There was no debating that Buffalo’s defense struggled to not only execute, but to even get plays called or changed before the snap by the opposing offense. It led to problems for most of the season. Those problems no longer exist as Kyle Williams sees it, but in an appearance on Bills flagship station WGR Sportsradio 550, Williams explained what transpired last season.
On the Schopp and the Bulldog show, Williams was asked why Rex Ryan’s defense was not as similar to Mike Pettine’s 2013 scheme with the Bills as perceived by outside observers.
“I think you always have growing pains when you’re changing coverages and defenses and doing all kinds of different things,” said Williams. “It’s similar, but it’s not. There are different things going on. I think some guys’ plates may have been overloaded. I think Rex and even some guys have admitted that. I think (this year) we’re going to carry a volume of defense to be successful, but we’re not going to inundate guys to the point where they can’t think, kind of a paralysis by analysis type thing.”
Then they delved into how to go about determining if a scheme or the volume of a scheme is too complicated?
“You can sit in calculus or trigonometry class with the teacher in front of you and spout back the answer, but when they lay the test down in front of you, and you have a certain amount of time to do it, you may know it, but you might hesitate and that can be the change in the game,” said Williams. “That’s what happens. You can get the answers right and correct things on the practice field, but in a game when this guy motions to number three and this is what you have to change it to and all it takes is the half second where everything gets set behind and then you struggle. Your only eraser is going back to the bench because you gave up a 60-yard touchdown.”
Williams believes all those problems have been addressed and rectified because he’s seen a vast improvement in on field communication and in execution.
“I think we’ve got a good thing going right now,” Williams said. “Just from watching film our mental errors are way down through the first few days of camp. Even in the OTAs and minicamp and watching all that go on. The communication is better. What we’re running is a little clearer in terms of what’s expected. I’m excited. We’ll see where it goes.”
