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Defensive Analysis and Review: Chargers vs Bills

By Wonko
Getty Images

The Chargers defense put a beat down on the Buffalo Bills. They effectively shut them out allowing only two field goal attempts; one of which was missed. The only touchdown the Bills scored was put in the end zone by the Buffalo defense and aside from blowing really hard to keep the ball Philip Rivers' fumbled out of the end zone, there wasn't much they could do about that. Well, that's not entirely true. They could match those points by scoring on their own and that's what they did when Steve Gregory picked Ryan Fitzpatrick (the second of three that he'd throw) and took it to the house.

Here's the grading for the first and second half (0 being owned and 1.0 being dominant):

First Half 51 56 58 71 74 76 90 92 94 95 98 99
Run Average 0.0 na 0.0
 .67 na
 .50 0.0
 .50 1.25
 .83 na
 1.0
Pass Average 2.0 na 0.75 .43 0.17 .60
 .56 .19 .67 .36 .50 .50

Second Half 51 56 58 71 74 76 90 92 94 95 98 99
Run Average 0.0 0.0
 0.0
 .25 na
 .25 0.0 0.0 .50 0.0 .50
 0.0
Pass Average na na 0.0 .63
 na .25 .25 .25
 .25 .14 .29 .45
In case you didn't notice, this wasn't written by Superduperboltman. Nope instead you get Wonko. I didn't even get to watch the game so I don't have a lot to add here. I was left with the following notes about the analysis from the guy who writes these articles so well:

  1. The last drive I didn't grade because I refuse to see how terrible Bront Bird is anymore.
  2. If Tim Tebow's mother was playing quarterback for the Bills, she could have taken the snap 50 times, run out of the pocket and thrown the ball out of bounds 49 times, and then thrown an interception on the last throw, she'd STILL have a better QB rating than Ryan Fitzpatrick.
  3. Brad Smith was targeted 5 times. He caught zero balls
  4. Buffalo's best starting field position was on the opening drive, from their own 32.
  5. The reason no one remembers much of Donald Butler was because he was rested. Played about a dozen snaps. Na'il Diggs took his place.
  6. Link to the full defensive analysis: Chargers Pwn Bills By The Numbers.

The Defensive Analysis spreadsheet refers to a few "Figures". They are included in this wonderful video presentation.


There's also a nice picture that is mentioned in the spreadsheet with the following comment:

Garay needs to stop crushing linemen. If he had two guys to his left and right that could do it, fine. But he leaves a huge gap to run through.

Garaybuf_medium

My own observation from Superduperboltman's notes is that he was incredulous about some of the plays Travis LaBoy was making. In a good way, for once. The numbers bear that out in his first half run defense and he had a couple great play in pass defense in that half.

Thanks for bearing with me as I tried to fill in. Hopefully I was as good as any substitute teacher you've ever had.

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