Inside The Bills

Who’s left for the nose?

With both of Buffalo’s top two nose tackles on injured reserve in Kyle Williams and Torell Troup, the Bills have just a couple of options left to man that demanding spot when they go to their 3-4 front.

Of late the Bills have played a lot more 4-3 looks against the Dolphins and Jets the past two weeks. Whether that continues remain to be seen. But if they do go to their 3-4 front, Chan Gailey shed some light on how things would shape up personnel-wise at the nose.

“It’ll be a mix,” Gailey told Buffalobills.com. ”Kellen (Heard) will probably play the first snap in there, but it will be a mix. We’ll roll all those guys in there to keep everybody fresh. Our defensive line coach Giff Smith does a great job with that group and has them ready to be interchangeable.”

Gailey also said that Marcell Dareus would be part of that mix.

Chan on Dareus pre-game speech

Ryan Fitzpatrick made mention of the fact that Marcell Dareus helped to create a livelier and more positive vibe among the players with an impromptu pre-game speech to his teammates. Head coach Chan Gailey did not hear the speech, but heard about the rookie stepping forward and felt it was a good sign.

“It doesn’t surprise me in one way because he is a strong guy in the locker room,” said Gailey. ”He’s a strong person. He’s a competitor. But for a rookie to do it it does surprise you a little bit. I didn’t hear it. I wasn’t around it. Every now and then different people have to step to the forefront. It’s good.”

“Some of the young guys are starting to realize they’re the next man up and they can’t wait on anybody else anymore,” said Fitzpatrick. ”They’ve got to go and come into their role and bring that excitement level up. It was there pre-game in the locker room. It’s something we need to continue to be better at. There was more optimism and spirit.”

Picture at nose tackle

With Torell Troup going on injured reserve Buffalo’s options for a 3-4 nose tackle are down to two.

Realistically only Marcell Dareus and Kellen Heard are capable of being an effective nose tackle in a 3-4 front for Buffalo now. Of late the Bills have played more of a 4-3 front, so the loss of Troup might not be that severe.

Based on what Chan Gailey said last week regarding 4-3 vs. 3-4 injury could prompt Buffalo’s defensive staff to play more 4-3 than 3-4 the rest of the way.

“Some of it has to do with who’s healthy and who’s not, who we think can play, what we think the best matchup is as far as run game vs. tight end, throw vs. back out of the backfield. You take all of those things in consideration, it’s never just one thing,” said Gailey last week.

Buffalo has played more 4-3 each of the past two games, including last week against the Jets when Troup was inactive.

Marcell Dareus to be at Tops

The Pepsi MAX Rookie can series is part of the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week/Year program, which allows fans to vote each week and at the end of the season for the best rookie in the league at www.pepsimax.com/facebook or www.NFL.com/rookie. Pepsi is the official soft drink of the NFL.

Dareus wins Rookie of the Week

Bills NT Marcell Dareus was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for Week 8 after his big game against the Redskins. 

Dareus, who was switched to nose tackle from defensive end before the game, was credited with four tackles and 2.5 sacks in the Bills’ 23-0 win over the Washington Redskins.

Dareus was selected from among five finalists through fan votes on NFL.com/rookies.  The other finalists were wide receiver Jon Baldwin of the Kansas City Chiefs, QB Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, QB  Christian Ponder of the Minnesota Vikings and wide receiver Titus Young of the Detroit Lions.

After the regular season, five players will be nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year honors.  Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com/rookies throughout the month of January.  The winner will be announced at a press conference at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

Fan Friday 11-4

Big division game this week Bills fans. Got to be loud at the Ralph to make it tough on the Jets. On to your questions, which you can submit to askchris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - Hi Chris,

How is Alex Carrington coming along? I thought he did well at the OLB position in preseason but now with Kelsey and Merriman being out I haven’t heard him mentioned as an option there. I know Kelsey’s almost back, but I thought he would’ve been perfect to fill in on that side, but it seemed like Batten was getting the majority of the reps. Thanks for hard work on the website. 

Dan
Chicopee, MA

CB: Carrington did initially get some work at OLB, but I think they came to the conclusion that he’s better as a defensive end in the 3-4 system. Now with Marcell Dareus manning the nose, Carrington is starting at left end in Dareus’ old position. Spencer Johnson is the defensive line seeing the most time at outside linebacker and has fared well. He’s rarely fooled on plays despite the fact that it’s a new position and requires more reads. Carrington has turned in some solid if not spectacular performances. I think the defensive staff is confident that his play will get more consistent and he’ll turn in more game-changing plays as the second half of the season moves along.

2 - Hi chris

The Bills considered Aaron Maybin a bust after two years, however he has been a productive player for the Jets this season. How and why did the Bills staff so seriously misjudge this player??

Go Bills
Richard, Boca Raton, FL 

CB: I think it’s difficult for you to say the Bills misjudged Maybin. You fault the Bills for cutting him loose after two years, but you’ve decided he’s a playmaker after a few games? What has happened is Maybin is a pass rush specialist. He comes in on passing downs only and usually pursues from the back side. With other more respect pass rushing talent on the field with him (Calvin Pace) along with a strong inside linebacking duo, less attention is paid to Maybin allowing him to run plays down from behind.

Personally I don’t think he’ll ever be more than a specialty player because he lacks football instincts. If he’s asked to read run-pass he struggles. In coverage he’s a liability. He tries hard and he hustles, but I still don’t think he’ll amount to much.

3 - Chris,

I enjoy your videos, blogs, and news items. Please keep up the good work!

Now that Shawne is on I/R I have two questions. I’m sure he has a lot of special wordage in his contract but:

Will the coaching staff require him to be on the sidelines at games to motivate and lead the entire team especially the “D” and the young linebackers and give the youngsters tips during the game or would the coaching consider him a distraction and let him hang out elsewhere?

During the work week will the coaching staff also ask him to be at practice to mentor the young LBs and to sit in the film sessions to again help the LBs or might Shawne say “ Hey, I can’t play so I’m going to the beach “. 

Thanks for your insight.

Bob – 45 years of being a Bills Fan

CB: To my knowledge Merriman has not been at One Bills Drive since he had surgery on his Achilles. From what I have heard he will be on crutches for two weeks and beyond that is anybody’s guess. Typically injured players are nowhere near the sideline during games. Mentoring young players takes place with veterans that are usually playing alongside them. Merriman is out of that mix. Players that are out for the year typically go home and rehab and come back to Buffalo to get checkups from the team physicians so they can accurately track his progress. That’s what Roscoe Parrish has done and I’d anticipate Merriman doing the same.

Thanks for the kind words.

4 - Hi Chris,

Great win this past week! Good to see the defense stepping up, even if Washington isn’t known as an offensive juggernaut it’s good to get some confidence on the back end before the Jets roll into town. Question about one of the plays against Washington. I noticed on one of the sack plays, Marcell Dareus was working against one of the offensive linemen one on one and it looked like both of them got their hands high into each other`s chin area and then Marcell reaches up and rips his own helmet off and keeps playing. What`s the NFL`s policy on purposefully removing your helmet during a live play? I would think that with all the concussion concerns something like that would be an automatic 15 yard flag. Obviously not complaining since the Bills got a sack on the play, but who knows what could have happened had Dareus ended up on the ground with his helmet off.

Thanks,
Ruben Jongstra
Toronto

CB: I think that’s a difficult one to call because it’s pure judgment by the officials on a play when a helmet comes off. Most players by nature do not want their helmet off during live action. I didn’t notice that myself. I think an official would have to be completely convinced there was intent to remove it. Even then however, I’m not sure they could invoke the same unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that’s assessed when a player removes their helmet while still on the field. Usually those circumstances involve a player that’s upset about a call or something else and throws his helmet off in frustration.

5 - Hi, Chris.

As an upstate New Yorker now living in California, I love being able to access your coverage of the Bills. I haven’t seen the Bills play this year (except for their win against the Raiders), but I get the sense that few passes get thrown to the TEs–except in red zone situations. Is that because, outside the red zone, Buffalo is keeping the TE in to block? Are the offensive schemes designed to emphasize passing opportunities to Fred Jackson and the wide receivers and maximize pass protection?

Thanks,
Dennis

 
CB: No, tight ends are not kept in to block a whole lot. Buffalo will go to a 3 WR 2 back look at times in which they have an H-back or TE positioned somewhere off the line and motion him. Most of the time the Bills are in a 4-by-1 set or 5 wide and Scott Chandler is often one of the four or five split wide. As Fitz said last week he just goes where the coverage takes him. He’s not afraid to throw it to any of his guys and that keeps the opponent from keying on specific wideouts in the Bills passing game.

Taller task for Dareus this week

In last week’s game at Toronto, Marcell Dareus in his first start at nose tackle faced first-year center Eric Cook, who needed a lot of double team help and even then had trouble handling Buffalo’s top draft choice. On Sunday Dareus’ matchup is a significantly stronger one as he squares off against a Pro Bowl center in Nick Mangold.

Dareus apparently knows the stakes will be raised on Sunday and intends to prepare as much as possible for Mangold.

“I’ve got to anchor down and be at my best,” said Dareus. “I’ve got to watch extra film and try to capitalize on some of his tendencies, but he don’t have many. I’ve just got to be ready for him.”

Dareus has been made aware of the Jets recent run game success against the Bills, which includes a 276-yard rushing day against them in last year’s meeting at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

“The vets have told me about it,” said Dareus. “We’ve talked about it a lot. We’re going against a good team this week and I’m going against one of the best, so I’m anxious to play and see what I can do.”

Dareus on the radio

Bills DL Marcell Dareus will be on the local radio airwaves Wednesday afternoon. Here’s where you can find him.

Marcell Dareus – Shredd and Ragan – Player of the Week; 103.3 The Edge @ 3:45 pm

Vote for Dareus

Bills DL Marcell Dareus is up for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week after his performance in Buffalo 23-0 win over Washington in Week 8.

Dareus tallied four tackles and 2.5 sacks in the Bills’ 23-0 win over the Washington Redskins. The Bills top pick is going up against Cam Newton, Christian Ponder, Titus Young and Jonathan Baldwin, so be sure to vote early and often for Marcell.

Fans can vote by going to NFL.com/rookies.

Why NT not foreign to Dareus

Marcell Dareus started at nose tackle for the first time in his NFL career, but he looked very comfortable in the center of Buffalo’s defensive front. There’s a reason why.

“He played so many different positions, he played nose, he played tackle, he played end, he played all over the place,” said Chan Gailey. ”I think he is comfortable at a lot of spots. I don’t think that we saw that that was going to be the answer, if we’d thought that was the case, we would’ve made that move a long time ago. I think he is good in there and he did create some problems in there and I think he’ll continue to create some problems in there.”

“I think I did pretty well, but that’s just something we did in college,” said Dareus. ”We just kept rotating at multiple positions. The more positions you can play, the more ready you are up front. That’s what we did, and it wasn’t that hard. So it was just staying at it and keep chopping that wood.”

Dareus is expected to man the starting nose tackle spot as long as Kyle Williams is sidelined, which will continue this week against the Jets. After Williams is healthy enough to play again Gailey said he’ll have a good problem on his hands as to how to line up them up.

Kyle out again this week

It comes as no surprise since head coach Chan Gailey said from the outset that Kyle Williams could miss another game or two coming out of the bye week. That has proven to be the case as Gailey ruled him out for this Sunday’s game against the Jets.

“He’ll miss this week, and then we’ll re-evaluate,” said Gailey.

Williams is dealing with a persistent foot injury that’s robbed the Pro Bowl DT of his trademark explosion. The athletic training staff obviously believes staying off it completely could significantly improve Williams’ condition.

We’ll soon see what another week of complete rest can do for Williams’ affliction. With Williams out one can expect to see Marcell Dareus lined up at nose tackle again this week.

Dareus, Stevie on the radio

Bills DL Marcell Dareus and Stevie Johnson will both be on the radio airwaves this afternoon. Here’s where you can find them.

Marcell Dareus will be on The Fan 590 at 3:20 pm. (listen online)

Stevie Johnson will be on NFL Network’s Around the League at 3:30 pm.

Dareus to start at nose tackle

A defensive line move that we anticipated is happening for the Bills coming out of the bye week.

Marcell Dareus is going to start at nose tackle. He had been lining up there in practice more this week. Alex Carrington will be stepping into Dareus’ spot at LDE.
Kelvin Sheppard is also starting at ILB next to Nick Barnett.

Spencer Johnson starts at OLB in place of Shawne Merriman.

Dareus, 2 guards earn praise

Bills DL Marcell Dareus and guards Andy Levitre and Kraig Urbik earned high marks from the film reviewers and stat crunchers at Pro Football Focus for their performances against the Giants last Sunday.

In their words Marcell Dareus was dominant, which explains why he saw so many double teams come the second half of the game. Here’s what they wrote about Dareus’ game Sunday.

When you pick someone with the 3^rd selection of the draft you don’t just want them to play solid football, you expect them to eventually take over games, and for the first time that is what Marcel Dareus (+5.1) did in this game. He’s put together “half” performances in the past; getting pressure but doing little as a run defender, but here he was the full package. He registered five hurries (of which one was nullified by a penalty) but importantly also gave Kevin Boothe more than he could handle in the running game.

PFF also had high praise for both Urbik and Levitre.

Troup-Heard combo?

With Kyle Williams very iffy for today’s game against the Giants, the Bills have options at nose tackle.

Buffalo is expected to have Torell Troup at the healthiest he has been all season as he practiced fully the entire week for the first time on the year. If Williams winds up being inactive, Troup is expected to start in his place. The Bills also have the luxury of having the very capable Kellen Heard as a rotational nose behind Troup. 

Depth up front has been a problem in recent years, but fortunately that is no longer the case for the Bills. And if for some reason Troup’s back issues resurface in the game don’t be surprised if Marcell Dareus kicks inside to help fill the void. Of course this is all predicated on if Kyle Williams is inactive.

RG Boling replaced for Bengals

Bengals starting RG Clint Boling, a rookie, has been replaced in Cincinnati’s starting lineup for today’s game with the Bills.

Mike McGlynn, a fourth-year player, is his replacement in the starting lineup. Boling is a bit longer-framed player and doesn’t anchor especially well yet, while McGlynn is a bit stockier player and does anchor more consistently.

There’s little doubt that Marcell Dareus’ presence at left defensive end influenced this decision by the Bengals because Boling vs. Dareus, which we featured in our Motorola XOOM Scouting report on Friday, would’ve been a mismatch.

Fan Friday 9-23

2-0 vs. 2-0 on Sunday. Big AFC East matchup with the Patriots. Many are expecting a shootout. We’ll see what happens Sunday. Now to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 - Hi Chris, 

I’ve been watching since the preseason on nfl.com’s preseason live and one thing I’ve noticed about the Bills secondary is a lack of making plays on the ball. It seems they’re content to just be close to the receiver and rarely turn their head and get their hands up. Do you think it’s just rust from not being tested much when they couldn’t stop the run or do they have some deficiencies in the secondary? Of course when they did turn their heads and make plays the refs called interference every time vs the Jags. With the way these refs are acting it’s going to be a two hand touch league pretty soon.

Dan

CB: In talking to some of the guys in the secondary they feel their positioning is sound defensively when defending the pass. They just have to commit to make more plays on the ball, so I think your observations on the whole are accurate. I don’t think it has anything to do with not being tested much with teams running on them so much last season. It’s a good group back there and I think with a little more help from the pass rush forcing errant throws they should get that turnover figure to increase more like what it was in 2009 when they were second in the AFC in takeaways.

2 - Hi Chris,
If Shawne Merriman goes down with an injury that causes him to lose significant time, are the Bills going to use Alex Carrington to fill the spot? Also, what happens if Stevie Johnson goes down with an injury? Who would be the go to guy then? Donald Jones? These are serious contingencies that would impact the Bills season. What are your thoughts? 

Tony, Daytona Beach, Fl
CB: This is a timely question in light of Stevie Johnson’s nagging groin injury. If he’s forced to sit out a week or two to rest his groin ailment, I’d anticipate Jones stepping into the number one role with a collection of wideouts filling the number two spot on the other side. That would include Ruvell Martin, Naaman Roosevelt and possibly practice squad player Kamar Aiken (6’2” 213).

With respect to Merriman, I think Carrington and Spencer Johnson could be part of that replacement equation, particularly on run downs, with Danny Batten stepping in on passing downs.

3 - Chris,

I love that Buddy/Chan have made the Bills a much more physical team than Jauron.  Can you compare the opening day rosters for Jauron’s last team vs this year and give average size per position.  I have been very tired of watching the Bills get physically beat especially on defense.

Thanks,
Kevin

CB: While I can’t give you average size for the 2009 squad, I can tell you that Buffalo’s current roster this year has 16 players that are 300 pounds or more. That’s the highest number of 300 pounders on a roster in the league this season. Their average team weight is 252 pounds and change, which is also a league high.

4 - Hey Chris,

I was wondering if it is possible to purchase a bills jersey with the 9/11 patch or the actual patch itself through nfl.com or buffalobills.com
Thanks, Dave G

CB: I’ve been told that teams at different times will be making their jerseys with those patches available at the site http://www.nflauction.nfl.com/. Unfortunately there is no set schedule on what teams will make their jerseys available. All proceeds go to various charities for those jerseys. I guess you’ll need to check back at that site frequently to keep tabs on what’s available and when. Sorry that’s the best I can do.

5 - Chris,
A friend showed me this video on YouTube of Marcell Dareus lifting a car and we’re in disagreement on if it’s real or fake. Can you track down Marcell and ask him. Here’s the video I’m referring to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL5rJ40HUKU.

Thanks,
Mitch (Webster, NY)

CB: Marcell is mum on the situation. All he would provide is a smirk. I know one thing, I wouldn’t park your vehicle anywhere close to his truck. He’s not a big fan of inching his way back and forth to get out of parking spots!

Raiders O-line is chippy

The Oakland Raiders have talked about wanting to get back to their old school days. Their road grader offensive line has adopted that approach and Marcell Dareus can see it on tape.

That’s why going in the Bills know at times they’re going to have to keep their cool.

“They’ll fight every play and they’ll fight every down,” said Dareus. ”The offensive lineman like to give a little extra after the play, so we have to be prepared for that, have our heads in the game. Not so much thinking about just the moment, but thinking about the game.”

Dareus pays tribute

Bills DE Marcell Dareus is paying tribute to the fallen heroes of 9-11 with his game shoes today. Here’s a look.

Williams schooling up Dareus

Marcell Dareus obviously has certain God-given abilities out on the football field, that no one needs to help him with, but when it comes to uncovering little nuances of the opponent, Kyle Williams and the other vets in the defensive line room have been giving Buffalo’s top pick some pointers.

“I have a good feel of (the scheme) because the veterans, especially Kyle Williams, are really keeping me on it,” said Dareus. ”I have really just been taking it all in like a sponge and doing the best I can with it. There is a lot to take in but I see now that it is a whole lot different than the preseason and I am ready for it.”

“That’s helpful for Marcell,” said head coach Chan Gailey. ”He probably doesn’t even realize how helpful that is for him at this point to have Kyle in the room with him. And really it’s not only Kyle, but it’s Dwan Edwards and a lot of those veteran guys that are true professionals to be able to sit in there and help him. Marcell is extremely smart, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like he needs help, but I think in four or five years he’ll look back on it and realize how good it was to have those guys in the room early.”

Williams explained where he’s helping Dareus the most.

“As far as what I’m trying to teach him is how he’s looking at things pre-snap, formations, different things, trying to get him to see things that I see before the play,” said Williams. ”To study things the way that I study them so he can take that explosiveness and use it to his advantage rather than being in at a disadvantage in the middle of a play and helping him get out of trouble. If he can do it at the beginning of the play, he can use it to put them in trouble at the beginning of the play rather than him having to recover he can put them in a bad spot.

“Just trying to talk about formations and tendencies, what are you looking at pre-snap, not getting too focused in on the guy in front of you, trying to see the whole scheme. If we can see things fairly similar we’re going to play better off each other. We’re going to know where the other one is going to be and make some plays.”