Tough roster decisions

[WellDressed]

If only Youboty had his flux capacitor regulated, we'd all be in luck.

[Pyrite Gal]

Thanks for looking this up as it adds more data. I did rewatch the game but did this in passing while cable surfing to see Phelps win his 7th gold and other stuff so I did not look at it in detail.

 

This "official" recitation though does provide an additional picture of the game though one thing it does point out to me is that the "official" stat line in some ways does not match with what I think is a fuller recognition of what was going on in the game.

 

For example, I think this stat line does reflect to some extent which player made the tackle on a particular play, but some of the defensive player credit (blame) it assigns appears to be based on a standard NFL D and not on how the team may actually be implementing the Cover 2.

 

For example, the stat line may list Youbouty as the Bills CB being responsible for Washington on the semi-deep pass being caught by Washington leading to a 24 yard gain. Yet in a classic cover 2, the CB may only have responsibility for the WR out to the Buffalo 46-41 and as Washington caught the ball at the BUF 36 it would actually be the safety or possibly the MLB in the Tampa 2 style D who actually is responsible for Washington at the point of reception.

 

Likewise with the RoboQB TD to Santonio Holmes, Holmes was definitely the WR on Youbouty's side of the field. Yet, Tasker made a point of blaming George Wilson for being late to cover the WR the way the Bills assign responsibility on particular plays.

 

I also found the stat line deceptive in that the worst play I thought Scott made was one where he whiffed on a tackle i n the backfield on a run by Mendenhall. Likely the statline gave credit/blame to the defender who made the tackle, but the true story was a bout the missed tackle.

 

Overall, I can see why you might have judged Youbouty as having a bad game as their were a couple of plays where at the end he was walking around the pile of tacklers/runner who were on the ground. However, I think the key context in these two cases were that on both plays Pitts was stopped and the tackles were for a loss or denied the rusher the first down. There was no need for Youbouty to pile on and even risk a late hit and I think his responsibility may have been backside if the runner reversed field and his job mandate he not commit himself to the pile.

 

Even on the Dixon run for the TD while it might have gone to the side the CB (Youbouty this says but I never saw him on this play) it was actually Wendling and Ellis whom Tasker seemed to blame for them not staying home. If the WR went in motion this might have explained why things were so open on that side and if this was the case the D braintrust will not blame Youbouty at all for this since he would have been doing his job to leave.

 

Overall, I think it is also a bit farfetched to assert as you do that 4 tackles are not many by a Youbouty who played most of the game at CB.

 

Actually between him not being the starter and the fact the Bills O had two 10 play drives to start the game Youbouty was not the player of record until the second quarter. Likewise it was Justin Fox and Corner manning the CB position for significant parts of the game so I do not think it is accurate to simply say he played a majority of the game/

 

Likewise one important thing the stat line reveals is that for his first tackle it actually came with him playing the gunner role successfully on kick coverage. As it is ST which I think will make or break Youbouty and also our desire to have playmakers it would not surprise me if Youbouty and the D braintrust view this as a good pre-season for him so far with a sack, an INT abd by definition him throwing his body around as he successfully got credit for a solo tackle on kick return duty.

 

As far as position play as a CB it is hard to say whether he completely blew and assignment or played his role properly on several negative plays for us without knowing what his responsibility was on that play with our base Cover 2.

 

Youboty's stat line plays from nfl.com:

9-R.Lindell kicks 71 yards from BUF 30 to PIT -1. 15-W.Reid to PIT 25 for 26 yards (26-A.Youboty).

1-10-PIT 44 (4:12) B.Leftwich in at QB. 4-B.Leftwich pass deep middle to 85-N.Washington to BUF 32 for 24 yards (26-A.Youboty). Caught on run at BUF 36.

2-3-PIT 48 (10:38) 2-D.Dixon pass short middle to 15-W.Reid to BUF 46 for 6 yards (26-A.Youboty; 27-R.Corner). Caught at BUF 48, crossing from left side.

3-8-PIT 46 (5:33) (Shotgun) 2-D.Dixon scrambles left tackle to BUF 47 for 7 yards (26-A.Youboty).

1-10-PIT 20 (1:37) (Shotgun) 2-D.Dixon sacked at PIT 7 for -13 yards (26-A.Youboty). We blitzed on 1-10 in preseason? The Steelers and I were suprised!

 

And don't forget: 1-10-BUF 40 (6:34) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass deep left to 10-S.Holmes for 40 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught 7 yds. into end zone.

3-Je.Reed extra point is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-17-M.Berger.

 

 

Corner:

3-13-PIT 46 (7:15) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 21-M.Moore to BUF 40 for 14 yards (52-J.DiGiorgio, 27-R.Corner). Caught at BUF 47. (Ouch!)

2-3-PIT 48 (10:38) 2-D.Dixon pass short middle to 15-W.Reid to BUF 46 for 6 yards (26-A.Youboty; 27-R.Corner). Caught at BUF 48, crossing from left side.

3-13-PIT 46 (7:15) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 21-M.Moore to BUF 40 for 14 yards (52-J.DiGiorgio, 27-R.Corner). Caught at BUF 47. (Ouch!)

 

Yikes! Those are bad outcomes. I do think he was throwing his body around, but those are not good results.

 

 

Scott:

9-R.Lindell kicks 64 yards from BUF 30 to PIT 6. 21-M.Moore to PIT 23 for 17 yards (43-B.Scott).

4-10-BUF 45 (1:35) 5-P.Ernster punts 45 yards to end zone, Center-60-G.Warren, Touchback. N.Washington attempted to keep ball in field, but was in end zone. Penalty incurred during kick. PENALTY on BUF-43-B.Scott, Defensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at BUF 20. I don't think the broadcast mentioned this was Scott.

1-10-BUF 32 (3:40) 34-R.Mendenhall up the middle to BUF 30 for 2 yards (43-B.Scott).

3-12-PIT 36 (4:41) (Shotgun) 4-B.Leftwich pass incomplete deep left to 87-M.Rucker (43-B.Scott). Receiver and breakup in flat at BUF 44.

2-1-BUF 9 (3:48) 34-R.Mendenhall up the middle to BUF 9 for no gain (43-B.Scott, 57-D.Spragan).

3-1-BUF 9 (3:09) 34-R.Mendenhall left guard to BUF 7 for 2 yards (43-B.Scott). (next play after the above)1-10-PIT 22 (1:34) 4-B.Leftwich pass short right to 42-B.Latsko to PIT 25 for 3 yards (43-B.Scott). Caught along sideline at PIT 25.

[BuffaloBilliever]

I'd say, if it were up to me, James gets cut at CB, and Fine gets put on PS, with Royal, Schouman, and ANderson getting roster spots, and McGee, Greer, Youboty, Corner, and McKelvin getting the 5 CB spots.

[Pyrite Gal]

I'd say, if it were up to me, James gets cut at CB, and Fine gets put on PS, with Royal, Schouman, and ANderson getting roster spots, and McGee, Greer, Youboty, Corner, and McKelvin getting the 5 CB spots.

I think the LB situation is going to be one of the big factors in which CB gets kept or more accurately whether our best ST guy to keep is a 6th CB or whatever the total of LBs we judge we need.

 

The extra LB would show the best ST chops which allows you keep one less CB than the max you would keep.

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

according to the Buffalo News, Will James is the starting nickel back and on the depth chart, he's the #2 RCB. Seems pretty high to be a casualty, but stranger things have happened.