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Jim Leonhard has spent much of his first training camp installing a new defensive system with the Buffalo Bills, but as the team prepares for its first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, the defensive coordinator has identified one thing that matters more than anything else.
Tackling.
When asked what he needs to see from his defense in Saturday's preseason opener to know it is heading in the right direction, Leonhard immediately pointed to the physicality of the group and its ability to finish plays.
"To me, it's the physicality up front, right? Like, let's go get that done," Leonhard said. "You know, there's going to be mistakes that are made, but can we fly around, be physical?"
More importantly, Leonhard wants to see his players finish those plays once they get to the football.
"And it's the first opportunity to finish, right? Tackling, right? Tackling, tackling, getting guys on the ground in live situations, making plays on the ball," he said.
The preseason provides Leonhard with an evaluation opportunity that simply isn't available during training camp. With quarterbacks off limits and players unable to finish tackles in practice, the defense doesn't always get a true indication of how it will perform when the game becomes live.
"Open field tackling, again, attacking the football or creating turnovers, like those are huge evaluators in this preseason," Leonhard said. "It's big to see because you finally get the opportunity to see the end of the play be real."
For Leonhard, the tackling evaluation goes beyond simply identifying whether individual players can make tackles. He believes the entire defense has to rally to the football.
"It's the biggest one, right? In all reality, right?" Leonhard said when asked about the importance of tackling. "Schematically, you're going to get guys in places and make plays, right? That's my job, but who can finish, right? Who can finish, get guys on the ground."
Leonhard then made it clear just how important the issue is for Buffalo.
"That was an Achilles heel here last year, right?" he said. "So that's the number one thing we have to correct."
The solution, according to Leonhard, isn't complicated. It comes down to effort and getting multiple defenders to the football.
"And the number one way to do it is getting population to the football, right? Everybody knows that, the effort you play with and getting more than one guy to the ball," Leonhard said.
That will make Saturday's game particularly important for a defense that is still learning Leonhard's system. The scheme can put players in position, but Leonhard wants to find out which players can finish the job once they get there.
"Scheme is scheme," Leonhard said, "but if you can't get people on the ground, you're going to have to make adjustments and figure out how you can help them do that."
Continue reading...
Tackling.
When asked what he needs to see from his defense in Saturday's preseason opener to know it is heading in the right direction, Leonhard immediately pointed to the physicality of the group and its ability to finish plays.
"To me, it's the physicality up front, right? Like, let's go get that done," Leonhard said. "You know, there's going to be mistakes that are made, but can we fly around, be physical?"
More importantly, Leonhard wants to see his players finish those plays once they get to the football.
"And it's the first opportunity to finish, right? Tackling, right? Tackling, tackling, getting guys on the ground in live situations, making plays on the ball," he said.
The preseason provides Leonhard with an evaluation opportunity that simply isn't available during training camp. With quarterbacks off limits and players unable to finish tackles in practice, the defense doesn't always get a true indication of how it will perform when the game becomes live.
"Open field tackling, again, attacking the football or creating turnovers, like those are huge evaluators in this preseason," Leonhard said. "It's big to see because you finally get the opportunity to see the end of the play be real."
For Leonhard, the tackling evaluation goes beyond simply identifying whether individual players can make tackles. He believes the entire defense has to rally to the football.
"It's the biggest one, right? In all reality, right?" Leonhard said when asked about the importance of tackling. "Schematically, you're going to get guys in places and make plays, right? That's my job, but who can finish, right? Who can finish, get guys on the ground."
Leonhard then made it clear just how important the issue is for Buffalo.
"That was an Achilles heel here last year, right?" he said. "So that's the number one thing we have to correct."
The solution, according to Leonhard, isn't complicated. It comes down to effort and getting multiple defenders to the football.
"And the number one way to do it is getting population to the football, right? Everybody knows that, the effort you play with and getting more than one guy to the ball," Leonhard said.
That will make Saturday's game particularly important for a defense that is still learning Leonhard's system. The scheme can put players in position, but Leonhard wants to find out which players can finish the job once they get there.
"Scheme is scheme," Leonhard said, "but if you can't get people on the ground, you're going to have to make adjustments and figure out how you can help them do that."
Continue reading...
