So we are 3 games into the new D system and Nielsen. I know we've had injuries on the D and it's only 3 games and a tough start but is this unit looking better than last year?

It's had some significant additions in FA and the draft so should be a better unit. Last seasons collapse was put on Caldwell and Nielsen was bought in to get this unit playing to its potential.

So let's look at some stats

Yds per game- 26th (361.7)
Pass yds per game- 30th (252.3)
Rush yds per game- 11th (109.3)
Pts per game- 28th (28.3)

Sacks- 26th (5)
interception- 28th (0)

There are 5 teams with 0 interceptions but we are the only team with 0 interceptions or FF. We have a turnover differential of -3.

So lets look at the downs stats and start to see some problems. Weve given up 60 1st downs 

21 rush, 33 pass, 6 penalties

And we are 23rd on 3rd down with 41% completion rate 

41 attempted, 16 completed 

But the 4th down stats are a real worry and show a big problem. We are 25th on 4th down, 71.4% completion rate 

7 attempted, 5 completed 

Plus we killing ourselves with 30th in D penalties with 28.

Now it's only 3 games, but this is unacceptable for a unit with the talent it has. It's struggling to get off the field, can't create turnovers and is struggling to stop teams in the air or on the ground. Nielsen got embarrassed last night and his gameplan ripped to pieces. If this unit continues to play this way we are going to have a very rough year.

Do you think they can turn it around? Is it just down to injuries and players learning a new system?

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"We have to get bigger and stronger."

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

"We have to get bigger and stronger."

But that turned out to be fatter and slower. The lack of pressure from the front 4 is becoming a real concern. OK the Bills have a good Oline, but we struggled against the Browns backup tackles.

Plus teams are throwing a crazy amount of short, quick passes to the flat which never allows the rush to get home but is always wide open.

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Easy guys, we're almost to the part where Barf looks up Dot Matrix can..

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Easy guys, we're almost to the part where Barf looks up Dot Matrix can..

Lol, I thought I'd try and show some proof the D I'd awful right now rather than just saying if.

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Not only can Buffalo beat this guys defense so can ...

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons NFL game, final score 23-7, from October 1, 2023

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A new broom always sweeps clean.

The defense is better this year than the way they closed out the year last year, but they are also still part of the problem this year. Even in the first two games with keeping opposing offenses relatively in check for the most part, they gave up some really bad plays at opportune times for the opposing offenses. That matters more than keeping the point total down.

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Not only can Buffalo beat this guys defense so can ...

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons NFL game, final score 23-7, from October 1, 2023

To be fair, they started Desmond Ritter at QB.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Say it with me: Jimmies and Joes, not x's and O's.

The team's problems all have more to do with talent on the field than the plays they're running.

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"We have to get bigger and stronger."

I tell my D this alllllllll the time. My wife has to give it a pep talk. It's the only way it reacts.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

The defense is better this year than the way they closed out the year last year, but they are also still part of the problem this year.  Even in the first two games with keeping opposing offenses relatively in check for the most part, they gave up some really bad plays at opportune times for the opposing offenses.  That matters more than keeping the point total down.

That first game @Miami they looked amazing. They were fast and aggressive and did a good job keeping two very fast WR's in check. Of course Hill ripped a big one off and that was a game changer but the D looked so good.

Watching that D last night, and I know the backfield has so many injuries, it didn't look the same unit and it was only 2 weeks ago. They looked slower, lost so many individual battles and players running wide open all over the place.

I'm not putting everything on the D, I think you nailed it with better than last year but still part of the problem bit last night was a really bad game.

Is it a one off? Burnt out? Given up on coaches? I guess we'll see.

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"We have to get bigger and stronger."

I tell my D this alllllllll the time. My wife has to give it a pep talk. It's the only way it reacts.

That's handy!

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Not only can Buffalo beat this guys defense so can ...

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons NFL game, final score 23-7, from October 1, 2023

To be fair, they started Desmond Ritter at QB.

Oh, my bad we being fair this week?

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A new broom always sweeps clean.

To be fair, they started Desmond Ritter at QB.

Oh, my bad we being fair this week?

I am always fair.

Also as I recall, Darious Williams had a pick 6, so that 23 points isn't really on their Defense. McManus hit some field goals from range and that's the game where Trevor hit Agent Zero and got destroyed by the tackle who made the line look stupid. I've posted the video of that one somewhere, I think it was Harrison who quit on the play and let TLaw get abused. It was the first time I thought "He's not going to survive the year" and that came true.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

The defense is better this year than the way they closed out the year last year, but they are also still part of the problem this year.  Even in the first two games with keeping opposing offenses relatively in check for the most part, they gave up some really bad plays at opportune times for the opposing offenses.  That matters more than keeping the point total down.

That first game @Miami they looked amazing. They were fast and aggressive and did a good job keeping two very fast WR's in check. Of course Hill ripped a big one off and that was a game changer but the D looked so good.

Watching that D last night, and I know the backfield has so many injuries, it didn't look the same unit and it was only 2 weeks ago. They looked slower, lost so many individual battles and players running wide open all over the place.

I'm not putting everything on the D, I think you nailed it with better than last year but still part of the problem bit last night was a really bad game.

Is it a one off? Burnt out? Given up on coaches? I guess we'll see.

It's a new scheme with a bunch of new personnel in the secondary and our biggest piece in the secondary went out with a hamstring injury in week 1.  The expectation months ago around here was that the defense would probably struggle early because of the change in scheme.  It's been exacerbated by injury, but we're seeing that in real time now.  I guess that performance in week 1 unfairly raised the expectations for many. Please God let Tyson Campbell get healthy this week. Scratch that, didn't realize he was put on IR so he's out at least until week 6.

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That first game @Miami they looked amazing. They were fast and aggressive and did a good job keeping two very fast WR's in check. Of course Hill ripped a big one off and that was a game changer but the D looked so good.

Watching that D last night, and I know the backfield has so many injuries, it didn't look the same unit and it was only 2 weeks ago. They looked slower, lost so many individual battles and players running wide open all over the place.

I'm not putting everything on the D, I think you nailed it with better than last year but still part of the problem bit last night was a really bad game.

Is it a one off? Burnt out? Given up on coaches? I guess we'll see.

It's a new scheme with a bunch of new personnel in the secondary and our biggest piece in the secondary went out with a hamstring injury in week 1.  The expectation months ago around here was that the defense would probably struggle early because of the change in scheme.  It's been exacerbated by injury, but we're seeing that in real time now.  I guess that performance in week 1 unfairly raised the expectations for many.  Please God let Tyson Campbell get healthy this week.  Scratch that, didn't realize he was put on IR so he's out at least until week 6.

Tyson went on IR, he's done for at least 2 more weeks.

Edit: Yep.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

That first game @Miami they looked amazing. They were fast and aggressive and did a good job keeping two very fast WR's in check. Of course Hill ripped a big one off and that was a game changer but the D looked so good.

Watching that D last night, and I know the backfield has so many injuries, it didn't look the same unit and it was only 2 weeks ago. They looked slower, lost so many individual battles and players running wide open all over the place.

I'm not putting everything on the D, I think you nailed it with better than last year but still part of the problem bit last night was a really bad game.

Is it a one off? Burnt out? Given up on coaches? I guess we'll see.

It's a new scheme with a bunch of new personnel in the secondary and our biggest piece in the secondary went out with a hamstring injury in week 1.  The expectation months ago around here was that the defense would probably struggle early because of the change in scheme.  It's been exacerbated by injury, but we're seeing that in real time now.  I guess that performance in week 1 unfairly raised the expectations for many.  Please God let Tyson Campbell get healthy this week.  Scratch that, didn't realize he was put on IR so he's out at least until week 6.

I hope your right. It's a big difference scheme wise. Caldwell was heavy zone, Nielsen runs a lot of man. It may sound a simple change but there's a lot of small details that can cause big problems. The injuries in the backfield are really hurting. Teams are taking advantage of our backups and our better players aren't playing well so it's almost a perfect storm for bad outcomes.

I still believe this is a good team, even though they are nowhere near it right now and a W and some confidence would get us going in the right direction, I fear it's going to be rough for a few more weeks until the coaches and players put it all together.

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It's a new scheme with a bunch of new personnel in the secondary and our biggest piece in the secondary went out with a hamstring injury in week 1.  The expectation months ago around here was that the defense would probably struggle early because of the change in scheme.  It's been exacerbated by injury, but we're seeing that in real time now.  I guess that performance in week 1 unfairly raised the expectations for many.  Please God let Tyson Campbell get healthy this week.  Scratch that, didn't realize he was put on IR so he's out at least until week 6.

I hope your right. It's a big difference scheme wise. Caldwell was heavy zone, Nielsen runs a lot of man. It may sound a simple change but there's a lot of small details that can cause big problems. The injuries in the backfield are really hurting. Teams are taking advantage of our backups and our better players aren't playing well so it's almost a perfect storm for bad outcomes.

I still believe this is a good team, even though they are nowhere near it right now and a W and some confidence would get us going in the right direction, I fear it's going to be rough for a few more weeks until the coaches and players put it all together.

Sorry buddy. They're not.

Wish they were but they're not even close. Bills are a good team. The Jags lost to the Fins and Browns who have been obliterated by everyone else they have played or they lost to another very bad team.

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Defense last night was horrendous. 
Scheme was horrendous- all the man coverage with 0 adjustments when we were getting shredded through the air. Backs turned too a mobile QB is a problem especially when he knows exactly what you are going to be in on every snap.

Execution by our players was horrendous. They played terrible. Not a single player on D stepped up last night and that is on them… vaunted pass rush no where to be found and as some have already mentioned look slow up front overall.


But there are just so many issues with this team right now it has to start with management and culture. Burn it down at the top.

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Oh, my bad we being fair this week?

I am always fair.

Also as I recall, Darious Williams had a pick 6, so that 23 points isn't really on their Defense. McManus hit some field goals from range and that's the game where Trevor hit Agent Zero and got destroyed by the tackle who made the line look stupid. I've posted the video of that one somewhere, I think it was Harrison who quit on the play and let TLaw get abused. It was the first time I thought "He's not going to survive the year" and that came true.

Have you had that same feeling yet this year?

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A new broom always sweeps clean.