Why are we so late to adjust defensively?

[Ramza86]

We didnt get a blitz in until the Bengals score 3 TDs back to back to back.

 

The blitz comes and it starts to work.

 

Then we keep blitzing and then Burrow sees it coming and starts to torch us again. We got lucky with drops. 

Then we somehow let WRs get behind our defense up 2 scores at the end of the game and Burrow scores in 30 seconds to make it almost a FG game.

Why are we never ahead of the curve and trying to confuse these good QBs?

[Augie]

Nice win. 

[eee1776]

The answer is simple. When Bobby Batxxxxx is calling plays we suck, When you see McD with the clipboard things geta lot better. McD has been covering up for him all year, I don't understand why BB is not getting any criticism he deserves.

[BillsFan130]

The first drive was baffling. Everyone knew that you can't play soft zone against Cinci as burrow would eat it up, but that's exactly what the Bills did lol.

Good adjustments during the game , but I just don't understand how you come out with that as the defensive game plan

[todd]

It was a great win against superior WRs and a great QB. 

[NewEra]

7 minutes ago, eee1776 said:

The answer is simple. When Bobby Batxxxxx is calling plays we suck, When you see McD with the clipboard things geta lot better. McD has been covering up for him all year, I don't understand why BB is not getting any criticism he deserves.

Criticism from whom?  He gets plenty.  Do you expect McD is going to criticize him to the media?  🤦🏻‍♂️ 

[Slack_in_MA]

I think because McD has head coaching duties, including offense and ST that occupy his brain fully until halftime, which is when the staff can actually have a conversation about adjustments. Just too hard to do effectively on the fly. 

[Mod_Squad_Reject]

We can’t get any pressure with 4 up front & JB was having a field day hitting targets and converting 3rd’s.  I really don’t like McD’s soft bend don’t brake schemes. Finally we got aggressive and it paid dividends almost immediately.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Mod_Squad_Reject

[Carmel Corn]

3 minutes ago, Slack_in_MA said:

I think because McD has head coaching duties, including offense and ST that occupy his brain fully until halftime, which is when the staff can actually have a conversation about adjustments. Just too hard to do effectively on the fly. 

Then the staff needs an upgrade to make good decisions on their own…..unless McD is a control freak and wants to do it himself.

[CincyBillsFan]

43 minutes ago, Ramza86 said:

We didnt get a blitz in until the Bengals score 3 TDs back to back to back.

 

The blitz comes and it starts to work.

 

Then we keep blitzing and then Burrow sees it coming and starts to torch us again. We got lucky with drops. 

Then we somehow let WRs get behind our defense up 2 scores at the end of the game and Burrow scores in 30 seconds to make it almost a FG game.

Why are we never ahead of the curve and trying to confuse these good QBs?

This is a fair question and points to the defensive game plan preparation.  There is no doubt that in most of the Bills games this season - wins or losses - the D plays much better in the 2nd half.  They need to fix this or thy will be one and done in the playoffs.

 

 

[Slack_in_MA]

3 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

Then the staff needs an upgrade to make good decisions on their own…..unless McD is a control freak and wants to do it himself.

Head coaches get the blame at the end of the day. Edit: I don’t disagree with the staff on that side needing an upgrade.

Edited 1 hour ago by Slack_in_MA

[T master]

45 minutes ago, Ramza86 said:

We didnt get a blitz in until the Bengals score 3 TDs back to back to back.

 

The blitz comes and it starts to work.

 

Then we keep blitzing and then Burrow sees it coming and starts to torch us again. We got lucky with drops. 

Then we somehow let WRs get behind our defense up 2 scores at the end of the game and Burrow scores in 30 seconds to make it almost a FG game.

Why are we never ahead of the curve and trying to confuse these good QBs?

Why do so many here ALWAYS find and push the bad over the WIN ??? Just be happy they won for god sake . You know they have classes for that right ? 

[Rochesterfan]

37 minutes ago, Ramza86 said:

We didnt get a blitz in until the Bengals score 3 TDs back to back to back.

 

The blitz comes and it starts to work.

 

Then we keep blitzing and then Burrow sees it coming and starts to torch us again. We got lucky with drops. 

Then we somehow let WRs get behind our defense up 2 scores at the end of the game and Burrow scores in 30 seconds to make it almost a FG game.

Why are we never ahead of the curve and trying to confuse these good QBs?

 

What are you going on about - they brought extra guys starting with the very first 3rd down - just 1 minute into the game.  They brought 5 guys including a LB.

 

Then they got burned by Higgins - so they played off to come up and tackle and gave up 2 third downs with guys breaking tackles in the first drive.

 

Then they brought extra guys a couple of times on drive 2 and Cincinnati threw a quick pass out to Chase and hit Gesicki - so again they backed off and Higgins went over the top.

They tried simulating pressure with 5 and 6 guys on the line and people dropping back.  Just like when Allen or Mahomes is on fire - when Burrow is hot there is little you can do and he was pinpointing passes in the first half with defenders all over the WRs and TEs.  His guys were winning everything.

 

They got more aggressive trying different blitz packages when the LBs did not get home and that was leaving Higgins and Gesicki open in the middle.  The CB blitzes helped, but also put Chase on Lewis which was a mismatch.  The difference in the second half was Higgins and the Cincinnati team dropping the ball and not making plays.

 

 

 

[transient]

15 minutes ago, Slack_in_MA said:

I think because McD has head coaching duties, including offense and ST that occupy his brain fully until halftime, which is when the staff can actually have a conversation about adjustments. Just too hard to do effectively on the fly. 

If that’s the case, then maybe as a team with SB or bust aspirations we deserve an experienced DC instead of a puppet learning on the fly. 🤷‍♂️ Just a thought. 

[BlazinBill]

1 hour ago, Ramza86 said:

We didnt get a blitz in until the Bengals score 3 TDs back to back to back.

 

The blitz comes and it starts to work.

 

Then we keep blitzing and then Burrow sees it coming and starts to torch us again. We got lucky with drops. 

Then we somehow let WRs get behind our defense up 2 scores at the end of the game and Burrow scores in 30 seconds to make it almost a FG game.

Why are we never ahead of the curve and trying to confuse these good QBs?

Well… part of it may be they have adjusted to what the bills are doing - part of it may be because that good QBs are good?
The defense has adjusted their asses off this year- they aren’t the best that’s been on the field since McDermott has been here but they are also a mash unit

you gotta admit since McDermott got more engaged with play calls they have turned things around 

Edited 44 minutes ago by BlazinBill

[Billz4ever]

27 minutes ago, eee1776 said:

The answer is simple. When Bobby Batxxxxx is calling plays we suck, When you see McD with the clipboard things geta lot better. McD has been covering up for him all year, I don't understand why BB is not getting any criticism he deserves.

Criticism from? Bobby certainly gets criticism from the fans and if you mean McD, why would he publicly criticise him?  McD would basically be criticizing himself since he's the one who put Bobby in the position.

Edited 55 minutes ago by Billz4ever

[Billsfanatic8989]

26 minutes ago, eee1776 said:

The answer is simple. When Bobby Batxxxxx is calling plays we suck, When you see McD with the clipboard things geta lot better. McD has been covering up for him all year, I don't understand why BB is not getting any criticism he deserves.

I blame McDermott for not taking over the defense sooner. Allowing BB to call plays in the first place. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

27 minutes ago, eee1776 said:

The answer is simple. When Bobby Batxxxxx is calling plays we suck, When you see McD with the clipboard things geta lot better. McD has been covering up for him all year, I don't understand why BB is not getting any criticism he deserves.

You can always tell when McDermott calls the plays. For all the grief people say about him being a conservative coach, as soon as he takes over the blitzing and aggressive play calls start. He's not opposed to attacking.

 

Babich is almost too afraid to call anything aggressive. He's super conservative. I don't think he's back at DC next year. Sean needs someone competent enough to call the D in that spot 

[Jrb1979]

IMO they didn't really adjust that much. The Bengals were still moving the ball on the defense in the 2nd half. The difference was 2 INTs, which was a lot like last season went. The Bills defense has always been built on bend don't break and hope to get some turnovers. 

[Bermuda Triangle]

43 minutes ago, eee1776 said:

The answer is simple. When Bobby Batxxxxx is calling plays we suck, When you see McD with the clipboard things geta lot better. McD has been covering up for him all year, I don't understand why BB is not getting any criticism he deserves.

According to McDermott, Babich called the Benford blitzes (one resulting in the sack which took the Bengals out of FG range at the end of the half, and the other was the Pick Six).