billsfan1959

My point was simple as well: Just because a RB touches the ball 20 times a game, it doesn't necessarily translate into the reason for winning - and when they have less than 20 it doesn't necessarily translate into the reason for losing. Again, you show a fundamental lack of knowledge of specifics of Bills games or how they play. For example, they were down 14 -0 against the Colts before they ran 9 total plays, and down 24-7 in the first half because of turnovers and other miscues. Do you honestly think they were going to be handing the ball of to RBs? And I couldn't care less what you think about QB designed runs. It isn't relevant to the discussion. The only thing that is relevant is do the rushes count and have to be accounted for by the defense. The answer is yes.

First you can't take Allen out of the equation. Last I checked, his rushes still count. I don't hear anyone saying if you take Lamar Jackson out of the equation, the Ravens would be last in the league in rushing at 70 YPG. Allen, like Jackson is a rushing weapon. It is part of the offensive identity and needs to be accounted for by a defense. Second, the Bills this year and last year have not been a team concerned with how much they run, as opposed to being able to run when they need to. You want to say when the Bills have more than 15 rushes, without Allen, they win. The truth is, almost all of the Bills' wins have been double digit wins and included sizeable leads during the game. While they may have more rushes in their wins, most of those rushes were after the Bills had a decent lead - not the reason for the lead. The difference between last year and this year is this: Their best starting linemen in both pass and run blocking have played together a grand total of 4 out of 11 games this year. Without them, they have struggled to run the ball when they needed to - and they have also struggled in pass protection as well. When their best lineman have played together, they are averging almost 39 PPG, 470 YPG, 28 rushes PG, and 135 rushing YPG. I am hoping they will be playing together for the rest of the year, starting next Monday night. If they are, I don't have any concerns with them being able to run the ball when they need to. You are a Pats fan. You don't understand the intracacies of our team better than we do. And I don't pretend to know everything about your team. Quite honestly, I don't care enough to look beyond the fact they are 8-4 and playing good football. When they play, we'll know which team is better on that day. That is typically how it works.

7. Ummm... Your team just gave up 270 yards rushing at 6.9 yards per clip, and managed to still win 8. Your team is averaging slightly less yds rushing per game than the Bills

Setting aside the fact that it isn't the first RB screen they have called for this year, I am not totally disagreeing with your analysis. My point in that post was a response to another poster who said he didn't see and good downfield blocking. It just wasn't true and Breida did a good job, IMO, However, IMO, I believe Singletary would have had the same results on that play. It is just an opinion and feel free to disagree. I have no issue with that. Overall, I have stated from my very first post in this thread that I like Breida's speed and open field abilities, and I would like to see him on the field. However, I think some people on this board tend to see a couple of decent plays from a player who hasn't been on the field much (particularly at a position where the team has struggled), ignore the plays that aren't so good - or rationalize them away, cherry pick stats, and all of a sudden the player is elevated to a status that doesn't match reality. I like Breida and I am interested in seeing what else he can do with more playing time. But, so far, he has flashed some ability in a few good plays. Nothing more.

Correct. The sample size for Breida is small. To compound it, 5 (25%) of his rushes and 50 (50%) of his rushing yardage came against an Indy defense sitting back in a blow out lead. I really do like the added dimension Breida brings to this offense, and I would like to see what he can do with more playing time and the offensive line healthy. It is the anointing based on a few good plays and cherry picked stats I can do without.

You had to edit this post? That's almost as embarrasing as your thread title. Peace out, brother.

Are you Breida's mother by any chance? If not, then this really feels like an unhealthy fixation...

Well you certainly can say that if you are lazy and do not care to actually analyze the play on the field. You do know that it is possible to give up points, even a lot of points, without your defense being "shredded," right? You know, like a team having to only go 11 yds for a TD after a turnover, or taking a bad angle on one play that ends up as a 76 yard TD run, etc. The thing is, there are a lot of variables that go into how any given game unfolds...

A) He is not taking the run out of it. Derrick Henry had a 76 yard run, which really was because of a bad angle. Outside of that, the Titans russhed 21 times for 70 yds, a 3.3 YPC average. The point is that the defense didn't get run over. B) The Titans had 362 total yards in that game, with 76 yards on one play. Which means they managed 286 yards on their other 50 plays. Again, not discounting the 76 yard run. Just pointing out that the defense hardly got "shredded." In the end, the Bills still should have won that game. The loss was less about what the Titans did than what the Bills didn't do.

Nope. You still didn't say anything at all. Why don't you take a moment and describe to us how and why, in your opinion, they struggled against the Titans and then the Colts - and whether those "struggles" can be fixed and how. Now that would not be a lazy take.

And simply saying "they were no-shows" against the Titans and the Colts is a lazy take

Not really. But back to the point about the 23 yard TD play in which you said you didn't see any good blocking downfield. The hole that Breida ran through didn't magically create itself. Boettger did a great job disrupting 3 defenders and Morse got his man. Ford (while typically lost) actually didn't have anyone to block here but was downfield and was looking to block the DB if Breida had to cut further inside behind Ford. There were five Bills downfield blocking or looking to block someone on this play. As a result, a half hearted arm extension by a DB is as close as Breida ever came to being tackled on this play. He did well on the play; however, to be honest, Singletary or Moss probably would have gotten through that hole as well. The truth about Breida's game on Thursday night is this: He brought some extra speed to the game and I like that in this offense. However, on the plays in which he did well, the blocking at the point of attack and/or downfield was good. When he was average to poor (which was on about half his touches), the blocking was bad. That is the same story we have seen all year, no matter who is in the backfield. The offensive line has been in shambles all year. The top four linemen and the positions in which they help this team the most are Dawkins at LT, Morse at C, Williams at RG, and Brown at RT. Those four have played together in only 4 of 11 games this year. When they have, the team averaged 135 yards rushing, 321 yards passing, 456 total yards, and 38.5 points per game. Having those four on the field (with preferrably Feliciano or Boettger at LG) is what transforms this offense.

It makes him someone you want and claim him to be - that he isn't and never will be. Much like the Duke Williams true believers. But hey, if you want to believe Breida is the missing piece to bring a SB title to this team, then you be you...

I did watch it and if you didn't see the good downfield blocking then you just don't want to see it. I'm not the one that started a thread about a backup running back transforming an offense that has averaged more yards and points per game without him than with him....

Right, my bad. I forgot, Breida and his immense talent suddenly transformed the Bills' offense into an unstoppable force... I couldn't see that it wasn't the last 6 carries of the game netting only 8 yards and three negative yardage plays that mattered. It was the speed in which he displayed while netting those 8 yards that transformed the offense. Oh yeah, and I forgot the 23 yard TD reception in which he didn't see a defender for the first 10 yards and then ran through a big hole created by excellent downfield blocking to go untouched all the way to the endzone... Look, I like the speed he adds to the offense and I hope he continues to see the field. However, starting a thread saying he transformed the offense is silly

This thread says otherwise....

Breida is the new Duke Williams...

1) Singletary gets more snaps because this is still a passing offense and Singletary is much better at pass protection than Breida. 2) Breida's first three runs netted 20 yards. His last 5 carries in the first half netted 8 yds, including two runs for negative yards. He also had a short pass over the middle for 6 yards. I hardly think that qualifies as being "hot" in the 1st half.

I watched the game. He had a couple of nice plays. However, you (generically the people down on Singletary and Moss) can't blame the Oline and TE for Breida's plays in which he is ineffective and dismiss it when others say the same thing about why Singletary and Moss aren't more effective. And if you want to blame the Oline and TE for Breida's less effective plays then give them credit for his most effective play. On the 23 yard screen pass for the touchdown, Breida was 10 yards downfield before he even had to think about a defender. He then made a nice cut through a hole opened by his blockers. He, essentially went untouched on that TD because of the great downfield blocking. Like I said, I like the speed Breida brings to the offense and he did have a couple of nice plays. But this Idea that he some how transformed the offense is ridiculous. On most of his plays, he ran into the same problems Singletary and Moss have run into: awful blocking.

So, if you don't count the plays in which he didn't do well, then he was good? He had 20 yards on his first 3 carries and then 4 yards on his next 4 carries, including two rushes for negative yardage - and all four of those rushes were in the first half, not when the were trying to run out the clock. As a matter of fact, after his first three rushes, he had 6 rushes the rest of the game for 7 yards. Three of those rushes were for negative yardage and not one of them was in a "run out the clock" situation. I like Breida's speed and he had a couple of really nice plays. I hope they continue to find a role for him in the offense.

I know what his YPC has been for his career and each season. I am a fan of Singletary. My point was, (1) they both had 2.9 YPC last night and there wasn't anything Breida did that was "transformational" in how this offense operated, and (2) If the Oline could consistently block well, either one could flourish.

I like his speed in this offense and he had some good plays. He also had some plays that were not so good. In the end (the same as Singletary) he averaged 2.9 YPC. As for "transforms our offense?" No, I don't think so... If we had an offensive line that could consistently block well in the pass and run games, this offense would be unstoppable, whether it is Breida, Singletary, or Moss in the backfield.

Not all of us. I condemn it wherever I see it. I believe I stated it in a previous post. I try to stay consistent in my views.

This is not my area of expertise, so I typically refrain from givng my opinion. However, I think, in your argument, you leave no room for educated, rational, critical thinking adults who believe that if you are vulnerable, you should take the vaccine - and who also might be healthy and, in no way, remotely close to being in a vulnerable population, and question whether they need to take a vaccine. Or those who might disagree with you and think that "almost a year of experience with the major COVID vaccines" still isn't long enough study period - particularly when the advice on the vaccines and boosters keeps changing or, as you say, "evolving." Not everyone who disagrees with a mandate is an anti-vaxxer or a conspiracy theorist.

Except they didn't see him shoot anyone when they started chasing him. At that moment, however stupid his his prior choices may have been, he is running away and posing no threat to the group chasing him. Whatever their "assumptions" may be are irrelevant - it is about his state of mind when he fired his weapon. The moment they chose to chase him, their actions were not reactive - but proactive. He is running away. They chose to chase him, attacked him as he was running, and attacked him as he fell to the ground. IMO, his actions from the moment they began chasing him can only be interpreted as reactive. The evidence is what it is.