Buffalo Bills' Defense Gives Up Too Many Points, Way Too Much Ground

Is bend but don't break broken? The Bills have stubbornly maintained that their zone scheme surrenders yards but not points, a claim actually somewhat reinforced by the statistics. But there were still far too many lapses in coverage and weak games overall last season to assume that this allegedly smothering approach can steer this team into the playoffs, much less ensure triumph once it gets there. All those long drives Buffalo seemed to yield aren't just an exaggerated painful memory: The defense truly let teams gain territory almost at will last season. The Bills finished second-to-last in yards relinquished with 362.9 yards per game, ahead of only the traditionally woeful Lions. It's not that they excelled in one of the two areas of defense, either, ending up 25th in rushing yardage and 29th in passing. Offenses skewed their averages high both running and throwing while facing the Bills. However, opponents didn't always march all the way to the end zone or even to a spot where ... (link)