So I was just checking the Bills forums

[randomk1]

Apparently Brady's career is in danger this year.

Dareus will be unblockable in a 4-3. Super Mario is such a stud that the Texans crumbled without him, Kyle Williams will also benefit from the 4-3 and our very own Mark Anderson is the second coming of Bruce Smith. They are basically the Buffalo Giants with their pass rush.


Thoughts? Do we average over or under 35 against them this year? I know it was 40 per game last year but i'm trying to be a little more realistic.

 

[patchick]

If I were a Bills fan, with so little to cheer about for so long, I'd be psyched for this season too. Let 'em dream.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Apparently Brady's career is in danger this year.

Dareus will be unblockable in a 4-3. Super Mario is such a stud that the Texans crumbled without him, Kyle Williams will also benefit from the 4-3 and our very own Mark Anderson is the second coming of Bruce Smith. They are basically the Buffalo Giants with their pass rush.


Thoughts? Do we average over or under 35 against them this year? I know it was 40 per game last year but i'm trying to be a little more realistic.

They will be formidable but I also think we have a chance to have one of the top 10 passing offenses in NFL history. I say top ten because I didn't want to be obnoxious ... really I am thinking top 5 or better ...

We will have plenty of quick pass weapons in the playbook with a multitude of personal groupings to choose from ... they can't tackle what they can't get to and they are too big to turn on a dime.

 

[Rob0729]

The Bills might want to ask the Eagles and Redskins how assembling a Dream Team can work out. Many times high priced talented free agents turn into high priced busts.

I loved what Mark Anderson gave the Pats last year, but he has been a JAG for most of his career. Did Belichick and Patricia give the Bills the blueprint on how to utilize his skills the best or was he a benefit of the Pats' system where teams passed on the Pats more than most teams to keep up with the Pats' offense and the fact that the Pats defense was more susceptible to the pass.

Last year, the Bills were the 26th ranked defense (more importantly they were ranked 30th in points allowed at 28.1 PPG allowed). I think their additions will improve their defense, but their defense desperately needed improvement. They could make a Texans' like improvement (the Texans went from one of the worst defenses in the league in 2010 to one of the best in 2011), but odds are their defense will make a more modest increase.

BTW, when the Pats are healthy on offense, does the Giants' style of defense really work anymore to be the Brady killer. Even last year, Brady did pass for 342 yards against them in the regular season game. It wasn't Brady's best game last year (not even close and probably closer to his worst), but he was very effective for long stretches in that game (and for a good stretch in the Super Bowl). Now the Pats have added Lloyd and Gaffney to the arsenal. Brady is going to have a lot of options to get rid of the ball quickly now even on a strong 4 man rush.

I think the Bills are a playoff contender this year, but Bills fans are going off the deep end a little. I guess you can't blame them considering their long recent history of failure. I mean if Jets fans can be predicting a 12-4 season for their team (check out their board and you will see it isn't just the fringe homers) then why can't the Bills fans be overly exuberant about their team.

 

[1960Pats]

They will be formidable but I also think we have a chance to have one of the top 10 passing offenses in NFL history. I say top ten because I didn't want to be obnoxious ... really I am thinking top 5 or better ...

We will have plenty of quick pass weapons in the playbook with a multitude of personal groupings to choose from ... they can't tackle what they can't get to and they are too big to turn on a dime.

All I'd like to see is the Pats team finish number one in the NFL at the end of the season, and I feel that will only happen if they have more balance to their offense. The pass-happy stuff hasn't won a ring for them.

 

[brdmaverick]

Well, to be fair it IS the offseason. It's the time for every team (not just the Bills) to envision all of their free agent and draft picks working out.

All of the dominant teams envision their seasons going the same way as the previous year but taking one more step in the playoffs.

All of the bad teams from last season imagine themselves being this year's version of last year's 49ers.

I actually think that Buffalo does have a lot to like about this year. Of course, the two games they play against us will still serve as a wake up call for them.

As Pats fans, it's easy to overlook a team that you have defeated them in 16 of the last 17 matchups. Truth be told though, they are the clear second place team in this division. We should be keeping an eye on them instead of the Jets/Dolphins.

 

[Reckedtrek]

If I were a Bills fan, with so little to cheer about for so long, I'd be psyched for this season too. Let 'em dream.

I agree, patchick.

It's that time of year in the NFL calendar when at least 20 teams fans just *know* that they're going to win it all. THIS is their season. I feel that way about the Pats!

Add another 5 or 6 teams fans that are saying things to their teams other fans like "I know this sounds crazy, but..."

And then you have another 5 or 6 teams' fan bases know they suck this year. And one or two of them are in for a pleasant surprise!

It's like the night before Christmas as a kid, where anything is possible!

As far as the Bills go, I think they will be our toughest division match up, and would not be surprised at a 1-1 split in the season series between the two. BUT the AFC belongs to another team who calls Foxboro home.

 

[Ring 6]

The Bills might want to ask the Eagles and Redskins how assembling a Dream Team can work out. Many times high priced talented free agents turn into high priced busts.

I loved what Mark Anderson gave the Pats last year, but he has been a JAG for most of his career. Did Belichick and Patricia give the Bills the blueprint on how to utilize his skills the best or was he a benefit of the Pats' system where teams passed on the Pats more than most teams to keep up with the Pats' offense and the fact that the Pats defense was more susceptible to the pass.

Last year, the Bills were the 26th ranked defense (more importantly they were ranked 30th in points allowed at 28.1 PPG allowed). I think their additions will improve their defense, but their defense desperately needed improvement. They could make a Texans' like improvement (the Texans went from one of the worst defenses in the league in 2010 to one of the best in 2011), but odds are their defense will make a more modest increase.

BTW, when the Pats are healthy on offense, does the Giants' style of defense really work anymore to be the Brady killer. Even last year, Brady did pass for 342 yards against them in the regular season game. It wasn't Brady's best game last year (not even close and probably closer to his worst), but he was very effective for long stretches in that game (and for a good stretch in the Super Bowl). Now the Pats have added Lloyd and Gaffney to the arsenal. Brady is going to have a lot of options to get rid of the ball quickly now even on a strong 4 man rush.

I think the Bills are a playoff contender this year, but Bills fans are going off the deep end a little. I guess you can't blame them considering their long recent history of failure. I mean if Jets fans can be predicting a 12-4 season for their team (check out their board and you will see it isn't just the fringe homers) then why can't the Bills fans be overly exuberant about their team.

Buts its not even like they made Dream Team moves. They signed one good, albeit injury prone player, and a journeyman who played in sub packages and got some sacks while struggling with the rest of his game to now play every down.
Their defense was bad last year. Williams figures to make it better, but I don't see better parts surrounding him in Buffalo than I saw all those years in Houston, when they averaged a 24th ranking in points allowed and were never in the top half of the league.

 

[Calciumee]

No doubt the additions will help the Bills D, but did I miss the Texans D crumble without Mario?

They were a good D last season, and MW was out for the majority of it!


Mark Anderson did great for us last season, but money talks, and Bills were willing to pay him far more! I am sure our players will know what to expect from him!

 

[upstater1]

All I'd like to see is the Pats team finish number one in the NFL at the end of the season, and I feel that will only happen if they have more balance to their offense. The pass-happy stuff hasn't won a ring for them.

Against Carolina it did. They broke Super Bowl passing records in that game. No great passing game, no Super Bowl ring.

 

[Ring 6]

All I'd like to see is the Pats team finish number one in the NFL at the end of the season, and I feel that will only happen if they have more balance to their offense. The pass-happy stuff hasn't won a ring for them.

There is a difference between 'pass happy' and exploiting advantages that you have. There are very few teams that can stop even seriously limit the Patriots pass offense. When you add in the position versatility and alignment mismatches, we can often trap the defense into matchups they don't want to be in.
I will agree that we have a tendancy to overlook what might be a bigger mismatch in the running game (blocking really, when the d goes small) but our offense is absolutely not a force the pass offense, it is an offense that forces mismatches and no one has really figured out how to avoid being in a mismatch vs our passing game.
Frankly if you look closely virtually the only way we are stopped on offense is:
-A blown pass blocking assignment, on 3rd down, because we often recover from a 1st down sack to convert
-A poorly executed route/throw on 3rd down. We almost never have no one open or a totally failed play, it is normally just a missed connection or a tipped or dropped ball.
-Failed running 3rd down conversions
-The rare turnover

A pass happy team throws no matter what it faces. A very successful well thought out pass offense creates mismatches to play to their strengths and exploit them.

 

[patchick]

A legitimate reason for optimism in Buffalo -- here are 12 of their opponents:

Chiefs
Browns
Cardinals
Titans
Colts
Jaguars
Rams
Seahawks
Jets X 2
Dolphins X 2

 

[Ring 6]

A legitimate reason for optimism in Buffalo -- here are 12 of their opponents:

Chiefs
Browns
Cardinals
Titans
Colts
Jaguars
Rams
Seahawks
Jets X 2
Dolphins X 2

Bad news for the Bills, they were 1-5 vs the teams on that list they played last year, including being swept by both the woeful Fins and Jets.
Lets not forget this is a team that lost 8 of their last 9,

 

[Wolfpack]

Against Carolina it did. They broke Super Bowl passing records in that game. No great passing game, no Super Bowl ring.

Obviously you can find individual games from that era where passing saved the day, but fact is that 5 years ago, the Patriots shifted from a defensive minded team to an offensive minded one. They have 3 rings from before the shift, but none since.

Let it be noted that I don't think this was a deliberate strategy to shift from defense to offense. I think it's merely a by-product of the personnel they've had available.

 

[patchick]

Bad news for the Bills, they were 1-5 vs the teams on that list they played last year, including being swept by both the woeful Fins and Jets.
Lets not forget this is a team that lost 8 of their last 9,

I didn't project a record, or even praise the Bills at all. :confused2: Just pointing out that their schedule makes for prime dream fodder.

 

[Ring 6]

Obviously you can find individual games from that era where passing saved the day, but fact is that 5 years ago, the Patriots shifted from a defensive minded team to an offensive minded one. They have 3 rings from before the shift, but none since.

Let it be noted that I don't think this was a deliberate strategy to shift from defense to offense. I think it's merely a by-product of the personnel they've had available.

Its wrong to say they shifted from defensive MINDED to offensive MINDED.
The philosphy hasn't changed, the quality of the players in those units has.

 

[Ring 6]

I didn't project a record, or even praise the Bills at all. :confused2: Just pointing out that their schedule makes for prime dream fodder.

I know, I was just pointing out that playing a weak schedule is less reason for optimism when you are a weak team.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Bad news for the Bills, they were 1-5 vs the teams on that list they played last year, including being swept by both the woeful Fins and Jets.
Lets not forget this is a team that lost 8 of their last 9,

And a big part of that was Fitzpatrick who kind of mysteriously fell apart last year after a pretty strong start. He went 10 TDs/16 INTs and the Bills averaged 15 points in those 8 losses. His performance this year will determine the Bills' year more than anything.

 

[Wolfpack]

Its wrong to say they shifted from defensive MINDED to offensive MINDED.
The philosphy hasn't changed, the quality of the players in those units has.

The guy who has never been wrong in his life weighs in yet again.

My post makes it clear that the shift came about due to the personnel available. Arguing usage of the terms "offensive MINDED" or "defensive MINDED" is just a silly semantics debate.

AndyJohnson's obsessive need to have the last word coming in 5.....4......3........2..........

 

[Ring 6]

The guy who has never been wrong in his life weighs in yet again.

My post makes it clear that the shift came about due to the personnel available. Arguing usage of the terms "offensive MINDED" or "defensive MINDED" is just a silly semantics debate.

AndyJohnson's obsessive need to have the last word coming in 5.....4......3........2..........

Dude I'm wrong a lot.
I'm just responding to your post. It seems to be you who has a problem with any level of disagreement, correction or opinion.