Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Jamie Moyer Designated For Assignment

Large

Hopefulcynic

May 09, 2008 May 31, 2012 3 304

rss icon RSSUser Blog

Buffalo Rumblings Thoughts on The Bills Defense


I don't know what to think about this Bills defense. They give up a lot. They are 6th worst in terms of yards per play, and 12th worst in terms of points allowed. Those are bad numbers. They haven't shown much ability to rush the passer. Finally, in back to back games they have humbled the best rusher and the best passer in the league.

Darren McFadden is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He went for 3.6 against the Bills. That wasn't just a fluke of small numbers, as he had 22 and 19 rushes in his other two games, and 20 against the Bills. In a perfectly representative number of carries the Bills held him to half of his normal effectiveness. If one looks at his average over just his two wins, he has an otherwordly 7.28 ypc. Were it not for the Bills defense, he would be first in the league in ypc, as things stand he loses out by the barest margin to none other than Fred Jackson. (I am discounting players such as McCluster, for being a WR, and Spiller and Jamaal Charles, for having fewer than 20 attempts)

I don't need to give any analysis of the Patriots game. Tom Brady threw 4 interceptions. I doubt any other team, even the NYJ with two games agianst the Pats and with Darrelle Revis at CB, will get 4 interceptions out of Brady. Brady had 4 interceptions in the entire 2010 season. To get one interception out of Brady requires luck, but getting 4 requires so much else, and this Bills defense appears to have it.

I don't want to call the Bills defense clutch, as we are only 3 games in, but there is something about this defensive unit. I want to call them scrappy. They've given up so much, so many yards, so many points, but they also have done enough to beat two elite talents. What do you think of this Bills defense? Am I putting too much on the fact that they had a good game against a West Coast team that flew East and a fluke game that they were due for? Am I too concerned with the bad overall numbers when the team is 3-0?


9 comments  | 

Buffalo Rumblings Priorities heading into the draft

Prior to the start of the free agency period BuffaloRumblings ran a series of articles and polls to determine what the Bills top priorities should be. Needless to say, things have changed. Names like "Dockery," "Peters," and of course "TO" have played across the headlines as the Bills lost some players and added others. So now I ask, what should be the priorities of OBD? Which positions should they seek to address first, which they should wait on?

 

Here's my breakdown:

DE: I'll start off with the easy position. We need a better pass rush. You know that, I know that, and anyone who doesn't will as soon as they step within 10 yards of Kurupt. Major need.

DT: I view this as an interesting spot. I'd like to see us add a rotational guy here, but I'm happy with our top two, and Johnson is probably acceptable depth. I'm willing to take a gamble on those guys and McCargo if that's the way things go. Minor need

LB: I don't know who it was, but someone suggested we grab a lower tier FA and draft a LB or two in the mid or late rounds in the hopes that one will stick. I think I'm okay with that. If a good LB falls to us, I'm all for taking him, but I'm okay with a mid-round guy. Middle need

CB: I'm happy with our situation. I wouldn't mind adding more depth in the later rounds, but that would be the max. Negligible need.

Safety: I'm actually okay with our situation. By that I mean I don't think we'll improve on it anytime soon and I'm resigned to accepting it. Whitner will start, and I'm fine with Scott. Ko Simpson... yeah. Maybe we add a prospect here, but I don't see us grabbing one in the top rounds. Minor need

QB: We signed ourselves a backup, Trent is the starter, moving on.

RB: If we can get him a contract, I'm open to letting Jackson go full time the first three (hopefully two) weeks. I'd like some depth, but third RB just isn't that important to me. I'd like to spend a mid round pick on one. minor need

FB: I like FBs who block, even if OBD likes McIntyre. I'd like us to grab one in the later rounds or as UDFA. need depends on who you ask

WR: We have too many. If Roscoe gets us something back, I'm all for trading him. Absolutely no need here.

TE: As things are going, I'm starting to like Fine more and more for one very simple reason: he blocks. I'd love to add a TE who can catch, but with our current offense I think we need our TE to help block and trust that our RBs and WRs can take care of most of the catching duties. Major need, but what we need is hard to find.

C: I like the looks of this Hangartner fellow. I'd like some depth, but C isn't that important. A C who can also play OG would be nice, but that's more of an OG to me. minor need

OG: I like Butler. I'd like him more if there were two of him and and they stayed healthy. As things are we could use a starter and depth. Not good. Major need.

OT: I like Chambers. I'm hopeful about Bell. I'm not sure I trust Chambers to start at LT or Bell to really play yet. major need.

 

That's my positional breakdown. Here are the priorities as I see em.

1) OL - whether it's G or T, we need some O-line help. Chambers can play guard or tackle, which gives us some flexibility as to which we take. Honestly, I'm more comfortable with Chambers at T, even though it is considered the more important position

2) DE - drops because we at least have backups and are only short at one spot, as oppose to OL.

3t) LB - If we don't get one early, I'm okay with waiting until the mid-later rounds

3t)TE - I'm okay with a guy who can block, even if I would like a pass catching threat

3t) OL pt. 2- I could live with Chambers starting, if it meant we got better in other places.

6) DT

7) RB

8) OL - yes, I want three.

9) S

 

So, how do you guys see our priorities now?

Poll
What is the Bills biggest need?
TE
0 votes
DE
15 votes
OT
30 votes
OG
8 votes
LB
3 votes
S
0 votes
C
1 votes
other
0 votes

57 votes | Poll has closed

6 comments  |