SB Nation User Blog: ForeignArrow

Players VS Fans

ForeignArrow — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:44:54 -0000

The Buffalo Bills have been micro-analyzed the past 5 weeks. They did this, they should do that, etc. etc... Well, this is the NFL, folks. Anybody can beat anybody, any week. After a 4-0 start, it was almost as if Bills fans thought they were entitled to at least one victory during that divisional stretch of games. And the players played like it, too. But our opponents are hungrier than we are now, but perhaps not anymore. The Bills are going to get the spotlight they felt they deserved Monday night, and now that spotlight is going to illuminate a lot of egg on their faces. You see, football (and all sports) is not just about X's and O's and measures of talent... but if you don't want it more than the team you're lining up against then they will take it from you, no matter how "inferior" that team might be.

So everybody's down on the team right now. I'm not. Because it's stretches of games like these that bring you closer together, there's a lot to learn from losing: most notably how to win.

The Fans seem to be bracing themselves for a full collapse, let's hope the Players show more resolve, more composure than the fans.

The Wild Buffalo

ForeignArrow — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:15:05 -0000

How about the Wild Buffalo? Haha. Do you think the Dolphins would expect to see Fred Jackson taking snaps and running the option with Marshawn? We could even line JP up on the outside, he's pretty damn athletic. But seriously, if the Bills are looking for gadget plays they have the talent at runningback to execute the Wildhog formation. I think it would be pretty useful in the redzone.

Let's face it, guys... the Bills rushing attack could use something like this... even if it is blatant plagiarism. Our run blocking has been terrible so maybe we could use a little schematic tweaking.

If not, I believe we need a complete overhaul of our rushing attack. Turk needs to sit down and go back to the drawing board (literally) or get on the OL and the OL coach's ass to get guys to maintain and finish blocks because Marshawn's production is suffering terribly. For whatever reason, when we get in the red zone the OL block like pro-bowlers... they need that mentality between the 20's... I mean, wtf mates?

Poll

What needs to change for Buffalo's rushing attack to improve?

The Bills' opponents

3 votes

The runningbacks

1 votes

OL Coach

4 votes

OC

0 votes

Scheme

16 votes

OL personnel

11 votes

Blocking Techniques

22 votes

57 votes | Poll has closed

Coverage

ForeignArrow — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:37:44 -0000

Coverage is something that every cornerback on our roster excels at. Ironically, they were all brought here to play in a predominantly zone defensive scheme. But every one of them possesses a natural talent to play man coverage (you cannot teach this skill, only refine it). Leodis McKelvin is starting in place of Terrance McGee this weekend, and the Chargers are going to test him without a doubt. And with Donte Whitner likely covering Antonio Gates, there may not be much help coming over the top. It's Week 7, and welcome to the NFL rook, you get to cover the likes of Vincent Jackson, Chris Chambers, and Buster Davis on an island. Hopefully, things are starting to slow down for McKelvin and he can K.I.S.S.

If Buffalo can somehow slow down the Chargers' passing game, then LT will become a non-factor. Hopefully Perry has dialed something up to disrupt an immaculately timed passing game run by Philip Rivers. Somewhere in this equation there is going to be press coverage, and our pass rush had better get there this week or it's Arizona round 2.

I want to see the Bills very talented youngsters display that talent on Sunday, and get us some turnovers. And if everyone on the front 7 decides to take a page out of Marshawn's book and kick it into Beast Mode, then it very well may happen.

Poll

How many interceptions will our defensive backs have this Sunday?

0

14 votes

1

19 votes

2

5 votes

3

0 votes

5,667

5 votes

43 votes | Poll has closed

How is Buffalo Stacking Up?

ForeignArrow — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:52:08 -0000

As Bills fans we have seen Buffalo consistently rank at the bottom of the league in many key statistical categories. Well, through 3 games this season (and the terrible St. Louis Rams up next), the Bills are impressing in their rankings. Hopefully, these metrics are early indicators of Buffalo's quality as a football team.

Buffalo is only allowing an ungracious 18% of 3rd downs to be converted, #1 in the league. As we all know this has been a HUGE problem for this team in the past as teams readily moved the chains against the Bills.

Buffalo has only been penalized 13 times this season, 2nd fewest in the league.

Buffalo's defense is 5th best allowing only 247 ypg thus far, a far cry from a team that gave up 350+ last season. And they are also only yielding 16 points/game this season, 6th best. The D has also recorded 8 sacks, good for 9th.

Buffalo's offense is ranked 13th at 334 yards/game... lightyears ahead of the their ranking of 30th last season. More importantly they're putting points on the board, to the tune of 26/game, a solid 10 points higher than last season.

Last season Buffalo's D gave up about 23-24 points/game and the offense scored about 16-17 points/game. The Bills have been able to essentially inverse that ratio and it is exemplified in a 3-0 start.

Under DJ we have seen the Bills start slow the past 2 seasons only to climb back into the playoff hunt with depth-starved and injury plagued teams that didn't play decent football until mid-season. Now, the Bills are in mid-season form and it appears their only challenge will be to sustain their level of play, and one of DJ's biggest strengths as a coach is preparing his players and keeping them focused.

Poll

Which one of these statistics will be most important to Buffalo making the playoffs?

Top 5 Defense

47 votes

Top 10 Offense

19 votes

TO Margin

11 votes

Tom Brady throing ZERO TDs

8 votes

# of presents from Ed Hochuli and Co.

3 votes

88 votes | Poll has closed

New Look D, Nowhere but Up for the O

ForeignArrow — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:23:25 -0000

Watching Sunday's game was the most fun I've had as a Bills fan in a REALLY long time. Particularly because of Buffalo's new defensive scheme. The Bills have added the proverbial kitchen sink to their D, and it makes you wonder what took Perry Fewell so long to install a lot of their looks. I was hoping he would bring back "the creep" look (no down linemen) again. The blitzes were well timed and choreographed. The Bills played EVERYTHING from zone blitzes, to man, to cover-2, to the creep. I guess Fewell was waiting for the right personnel for this scheme because Stroud and Mitchell both played instrumental roles. I was really looking forward to seeing the new antics go against Brady, but Matt Cassel will have to do.

The offense sputtered early as Trent Edwards had obvious jitters, causing him rush his throws (his 1st 7 passes were UGLY). However, the execution was nice all day long. Third downs were a little infuriating as Edwards would check down for 3-4 yard gains, but I'll give the credit to Seattle's defense for now. And I love that 3 TE diamond formation (don't know the technical name) for power running. The only criticism I can offer to Turkey Schnizzle is more PLAY ACTION. There were many obvious running situations where the Bills obviously ran. They were perfect spots for play-action, especially on 3rd and short against a penetrating defense.

Next week I would look for some deep throws as the Jags love to blitz and play a lot of man. David Garrard is going to be lunch meat as well, look for some INTs and some fumbles.

Jason Peters is back, the sun is shining in Buffalo. Let's pray we stay healthy.

Poll

Will Jason Peters start this Sunday?

Yes

17 votes

No

16 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

Seattle @ Buffalo: Simulations

ForeignArrow — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:03:00 -0000

On ESPN.com there are the results for the computer simulations they use to predict the spread/winners for the games.

Buffalo is winning 53% of the sims, with the Seahawks +.5 in the spread. The computers also predict Hasselbeck to out-perform Edwards, but Lynch out-gaining the Jones/Morris combination. The Bills averaged 20.3 points/sim and the Seahawks garnered 19.9 points/sim.

Now, these computers have been pretty accurate in the past... so take this stuff for what it's worth. It all sounds about right. I see both teams scoring about 1 TD and the one that makes the most field goals wins. I watched Seattle in the preseason and Holmgren really has an awesome scheme, they really make up for their lack of offensive talent (let's be honest, Seattle is loaded with marginal talent, offensively... and that includes Mo Morris). It almost seems inevitable that the Bills will be dinked and dunked all day long with the occasional post or seem route being completed. However, when teams use this strategy against Jauron, they tend to settle for a lot of field goals (bend but don't break... whatever). Let's hope Schizzle takes advantage of Seattle's pass-rushing prowess with a lot of screens, draws, and quick hitters.

Don't be surprised, Bills fans, if Buffalo straight up cleans Seattle's clock. Matt Hasselbeck is banged up/rusty and his receivers are young and inconsistent. We could see him struggle to find open receivers and hold onto the football too long (or just long enough to get smacked). They will probably be leaning on their running game heavily and if Buffalo is stout like they were in the preseason... it could be a very long day in Buffalo and an even longer flight all the way back to the West Coast.

Poll

Predict the outcome of Sunday's game

Buffalo by less than 3

6 votes

Buffalo by less than 7

30 votes

Buffalo by 7+

36 votes

Seattle by less than 3

4 votes

Seattle by less than 7

7 votes

Seattle by 7+

11 votes

Tie?

1 votes

95 votes | Poll has closed

Turk Schnizzle is the Man

ForeignArrow — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:44:32 -0000

As Brian rightly points out on the front page, Turk Schonert is the most significant addition to Buffalo's offense.

For the first time in....................... well................. 4 years I actually have to guess what play Buffalo will run next. And Schonert is showing us that he understands defenses and where to attack them. Against Pittsburgh our 1st team exploited the 3-4 by using a lot of play action and aggressively attacking the open intermediate zones that are vulnerable in the 3-4. Against Indy, we spread them out and took advantage of quick short passes to keep corners from sitting on routes. We did to Indy what we've been watching teams do to us since we installed the Cover 2: shred it with quick hits and seam routes. I also love the play calls of running out of the spread, it's a much better match-up for the OL when teams bring their pass rushers in and only use 1 LB (duh). Even in spite of the short routes and check downs (which JP couldn't do to save his life, it's like he can't throw the ball less than 300 mph) available to the QB, there are still sufficient routes down the field. I was discouraged by Buffalo's effort in running between the tackles, those plays seem to get clogged up too quickly. But off-tackle and pull plays work pretty well for us.

The defense looked pretty awesome as well, as they should have against the short-handed Colts. I think Spencer Johnson lost the "starting" tackle sweepstakes last night as he was pathetic in the run game and it showed... the Colts ran it pretty well with him rotating in there. I saw him on his bum a couple of times. His pass rush is phenomenal, though. I think one of my new favorite Bills is Kawika Mitchell. He's a straight-up beast... we really have one of the best LB corps in the league now. I liked what I saw from Ko Simpson... he's my biggest concern heading into the season. He's getting more comfortable and taking better angles to the ball. I know exactly how he feels because I had the exact same injury. Only it took me a full year to get 100% because obviously the Bills trainers and doctors weren't working with me.

As for JP, he played well but there are still 2 huge holes in his game: his pocket presence and his accuracy. There were a couple incompletions he threw because he rushed a throw when all he had to do was step up in the pocket. And his accuracy last night was inconsistent and never stellar. There are time where if he could just put the ball in the right spot it would equal large amounts of YAC for the receiver. JP's footwork and pocket awareness have always been the downfall to his accuracy. Other than that, he still showed he's an invaluable back-up and can keep the Bills competitive if Trent is injured.

Poll

Which position concerns you the most with respect to our defense?

#2 DT

13 votes

LE

10 votes

#2 CB

8 votes

FS

22 votes

Other?

22 votes

75 votes | Poll has closed

Another Gordon?

ForeignArrow — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:18:14 -0000

Is anybody open to the idea of bartering with the Knicks at No.6 to land Eric Gordon? The Knicks are in business for a guard, either a 1 or a 2.... so an offer of Heinrich/Duhon + Larry Hughes + next year's 1st (which hopefully would be a lower 1st round pick) might persuade them to give up that 6th spot to snag Eric Gordon, who is a bigger version of Ben Gordon and a true combo guard. Honestly, players on this team I see as expendable: Heinrich (nice player but doesn't elevate the play of his team mates or necessarily get them more open looks/easy buckets), Duhon (a very competent back-up), Hughes (whatever, makes too much money for playing like a scrub), Drew Gooden (minute-eater). Love the young front-court of Noah, Thomas, and Gray. Deng holds the 3 down really well as a spot-up shooter. But imagine the back-court of Rose + Gordon + Gordon.

Comments Appreciated

Poll

Just out of curiosity.... Rose or Beasley?

Derrick Rose

56 votes

Michael Beasley

16 votes

Trade

4 votes

76 votes | Poll has closed

Some Really Frustrating Stats

ForeignArrow — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:08:50 -0000

The Buffalo Bills gave up 55 pass plays last season of 20 yards or more. 55! That was tops in the league. In a defense geared toward stopping intermediate to long throws, the Bills were shockingly ineffective. Why? What happened? I guess a lot of things happened. Lack of pass rush, lack of rush defense for shorthand. The Bills had 26 sacks last season, only 2 teams had less. The lack of pass rush did not help our corners, allowing QBs to manipulate a perfectly formed pocket and find holes in our zone defense. The Bills ranked 25th against the run, forcing our SS to play up and our corners to play back... giving receivers a nice cushion and a free release to get into their routes. Oh yeah and we led the league in players on IR.

All of this and we still finished 7-9.

Poll

Which statistic do you think is most important to improve for the Bills to be successful in 2009?

25th ranked run defense

8 votes

29th ranked pass defense

0 votes

30th ranked scoring offense

14 votes

29th ranking in sacks

7 votes

30th ranked 33% 3rd down conversion rate

17 votes

Staying Healthy

20 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

Enough With Schobel

ForeignArrow — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:12:36 -0000

Why does it seem like so many people are down on Aaron Schobel? Probably because a lot are. Why? The guy has 67 sacks in 7 seasons as a Bill. The criticisms range from him being undersized to his pass rush being inconsistent. I think Schobel's past success has hurt him because people look for him on the field more and more now. It's been a tough go for him in Buffalo because he has NEVER had a legitimate pass rusher on the other side of him. So, it's really pretty impressive he's produced as much as he has. When a player averages around 10 sacks/season in the NFL it's unlikely they are inconsistent. If by inconsistent people mean not pressuring the QB on every play then every DE in the league is "inconsistent." Would any of the Giants' DEs be as productive as they were without each other? No ... and that's non-negotiable. Imagine if Schobel didn't have pass protections geared toward stopping him... chip after chip, double after double.

Schobel has earned the respect of his coaching staff (contract extension) and his colleagues... evidenced by being voted to the Pro Bowl this year. If a DE makes the Pro Bowl with 6 sacks, you know he's not inconsistent. It means that opposing players know that Aaron Schobel is talented and a pain in the ass to contain on every play. If Chris Ellis emerges as the excellent pass rusher he is, Schobel should start reaping the benefits and shutting up the nit-pickers.

Even Chris Kelsay is consistent... he consistently can't get to the QB. I don't know why people want sacks from him and Denney anyways, they're both geared for the run. They have NO natural pass rushing ability, nor the athleticism to do so. That said, with the improvements on the line they should see more hustle sacks they had a couple of years ago as a result.

Here's to hoping Chris Ellis makes an impact on our pass rush.

Poll

Which player will have the most sacks in 2008?

Chris Kelsay

12 votes

Ryan Denney

2 votes

Chris Ellis

16 votes

John McCargo

13 votes

Spencer Johnson

3 votes

Marcus Stroud

5 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed