Defense: let’s grade and comment your grade

[Greg S]

Not going to kill them yesterday. I would grade them a "C" but they did enough and the INT's were good. NE at home in a big game was going to make plays and score some points. The D did enough to make sure the offense's good game wasn't wasted. Could they improve sure. But a win is a win is a win. 9-6 and back in 1st place. No complaints from me. Let McDermott and Frazier worry about fixing the D. That is their job not mine.

[Billsfan1972]

NE does not have a quick strike offense or a great QB, however they moved the ball pretty well.  Really be honest, they had two 3 & outs from NE (first drive & when they started at the 1 yard line), got that int (good tip drill) and yes benefited from that non roughing the passer call (though the prior call was borderline too).

 

NE's offense is below average on the whole.  Don't call that a great defensive performance.

 

And you said it too 0-3 in the redzone.   

[clayboy54]

Some fans seem to want Wade Phillips’ defense. They keep asking for Ted Washington and Pat Williams. In today’s pass-happy game, that defense would lose more than they would win. As Gunner points out, this McD/Frazier group is built to stop the pass. They are exceptional at that. We are indeed vulnerable to run-first teams. Today, there is not one team that excels at both.

 

Pick your poison. Make teams run at you and burn clock while Josh and the offense scores points. More times than not we will win that battle because the clock is our friend. I would rather have a team built this way. Could we be better on the edge-rush? Absolutely. Should we be better at 1T? Sure. Overall, I like what this D brings to the table.

[BigAl2526]

The defense had lots of problems.  The problems in the secondary (cornerbacks) were somewhat masked by New England's shortage of quality receivers.  The New England running backs were consistently able to bounce outside because Buffalo failed to have contain ono the edges.  Those were a couple of the issues Buffalo's defense had.

[GreggTX]

Run D - D - Allowed nearly 150 yards, but did enough and had enough timely stops to effect the outcome in our favor.

Pass D - B+ - I'm kinda surprised that our pass defense is holding up so well without our best DB or any elite pass rushers.

Overall - C - We really need to add a pure NT of considerable ability and work ethic. LB's must stop overrunning plays.

Edited December 27, 2021 by GreggTX

[Billsfan1972]

They certainly look good when playing inexperienced/bad qbs.....  Houston, Miami, NYJ, NE, Jax (how they lost that?), Saints......  

[GunnerBill]

30 minutes ago, Billsfan1972 said:

They certainly look good when playing inexperienced/bad qbs.....  Houston, Miami, NYJ, NE, Jax (how they lost that?), Saints......  

 

They looked good yesterday too. 

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, clayboy54 said:

Some fans seem to want Wade Phillips’ defense. They keep asking for Ted Washington and Pat Williams. In today’s pass-happy game, that defense would lose more than they would win. As Gunner points out, this McD/Frazier group is built to stop the pass. They are exceptional at that. We are indeed vulnerable to run-first teams. Today, there is not one team that excels at both.

 

Pick your poison. Make teams run at you and burn clock while Josh and the offense scores points. More times than not we will win that battle because the clock is our friend. I would rather have a team built this way. Could we be better on the edge-rush? Absolutely. Should we be better at 1T? Sure. Overall, I like what this D brings to the table.

 

The bolded is exactly it. Some people don't like this style of defense. They confuse not being being their preferred style with not being good. They want run stuffing and blitzing they don't want just methodical, consistent defense which keeps the game in front of them and makes you be darn near perfect to score.

 

On yesterday,iit was a good defensive display. If they get 1 redzone stop out of the three drives it goes from a good defensive display to a great one. 

 

You don't luck into 3 top 5 defenses in 4 years which is what the Bills will have had. 

[Pags24]

D played OK B-.  We're obviously weak against the run.  We need Star in there, or a run stuffer that can stay on the field. 

[Bob in STL]

17 hours ago, Kellyhero68 said:

Defensive line has no pass rush moves. Straight bull rush most of the time. Where is Groot and Boogie? 

Groot hit the rookie wall. He didn’t play college last season and an NFL schedule is far more grueling than college.  Boogie too.  You don’t count on rookies to win you playoff games. 
 

The defense played a B- minus or C+ game.  Had they not given up that last TD it would have been at least a B+.  One critical series dropped the grade.   The concern with the defense is the veterans on the DL are running out of steam too.  Hughes and Addison are not getting sacks.  We are not getting enough heat from Epenesa either.  
 

Oliver played well then left with an injury. Harrison played well. So did Obada. The other 5 ?  
 

The LBs were solid although I am sure there are some here that will complain about Edmunds. 
 

The corners and safeties did well against a weak receiving corps and a below average QB.  
 

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Bob in STL

[Billsfan1972]

18 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

They looked good yesterday too. 

Against a rookie QB.....

[Captain_Quint]

15 hours ago, Mango said:

Edmunds had a lot of difficulty shedding blocks today. Early in the game Harris picked him up 1:1 in the backfield. No chip. Didn’t go low. Squared up and stopped Edmunds in his tracks. But pass rush machine, or something…. 
 

I really want to like Edmunds more than I do. I don’t want to get rid of him. But also don’t want to pay him. 
 

 

 

I remember this play you're talking about and I thought the same thing. The RB didn't even struggle to stop him at all. And Edmunds was moving fast, but he stopped him dead in his tracks. 

 

 

[Royale with Cheese]

3 hours ago, Billsfan1972 said:

They came out on fire and got a three & out.  The next possession they went 75 yards for a TD.  Next the int.....  Then a three & out at the goal line (where you know from the 1 it is just a run up the middle.  A roughing the passer wiped out a good defensive stand and got lucky on the Hughes overturned late hit (and yup then NE got the 15 yard penalty) turning 2nd & 3 into 18.....  

 

They allowed three 75 yard TD drives.  That is not particularly good.

 

Second half NE scored on both their possessions & a game ending int.  

 

The Defense was not that good.

 

This proves again that you don't believe in a 4 quarter game.  Over the course of 4 quarters, we played well.

We held them below their season average in points, produced multiple 3 and outs, 2 turnovers and held the from getting to the 50 more than 50% of the time.

 

But you're going to choose 3 drives in which they were good...the 5 previous doesn't count or something.

34 minutes ago, Billsfan1972 said:

Against a rookie QB.....

 

I don't know if you know this or not but this rookie won 7 of his last 8 games.

[Billsfan1972]

5 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

This proves again that you don't believe in a 4 quarter game.  Over the course of 4 quarters, we played well.

We held them below their season average in points, produced multiple 3 and outs, 2 turnovers and held the from getting to the 50 more than 50% of the time.

 

But you're going to choose 3 drives in which they were good...the 5 previous doesn't count or something.

They basically scored each time the second half and responded to every TD Buffalo scored a TD except at half where they got a bad break (overturned penalty and then there own 15 yd penalty.

[SCBills]

No way can I give this defense any higher than a C grade.  

 

Gave up 21 points to a running team that plays every game trying to limit possessions.   Not terrible, not good either.  

 

Every red zone opportunity ended in a TD.  

 

Converted an absurd amount of 4th downs.  

 

One (impactful) turnover, which was a great play. 

 

Average game from this Defense.  C grade.   

[Royale with Cheese]

6 minutes ago, Billsfan1972 said:

They basically scored each time the second half and responded to every TD Buffalo scored a TD except at half where they got a bad break (overturned penalty and then there own 15 yd penalty.

 

Thank you for proving my point that you don't judge on a 4 quarter game lol.  

[Boatdrinks]

Decent day, but gave up a few more points and yards than their season average. B-. A 4th down stop or two and maybe a forced fumble probably bumps it to an A-. 

[Royale with Cheese]

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

No way can I give this defense any higher than a C grade.  

 

Gave up 21 points to a running team that plays every game trying to limit possessions.   Not terrible, not good either.  

 

Every red zone opportunity ended in a TD.  

 

Converted an absurd amount of 4th downs.  

 

One (impactful) turnover, which was a great play. 

 

Average game from this Defense.  C grade.   

 

I know.  I think the Pats average something like 12 points per game on offense and I don't believe they've scored more than 21 points all year.

[Billsfan1972]

Made one impactful stop on a 3rd or 4th and short (yes a  one) and that was it.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Billsfan1972

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

I know.  I think the Pats average something like 12 points per game on offense and I don't believe they've scored more than 21 points all year.

 

I'm grading on a curve.  Stop obsessively investing in the defense and re-allocate those assets/money to the Offense next year and i'll grade our performance a B.  Still waiting for this high paid/high drafted DL to become a force at something other than pressuring QB's without the sacks.