I am still having a problem with Dick Jauron

[The Dean]

Please Bill, please, show me where the poster you quoted was pining away for Losman. You're not even pretending to respond to what people actually write any more.

 

 

I love Bill, but he doesn't direct his responses toward what the poster said, anymore. He simply repeats the same stuff over and over.

 

At least in this response he admits that the FO HAS improved the QB, RB and DB units in the past three years. He should also mention that, while they still need work (a center to be exact), the O Line has improved, as well. Of course, the FO did bring in a FA center, but while smart, Fowler was just too small. In addition, the FO has attempted to improve the DL, but haven't been that successful. Still the addition of Stroud, and the drafting of McCargo and Williams, demonstrates that the FO hasn't ignored the problem. The simple fact that Ron Edwards and Tim Anderson were on the DL in 2005, and those guys could never make this squad, shows that even the DL has made progress in the past three years.

 

The team surrounding Trent is better than what JP had in his early years, and the coaching, as bad as it is, is better, too. At least these guys have the sense to commit to Trent and let him work through his issues.

 

I think Trent has some potential, but he needs to start developing the courage to make the tough throw, instead of always taking the easy dump off. Of course, the coahes could help him more by calling a competent game.

[MRW]

Why not find his posts yourself and be objective if you can?

Thanks for the laugh. That's a classic.

[Bill from NYC]

Thanks for the laugh. That's a classic.

 

About the response I would have expected.

 

Don't worry, things will be OK.

[MRW]

Don't worry, things will be OK.

Not really, I found out a week and a half ago that Jauron did in fact have his contract extended.

[Bill from NYC]

Not really, I found out a week and a half ago that Jauron did in fact have his contract extended.

 

Maybe they can talk Levy out of retirement and really build up that secondary!

[The Dean]

Maybe they can talk Levy out of retirement and really build up that secondary!

 

 

The depth of the secondary has been a Godsend, this year. With the injuries, can you imagine if the Bills didn't have that kind of depth? Seeing as how this defense plays passively, you would expect that the Bills would be ranked near the bottom of the NFL in points allowed, instead of in the middle of the pack. Can you imagine how tough it would be on Trent, if he had to play a come from WAY behind every game? That secondary keeps the Bills in games, and gives the Trent-led offense a chance to compete.

[Bill from NYC]

The depth of the secondary has been a Godsend, this year. With the injuries, can you imagine if the Bills didn't have that kind of depth? Seeing as how this defense plays passively, you would expect that the Bills would be ranked near the bottom of the NFL in points allowed, instead of in the middle of the pack. Can you imagine how tough it would be on Trent, if he had to play a come from WAY behind every game? That secondary keeps the Bills in games, and gives the Trent-led offense a chance to compete.

 

The secondary came at the expense at more important areas of need. When you lived in these parts and we would watch games, the Bills had a strong front 7 for much of the time, and an average secondary. It was 10x better than this small, stupid defense that we now employ.

 

Dick Levy devestated this team.

[BillsVet]

The depth of the secondary has been a Godsend, this year. With the injuries, can you imagine if the Bills didn't have that kind of depth? Seeing as how this defense plays passively, you would expect that the Bills would be ranked near the bottom of the NFL in points allowed, instead of in the middle of the pack. Can you imagine how tough it would be on Trent, if he had to play a come from WAY behind every game? That secondary keeps the Bills in games, and gives the Trent-led offense a chance to compete.

 

With 2 1sts, a 3rd, 2 4ths, and a 6th used on the secondary in 3 drafts, they should have depth. DJ inherited McGee, Greer, and inked Scott to boot. Depth shouldn't be something to praise, it should be demanded on the roster.

 

I would rather have depth on the DL like the Giants have, than depth in the secondary. DB's have much less chance of affecting the outcome of a game than the DL does on defense. The secondary will always rely on the pass rush.

 

But ultimately it's about affirming what this front office does as opposed to critiquing what they do wrong. BTW, which games did the secondary keep Buffalo in?

[The Dean]

The secondary came at the expense at more important areas of need. When you lived in these parts and we would watch games, the Bills had a strong front 7 for much of the time, and an average secondary after. It was 10x better than this small, stupid defense that we now employ.

 

Dick Levy devestated this team.

 

 

If you think the front 7 of this team was strong in 2005, you are living in a dream, Bill.

 

The Bills D was ranked 29 in total defense in 2005, 29th in total yards, 24th in points allowed, 31st in rushing yards (what a strong front 7) and 19th in passing yards.

 

The Bills D, in 2008, after it's DEVASTATION by Levy and Jauron ranked 14 in total defense, 14th in total yards, 14th in points allowed, 22 in rushing yards and 13th in passing yards.

 

Your problem is you refuse to consider just how bad the team was that Levy took over. They were bad and old.

[Bill from NYC]

With 2 1sts, a 3rd, 2 4ths, and a 6th used on the secondary in 3 drafts, they should have depth. DJ inherited McGee, Greer, and inked Scott to boot. Depth shouldn't be something to praise, it should be demanded on the roster.

 

I would rather have depth on the DL like the Giants have, than depth in the secondary. DB's have much less chance of affecting the outcome of a game than the DL does on defense. The secondary will always rely on the pass rush.

 

But ultimately it's about affirming what this front office does as opposed to critiquing what they do wrong. BTW, which games did the secondary keep Buffalo in?

 

BV, you forgot the 7th in 08, as well as numerous free agents.

 

Btw, great post.

[The Dean]

With 2 1sts, a 3rd, 2 4ths, and a 6th used on the secondary in 3 drafts, they should have depth. DJ inherited McGee, Greer, and inked Scott to boot. Depth shouldn't be something to praise, it should be demanded on the roster.

 

I would rather have depth on the DL like the Giants have, than depth in the secondary. DB's have much less chance of affecting the outcome of a game than the DL does on defense. The secondary will always rely on the pass rush.

 

But ultimately it's about affirming what this front office does as opposed to critiquing what they do wrong. BTW, which games did the secondary keep Buffalo in?

 

 

How do you explain the Bills having a better record (despite very poor coaching) and better defensive rankings in most every defensive category, if the FO decimated this team, from where they took it over?

[Sisyphean Bills]

Not letting the score get out of hand is Dick Jauron football. On offense, they play it close to the vest by running the ball, a short, conservative passing game, and minimizing mistakes. Keep the clock moving and punting. On defense, they are rarely aggressive. They play a shell defense to force the opponent to put together long, time consuming drives that move the chains down the field, and hopefully the opponent bogs down with a mistake and has to kick the ball. Keep the clock moving, minimize the number of possessions, keep from giving up (or taking) quick scores, and watch the total points per game decrease. Yawn.

 

The Bills defense produced very few turnovers (tied 5th fewest). Another interesting stat is that they were #1 in the NFL in terms of penalty yards against on defense. The big yardage penalties on a defense are usually by way of pass interference. Since many passes are completed without a Bills defender even in the frame of the TV camera, there was little chance of PI calls going against them.

 

BTW, if the Bills give up 1 more TD on the year, they fall from 14th to 17th. 1 TD less moves them up to 13th. 17 more points drops them to 21st. 17 fewer points they move up to 10th. So, this points standings in the middle are very tight data points and, like many single data points, hard to draw conclusions from.

 

A middling defense isn't a bad thing for a team aspiring to be 7-9.

[The Dean]

Just to make sure that no one attempts to attribute the Bills' improvement on defense to their offense, let's take a 2005 vs 2008 comparison:

 

In 2005, total offense was ranked 28th, scoring ranked 24th, total yards 28th, rushing yards 20th and passing yards 29th.

 

In 2005, total offense was ranked 25th, scoring ranked 23rd, total yards 25th, rushing yards 14th and passing yards 22nd.

 

Now, no one is saying this team shouldn't be better, but given where they were, why have they shown improvement, despite losing aging veterans? Defense and the running game.

[Sisyphean Bills]

The Bills D was ranked 29 in total defense in 2005, 29th in total yards, 24th in points allowed, 31st in rushing yards (what a strong front 7) and 19th in passing yards.

 

The Bills D, in 2008, after it's DEVASTATION by Levy and Jauron ranked 14 in total defense, 14th in total yards, 14th in points allowed, 22 in rushing yards and 13th in passing yards.

 

In 2007, the Bills defense was 31st in total defense, 31st in total yards, 18th in points allowed, 29th in 3rd down defense, 29th in passing yards, 25th in rushing yards, and 29th in sacks.

 

In 2008, the Bills defense faced the 31, 29, 28, 27, 24, 23, 20, 16, 12, 11, 5, 3, 2 offenses. That's 3 offenses in the top 10, 6 in the bottom 10, and 4 in the middle. Maybe it helps to face more bad offenses?

[The Dean]

In 2007, the Bills defense was 31st in total defense, 31st in total yards, 18th in points allowed, 29th in 3rd down defense, 29th in passing yards, 25th in rushing yards, and 29th in sacks.

 

 

In case you have forgotten, the Bills were RAVAGED by injuries, last season. They had their share, this year, too, but it was more inline with what an NFL team can expect.

[Sisyphean Bills]

In case you have forgotten, the Bills were RAVAGED by injuries, last season. They had their share, this year, too, but it was more inline with what an NFL team can expect.

 

Yes, and all 17 of those guys were starters and likely Pro Bowlers before injury.

 

Meanwhile, the Patriots lost Tom Brady in the 1st quarter of the 1st game (he really was lost for the year, unlike some of the 17 that got stashed on IR in week 17) and still managed to field a top 5 offense. With a guy that hadn't played since high school even.

[The Dean]

 

Yes, and all 17 of those guys were starters and likely Pro Bowlers before injury.

 

Meanwhile, the Patriots lost Tom Brady in the 1st quarter of the 1st game (he really was lost for the year, unlike some of the 17 that got stashed on IR in week 17) and still managed to field a top 5 offense. With a guy that hadn't played since high school even.

 

 

Your point?

[The Dean]

 

Yes, and all 17 of those guys were starters and likely Pro Bowlers before injury.

 

Meanwhile, the Patriots lost Tom Brady in the 1st quarter of the 1st game (he really was lost for the year, unlike some of the 17 that got stashed on IR in week 17) and still managed to field a top 5 offense. With a guy that hadn't played since high school even.

 

 

BTW, no one claimed the Bills had a defense full of Pro Bowl players. Dunno why you would bring that up. The discussion underway, when you came in, is whether the team is in better shape now, than when Levy took over in 2005. Also under discussion, was the so-called DECIMATION of the defensive from 7, that Bill claimed.

 

In 2007, the Bills lost MANY starters. Pro Bowl or not, they are the players they counted on to start. I am not claiming this team is in great shape, and that the interior doesn't need to be addressed. I am fully behind that.

 

What I am saying is, people forget just how horrible that team was, from top to bottom. The "best" players were old with big contracts, too. Saying that this team has neglected the lines is simply fuc#ing stupid, and it is something that Bill says in every thread " (along with the disproved idea that you HAVE to draft offensive lineman, and that you have to draft them in the first round). The Bills spent millions on the offensive line, bringing in some of the biggest bodies in the league. They also spent good money on a Center...Fowler wasn't a good choice, but it isn't as if they didn't try.

 

On the Defensive side, the Bills drafted McCargo. He hasn't produced...but they DID draft him, and in the 1st round, to boot. They also picked up Stroud and Johnson...and drafted Williams. So, it isn't as if they didn't do something. What they did just hasn't worked as well as they had hoped. Even so, scrubs like Tim Anderson and Ron Edwards are GONE from this team.

[Flbillsfan#1]

In case you have forgotten, the Bills were RAVAGED by injuries, last season. They had their share, this year, too, but it was more inline with what an NFL team can expect.

I think Dick Jauron could be responsable for all the injuries the Bills have had due to lack of conditioning because of his easy training camps & practices.

[Sisyphean Bills]

BTW, no one claimed the Bills had a defense full of Pro Bowl players. Dunno why you would bring that up.

The injury excuse was a blaring anthem this past off-season and used as the rallying cry for why Dick Jauron was not just a good coach but maybe even a great coach and deserving of consideration as coach of the year for going 7-9 with so many devastating injuries.

In 2007, the Bills lost MANY starters. Pro Bowl or not, they are the players they counted on to start. I am not claiming this team is in great shape, and that the interior doesn't need to be addressed. I am fully behind that.

 

Here is a list of the players that went on IR last year and some of the dates.

 

December 14, 2007 placed defensive back George Wilson on injured reserve

December 6, 2007 placed running back Anthony Thomas on injured reserve.

November 14, 2007 placed tight ends Kiwaukee Thomas and Matt Murphy on injured reserve

November 8, 2007 Placed tight end Derek Schouman on injured reserve.

October 5, 2007 placed linebacker Kevin Harrison on injured reserve.

September 25, 2007 placed linebacker Paul Posluszny on injured reserve.

September 13, 2007 Placed cornerback Jason Webster on injured reserve;

September 11, 2007 Placed safety Ko Simpson and tight end Kevin Everett on injured reserve.

Peerless Price (WR) Jason Whittle (G) Al Wallace (DE) Coy Wire (S) Ryan Denney (DE) Aaron Merz (G) Copeland Bryan (DE)

 

There were four opening day starters that went down to injury. 3 on defense and 1 on offense. So 91% of the offensive and 73% of the defensive starters were not on IR. The loss of Webster actually allowed the emergence of Jabari Greer, who is a much better CB. Posluszny was replaced early in the season as well by DiGiorgio who anchored the MLB position the rest of the season. The injury to Peerless Price allowed Reed more playing time. The injury to Anthony Thomas allowed Fred Jackson to get on the field and show he was a better player.

 

So, yes, there was a lot of injuries and certain positions like TE and FS were hit quite hard. Then again, it's the NFL and teams have injuries. The better teams are able to regroup and keep going because they are better teams and pull together as a team to overcome the adversity. The Baltimore Ravens have 19 players on IR this year, a rookie QB, and a rookie head coach and yet they keep right on winning and are playing this weekend.