The absence of sacks in Sean McDermott’s defenses

[Max Fischer]

19 hours ago, 97bills said:

Tampa came up big in the 4 and in overtime 

In the final 11 minutes of the 4th, on three Bills possessions the Bucs gave up 186 yards, of which 20 yards were rushing and 9 to penalty. This resulted in two touchdowns and FG (which arguably could have been a touchdown if not for uncalled pass interference). 
 

Hardly coming “up big.”

[ProcessTruster]

11 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

The heavy rotation but also the value he puts on his ends maintaining gap discipline. He does not want them over running in attempts to rush the passer and allowing the QB to leak out or a dump off to go for big yards. This defense is all about making the offense be perfect. They give up the fewest 20 yard plus plays in the league and have been consistently top 5 in the league in that category. They want to make you drive the field perfectly taking lots of plays and time to score.

Exactly.  It's not a fan-friendly approach and is hard to watch (unless you see what they are doing, understand it and appreciate it) , but it eventually (once Josh puts up a decent lead) the rotation-driven consistent pressure plus the back 6 locking out the intermediate/long passes generates the turnovers which end the game.   As an added fringe benefit, Beane doesn't have player agents shoving sack totals up his arse looking for top 3 paydays for guys.  This defense is a group concept, no one or two players make it go.  

Edited December 16, 2021 by ProcessTruster

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

On 12/15/2021 at 8:09 PM, JohnNord said:

I’m a fan of McDermott and think he’s a pretty good NFL coach.  Also I don’t think he gets nearly as much credit as he deserves (along with Beane) for turning around the Bills organization.  
 

With that being said, this year the Bills DE’s might as well be invisible.  With a few exceptions, it seems like they rarely affect games and almost never get big sacks.
 

For the most part it’s been the same story with just about every one of the McDermott/Frazier defenses.  A defensive player never reached double-digit sacks and it likely won’t happen this season.  

 

These are the team sack leaders:

2017: 4 - Shaq Lawson/Jerry Hughes 

2018: 7 - Hughes

2019: 9.5 - Jordan Phillips - Lawson (6.5)

2020: 5 - Mario Addison/AJ Klein 

 

I also went back to his defenses in Carolina.  In most cases the numbers were similar those Greg Hardy had one monster year with 15 sacks, Charles Johnson had a pair of 11.5 sack seasons, and Addison regularly finished with close to 10 sacks.  

 

Is there something about the defensive rotation or scheme that prevents the Bills from getting to the QB?  
 

When players lead the team with 4 or 5 sacks… that’s not very good.  

Let’s call it 6 months ago now. 
Time to take a 2nd look 

 

What one perceives and what is, are not the same thing.  

 

You used the term “Big Sac”. That is open for discussion and not so definitive 

 

 

TIED for SECOND MOST Sacks

 

Something needs to be done!!  ??

Edited June 10 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Reading things here, I’m surprised they were that high on that list

 

or that I didn’t care enough after the loss to know this.  
 

throw all the stats out the window if you don’t win THE game. 

[TBBills]

Maybe stop looking at just one stat.

You should do better research next time. Bills tied with second most sacks last year.

Edited June 10 by TBBills

[Shaw66]

5 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Let’s call it 6 months ago now. 
Time to take a 2nd look 

 

What one perceives and what is, are not the same thing.  

 

You used the term “Big Sac”. That is open for discussion and not so definitive 

 

 

TIED for SECOND MOST Sacks

 

Something needs to be done!!  ??

And yet, something WAS done.   Two best, aging sack artists are gone, Von Miller joins the youngsters.  

 

This was a good discussion of how the dline rotation generates sacks and coordinates well with the whole defense.   

 

What's always bothered me, as a fan, was the absent of the big sack at a key point in the game.   Four minutes left and you're thinking "Bills need a sack."   They don't get it.   They don't get it because they didn't have a premier pass rusher who could generate opportunities on his own.   Now, they have one.  Which is not to say Miller will get a sack every time I want one.   It's only that this season Frazier will have the option to turn Miller loose once in a while, tell him generate pressure any way he can.  The other ten defenders, no doubt, will shade their positions a bit to cover for Miller, who won't be playing the position as usually drawn up.  The point is, when the Bills want to gamble, they now have a good guy to bet on. 

[colin]

the same way after 2019 our team needed a top flight wr more than any other thing (and we got one) last season we needed a difference maker up front on d, and a pass rusher in particular more than anything, and they went out and got one.  I think it might not show up on the over stat sheet (hard to improve on the number 1 d) but i think it leads to more wins because it stops some key late drives (considering we lost ever game that we didn't run the other team out of the building in, we kinda need that).

[Stank_Nasty]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Reading things here, I’m surprised they were that high on that list

 

or that I didn’t care enough after the loss to know this.  
 

throw all the stats out the window if you don’t win THE game. 

 

1 hour ago, TBBills said:

Maybe stop looking at just one stat.

You should do better research next time. Bills tied with second most sacks last year.

ummmm you guys are way off the mark here. The title of the article is about who our "x-factor" could be. they talk abou rousseau and how he finished tied for 2nd on our defense in sacks. sorry. 

[TBBills]

1 minute ago, Stank_Nasty said:

 

ummmm you guys are way off the mark here. The title of the article is about who our "x-factor" could be. they talk abou rousseau and how he finished tied for 2nd on our defense in sacks. sorry. 

"The absence of sacks in Sean McDermott's defense" 

 

Bills tied for second most sacks last year...

 

Hmm... nope, not off at all.

Edited June 10 by TBBills

[Stank_Nasty]

Just now, TBBills said:

"The absence of sacks in Sean McDermott's defense" 

 

Bills tied for second most sacks last year...

 

Hmm... nope, not off at all.

bro. THEY DIDNT. they werent even in the top ten. they are referring to rousseau being tied for second in sacks on the defense.

[TBBills]

2 hours ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Let’s call it 6 months ago now. 
Time to take a 2nd look 

 

What one perceives and what is, are not the same thing.  

 

You used the term “Big Sac”. That is open for discussion and not so definitive 

 

 

TIED for SECOND MOST Sacks

 

Something needs to be done!!  ??

 

[Stank_Nasty]

3 minutes ago, TBBills said:

"The absence of sacks in Sean McDermott's defense" 

 

Bills tied for second most sacks last year...

 

Hmm... nope, not off at all.

more thumbsdowns??? LOLOL.....you cant be this dense. read the article. the caption is referencing groot.... the bills finished 11th in sacks.

[TBBills]

2 hours ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Reading things here, I’m surprised they were that high on that list

 

or that I didn’t care enough after the loss to know this.  
 

throw all the stats out the window if you don’t win THE game. 

Bengals had same number of Sacks as the Bills and they went to the Super Bowl. Yet the Bills sacks were the problem.

[Stank_Nasty]

Just now, TBBills said:

Bengals had same number of Sacks as the Bills and they went to the Super Bowl. Yet the Bills sacks were the problem.

there it is. the movement of the goal posts.... i didnt say they were or werent a problem. just that you guys didnt understand the article title and that the bills werent even close to 2nd in sacks.

[TBBills]

On 12/15/2021 at 8:09 PM, JohnNord said:

When players lead the team with 4 or 5 sacks… that’s not very good.

Yet the Bills were 13 seconds away from a trip to the Super Bowl. 

[JayBaller10]

2 hours ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Let’s call it 6 months ago now. 
Time to take a 2nd look 

 

What one perceives and what is, are not the same thing.  

 

You used the term “Big Sac”. That is open for discussion and not so definitive 

 

 

TIED for SECOND MOST Sacks

 

Something needs to be done!!  ??

The Bills finished 12th in sacks per game (2.5) and 9th in team sack percentage (7.13%). They didn’t tie for second in the league in number of sacks, that was a reference to Groot who finished tied for 2nd on the team.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

42 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

 

ummmm you guys are way off the mark here. The title of the article is about who our "x-factor" could be. they talk abou rousseau and how he finished tied for 2nd on our defense in sacks. sorry. 

 

19 minutes ago, JayBaller10 said:

The Bills finished 12th in sacks per game (2.5) and 9th in team sack percentage (7.13%). They didn’t tie for second in the league in number of sacks, that was a reference to Groot who finished tied for 2nd on the team.

Well then. 
 

maybe you want to Tweet back to the Bills that their Tweet is misleading 

 

thanks.  

[Stank_Nasty]

45 minutes ago, TBBills said:

Yet the Bills were 13 seconds away from a trip to the Super Bowl. 

a team can be really good but still afford to get better in certain areas..... your view on this is super obtuse.

 

also they were 13 seconds from the AFC title game.

Edited June 10 by Stank_Nasty

[Big Turk]

Bills finished with 42 sacks, 11th in the NFL. Also finished with a sack percentage of 7.3%, 6th in the NFL.  Imagine what OP would be saying if we, you know...actually weren't above average at getting sacks and in the top 10 in sack percentage...

 

I know...I know... OP is saying "Big Turk...I am talking about McD's entire tenure...we have not been very good MOST years...go look it up!"

 

OK.  I'll play the game OP.

 

2020: Sacks 38(16th), Sack %: 6.2%(14th)

2019: Sacks: 44(12th), Sack %: 7.4%(10th)

2018: Sacks: 36(26th), Sack %: 6.8%(17th)

2017: Sacks: 29(29th), Sack %: 4.5%(31st)

 

So unless you are concerned with McD's first two seasons here where they were in the process of gutting the roster, which I have no idea why you would be at this point, I am not sure what the hell you are talking about OP. 

 

2019 they were above average in both sack and sack %

2020 they were league average in sacks and above average in sack %

2021 they were above average in sacks and near the top of the NFL in sack %.

 

So to your point about there being an "absence of sacks in McD's defense", it doesn't exist, so I am not sure how to say this other than you are simply wrong.

 

Maybe you meant to say, the absence of a single player with big sack totals, as they get sacks by committee on D usually.

 

 

[Don Otreply]

On 12/15/2021 at 8:36 PM, Max Fischer said:

Uh, Bills are the second in Defensive pass yards allowed, first in QB hurries, second in QB pressure, third in interceptions and first in passing TDs allowed.  These stats likely have a very strong correlation.

 

The Vikings lead in sacks, are third in hurries (good), eighth in pressure (not bad), 18th in interceptions, 29th in passing TDs allowed and 25th in yards allowed.

 

Of the Top 5 sack leaders, only Chicago (5th) is in the Top 10 in yards allowed (8th), yet they are 29th in interceptions while ranking 28th in TDs allowed. 

 

Which would you rather have?

 

BTW - I'm much more concerned about missed tackles. The team's large number of missed tackles seem incongruous to its stout play. 

This right here^^^
 

focus on the big picture results