20 of them on 57 pass plays. Is that as insane as it sounds?
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Yes. It was an issue during their comeback. But I also believe we might have been “trying some things” and it came back to bite us in the ass.
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Definitely meets the eye test. We just kept blitzing. Once they caught on, they torched us. Shep would struggle at chess.
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I like the aggression. But even that degenerate Flores understands that will feign blitz and then drop eight from time to time.
I don’t think Shep is lost. I just think some tweaks are needed and I think he needs to trust himself to move off of a given strategy before its usefulness is fully exhausted. I defended AG a ton but he struggle in that manner as well IMO.
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Again, I don’t know how much strategizing was behind it. I think - or maybe hope - it fell completely under the “trying things” umbrella more than adjustments, and by the time he adjusted the game was already a game again. But I really do think there’s some “preseason” tendencies to our first four games or so. We don’t get a lot of time to try stuff in live game environments before the season starts anymore. And his plan against Lamar last year was excellent, and that was BEFORE he got injury and struggled against everyone, though nobody remembers that now.
Oh I think he’s plenty strategic week to week. Our plan in Thursday will be more like that Ravens game plan
My concern is strategic instinct on the fly.
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Yep, mine too.
https://x.com/sharpfootball/status/2099508722712052135?s=46
Okay so let’s assume the 20 secondary blitzes occurred on 18 plays. Can’t imagine they sent two DBs too often. That means out of the 22 or so biyzes called only four were LB only? If we see both trying to create some chaos and limit chunk plays that seems off. Maybe some pressure packages for White, who made a great coverage play on that Ettienne wheel route btw, and in particular Moore as a stand up Elephant/Leo.
We can ratchet down the rush some and still be aggressive.
It’s interesting to me because it’s different, at least. And I like the idea of pressure packages, though the downside is they can get you burned, which we saw firsthand. Flores gets burned plenty too, but he balances it well enough live that the good outweighs the bad. Shep’s not there yet, but perhaps he just needs more practice.
There is a time and place for sure. Spags often turns a game with DB blitzes so naturally it would be an approach that Shep likes.
There will never be a better defensive strategy than getting pressure with 4. I will always believe that, but that is so difficult in today’s NFL. Even the teams that are good at it like Houston can be had if the QB is good enough with his legs to counteract it.
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Holy cripes, I hope our DC has come up with a strategy throughout the week and is calling plays per his script and not just randomly “trying things”!
Man, don’t make it black or white like that. The “trying things” approach, which is only my opinion fyi, would have kicked in when we got a big lead.
On the plus side, those are the data points that the Bills have to work with.
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A Brian Branch blitz is completely different than a blitz from our other DB’s. In many cases it was the “correct call” as the DB came in untouched. Then the DB missed/bounced off Slough and the result was a big play.
New Orleans adjusted and started hitting their blitz release guy with high frequency.
Moral = once in a while, OK. All the time = predictable and opponent will burn you.
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i mean remember, during the offseason sheppard said he studied other defenses to see what they did.
always a resounding thing to hear from someone who already has the job. maybe should’ve come up in an interview “so…do you know how to call a defensive gameplan?” “I mean..in theory I just scroll thru the plays and hit ‘x’.”
our defense needs more chaos. we don’t have much in the way of good coverage skills in the back so we need a lot of mystery and moving people around, especially on the line. screw up the oline protection playcalls. make them have to improvise.
Hoping they’re setting up blitz looks from the secondary and then bring it from somewhere else later in the year. Show a bunch of things on film and let your opponents guess where it actually comes from. I thought they mixed man vs zone pretty well, I just think the pressure died off in the 2nd half. The Saints WRs > the Lions DBs
AG up there too, interesting.
Also, good for him. Nice win.
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Not exactly, but I’ve played a lot of Madden. I mean, a LOT