We are now the worst defense in the league

[HappyDays]

This isn't a hot take. It's supported by analytics:

 

I understand the injuries. But we have a defensive head coach and we are literally the worst defense in the league since the Jaguars game.

 

And I get why fans are focusing on the offense, but none of that matters to our Super Bowl aspirations if the defense doesn't get back to at least the top half of the league.

[GoBills808]

1 minute ago, HappyDays said:

This isn't a hot take. It's supported by analytics:

 

I understand the injuries. But we have a defensive head coach and we are literally the worst defense in the league since the Jaguars game.

 

And I get why fans are focusing on the offense, but none of that matters to our Super Bowl aspirations if the defense doesn't get back to at least the top half of the league.

Those first weeks aren't opponent adjusted either

 

It's been worse than that even

[Rubes]

Definitely not good. At the same time, I’m eager to see how that changes once the new guys acclimate and start playing more. Maybe we’ll even see Miller start getting back to form before it’s too late.

 

Holding the Bengals to 3 points in the second half last night could be a sign of things to come.

 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

It’s mind blowing to me to hear all the people say last night was a heroic performance by this defense considering….We got absolutely embarrassed on every 3rd or 4th down. The Bengals stopped themselves a few times by playing with their food. Guys ran wide open through the Swiss cheese zone. We never tackle, can’t cover, NEVER EVER make a big stop to give it back to our offense. Anytime ever, that McD has a shot to get a stop and get it back….NEVER do we make a stop. Zero exceptions. This defense sucks. And it puts so much pressure on the offense to be perfect.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Brianmoorman4jesus

[dorquemada]

certainly matches the eye test.  They can't stop anybody, especially when it counts.  Thank God we spent most of our draft capital on the D so we can watch opponents march up and down the field

[dave mcbride]

4 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

This isn't a hot take. It's supported by analytics:

 

I understand the injuries. But we have a defensive head coach and we are literally the worst defense in the league since the Jaguars game.

 

And I get why fans are focusing on the offense, but none of that matters to our Super Bowl aspirations if the defense doesn't get back to at least the top half of the league.

Just one turnover in five games will do that you ...

[Buffalo_Stampede]

McDermott is coaching the defense scared right now. It’s going to be a bend and sometimes break defense the rest of the season.

Offense better get going or we’re looking at a top 10 pick. 
 

I’ve always said you are what you’re record is but they deserve to be 4-5 right now with the hard part of the schedule coming up.

 

[DrDawkinstein]

This team really misses Milano.

[SoCal Deek]

The problem is that McDs defense is a situational disaster. Yes, they stopped Cincy most of the second half….but when they needed to get the ball back for the offense in the end, they failed miserably. I’m 100% ready to move on from McD. I’ve seen next to no growth in him as a situational coach. 

[dorquemada]

1 minute ago, Rubes said:

 

Holding the Bengals to 3 points in the second half last night could be a sign of things to come.

 

 

It's a sign that the Bengals took their foot off the gas.  It's nothing the Bills did.  They watched our geriatric secondary struggling to catch their breath and took mercy

[Rubes]

Just now, dorquemada said:

 

It's a sign that the Bengals took their foot off the gas.  It's nothing the Bills did.  They watched our geriatric secondary struggling to catch their breath and took mercy

I highly doubt that.

 

[dave mcbride]

6 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

This isn't a hot take. It's supported by analytics:

 

I understand the injuries. But we have a defensive head coach and we are literally the worst defense in the league since the Jaguars game.

 

And I get why fans are focusing on the offense, but none of that matters to our Super Bowl aspirations if the defense doesn't get back to at least the top half of the league.

Also:

 

 

[PBF81]

Our injuries are not that bad.  

 

Honestly, Milano and Jones.  White hasn't been around for the vast majority of either of the last two seasons.  

Jones simply started strong, he did nothing even approaching his play in the first few games this season against some of the worst offenses in the league, throughout the rest of his nearly decade-long career.  It wouldn't have lasted.  

 

Our starting line-up is largely the players that they themselves have drafted, and apart from Milano and Jones is what it would have been anyway.  We knew coming into the season that White hadn't played well in the few games he was in last season, so no difference there.  

 

Von Miller, yeah, a 34-year old player that got injured.  Not a problem unless you give him a 6-year $120M contract at the age of 33, with nearly half of it guaranteed.  

 

We have key injuries, but one player shouldn't explain a drop from 1st/2nd to DFL.  

 

If it does, LOL, well, then time for a new "defensively oriented" head coach.  

 

While we're at it, let's get an offensively oriented one since we haven't been able to count on our marvelous 1st or 2nd ranked Ds in the playoffs anyway.  

 

 

[LeviF]

Friendly reminder that the GOAT (yes it's Brady) has zero rings in years without a top ten defense and only one Super Bowl appearance during those years.

[dorquemada]

Just now, Rubes said:

I highly doubt that.

 

 

It's more plausible than the same D that allowed Cinci to march up and down the field all of a sudden found their inner strength and decided to start tackling

[Mikie2times]

I think the defense will get it together. I like our additions. The depth will grow with experience.

 

But we will still need to score 30 or more to do anything further. I'm honestly much less worried about the defense coming around after the Bengals game. We played physical after the first quarter. Burrow was limited. Certainly played well enough to win. 

[Process]

The offense is a much bigger issue right now 

[LeviF]

Just now, PBF81 said:

Our injuries are not that bad.  

 

Honestly, Milano and Jones.  White hasn't been around for the vast majority of either of the last two seasons.  

Jones simply started strong, he did nothing even approaching his play in the first few games this season against some of the worst offenses in the league, throughout the rest of his nearly decade-long career.  It wouldn't have lasted.  

 

Our starting line-up is largely the players that they themselves have drafted, and apart from Milano and Jones is what it would have been anyway.  We knew coming into the season that White hadn't played well in the few games he was in last season, so no difference there.  

 

Von Miller, yeah, a 34-year old player that got injured.  Not a problem unless you give him a 6-year $120M contract at the age of 33, with nearly half of it guaranteed.  

 

We have key injuries, but one player shouldn't explain a drop from 1st/2nd to DFL.  

 

If it does, LOL, well, then time for a new "defensively oriented" head coach.  

 

While we're at it, let's get an offensively oriented one since we haven't been able to count on our marvelous 1st or 2nd ranked Ds in the playoffs anyway.  

 

 

 

The problem is that you can cover up deficiencies in a secondary with talent at the first and second levels. Once you suffer key injuries in the front 7 your weaknesses in the secondary get exposed.

[LABILLBACKER]

10 minutes ago, dorquemada said:

certainly matches the eye test.  They can't stop anybody, especially when it counts.  Thank God we spent most of our draft capital on the D so we can watch opponents march up and down the field

Every F-ing year the majority of draft/fa acquisitions are on the defensive side.  In a perfect world if Von, Tre, Milano & DQ had never been injured, this would be a top 5 D.  Weeks 2-4 reflected that. But for some strange reason our conditioning staff can do nothing with slowing down the incessant injuries.  And Sean's situational decisions might be some of the worst in the NFL. 

Edited November 6, 2023 by LABILLBACKER

[Buffalo_Stampede]

3 minutes ago, Process said:

The offense is a much bigger issue right now 

The offense has the ability to improve now. The defense doesn’t. The defense will get worse, look at the schedule.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Buffalo_Stampede

[SCBills]

Floyd

Rousseau

Oliver

Epenesa

Bernard

Benford

Jackson

Hyde 

Poyer

Johnson

 

I won't count people like Von, rotational DL guys etc., who haven't really done much.

 

We've had injuries that can absolutely warrant a drop from elite status to middle of the pack.

 

But to have this precipitous of a drop under a DEFENSIVE MINDED HEAD COACH is absolutely unacceptable.

 

You can't convince me half the DC's in this league couldn't do more with the talent I just listed.

 

Yes, Offense is a major problem this year, but to warrant having a defensive minded head coach (which is likely a good bit of the reason for the offensive woes) struggle so much due to an injury bug just cannot happen.

 

Again, middle of the pack defense.. ok.  Not amazing, but understandable.   What's happened since.. pathetic.  We're so sorry Sean, that you don't get an entire 1-11 of high draft picks, high value FA's and star players... but really?.. this is what we get now?

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, LeviF said:

Friendly reminder that the GOAT (yes it's Brady) has zero rings in years without a top ten defense and only one Super Bowl appearance during those years.

 

If you go by the classic ranking of Defenses by "yards allowed', then sure. But that Defense carried him to his first SB, and likely the 2nd as well.

 

In 2004, the Pats were 2nd in Points Allowed with just 260.

 

The first 3 he had help from the D and the team was balanced. The last 3 were all Brady.

[Mikie2times]

Just now, Buffalo_Stampede said:

The offense has the ability to improve now. The defense doesn’t.

Really? The offense has been healthy. The defense just added two critical starters and all these back up's will keep gaining more experience. My money is on the defense "righting" the ship. 

[dave mcbride]

5 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

Our injuries are not that bad.  

 

Honestly, Milano and Jones.  White hasn't been around for the vast majority of either of the last two seasons.  

Jones simply started strong, he did nothing even approaching his play in the first few games this season against some of the worst offenses in the league, throughout the rest of his nearly decade-long career.  It wouldn't have lasted.  

 

Our starting line-up is largely the players that they themselves have drafted, and apart from Milano and Jones is what it would have been anyway.  We knew coming into the season that White hadn't played well in the few games he was in last season, so no difference there.  

 

Von Miller, yeah, a 34-year old player that got injured.  Not a problem unless you give him a 6-year $120M contract at the age of 33, with nearly half of it guaranteed.  

 

We have key injuries, but one player shouldn't explain a drop from 1st/2nd to DFL.  

 

If it does, LOL, well, then time for a new "defensively oriented" head coach.  

 

While we're at it, let's get an offensively oriented one since we haven't been able to count on our marvelous 1st or 2nd ranked Ds in the playoffs anyway.  

 

 

Huh? Jones was freaking phenomenal for all of 2022. He's without question one of the best players on the team. White was also playing extremely well before getting hurt. They've also had scattered injuries throughout too - Oliver out vs NE, Rousseau out vs the Giants, Bernard, Benford, and Hyde going out last night. They have been DECIMATED. 

[thenorthremembers]

Other statistics put them around middle of the pack.   The defense isnt the problem.

[Success]

I hate to say the words:  "complementary football."

 

Life is easier for defenses when their offenses stay on the field longer.  Our TOP in the 1st half last night was awful.

 

And it's also easier on a defense when their offense can take leads.  It makes the opposing offense more predictable.

 

Our offense hasn't been as good - so our defense is struggling accordingly.  Not that the D doesn't have their own issues, too.

 

[PBF81]

As things now stand, the way that this is all shaking out is that Dorsey's in way over his head, and playing fantasy football with a real life roster.  

 

McDermott's bitten off way more than he could ever chew, and his incredibly average status (17th average scoring D) from Carolina is rearing its true head.  

 

McDermott is entirely impotent to be able to contribute to the woes of our offense, or mentor or coach-up his own choice for our issue-laden OC.  

 

The wheels are without question starting to come off of this hayride.  Where this wagon ends up is anyone's guess.  

 

The madness, disappointment, frustration, and perplexity surrounding everything stems from the mindless incapacitation of our offense and lack of resources devoted to bolstering the strong suit of our team that McD's been gifted with.  

 

Same thing with our injuries.  If there's no one to back up Milano effectively, perhaps McBeane can go back and review their choices for the LBs that they drafted in round 3 this and last draft, while considering that they drafted no LBs in rounds 1-4 in the three drafts prior to that as well.  No one can replace Milano, but it's them that wanted smaller, faster, "more disruptive" players, rather than stout middle road blockers.  

 

 

[LeviF]

3 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

If you go by the classic ranking of Defenses by "yards allowed', then sure. But that Defense carried him to his first SB, and likely the 2nd as well.

 

In 2004, the Pats were 2nd in Points Allowed with just 260.

 

The first 3 he had help from the D and the team was balanced. The last 3 were all Brady.

 

it took me two seconds to remember that they were the #1 defense in points allowed in 2016

[PBF81]

1 minute ago, Success said:

I hate to say the words:  "complementary football."

 

That's likely just another road-block of gibberish that they've thrown out at us.  

 

Frankly, it only means something to someone that actually understands what "complimentary football" even is, and there's not a lot of evidence that their definition of it is even a workable/viable one.  

 

 

[DrDawkinstein]

Just now, Success said:

I hate to say the words:  "complementary football."

 

Life is easier for defenses when their offenses stay on the field longer.  Our TOP in the 1st half last night was awful.

 

And it's also easier on a defense when their offense can take leads.  It makes the opposing offense more predictable.

 

Our offense hasn't been as good - so our defense is struggling accordingly.  Not that the D doesn't have their own issues, too.

 

 

Yep. The Defense has been doing all it can to keep the team in games, and has been getting no help from the Offense.

 

Josh throws a bad pick in our own territory, the defense holds tight and forces a loss of position and punt. The Offense gets the ball back and immediately goes 3 and out in about 1 minute.

[BBFL]

Going to be a hot take for some posters here but I honestly believe if the offense rights the ship to what they have been the past few seasons that the defense itself improves. They aren’t great but for being a dead last team the past few weeks in DVOA, we have been in every game. They’ve actually kept us in close proximity to teams once they go up 2-3 scores. 
 

There is certain issues and statistics that are indicative of a poor defense but our biggest problem is not scoring consistently or periodically throughout games. 

[PBF81]

10 minutes ago, LeviF said:

The problem is that you can cover up deficiencies in a secondary with talent at the first and second levels. Once you suffer key injuries in the front 7 your weaknesses in the secondary get exposed.

 

Right, but Jones was massively overrated.  I mean it's no accident, in fact it's rather routine for McD coached teams here, for us to come out of the gates swinging, several players really stand out early in the season, before fading away.  

 

This notion that Jones, a JAG in essence throughout his 9-year career, all of a sudden in the early part of his back-9, "came on."  It was a short spurt for him, much like Rousseau last season had one.   Meanwhile, Oliver's continued his old now you see me, now you don't role.  

 

Our secondary is better now than it was for most of last season.  

 

Of our starting F7, we have 5 players of 7 that were designed starters.  If losing Jones and Milano cause that kind of downfall in the rankings, then McD should be fired right now.  

 

 

[Process]

2 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Yep. The Defense has been doing all it can to keep the team in games, and has been getting no help from the Offense.

 

Josh throws a bad pick in our own territory, the defense holds tight and forces a loss of position and punt. The Offense gets the ball back and immediately goes 3 and out in about 1 minute.

Defense gave us plenty of chances to win the game last night. The O is consistently letting them down. 

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

2 minutes ago, Success said:

I hate to say the words:  "complementary football."

 

Life is easier for defenses when their offenses stay on the field longer.  Our TOP in the 1st half last night was awful.

 

And it's also easier on a defense when their offense can take leads.  It makes the opposing offense more predictable.

 

Our offense hasn't been as good - so our defense is struggling accordingly.  Not that the D doesn't have their own issues, too.

 

 

Life is easier for the offense when the defense doesn't start a game by allowing back to back 5+ minute TD drives.

 

It's also easier for the offense when the defense can get some stops early. It allows our offense to play with the entire playbook open rather than trying to play catchup.

 

Our defense has been dreadful - so our offense is struggling accordingly. Not that the O doesn't have their own issues, but the DEF being swiss cheese has greatly reduced the number of offensive possessions we've had since week 5. 

[Bangarang]

Apparently, losing most of your starters on defense has a considerable effect on the team’s ability to stop their opponents. Go figure. 

Edited November 6, 2023 by Bangarang

[PBF81]

8 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Huh? Jones was freaking phenomenal for all of 2022. He's without question one of the best players on the team. White was also playing extremely well before getting hurt. They've also had scattered injuries throughout too - Oliver out vs NE, Rousseau out vs the Giants, Bernard, Benford, and Hyde going out last night. They have been DECIMATED. 

 

He's not as good as people are making him out to be.  

 

He was on pace to shatter his season best numbers, this single season, by five times over.  

 

He hit a streak.  He's a solid player, but everyone's making him out to be much much better than he was after he, and the team, ran a hot streak against a few cruddy teams.  

 

 

[BillsFanSD]

15 minutes ago, Process said:

The offense is a much bigger issue right now 

The offense is a bigger issue right now because the only way we can possibly win games against teams like Cinci is to win a track meet.  We absolutely need the offense to be great, because the defense is what it is (bad).

[DrDawkinstein]

1 minute ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

 

Life is easier for the offense when the defense doesn't start a game by allowing back to back 5+ minute TD drives.

 

 

This is the modern day NFL. You have to expect shoot outs and your D to hold on where they can. After the first 2 drives, the D shut them down pretty well. But our O could not respond.

 

The Defense is helping the Offense.

 

The Offense is hurting the Defense.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

BOO!!!! Guys, it's not offense vs defense.

 

This team is just not as good as it was at one time. Both units are extremely inconsistent and the coaching bears much of the responsibility. I mean it's not good enough to let the other team march up and down the field and fall behind. And then when the offense has a great start to the game to change what your doing and hibernate until later in the game. And then for the D to be unable to deliver another key stop. It all isn't good enough and that's on the staff to figure out.

[Process]

1 minute ago, BillsFanSD said:

The offense is a bigger issue right now because the only way we can possibly win games against teams like Cinci is to win a track meet.  We absolutely need the offense to be great, because the defense is what it is (bad).

With 4 minutes left in the game we had 10 points