So it should be clear we won’t get there rushing 4

[BarleyNY]

57 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

I really hope McDermott gives TJ Sanders a chance, he seems the most likely to make a big impact as a rookie. 

🤞🤞🤞

[Yav]

8 hours ago, davefan66 said:

How is it obvious?

 

We played a vanilla defense with no schemes.  Not a great measuring stick for an entire season.

Not to mention The Hallmark channel on the field. 
They aren’t going to game plan for the preseason and put anything on tape.
Last year the offense wasn’t all that great in preseason and how did that end up? 

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

I’ll say this about Oliver, when we drafted him I really thought we’d see a more dominant player more often. He balled out when he had a healthy Von Miller next to him. He seems to really need an elite DE next to him to be that consistent, dominant player. Otherwise it’s just flashes or a game here or there. 

 

I mean his best year Von barely played....

[Gugny]

If I ever have a weekend day in which watching a preseason football game is my best option, it might be time for me to leave this world. 

[T.E.]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

There are plenty of teams in the NFL who have had a poor pass rush for a long time and cycled through a lot of players. Or do you just mean Bills teams?

Mainly Bills teams, but I would be interested to see if any other teams poured as many draft picks and free agency signings into the D-line as we have over eight seasons only to have one guy record 10 sacks or more during that period.

[Augie]

2 minutes ago, Gugny said:

If I ever have a weekend day in which watching a preseason football game is my best option, it might be time for me to leave this world. 

 

Will you send a forwarding address? 

 

 

I get interested in seeing at least a glimpse of the new guys in a game situation. It’s like having a face to go with the name, it helps the connection. 

[Gugny]

Just now, Augie said:

 

Will you send a forwarding address? 

 

 

I get interested in seeing at least a glimpse of the new guys in a game situation. It’s like having a face to go with the name, it helps the connection. 

To each his own, man!!  
 

I am just more of a “wait till they get to 53,” kind of guy. 
 

I think preseason games are a waste of time and an unnecessary injury risk. 
 

But I’m sure I’m in the minority.  

[Augie]

Just now, Gugny said:

To each his own, man!!  
 

I am just more of a “wait till they get to 53,” kind of guy. 
 

I think preseason games are a waste of time and an unnecessary injury risk. 
 

But I’m sure I’m in the minority.  

 

Oh, I’m not disagreeing with you, but if it’s on I’m curious to see how the old Bills are moving and what the new Bills look like. 

[Bockeye]

3 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

Fixed it for ya!

 

 

"Plus" meaning above average, I predict that Bosa, Rousseau, Oliver, Sanders, and Walker are plus pass rushers. It might be that Solomon and Hoecht are too. I think there's too much here to not be a good pass rush team in 2025 and I think you'll see a lot more inside pressure from the Bills this year, and that's the best kind.

 

 

I agree.

 

Here are the Bills sack totals in the McDermott era:

 

2024:    39

2023:    54

2022:    40

2021:     42

2020:    38

2019:     44

2018:     36

2017:     27

 

The Bills have averaged exactly 40 sacks/season during his tenure.

 

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict 50 sacks this season.

 

The average number of sacks for an NFL team during the regular season is generally between 40 and 50. A good sack rate is typically around or below 5%, while the league average is between 5% and 7%, according to a YouTube video from The Friendly Statistician. 

 

[davefan66]

1 hour ago, Yav said:

Not to mention The Hallmark channel on the field. 
They aren’t going to game plan for the preseason and put anything on tape.
Last year the offense wasn’t all that great in preseason and how did that end up? 

They were concerned about no injuries, individual efforts.  Seeing how guys did their jobs in a glorified scrimmage.

 

Game plan, scheme were not on the menu.

[Mike in Horseheads]

12 hours ago, dayman said:

Obviously, we didn’t disrupt Wilson doing it vanilla. But even with various stunts, it’s not going to get home. Will we blitz this year?

Good God heads will roll over this!  

[Sierra Foothills]

3 minutes ago, davefan66 said:

Game plan, scheme were not on the menu.

 

"We've decided we're gonna go eat somewhere else..."

 

[finn]

4 hours ago, dorquemada said:

 

This is exactly right.  Great defensive philosophy to get 10-13 wins every season then fold against apex competition in the playoffs.   How may times do we need to see it happen and continue to deny reality?  In any case, given that the regime granted McD’s wish and went DL DL DL DL DL DL DL in the draft, this HAS to be make or break.

Right, but you got to wonder if McDermott could win in KC in January even with a defense made up entirely of All-Pros. I've really lost faith in this guy. I'm at the point where I hope he gets the flu in January and has to stay home in bed. 

[Special K]

17 hours ago, dayman said:

Obviously, we didn’t disrupt Wilson doing it vanilla. But even with various stunts, it’s not going to get home. Will we blitz this year?

 

No sacks in the first preseason game!?!?!

 

 

 

[twoandfourteen]

9 hours ago, T.E. said:

Mainly Bills teams, but I would be interested to see if any other teams poured as many draft picks and free agency signings into the D-line as we have over eight seasons only to have one guy record 10 sacks or more during that period.

 

At the expense of finding another elite offensive player to ride shotgun with the All-Universe QB.

 

How about trading for AJ Brown instead of Von Miller? How would that have looked?

[Chandler#81]

Yes. Everything is crystal clear now after the 1st preseason game! 
😖

[dorquemada]

6 hours ago, Special K said:

 

No sacks in the first preseason game!?!?!

 

 

 

 

The frustration is that they look just like last year and the year before.   Let’s just keep drafting DL and hope something changes 

[Matt_In_NH]

Jump!

 

[finn]

14 hours ago, folz said:

 

 

Growth mindset. And McDermott and Beane are putting their money where their mouth is.

 

This off-season, the Bills hired Ryan Nielsen as a senior defensive assistant and Jason Rebrovich as assistant DL coach.

 

-Ryan Nielsen was the DC for Jacksonville last year, he was the DC and DL coach for Atlanta prior to that, and in his stint in New Orleans, he was DL coach, co-DC, and assistant Head Coach. In college, he played as a defensive tackle for USC. He has coached for 13 years in college and 8 years in the NFL.

 

-Jason Rebrovich started his pro-coaching career in Buffalo, eventually becoming both a DL coach and an outside LB coach for the Bills, he then went to Jax and became their DL coach, and then in Green Bay, he was outside LBs coach, DL coach, and pass rush specialist. He's coached 12 years in college and 12 years in the league. 

 

During the preseason game, they talked a little bit about bringing Nielsen in and said that he was brought in specifically to help the D-line and pass rush and that he would probably help Sean install more 5-man fronts and other variations. And obviously, Rebrovich (as DL coach, outside LB coach, and Pass rush specialist) was brought in to help the scheme and to help the young pass rushers develop.

 

The Bills brought in 6 FAs on the DL/outside LB: Joey Bosa, Michael Hoecht, Larry Ogunjobi, Shaq Thompson, Casey Rodgers, and Marcus Harris. 

The Bills drafted 3 new guys for the DL: Sanders, Jackson, Walker.

 

And Dwayne Carter and Javon Solomon were drafted in 2024, so just going into year 2.

 

 

So, nine new players, two second-year players, and two new (additional) coaches (to help Bobby/Marcus West with the defensive line/pass rush).

 

The Bills definitely did not stay pat. They made a concerted effort to help the D-line/pass rush. We just have to give it some time to all come together. Don't judge anything off of the first preseason game with no scheming. If the D-line isn't better this year (which I'm almost positive that it will be), it will not be from a lack of trying/trying to do some things differently. Heck, just Bosa's presence alone (if he can stay healthy) should help to free up the other guys to eat (could help to elevate guys like Rousseau, Oliver, Epenesa, etc). Just give it all a little bit of time. Hopefully all of the changes will eventually start paying off.

But my impression (no more than that) from last year was that the D-line was doing pretty well and the secondary just wasn't giving them enough time. Between Douglas losing a step, Hamlin playing back in the cheap seats, and various injuries, we were seeing opposing quarterbacks constantly finding wide open receivers. That's why I was hoping Beane would take Malaki Starks last year, Cooper DeJean the year before, and Kyle Hamilton the year before that. Rapp is adequate when healthy, and thank god Hamlin is benched. But I don't have a lot of faith in Bishop playing free safety. Has he shown anything at any point? I hope I'm wrong, especially with Hamlin lurking in the shadows. I do foresee a nice one-two punch in Hancock at free safety and Bishop or Rapp playing strong, but that's likely next year. 

 

In short, I think the rush will be much better this year, but it will be mostly wasted because of poor play at free safety, which will once again be the Achilles heel of the defense. But fear not! Allen by himself will be enough to compensate for a weak secondary AND a weak coach. Just watch. 

[corta765]

It is always a good idea to make massive assumptions about the team based off a quarter of pre season game one with zero gameplan.