Leslie Frazier's interview Monday 12/13

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 hour ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Yes this attitude of we’ve just been unlucky, or we’ve played the one opponent who can do this to us and not everyone should be able to is getting old.

 

The Bills don’t come through in clutch situations.

 

 

That’s a fair point it could definitely be a trend that continues…but for me looking at the way we are losing some of these very tight games gives me hope we are going to turn it around. I’d also expect us to actually get some favorable officiating going forward because we objectively got hosed Sunday 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

This is true, but it seems as though we tend to wait until we're in the hole halfway (TB) or 3/4 the way through the game (Colts) - or not at all (Titans)

 

And it begs the question sometimes, WHY don't we not have the right gameplan.  On a day with weather where they weren't going to want to throw, did we just not anticipate the variety of runs and the extra lineman in blocking that we got from the Pats?  Did we just not know that Tampa Bay would throw screens? 

If we prepared, we should have the right gameplan, or at least a portion of the game plan that we can pull up.

 

 

Except of course, when it Isn't.  And then we get Steamrolled, as against the Titans and the Colts and the Patriots and the Buccaneers and....

Pats is such a weird game to me…maybe I’m the only person that thinks this and feel free to flame away lol but I don’t think their offense was effective at all when it came to the scoreboard.  If you commit to the run all game long you’re obviously gonna rip off big runs occasionally.  But the pats left the door open for our offense to win the game time and time again and we absolutely sh*t the bed in the red zone/kicking fgs/diggs losing a sure td in the air that hit him perfectly in stride/Knox not being able to make a play/Breidas comically bad fumble in scoring range…we just blew absolutely everything and still had a game winning drive attempt.  I think bill miscalculated badly thinking we wouldn’t be able to move the ball through the air into the wind and we bailed him out.  We did everything you just can’t do against a team built like the pats in literally the first 5 minutes of the game and they still let us hang around all night 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[vincec]

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Frazier is very patient and mild and soft spoken.

Says that we succeeded in stopping the Bucs in the second half as a result of adjustments made

 

Can we, maybe, make those adjustments and stop a good team before they've gone up 24 points on us?

Could we put them in the gameplan before kickoff?

 

I'm just a little frustrated - if we have the capability to stop a top offense by "making adjustments", why does it take so long?

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/video/leslie-fraizer-they-executed-better-in-that-situation

 

I'm sure that adjustments were made, but I think part of the improvement was due to the Bucs dropping their intensity after they so easily raced out to such a big lead.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

To be fair, all good defenses -- save for the historic defenses like the 2000 Ravens -- sometimes have games where they give up a lot of points.

The number 1 scoring defense in the NFL right now is the Patriots, at 15.4 ppg allowed. They have had games this year where they allowed 24, 28, and 35 points.

I also can't help but wonder how many of the points given up in the Bills' worst defensive outings this year could have been avoided if the offense hadn't been so toothless in those games. Not the Titans game, but certainly the Colts and the first half of the Buccaneers game saw multiple 3-and-outs by the Bills offense, which gave the ball right back to the opposing offense way too quickly.



 

The Colts game it’s a very fair point.  In addition to gifting the Ponies on that fumbled kickoff return, IIRC we did gift them two other picks leading to TDs.

[No_Matter_What]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

To be fair, all good defenses -- save for the historic defenses like the 2000 Ravens -- sometimes have games where they give up a lot of points.

The number 1 scoring defense in the NFL right now is the Patriots, at 15.4 ppg allowed. They have had games this year where they allowed 24, 28, and 35 points.

I also can't help but wonder how many of the points given up in the Bills' worst defensive outings this year could have been avoided if the offense hadn't been so toothless in those games. Not the Titans game, but certainly the Colts and the first half of the Buccaneers game saw multiple 3-and-outs by the Bills offense, which gave the ball right back to the opposing offense way too quickly.



 

Fun fact - Bills didn't have a single 3-and-out in that game until OT.

 

Your point stands obviously.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

13 minutes ago, No_Matter_What said:

Fun fact - Bills didn't have a single 3-and-out in that game until OT.

 

Your point stands obviously.

Idk what you’re supposed to do against one of the best run defenses in the business when they are clearly allowed to hold your receivers in outrageously obvious ways all game long…very reminiscent of that afc championship game against the chiefs where the exploitable weakness in the defense is the secondary and they are straight up bailed out by officiating.  Absolutely incredible we virtually did enough to pull that one out.  Probably the gutsiest second half I’ve ever seen a football team have I wouldn’t blame them at all for just phoning it in in the second half 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

28 minutes ago, vincec said:

I'm sure that adjustments were made, but I think part of the improvement was due to the Bucs dropping their intensity after they so easily raced out to such a big lead.

Idk if it’s just dropping intensity though…it’s transitioning to softer coverages to prevent quick scores. And what did we do….rattled off insanely quick scores.  I think their defensive line was in overdrive trying to end the game early and they gassed out.  They were killing us both blitzing and not blitzing in the first half. 

[Pasaluki]

The Bills Defense would look so much better if the Dline could play better. Secondary and LBs played decently. I think the lines are just tragic for us. 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Pasaluki

[Nester]

Need new DC and OC who can make Adjustments on the fly. 

 

Waiting to halftime is costing us W's 

 

It is bull####. 

[jethro_tull]

3 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

I want a new DC & OC. Or just let Dermott do all the defense like Belichick. 

Unfortunately they do not grow on trees and the ones we end up with could be worse !   The D-Line needs a couple Ted Washington style run stuffers!  

 

[cDAVIS]

3 hours ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

Hopefully his next interview is for another job that he gets

I agree, having a top 3 defense 3 of 4 years has been lame bro. 

4 minutes ago, Nester said:

Need new DC and OC who can make Adjustments on the fly. 

 

Waiting to halftime is costing us W's 

 

It is bull####. 

This happens all across the league. Pats down 28-3 in the SB, they are notorious for making comebacks after half time adjustments. I dont think a lot of people here realize how lucky we are to have this coaching staff.

[John from Riverside]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

You think McDermott is gonna call more blitzes? Go watch his Carolina teams. That is not what they did. 

 

The Bills defense is good. The only people who want to change it are people who simply prefer defense played a certain style that McDermott and Frazier don't believe in.

I dont get it either

 

The bills D is not bad......they have given up some big runs and but overall have not been swiss cheese......their deep end is a no fly zone......

 

If we could control the ball on offense nobody would be complaining at all except the ones that HAVE to have something to complain about week in and week out

9 minutes ago, Nester said:

Need new DC and OC who can make Adjustments on the fly. 

 

Waiting to halftime is costing us W's 

 

It is bull####. 

You really think that is why we are losing games?  

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

I guess the adjustments went kaput in the O.T.

[Patrick Duffy]

7 minutes ago, ControllerOfPlanetX said:

I guess the adjustments went kaput in the O.T.

Hard to keep defensive position when getting picked. Lot of times I've seen some where the defender is focused on covering his WR and doesn't notice the pick coming and runs straight into a brick wall. And some get hurt from it. Brady when with Pats offense made a living off those pick plays and now with Bucs.

 

Anyways, even with the pick I'm not sure why there was no help at all on that side. Unless the safeties had all there attention on Evans and Gronk/Goodwin? IDK

[3rdand12]

5 hours ago, dwight in philly said:

I think we need to get up on a team.. This year not many games where we had a lead to protect.. come from behind.. , close games.. 

under the radar perspective Dwight
Josh has gotten us behind the 8 ball more than once this season.
Defense has not been able to play lights out for 4 qtrs.. 
Once Josh stops turning the ball over and truly settles down ( he is my hero btw) defense is going to struggle

They are not designed to take over a game.

Frazier is fine

Concepts are flawed.
playing finesse does not work for 4 qtrs unless you have the lead

1 hour ago, Sheneneh Jenkins said:

Hard to keep defensive position when getting picked. Lot of times I've seen some where the defender is focused on covering his WR and doesn't notice the pick coming and runs straight into a brick wall. And some get hurt from it. Brady when with Pats offense made a living off those pick plays and now with Bucs.

 

Anyways, even with the pick I'm not sure why there was no help at all on that side. Unless the safeties had all there attention on Evans and Gronk/Goodwin? IDK

Not like the world does not know how Brady butters his bread
Rubs and picks

[John from Riverside]

1 hour ago, ControllerOfPlanetX said:

I guess the adjustments went kaput in the O.T.

The bucs were lucky to make it to overtime

[Momma Pecoraro]

Belichek knows. Vrable knows. Arians knows. Riech knows. Even Urban Lapdance knows. The Bills D is soft serve.

 

Zero explosive players. Not one. Neolithic or underbaked d ends. Carousel of mediocrity at DT and LB (then Ed Oliver and Milano in space). Quality safeties with potential energy trending to gradual decline. Zero explosive, disruptive or game changing players. A gm who screwed the pooch thinking that last years incapable d was capable of winning the big one a year past expiration.

 

The defense is defenseless. The Bills are contenders if Josh Allen plays super human. He can't be just methodical. He has to the savior. Every game. 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Momma Pecoraro

[Agent 91]

8 hours ago, Logic said:

I don't really understand this line of thinking. The Bills are one of the better coached defenses in the NFL. They were the 2nd ranked scoring defense in 2019 and are the 2nd ranked scoring defense this year. 2020 was admittedly a bad year for the Bills defense. Other than that, what's the gripe?

Stop it!!!! You are ruining a perfectly good rant post

[Agent 91]

9 hours ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

Last years defense was not good. This year I feel is incredibly hollow and the stats are really skewed by playing some terrible QBs. I think we have maybe the best secondary in the league and they cover up so much of our issues. I think we are way to passive and soft on defense and my guess is that McDermott calling the plays dials up considerably more pressure. I think we have the personnel to be a dominant defense and we just aren’t that right now. Also almost any physical offense pushes us around and has us on skates. I’m not saying Fraiser is terrible but I feel like he’s a little too finesse. I’d prefer a little more aggression and tone setting and I honestly think it would change with McDermott. Plus, that’s his calling card. If you are the Coach and Defense is your thing…get your hands on it and make it your own.

You really think this personnel can be dominant? I'm telling you man McDermott built this finesse team. Is Frazier perfect? No but when you dpnt go get a 1 tech dt to at least spell star, you dont get a REAL edge rusher... you keep parading 49 out there. And unless you really like Klein you don't have what it takes to run a 43. If play calling is your gripe then ok that MAY be Frazier. But dollars to doughnuts McDermott has his hands in this defense hard body. And the personnel we have to work with, thats beane and McDermott. All d line thats best pass rushers are still the 2 oldest guys on the unit. You have Basham that with Rousseau and Epenesa are all run staffers with no bend. Then you build an interior line that gets your 4th year middle linebacker washed. The pieces.. I dont put Frazier in the equation.

 

If you look at Frazier's Minnesota teams he had a run stuffing 1 tech who was good for 8-10 tfls a season a super talented edge rusher and middle backers who were really good against the run and. He did play a bend but don't break style Tampa 2 but his front 4 got busy, with his LBs cleaning up the scraps.

[Richard Noggin]

9 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

You think McDermott is gonna call more blitzes? Go watch his Carolina teams. That is not what they did. 

 

The Bills defense is good. The only people who want to change it are people who simply prefer defense played a certain style that McDermott and Frazier don't believe in.

This is an important point, HOWEVER...I do believe McD wants his guys (especially LBs) to attack plays more aggressively than they often do right now. 

 

Naturally my most recent example is McD, NOT Frazier, pulling Milano aside late against NE, and the result being Milano just screaming through the gaps created by NE's pulling linemen for big TFLs. You could clearly see McD gesturing to Milano to run through the gaps aggressively. You gotta get there before the blocks do to disrupt well-designed plays. If you hesitate or take a false step, you allow the offense to get on top of you. (This ain't a 2-gap defensive front, that's for sure. But they almost seem to play like one at times.)

 

But also think back to when McD allegedly took over play-calling duties (I can't immediately recall when it happened but I know my fellow posters remember): the D ABSOLUTELY attacked more with McD calling the shots in-game. Of course that doesn't mean they called more blitzes and lighter coverage schemes exactly, but it does suggest that McD emphasizes aggression and disruption within the structure of the overall defense. 

 

Does that make sense at all? I think so...

[Richard Noggin]

6 hours ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

Pats is such a weird game to me…maybe I’m the only person that thinks this and feel free to flame away lol but I don’t think their offense was effective at all when it came to the scoreboard.  If you commit to the run all game long you’re obviously gonna rip off big runs occasionally.  But the pats left the door open for our offense to win the game time and time again and we absolutely sh*t the bed in the red zone/kicking fgs/diggs losing a sure td in the air that hit him perfectly in stride/Knox not being able to make a play/Breidas comically bad fumble in scoring range…we just blew absolutely everything and still had a game winning drive attempt.  I think bill miscalculated badly thinking we wouldn’t be able to move the ball through the air into the wind and we bailed him out.  We did everything you just can’t do against a team built like the pats in literally the first 5 minutes of the game and they still let us hang around all night 

You likely won't get much support for this perspective, but the defense did its job without question. 14 points. The end.

 

The offense failed. The defense even got timely stops in the 4th quarter to facilitate a comeback, but the offense fell short. 

 

That's the failure of 2021 so far. I don't care about the rushing defense. I care about the offense that can't score more than 14, or 9, or capitalize on red zone opportunities. 

 

Oh yeah, and the refs. They suck the most.

[GunnerBill]

9 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

How can you say the defense is good?  Look at the teams and the QBs they have played.  If you said we don't know if the defense is any good or not I would buy that.  Because they do make stops from time to time.  They forced only two turnovers against Pittsburgh, Tenn, Pats, Jax, and Tampa.  Special teams got a turnover and there was a turnover on downs against Tampa.  Otherwise most of the stat padding has been against garbage teams and even worse QBs.

 

They held the Pats to 14. The Jags to 9 and Pitt to 16 (the other points coming as a result of the blocked punt). The offense lost us all 3 of those games.  

 

The two bad games the D has had were Tennessee and Indy and yes, they match up poorly against those two teams. It is a matchup league and you can't be built to stop everyone in this day and age. 

 

The problem is the offense.

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

This is an important point, HOWEVER...I do believe McD wants his guys (especially LBs) to attack plays more aggressively than they often do right now. 

 

Naturally my most recent example is McD, NOT Frazier, pulling Milano aside late against NE, and the result being Milano just screaming through the gaps created by NE's pulling linemen for big TFLs. You could clearly see McD gesturing to Milano to run through the gaps aggressively. You gotta get there before the blocks do to disrupt well-designed plays. If you hesitate or take a false step, you allow the offense to get on top of you. (This ain't a 2-gap defensive front, that's for sure. But they almost seem to play like one at times.)

 

But also think back to when McD allegedly took over play-calling duties (I can't immediately recall when it happened but I know my fellow posters remember): the D ABSOLUTELY attacked more with McD calling the shots in-game. Of course that doesn't mean they called more blitzes and lighter coverage schemes exactly, but it does suggest that McD emphasizes aggression and disruption within the structure of the overall defense. 

 

Does that make sense at all? I think so...

 

Leslie can, when he gets in a rut, get a bit conservative in his calls. There are also times when I feel (and I get this is my bias showing in the same way as the blitz fans show theirs) he gets impatient and calls poorly timed blitzes. He isn't perfect. But he is a darn good defensive coordinator and his rankings back that up. 

 

He is here because he understands and runs Sean McDermott's defense. McDermott took over the playcalling once, that Chargers game where Vontae quit at  half time. I think the whole team was in a bit of a mess at that point and it was designed to create a reaction. 

[Southern_Bills]

They held Tampa to 27 in regulation, they held the Patriots to 14. 

 

Score more points, the Diggs 3 and 2 play should have been a game winner.

 

I get it, they are losing and it sucks. That doesn't mean burn down the building and start over. 

 

Daboll would go way before Frasier. 

[Real McClappy]

One of our biggest beefs with coaching in the past was not making proper half time adjustments. Frazier and our D in back to back weeks have made outstanding adjustments allowing only 6pts (not counting OT) in 2nd half play giving our team opportunity to win. 

[BobbyC81]

14 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

I don't think we are the only team that has to do it; I think both teams make adjustments in every game.

 

They should, unless everything is going so well they feel there is no need to make an adjustment, but that seems unlikely.

 

 

That brings to mind the infamous Hank Bullough.  That was back before NFL Season Ticket so I didn’t get to see many games but there were so many games with him as coach where they had good halftime leads, like 17-3 and the opponent would obviously make adjustments and win 20-17.  My thoughts were exactly that he must’ve thought they were doing good so no adjustments necessary.

[Bigantall]

17 hours ago, No Place To Hyde said:

In today's day and age with all the Tablets and instant access to data...if you wait until halftime to make adjustments you are already 2 quarters behind. 

 

There are teams that make adjustments on the fly and make tweaks all game long.

Did you stop to think they may not have the personnel to make those kind of changes you or l have no idea the mental make up of our team 

[SoCal Deek]

People. This season isn’t complicated. The Bills have been in position to win three games inside the TEN YARD LINE on the final possession and have missed on it all three times! Score on those three possessions and they have the best record in football. And that doesn’t even count the Jaguars game in which they were on the plus side of the 50 with a chance to win or tie. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

18 minutes ago, Bigantall said:

Did you stop to think they may not have the personnel to make those kind of changes you or l have no idea the mental make up of our team 

Are you inferring the players aren't intelligent enough to comprehend tweaks to the gameplan? 

[3rdand12]

On 12/14/2021 at 7:22 PM, Sheneneh Jenkins said:

Hard to keep defensive position when getting picked. Lot of times I've seen some where the defender is focused on covering his WR and doesn't notice the pick coming and runs straight into a brick wall. And some get hurt from it. Brady when with Pats offense made a living off those pick plays and now with Bucs.

 

Anyways, even with the pick I'm not sure why there was no help at all on that side. Unless the safeties had all there attention on Evans and Gronk/Goodwin? IDK

Not like the world does not know how Brady butters his bread
Rubs and picks

[RaoulDuke79]

On 12/14/2021 at 3:14 PM, GunnerBill said:

 

You think McDermott is gonna call more blitzes? Go watch his Carolina teams. That is not what they did. 

 

The Bills defense is good. The only people who want to change it are people who simply prefer defense played a certain style that McDermott and Frazier don't believe in.

Against teams that can't run.

[3rdand12]

forgot to send this ^
 

 

The defense can adjust

 The Coaching overall is very good 
The front seven need to be effective and the front four even more so.
I am sure we are seeing player frustrations from Poyer and Hyde leading to risk taking. Which cannot happen. Especially from Hyde when he is playing over. Be it run or pass.
Discipline and execution are a pre requisite for this defense

The Offense is another story altogether
Go Bills

[T master]

On 12/14/2021 at 1:49 PM, Nextmanup said:

Not only that, but he makes them with a little miniature golf scorecard pencil on what appears to be a blank mailing envelope!  I love that...it's how I do things myself.  Not a lot of tech going on in my life.

 

Funny how a pencil and an envelope can take down the best teams in football.

 

It's all about what you are writing down on the envelope.

 

(Not the right pencil or paper from my comments, but how many times have you seen BB doing this on the sideline during the game?)

 

 

Lets see what the cancel culture has to say about his old school way of coaching the only reason why they would want to cancel him is so he quits beating their team ...

[LyndonvilleBill]

On 12/14/2021 at 5:35 PM, Since1981 said:

I remember other QBs frantically on the sidelines talking to coordinators between series. Flutie used to talk about how they were setting up player #XX for the next series. Flutie used to explain how series connected. I liked that. 
 

Maybe we don’t see it or it doesn’t happen?? 
 

Josh sitting helmet off sunbathing on the bench? So couldn’t the offense and defense be chatting between series? 
 

‘course Brady does it real-time…

I think along the same line. Just something about face to face instead of a phone. I know there was debate a year or so back about Daboll in the box versus sideline. McDermott can get face to face with Frazier and they can adjust. I think it's time to get Daboll back on the sideline to get that game time, face time with Josh as well as to get McDermott side by side with Daboll. I want to see McDermott get in the grill of Daboll and Frazier during the game if/when adjustments are needed. Not wait until halftime. Anyone know how many offensive play callers are on the sideline versus the box? 

Edited December 18, 2021 by LyndonvilleBill

[TheyCallMeAndy]

On 12/14/2021 at 2:52 PM, BuffaloRebound said:

He seems like a guy the players respect and his defense is effective but he’s probably better suited for a rebuild as a Head Coach or DC at this point.  Bring some stability to a flailing franchise.  

McD has also taken over the defense several times when he’s unhappy with their performance.

[frostbitmic]

On 12/14/2021 at 2:49 PM, Nextmanup said:

Not only that, but he makes them with a little miniature golf scorecard pencil on what appears to be a blank mailing envelope!  I love that...it's how I do things myself.  Not a lot of tech going on in my life.

 

Funny how a pencil and an envelope can take down the best teams in football.

 

It's all about what you are writing down on the envelope.

 

(Not the right pencil or paper from my comments, but how many times have you seen BB doing this on the sideline during the game?)

 

The man writes checks to the refs using a pencil ?

[BigDingus]

On 12/14/2021 at 2:03 PM, dwight in philly said:

I think we need to get up on a team.. This year not many games where we had a lead to protect.. come from behind.. , close games.. 

 

We have a tendency to focus so much on defensive failures because they're so obvious, but often overlook so much of what the offense fails to do that puts us in these holes too. 

Our redzone failures have been HUGE. We see it every game, and often, it's repeatedly wasting those 1st & goal situations that cost us the game. Not only could those missed points be enough to win us some games, they'd also allow us to play with a lead, put opponents in a huge hole, & negating our need for dramatic comebacks.