So this whole "we have no defense" thing seems off...

I will admit that I did not watch past half-time of the Bills preseason game, but up until that point I thought the team looked fairly ok. Now everyone is saying we have no chance against Brady because our D is very bad.

Our D might not be what it was in 2008, but it really can't be worse than last year. We lost Polamalu and Worilds (McCain maybe), but have Shazier and Jones back healthy, drafted Dupree, have the same safties that played most of last year, have our best CB from last season back in Gay, traded for an ok CB in Boykin, returned Cortez who might/should be an upgrade, and still have Timmons and Hayward.

I really think though that the key to this year will come down to.............Harrison! If he is able to instil fear in offenses and generate pass rush like he did at the end of the year (think the Ravens game in the regular season), where teams have to double him, that will be a big boost to our team.

In the preseason game, don't forget that Timmons/Tuitt/Mitchell weren't playing and Harrison barely played.

I think they will be better this year than they were last, and that is all we need if our offense can match last year's production. I am worried on that end though with Bell/Bryant being suspended to start and Pouncey hurt. Any more injuries and we instantly become average.

 

Preseason is very limited, but I like to look at the 1st and/or 2nd drives of the opposing offenses:
Minnesota 1st drive 51 yards into FG range
Jacksonville 2nd Drive 45 yards into FG range
Green Bay 1st Drive 80 yards, TD
Buffalo 1st drive 43 yards, TD
Buffalo 2nd drive 80 yards, TD

It's not that we have "no defense".... it's just that the only time we've seen most of the starters playing together..... they really haven't instilled any confidence that they can stop anyone. Outside of GB, there's no powerhouse offenses there. And offenses play very vanilla just like defenses in preseason. We haven't seen the 11 defensive starters play together yet and there are several new starters to the defense. Concern is that it might take a few games to get things started.

 

When are Timmons and Tuitt going to be healthy? Get those guys back, avoid a big injury, and I might buy into the front 7. It's still not great though. I hated the Golson pick anyway, and I like Boykin, so maybe the corners will play okay but there's not a top CB anywhere near this team. The Safeties are a mess. Mitchell can come back all he wants, he still stinks.

We have to outscore teams and we're missing two great weapons and a top center.

 

cuts will be coming.

 

I don't put much stock into the preseason at all. Teams like the Steelers, patriots, ravens, Broncos, packers and a few others, pretty much have their starting 22 etched in stone and really have no reason to play at full game speed.
There will be some growing pains, this year, but I think we finish strong when it counts.