E-Mail
Print
The big headlines on Monday revolved around defensive end Chris Kelsay, saying it's evident not every player on the roster is going 100-percent each and every play.
While it's pure speculation as to who he may have been talking about, let's take a look at how each player from the defensive line represented themselves in the Bills' 35-34 loss to Tennessee. We'll also analyze the offensive line, too.
Defensive Line
Mario Williams
Time on Field: 87.5% snaps played; 56 total
Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo)
Plus/Minus: -8
Observations: One of the most glaring criticisms throughout Monday surrounded the play of Mario Williams. After watching him on an every play basis, the criticism was very much warranted. The word to best describe how Williams played against the Titans was also used by the man himself after the game: hesitation. It looked as though Williams would take about five steps in on the tackle on pass-rush situations, have his initial move thwarted, and just hold his spot while being content to just try and swat down the pass. Williams didn't try any inside rip moves or up-and-under moves, a lot of his pass rush attempts looked like the same thing time and time again. Williams went up against tight end Craig Stevens on one pass play, and the tight end finished him in to the ground. There was another time that Williams came unblocked on a pass play and had only Chris Johnson in front of him. Rather than trying to bowl over the much smaller player, Williams attempted to side-step Johnson inside which makes little sense. Williams was at his best containing the edge and collapsing when they ran to his side, but that did little to save his pedestrian performance against the Titans.
Grade: D-
Season GPA: 2.47
Marcell Dareus
Time on Field: 76.6% snaps played; 49 total
Stats: 1 tackle (solo)
Plus/Minus: -9
Observations: A week after having maybe one of his better games as a Buffalo Bill, Marcell Dareus had perhaps his worst. Dareus was cleared out of his gaps rather easily by most of the players lined up in front of him. Whether it was Steve Hutchinson, Fernando Velasco, Leroy Harris or a combination of two of them, Dareus did little to help the Bills contain Chris Johnson. His poor play and getting out-leveraged, out-worked and basically man-handled played a part in all four of the Titans' rushing touchdowns.
Grade: D-
Season GPA: 2.39
Kyle Williams
Time on Field: 73.4% snaps played; 47 total
Stats: 5 tackles (2 solo), 0.5 sacks, TFL
Plus/Minus: +6
Observations: In a game where most of the defense was nowhere to be found, Kyle Williams actually had a positive game against the Titans. It was the play of Williams that got some pressure on Matt Hasselbeck, forcing him to throw off his back foot at times. In fact, it was because of the defensive tackle that forced the quarterback's throw that landed in the breadbasket of George Wilson late in the game (that wasn't picked off). While making a few plays in run defense, it was mostly his work in helping with the pass rush that made him stand out. He was given credit for half a sack, and flushed Hasselbeck out of the pocket which allowed Chris Kelsay to bring him down for a loss. He was the shining exception to the rule of ineptitude across the Bills defensive line
Grade: B+
Season GPA: 3.21
Chris Kelsay
Time on Field: 68.8% snaps played; 44 total
Stats: 2 tackles (solo), 1 sack
Plus/Minus: -2
Observations: It was a bit of an up and down game for Chris Kelsay. Like last week, Kelsay set the edge well on some plays, and other times took the bait inside which allowed for a big cutback by the opponent's running back. Kelsay got a sack during the game, and while you can't take that away from him, it wasn't his stellar play that got him in position for the quarterback takedown. For the most part Kelsay was a steadier player than two other starting defensive linemen. However, he still had some gaffes that led to some big Tennessee gains on the ground.
Grade: C+
Season GPA: 2.62
Kyle Moore
Time on Field: 32.8% snaps played; 21 total
Stats: 1 tackle, 0.5 sacks
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: For the second straight week, Kyle Moore really showed up in a big way in the fourth quarter. However, also like last week, Moore's start to the contest was less than satisfactory. He continues to struggle against the run, and even his pass-rush attempts were being handled quite easily by David Stewart early on. Once it got to crunch time and the Titans needed to throw though, Moore was all around the backfield. It's not saying much based on other performances, but Moore was the best pass-rusher the Bills had to offer against Tennessee.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 3.11
Alex Carrington
Time on Field: 31.3% snaps played; 20 total
Stats: 1 tackle (solo), TFL
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: Alex Carrington continued along his seemingly season-long identity of being a completely average player that flashes in both good and bad ways from time to time. Carrington had a nice one-on-one win against center Fernando Velasco that helped bust up a run play at the line of scrimmage. Before that, however, Velasco pancaked Carrington to take him out of a play completely. The former third-rounder has been average in his third season with the team to this point.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.75
Spencer Johnson
Time on Field: 28.1% snaps played; 18 total
Stats: 2 tackles (solo), TFL
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: In his first game back from a high ankle sprain, Spencer Johnson was up and down. It's not always pretty with him and when he gets beat, he gets turned around and blocked pretty easily. However, Johnson has shown he's good moving horizontally to help snuff out a run play that is trying to find a seam as it's approaching the sideline. At this point, Carrington is the safer play for the Bills.
Grade: C+
Season GPA: 2.33
Shawne Merriman
Time on Field: 10.9% snaps played; 7 total
Stats: None
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: Shawne Merriman's first regular season game back with the Bills didn't have the defensive end on the field for too long. He got two snaps in the team's opening defensive series (one of which being the touchdown), and after that it was very sporadic. The Bills tried a look that had three defensive lineman in a three-point stance and Merriman as a stand-up rusher, trying to utilize his individualized skill-set. Merriman had a nice bull rush that flushed out Matt Hasselbeck from the pocket on one play. Other than that, though, his other six plays weren't that noticeable.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.67
Offensive Line
Andy Levitre
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 61 total
Plus/Minus: +5
Observations: Just like he did in Arizona, Andy Levitre was the best offensive lineman for the Bills against Tennessee. His clear out blocks on plays where he had to move (screens, pulls) especially stood out. His best matchup was against Titans defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks, controlling him at the line of scrimmage. It was Levitre's key block on Marks that helped a Bills running back gain 32 yards on only two carries. With his second straight solid performance, Levitre is now the highest rated member of the team's offensive line, surpassing the injured Kraig Urbik.
Grade: A-
Season GPA: 3.30
Eric Wood
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 61 total
Plus/Minus: +4
Observations: Yet another solid performance by the Bills starting center, Eric Wood was at his best in the screen game. His ability to employ the seek-and-destroy mindset in the screen game makes him a very useful tool to how the Bills run their offense. The plays that featured Wood and Levitre out in front of the screen proved to be the most successful for Buffalo against Tennessee.
Grade: B+
Season GPA: 3.06
Chris Hairston
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 61 total
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: The area in which Chris Hairston really stood out against Tennessee was in run blocking. Knowing he had a very aggressive speed rusher in Kamerion Wimbley up against him, Hairston walled off his assignment a few different times that really opened things up for either Fred Jackson or C.J. Spiller. Where he struggled, though, was in pass protection. Wimbley ate him alive for the Bills' first offensive play of the second half that resulted in a sack, a Ryan Fitzpatrick fumble and a Tennessee recovery. He will struggle with quicker edge rushers that can bend like Wimbley, but is still able to hold his own against the more physical types.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.60
Erik Pears
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 61 total
Plus/Minus: -7
Observations: Another week, and another performance that makes it as plain as day that one of the Bills' most glaring weaknesses is their starting right tackle. Derrick Morgan was the best defensive player the Titans had on Sunday, and that was mostly to do with the fact that Erik Pears could not get a handle on him. Morgan beat Pears clean on seven different pass rush attempts and brought down Fitzpatrick once out of all those times. Pears got beat by a spin move that forced Fitzpatrick to throw early and get picked off late in the fourth quarter when the Bills were trying to close out the game. Not only did Pears get beat routinely, he cost his team 25 yards with two penalties. It has not been a season kind to Pears.
Grade: D
Season GPA: 1.86
Chad Rinehart
Time on Field: 54.1% snaps played; 33 total
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: Before he was lost to what looks to be a fairly serious ankle injury, Chad Rinehart was having just an average day. The Bills do most of their work to the left side of the offensive line because it's clearly their strength. On one play that they ran behind Rinehart, he helped clear out Jurrell Casey, leading to a 10-yard gain. The screen game isn't his strong suit, though, and his lack of foot speed was evident when they tried it.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.60
Sam Young
Time on Field: 45.9% snaps played; 28 total
Plus/Minus: -2
Observations: The Bills didn't originally intend for Sam Young to be used at right guard, but a large amount of injuries have forced their hand. Young did a nice job of finishing a block in the run game early in to his day, but then failed to flash throughout the rest of his time on the field. Young struggled with leverage on one play and was thrown aside by a defensive tackle and he's unable to get out in front of a screen when the play is designed for him to do so. The Bills need Kraig Urbik back in a hurry to help out with the latter of that sentence, because it's such a key component to their offensive attack. If he's not ready for Houston, however, the Bills will continue to struggle on the right side of their offensive line.
Grade: C+
Season GPA: 2.46
- Those that did not appear in the game on offense or defense were not graded.
- For obvious reasons, this is a report that highlights my findings and opinions from the individual games.
- The GPA's attached at the bottom are an overall grade of how I felt that player performed, basing it all on the play-by-play film review done throughout the week. B- is considered average on my scale, not C.
- Plus/minus scores and GPAs will be tracked as the season goes along. An individual game's GPA will be weighted with how many snaps that player has on the field in the contest when figuring out a season long average.
Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia