My Meaningless Opinion

[R. Rich]

The good thing was I got to watch the game @ Jimmy's Tavern in Herndon VA w/ over 300 rabid Bills fans. I got to meet Scott Norwood and Charley Taylor (Redskins WR, Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of '84, former NFL all time leading receiver); both were very pleasant and took the time to chat w/ anyone.

 

The bad thing was that I got to watch the game. Ugh! I give the Saints props for balancing out their offense to the point where they were able to pull away from the Bills late in the game by wearing down the defense. A lot of that wearing down was due to the inept offense. Alex Van Pelt just had no answer for Gregg Williams' defense in this one. Trent Edwards started off okay, doing a decent job of rolling out to avoid the rush and actually having a few moments where he read the defense pre snap and adjusted. But, as the game wore on, his performance just tanked. He forced passes into tight coverage (as he did on the INT), overthrew a wide open Terrell Owens on a play that probably would've gone for a score, and regressed back to his old self, looking to check down far too often.

 

My big question for Van Pelt would be why did you not do more to get Fred Jackson going in this game, especially when the game's outcome was still in question and he was doing a good job of picking up tough yards? No, instead, you wait 'til after the defense wears down to get Jackson more carries. Sigh. What fun this week is going to be for the coaches, huh? I am reminded of a tune from Prince, actually it's the title of his 4th album........Controversy.

 

I think the Bills were a bit too worried 'bout establishing some sort of passing game and also trying to get the wideouts more involved. Well, Josh Reed did make some gutsy plays, but the outside guys just didn't get it done. Lee Evans had another bad experience over the middle (maybe the Bills should just resign to keeping him to the outside to run his beloved "9" routes) while Terrell Owens missed the opportunity to come up w/ the catch that became an INT. Now, on that one, grant you, Edwards threw a bad pass. But that is still one Owens can come up w/ and has come up w/ in the past. Is it time now for the drama that everyone from some Bills fans to most of the media is craving for? I hope not, but I'm sure that people will work hard to engineer it.

 

The offensive line. You ain't kiddin', "offensive"! What a putrid performance by all. Eric Wood looked awful; it was almost like that was a hazing instead of a game. Andy Levitre also looked bad (Sedrick Ellis made him look particularly bad on the one play that resulted in a sack). The tackles? Well, Jon Scott wasn't as bad as Demetrius Bell, but niether guy could be proud of their performance. Too many penalties and not enough protection. Granted, they did have to face a very good pair of pass rushers in Charles Grant and Will Smith, so for that reason I am not going to condemn either guy. Let's just say they got worked over by some very good players yesterday.

 

I thought the D line played well. Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay had some nice plays in this game, and that's not to mention the solid performance of Aaron Schobel. Inside, I thought Kyle Williams continued to show that he's not as bad as many on this board claim he is while Marcus Stroud was good also. One thing w/ Stroud that I've noticed though is the fact that he can be taken out on plays going away from him. Stretch runs, misdirection plays, any of the stuff that calls for him to be doubled and kicked to a particular side, he has problems beating those double teams. When they try to double him on runs going inside, he eats that up like candy. The outside stuff is a problem though, and it allows for the O linemen to get to the 2nd level and make the blocks to spring the RBs. On Thomas' first TD run in the 4th, the block that FB Heath Evans (he had a very good game) made was certainly key to Thomas getting sprung, but the way Stroud was doubled allowed for the Saints line to get on the LBs, so that when Evans made his block, Thomas had a gaping hole to hit.

 

I thought the linebackers struggled in terms of getting to the outside to stop the run, but also showed the usual deficiencies in terms of pass coverage (Jeremy Shockey got the better of Kawika Mitchell on a play that went for a big gain). W/ the D line eventually wearing down late, the LBs just got manhandled as the Saints guys got to 'em to clear the way for the running game.

 

As for the secondary, Leodis McKelvin got hurt early and didn't return, but Drayton Florence did a very good job of replacing him. Also, Terrence McGee did a good job after being beat deep on the Saints' opening TD drive. Was that Donte Whitner coming over to knock down a potential TD play later in the game? Really? Whitner??? Also, those of you who blasted the drafting of Reggie Corner last year, you should be grateful that he's in the lineup. He provided some nice coverage out there, and was a big part of why Drew Brees was held to under 200 yards passing for the first time in 23 games. Take a bow, secondary. You earned it.

 

Special teams came up w/ the play of the game for the Bills in Denney's TD on the fake. But, there were also the penalties that are becoming far too common w/ this group in 2009. Bobby April needs to light a fire under the special teams and get this stuff corrected. Now.

 

Last but certainly not least, the coaching. Aaaaaaargh!! Not only do you not challenge the Josh Reed play, but then you PUNT on the next play instead of going for 4th and 1? It seems like there's a critical point in many Bills games where the tide turns, usually due in part to a poor coaching decision. This could have been the point yesterday. You showed no faith in your offense, and you put your defense, which by then was exhausted, right back on the field. And, the Bills are still having to waste timeouts. How many more years does Jauron need to get the team to the point where they can run the offense in clutch situations w/out the need to waste timeouts? Sad thing is, he'll probably get as many of those years as he needs.

 

Okay, so the Bills now sit @ 1-2. As G. Host said to me @ the end of the game yesterday, "does that mean we're as good as the Steelers?" I don't know if I'd go that far, but both teams have the same record @ this point in the year. Things can continue to slide downward, or they can go upward. It's up to the coaches to right the ship. Good luck, and Go Bills!

[cåblelady]

Nice post, Rich.

[R. Rich]

Nice post, Rich.

 

But meaningless, nonetheless.

[Guest dog14787]

The good thing was I got to watch the game @ Jimmy's Tavern in Herndon VA w/ over 300 rabid Bills fans. I got to meet Scott Norwood and Charley Taylor (Redskins WR, Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of '84, former NFL all time leading receiver); both were very pleasant and took the time to chat w/ anyone.

 

The bad thing was that I got to watch the game. Ugh! I give the Saints props for balancing out their offense to the point where they were able to pull away from the Bills late in the game by wearing down the defense. A lot of that wearing down was due to the inept offense. Alex Van Pelt just had no answer for Gregg Williams' defense in this one. Trent Edwards started off okay, doing a decent job of rolling out to avoid the rush and actually having a few moments where he read the defense pre snap and adjusted. But, as the game wore on, his performance just tanked. He forced passes into tight coverage (as he did on the INT), overthrew a wide open Terrell Owens on a play that probably would've gone for a score, and regressed back to his old self, looking to check down far too often.

 

My big question for Van Pelt would be why did you not do more to get Fred Jackson going in this game, especially when the game's outcome was still in question and he was doing a good job of picking up tough yards? No, instead, you wait 'til after the defense wears down to get Jackson more carries. Sigh. What fun this week is going to be for the coaches, huh? I am reminded of a tune from Prince, actually it's the title of his 4th album........Controversy.

 

I think the Bills were a bit too worried 'bout establishing some sort of passing game and also trying to get the wideouts more involved. Well, Josh Reed did make some gutsy plays, but the outside guys just didn't get it done. Lee Evans had another bad experience over the middle (maybe the Bills should just resign to keeping him to the outside to run his beloved "9" routes) while Terrell Owens missed the opportunity to come up w/ the catch that became an INT. Now, on that one, grant you, Edwards threw a bad pass. But that is still one Owens can come up w/ and has come up w/ in the past. Is it time now for the drama that everyone from some Bills fans to most of the media is craving for? I hope not, but I'm sure that people will work hard to engineer it.

 

The offensive line. You ain't kiddin', "offensive"! What a putrid performance by all. Eric Wood looked awful; it was almost like that was a hazing instead of a game. Andy Levitre also looked bad (Sedrick Ellis made him look particularly bad on the one play that resulted in a sack). The tackles? Well, Jon Scott wasn't as bad as Demetrius Bell, but niether guy could be proud of their performance. Too many penalties and not enough protection. Granted, they did have to face a very good pair of pass rushers in Charles Grant and Will Smith, so for that reason I am not going to condemn either guy. Let's just say they got worked over by some very good players yesterday.

 

I thought the D line played well. Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay had some nice plays in this game, and that's not to mention the solid performance of Aaron Schobel. Inside, I thought Kyle Williams continued to show that he's not as bad as many on this board claim he is while Marcus Stroud was good also. One thing w/ Stroud that I've noticed though is the fact that he can be taken out on plays going away from him. Stretch runs, misdirection plays, any of the stuff that calls for him to be doubled and kicked to a particular side, he has problems beating those double teams. When they try to double him on runs going inside, he eats that up like candy. The outside stuff is a problem though, and it allows for the O linemen to get to the 2nd level and make the blocks to spring the RBs. On Thomas' first TD run in the 4th, the block that FB Heath Evans (he had a very good game) made was certainly key to Thomas getting sprung, but the way Stroud was doubled allowed for the Saints line to get on the LBs, so that when Evans made his block, Thomas had a gaping hole to hit.

 

I thought the linebackers struggled in terms of getting to the outside to stop the run, but also showed the usual deficiencies in terms of pass coverage (Jeremy Shockey got the better of Kawika Mitchell on a play that went for a big gain). W/ the D line eventually wearing down late, the LBs just got manhandled as the Saints guys got to 'em to clear the way for the running game.

 

As for the secondary, Leodis McKelvin got hurt early and didn't return, but Drayton Florence did a very good job of replacing him. Also, Terrence McGee did a good job after being beat deep on the Saints' opening TD drive. Was that Donte Whitner coming over to knock down a potential TD play later in the game? Really? Whitner??? Also, those of you who blasted the drafting of Reggie Corner last year, you should be grateful that he's in the lineup. He provided some nice coverage out there, and was a big part of why Drew Brees was held to under 200 yards passing for the first time in 23 games. Take a bow, secondary. You earned it.

 

Special teams came up w/ the play of the game for the Bills in Denney's TD on the fake. But, there were also the penalties that are becoming far too common w/ this group in 2009. Bobby April needs to light a fire under the special teams and get this stuff corrected. Now.

 

Last but certainly not least, the coaching. Aaaaaaargh!! Not only do you not challenge the Josh Reed play, but then you PUNT on the next play instead of going for 4th and 1? It seems like there's a critical point in many Bills games where the tide turns, usually due in part to a poor coaching decision. This could have been the point yesterday. You showed no faith in your offense, and you put your defense, which by then was exhausted, right back on the field. And, the Bills are still having to waste timeouts. How many more years does Jauron need to get the team to the point where they can run the offense in clutch situations w/out the need to waste timeouts? Sad thing is, he'll probably get as many of those years as he needs.

 

Okay, so the Bills now sit @ 1-2. As G. Host said to me @ the end of the game yesterday, "does that mean we're as good as the Steelers?" I don't know if I'd go that far, but both teams have the same record @ this point in the year. Things can continue to slide downward, or they can go upward. It's up to the coaches to right the ship. Good luck, and Go Bills!

 

 

If our D playing well means allowing the Saints to Rush for 222 yards I can only imagine what the Fish are going to do to us.

[R. Rich]

If our D playing well means allowing the Saints to Rush for 222 yards I can only imagine what the Fish are going to do to us.

 

 

How many of those 222 rushing yards were in the last 10 minutes of the game? Up to that point, the D had a solid outing. They were able to generate enough pressure on Brees to limit his effectiveness and they were also able to neutralize the Saints' running game. After 50 minutes of giving 'Nawlins all it could handle while getting very little support from the offense, they just simply wore down.

[Guest dog14787]

How many of those 222 rushing yards were in the last 10 minutes of the game? Up to that point, the D had a solid outing. They were able to generate enough pressure on Brees to limit his effectiveness and they were also able to neutralize the Saints' running game. After 50 minutes of giving 'Nawlins all it could handle while getting very little support from the offense, they just simply wore down.

 

 

Both QB's were having a bad day throwing the ball and their offense beat our defense on the ground. I knew going in we had to stop the run and we did not.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

I would have given ol' Scotty a swift kick to the groin with a complimentary "Wide Right!!"

 

But no, I'm not bitter or anything.

[bizell]

Both QB's were having a bad day throwing the ball and their offense beat our defense on the ground. I knew going in we had to stop the run and we did not.

 

our offense scored 0 points that game. we had a 33-26 time of possession deficit. we were 2-14 on third downs. until the 4th quarter, their rush offense was shut down.

[stuckincincy]

1. regressed back to his old self, looking to check down far too often.

 

2. My big question for Van Pelt would be why did you not do more to get Fred Jackson going in this game, especially when the game's outcome was still in question and he was doing a good job of picking up tough yards?

 

3. The offensive line.

 

4. I thought the linebackers struggled in terms of getting to the outside to stop the run, but also showed the usual deficiencies in terms of pass coverage

 

5. Last but certainly not least, the coaching. Aaaaaaargh!! ...It's up to the coaches to right the ship. Good luck, and Go Bills!

 

1. 3rd, 4th guy in the progression is usually open - short. Since TE goes to 'em a lot, perhaps put Roscoe in more, and let him do his juke 'n jive for YAC.

 

2. AVP was channeling several O.C.s - notably the arch idiot Bob Bratkowski.

 

3. What to do...go under center because of a spate of bad snaps and then get flattened? Keep up the shotgun formations, giving defenders a nice view of the action? Beats me...

 

4. They might try drafting more LBs in the top 3 rounds. Someday.

 

5. Yep.

 

Speaking of coaching, Tomlin&Co. got greedy and left points on the board as well as not noticing the CIN 2nd half adjustment on Parker, IMO. Nice 4th qtr. by the opposition, but PIT let them back in it.

[Guest dog14787]

our offense scored 0 points that game. we had a 33-26 time of possession deficit. we were 2-14 on third downs. until the 4th quarter, their rush offense was shut down.

 

 

The Saints rushed for 222 yards and 3 TDs on the ground period. I'm not talking about the Bills offenses inability to score, when the game was on the line and it counted our D gave up huge chunks of yardage on the ground. Mean while their defense stopped our rushing and passing game.

 

If it makes you guys feel better, their defense outplayed ours, there is that better.

[Ramius]

The Saints rushed for 222 yards and 3 TDs on the ground period. I'm not talking about the Bills offenses inability to score, when the game was on the line and it counted our D gave up huge chunks of yardage on the ground. Mean while their defense stopped our rushing and passing game.

 

If it makes you guys feel better, their defense outplayed ours, there is that better.

 

Our defense held them in check until the 4th quarter. Is it too much to ask our offense to put up more than 0 points? Had our offense actually put the ball in the endzone, or even stayed on the field longer, our defense would not have been gassed at the end of the game. Then they piled up the rushing yards. The defense did their job. They held NO to 10 points through 50 minutes. Not their fault the offense can't score.

[dave mcbride]

The good thing was I got to watch the game @ Jimmy's Tavern in Herndon VA w/ over 300 rabid Bills fans. I got to meet Scott Norwood and Charley Taylor (Redskins WR, Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of '84, former NFL all time leading receiver); both were very pleasant and took the time to chat w/ anyone.

 

The bad thing was that I got to watch the game. Ugh! I give the Saints props for balancing out their offense to the point where they were able to pull away from the Bills late in the game by wearing down the defense. A lot of that wearing down was due to the inept offense. Alex Van Pelt just had no answer for Gregg Williams' defense in this one. Trent Edwards started off okay, doing a decent job of rolling out to avoid the rush and actually having a few moments where he read the defense pre snap and adjusted. But, as the game wore on, his performance just tanked. He forced passes into tight coverage (as he did on the INT), overthrew a wide open Terrell Owens on a play that probably would've gone for a score, and regressed back to his old self, looking to check down far too often.

 

My big question for Van Pelt would be why did you not do more to get Fred Jackson going in this game, especially when the game's outcome was still in question and he was doing a good job of picking up tough yards? No, instead, you wait 'til after the defense wears down to get Jackson more carries. Sigh. What fun this week is going to be for the coaches, huh? I am reminded of a tune from Prince, actually it's the title of his 4th album........Controversy.

 

I think the Bills were a bit too worried 'bout establishing some sort of passing game and also trying to get the wideouts more involved. Well, Josh Reed did make some gutsy plays, but the outside guys just didn't get it done. Lee Evans had another bad experience over the middle (maybe the Bills should just resign to keeping him to the outside to run his beloved "9" routes) while Terrell Owens missed the opportunity to come up w/ the catch that became an INT. Now, on that one, grant you, Edwards threw a bad pass. But that is still one Owens can come up w/ and has come up w/ in the past. Is it time now for the drama that everyone from some Bills fans to most of the media is craving for? I hope not, but I'm sure that people will work hard to engineer it.

 

The offensive line. You ain't kiddin', "offensive"! What a putrid performance by all. Eric Wood looked awful; it was almost like that was a hazing instead of a game. Andy Levitre also looked bad (Sedrick Ellis made him look particularly bad on the one play that resulted in a sack). The tackles? Well, Jon Scott wasn't as bad as Demetrius Bell, but niether guy could be proud of their performance. Too many penalties and not enough protection. Granted, they did have to face a very good pair of pass rushers in Charles Grant and Will Smith, so for that reason I am not going to condemn either guy. Let's just say they got worked over by some very good players yesterday.

 

I thought the D line played well. Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay had some nice plays in this game, and that's not to mention the solid performance of Aaron Schobel. Inside, I thought Kyle Williams continued to show that he's not as bad as many on this board claim he is while Marcus Stroud was good also. One thing w/ Stroud that I've noticed though is the fact that he can be taken out on plays going away from him. Stretch runs, misdirection plays, any of the stuff that calls for him to be doubled and kicked to a particular side, he has problems beating those double teams. When they try to double him on runs going inside, he eats that up like candy. The outside stuff is a problem though, and it allows for the O linemen to get to the 2nd level and make the blocks to spring the RBs. On Thomas' first TD run in the 4th, the block that FB Heath Evans (he had a very good game) made was certainly key to Thomas getting sprung, but the way Stroud was doubled allowed for the Saints line to get on the LBs, so that when Evans made his block, Thomas had a gaping hole to hit.

 

I thought the linebackers struggled in terms of getting to the outside to stop the run, but also showed the usual deficiencies in terms of pass coverage (Jeremy Shockey got the better of Kawika Mitchell on a play that went for a big gain). W/ the D line eventually wearing down late, the LBs just got manhandled as the Saints guys got to 'em to clear the way for the running game.

 

As for the secondary, Leodis McKelvin got hurt early and didn't return, but Drayton Florence did a very good job of replacing him. Also, Terrence McGee did a good job after being beat deep on the Saints' opening TD drive. Was that Donte Whitner coming over to knock down a potential TD play later in the game? Really? Whitner??? Also, those of you who blasted the drafting of Reggie Corner last year, you should be grateful that he's in the lineup. He provided some nice coverage out there, and was a big part of why Drew Brees was held to under 200 yards passing for the first time in 23 games. Take a bow, secondary. You earned it.

 

Special teams came up w/ the play of the game for the Bills in Denney's TD on the fake. But, there were also the penalties that are becoming far too common w/ this group in 2009. Bobby April needs to light a fire under the special teams and get this stuff corrected. Now.

 

Last but certainly not least, the coaching. Aaaaaaargh!! Not only do you not challenge the Josh Reed play, but then you PUNT on the next play instead of going for 4th and 1? It seems like there's a critical point in many Bills games where the tide turns, usually due in part to a poor coaching decision. This could have been the point yesterday. You showed no faith in your offense, and you put your defense, which by then was exhausted, right back on the field. And, the Bills are still having to waste timeouts. How many more years does Jauron need to get the team to the point where they can run the offense in clutch situations w/out the need to waste timeouts? Sad thing is, he'll probably get as many of those years as he needs.

 

Okay, so the Bills now sit @ 1-2. As G. Host said to me @ the end of the game yesterday, "does that mean we're as good as the Steelers?" I don't know if I'd go that far, but both teams have the same record @ this point in the year. Things can continue to slide downward, or they can go upward. It's up to the coaches to right the ship. Good luck, and Go Bills!

Great post, but Reed's elbow very obviously hit the ground a yard before the first down marker. An elbow is the equivalent of a knee -- if it hits the ground, you're down.

[Guest dog14787]

Our defense held them in check until the 4th quarter. Is it too much to ask our offense to put up more than 0 points? Had our offense actually put the ball in the endzone, or even stayed on the field longer, our defense would not have been gassed at the end of the game. Then they piled up the rushing yards. The defense did their job. They held NO to 10 points through 50 minutes. Not their fault the offense can't score.

 

 

The game is a full 60 minutes, what do you want me to say they played good for 50 minutes, OK, the defense played good for 50 minutes, then like crap for 10.

 

The Saints defense outplayed our defense, the Saints QB outplayed our QB, and the Saints RB's outplayed our RB's.

 

The saints coaching staff outsmarted the Bills coaching staff.

 

Sorry, I'm not going to say the defense played well in a game when they gave up 222 yards and 3 TD's on the ground.

[Ramius]

The game is a full 60 minutes, what do you want me to say they played good for 50 minutes, OK, the defense played good for 50 minutes, then like crap for 10.

 

The Saints defense outplayed our defense, the Saints QB outplayed our QB, and the Saints RB's outplayed our RB's.

 

The saints coaching staff outsmarted the Bills coaching staff.

 

Sorry, I'm not going to say the defense played well in a game when they gave up 222 yards and 3 TD's on the ground.

 

The defense kept this team in the game. If the defense played bad, it would have been 41-7 in the 4th, not 10-7.

 

Please feel free to explain how the defense played bad, yet the score was 10-7 in the 4th.

[Guest dog14787]

The defense kept this team in the game. If the defense played bad, it would have been 41-7 in the 4th, not 10-7.

 

Please feel free to explain how the defense played bad, yet the score was 10-7 in the 4th.

 

 

Our stellar defense is now ranked 27th in the league giving up over 390 yards a game.

[thebandit27]

The game is a full 60 minutes, what do you want me to say they played good for 50 minutes, OK, the defense played good for 50 minutes, then like crap for 10.

 

The Saints defense outplayed our defense, the Saints QB outplayed our QB, and the Saints RB's outplayed our RB's.

 

The saints coaching staff outsmarted the Bills coaching staff.

 

Sorry, I'm not going to say the defense played well in a game when they gave up 222 yards and 3 TD's on the ground.

 

You don't have to say it, just realize the relevance of holding the #1 offense in football (scoring 45 and 48 points in the 2 games entering Sunday) to 10 points through 3+ quarters, 3 of which came off the special teams' turnover.

 

Also realize that Buffalo gained not a single first down the entire 4th quarter, instead going 3-and-out 5 consecutive possessions, think that might have taken a toll on the defense late in the game? By contrast, New Orleans gained 6 first downs in the 4th quarter alone (2 penalties, 3 rushing, 1 passing).

 

You can blame the defense all you like, but in my opinion, placing the blame for this loss on the unit that held the best offense in football to 10 points for 50 minutes of football seems wrong. Especially when your offense scores zero points and fails to gain a single first down in the pivotal moments of the game.

[aussiew]

Aaaaaaargh!! Not only do you not challenge the Josh Reed play, but then you PUNT on the next play instead of going for 4th and 1? It seems like there's a critical point in many Bills games where the tide turns, usually due in part to a poor coaching decision. This could have been the point yesterday. You showed no faith in your offense, and you put your defense, which by then was exhausted, right back on the field.

 

Looks like you and I watched the same football game yesterday Rich.

 

My jury is still out on TO, but from where I was sitting - it looked like at least 3 of the 4 throws to him were bad so I'd have to blame this one on the QB.

 

The defence was exhusted in Q4.

[Guest dog14787]

You don't have to say it, just realize the relevance of holding the #1 offense in football (scoring 45 and 48 points in the 2 games entering Sunday) to 10 points through 3+ quarters, 3 of which came off the special teams' turnover.

 

Also realize that Buffalo gained not a single first down the entire 4th quarter, instead going 3-and-out 5 consecutive possessions, think that might have taken a toll on the defense late in the game? By contrast, New Orleans gained 6 first downs in the 4th quarter alone (2 penalties, 3 rushing, 1 passing).

 

You can blame the defense all you like, but in my opinion, placing the blame for this loss on the unit that held the best offense in football to 10 points for 50 minutes of football seems wrong. Especially when your offense scores zero points and fails to gain a single first down in the pivotal moments of the game.

 

 

We are 1-2 and our D is one of the worse ranked defenses in the league, if it helps to say the defense played well for you guys then keep telling yourselves as much, personally I get zero comfort in it.

[Haven Moses]

ALL of our linebackers are awful.

[Beerball]

Looks like you and I watched the same football game yesterday Rich.

 

My jury is still out on TO, but from where I was sitting - it looked like at least 3 of the 4 throws to him were bad so I'd have to blame this one on the QB.

 

The defence was exhusted in Q4.

I am really happy I did not venture out to join you folks yesterday.

 

The out to Owens (4th quarter I think) is a microcosm of our QBs inability to get the job done. It was thrown late and it was thrown inaccurately.

 

Edwards is OK hitting a stationary target...slot receiver or TE but he cannot anticipate throws and hit a breaking target consistently. Personally I doubt he'll ever get that ability.

 

 

4th down...checkdown to Jackson sums up the entire day.

 

 

RR--hope you enjoyed the wings and Beef On Weck.

[SwampD]

Here is my meaningless opinion.

 

If you need seven yards for a first down,...throw it at least eight yards.

 

Andre Reed has not been on this team for a decade.

[thebandit27]

We are 1-2 and our D is one of the worse ranked defenses in the league, if it helps to say the defense played well for you guys then keep telling yourselves as much, personally I get zero comfort in it.

 

Okay, well...

 

- The Eagles own the league's #5 ranked defense and gave up 48 points to New Orleans in week 2.

- New England has the league's #6 ranked defense, and should be 1-2 with a loss to Buffalo

- Pittsburgh has the league's #7 ranked defense and is 1-2 with a loss to Cincinnati

- New Orleans has the league's #10 ranked defense despite giving up 27 points to Detroit

 

And if that doesn't tell you how little those rankings mean, how about this? Those rankings are based on yards/game, not points. This may make the picture a little bit clearer:

 

Philadelphia and their #5 ranked defense are giving up the IDENTICAL number of points per game (24) as Buffalo, yet according to the #s you're citing, their defense is #5 overall and Buffalo's is #27. Add to that the fact that in each game Buffalo has played, they've given up at least 1 score resulting from a turnover that gave the opposition the ball inside the red zone (those scores accounted for a total of 17 points over 3 games). Oh yeah, and the separation between Buffalo's defense, and a top-13 defense like New Orleans, is--get this--a whopping 5.3 points per game. You may find it coincidental that 17/3 is 5.67. So it would seem to me that if Buffalo doesn't turn the ball over in their own territory they'd have a defense that ranked in the top 1/3 of the league in points per game.

 

Does that change anything for you?

[Dan]

The game is a full 60 minutes, what do you want me to say they played good for 50 minutes, OK, the defense played good for 50 minutes, then like crap for 10.

 

The Saints defense outplayed our defense, the Saints QB outplayed our QB, and the Saints RB's outplayed our RB's.

 

The saints coaching staff outsmarted the Bills coaching staff.

 

Sorry, I'm not going to say the defense played well in a game when they gave up 222 yards and 3 TD's on the ground.

There's always gotta be someone that just likes to argue. I suppose that's you today. Because there can be no logical rationale for you to even begin to sidetrack a thread of decent comments with inane ramblings about how poor the defense played yesterday. Do you not recognize that we held the highest scoring Offense in 40 years to a paltry 10 points through more than 3 quarters. How is that anything but good?

 

If our offense knew what a hot read was, knew how to run crossing routes, remembered what draw and screen plays were, or just converted 30% of their 3rd downs... maybe they could have contributed a little. But, our offense was absolutely putrid yesterday. They scored zero points, at home. Zero. That means they none. In other words, if points were food they were in Ethiopia.

 

It doesn't matter how your defense plays, when your offense stays in the locker room, you're not going to win. And to even attempt to bring up the defense in the discussion is obtuse.

[Guest dog14787]

There's always gotta be someone that just likes to argue. I suppose that's you today. Because there can be no logical rationale for you to even begin to sidetrack a thread of decent comments with inane ramblings about how poor the defense played yesterday. Do you not recognize that we held the highest scoring Offense in 40 years to a paltry 10 points through more than 3 quarters. How is that anything but good?

 

If our offense knew what a hot read was, knew how to run crossing routes, remembered what draw and screen plays were, or just converted 30% of their 3rd downs... maybe they could have contributed a little. But, our offense was absolutely putrid yesterday. They scored zero points, at home. Zero. That means they none. In other words, if points were food they were in Ethiopia.

 

It doesn't matter how your defense plays, when your offense stays in the locker room, you're not going to win. And to even attempt to bring up the defense in the discussion is obtuse.

 

I call it like I see it buddy, so I didn't agree with 100 % of someones comments, so what, I agreed with most of what he posted, but that's beside the point. If I don't agree with something I don't care who you are, I will tell you.

 

I'm stating fact, you don't give up 222 yards and 3 TDs on the ground and call it good defensive play. In case you didn't notice the wind disrupted both QB's and it came down to the running game and we couldn't stop it period, good grief, sugar coat the loss with our 27th ranked defense if you want.

[Ramius]

I'm stating fact, you don't give up 222 yards and 3 TDs on the ground and call it good defensive play. In case you didn't notice the wind disrupted both QB's and it came down to the running game and we couldn't stop it period, good grief, sugar coat the loss with our 27th ranked defense if you want.

 

I'm sorry that the nuances of a professional football game are too much for your little mind to handle. Maybe stick to cartoons next sunday? They seem to be more on your level of intelligence.

[Dan]

I call it like I see it buddy, so I didn't agree with 100 % of someones comments, so what, I agreed with most of what he said, but that's beside the point. If I don't agree with something I don't care who you are, I will tell you.

 

I'm stating fact, you don't give up 222 yards and 3 TDs on the ground and call it good defensive play. In case you didn't notice the wind disrupted both QB's and it came down to the running game and we couldn't stop it period, good grief, sugar coat the loss with our 27th ranked defense if you want.

By harping on this fact, you're proving 1 of 2 things: Either you work as an ESPN analyst or you follow football because of your fantasy football teams. Either way, you obviously did not watch the game or did not understand what was going on.

[Guest dog14787]

I'm sorry that the nuances of a professional football game are too much for your little mind to handle. Maybe stick to cartoons next sunday? They seem to be more on your level of intelligence.

 

Ramius, why would I do that, I have all the cartoon characters like you I need right here on this board.

 

I have a right to my own opinion and I posted as much, I knew going into this game we had to stop the run to win and we didn't and the Bills lost. So get real or find an argument that even makes sense.

[Guest dog14787]

By harping on this fact, you're proving 1 of 2 things: Either you work as an ESPN analyst or you follow football because of your fantasy football teams. Either way, you obviously did not watch the game or did not understand what was going on.

 

 

Hello, we lost the game 27- 7 and they ran the ball down our throat.

[thebandit27]

I call it like I see it buddy, so I didn't agree with 100 % of someones comments, so what, I agreed with most of what he posted, but that's beside the point. If I don't agree with something I don't care who you are, I will tell you.

 

I'm stating fact, you don't give up 222 yards and 3 TDs on the ground and call it good defensive play. In case you didn't notice the wind disrupted both QB's and it came down to the running game and we couldn't stop it period, good grief, sugar coat the loss with our 27th ranked defense if you want.

 

No, dog, you are stating an opinion. If you are looking for facts regarding Buffalo's 27th ranked defense, check out post #22, it contains plenty of relevant facts for you to harp on.

[bizell]

Hello, we lost the game 27- 7 and they ran the ball down our throat.

Okay, Dog, let's just say that we totally stoned their running. Would we have won the game with our offense producing 0 points?

The fact of the matter is our "27th ranked defense" kept us in the game until the end.

[Dan]

Hello, we lost the game 27- 7 and they ran the ball down our throat.

Sure. Just for fun, because hey.. you may have a point.. I checked the game recap on nfl.com. In the first half, the Saints had 63 yards rushing. In the 3rd quarter and through their first drive in the 4th quarter, they had 41 yards rushing.

 

So that's 104 yards rushing. I wouldn't call that "running the ball down our throats". The game was still 10-7, with the Bills' offense doing absolutely nothing. Of course, had you watched the game, you'd know that up until this point in the game our defense did everything possible to stop the highest scoring offense in over 40 years, giving our offense ample opportunity to take the lead.

 

It wasn't until the Saints took the ball at the 11 minute mark of the 4th quarter that they had one good run (P. Thomas had a 34 yard TD). That gave them a 10 point lead 17-7. Our offense still didn't do anything. We punted on 4th down with 7:30 left in the game. It was at that point that the team obviously gave up, because in the final seven minutes the Saints then ran it down our throats and added just about 85 yards to their run total.

 

Imagine... had the offense did anything. I mean anything, and scored once. We could have been up 14-10 in the second half. With just a little effort it could have been 17-10. Then the Saints are doing a lot less running in the final minutes. But, again, for someone that doesn't actually watch the games, I guess its pointless to bring out these facts. So, never mind all this. Go ahead and continue to discredit the defense for their outstanding play.

[thebandit27]

Sure. Just for fun, because hey.. you may have a point.. I checked the game recap on nfl.com. In the first half, the Saints had 63 yards rushing. In the 3rd quarter and through their first drive in the 4th quarter, they had 41 yards rushing.

 

So that's 104 yards rushing. I wouldn't call that "running the ball down our throats". The game was still 10-7, with the Bills' offense doing absolutely nothing. Of course, had you watched the game, you'd know that up until this point in the game our defense did everything possible to stop the highest scoring offense in over 40 years, giving our offense ample opportunity to take the lead.

 

It wasn't until the Saints took the ball at the 11 minute mark of the 4th quarter that they had one good run (P. Thomas had a 34 yard TD). That gave them a 10 point lead 17-7. Our offense still didn't do anything. We punted on 4th down with 7:30 left in the game. It was at that point that the team obviously gave up, because in the final seven minutes the Saints then ran it down our throats and added just about 85 yards to their run total.

 

Imagine... had the offense did anything. I mean anything, and scored once. We could have been up 14-10 in the second half. With just a little effort it could have been 17-10. Then the Saints are doing a lot less running in the final minutes. But, again, for someone that doesn't actually watch the games, I guess its pointless to bring out these facts. So, never mind all this. Go ahead and continue to discredit the defense for their outstanding play.

 

Don't bother Dan, he doesn't respond to posts that point out the facts regarding how the game actually unfolded. Only the defensive yardage rankings matter in this debate.

[Guest dog14787]

No, dog, you are stating an opinion. If you are looking for facts regarding Buffalo's 27th ranked defense, check out post #22, it contains plenty of relevant facts for you to harp on.

 

 

 

So let me get this straight, because other defenses did bad against the Saints the Bills defense deserves some credit for playing better than they did, gotcha.

 

We are giving up over 390 yards a game, does that even register with some of you.

[Guest dog14787]

Don't bother Dan, he doesn't respond to posts that point out the facts regarding how the game actually unfolded. Only the defensive yardage rankings matter in this debate.

 

 

and I'll say it again, 60 minutes in a ball game.

[Tommy]

I agree with thebandit27 on the defensive rankings. We're not the 5th worst defense in the league. Our defense did do well yesterday overall. If someone told you before the game we'd only be down 3 in the 4th quarter to the Saints, I think most people on this board would take it. I think a lot of those rushing yards in the last quarter can be contributed to being tired, and also the defense not being motivated anymore because of the lack of offense or willingness to go for it on a 4th and 1. It's got to be tough on the mindset of the defense when you've played so well for 3+ quarters against the #1 offense in the league, only to watch your own team's offense put on a horrible display, and have your coach "play it safe."

[Dan]

Don't bother Dan, he doesn't respond to posts that point out the facts regarding how the game actually unfolded. Only the defensive yardage rankings matter in this debate.

Agreed. Just another prime example of why I hate fantasy football. No one watches games any more. They just check stat sheets and highlight reels.

[Guest dog14787]

I agree with thebandit27 on the defensive rankings. We're not the 5th worst defense in the league. Our defense did do well yesterday overall. If someone told you before the game we'd only be down 3 in the 4th quarter to the Saints, I think most people on this board would take it. I think a lot of those rushing yards in the last quarter can be contributed to being tired, and also the defense not being motivated anymore because of the lack of offense or willingness to go for it on a 4th and 1. It's got to be tough on the mindset of the defense when you've played so well for 3+ quarters against the #1 offense in the league, only to watch your own team's offense put on a horrible display, and have your coach "play it safe."

 

 

Oh, but our opponents defense faced about the same challenge, yet the Saints didn't implode so I suppose you could say our defense played well, but the Saint defense played really well.

[Guest dog14787]

Agreed. Just another prime example of why I hate fantasy football. No one watches games any more. They just check stat sheets and highlight reels.

 

Myself personally, I have zero to do with Fantasy football.

[thebandit27]

So let me get this straight, because other defenses did bad against the Saints the Bills defense deserves some credit for playing better than they did, gotcha.

 

We are giving up over 390 yards a game, does that even register with some of you.

 

You are awesome, dog. Did you even read what I wrote, or did you just stop one line in and respond?

 

I know you like to convolute things so that they support your argument, but believe it or not, football games are won and lost based on points, not yards.

 

You point to this #27 ranked defensive statistic as though it means something, when it really doesn't.

 

According to those rankings, the #5 defense in the league is giving up more points per game than 22 other defenses in the NFL. If that's the case, how can your beloved rankings mean anything substantive? Or does that not even register with you?

 

It's very simple: Buffalo held the best offense in the game (ranked so based on points AND your beloved yards) to 10 points (3 of which came off a turnover that gave NO the ball in the red zone) for 3+ quarters, and when their offense failed to get another first down for the rest of the game, the defense got tired and gave up rushing yards.

 

You can point to the numbers all you want, but try watching the game and comprehending the fact that the numbers don't come close to telling the whole story.

 

The bottom line with your argument is that you are blaming a loss in which the Bills' offense scored 0 points on a defense that did an admirable job against a juggernaut offense. And to boot, your justifying it by making reference to a defensive ranking that claims that the #5 overall defense in football can give up more points per game than 22 other defenses. Do you honestly believe that your argument holds water?

[thebandit27]

Oh, but our opponents defense faced about the same challenge, yet the Saints didn't implode so I suppose you could say our defense played well, but the Saint defense played really well.

 

And how, exactly, would that be incorrect?