defense.The defense all came off his tremendous ability to take a top player out. We have no one close to doing that now. You can't go forward without that and win a Super Bowl. I've set my sights on just beating the pats and winning the division. Although I don't think we can sweep the pats if the stay healthy....

 

I think the Sabres will be really exciting next year too. With the Bills flirting with the SB again only more mature and better and the very young Sabres flirting with a playoff spot following an AHL 2021-22 championship in Rochester. We send 5 or 6 players from Rochester to Buffalo along with defenseman Power from Michigan and the Sabres have a deep roster. At center: Thompson, Cozens, Mittlestadt And Krebs. All four interchangeable along the four lines....

 

Go Bills!

 

Go Sabres!

[Utah John]

The Bills aren't getting sacks but (a) they're getting pressures and (b) their pass defense is outstanding.  It's been #1 in the NFL and might still be.  So I'm not so worried about opponents passing.  Jones is a very precocious rookie, playing like a guy with experience, but Frazier is second only to Belichick in thinking up ways to confuse rookie QBs.  

 

The run defense is the problem.  The Pats don't have great backs but they have a great O line, and that's our kryptonite.  

 

I think the overall problem is that the Bills were built to beat the Chiefs, and they accomplished that, but while they had their eye on that goal, several other teams figured beating the Chiefs was so 2020, and they all bulked up into incredible hulks on their lines, and learned how to play two deep safeties and be patient.  The game has changed in a year and the Bills aren't built to play bully-ball with the big guys.  The only good way for the Bills to win is to jump out to a lead and force the other team to pass.  But, getting out to a hot start has been eluding the Bills lately.  Fix that against the Pats and I think the Bills should win easily.

[Conlan58]

I'd say run some of the "creep" look and mix in stunts/zone blitzes and try to confuse Mac Jones. But I'm not even a good DC on Madden, so there's that...

[HOUSE]

I believe we are over thinking this game. Drink two beer then call me in the morning

[RichRiderBills]

3 hours ago, Utah John said:

The Bills aren't getting sacks but (a) they're getting pressures and (b) their pass defense is outstanding.  It's been #1 in the NFL and might still be.  So I'm not so worried about opponents passing.  Jones is a very precocious rookie, playing like a guy with experience, but Frazier is second only to Belichick in thinking up ways to confuse rookie QBs.  

 

The run defense is the problem.  The Pats don't have great backs but they have a great O line, and that's our kryptonite.  

 

I think the overall problem is that the Bills were built to beat the Chiefs, and they accomplished that, but while they had their eye on that goal, several other teams figured beating the Chiefs was so 2020, and they all bulked up into incredible hulks on their lines, and learned how to play two deep safeties and be patient.  The game has changed in a year and the Bills aren't built to play bully-ball with the big guys.  The only good way for the Bills to win is to jump out to a lead and force the other team to pass.  But, getting out to a hot start has been eluding the Bills lately.  Fix that against the Pats and I think the Bills should win easily.

 

The Bills big strategy to beat the chiefs was to get sacks though. I agree with most of what you say though.

 

I am surprised we are 25th in sacks. I think we've had a tail off of actual sacks...as Groot cooled down and Star left. We've also played some run first teams. Not going to go wild because pressure and wins have been there. Addison , apart from the Colts game has been really good.

 

The Pats offense burned the Titans looking for sacks. But we have a much better D.

 

I try to confuse this kid. Rush at times and mask coverage . Balance the looks , but make him work.

 

He's going to fold Monday night.

 

 

[bmur66]

I want sacks and hits. Pressure and sacks are not the same. Sacks hurt and have a cumulative effect. Just sayin.

[gjv001]

If I had to unbalance the defense to take away from the Patriots the run or the pass, I would unbalance to take away their run game. 

[poblano]

The most worrying thing for this team is offensive red zone efficiency.  From top last year to bottom (or near bottom) this,  that is the difference in two of four losses(Pitt,Jax)  in both games  the defense  jeep us in the game, with only one TD instead of FG the score would have been in our favor

 

 

 

[maddenboy]

back to the OP's topic, the Defense Align (thanks Chris Simms and Rod Woodson)

 

I think the question is whether the rotation we use is paying off in the 4th quarter when our guys are supposed to be fresher.  This should be showing up even against the run, because the old saw about how the run game wears down the defense more than the offense (which I have never understood).

 

Are there other teams using a platoon system on the D-Line that we can compare ours to?  Because with Tre White out, we need even more to be getting pressure from rushing 4, so we can stay back and cover.  At least against good quarterbacks.  Which we have coming up.

[Weatherman]

12 hours ago, TFBillsfan said:

With Tre out, it’s going to be critical for the DL to bring pressure in addition to the offense potentially scoring more. While I’m not as concerned about the offense, I do have major questions on if this DL is much different than last year. The Bills are currently 25th in sacks with Addison the team leader at a whopping 4 sacks. For all that has been invested in this DL, one has to question if they can truly make a difference down the stretch. Can they stop the run and in obvious passing situations  get to the QB?

 

Ed has shown the most potential. Star certainly helps when playing. But overall we are still lacking a difference maker at DE. Groot as a raw rookie has the second most sacks at three. 
 

Would love to hear what others think of our DL?

Our blitz frequency has to be at the bottom of the league.  Our Defensive scheme might be effective but it’s not sexy to watch a 4 man rush (unless we’re playing the (Dolphins, Jets or Texans).

[ProcessTruster]

Without Star , Mac won't be throwing much as that massive O line and Harris will be doing pretty much what Indy did.   The frozen quiet as NE runs for 200+.   7 or 8 total possessions on offense (maybe).   In bed by 11.  

 

Thanks Star.  2020 all over again.  Good job. 

 

If you can't stay on the field, Beane won't have much mercy this time.  

[Big Turk]

Bills have the number 1 pressure rate in the NFL at 30.2%.  Also have the #1 hurry rate at 15.6%

 

 

[RichRiderBills]

We also have a ton of picks which is a nice stat showing pressure in our case is working. 

[FilthyBeast]

14 hours ago, TFBillsfan said:

With Tre out, it’s going to be critical for the DL to bring pressure in addition to the offense potentially scoring more. While I’m not as concerned about the offense, I do have major questions on if this DL is much different than last year. The Bills are currently 25th in sacks with Addison the team leader at a whopping 4 sacks. For all that has been invested in this DL, one has to question if they can truly make a difference down the stretch. Can they stop the run and in obvious passing situations  get to the QB?

 

Ed has shown the most potential. Star certainly helps when playing. But overall we are still lacking a difference maker at DE. Groot as a raw rookie has the second most sacks at three. 
 

Would love to hear what others think of our DL?

 

I mentioned this in another thread, but if McDermott and Frazier truly have a clue they are going to have to reinvent this defense on the fly and morph into a blitz heavy team the rest of the way because there's no way we can sit in zone now with our top 2 DB's being Wallace and Jackson. And even though Wallace has been serviceable at times he's going to look totally different now as the #1 option.

 

One glimmer of hope is that PFF has Ed Oliver rated as the #2 interior DL over the last month and his play definitely backs that up. So assuming Star is back healthy it might really open things up for some of the guys on the edge.

 

Still think it's time to phase out Hughes and Addison's snaps as well the rest of the way and see what we really have in these younger guys.

[Boatdrinks]

If you’re looking for sacks from the Bills DL, Monday night won’t be the game for it. In a McDaniels offense the ball will be out in 2.5 seconds and Jones average air yards per attempt is probably around 5. This game will come down to form tackling and swarming to the ball carrier for the Bills D. Team that wins the turnover battle and has fewer penalties wins the game. If you’re wanting to watch a sack fest you will be disappointed. 

[JerseyBills]

Was trying to find the quote of a coach earlier in the year talking about how stats for the DL aren't fair. Talked about the importance of pressures,QB hits, hurries , whatever it is. Basically saying a DL that can cause chaos, which we can do , is just as important as the sacks and FF. 

Fun fact - Hughes is tied (JJ Watt) or has the most pressures in an NFL game. 

 

I think we're going to cause alot of chaos on Monday 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

Anybody know how similar this mac jones pats offense is to the Brady NE offense schematically? Bills defense under McDermott did a nice job against Brady it was usually the offense that struggled.  

[The Jokeman]

21 hours ago, Toyo321 said:

They need to do something to mix it up against NE.  They have to put Mac & Cheese on the ground!!

 

Oliver should have a big game..

 

I never liked NE and its Kraft Mac & Cheese anyway...  

Hopefully we'll get ahead early and they'll be playing Ketchup all game.

[John from Riverside]

22 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Would be a good time for Groot to go on a tear. They can't blitz LBs and DBs too much or it'll leave them vulnerable.

We are playing a rook QB.....we are going to be bringing the heat all game

[The Jokeman]

Just now, John from Riverside said:

We are playing a rook QB.....we are going to be bringing the heat all game

Especially since shown the last two weeks he not great reading DB blitzes.

[maddenboy]

8 hours ago, Boatdrinks said:

If you’re looking for sacks from the Bills DL, Monday night won’t be the game for it. In a McDaniels offense the ball will be out in 2.5 seconds and Jones average air yards per attempt is probably around 5. This game will come down to form tackling and swarming to the ball carrier for the Bills D. Team that wins the turnover battle and has fewer penalties wins the game. If you’re wanting to watch a sack fest you will be disappointed. 

agree with this entirely. 

 

Especially since NE has been training to peanut-punch at the ball for at least a month.  And i'm shocked that leaked out.  Because of this, I expect to see Moss inactive, and Brieda carrying a football with him everywhere he goes this week, including the bathroom and to bed. 

 

I see NE running a lot of 2-tight end sets.  To make Tremaine Edmundstienberger have to make a lot of decisions.  And to try to get an occasional 1v1 on the outside against Tre White's replacement.

[3rdand12]

24 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

We are playing a rook QB.....we are going to be bringing the heat all game

I expect more shifts and disguise from Secondary
and then the heat.

Lets not underestimate bb in this game.
get him confused and then punch him in the hoo hoo 

[LeGOATski]

58 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

We are playing a rook QB.....we are going to be bringing the heat all game

Blitzing Jones might work, but I assume they'll have a good scheme against that. The Bills need to blanket their receivers and eliminate YAC.

 

I think this thread topic is for the rest of the year, too. Not just the Pats game.

[BubbaT]

This week I’ m much more concerned with stopping the run. It’s a bullying Pats O line. They might not have a Jonathan Taylor but it’s a VERY good run game they bring in. If the Bills don’t control that part of the game I think they have no chance of winning, pass rush or not. To me the Pats are like the Colts offense but with a much much better defense. 

[newcam2012]

On 11/29/2021 at 5:47 PM, TFBillsfan said:

With Tre out, it’s going to be critical for the DL to bring pressure in addition to the offense potentially scoring more. While I’m not as concerned about the offense, I do have major questions on if this DL is much different than last year. The Bills are currently 25th in sacks with Addison the team leader at a whopping 4 sacks. For all that has been invested in this DL, one has to question if they can truly make a difference down the stretch. Can they stop the run and in obvious passing situations  get to the QB?

 

Ed has shown the most potential. Star certainly helps when playing. But overall we are still lacking a difference maker at DE. Groot as a raw rookie has the second most sacks at three. 
 

Would love to hear what others think of our DL?

The Bills DL is a weakness this year. They have been unable to stop the run and apply consistent pressure on the QB. Add in the loss of Tre too. Looks like it's going to be a bend but don't break defense. Hold the opposition to 3s instead of tds. The well balanced and coached Patriot offense will be a monumental task this Monday. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by newcam2012

[97bills]

13 hours ago, bmur66 said:

I want sacks and hits. Pressure and sacks are not the same. Sacks hurt and have a cumulative effect. Just sayin.

And so dose McDermott that’s why his been drafting Dline so many years, that B.S about Buffalo getting pressure is just that BS. At this point we got to hope the young guys come around there’s nothing we can do at this point. 

47 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

The Bills DL is a weakness this year. They have been unable to stop the run and apply consistent pressure on the QB. Add in the loss of Tre too. Looks like it's going to be a bend but don't break defense. Hold the opposition to 3s instead of tds. The well balanced and coached Patriot offense will be a monumental task this Monday. 

What’s so sad is our DL has been a weakness for a few years now, playing in Buffalo we need a tough gritty DL, and a running game to go with it 

[T master]

I would like to see them throw in a wrinkle like moving Ed around a bit given his great first step i would like to see them put him on as a DE in a couple of plays just to see first what he could do & also just to mess with the opponents head a bit and in that same thought use Andre Smith in a more traditional  3 LBer set .

 

They have all kinds of talent and could keep other teams guessing a lot more by throwing in something different from time to time with who they have half the battle is disguising what yo are going to do so they don't know the element of surprise could be a plus who knows as long as it doesn't make the D worse give it a shot .

[Victory Formation]

The Bills number one nemesis is that they do not have a stout interior. When you factor that in with the fact that our LBs for the most part seem adept in pass coverage and not run support, I think you have a problem.

And I wish they’d put Groot in at LB more often, mainly to shadow the power run teams of the NFL that we’ve seemingly so often faced. They did it before but I wish they’d start doing it again. Also, why not blitz him after the QB more often from the LB position? It’s essentially like sending three EDGEs after the QB at once.

 

Also, where’s the love for my boy Boogie? Dude has gotten like 1.5 sacks so far in like 30 snaps. Give the guy a chance.