Buffalo Bills 2017-18

[Marions Piazza]

Twitter is great for news and entertainment but really only moron fans tweet stuff about their teams

you have no idea the hot-takes i have read recently.  "Eichel wouldve been a 4th liner behind Drury-Briere-Roy", "Reinhardt (amazing how so many fans get that wrong) is a complete bust","Risto is a big slow oaf that wouldnt be top pairing on a real contender" blah blah blah, i read #sabres for the entertainment and when i want a good laugh, I read Garth from hockeybuzz.

[Eleven]

Twitter is great for news and entertainment but really only moron fans tweet stuff about their teams

 

Really?  I read intelligent stuff on there from posters on this board all the time.

[That Aud Smell]

Really?  I read intelligent stuff on there from posters on this board all the time.

 

There's tons of good, often great, content out there on Twitter from all sorts of everyday people.

 

And there's tons of terrible, even soul-crushing, content out there on Twitter from several types of everyday people.

 

It's a bit of a trick sifting the wheat from the chaff (sp?).

Edited September 28, 2017 by That Aud Smell

[That Aud Smell]

The rookie CB, Tre White, was named the NFL's defensive rookie of the month.

 

It remains to be seen how much regret will be felt, if any, for the team's passing on the QBs that were selected in round 1.

 

But credit to the franchise for getting a good one late in round 1.

[That Aud Smell]

Hat tip to Eleven: I heard Sal C on WGR saying the Bills’ approach on D has been “bend don’t break.”

[LGR4GM]

USC plays tonight if you would like to see Darnold. 10:30pm on ESPN

Edited September 29, 2017 by LGR4GM

[The Dominator]

Hat tip to Eleven: I heard Sal C on WGR saying the Bills’ approach on D has been “bend don’t break.”

 

They're 6th in the NFL in yards given up per game at 278. They're hardly bending even

[LGR4GM]

They're 6th in the NFL in yards given up per game at 278. They're hardly bending even

Tampa Bay, played only 2 games, has given up 804 yards to Buffalo's 835 over 3 games.  Buffalo's defense I agree, hardly bending. 

 

Wonder how they do in Atlanta, that's a rough game. 

[WildCard]

Hat tip to Eleven: I heard Sal C on WGR saying the Bills’ approach on D has been “bend don’t break.”

They're 6th in the NFL in yards given up per game at 278. They're hardly bending even

Tampa Bay, played only 2 games, has given up 804 yards to Buffalo's 835 over 3 games.  Buffalo's defense I agree, hardly bending. 

 

Wonder how they do in Atlanta, that's a rough game. 

Vance Joseph described our defense the same way. 

[That Aud Smell]

They're 6th in the NFL in yards given up per game at 278. They're hardly bending even

Tampa Bay, played only 2 games, has given up 804 yards to Buffalo's 835 over 3 games.  Buffalo's defense I agree, hardly bending. 

 

I think there may be a definitional disconnect on what that approach means. There certainly was for me, as an initial matter.

 

I think "bend don't break" implies to most people that the team is basically willing to give up huge chunks of yards with the plan of buckling down when the opponent gets inside their 35. I certainly inferred as much from Eleven's original post on the topic, which observed that Carolina had been inside the Bills' 20 X number of times or whatever, but never scored a TD.

 

But I don't think that's what the approach means to foobaw people. Based on the breakdown I heard this morning, the approach of "bend don't break" places a huge premium on getting pressure on the QB with 4 linemen rushing (a la the Giants when they succeeded against the Patriots). It also sounds like it's dependent on fast quick to the ball, sound tackling as soon as an opposing player catches the ball. Hence the emphasis we were hearing about how McDermott needs DBs who can tackle.

 

I don't think the philosophy is intended or designed to concede yardage. I think it's an approach that intends to limit the damage that an opponent can do to you, and to capitalize on mistakes when they are made.

[LGR4GM]

Solid response. I will look for this on Sunday. @AudSmell

Edited September 29, 2017 by LGR4GM

[That Aud Smell]

Solid response. I will look for this on Sunday. @AudSmell

 

Thanks - although I'm just processing information as I hear it, really. I have no real independent football acumen, I don't think.

 

I think Sal on WGR works awfully hard at his job and I find him knowledgeable. He was explaining how Buffalo schemes, how McDermott schemes, and I started to get a picture of how that defense looks like a "bend don't break" unit. There was talk about getting high and even a bit wide over top with your DBs, funneling things into the middle of the field toward your LBs' territory, and then getting to work once a ball is caught. It made sense. 

[WildCard]

I think there may be a definitional disconnect on what that approach means. There certainly was for me, as an initial matter.

 

I think "bend don't break" implies to most people that the team is basically willing to give up huge chunks of yards with the plan of buckling down when the opponent gets inside their 35. I certainly inferred as much from Eleven's original post on the topic, which observed that Carolina had been inside the Bills' 20 X number of times or whatever, but never scored a TD.

 

But I don't think that's what the approach means to foobaw people. Based on the breakdown I heard this morning, the approach of "bend don't break" places a huge premium on getting pressure on the QB with 4 linemen rushing (a la the Giants when they succeeded against the Patriots). It also sounds like it's dependent on fast quick to the ball, sound tackling as soon as an opposing player catches the ball. Hence the emphasis we were hearing about how McDermott needs DBs who can tackle.

 

I don't think the philosophy is intended or designed to concede yardage. I think it's an approach that intends to limit the damage that an opponent can do to you, and to capitalize on mistakes when they are made.

Well that fits this team to a tee then. They rush, and I mean RUSH, at whoever has the ball as soon as they get it. There are 4-5 guys flying in pursuit of the ball as soon as it's caught, wherever it is. It's one of the things that's impressed me so much. It also explains why McDermott loves fast, mobile LBs, like a Keuchly 

[The Dominator]

Well that fits this team to a tee then. They rush, and I mean RUSH, at whoever has the ball as soon as they get it. There are 4-5 guys flying in pursuit of the ball as soon as it's caught, wherever it is. It's one of the things that's impressed me so much. It also explains why McDermott loves fast, mobile LBs, like a Keuchly 

 

As far as the responses to "bend don't break" I agree, based on how you intend to use the phrase, that it can be looked at in different ways. There certainly isn't a right or wrong viewpoint.

 

The way I always viewed "bend don't break" was a philosophy of never giving up the big play, keeping the opponent in front of you, while also being cognizant of the situation on the field. So in practice, this would play out as a team that will give you the 5 yard slant on first down but tackle you before any yards after catch are gained. On third downs, they'll sit at the sticks and force you to throw short of the first down marker and tackle you before you can advance past the mark. It's a defense that may slowly give up yards between the 20 yard lines but once you're constricted in the red zone they tighten up and force field goals rather than touchdowns. 

 

I think in practice, this is how Buffalo's defense has played so far this year except that they aren't even letting teams dink and dunk their way down the field. It's more like bend don't break with a hint of suffocating defense in the way they swarm to the ball.

 

As far as the defense's philosophy and the way McDermott uses his LB's, I can't believe our group hasn't been exposed more in the pass game yet. It very well could be coming this weekend, but up until this point I was expecting teams to have chunk gains of 10-15 yards over the heads of our LBs. We'll see if the group continues to cover up that space of the field well enough.

[Drunkard]

As far as the responses to "bend don't break" I agree, based on how you intend to use the phrase, that it can be looked at in different ways. There certainly isn't a right or wrong viewpoint.

 

The way I always viewed "bend don't break" was a philosophy of never giving up the big play, keeping the opponent in front of you, while also being cognizant of the situation on the field. So in practice, this would play out as a team that will give you the 5 yard slant on first down but tackle you before any yards after catch are gained. On third downs, they'll sit at the sticks and force you to throw short of the first down marker and tackle you before you can advance past the mark. It's a defense that may slowly give up yards between the 20 yard lines but once you're constricted in the red zone they tighten up and force field goals rather than touchdowns. 

 

I think in practice, this is how Buffalo's defense has played so far this year except that they aren't even letting teams dink and dunk their way down the field. It's more like bend don't break with a hint of suffocating defense in the way they swarm to the ball.

 

As far as the defense's philosophy and the way McDermott uses his LB's, I can't believe our group hasn't been exposed more in the pass game yet. It very well could be coming this weekend, but up until this point I was expecting teams to have chunk gains of 10-15 yards over the heads of our LBs. We'll see if the group continues to cover up that space of the field well enough.

 

This has always been my interpretation of the bend but don't break defense. Avoiding the big play against your defense is the main focal point and relying on the condensed space in the red zone to force field goals rather than giving up touchdowns. Usually I prefer a more aggressive style but I'll gladly take whatever works.

[inkman]

This has always been my interpretation of the bend but don't break defense. Avoiding the big play against your defense is the main focal point and relying on the condensed space in the red zone to force field goals rather than giving up touchdowns. Usually I prefer a more aggressive style but I'll gladly take whatever works.

It also allows more opportunities for the defense to create turnovers even if the stlye isn't putting undue pressure on the QB.

[That Aud Smell]

This has always been my interpretation of the bend but don't break defense. Avoiding the big play against your defense is the main focal point and relying on the condensed space in the red zone to force field goals rather than giving up touchdowns. Usually I prefer a more aggressive style but I'll gladly take whatever works.

And yet that view of “bend don’t break” isn’t quite consistent with how the Bills have limited their opponents’ yardage.

[WildCard]

The past three games in which Matt Ryan faced a Sean McDermott-coached defense in Carolina, he completed 78 percent of his passes for 1,086 yards, 7 touchdowns, 1 interception and a 131.1 quarterback rating

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/250507/week-4-nfl-predictions-scores-for-every-game

[LGR4GM]

Well that's cheerful

[Eleven]

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/250507/week-4-nfl-predictions-scores-for-every-game

 

OTOH, Matt Ryan has been sacked 6+ times in only three games in his career.  All against McDermott.

[ubkev]

OTOH, Matt Ryan has been sacked 6+ times in only three games in his career. All against McDermott.

So they hit him a few times as he's lighting them up?

[WildCard]

So they hit him a few times as he's lighting them up?

Pretty much. Something tells me Brady will light us up too

[ubkev]

Pretty much. Something tells me Brady will light us up too

But we're always sooo good against New England

[Randall Flagg]

Pretty much. Something tells me Brady will light us up too

I think Brady will wreck our zone coverage with his slants.

[Eleven]

I think Brady will wreck our zone coverage with his slants.

 

I want Jerry Hughes to wreck Brady.