Bills’ secondary moving forward…

[billsfan89]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

I mean, you're right in saying one good game doesn't mean much 

 

However he has had back to back solid games. And has progressed a ton just since the start of the season, let alone since last year. Feels like the people that don't see that are willfully not looking and staying true to their original outlook of him. 

 

I think what impressed me most about Cole against KC wasn't the "splash" plays he made in a few big moments but also for back to back games he made all the plays he "should have made". What made Po and Hyde so good in their primes was that they were mostly steady players who would make the plays that they needed to make and then they would have some splashy plays mixed in here or there. Neither Hyde nor Po were tremendous athletes they were at best above average athletes who played super smart and disciplined. Po and Hyde's RAS scores were in the 5's and 4's (although their play in their primes looked to have better than average but far from elite). 

 

Cole (whose still a ways away from those guys in their primes) is a much better athlete than Po and Hyde were. Cole's RAS was a 9.8 and he plays with a lot of that athleticism. If Cole can continue to learn from Po and from his continued playing time while Po platoons with Handcock (who I also hope learns more and can overtake Po by end of season) then I think the sky's the limit for Cole if he can really continue to make the fundamentally sound plays and then be opportunistic and rangy on bigger plays. 

[billsfan89]

4 hours ago, Flipnmi said:

Pure speculation on my part, but my guess is that we'll eventually find out he is dealing with an injury that is limiting him, similar to Rapp. CB was too good in past years to have his play drop like it has for no reason. Like Rapp, the options to let him sit and recover have been limited, so I suspect he has had to play through it.  Rapp isn't an All Pro, but he is much better than what he showed before going to IR.

 

Benford has looked good since the bye, back to back games where he looked solid. Even prior to the bye in Atlanta Benford when the team just switched to man coverage at the half looked better. I think you are right it is probably some sort of week to week injury that needed some rest but the team was just super thin at corner and he gutted it out. I think he's now looking a lot closer to the corner we all expected him to look like. 

[K-9]

Keep giving the athletically superior Hairston and Hancock more and more reps. It’s great that Tre and Poyer may know where to be but if they no longer have the athletic chops to get there, it doesn’t matter. It certainly paid dividends yesterday against an offense that was humming on all cylinders coming in.

[billsfan89]

10 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Keep giving the athletically superior Hairston and Hancock more and more reps. It’s great that Tre and Poyer may know where to be but if they no longer have the athletic chops to get there, it doesn’t matter. It certainly paid dividends yesterday against an offense that was humming on all cylinders coming in.

 

Po splitting reps at safety with Handcock is actually really a smart coaching decision. Po is a vet who knows the system better than anyone on the planet. Po has 107 starts at safety in the McD system from 2017-2023. I think Po's presence has helped Cole develop and he has helped Handcock get eased into a role. He's not the athlete he once was but he's not playing 90%+ of the defensive snaps. He played 74% against the Panthers but that got reduced to just 54% against the Chiefs and I think that's going to go down slowly but surely. 

 

Tre's also now in a more natural role for his career which is a dime back playing ideally 40% or less defensive snaps. Tre played 67% of snaps against Carolina and got reduced to 50% against KC. I think that that should also continue to go down to 30-40% as they get more comfortable with Hairston. 

 

Overall I think Po and Tre can be positive contributors to the season if they continue to be in reduced roles as they mentor the young guys and play in smaller roles where their lack of athleticism is more limited (I think it is easier for an older player to gear it up shifting in and out as opposed to playing 80% + of snaps and getting grinded out).

Edited 7 hours ago by billsfan89

[syhuang]

 

[Don Otreply]

6 hours ago, GolfandBills said:

I can’t stand the whole coming out party stuff.  One good game doesn’t mean he’s arrived.  

Ah Yes, let’s poo poo a great performance…,

[stlbills13]

The question going forward isn't White vs Hairston. It's Cam Lewis vs Taron Johnson. Hairston should get as many snaps as humanly possible. 

[Mat68]

Hairston, Bishop and Hancock are the future and present.  Benford and Taron will benefit from their play.  The secondary all of sudden is athletic and multiple again.  White and Poyer deserve alot of credit for their play as of late and presence in the room to get the young guys to the level they are at.  

[Steve Billieve]

6 hours ago, GolfandBills said:

I can’t stand the whole coming out party stuff.  One good game doesn’t mean he’s arrived.  

He's had a few good games, and he just had a great one

[Cray51]

Long term, the lineup will be:

 

CBs:

Benford

Hairston

Strong

 

Safety:

Bishop

Hancock

 

They will likely draft a slot CB, and another safety (or sign someone ala Rapp)

 

At this point, I'd say the secondary looks like it COULD be good, but nothing is set in stone.  Need to bring in a future slot corner.

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

31               47

                39

       24 37

 

 

[pi2000]

The defense the past two games reminds me of the McDermott lead defenses when he took over as HC in Buffalo... 2018, 2019 seasons the defense ranked 2nd and 3rd in yards allowed.    Blitz pcnt was 23% and 31%, compared to just 19% in 2024. 

[atlbillsfan1975]

Sounds like Hairston will be asked to cover a team’s fastest or shifty receiver. Wonder if the plan will be the same this week for him on Waddle. 

[FireChans]

6 hours ago, Mango said:

 

That's generous. He has been bad 

115 rating when targeted is nasty work.

[Allen2Moulds]

1 hour ago, CEN-CAL17 said:

I said that when he got the extension. Solid player but he’s definitely not a lock down corner, there is not a single playmaker in the secondary…. Bend don’t break right. Meaning we have to be ok with giving up 4th & 17. 
 

 

Harrison looked every bit like a lockdown corner yesterday.  I agree that the 4th and 17 was a horrible play by the defense, that kept KC in the game.  Not to beat on the poor guy, but I'm pretty sure Tre was in on that play.  We also can't discount the overall game the secondary and defense had. Mahomes was 15 for 34, career low.  The secondary and dline shares the credit there.    

[K-9]

1 hour ago, billsfan89 said:

 

Po splitting reps at safety with Handcock is actually really a smart coaching decision. Po is a vet who knows the system better than anyone on the planet. Po has 107 starts at safety in the McD system from 2017-2023. I think Po's presence has helped Cole develop and he has helped Handcock get eased into a role. He's not the athlete he once was but he's not playing 90%+ of the defensive snaps. He played 74% against the Panthers but that got reduced to just 54% against the Chiefs and I think that's going to go down slowly but surely. 

 

Tre's also now in a more natural role for his career which is a dime back playing ideally 40% or less defensive snaps. Tre played 67% of snaps against Carolina and got reduced to 50% against KC. I think that that should also continue to go down to 30-40% as they get more comfortable with Hairston. 

 

Overall I think Po and Tre can be positive contributors to the season if they continue to be in reduced roles as they mentor the young guys and play in smaller roles where their lack of athleticism is more limited (I think it is easier for an older player to gear it up shifting in and out as opposed to playing 80% + of snaps and getting grinded out).

I don’t mean to imply that Tre and Po aren’t positive contributors because they certainly are. It was interesting to see that Hairston (50%) and Hancock (47%) split reps evenly with Tre and Po, respectively. I suspect that’s because McD and Co. can plainly see that they need that superior athleticism on the field, especially against offenses like KC. I think the youngsters will see increased snap counts as the season progresses, too.
 

Again, that’s not a dis on the two vets who were mainstays in the secondary in previous seasons; just another reminder that father time catches up to all of us. 

[FireChans]

Just now, K-9 said:

I don’t mean to imply that Tre and Po aren’t positive contributors because they certainly are. It was interesting to see that Hairston (50%) and Hancock (47%) split reps evenly with Tre and Po, respectively. I suspect that’s because McD and Co. can plainly see that they need that superior athleticism on the field, especially against offenses like KC. I think the youngsters will see increased snap counts as the season progresses, too.
 

Again, that’s not a dis on the two vets who were mainstays in the secondary in previous seasons; just another reminder that father time catches up to all of us. 

There’s a harder ceiling on great defensive plays when the athleticism wanes a bit.

 

Cole nearly had a pick six on Worthy because he was flying in there like a missile. He has not been perfect this year, but if he does recognize a play to be made, he has the wheels to get there.

 

Hyde’s iconic pick against Mac Jones is a TD if he is half a step slower. That’s just how thin the margins can get in coverage.

 

@Simon had the great point that this staff needs to be comfortable taking some lumps with the yoots now so they can progress through the year.

[BigAl2526]

I don't know for certain that Hairston and Hancock will start the next game, but the near--term future of the secondary looks a whole lot brighter than it did a couple weeks ago.  Hairston certainly looks like he is starter material and Hancock looks like he can start too.  Benford's play has declined from a year ago, but I think he can still be a serviceable starter.  Best case scenario: the Bills have starters for a complete quality secondary.   In the future, the Bills will need to look at improving safety depth and slot corner depth.  Dorian Strong looks like a promising outside CB, not a superstar, but competent enough to step in and play if need be, even start a game. 

 

I'm also hopeful about the defensive line long term.  The Bills have to get through the current injury plagued season, but I think TJ Sanders will be OK, while Walker is a pleasant surprise.  Oliver and Hoecht should be healthy eventually, though Hoecht is going to take a long time, and he may not be as effective for months, even after he can start playing.  Buffalo will probably need to draft another edge rusher next spring.  Hopefully, they can find a replacement for Daquan Jones as depth at 1 tech.  They also need to shore up linebacking.  It's pretty clear that Milano and Thompson are nearing the end of their careers.  Milano is not going to be a useful starter much longer.   I don't know that Dorian Williams is true starting material and Terrell Bernard is not as impressive this season as he was last.  I think Buffalo will be looking for linebackers in the off season.