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Fan Friday 1-30Posted by on January 30, 2015 – 11:26 am
It's Super Bowl weekend, but there's plenty to talk about concerning the Bills. Here are your latest set of questions from email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Hi Chris,
The recent public comments of Brandon Spikes and Doug Whaley regarding his future in Buffalo as a upcoming pending free agent did not provide me with much confidence that he will return. Ultimately money and potential playing time will dictate the outcome and with the return of Alonso and big contracts to be spent elsewhere it doesn't look particularly promising that he will be back in my opinion.
I think a strong argument can be made for re-signing Spikes. He provides attitude, toughness and leadership to the position and helped to significantly improve the team's run defense this year. He seemed sincere when he recently commented about enjoying playing in Buffalo and gives the impression that he loves playing the game. Sounds exactly like the kind of player we need to retain. Just wondering what your thoughts are of whether you think there could be a role for Spikes next year with the return of Alonso and if you think the Bills will submit a serious bid to retain Spikes or instead look for the cheaper option of adding depth players behind the projected starters?
CB: It's hard to say what Buffalo's plans are concerning Spikes. Alonso's return is a factor, but I think at the right price Spikes could return to the fold, possibly on another one-year deal. I do remember during a conference call this past season that Rex Ryan who was coaching the Jets at the time said the following about Spikes.
"(Brandon) Spikes is one of those guys that I like because he's a tough guy, a mean guy, a tough a**," said Ryan. "I like guys that are competitors and that's why I like him so much."
Whether Ryan's opinion of Spikes has any influence remains to be seen, but it would appear that Spikes has an admirer in Buffalo's new head coach.
2 – Hi Chris,
Thanks for all the great coverage you continue to provide.
I was wondering what you think the best approach would be in addressing the quarterback postion. Also, do you see Mike Glennon as a fit? I know the Bills were rumored to have liked him coming out of the 2013 draft, and I like much of what I've seen from him so far in Tampa. He should be expendable as the Bucs are expected to take a QB #1 overall. What's your take on Glennon's potential?
CB: Glennon I felt took a bit of a step back in his second season, which was impacted by a new offense and coordinator. He was also in and out of the lineup with veteran Josh McCown earning the starting job out of training camp. Much like EJ Manuel he is limited with his number of starts after getting only six this past season (19 in his career).
His completion percentage is comparable to Manuel's (under 60) and he struggled when blitzed this past year. There's no doubting that his arm strength would be an asset in the conditions the Bills play in at home, but his mobility is limited.
Knowing his skill set is dramatically different to that of EJ Manuel (see: mobility), it's hard to know if that would be viewed as a negative or a positive or irrelevant by the new staff. I don't know if Glennon is seen as a match, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Bills add a young QB in the league or a veteran signal caller either via free agency or a trade.
What do you think the Bills plan of attack for fixing the O-Line? Richardson stills seems developmental and is poor at pass blocking. Pears should be let go and Urbik is average guard. With Williams injured and unclear if he will come back, how many guards do you expect them to bring in? Free agency or draft? It may hard to find a day 1 starter in draft but they need new guys in there.
CB: I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bills draft a guard and add one in free agency. Buffalo has some young guys already in the fold as you mentioned, but both Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan made it clear they're going to bring in competition at positions where it's warranted.
Erik Pears is an unrestricted free agent. Kraig Urbik is a capable player. Chris Williams should be back healthy in time for spring workouts.
One big plus is the hiring of Aaron Kromer, who has produced at least one Pro Bowl lineman on the teams he has coached the last six years. He's a proven teacher and developer of linemen, so hopefully the younger players on the roster will take a big step forward in their development and be bigger contributors (See: Henderson, Kouandjio, Richardson).
4 – Chris,
On a lighter subject, do you think the Bills would consider going back to their Red helmets? Best years in franchise history were with the Blue uniforms and red helmets.
RC from DC
CB: I would not anticipate that happening. Outside of a throwback type of thing I think you'll see the white helmets for a long time.
5 – Hello Chris,
I have really enjoyed the information I have received from your Inside the Bills write ups. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Recently, I read and article on NFL.com, in which Mario Williams was excited about moving to the Linebacker position. To date, that information has not shown up on the buffalbills.com website. I have always believe the 4 3 defense was the best scheme, and our personnel matches that scheme. As our defense was one of the top defenses in the league, I am not clear if Rex and company intend to shift to a 3 4 defense. My thoughts are why? Then there is the statement, " You don't fix what is broken". Can you shed some light on what is going on with the Buffalo Bills defensive scheme for 2015?
CB: I think I will let defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman handle this one. He was asked this week if he's going to run a 3-4 or a 4-3 front. Here was his answer.
"(I will run) whatever talent dictates," said Thurman. "We'll play a 3-4. We'll play a 4-3. We'll get in a Forty-Six. We'll give them an odd front. It's whatever our guys do best and we're going to play to their strengths and when you do that, you're giving your guys a chance to be successful and that's what it really comes down to…is those guys that are out there on that field, are you giving them the opportunity to go out and succeed? So it doesn't matter. The scheme will be dictated by the personnel that we have."
I don't think there's any debating that Rex Ryan's defense are largely a hybrid scheme that can morph and change. So to label it a strict over or under front would be inaccurate. And I think Mario Williams will see a healthy amount of action up on the line of scrimmage.
Tags: 3-4 defense, Brandon Spikes, Dennis Thurman, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Mario Williams, Mike Glennon, NFL free agency, Offensive line, red helmets, Rex Ryan
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 1-23Posted by on January 23, 2015 – 1:11 pm
The new coaching staff is coming together. If you missed any of our Senior Bowl or Pro Bowl coverage check it out on Buffalobills.com. Now for your questions from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
I don't think Hughes, Urbik, Lawson, Spiller, Spikes or Rivers will return next year as the money will be spent in other areas. I think the Bills will soon extend the contracts of Dareus and Glenn. Do you have any insight on this?
CB: I think the Bills will work hard to bring Hughes back into the fold. Spiller is expected to have other suitors. Urbik, Lawson and Rivers are all still under contract. Rex Ryan in a conference call this past season said Spikes was a player he liked because he has a grit and attitude to his game that appeals to him, for whatever that's worth.
As for Dareus and Glenn, the Bills typically address free agents first before worrying about players that are still under contract, so while Dareus and Glenn are seen as long term building blocks for the franchise I don't see them getting done in short order.
2 – Hi, Chris
Looking for help in understanding what has happened to the offensive line over the past three years.
Fact: Four of the current five starters were also starters on the O-Line in 2012.
Fact: The rushing game produced over 2200 yards in 2012; less than 1400 this year.
Fact: Now former coach Marrone has publicly stated that the problem with the run game is not Coach Hackett's schematics.
So — if the line has basically the same players, with the same talent, with a couple years more experience, and the techniques and schematics are correct and being taught properly — why has there been such a marked regression in performance, culminating in last Sunday's horrific 13 yards gained on 13 attempts?
You are close to the scene and obviously can sense better than we fans what is going on. Please help.
Thanks much,
Jim D.
CB: There were a number of factors at work. First and foremost you had your top two running backs injured for a stretch of the season. Spiller missed seven games. I think anyone on the offensive line in 2014 would tell you that their play regressed from the year before.
In 2012 their offensive scheme ran out of a spread formation, which created bigger running lanes for the backs. That was not the case in 2014 as they chose to run between the tackles more often than not. I don't know that the approach offensively always fit the backs they had carrying the ball. That combined with an offensive line that took a step back led to the lowest rushing total in team history in a 16-game season.
3 – Chris,
All Bills fans are disappointed, but so are the fans of the Ravens, Chiefs, Saints, Eagles, a few of them have $100 Million Quarterbacks !! There will be cries for EJ. You get better by practicing your skills, and proving in practice you're ready to play. Do you feel EJ has shown he's ready, how about Kouanjio and Richardson?
Jim in Florida
CB: I think the 12 weeks that Manuel had to focus on his personal game served him well over the last three quarters of the 2014 season. He also learned how to effectively prep yourself as a QB watching Kyle Orton get ready for games each week. From watching him the last month of the season in practice I felt his accuracy was improved. He was no longer thinking and concerned about throwing the perfect ball. He was just throwing.
I'm interested to see him as part of a competition for the starting job next year. Has he shown he's ready? I don't think we'll know until we see him at training camp this summer.
As for Cyrus Kouandjio and Cyril Richardson they worked to make the most of their reps. It sounds like Kouandjio will be given real consideration at the guard position, even though it's very new to him. I also believe competition will be brought in to battle the youngsters for roles on the roster.
4 – Hi Chris: I understand that the Bills offense has been unbalanced between run and pass this past year. What I'm unsure of is the major cause. Could it be that the running backs were banged up this year? Could it be that the offensive line never jelled? Or could it be that most defenses dared us to throw by overloading the box and our pass game didn't respond as well as hoped? Like everything in life, there's usually more than one reason. But I was wondering if you could shed some light on what might be the most significant factor(s).
Warm wishes for the New Year!
Paul in Portland (Formerly Paul in Beijing)
CB: I hate to give a token answer, but I think it was all of the above. The running backs were banged up this year. There were times when defenses loaded up the box with extra defenders. The offensive line did struggle to jell at the start of the season due to Cordy Glenn's undisclosed illness, which kept him out of the majority of the preseason. There was also a move by Erik Pears from tackle to guard, there was a rookie at right tackle and starting LG Chris Williams missed half the preseason due to a recurring back injury.
I also think at times the offensive approach moved away from the strengths of their skill position players in an effort to protect the football with more conservative play.
5 – Hello Chris,
First I'd like to say Happy New Year! Thank You for your news and blogs that us Bills fans love to get answers and info from.. your passion for the Bills is the same that we fans have, and you help us to believe.
My question is about the Offensive line.. I am sure most are wanting to know about the QB, but a big fix we need is on the O-line.
I am wondering what your thoughts(and i'll get the fans thoughts in the comments section after) on
shifting around the line a bit. What about Buffalo using either their 2nd or 3rd round pick on one of the top 2-3 Centers in the 2015 Draft.. like Dismukes from Auburn, Grasu from Oregon, or Gallik from BC. We can then move Wood back to RG where he did well for us in his first 2 years before moving to Center.. he can still call the protections and he shows the ability to move around to run block very well and the aggression.
Then Chris Williams(we lost a lot when he got hurt) coming back to be the LG.. again, we hope he stays healthy. Glenn as the LT and putting the sophomore slump that seems to bite so many and bouncing back. And then Kouandjio and Henderson fighting for the RT position.
So.. LT Glenn, LG Williams, C Best avail in 2015 Draft, RG Wood, RT Henderson/Kouandjio
NE did something like this with a new Center this year in Stork and they seemed to find a good rhythm in the season… and we could even if need be bring in whomever is not the starter at RT out once in a while to line up next to the starter giving us a 6th Lineman as protection if need be.
Just looking for your thoughts.. as far as where instead of going out to get 2 new G's in FA and maybe in the draft where a good Center can change it all up and be giving us depth also.
Thanks.. have a nice weekend watching the post season.
Brian Moss
CB: I think your thought about moving Eric Wood out to guard, where he began his NFL career is an interesting idea. However, I think the only way it happens is if the Bills bring in a veteran center, not a rookie by way of the draft. If they add an offensive lineman in the draft I would expect it to be more of a guard. But knowing they have a second-year guard in Cyril Richardson and possibly a second guard option in Cyrus Kouandjio they may elect to add a veteran guard as they did last year (Chris Williams).
I think Seantrel Henderson can only improve in his second season if he takes to good coaching with the new staff and his athleticism alone gives him a leg up on Kouandjio for the right tackle job.
Tags: 2015 NFL draft, Chris Williams, Cordy Glenn, Cyril Richardson, Cyrus Kouandjio, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Kyle Orton, NFL free agency, Offensive line
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 1-16Posted by on January 16, 2015 – 12:24 pm
It was a historical week for the Bills franchise with the hiring of Rex Ryan as the 18th head coach in team history. Now for your questions from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
With the coming to an end what positions do you think need more depth for the offseason besides QB? Offensive line or maybe tight end or defensive end in case Hughes leaves? Can you also explain to fans that the Bills would have taken Eric Ebron, and trading up for Sammy wasn't as risky as many thought. This year's list of WRs isn't as deep.
CB: As for positional needs the guard spot is right up at the top. I think a big running back is another potential need for two reasons. First, it's unclear as to whether C.J. Spiller will return to the team with the ability to become a free agent this offseason. Second, a power run game is going to need a big back comparable to Frank Gore or Eddie Lacy. Buffalo has a big back in Boobie Dixon, but he was relegated to backup duty under offensive coordinator Greg Roman in San Francisco. Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown are capable, but it might be time to draft a young back to add to the mix. An end/OLB would be a need if Hughes doesn't return, but they can't wait on that.
As for last year's draft, it was my understanding that if the Bills stayed at nine that Eric Ebron was the most likely target, assuming the likes of Sammy Watkins was off the board.
2 – Hi Chris,
My name is Ben Cary, a dedicated bills fan from West Seneca studying at Miami University of Ohio. Are the Bills interested in pursuing Jay Cutler, now that the Bears might be shopping him? I think he could fix a lot of our quarterback issues. He has the raw talent to make the plays none of our recent QB's have been able to. I also think he would find success in our run first offense because he wouldn't be forced to throw the ball as much as Chicago made him. What are your thoughts?
Has Doug Whaley thought about this as well? I love the improvement we've made this year and can't wait to see what the future of the franchise holds!
Thanks so much
Ben Cary
CB: If the Bills are interested in pursuing Jay Cutler in a trade scenario they certainly can't state it publicly since he's property of the Bears. That could open the team up to tampering charges. While there's no debating that he is physically gifted as a quarterback there is a reason his second franchise is reportedly looking to move him.
I don't dismiss your point that a run first approach on offense could decrease some of the ill-advised plays Cutler tries to make. While talent is a big asset to have as a quarterback, leadership is a close second and that's where I think Cutler struggles as a player.
I can't tell you what Doug Whaley is thinking, but it's my belief that the Bills will look to add a veteran quarterback to the roster. Whether Cutler is under consideration remains to be seen.
3 – @ChrisBrownBills I see the two lineman the #bills have signed to futures deals are both under 300 lbs. Will this be the trend going forward? More athleticism at guard seems logical, right?
CB: Greg Roman's power run game is pretty multiple. That being said having guards who are capable of pulling is a plus. You also have to be able to push the pile so I don't know that a trend can be taken from the two most recent OL signings.
4 – @ChrisBrownBills do u believe Whaley that he would take a QB in the 2nd or 3rd if the right one was available? Petty or Hundley. #bills
CB: I think Whaley in that radio interview this week was just trying to emphasize the fact that they do not rule anything out with every draft pick they hold. If a quarterback is the best player on the board, and there isn't a pressing positional need with a prospect that is comparable in terms of grade to said quarterback, then they'll take a QB. Knowing this is his approach he cannot rule out taking a QB. In reality I see the Bills adding a veteran quarterback this offseason.
5 – Hi Chris,
What is a typical NFL halftime like for a team? Does the head coach address the full team the entire time? Do position groups meet? Are the discussions strategic or motivational? Thanks
CB: At halftime there isn't a whole lot of time. With the coaches from the booth taking an extra five minutes to get down to the locker room, there's only about 7-8 minutes to go over things. The head coach will briefly huddle with the coordinators before making decisions on various adjustments for the second half. In most cases the teams breaks off into offensive and defensive groups with their coordinators. They address what has to be corrected and then what some of the adjustments will be. After plotting out strategy the head coach or a team captain might say a few inspirational words and it's back out to the field.
Tags: Bryce Petty, C.J. Spiller, Doug Whaley, Eric Ebron, Fan Friday, Greg Roman, halftime, Jay Cutler, Jerry Hughes
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 1-9Posted by on January 9, 2015 – 11:44 am
The season is over and the head coaching search is underway. Now for your questions from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
Can you give Bills fans an update on the picks we get for the Stevie Johnson and Bryce Brown trades and where the picks could be for both players based on their playing time? Is it a 3rd for both players if they have a certain amount of games?
CB: Both trades were in exchange for conditional fourth-round picks. What most are not aware of is Buffalo was using one trade to facilitate the other.
While I don't have the exact terms that would have bumped both picks to third-round selections I do know that both the pick acquired in the Johnson trade remained a fourth-round pick, as did the pick Philadelphia is owed by Buffalo.
Since the Bills original fourth-round pick in 2015 was traded to Cleveland in the Sammy Watkins deal, the fourth-round pick acquired from San Francisco for Stevie Johnson must be sent to Philadelphia for Bryce Brown.
So this spring the Bills do not have a first or fourth round selection. They have a second, third, two fifths, sixth and seventh.
2 – Hey Chris,
Thanks for the great coverage and all that you do. A lot has been made around the NFL about the NFC South and one of those teams making the playoffs with a record less than .500. My question is that with the Bills finishing with a better record than the NFC South champion (Carolina 7-8-1) will they pick after them in the draft? The draft normally goes by record but do things change once a team makes the playoffs? Thanks for the response.
J-P from Corning, NY but now in Frederick, MD
CB: Yes, by rule playoff teams pick after non-playoff teams. So the Bills first-round pick at 19, which is owned by Cleveland comes before Carolina. In fact even the playoff teams with better records who were eliminated Wild Card weekend will pick ahead of the Panthers. The best Carolina can do if they lose to Seattle this weekend is the 25th pick in round one.
3 – Chris,
Watching the Bills this season always leaves me thinking how many games would they have won if we had a top QB. Despite some games that Orton played well, he is surely not the guy to lead the Bills to the playoffs. I was wondering if picking up Sam Bradford would be a possibility and keeping EJ as a backup. I was also thinking that even though our offensive line has struggled this year, would we take a QB with our 2nd round pick this year?
CB: Sam Bradford is an interesting consideration. He has more than three times the experience of EJ Manuel in terms NFL starts with 49 on his NFL resume, but what is of concern to me is his completion percentage. It's 58.6 percent, which is exactly the same as EJ Manuel.
I think the Bills need better than that if they decide acquiring a veteran quarterback is the route to take again this offseason. Now I'll admit it is slim pickings in terms of the free agent market, and Bradford might be seen as one of the better options available.
Buffalo has limited capital to offer in a trade for a QB knowing they're without a first and fourth-round pick this year.
The plan going forward concerning the quarterback position is certainly going to be one of the more intriguing developments for the Bills this offseason. And as for taking a QB in round two of the draft I don't think anything can be ruled out at this point, but I do believe quarterback might be addressed before the draft rolls around.
4 – Chris,
How do you assess the prospects of OGs Kouandjio and Richardson? Do they have a chance to start on the Bills' O-line or will the Bills be shopping for guards in free agency and the draft next year.
CB: I think Cyrus Kouandjio and Cyril Richardson are still seen as long term investments by the organization. As I've written here before Kouandjio is still very young in football. He turned 21 during training camp last summer and has not played football his entire life. There is talent there. I just think what he needs is time on the job. Richardson has the physical tools, but they need to be refined more.
With that in mind I think it would be prudent for the Bills to seek NFL ready help at the guard position, especially with Erik Pears a free agent this offseason. The draft is another possibility, but it would have to be addressed early (2nd, 3rd round).
5 – Hi Chris,
My question pertains to re-signing several key players. I've read that there is some questions about whether or not we can sign Jerry Hughes, and renegotiate CJ and Marcel's deals to keep them here long term, while also finding some key free agents and solid draft picks. Don't we have a considerable amount of dead money coming off the books at the end of this year (Fitz, Stevie, Anderson, Lindell)? Overthecap.com says that it is about $21.6 million. With that money freed up, and the expansion of the salary cap don't we have enough room to work with to bring back Jerry and give Marcel and CJ a raise?
(If this doesn't make the list of questions on the blog post I would still love to hear your thoughts about where we stand financially going forward and how we can keep our defensive and offensive playmakers in Buffalo.)
CB: You're right there is a good amount of dead money coming off the books. I have seen the dead cap number closer to $24M. Per GM Doug Whaley – they will make every effort to bring Jerry Hughes and C.J. Spiller back into the fold.
There are reports that NFL clubs are expecting the cap to go up about $10M this year, which helps as well. It's certainly possible that Dareus' contract will be addressed to reduce his $8M cap figure this year and extend it.
However, I don't think Dareus' contract has to be extended in order for the club to formulate competitive offers for Hughes, Spiller and possibly Da'Norris Searcy.
Tags: 2015 NFL draft, C.J. Spiller, Cyril Richardson, Cyrus Kouandjio, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Jerry Hughes, NFL free agency, quarterback, Sam Bradford
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 12-26Posted by on December 26, 2014 – 11:43 am
The end goal of the playoffs unfortunately did not come to fruition this season, but the support of the Bills fans never wavered. One more game up in New England this week. Now for your questions from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
I think the reason Buffalo cannot win is because they don't have a franchise quarterback. The reason they don't have a franchise quarterback is because of how quickly the head coach and the entire staff get fired. There is no way a quarterback will develop if the system changes continually. There are very good examples of this and I will give one … Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning managed only two wins his first year yet the management and fan base stuck with him. Why won't buffalo bills fan base back a quarter back other than Jim Kelly?
Michael from Nebraska
CB: Your points are very valid. This is the value of continuity that I believe team president Russ Brandon was getting at in a radio interview recently. Constant change over the past 15 years (6 head coaches hired, 9 offensive coordinators, 7 defensive coordinators) has unquestionably compromised the development of young talent on the roster because the approach and philosophy of coaches obviously differs.
J.P. Losman may never have been a great quarterback, but having three different offensive coordinators in his five years with the team greatly impacted his improvement as a player. There's no debating that changing systems requires a period of adjustment for all players. There's also a period of adjustment for new coaches, who must learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the talent they inherit.
That's why the dominance of the Patriots in the AFC East has persisted for so long. It's not only because they've been able to enjoy continuity under Bill Belichick, but their success is also the byproduct of a lack of continuity with the rest of the division. The Jets, Dolphins and Bills have all had a good deal of head coaching and coordinator turnover since2000 with New York expected to see more this offseason.
Change can be good for the clubs that choose that course, but the odds are even better that New England will benefit as a result of that change within their division.
2 – Hey Chris,
Everyone seems to be singling out the QB play, but personally I don't think that's the main issue right now; it's just the easiest to blame. When I watch Orton, I see a pocket passer who makes probably about 7 or 8 out of 10 throws to open receivers when he's protected. The problem is we can't run the ball, so the defense tees off on him when he drops back to pass and that further exasperates our horrible pass protection.
That's why we can't make plays down the field, because there isn't the time to let the play develop. Every time I see Orton try to wait for a receiver to come open down the field he has to throw it early, and he's usually still taking a pretty good hit, so it's not like he's throwing it earlier than he has to. Also our receivers have struggled to get open quite a bit this year; I imagine a running game would help with play action, which would help our receivers and O-line.
People seem to forget the super bowl quickly, as great as Peyton Manning is, even he couldn't win without a running game and pass protection. The plan by this regime was originally to be a dominate run team that plays defense. And I think Orton is a good enough QB to execute that. Just look at his stats after 9 games. To me it shows that he's capable of passing for around 25 td's, 12-14 int's, and around 4,000 yards. If we can run the ball and play defense that is good enough to win. With improved o-line play he might even be able to do better than that.
CB: I don't disagree with some of the points you make here. I do think however, there have been instances where with time to throw, Orton has simple been inaccurate. Against the Raiders there were two plays on the same drive where Orton missed Hogan running an underneath checkdown route when he stepped up in the pocket. He also missed Watkins on a deep out route with clear separation when he was not under duress.
Obviously all quarterbacks miss throws, but his misses are magnified because the margin for error for this offense is smaller than most. That's because, as you point out, the run game has fallen on hard times this season. If Buffalo still had the number two rushing offense in the league this season, as they had last year, I believe the Bills would be a playoff team right now.
Unfortunately balance has been sorely absent in Buffalo's offense more than anything else. The last time the Bills had true balance in their offense was against the Jets in Detroit when they won 38-3. Even when they attempted to have balance in Week 15 against Green Bay, though there wasn't a great deal of production they were still effective enough to get a win with their strong defense.
When the Bills don't have balance on offense they do run into a lot of the problems you mention. And since those other elements of their offense are just average, when they're depended upon to solve the offensive problems, they usually come up short on that side of the ball. And that leads to a lack of points and unless you're close to averaging 23-24 points per game it's unlikely you're going to win more than you lose in the NFL.
3 – Chris,
When the Bills had to play New York Jets in Detroit and free tickets were given out, is the lost in revenue be distributed or totally absorbed by one or two teams?
C.J. Wong
CB: The Bills, along with most other NFL clubs, has what's called business interruption insurance. That covers the cost of any financial or revenue losses incurred by having to relocate the Week 12 home game against the Jets to Detroit.
The split of the gate revenue lost for that home game will likely remain the same (60-40). How insurance will determine the revenue lost will likely be based on the number of tickets sold leading up to the game along with a few other estimated variables.
4 – Chris,
Regarding the college draft for the Bills organization, how is the player evaluated? Who makes the final decision on the draft? The Bills has to be congratulated for great finds like Kiko Alonso and Preston
Brown. The skill of Marcell Dareus and Sammy Watkins is public knowledge before the draft. How can we avoid the annual blunders, namely T.J. Graham in 2012, E.J. Manuel in 2013 and Cyrus Kouandjio in 2014? E.J. has great disposition. His shortcoming in precision, judgment and often exposes his receivers for big hit is worrisome. I wish him nothing but the best.
CB: Concerning the college draft GM Doug Whaley makes the final call on a draft choice.
Avoiding draft misses like Graham can't be completely avoided. There are simply too many variables to successfully navigate a team clear of such picks.
Far beyond, height, weight, speed, character and on field disposition are things that no one can truly measure like how a college player's game will translate to the NFL.
A perfect example is former Bills WR Josh Reed. At LSU Reed AVERAGED 145 receiving yards a game in an era of college football that hadn't quite exploded into a wide open spread game with inflated numbers. He was the Biletnikoff winner (award for nation's best college WR) and when the Bills drafted him in round two back in 2002 he was considered one of the steals of the draft.
We all know how that turned out.
Statistical studies have shown that if a team can hit on 40 percent of their draft choices they are doing very, very well. And most NFL clubs don't even reach that success rate.
I also think it's premature to call EJ Manuel or Cyrus Kouandjio draft blunders. High draft choices admittedly come with high expectations, right or wrong, but patience with such talent can often be rewarded.
5 – Hi Chris,
I have a question with regards to offensive creativity. I feel that the Bills offense is incredibly bland when looking at other teams. Obviously we will never be the Patriots but when you watch them they go five wide and other times put Edelman in motion all over to create matchups and get separation. Sammy stays in one spot every time. We also currently have NO play action.
I feel Orton needs to get under center and create some play action or something – we're TERRIBLE running the ball out of shotgun. I understand the slower tempo but where is the imagination and slant routes and deep middle crosses??
I feel like I'm watching Dick Jauron's offense and our players are so much better now it's just so frustrating. I'm also interested in your take on our offensive line coach who no one talks about. Our O line is regressing due to scheme and technique and I thought this was a questionable hire initially and I think we would do well with some new blood there.
It still is beyond me that we can have a kickoff specialist who can't kick the ball out of the end zone in DENVER and we leave Mike Williams off roster and have no five wide formations. Count me in as one who thinks Marrone's offense is better suited for college than the pros.
Chris P.
CB: It's my belief that a lot of the limitations we've seen in terms of play calling are rooted in what the coaching staff believes, or doesn't believe, the unit is capable of executing on a consistent basis. With the struggles of the run game this season to execute effectively, the balance of the offense which is designed to play off a productive run game have been largely compromised as mentioned above.
You can't have play action if you have a run game that is not producing. If a defense can stop your run game with seven defenders, play action doesn't draw that safety up into the box to stop the run and leave the secondary with one fewer defender.
I respect the frustration, but with a young receiving corps with no one with more than a couple of NFL seasons under their belt I think the staff is hesitant to expand the scope of the offense for fear of sacrificing what consistency they believe they have.
Tags: Doug Marrone, Fan Friday, Kyle Orton, NFL Draft, Offensive line, Run game
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 12-12Posted by on December 12, 2014 – 1:25 pm
Time for another edition of Fan Friday. On to your questions now from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Hi Chris,
What are the illuminated numbers for when the Bills are on Defense? We sit on the visitors side of the Bills Stadium and often wonder if it signals to the defense.
Tony Pariso
CB: The fluorescent number cards held up by a Bills sideline assistant when the Bills defense is on the field is a cue card. The number on it identifies the personnel grouping of the opposing offense on that particular play. For example, a card that has an 11 on it means 11-personnel, which is one back, one tight end and three receivers. If it's a 22 that means two backs and two tight ends. The number in the tens column identifies the number of backs in the grouping. The number in the ones column identifies the number of tight ends in the grouping.
Knowing you've got five lineman and a quarterback, you can do the math to figure out how many receivers you need to get to 11 total players based on the number of backs and tight ends.
It's just a simple identifier tool for the defense so everyone is on the same page and can focus on the defensive play call and any pre-snap checks.
2 – Chris:
In the week that the Bills had to play the Jets in Detroit it was stated by Coach Marrone that it was a tough week because he prefers a set routine in preparing the team and he feels the players like a set routine. The way the team performed and had energy against the NY Jets after all the upheaval with the weather, do you think coaches should re-think the need to have a set routine? Do you think by following the same routine a team could get stale and cause players to lack energy and concentration. I feel it may be best to change practice routines and schedules during the season which may keep players sharp and fresh.
CB: I think the coaching staff makes an effort to tweak certain aspects of the practice week to keep players on their toes, but largely football players and coaches are creatures of habit. I don't know that it's fair to take one isolated performance in a neutral site situation with a lot of upheaval to the normal schedule and let that convince you that the schedule should be altered every week.
3 – Hi Chris,
Is it possible that the Bills will give a free agent a chance at being the franchise QB? I am actually targeting Kirk Cousins from the Redskins. He has one year left on his contract, but I really don't see him as a fit for the Buffalo Bills. Obviously, EJ Manuel will be given another chance, but Cousins is a bomber, and I think it would be exciting to watch Cousins with our current wide receivers. I would most definitely keep Kyle Orton as insurance, he has more than proven himself.
Your thoughts,
Tony, Ormond Beach, Fl
CB: I think the quarterback position could be a very fluid situation this offseason. You have EJ Manuel under contract and I still believe you have to work with him and develop him further. Giving up on him after just 14 starts seems foolhardy. Ryan Tannehill didn't look like much in his first two seasons, but now in year three he's demonstrated bona fide progress and has grown into the role for Miami. The Dolphins stuck with him and he's rewarding them for that despite a change in offensive system this year.
Whether the Bills choose to stick with Orton as the veteran or bring in another is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to offseason decisions that must be made.
4 – Chris,
Can you give fans an update on the RT position. How has Henderson been doing? Fans are probably upset at Cyrus' development since he got beat out by a 7th round pick. What is the future for Cyrus. I really don't see him playing guard in the future. The Bills thought he had first round talent. I know Henderson may have been a steal. With no first round pick next year, it looks bad their 2nd round pick can't be active on game day.
CB: Henderson has had his share of ups and downs this season. He has had some steady games and some unsteady games, but that inconsistency is to be expected with a rookie who is starting at this level for the first time. His athleticism and physical gifts are unquestioned and his work ethic has been pretty solid all year.
Cyrus Kouandjio is much younger in football than Henderson. Henderson played four years of college ball and all through high school. Kouandjio played two years of high school ball and declared early for the draft. Kouandjio is also just 21-years old.
He's still growing into his body frame. Kouandjio needs to get stronger and needs reps. I think the team has to be patient with him and let him grow and learn for a couple of years. In time he could very well justify being a second-round pick, and the Bills knew when they picked that they'd have to wait on him a bit.
Kouandjio will never have the athleticism or feet that Henderson does. That's God-given. Had Henderson not had all the off the field red flags, he'd have likely been a first-round pick for what it's worth. I believe Kouandjio will be a contributor in time, but that's what it's going to take before he maximizes his potential. Time.
5 – Hi Chris,
Now that TV networks hire former referee's for insight during the broadcast, would the Bills be able to hire a former ref to be on the staff and be on the sideline to assist the Head coach with challenge calls for example?
Thanks Travis
CB: That's a pretty clever idea. Knowing how there seems to be an expert for every part of the football operation, why not a former official on your staff? I'll have to check to see if there are rules against doing that. The only thing that I could see preventing that is a coach being concerned that it would indicate that he doesn't know the challenge system well enough.
Tags: Cyrus Kouandjio, Doug Marrone, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Kirk Cousins, officiating, personnel groupings, Seantrel Henderson
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 12-5Posted by on December 5, 2014 – 11:20 am
The biggest December road game in quite some time is just two days away. Nice to see a game that matters here at this point in the season for the Bills. On to your questions now from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Hello Chris
I have a couple questions. When will the coaching staff see that the QB play was not the problem? EJ could throw a pick a game and not fumble. Plus he had the strength in the pocket plus agility to avoid half the sacks Orton has had. It is play calling I feel. We run such a mellow offense. Out of 73 starts for Orton he has 8 comebacks. EJ had I believe 4 in just 14 starts. We should have let him continue to develop. Orton has continually been trying to make up for his mistakes. (Pick six in Detroit. That game should have never been that close)
Secondly do they hope CJ may come back with the IR they placed him on? Thanks again for all your coverage of the best team in sports.
Palm Coast, FL
CB: Your numbers for Orton and Manuel are pretty much on the mark. Orton does have eight fourth quarter comebacks in his career. Manuel has one fourth quarter comeback and three game-winning drives, one of which came in Week 1 against Chicago in overtime with the score tied.
I think head coach Doug Marrone explained the quarterback move for what it was. At the time Manuel was struggling to complete passes with consistency. He was missing open targets and it was costing them yards and points and that ultimately costs you games.
Marrone had to decide between development of EJ Manuel or winning games. Winning games trumped Manuel's development. Orton doesn't have the physical assets that Manuel possesses. That's obvious.
What Orton does have however, is the knowledge of where to go with the football regardless of the situation or defensive look. He can diagnose disguised coverages faster and his knowledge allows him to make decisions quicker. I think that results in Orton being more willing to give his receivers opportunities to make plays by taking a bit more risk than Manuel was willing to when he was in the lineup.
That being said Manuel has been working hard on his personal game and I think being able to focus on just himself the last two months has helped Manuel immeasurably. Whether he gets another opportunity this season will likely be tied to Orton's health.
2 – @ChrisBrownBills
What do you think Hughes trade value is? Would you package him and Spiller for a first rd. Pick?
CB: First, I will say I don't think it's the primary intention of the Bills to trade either player. In an ideal world they keep both players in the fold. Will it happen? That depends on the intentions of the Hughes and Spiller camps.
In your hypothetical trade situation I think you're underselling Hughes and Spiller as a package. Hughes is going to have double-digit sacks in back-to-back seasons and is just entering his prime. Spiller is still an elite physical talent no matter what his rushing production numbers say. One first round pick for both of them is far from an acceptable offer.
A first and a second round pick is what would be more equitable. We have to remember that they're both former first-round draft choices themselves.
3 – @ChrisBrownBills
What's Goodwin's % to play?
CB: If you want to know if he'll dress on Sunday I think there's a decent chance that happens knowing some of Buffalo's top receivers are nicked up. He can serve as insurance. If you want to know how many snaps he'll get that's tough to peg. He got all of two snaps last week on offense and was targeted once. After Marcus Thigpen's debut performance on returns last week Goodwin is unlikely to re-assume those duties.
Goodwin has just 70 snaps on offense this season. That's partly due to him being unavailable due to injury, but that's more than 100 fewer snaps on offense than Mike Williams (194), who has been inactive for three games. Goodwin has been out of the lineup for six games.
The former third-round pick has just six targets this season and one catch for 42 yards.
4 – @ChrisBrownBills
What position will be the top priority to improve in the offseason?
CB: I think the clubhouse leader position-wise is the offensive line. Though the unit has played a bit better of late there just hasn't been enough consistency up front, so I could see that being addressed in the offseason. Where they come down on the quarterback position is something else that bears watching.
Other positions could be added to the priority list based on potential player departures in free agency.
5 – Chris,
I understand that opponents are working on eliminating Sammy's impact on games and work on keeping him from beating them. That said, I still think they are under utilizing Sammy, specifically on WR screens. It would be one thing if they were running WR screens on the opposite side of the field as Sammy, but the majority of the time Sammy is lead blocking. I saw this at least two times on Monday night's game.
I get what Marrone is saying, but their actions don't always coordinate entirely with what they say.
CB: They have worked to find more ways to get Watkins the ball. We saw some receiver screens last week against Cleveland. I think there would be some merit to stacking receivers at the line with Watkins being the wideout who is second in line on the stack. That could help him gain early separation.
Watkins was targeted nine times last week, but had just three receptions. Part of the problem at times was ball location. Watkins has a wide catch radius, but even he couldn't make the play on some errant throws. The timing and execution has to be better when Watkins is targeted.
We'll see if they can get that fixed against a pair of very aggressive corners this week in Denver.
Tags: C.J. Spiller, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Jerry Hughes, Kyle Orton, Marquise Goodwin, Offensive line, Sammy Watkins
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 11-28Posted by on November 28, 2014 – 10:24 am
Big AFC conference tilt Sunday with Cleveland that will have a large impact on whether or not the Bills can stay in the playoff race. On to your questions now from email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Dear Chris,
First of all, let me thank you and the rest of the extraordinary staff at Bills.com for providing me with so much information about my Bills. As a Bills Backer from Austria, Europe it feels like I'm right there in Buffalo, getting all the valuable insights I need. This service is simply second to none!
My question is what will the Bills do with Boobie in the offseason? Since C.J.'s status is up in the air, it would make even more sense to keep him here for another year.
Thanks again for all the great work you do and I am already looking forward to the next piece of information on the web!
CB: We appreciate the compliments, thanks. Well the good news is when the Bills signed Dixon this past offseason it was a three-year contract agreement, so he's signed through the 2016 season. So I don't think you've got anything to worry about regarding Dixon's immediate future with Buffalo.
2 – Hello, Chris.
As always, your coverage has been fantastic. Thanks for all your effort and insight.
My questions relate to the rules regarding the game-day roster of 45 players. I admit that I know nothing of the origins of that rule, and acknowledge that it is not specific to the NFL (the NHL has healthy scratches to the line-up as well, for example). However, as a fan, I am frustrated that the rule even exists. Is seems like a completely arbitrary and contrived barrier to putting the best players on the field. I understand that roster limits of some sort are necessary to maintain competitive balance and contain cost, but once the 53-man roster exists, what sense does it make to restrict it further? The fans certainly do not benefit when a coach has to choose between a 4th WR or a special teamer – when having both would optimize the team's performance in both those phases of the game.
Can you please shed some light on this rule for me? Who benefits from it? Do the players insist on it via collective bargaining for some reason (I would think they would oppose it to give as many players a shot to play)? Do the owners/management teams save money on contracts for the players that sit?
I can think of many reasons why it would be better to have all 53 players suit up for a game, and not one for why it is better that 8 players sit out. I am hoping you can share some rationale that makes the rule seem like it makes the game better, and not worse.
CB: The game day limit is actually 46 players now after they did away with the emergency third QB. The whole purpose forcing teams to have seven inactive players from their 53-man roster is to create better competitive balance.
Yes, all NFL clubs deal with injuries due to the physical nature of the sport, but some teams experience more than others at different times in the season. So when a team may have five injured players who are not fit to play in the same week, giving them just 48 healthy players, the NFL believes it is too much of a competitive imbalance to let their opponent dress all 53 of their players if they're a fully healthy club.
Does that kind of imbalance exist very often? Probably not, but there have been instances where the injury lists have been rather lopsided leading up to a game and could create such an imbalance if the game day 46 rule did not exist.
I think coaches would love to have all healthy players available to them on Sunday, but the NFL Competition Committee hasn't seen fit to change the rule.
3 – Chris,
Down 10 with 8 or 9 minutes, 4th and 6 on Mia 47 Doug Marrone chose to punt because "the percentages of converting a 4th and 6 are not great". If you are using this analytic thinking, don't you have to ask yourself "what are the percentages of winning when you give your opponent the ball back with 8 minutes down 10 points. Rewind to the KC game and they go for it on 4th and 10 when you have the opportunity to make it a 1 point game with all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. I just don't see the consistency in his analytical thinking, sometimes a little common sense trumps percentages.
My question is, does Marrone have access to percentages and analytics to make a real time game decision?
CB: I think the reason you don't see the consistency in his analytical thinking is because he doesn't go strictly by the numbers. Coach Marrone does make use of analytical data, but for him it's just part of the puzzle, not gospel.
Personally I think it's a wise approach. The number crunchers who demand that a team should go for it on 4th-and-4 at their own 45 because the numbers say they'll convert more than 50 percent, or whatever figure it might be, are not taking into account the variables involved in those numbers.
There are instances like a team being down by 21 points in the fourth quarter with five minutes left. If that offense has that 4th-and-4 situation they'll go for it based on time and score. Even more notable, the opposing defense will play soft as they would be in a position where they're willing to give up yardage in exchange for time on the clock being up three scores.
That successful conversion by that offense is a part of that overall success rate of teams on 4th-and-4 at their own 45. And that's just one situation that's part of that number which would give any coach pause, especially if a situation they face in their game is in stark contrast to that (e.g. 4th-and-4 at their own 45, down three points in the third quarter).
Treating analytic figures like that in a vacuum is foolish for NFL head coaches and they know it because they don't tell the whole truth. That's why coach Marrone has stated that while he does take statistics into account much of the time he goes by feel, which takes into account how his offense is executing, how the opposing defense is performing, how his own defense and special teams have been able to control field position. Time and score, etc.
Analytics like that are largely based on a number of different circumstances in a 4th-and-4 situation. To take them all to make a singular decision that is also a 4th-and-4 situation at the same yard line is flawed.
4 – Hi Chris,
Are the Bills planning to move CJ Spiller off the roster? My reasoning: He has had maybe 2 1/2 good years in total. Yes, he has talent, but he does not show up consistently. With work, I think Bryce Brown could replace Spiller. He is not as flamboyant as Spiller, but he is bigger, and has equal speed. Also, would the Bills draft a Fred Jackson like running back next April? Jackson is 33, and nearing the end. Jackson has maximized his potential, something I don't Spiller has done.
In summary, keeping Brown, using Dixon as a change of pace back, and drafting a Fred Jackson clone would create a formidable running attack.
Your thoughts,
Tony, Ormond Beach, Fl
CB: It's my belief that in a perfect world the Bills would like to return Spiller to the fold for next season and beyond. I think your opinion on Bryce Brown is valid. He is more of a north-south runner than Spiller.
As for whether the Bills would draft a running back will hinge largely on Spiller's future, so until that scenario unfolds it's difficult to ascertain the direction the Bills will go in late April.
Jackson signed a one-year extension this past summer and I'm expecting the Bills to honor that so long as Jackson's abilities don't fall off a cliff. And there'd no indication of that.
5 – @ChrisBrownBills
What's going on with Goodwin?
CB: I think Marquise Goodwin's availability has been a tough thing for the coaching staff to deal with this season. He's been nicked this season, and there are a few games where he was active and played, but was unable to finish due to injuries suffered in game.
There's no question that Goodwin's abilities can make him an asset on offense or special teams, but if there's a concern about him finishing games that will give coaches pause in giving him a large role or perhaps dressing him at all on a Sunday.
Tags: 46 player rule, analytics, Boobie Dixon, C.J. Spiller, Fan Friday, Marquise Goodwin
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 11-21Posted by on November 21, 2014 – 9:01 pm
Despite some crazy logistics this week, here's Fan Friday with questions from email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
Over the past couple of years here are moves that GM Doug Whaley really "hit on";
(1) Trading ILB Kelvin Sheppard for DE Jerry Hughes = A+
(2) Drafting LB Kiko Alonso = A+
(3) Drafting WR Sammy Watkins = A+, price was pretty steep, but gives the Bills a legit #1 WR in awhile
(4) Drafting LB Preston Brown + A, this guy has been a very nice surprise on the defensive side of the ball
(5) Signing QB Kyle Orton = A+ ( I was writing to you back in July for the Bills to sign Orton, glad Coach Marrone finally switched Kyle Orton to #1 QB. I thought he should have a week sooner, if the Bills had, Bills beat Texans in Houston)
(6) Signing of free agent kicker Dan Carpenter, he's been clutch when kicks are needed the most.
Question: Since the Bills do not have a #1 draft pick in 2015 and RB Spiller is not going to command a large contract to resign, can't GM Doug Whaley take that $$$ and Resign DE Jerry Hughes and extend DT Marcel Dareus long-term ?
Bills really need to try and keep their defensive line together, they are the strength of the team. I think it was a mistake years ago when the Bills let Pat Williams and Ted Washington depart.
South FL
CB: I had a blog post on this very subject earlier this week when GM Doug Whaley addressed the future of both Hughes and Dareus this week on Bills flagship station WGR this week. Here's what Whaley said about Hughes and Dareus.
"Those guys are great players. We would love to have them, and those are the things we'll discuss at the end of the season, which we do every year," Whaley said. "We don't negotiate in the media, but they've brought tremendous production to our defensive line and helped to make our defense one of the best in the league and we're going to do whatever we can to keep them."
I believe the Bills know the defensive line is the linchpin of their defense and with the unit much improved against the run this season they'll make a strong effort to keep Hughes in the fold even though three of their highest paid players are their other three starting defensive linemen.
2 – Hi Chris,
Big Buffalo Bills fan here in Northern Ireland. Great job you and John Murphy do in covering the bills.
Couple of questions, how is EJ getting on and what do you think the future is at the qb position the bills this season and beyond this season?
Many thanks
CB: Thanks for the compliments. EJ is doing well. Head coach Doug Marrone last week acknowledged that he is making progress with his personal game. We covered some of what he's been working on since assuming the backup role.
As for the future at the position there are some moving parts there. Orton has a player option for next year in his deal with Buffalo. Manuel is obviously still under contract.
It's my belief that the last six games will have a lot to do with the direction the team takes at that position. I realize that a good number of outside observers are of the opinion that EJ Manuel's career is over with Buffalo. I don't share that opinion.
He still has yet to have a full regular season worth of starts in his time with the Bills (14 starts) and it's my contention that kicking dirt on him is premature regardless of what his statistics say.
3 – Hello Chris,
Thanks for all of the info and insight every week. I am a long time follower but this is my first time writing in. My question is in regards to Mike Williams and all of the Fan unrest in his lack of playing time. I too feel that he has been grossly underutilized. I think a good solution would be to give him reps at tight end in a two tight end formation. We have all witnessed his toughness and willingness to "bang heads" not to mention some good down field blocking.
This could create some real matchup nightmares with the opposition. It would force the defense to cover with a safety because a linebacker couldn't cover him and it would open up Sammy and company as well. Do you think it could work or is he too"small" for TE? And has anyone at OBD tinkered with this? I would think they would want their big play makers on the field as much as possible. Just a thought. Thanks again!
Greg T.
CB: I believe there is merit to those fans who contend that Mike Williams is talented enough to help this offense, especially in the red zone where the team has struggled of late. Williams was targeted once in the Miami game in the red zone, but the pass was broken up.
Even if they favor receivers like Chris Hogan over Williams between the 20s to get them down the field, and Hogan performed well against Miami, you can certainly make the argument that Williams can help this team score touchdowns in the red zone. Eighteen of his 23 touchdowns scored with Tampa Bay early in his career were within 20 yards.
Hopefully what we saw in terms of his use against Miami only increases down the stretch. Making him a detached tight end is something I don't think I'd anticipate.
4 – Chris,
Can you tell us why the Bills have covered some mid-field, low level seats at RWS?
Thanks for your insights,
Mike Riggie
CB: The reason the first few rows have been tarped is because from a seated position it's impossible for fans to see over the players and coaches gathered on the sidelines and see the action on the field. As a result those fans in the past would stand, and that would force the fans behind them to stand creating a chain reaction. All the fans behind them would have to continually stand up to see the action every time the fans in the first few rows did so.
The solution was to cover those seats and not sell them to fans to eliminate the problem.
5 – Hey Chris ,
Just a quick hit . Seeing as the NFL is said to be a copycat league & the regime before this one at Buffalo & others in the NFL have some success with a 5 wide set how come this OC NEVER uses it ? Especially with the talent at the WR position …
Thanks Mr. T from Fort Myers via Nashville
CB: One of the most popular formations in the league right now is 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR). One of the reasons is it's one of the more unpredictable formations pre-snap. You can run or pass out of this formation in a variety of ways and a lot of offensive coordinators like that, which is why it's so prevalent.
It's Buffalo's most popular formation this season as well. Five wide basically says we're throwing, unless you've got Michael Vick at QB and you're running out of a spread set.
The most popular formation under the head coach that preceded Doug Marrone was four wide with one back.
Believe it or not the five wide look isn't as popular as you might think. Four wide is more popular. What's interesting is there were a couple of plays last week against the Dolphins where the Bills went five wide. I doubt it will increase in frequency in Buffalo's offense, but we'll see.
Tags: Doug Marrone, Doug Whaley, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Jerry Hughes, Mike Williams, offensive formations, Ralph Wilson Stadium
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 11-14Posted by on November 14, 2014 – 11:58 am
Here are your latest questions from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
Question on the Bills offensive philosophy. When Marrone and Hackett were first hired by the Bills, there was a lot of talk from them about the up tempo style of offense they ran at Syracuse and has become so common place in college football and with some NFL teams. They seemed to be big believers in running a LOT of offensive plays, limiting the defensive adjustments that could be made by calling the plays at the line, and dictating to the defense through their pace and related "matchup" problems the lack of substitutions could create for a defense–not to mention the notion of tiring out a defensive pass rush by forcing D-linemen to stay on the field for an entire series.
They started with that philosophy last year, but after EJ got hurt, they seemed to reduce the use of the up tempo offense citing the inexperience of the backup QBs. In the preseason, we saw a little more of the up tempo pace, albeit with very very limited success due to EJ's continued struggles with execution. And so once again, they seemed to deviate from that philosophy.
But now with an experienced QB in Kyle Orton, execution and understanding of the playbook doesn't appear to be as much of an issue. Yet we haven't seen much use of that up tempo style except in two minute situations–which Orton seems to have done quite well with, as evidenced by the Detroit game, the Vikings game, and even the 4th quarter of the Patriots game when they were behind two scores but still in striking distance midway through the quarter.
Have Marrone and Hackett simply abandoned the up tempo "philosophy"? If so, why? The QB doesn't seem to be an issue. Granted, the O-line is a bit on the young side in certain positions. But perhaps an up tempo pace would help the O-line out if the defensive line can't rotate fresh legs all the time. Or might we see a return to the up tempo pace on a regular basis (instead of just two minute situations) at some point in the near future?
Jeffrey S.
CB: I think what needs to be remembered here is the collection of youth on offense. At the receiver position and now with two new additions in the offensive backfield in Bryce Brown and Boobie Dixon. I think that is what has the offensive staff convinced that a more methodical approach leads to better overall execution. There is little value in upping the tempo if your players can't execute consistently because that puts your defense back on the field all the faster.
Now while your point about how Orton has run the offense in two-minute situations is well taken, you need to remember that defenses typically play differently in those situations as well. Just like offenses tend to pass more at those times in the game, defenses tend to play more conservatively, giving up yards in exchange for time on the clock.
So the success you often see in two minute situations aren't as likely during other parts of the game. It's clear the coaching staff believes that moving at a steady pace with a huddle is the best practice. So I don't anticipate it changing any time soon.
2 – Hello Chris
I have a couple questions. When will the coaching staff see that the QB play is not the problem? EJ could throw a pick a game and not fumble. Plus he had the strength in the pocket plus agility to avoid half the sacks Orton has had. It is play calling I feel. We run such a melo offense. Out of 73 starts for Orton he has 8 comebacks EJ had I believe 4 in just 14 starts. We should have let him continue to develop. Orton has continually been trying to make up for his mistakes. (Pick six in Detroit. That game should have never been that close)
Secondly do they hope CJ may come back with the IR they placed him on? Thanks again for all your coverage of the best team in sports.
Palm Coast, FL
CB: I think Buffalo's coaching staff would disagree with you. As coach Marrone said when he made the quarterback change, he needed more production from the position. EJ's completion percentage had dropped below 60 percent and was missing open receivers. They were simply leaving too many yards on the field. For an offense that was starved for points it was a conscious decision by Marrone.
You can make an argument that they should've left EJ in to keep developing, but the pressure to reach the postseason trumped Manuel's on field development.
As for C.J. Spiller we'll have to see where he's at when we reach Week 16, the first week he'll be eligible to return off of I-R. It's too early to tell where he'll be in his healing at that point.
3 – @ChrisBrownBills
Will we be able to afford to keep Hughes and Dareus with both their contracts up in the next 2 years?
CB: It's my understanding that the Bills would like to re-sign Jerry Hughes and that's job number one on the defensive side of the ball. Picking up Dareus' option buys them time to address his contract. The catch here is the top three salaries on the team right now are Dareus, Kyle Williams and Mario Williams. Investing another big contract in the defensive line could be argued as an imbalanced approach to the salary cap putting a large percentage of it in just one position group.
At the same time it's hard to argue with a unit that has largely carried the defense the last season plus which leads the league in sacks and is a top 10 run defense.
The Bills will need to be creative, and I am far from a cap expert, but with the salary cap continually going up in this era of NFL prosperity there is probably a way to make it all work.
4 – @ChrisBrownBills
What are the Bills future plans with the HB position? Any chance they can make a run at Mark Ingram, Adrian Peterson?
CB: I think we first need to take a look at who will still be under contract next season. Fred Jackson signed a one-year extension this past summer. Brown and Dixon will still be under contract for 2015. So the only free agent is C.J. Spiller and it's my understanding that the Bills would like to keep their former first-round pick in the fold. And Spiller has said more than once that he would like to remain with the Bills.
Whether the two sides can agree on terms is the obvious question. If for some reason they cannot only then do I see them exploring other possible options.
You're also assuming that Peterson and Ingram will make it to the free agent market. I think it's unlikely to happen with Ingram with the production he's put up when healthy this season. Peterson's off the field matters may change the conversation in Minnesota, but he's still a dynamic player and the linchpin of the Vikings offense.
5 – Hi Chris;
I appreciate all the updates you and John do all week long to keep us up to date on all things Bills-related.
Can you update us on the Mike Williams situation? I know the furor over his agent's supposed request for a trade was negated by Mike, who says he wants to play here. Since then, we haven't heard anything about him. Is he still on the 'benched' list? Will he return? He seems to have vanished into thin air and no one seems to talk about him! Thanks for your feedback.
Darlene in PA
CB: Coach Marrone has been pressed on this subject with the most recent flurry of questions coming this week. With the offense last in the league in red zone touchdown percentage and the acquisition of Mike Williams executed to help the offense in that area specifically, he was asked why Williams has been inactive in two of the last four games.
Coach Marrone cited a number of different reasons including the challenge of only dressing 46 players on game day and the needs of special teams and versatile players. He also flatly stated that right now a couple of other players are performing better than him.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett also hinted at how Williams and Kyle Orton are still working on their on field chemistry where Orton can trust Williams on any given play to be in the right place at the right time. These appear to be the biggest hurdles in Williams getting on the field.
He was active Thursday night and got four snaps on offense and six on special teams. He was targeted once in the red zone.
Tags: C.J. Spiller, Doug Marrone, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Jerry Hughes, Kyle Orton, Marcell Dareus, Mike Williams, Nathaniel Hackett
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 11-7Posted by on November 7, 2014 – 5:12 pm
Alright Bills fans, giant game this week against the Chiefs. Big AFC playoff implications. Got to get a win at home. For now on to your questions from email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Hello Chris,
Thank you for keeping us Bills fans up to date with all the great insider news! My question is very simple. With such a stout defensive line and very talented linebackers, and a talented secondary why is it in your opinion the bills give up so many pass yards?
Jeremiah T.
CB: What the Bills have surrendered in pass defense is somewhat understandable. For the most part the Bills have been a stout run defense all season long. This often forces an opponent to become one-dimensional, like the Jets offense was a couple of weeks ago.
As a result New York dropped back to pass a lot. Tom Brady was a bit of a different story. He got into such a rhythm passing that the Patriots chose to go with a pass heavy approach and it worked for them. The New England game however, has been the exception rather than the rule.
Buffalo is a very respectable 13th in the league against the pass. To be able to couple that with the eighth-ranked run defense is pretty good.
Often times in the league some of the top run defenses in football don't have a pass defense ranking nearly as high. It's because their run defense is so effective it forces opponents to pass to gain yards and score points, usually to try to climb back into the game.
When teams with stout run defenses have a respectable lead in games, they'll often give up pass yards in exchange for killing time on the game clock. To see Buffalo in the top half of the league against the run and the pass is pretty impressive.
2 – Chris,
After Chris Hogan's catch at the goal line against the Vikings, do you think that coach Marrone is gonna use him more every week???
Chris from NY
CB: I think things are certainly trending in that direction. He has a good rapport with Kyle Orton and Orton trusts him to execute his route assignments and be in the right place at the right time. Hogan is one of the receivers who participates in Orton's Tuesday throwing sessions on their off day. So that on field chemistry can only grow and get stronger.
Hogan does all the right things to make himself a better contributor in Buffalo's offense, so yes I do think he'll see more playing time as the year wears on.
3 – Chris:
Thanks for your coverage, research and opinions.
I ask for your opinion on a few things:
A) Will CJ Spiller opt out of his final year or elect to rebound next year to improve his potential on the free agency market.
B) Do you think the Bills want him back or are they ready to move on?
C) Will Mike Williams get out of the Head Coach's Dog House or is he done and will not dressed once the receivers are all healthy?
D) Will the Bills continue to carry a Kickoff Specialist since injuries have impacted the roster and Guy's touchbacks have seemed to decline?
CB: Here are my answers in letter order.
A – I think he will make himself a free agent to be.
B – I think the Bills will make an effort to re-sign Spiller
C – Mike Williams to his credit is putting in extra work on special teams during the practice week to get on the field that way. It's hard to really get to the bottom of what's keeping him off the field, but seeing a player like Chris Hogan emerge, who does all the right things and puts in the extra work and is reliable might be an indicator.
D – Jordan Gay has been a solid kickoff specialist this season. The only reason is touchback percentage dropped recently (it was at almost 75%) was because the Bills faced a couple of teams who give the green light to their returners even when the ball is kicked nine yards deep (Minnesota, NY Jets).
Gay's benefit to the team is two-fold. First, it saves Carpenter's leg through the course of the season. It also takes hits off the bodies of the kick coverage men on his unit when he gets touchbacks because they don't have to go make a play. It's hard to know where Gay's role will go in the future, but he's performed pretty well this season in my opinion.
4 – Hi Chris,
Last year I wrote you and was kinda hard on you, and I appreciate you writing back, I live in Florida, grew up in WNY. Love the Bills, probably too much, I was at the New England game, I talked to a lot of folks, CJ Spiller is our question, listen to all of the interviews, please could you pass on to him, he always says, always says he will only take what they give him, nobody will give him anything, take more than what they give him, stay inbounds, put your head down and get another yard. It's time for this team to get some attitude, the fans are mad, we are furious, we have a good team and it is being wasted.
Chris am I out of line, or do you see players that are not working? I really think this team is only as good as our weakest link. Spiller and Gilmore are terrible, they play with no heart, please pass it on , we do not like watching Spiller running out of bounds, its depressing, thanks for listening, go Bills,
Doug Collins
CB: Don't worry about the harsh words the last time. I know more often than not it comes from the passion you fans have for your team. No offense taken. As for C.J. and Gilmore however, I don't think you could be more wrong about them not having heart.
They're two of the harder working players on the team. Their commitment in the offseason is exemplary and both are often putting in extra time after practice.
You're not alone in being frustrated that C.J. Spiller isn't more productive in Buffalo's offense. Obviously now he's focused on just getting healthy after his shoulder injury, but Spiller wants to succeed more than anybody.
One thing that I've talked to Mark Kelso about in the past is how Spiller might benefit from lining up in the backfield deeper. Spiller is so fast that he gets to the line of scrimmage where the hole should be before it actually opens up for him. Arriving so early the hole is not established and he has to find another option, and often chooses to bounce it outside.
Kelso has explained to me, and it makes sense, that if he lines up deeper in the backfield he'll arrive at the line of scrimmage in better time with the blocks being executed and the hole will be there for him to exploit.
The Kansas City Chiefs do this with Jamaal Charles. Another speedy back, Charles lines up deeper in the backfield and arrives at the line in proper timing with the linemen. I don't know that it's a cure all, but if he's able to come off I-R before the season is over or let's hope for the postseason I'd like to see if that could fix things.
As for Stephon Gilmore I think he's played better as the season has gone on. He's not giving up big plays and he's been physical with some of the bigger, stronger receivers this season.
5 – Chris,
First off, you do a great job keeping us rabid Bills fans informed and do it in a professional manner. Thanks!
I'm sure you are probably sick of hearing about fans complaining of poor officiating.In the NHL, between the intermissions,the officials watch video and are in contact with the league about the calls they made & missed. They make a concerted effort to get better so they make less mistakes during the game-sort of like a coaching staff making adjustments. Could you please let us fans know if the NFL does this and,if not,WHY?
Players,if they make too many mistakes, get cut. Coaches lose too many games,get fired. There is accountability. Doesn't seem to be the case with NFL officials.
Tom Dinder
CB: To my knowledge NFL officials do not review their calls from the first half at halftime. First and foremost halftime is rather brief (about 10-12 minutes for officials). Officials are schooled up in the offseason and are prepped for the season by attending NFL training camps to get ready for the preseason and regular season.
I do know that coaches will ask officials to keep an eye on certain things as the game unfolds, but beyond that there isn't much else that's done proactively by NFL officials as I understand it.
Thanks for the kind words.
Tags: C.J. Spiller, Chris Hogan, Fan Friday, Jordan Gay, Mike Williams, NFL officiating, pass defense, Stephon Gilmore
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 10-31Posted by on October 31, 2014 – 11:41 am
It's the bye week so focus on your fantasy rosters this week Bills fans. Here are your questions this week from email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills. Keep them coming.
1 – Hey Chris ,
Was wondering a couple of things when it comes to EJ & his history with the Bills & prior to . When EJ First came to the Bills the HC & OC led us to believe that they wanted him to have a veteran mentor (which was to be Kevin Kolb) to either sit behind & learn or play & have some one that has played the position to bounce things off of to learn from . So I am wondering why everyone is in such a uproar over this switch ? They are just going back to plan A correct ?
The second part to the question is every article or write-up on EJ prior to him being drafted by the Bills had pointed out a lot if not all of his short comings as a player, It seems from a fan stand point that when it comes to the most important position on a NFL team the Bills come up short when it has come to their decisions at that position both past & present. Were any of those articles or opinions taken into consideration while thinking of drafting him? It seems as though the only people high on EJ were those at one Bills Dr. Then to pass on available QB's this past draft (if for nothing else to ramp up competition) they pass again on others that had as much if not more potential & better resume than EJ as a backup plan. Personal opinion it seems as though the coaches of this regime in A LOT of different ways show more rookie tendencies than the players !!
Thanks for your time & as always your insight on this & all our fan questions !!
Mr. T from Fort Myers via Nashville
CB: Yes, there was a plan to have a veteran quarterback on hand from the get go and that was Kevin Kolb. He began training camp as the first QB through in the rotation, but it was a competition for the starting job. I think most were expecting Kolb to be the starter at the outset and if EJ came on he'd succeed him. We all know that plan went off the rails early.
I would disagree that every time the Bills have tried to pick a quarterback it has been the wrong quarterback. I'm not absolving quarterbacks drafted in the past for the trajectory of their careers with the Bills, but you do need to look at the circumstances around them.
Constant coaching turnover particularly at the coordinator position with different schemes and systems coming through during a young quarterback's developmental stages is extremely disruptive to a QB's progress and growth.
Let's take J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards' time with the Bills as an example. Two young quarterbacks who saw a lot of change in their short time with the club.
Losman's rookie season was 2004. Tom Clements was the offensive coordinator under Mike Mularkey. The next season Mularkey takes play calling responsibility from Clements. After Mularkey is moved out the system changes, Steve Fairchild comes in as the new coordinator with a new system in 2006. After 2007, Edwards' rookie year, he leaves to coach in college and Turk Schonert is inserted and tweaks the system again. By the 2009 season Losman is gone and Dick Jauron a week before the opener fires Schonert and promotes Alex Van Pelt to run the offense.
A year later Chan Gailey is the head coach with a completely different offense. Edwards' tenure last only a couple of games into 2010 when he's benched and eventually released as the Ryan Fitzpatrick era begins.
Now would Losman or Edwards ever fully got it and been successful quarterbacks in this league? Maybe not. Some might even say probably not, but the circumstances that existed in terms of coaching changes and scheme certainly decreased the chances of either of those two developing properly at the NFL level.
There is a value in continuity in the NFL. Organizations like Green Bay, Pittsburgh and the NY Giants have proven it. They limit turnover in an effort to let their players develop and flourish. Does it always work? No, but it has a track record of far more success than failure.
2 – @ChrisBrownBills.
Any news on how EJ is getting on? Also really impressed by his attitude on the sidelines on game day from what I have seen.
CB: By all accounts EJ has been a pro's pro. We'll have an in depth story on the work Manuel has been putting in over the past month since he assumed the backup role on Buffalobills.com Saturday. Some great insight from EJ and quarterbacks coach Todd Downing on Manuel's trust in the system and the extra work he puts in early in the morning with Kyle Orton and long after practice is over on the field. Check it out tomorrow!
3 – @ChrisBrownBills
Just curious why Mario Williams snaps have decreased over the past few weeks?
CB: This was a question that both defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and head coach Doug Marrone addressed. Here was Schwartz's response to Mario Williams drop in snap count the past three weeks.
"I don't count reps," said Schwartz. "I'm just worried about performance and production. If our defense is being productive then that's the only thing we care about. Everybody else can worry about stats and snap counts and everything else, it's about trying to win the game and doing what we think is best to win the game."
It's likely that Schwartz believes in quality over quantity with Mario Williams. I believe him when he says he doesn't count reps, but perhaps in reviewing game tape he's found that Williams' gives him more quality reps (pass rush chiefly) when he plays between 38-45 snaps than when he plays 48-55 snaps a game. The other possibility is Jarius Wynn when he goes in is providing very little drop off in play.
Last week's game is a good example. Wynn played 44 snaps to Williams' 40. Wynn had three tackles, a sack and a quarterback hit. Williams had three tackles, a half sack and a forced fumble. Schwartz says they care about performance.
If Wynn is performing leave him in there. In a tight game when the outcome is on the line I'm sure Mario will be in the game.
Coach Marrone earlier this season indicated that he wanted to keep Williams fresh for important third down pass rushes late in a couple of the recent games. This past week up 20 points it's my belief they wanted to keep him out of harm's way so as not to risk injury.
The direct beneficiary when Mario Williams doesn't get his usual number of reps, which is usually around 75 percent of the snaps is Jarius Wynn. The rotational end has performed well this season, and just about every game the percentage of their two snap counts adds up to 100 percent because Wynn is often subbing in for Williams. It will be interesting to see where it goes in the second half of the season.
4 – Hi Chris,
Thanks for all the inside info, great reading your work all the time! My question is regarding Marcell Dareus. He is having a phenomenal year but there still are the negative off the field events that took place in the offseason. Will he be facing any fines or suspensions for his incidents? It would be a shame to have him miss even one game.
Thanks again!
CB: Marcell is having a great season. Seven sacks in half a season for a defensive tackle, as Jim Schwartz said is pretty hard to do, and that's coming from a guy who coached Ndamukong Suh.
It doesn't appear that Dareus will be facing any league fines or suspensions this season for what happened this past offseason. It's likely that he'll face some kind of league discipline next year, much the way Nigel Bradham did when he was suspended for the season opener this year, for his off the field incident in the summer of 2013.
5 – Chris,
I think Hackett has completely failed on getting Mike Williams into the game plan. I think Mike Williams could be a very effective WR. The QB should be dropping back and the OC should have Watkins – Woods and Williams running patterns at the same time in a 3-WR set. One of these 3 should be open every time.
Fred, Dixon and Brown should be pounding the ball. Seriously, I'm amazed some of these people get paid so much to be coordinators. I think there are many individuals who could do a better job than Hackett.
South FL
CB: You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I think we need to try and read between the lines here with respect to the lack of playing time for Mike Williams. I do agree that Williams is a rare talent. I've written many times that he is one of the five best receivers in the league when it comes to high-pointing the ball. You'd figure that would make him a weapon to use at least in the red zone. He did score 23 touchdowns in his first three seasons in the league.
At the same time Chris Hogan has emerged as a slot receiver and is producing. Now he and Williams do not line up in the same place in this offense for the most part, but one word I continually hear from both coach Marrone and Kyle Orton in praising Chris Hogan's efforts is reliability. They comment often on how Hogan is in the right place at the right time on every play. That reliability is an enormous comfort to a head coach, a coordinator and a quarterback knowing how critical the timing is in Buffalo's passing game.
A veteran offensive coordinator once told me the NFL is about first downs, not touchdowns. What he meant was in the NFL the talent is a lot more even than it is at the college level, so big play touchdowns aren't nearly as prevalent. So you prefer to have players you can rely on to make the catches that get you first downs time and again to keep drives and possessions alive. It's that consistency that wins more often in the NFL.
Do I completely agree with that premise? Not totally. Sammy Watkins has me thinking that three or four big plays look pretty good too. We'll have to see if Williams play time changes in the second half of the season. To his credit he's putting in a lot of extra time on special teams of late in an effort to get on the field more.
Tags: Doug Marrone, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Jarius Wynn, Jim Schwartz, Kevin Kolb, Marcell Dareus, Mario Williams, Mike Williams, Nathaniel Hackett
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 10-24Posted by on October 24, 2014 – 12:27 pm
A big division tilt with the Jets on Sunday at MetLife stadium before the bye. Here are your questions this week from email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills. Keep them coming.
1 – Hello Chris, thank you for keeping us Bills fans up to date with all the great insider news!
My question is very simple. With such a stout defensive line and very talented linebackers, and a talented secondary why is it in your opinion the bills give up so many pass yards?
CB: The passing yards given up by most NFL defenses are sometimes a byproduct of having a good run defense. In the Patriots game for example, Buffalo completely shut down the Patriots run game, so New England turned to their passing game. Unfortunately Tom Brady got hot and there were some miscommunication problems in the secondary according to the players.
In most cases strong run defenses make opposing offenses one-dimensional and the opponent turns to the pass game. So a good number of teams that play great run defense give up more yards through the air. Generally it's because the opponent is behind on the scoreboard because they've been punting the ball away because they're unable to run and hold onto the ball through a balance attack.
The Bills aren't a true representation of that rule because they've been behind on the scoreboard a good deal, even in their last two victories. But their run defense is ranked in the top five and often forces opponents to start throwing to move the ball. More passing yards are then racked up and the Bills pass defense ranking suffers. Hope that spells it out.
2 – Chris,
Thanks for the work you do. When I talk to my fellow fans the thing I hear most often is some variation of "Why do they keep trying to run Spiller up the middle?" I'll admit I ask the same thing when I see this electrifying player disappear into the line. Does coach Hackett hear the same criticism that I do? Spiller is great in space, and the the inside of the line is our weakest position. Has he been asked about it? Do you think he's capable of adjusting his offense to utilize Spiller's strengths? Or is he happy with the results he is getting?
Thanks again,
CB: As the players and coaches have explained the lack of success up the middle is an all-encompassing problem. Their inside zone runs used to be their bread and butter plays going all the way back to running them under former head coach Chan Gailey. They have been less successful of late including the carries by C.J. Spiller. Spiller, before he got hurt, told us he has to trust his eyes more and that the hole will be there when he arrives.
The linemen have blamed themselves for not effectively controlling the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. Coach Marrone has also put it on himself and his offensive staff to devise more effective ways to get more productive run plays for all of their backs.
3 – Hey Chris,
Some sites say Orton is making $5.5 mil a year on a two-year deal. Other sites say $3mil this year. Are they wrong or is he getting $3mil salary this year and a $2mil signing bonus for this season?
Thanks for the clarity!
Go Kyle, Go Bills!
CB: It is a two-year deal and the total value is $11M. The other reports you're seeing are just breaking down the money differently based off of base salary, signing bonus amortization and guaranteed money. Signing bonus is paid out as soon as the contract is signed, but that money is averaged out over the length of the contract when it comes to the salary cap hit.
4 – Hi Chris:
I can't for the life of me figure out why our offensive coaches won't use Fred and CJ on the field in the backfield together (Pro Set)? The only time I can recall seeing this formation was a couple years ago in the red zone and they scored on the play. It seems like a no brainer to have two of your best playmakers in the backfield together. It's a matchup nightmare given their pass catching abilities. It also dictates to the defense, because they are forced to respect their abilities and account for both. I wish this message could be personally relayed to Nathan Hackett. Thanks for your time and I appreciate all the insight.
Nick U.
CB: They have been on the field together at the same time, albeit sparingly, this season. Now neither are available, but I understand your point. I thought with the running back talent in reserve on this roster (Brown, Dixon) that there would be less of a risk in using both Jackson and Spiller on the field at the same time. I know they have a specific package for that split back look, and they have been on the field at the same time with Spiller split wide. There just wasn't a lot of it prior to the two of them getting hurt.
5 – Hi Chris,
I have been following the Bills for years in Ohio and NC and you truly do a great job bringing Bills coverage to people outside of WNY.
My question is about the pass interference/defensive holding call against Sammy Watkins on the sideline in the Detroit game that was picked up and given an explanation of "all contact was legal" by the ref. I almost had a coronary when that happened and am sure Coach Marrone felt the same way. The CB was all over Sammy on that play and for the flag to get picked up blew my mind. Has there been any reasoning from the league or officials as to that play?
Thanks for everything
Chris in NC
CB: Thanks for the kind words Chris.
Unfortunately there's no good answer for you on pass interference and defensive holding because it's a judgment call by the officials. On that play it was a 3rd-and-8 with Watkins beyond five yards and standing at the first down marker when Darius Slay was flagged for defensive holding. We have a great look at it at the 1:35 mark of our 'Wired for Sound' feature from that week when we had Watkins wearing the mic. You'll see the flag is thrown. Later it was picked up.
At that time it was the third flag picked up of the season that would have benefited the Bills. I think every NFL team understands it's going to be a judgment call. What really makes it difficult for teams to accept is when the call is changed after it is made or wiped out completely, especially in the competitive atmosphere of a game.
The Bills just like any other club handle those issues internally with the league's head of officiating, Dean Blandino.
Tags: C.J. Spiller, defensive holding, Fan Friday, Fred Jackson, Kyle Orton, pass defense, pass interference, Run game, Sammy Watkins
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 10-17Posted by on October 17, 2014 – 10:22 am
Big bounce back week for the Bills as they host Minnesota. Just have a feeling the run game will be rediscovered. On to your questions this week from email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills. Keep them coming.
1 – @ChrisBrownBills
Why isn't Kraig Urbik starting? Is it stubbornness or the right call or something else in your opinion?
CB: Coach Marrone has been asked about this quite a bit this season. Based on what he's said it sounds like he and the offensive staff would like to give rookie Cyril Richardson the opportunity to grow into the position. He said as long as Richardson, and Seantrel Henderson for that matter, are still showing signs of improvement in their play they'll remain in the lineup.
As for Urbik specifically, here is his most recent answer as to why he hasn't considered re-inserting Urbik into the starting lineup at either one of the guard positions.
"We feel comfortable what his role is for the team right now," said Marrone of Urbik's role as backup center. "If someone's not playing well or not improving, I think (a change is) a possibility. We talk about that too. I think those (rookies) are getting better in there. And collectively, we've got to keep them coming along. It's an option with him. We've got Kraig backing up a lot of positions inside.
"I think his versatility is his strength. I think he has good versatility. If we want to put him in there he has the ability to be a starter and go in there and play. He gives us experience. He's our best option if something were to happen with Eric Wood, and to be ready in case we ever do anything."
2 – @ChrisBrownBills
Will the bills be as predictable as last week? First down, run. Second down, run. Third down, pass.
CB: Contrary to what you might think the Bills threw a good deal on first down last week. In fact on first down they had 12 runs and 15 pass attempts. Granted in the second half they were behind and had to throw more, but even in the first half they had eight runs and six pass attempts. Here were the results.
1st half rush figures – 8 carries, 29 yds, fumble lost
1st half pass figures – 6 pass attempts, 7 yards, INT, sack – fumble lost, 2 incompletions
2nd half rush figures – 4 carries, 6 yds
2nd half pass figures – 9 pass attempts, 24 yards, touchdown, 5 incompletions
Against Detroit the week before the Bills ran on first down 11 times and threw 21 times. So until the propensity to run on first down becomes predictable we'll take a closer look at the play calling by the offense.
3 – @ChrisBrownBills
How much do the Bills spend on real scouting and that's both Collegiate & Pro CFL/NFL?
CB: There's no way for me to get you the budget line for the Bills scouting operations, but I can tell you that the personnel department has upwards of 20 scouts, counting GM Doug Whaley. There are pro scouts, who do the advance scouting of future opponents and put together reports on every prospective free agent in the league. They will also take a look at CFL talent.
The college scouting department makes up the bulk of the group and they are scattered across the country. Each scout is assigned to region of the country and they are assigned to all the schools in their territory, with some overlap between scouts so they can get more than one opinion on a prospect.
The Bills as an organization have long believed in the value of scouting when it comes to building a roster and that has not changed one iota under Doug Whaley.
4 – @ChrisBrownBills
Why do u think they haven't used Sammy in the screen game? It was what he did the most in college and excelled at it.
CB: I'm not sure why he hasn't been used more in the screen game. They have run a handful of receiver screens this season, and Mike Williams is an excellent blocking receiver as is Robert Woods. What I like most about your idea is it is an easy way to get the ball in Watkins' hands regardless of what the opposing defense is doing coverage-wise.
You're right he did excel at it. Whether it is something the offensive staff turns to more moving forward however, remains to be seen.
5 – Hi Chris,
My question has to do with the offensive line. If Orton can improve the play at the QB position even just a little this team can make a run at the playoffs. However all the QB attention has hid some issues on the offensive line. This offensive line is massive in size but for some reason seems to get very little push and obviously lacks in mobility compared to smaller, quicker lines. What is most disconcerting is that when they run between the tackles there is little space for Freddy or CJ. Most of their run yardage comes when they bounce it outside and get around the edge with their speed. I guess my biggest problem has to do with their philosophy of getting BIG linemen as opposed to smaller more athletic guys that you tend to see on successful teams like the Patriots. Do you think outside of QB, the offensive line is the biggest area of needed improvement and should Marrone be held responsible for this since that is his area of expertise?
CB: Coach Marrone himself admitted that the line play up front needs to be better. Against some of the better defensive fronts this season Buffalo's offensive line has had trouble winning at the line of scrimmage. It's a bit surprising in light of their size as you mentioned. All that size has left them a bit less mobile for screens and pulls.
I agree with coach that the line play has to be more consistent and not just in the run game, but in pass protection as well. They've got to raise the level of play quickly, and that won't be easy with a couple of rookies learning on the job.
Tags: Doug Marrone, Doug Whaley, Fan Friday, Kraig Urbik, Kyle Orton, Offensive line, play calling, Sammy Watkins, scouting department
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 10-10Posted by on October 10, 2014 – 11:32 am
It's been a historic week for the Buffalo Bills franchise. Sunday should be electric! For now let's get to your questions this week on email at email@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Hi Chris,
Brandon Spikes only signed a one year deal in the off season, do you think the Bills will try and wrap him up long term?
Paddy, Vancouver Canada
CB: Spikes was brought in for a reason, to improve the team's run defense. I think the one-year contract is very indicative of the club's approach. It appears to be a let's see how it goes approach. So it's my belief that the powers that be will see how Spikes' season plays out, and come the offseason they'll assess his value and potential contributions for the team's future.
I can say that in talking to Spikes he likes his teammates, coaches and the atmosphere here in Buffalo. He brings additional value with his veteran leadership, but I think it's only fair for both sides to allow his full body of work to be reviewed before making any future decisions.
2 – Chris,
The #1 weakness for Bills is the Offensive Line. Same story for the past 14 years. Right now, I have no faith in either Right Guard or Left Guard. Our O-line has been a disaster. I hope Richardson can play better than Chris Williams (who the Bills front office paid way too much for a below average guard). I think the Bills front office should have done a better job in free agency at the guard position.
Not sure the Erik Pears experiment is going to work out. With Pears at guard he has not been effective pulling for screen plays, sweeps or trap plays.
Question: I love Wood at center, but if the Bills guard troubles continue, perhaps the Bills could play Urbik at center and play Woods at guard again.
Next year Bills need to Upgrade – O-Line, Tight End position and perhaps Quarterback if progress is not made this season.
South Florida,…………. Thank you Terry and Kim Pegula!!!!
CB: Concerning your question about Eric Wood, I think he is at his most valuable position at center. That's not to say he couldn't play guard, which he did early in his career with the Bills. It seems as though they're interested in letting Cyril Richardson learn the ropes when Chris Williams' back doesn't allow him to play.
That being said your idea isn't a bad one. Kraig Urbik is the team's backup center, so it is an option if the offensive staff feels it's necessary to make a different kind of change at guard. I just think Wood is so valuable making the calls and performing in the pivot that I'd be hesitant to move him.
3 – Hey Chris,
My question is regarding the switch from Manuel to Orton. My understanding is that the Bills are under pressure to win now, EJ just isn't where he needs to be and so Marrone needed to make the decision before the losses got out of hand. My question is, do you think that the plan they had going into the season regarding EJ and the offense is not working? I mean the O-line is really struggling which is making the run game struggle which forced EJ the past 2 games to throw over 40 times. I wonder if part of this move is not only about winning but it could also be about protecting EJ and his psyche. So now Orton will come in and fans seem to think that he can do a better job, but he also needs the same formula as EJ, a good O-line a strong run game and defense and I'm worried that the Bills have a bigger issue than just QB. I was just wondering your thoughts about that.
Thanks for all your time, Jillian
CB: I think based on everything we've heard from coach Marrone on this subject that it was purely a performance decision. As coach Marrone said when he initially made the change at quarterback, he needs more production from that position. He was not getting enough positive plays from the quarterback position in the passing game and it was compromising their effectiveness on offense.
We'll see where things go with Kyle Orton now in the lineup, but this is a performance-based business and I believe that was the crux of coach Marrone's decision.
4 – @ChrisBrownBills How do you think the the Bills stop the short/quick passing game of the Pats this week
CB: Flooding the short passing lanes with defenders can help to disrupt some of the rhythm that Tom Brady relies upon in the Patriots' passing game. How the Bills choose to do that remains to be seen. The general consensus by those outside the organization is to pressure Tom Brady, but that's easier said than done even with a Buffalo defense that leads the league in sacks.
Kansas City had an awful lot of success rushing four and dropping seven into coverage. They dropped linebackers and their box safety into zones and defended the middle of the field pretty well, which is where Brady likes to work with his tight ends and Julian Edelman. Buffalo could take a similar approach if they so choose. They have comparable personnel to the Chiefs up front and at the second level.
5 – Hello, Chris,
In addition to your written work and videos on BB.com, I really enjoy your regular updates on the JMS. You are very frank and insightful on those calls and I look forward to them each week.
My question relates to a subject I have not heard one person in the Buffalo print media nor BB.com family address since the announced QB switch – Kyle Orton's motivation/determination. I have always thought Orton has all the necessary QB skills. Most importantly, he has the ability to read a defense and deliver the ball to the open receiver. I felt EJ was sadly lacking in both case aspects. However, I do not question EJ's heart. He took a beating the last two weeks and seemed to courageously get back on his feet and put the last hit behind him every time. Do you think we can expect that with Orton? My biggest concern regarding his signing apparently "out of retirement" was the possibility he was just looking for a paycheck to hold a clipboard and mentor EJ. After nine years of bouncing around the league, does he have the personal motivation to lay it on the line for one more chance at football glory?
I have not heard nor seen anything, other than the circumstances around his signing, to create that doubt, but I have not seen nor heard anything to suppress it, either. We will know soon enough, I suppose, once he gets under center. However, it would be great to hear from inside the Bills family that Orton is the committed to going into combat with his teammates. I truly believe the Bills have the skill players to make big plays on a consistent basis with a bunch of hungry young players surrounding a decent QB, and I hope the QB can mirror their intensity.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
CB: I appreciate the kind words. I think there is a measure of motivation for Kyle Orton with this current opportunity. In talking to him he admitted to me that this team is constructed in much the same way as the 2005 Chicago team he had to quarterback as a rookie after Rex Grossman was injured.
Their defense was outstanding, they had good special teams and a strong rushing attack with Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Orton didn't have to go out and win games there, and he may not have to do much of that here.
The benefit for the Bills is he's a much wiser quarterback and a much more seasoned leader now than he was then.
I do believe the motivation could be at its highest this week, knowing his former head coach in Denver Josh McDaniels, is on the other sideline. McDaniels buckled to the pressure in Denver to start Tim Tebow, despite the fact that Orton led the Broncos to a 6-0 start.
I don't know this, but I wouldn't be surprised if that coaching/organizational decision sticks in Orton's craw perhaps more than any other. I don't know that it does, and I'd never expect him to ever say that, but looking at all the decisions that went against him in his playing career, if I put myself in his shoes that one would sting the most for me.
Tags: Bills-Patriots, Brandon Spikes, EJ Manuel, Eric Wood, Fan Friday, Kyle Orton, Offensive line
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 10-3Posted by on October 3, 2014 – 11:30 am
Big cross conference game at Detroit Sunday and the Lions are a bit gimpy on offense. Let's get to your questions this week on email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – @ChrisBrownBills is there any chance Kouandjio begins to take some snaps at Guard. Tackles appear locked in. Pears hasn't played well.
CB: Head coach Doug Marrone made it clear a little over a week ago that there are no plans right now to give Kouandjio snaps at guard. I think at this point in time the preference is to have him master offensive tackle, particularly on the right side. He played primarily left tackle in college and flipping to the right side has been an adjustment. Marrone said he is encouraged by Kouandjio's progress, so I don't think they want to put too much on his plate and compromise his development at tackle with the responsibility of learning another position.
2 – @ChrisBrownBills Do the players get brand new jerseys every game?
CB: The general answer here is no. According to @billsequipment most players wear the same jersey each week, unless there is irreparable tearing or other damage to a jersey. This most often happens with offensive and defensive linemen just from all the grabbing and pulling. In that case players are issued replacements.
There are of course exceptions. Players like Mario Williams have memorabilia deals where each game worn jersey is turned in, and sometimes players exchange jerseys with friends on other teams. Fred Jackson was the latest example when he swapped game worn jerseys at the end of last week's game at Houston with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
3 – @ChrisBrownBills I wanted to know why Urbik is a backup this year. Do you know?
CB: It's hard to know exactly why Kraig Urbik fell out of favor with the offensive staff and has been moved to a backup role. There is no question that based on Buffalo's moves this offseason that they were looking to make changes there with the signing of Chris Williams and the drafting of Cyril Richardson. I feel Urbik is more than capable of manning one of the starting guard spots, but that's just my opinion. Head coach Doug Marrone has him serving primarily as the backup center behind Eric Wood, but I believe he can certainly step in at guard.
4 – Hi Chris,
My question concerns the buzz about the jet sweep since Percy Harvin and Cordarelle Patterson are taking the league by storm. We have Marquise Goodwin, why isn't he on the field more to do stuff like this? I would think he would play more if nothing else than because of his speed. Is he injured or just not performing well in practice? I think he should be on the field more.
Thanks for all your coverage, GO BILLS!
CB: You're right that Goodwin has not been on the field very much. He's played a total of 30 snaps in four games. He does have one end around that went for four yards. He's at a position where the Bills are deep and spread formations are not all that prevalent in Buffalo's offense anymore. Under former head coach Chan Gailey the four-wide set was their most popular. If that were still the case now I think he would get more work on offense.
I think ideally the offensive coaches want to have a package of plays in each week for Goodwin, but the inability of the offense to stay on the field has compromised those plans to a degree. There's no question that Goodwin's presence on the field forces defenses to respect the deep ball, and it creates room underneath for Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods to operate.
5 – Chris,
No one, including reporters is really talking about EJ's strength in throwing the ball. I'm not referring to skill, but the velocity of his throws.
Jim Kelly mentioned it on air mid-game last Sunday – and to me, it was far more obvious prior to his statement. Seems he lobs the ball versus throwing in there quickly and tight.
Are the coaches on EJ about this? I feel he'd be a better QB if he can aster throwing a tight, fast spiral. His balls seem to be all over the place mid-air. Or is this just what EJ mechanisms are about?
Mike Barwick
CB: I have noticed that myself, even in the practice setting. EJ never really winds up and fires it to get it in a tight window. I think sometimes his long delivery gives the illusion that the ball isn't moving fast, but he is certainly capable of throwing a fastball. I've seen it at times, but with the physical ability to throw it on a rope I wouldn't mind seeing it more when he gets another chance to play.
Tags: Cyrus Kouandjio, EJ Manuel, Erik Pears, Fan Friday, Kraig Urbik, Marquise Goodwin, player jerseys
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 9-26Posted by on September 26, 2014 – 12:12 pm
It's the start of a big two week road trip in Houston. The Bills are looking to finish the first quarter of the season at 3-1. We'll have full postgame coverage on Buffalobills.com. Let's get to your questions this week on email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Hi Chris,
My question is about the Bills offense. During training camp I noticed that EJ is throwing the ball a lot farther downfield; however during the preseason games, and early in the season all the routes seem to be less than 10 yards. Is this due to the play calling or EJ? I've heard EJ's been better during practice, but it's frustrating to watch him check down most of the time. It reminds me of when we had Chan Gailey and Fitz.
CB: So far this season EJ Manuel is averaging seven yards an attempt. For those that are unfamiliar with that statistic, even in the pass happy NFL that we know today any yards per attempt average that's eight or above is outstanding. Only five NFL QBs are averaging eight yards or more per attempt right now. So seven is very respectable.
The other way one can look at it is average yards at the catch. This is where Manuel's figure is below the league average. Manuel averages 3.6 passing yards at the catch, which ranks 31st in the league. The league average is about six.
Now there are two ways one can interpret that. One Buffalo's offense doesn't take a lot of deep shots down the field, which is your contention, and based on the latter statistic it's understandable why that might be inferred.
The other way to look at it is Buffalo's offensive staff knows the collection of speed they have out of the backfield and at receiver and believe it's more important to make the completion and allow the ball handlers to make yards after the catch. Right now the Bills ranks 8th in the league in yards after the catch with 415 yards in three games. That's a strong number.
It's my belief that as long as those yards after the catch figures remain in the top 10 in the league, that the passing game approach won't change all that much. That's not to say they won't take four to six deep shots per game, but on the whole they'll rely on short to intermediate passes believing their playmakers can gain yards after the reception is made.
2 – Chris,
Do some NFL coaches have a policy of benching players for a play after they are called for a penalty? I've noticed this fairly frequently just in watching game telecasts. For example, after Scott Chandler was called for a penalty vs Chicago this past Sunday, the cameras showed him standing on the sidelines. Then he was back in on the next play. Obviously, if a starting QB gets called for a delay of game penalty, he's not removed, but I've noticed both offensive and defensive players coming off the field after a penalty.
Gary Kozlowski
CB: Your observations are pretty astute. I also noticed last week that after Brandon Spikes was flagged for a personal foul last week against the Chargers that he was removed from the game too. Sometimes it's just the personnel grouping that the coaches choose to put on the field for the next play, which may have been the case with Chandler. I will have to go back and look.
Sometimes it is in fact to get the player off the field and cool off. In an emotional game like football sometimes a player's competitive emotions gets the best of them as seemed to be the case with Spikes last week. So coaches in an effort to bring a player's emotions back in line take them out of the competitive environment on the field so they can collect themselves before playing another snap.
3 – Hey Chris,
What happened to Stephon Gilmore? He doesn't even look like the same player we saw in his rookie season. He's constantly getting beat in pass coverage, and he's not making plays in run support. He's becoming a real liability in our defense. I'm curious what the coaches are saying about his play.
CB: I think the coaches are trying to be patient with Gilmore. Coming off of offseason hip surgery and then a groin injury at the start of the season Gilmore is clearly not 100 percent healthy. He's trying to fight through the nagging groin problem to be available for his team on Sundays. I don't think there's any question it has not allowed him to play at his very best.
The encouraging sign I saw this week was Gilmore was on the practice field for extra reps long after practice had concluded. This was a common practice of Gilmore's, but taxing his body in that fashion was not an option for him while he was rehabilitating or as he worked his way back into the practice setting and lineup.
Seeing that is a major positive because Gilmore is a player whose game gets better when he can maximize his reps during the week. The most important thing to remember is it's his collective health that's holding his game back.
4 – Hi Chris,
Thanks for all you do to keep us fans on top of all news concerning the Bills!
My question is concerning the defensive pass rush ideology. This past week against the Chargers it seemed that there were very few blitzes dialed up. I understand that with veteran QBs you have to mix it up, but the defense pretty much rushed four and got no pass rush which lead to the Db's getting lit up. I'm starting to see major differences between Petitine's philosophy and Jim Schwartz's philosophy. Do you feel that less blitzing is what we will see throughout the rest of the season from Schwartz? His philosophy seems to put a great deal of pressure on the secondary….
Thanks for your response.
CB: I think most knew going in that Schwartz's philosophy was not going to dial up nearly as many blitzes as Pettine did last year. Personally I was okay with that if it meant better third down defense and better run defense in exchange, knowing those were two consistent problem areas for Buffalo's defense over the years.
To this point Buffalo's defense is 6th against the run and 8th in third down defense. I'll take less blitzing if this is the trade-off.
I think you also need to consider this. When facing veteran quarterbacks who get the ball out quick, like Cutler and Rivers, and this week with Fitz, Schwartz generally takes the approach that committing a seventh man to coverage is more valuable than committing a fifth man to the rush. If you're not going to get to the QB with a blitz anyway, you're better off rushing your front four and dropping a seventh man into coverage, hoping the coverage helps lead to the QB holding onto the ball long enough for pressure to affect his play.
To this point Schwartz's third down defense more often than not has proven him correct. So until that changes I'm in favor of his approach.
5 – Hi Chris,
Great job as always keeping Bills fans updated. My question really isn't about on field football items. Now that the Bills are headed on the road for a couple of weeks what is their travel routine getting ready for an away game?
Many thanks.
Bryon B.
CB: Typically the way things work in advance of a road game is they have meetings Saturday morning followed by a situational practice at One Bills Drive where they go over specific situations that might surface in the game. It usually runs less than an hour.
After that players go home to pack their personal items for the trip and head to the airport for their departure time on the team plane.
Once they arrive in the home team's city they're typically at the team hotel by 3:30 pm. They're free to have dinner on their own and then there are meetings with coaches for a couple of hours in the evening before bed check at 11 pm.
Then players head to the stadium Sunday morning, with most of them in the locker room by 10 am or so for a 1 pm kickoff.
Tags: EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Jim Schwartz, road trip, Scott Chandler, Stephon Gilmore
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 9-19Posted by on September 19, 2014 – 11:45 am
Week 3 and the Chargers are coming in. Should be a tight game. Let's get to your questions this week on email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – @ChrisBrownBills Does potentially bad weather this weekend favor the Bills?
CB: I would tend to think so. Buffalo's run game is vastly superior to that of San Diego's. The Chargers have found it difficult to get their run game on track, though in their defense they've faced to pretty strong defenses in Arizona and Seattle. But without starter Ryan Mathews (sprained MCL), who is not expected to play a rainy day would favor Buffalo's ground game.
2 – @ChrisBrownBills Will we see Bryce Brown at all this year ?
CB: That's difficult to determine at this point. It seems clear that the coaching staff wants a fullback active (Frank Summers) with three tailbacks on game day (Dixon, Jackson, Spiller). If one of the top three backs sustains an injury then it's likely we see Brown, but if not, based on the first two weeks he'll be the inactive player from that position group.
3 – @ChrisBrownBills Who is more primed for a 'letdown' both after big emotional wins. SD, does have the cross country trip.
CB: You are correct the Chargers do have to come east, which is never easy. They're leaving a day early (today) to get their body clocks adjust to the time change. Last year San Diego was 3-2 playing in the Eastern time zone including their AFC Wild Card playoff win at Cincinnati.
Against the Bills they've dropped three of their last four played at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
I don't know that either team is more susceptible to a letdown than the other. Both are coming off big wins. I think the Bills strengths match up more favorably than the Chargers strengths, but that advantage is not a big one.
4 – Chris,
What is Marquise Goodwin's role on this team? He played sparingly in Chicago, and overall has not produced much at all since the Jets game at Home last season. Are the coaches going to use him?
He is a 3rd Round pick that seemingly is not on the radar screen with the offensive coaches.
In limited playing time last year, he had 3 TDs on only 17 receptions.
How does a man with 4.27 wheels not get the call to test deep once or twice a game? Or get a bubble screen once a game?
I would hate to see a similar fate for Goodwin, as our other speedster TJ Graham, who was a 3rd Round pick as well.
CB: Through the first two weeks Goodwin has gotten 21 plays out of a total of 116, which is about 18 percent of the snaps. The fact of the matter is the Bills took steps to upgrade their receiving corps with Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams the primary additions. Both sit at the top of the depth chart with Robert Woods.
That leaves Goodwin in the fourth spot, but through the first two weeks the Bills have largely used 11 (1 back, 1 TE, 3 WR) or 12 (1 back, 2 TEs) personnel. There have been few four-wide sets.
I don't know this, but it appears as though the Bills have a specific package of plays in the game plan for Goodwin each week, and that package only spans 10-15 plays. Could it increase based on the opponent? Yes. Could it stay the same the whole season? Yes again.
Obviously injuries at the receiver position will also impact how much Goodwin sees the field on offense as the season wears on. Ultimately it's up to the coaches how much or how little they choose to use him on offense.
5 – Hey Chris,
After watching the Bills lately, it seems like Hackett and Marrone have the offense operating very well. My one question is, why don't they use Dixon and Jackson earlier, to wear down the defense, and then later in the game use CJ to really explode?
Tommy H.
CB: I don't want to speak for coach Marrone, but Spiller's home run ability is the difference maker here. Knowing that any carry or reception by Spiller could go the distance almost mandates that he be on the field throughout the course of the game. I also think that Spiller and Jackson offer good differing changes of pace, where Dixon and Jackson might be too similar and allow the opposing defense to get a better read on run plays.
Tags: Bills-Chargers, Boobie Dixon, Bryce Brown, C.J. Spiller, Fan Friday, Fred Jackson, Marquise Goodwin
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 9-12Posted by on September 12, 2014 – 12:29 pm
Perhaps the most anticipated home opener in a long time and it's Miami on top of it. It's been a heck of a week for Bills fans with all the positive news. Let's get to the latest edition of your questions on email at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
My question to you:
Could you see the Bills putting Cordy Glenn at LG because it seems like they are deeper at tackle than they are at guard? I know they have experimented with him there a few times but it just seems like they don't have an answer at LG at all even with the Williams signing. I would go from left to right: Henderson, Glenn, Wood, Urbik (or Richardson or Williams) and Pears. With an injury to a T you could then slide Glenn back to LT and put Henderson at RT. I think this gives you the best 5 up front.
twitter: DTaylor716
CB: I think the way things looked in Week 1 the front five that coach Marrone has put together looks pretty good and should only get more and more comfortable together as the weeks wear on. I think the key thing to remember here is to have your two most athletic linemen on the edges now that most NFL clubs have speed rushers on both sides, which the Bills will see this week with Miami's Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon.
I did an in depth piece on this regarding how important the right tackle has become in the league now knowing NFL defenses are putting speed on both sides.
Buffalo's two most athletic linemen by far are Cordy Glenn and Seantrel Henderson. So putting them at the two tackle positions is the best way to go as I see it.
2 – Hi Chris,
My question regards the slot position- both how we plan to defend it and attack other defenses with it.
I've read recently about the "big nickel" package- subbing out the nickel corner for a third safety to better match up against the monsters that are being put into the slot now-( see Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski).
Do you see Nickell Robey's stature as a liability against these bigger slot receivers and is there a plan in place to get a better matchup if we need to? Would this involve Corey Graham coming on potentially or having Searcy Williams and Williams all out as safeties at once? As much as I love Robey- he's incredible- I just forsee a long day for him trying to cover Gronk in the slot.
Conversely- do you think there is a plan in place to attack smaller nickel corners with our offense? I notice that neither Hogan nor Woods are exactly giants- I wonder if we will see Mike Williams or one of our bigger guys slide inside to slot to take advantage of some potential mismatches.
Thanks for everything you do for the Bills and us fans!
Ovid, NY
CB: I think what you saw last week was in Buffalo's nickel at times they'll make use of Duke Williams as a hybrid linebacker. Similar to the way Bryan Scott and Da'Norris Searcy have been used in years past, Williams has the physical game to help in the run game, if there's a draw play or something on third down, but also possesses the cover skills and physicality to handle coverage assignments.
Aaron Williams has the size and physical style to match up with a bigger player in the slot too as does Nigel Bradham, who is back this week. So I think Robey can still serve in his role and should a size mismatch present itself Buffalo has enough options to deploy against a larger slot receiver/tight end.
3 – Hi Chris!!
First of all, thank you for your great work keeping us Bills fans always well informed. Quick question. Are the Bills planning to wear their white alternate jersey this season? If so, which game?
Thanks Chris & take care!
Luis Estrada
(Puerto Rico)
CB: The only other jersey being worn is the white throwback jersey this Sunday for the home opener along with the standing red Buffalo helmets.
4 – Chris,
Love the coverage year round. Helps for a non-local Bills fan. Can you explain the reasoning behind Pears playing RG? He only practiced a few times there and has zero game experience at guard. In the preseason game, he look lost there. Why don't they keep him at tackle. You had Robert Woods as your camp MVP, so why has he slid down the pecking order at WR? I see him more as outside threat instead of slot. I would like to see him on the field every play.
Josh P.
CB: Pears did have some limited experience at guard from his days with the Raiders, though it was only a few games about five years ago. Still I think aside from his first snaps there against Tampa's Gerald McCoy in the preseason he's fared well. Pears is also great snap by snap counsel for rookie Seantrel Henderson. Henderson has told me having Pears there is invaluable for him.
Head coach Doug Marrone knows offensive line play, so if he believes this is his best five then I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and see how it plays out.
As for Robert Woods, he was my camp MVP because he brought it every day and outperformed the other receivers on a more consistent basis. Yes, Sammy Watkins turned in the highlight reel plays, but Woods is a guy who is going to get you first downs more consistently. In the NFL it's about keeping the offense on the field with first downs. That's where Woods helps you most.
And don't worry Woods will be moved around a lot this season because he's the most versatile receiver on the roster in my opinion.
5 – @ChrisBrownBills
First day of practice every week is Wednesday. So what does the team/players do Monday Tuesday? Chill or group watch film or ??
CB: Usually on Mondays injured players come in early for treatments. At 9 in the morning there's a designated weight lifting group. At 10 am there's a stretch and run conditioning period. Then there's a second weight lifting group later in the morning. That's followed by a team meeting at noon. Then they have a special teams meeting followed by offense, defense meetings. That's where they review game film from Sunday and make corrections.
On Tuesday most players get a jump on the upcoming opponent by studying film while the coaches spend the day putting together the game plan for Sunday. Generally though Tuesday is the players' day off.
Tags: Cordy Glenn, Duke Williams, Erik Pears, Fan Friday, nickel package, Nickell Robey, Robert Woods, Seantrel Henderson, throwback jerseys
Posted in Inside the Bills
Fan Friday 9-5Posted by on September 5, 2014 – 11:45 am
Well Bills fans the regular season is here. Let's hope Buffalo can get off to a good start in Chicago, even though the Bears do very well when they open the season at home (18-3) since 1984. On to your questions from email at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills.
1 – Chris,
How is Chris Williams doing at left guard? Is he getting any competition from any of the other guys? Having signed him as a free agent, is it still possible that the Bills will look to one of their other offensive linemen to take the spot?
Paul Blachowicz
Lancaster NY
CB: This is a hard one to answer because he's been in and out of the lineup so much this preseason. He missed the last three preseason games with a back injury so it's been difficult to judge any kind of progress in terms of chemistry with his new line mates in games. His teammates have taken well to him and head coach Doug Marrone said he is the unequivocal starter at left guard, even though rookie Cyril Richardson spelled him in the lineup when he was out. Richardson looks like the only realistic threat to Williams' position in the starting lineup and Williams play would really have to falter for that to happen the way it looks right now.
2 – Hi Chris,
My question is why does everybody from analysts to announcers call EJ a mobile, read option type QB? From what I can tell running is not the strongest part of his game at all. Sure he's had a few good runs when the defense is in man coverage and it's wide open but just about every QB in the league can do that. Maybe he's not being decisive enough and isn't running full speed, but his acceleration doesn't seem to be all that which is what I would think is a QB's best friend when scrambling. When he's throwing the ball well I have no problem with him being our QB, but it seems to me he's getting this stereotype which doesn't fit him.
CB: I'm going to assume that you're referring mainly to TV broadcasters. Unfortunately I don't hear the television broadcast because I'm working the game too in the press box. If there are a lot of references to EJ being a mobile QB I haven't heard it. Yes, he has the mobility to make yards with his legs when things break down or to escape a collapsing pocket, but he has even said himself he wants to be a passing QB that can run when absolutely necessary.
3 – @ChrisBrownBills Has Cyrus gotten any looks at guard in practice, or solely at tackle?
CB: Cyrus Kouandjio has been working strictly at offensive tackle. I have not seen any reps for him at the guard position. First of all Kouandjio is a very long-limbed player and knowing a guard needs to really win on leverage inside, it may prove more difficult for him than other taller tackles that a coach might want to shift in to guard. Second, it's clear that the coaches want to get him as many reps as possible at tackle. He just turned 21-years old, he's still growing into his frame and simply needs time on the job. The more reps he gets every day in practice at tackle the shorter the learning curve gets for him to be ready to contribute.
4 – @ChrisBrownBills will we see vanilla Defense scheme allowing Cutler 6 seconds to pick secondary apart?
CB: I think here are two things you need to keep in mind regarding Sunday's opponent and Buffalo's defense. First, Cutler never needs six seconds to get the ball out. The Bears offense is largely based on three step drops. It's very difficult to sack Cutler, which is why Chicago gave up the third-fewest sacks in the league last season (30).
All that being said the Bills defense will not be vanilla. I'm assuming you're referring to how Jim Schwartz often relied on his front four to rush the quarterback in Detroit and routinely dropped seven into coverage. That won't happen a whole lot this season. The reason why is for the first time in a long time Schwartz has quality cover corners in Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin, which gives him the liberty of sending extra rushers on passing downs.
I'm not certain we'll see a lot of extra blitzers this week because of how quickly Cutler gets it out, but through the course of the season we'll see a variety of looks from coach Schwartz.
5 – @ChrisBrownBills Great work Chris! Does #1 on depth chart chart for kickoff returns (Spiller) mean more 1st down touches for Freddy?
CB: I would not assume that Fred Jackson will see more first down work following a kickoff return by C.J. Spiller. Spiller addressed that very question this week, so I'll let him explain why that might only be in the case in a few situations this season.
"If Fred sees me break a 50 or 60 yarder (on a kickoff) he'll start the offense off," said Spiller. "If not I'll just stay out there and start the series, but the good thing is he's always watching making sure that I'm good. That's what it takes, another set of eyes because you want to make sure you're full speed and you can give your team the best of your ability. I do a great job of judging when I need to start on the offensive series and when I need to come out. I have no worries at all about that."
Tags: Bills-Bears, C.J. Spiller, Chris Williams, Cyrus Kouandjio, EJ Manuel, Fan Friday, Fred Jackson
Posted in Inside the Bills