Rochesterfan

Yes, but not to warm up a kicker. It is typically for a special teams player being evaluated and not ready to go out for kick protection and the special teams coach was unaware. It happens a couple of times a year.

Just watched the replay highlight and he definitely began the slide just past the 20. I think the Ref nailed it. He looked to be a yard short as he left his feet to begin the slide. I think the play was blown dead - so can’t challenge. I am glad they did not challenge the Josh incompletion/fumble because I think the ball might have been loose.

Exactly - the only thing with the Josh slide was I think Ref marked from several yards behind and had a terrible angle (as was the camera angle). I think Josh was looking for the marking and slide right there - the guy came from behind and marked him short. I think it was a bad spot, but difficult for the Refs in that situation.

This is not going to go over well at all - LOL. The smile on his face was priceless. People expect their athletes after a loss to be as ticked off and angry as they are and most players are not that way any more. The game is done - they seek out friends and enjoy the time. Very different from 20 - 30 years ago.

I think early in the game the hope was to beat William 1 on 1 with Watt and force Allen to step up into Hayward’s rush. It worked a bit early on, but Josh got the ball out. I think in the 2nd quarter - the end of the game - they shifted and decided to bring pressure from the left side and tried to force Josh to immediately roll out to the right and into Watt. I think they saw a tendency after the 49ers game and thought - bring him to Watt because he has the athletic ability to handle JA on the outside. Josh just refused to bite much - he is so much better in the pocket and only moves to extend time and angles. It is so different and I do not think the Steelers were ready for that. I think they were playing with what they saw from last year - quick pressure and Allen moves - get him to Watt. Allen is different now - stays in and trusts the line and makes throws. I don’t think they moved Watt around for that exact reason. The Steelers biggest fear was Allen escaping to the right and making plays down the field and Watt was tasked with preventing that as much as possible. Not every play as you saw some full rushes, but enough that Allen had time later in the game.

They are not activating Kroft over Gilliam because Gilliam gives them special teams plays. It just is not happening. Gilliam is on this team for special teams and they are not benching him for guys that can’t play teams. Therefore - you have Smith, Kroft, and Knox and the Bills are playing 2 of the 3 - this allows the extra WRs so they can spread the field. I have no issue sitting Smith and having Knox and Kroft available, but the 2 of them are very similar in technique and what they provide. Smith is the odd TE out because of his big frame and blocking and what it presents to a defense. What I don’t know is if they get the same look if that is Kroft over Smith on the goal line, but then again you get a more polished receiver against smaller coverage guys maybe.

Perfectly well put. I think he is a phenomenal leader and motivator of players. He gets just about the most you can out of guys and somehow kept some very strong negative personalities in line for years. Year in and year out he finds ways to win - even when his team is less talented or missing key guys. The flip side is I think his coordinators and his game day X’s and O’s are not as good as many other coaches - his teams tend to out physical and out emotion the opponent and in games against great coaches (see NE) that was not always enough. He also struggled against Baltimore another team that tends to be ultra physical and emotional, but Harbaugh brings something to the X&O party. When you get down to it - he trusts his players and asks a lot of them and more often they deliver - therefore in whatever way you want to measure he is a good/great coach - I do not think he is elite (few are), but if let go - he should be snapped up immediately by a team looking to take the next step.

Um - not quite - they are still better than the Gase led Jets and most likely will be again next year.

At what point does Billy-Boy have to bench Cam and find out exactly what he has in Stidham? He may be terrible, but Cam is costing them games. Of Course - I am enjoying that - so Viva Los Cam in NE.

That may be true or no one had film and once they got film - he never improved to become better. My guess is it is someplace in between - his best games where before anyone knew what to expect and the staff did not help him improve from there.

Just make sure to caption this correctly. Beane Re-signs - great not Beane resigns - horrible LOL Congrats - well deserved and I hope several others on staff stay also.

I will be interested in the next few weeks because we always hear how hard it is to come back from injury - to trust your body will react correctly. Then to have to build up the NFL strength without a preseason and without scrimmages or extra padded practices- it is not surprising if he has struggled to get back to where he was. He has looked better and gotten more playing time, but it really might not be until the off-season that he gets back into his old form. It is just unfortunate based upon where he was going.

Not a shot in the world - he is exactly the opposite of what we need. We don’t need his head case or his antics. We don’t need his slow run into the pile. We don’t need him not doing his job. If we are looking to bring someone in (which we are not) - get some speed at RB3. He also is going to need to replace Yeldon or Jones - so they need some special teams prowess. Lynch fits none of that at all. We had that guy last year in Gore and everyone wigged out about him - I don’t see an older Lynch getting you a yard or more when Frank couldn’t.

It is so difficult to know or understand the exact sequence that created this combination. 1st you need a HC that is willing to learn and adjust to his team. McD came in and was immediately branded as a conservative, defensive minded HC - which is 100% true because of the team at the time. He recognized that was not the team that would win and has been willing to adjust each year until he is now one of the most aggressive coaches in the league. 2nd you need a QB that is willing to listen and learn and have the desire to get better each year. The coaching staff has given Josh instructions each off season on things that need to get better and Josh has taken them to heart. It is obvious that he has not only worked on mechanical issues and foot work, but he must study a ton on film in the off-season to ensure he is spot on. 3rd you need consistency and talent to continue to grow and the Bills have done that around Josh. The talent has gotten better and that has helped with the growth. Therefore; I do not think that any of the other combinations would work out as well. The other coaches did not bring a change mentality to the job. The only coaches on this list that might have seen some success was Wade Phillips (he knew what he was, but he allowed his coaches to coach) and Chan Gailey. I don’t think either had the mindset to get the most out of Josh, but they could have gotten something. Going the other way and thinking if you replaced Josh with any of the other QBs under McD - I don’t think you get a lot of success either. None of them had the physical talent of Josh (obviously), but I don’t think any of them had the mindset of Josh either. He has been teachable (once he and Daboll figured out how to co-exist) and he is a sponge. I give a lot of credit to Daboll also because it is obvious he can be a tough love teacher, but it worked. I can’t imagine EJ or JP having Daboll in their face for interceptions and take that and grow - just as I can’t imagine Tyrod with Daboll in his face because he refused to make a throw. Most importantly- I am not sure that any other QB has the talent to allow McD to feel comfortable becoming more aggressive- I can’t see an offense led by Trent Edwards being your leading offense or even the strength of the team - therefore I think Beane and McD are less apt to build a powerful offense and McD looks conservative throughout his career. I think Josh’s talent has allowed McD to grow and McD’s growth has allowed Josh to flourish. The right combo at the right time. Much like in the 90’s when Marv and Ted allowed Jim Kelly to drive the offense in the no huddle - not every coach or OC could handle that.

My guess would be as soon as the Bills would make him available to them. Which is why he won’t be available.

Watching this there are so many things that you can see growing in Josh’s game and improvements that it is just unbelievable to me. #1 - Josh gets credit for working in the off-season on his technique and footwork, but he is not getting near enough credit on the film study he must have done. Watching the 1st play they highlight (Cole’s seam pass) - you get a sense of just how much work he put in. The recognition of the defense, the leverage of the WRs to decide who is open, the anticipation in how Cole is going to speed up in the route, the ability to move to put himself in the best angle throw, etc. it was all on display. #2 - Anticipation throws: You can really see that this year he recognizes the coverage and starts his throws before his WR is uncovered and throws passes into windows that are elite level. The seam to Beasley is perfect - both he Cole recognize the coverage. Cole slow plays the route and as they get close to even with the defender - Cole starts ramping up his speed. Josh recognized what Cole was going to do and starts the throwing motion just as Cole starts to speed up and puts the ball perfectly on him. #3 - Foot work: The other change that I have seen is the modification of Josh’s footwork and throwing motion. His rookie year - he threw the ball like a pitcher in the classic QB style. He would work to get his feet (stride), his hips, and his shoulder all in a classic line where he was throwing the ball. This allows for get velocity and torque, but he really lacked control and if he slightly over strides or under strides the accuracy of the throw was off. His throwing motion this year reminds me more of a Shortstop/Third baseman with a more open stance with his feet, but his hips and shoulders still in alignment. This opens up the hips to get more torque, but has allowed him to control the throws so much better. He also is able to use the motion to manipulate the defense because he is in a throwing position even as he is running - he is able to mimic the start of throws easily and freeze and move safeties to allow a better throwing window. #4 - Recognition: The thing that is most striking to me is how quickly he is recognizing defenses and then manipulating the defense. Last year it started to get better, but this year it is on a whole new level. Many times with the pre-snap motion - he knows man vs zone, but he also recognizes based on grouping if they are going to try and combo him, trick him, or change things up. It is more than just is it man coverage because DC are now playing split coverages Man Zone combos and As long as Josh takes what they give him - the coverage has lead to plays like the Davis TD where a small miscommunication is exploited for a TD. The part that is incredible though is even with the broken coverage on that play - Josh stares at Sherman and gives a motion like he is throwing short holding him and giving Davis free ride to the end zone. Without using his eyes and motion to hold Sherman - there is a chance for him to get back and break up the play, but that slowed him down and opened everything up to be a breezy TD. Just amazing see the growth and maturity to match the talent.

It is being discussed in the Josh Allen Player of the week thread. Just as an FYI.

They might flex it, but typically the last couple of seasons - they have been trying to have all of the playoff implication games play out at the same time at 4 PM so everyone is forced to play to try and get in. We will see, but if things stay on course - I would expect it to be a 4pm game with limited implications.

Watching this there are so many things that you can see growing in Josh’s game and improvements that it is just unbelievable to me. #1 - Josh gets credit for working in the off-season on his technique and footwork, but he is not getting near enough credit on the film study he must have done. Watching the 1st play they highlight (Cole’s seam pass) - you get a sense of just how much work he put in. The recognition of the defense, the leverage of the WRs to decide who is open, the anticipation in how Cole is going to speed up in the route, the ability to move to put himself in the best angle throw, etc. it was all on display. #2 - Anticipation throws: You can really see that this year he recognizes the coverage and starts his throws before his WR is uncovered and throws passes into windows that are elite level. The seam to Beasley is perfect - both he Cole recognize the coverage. Cole slow plays the route and as they get close to even with the defender - Cole starts ramping up his speed. Josh recognized what Cole was going to do and starts the throwing motion just as Cole starts to speed up and puts the ball perfectly on him. #3 - Foot work: The other change that I have seen is the modification of Josh’s footwork and throwing motion. His rookie year - he threw the ball like a pitcher in the classic QB style. He would work to get his feet (stride), his hips, and his shoulder all in a classic line where he was throwing the ball. This allows for get velocity and torque, but he really lacked control and if he slightly over strides or under strides the accuracy of the throw was off. His throwing motion this year reminds me more of a Shortstop/Third baseman with a more open stance with his feet, but his hips and shoulders still in alignment. This opens up the hips to get more torque, but has allowed him to control the throws so much better. He also is able to use the motion to manipulate the defense because he is in a throwing position even as he is running - he is able to mimic the start of throws easily and freeze and move safeties to allow a better throwing window. #4 - Recognition: The thing that is most striking to me is how quickly he is recognizing defenses and then manipulating the defense. Last year it started to get better, but this year it is on a whole new level. Many times with the pre-snap motion - he knows man vs zone, but he also recognizes based on grouping if they are going to try and combo him, trick him, or change things up. It is more than just is it man coverage because DC are now playing split coverages Man Zone combos and As long as Josh takes what they give him - the coverage has lead to plays like the Davis TD where a small miscommunication is exploited for a TD. The part that is incredible though is even with the broken coverage on that play - Josh stares at Sherman and gives a motion like he is throwing short holding him and giving Davis free ride to the end zone. Without using his eyes and motion to hold Sherman - there is a chance for him to get back and break up the play, but that slowed him down and opened everything up to be a breezy TD. Just amazing see the growth and maturity to match the talent.

I agree the correlation is not the causation, but if colder temperatures brings worse weather and that causes the Bills OC to really want to focus on the run then Ipso Facto - they are taking the ball out of your best playmakers hands. For me with this chart - it is not the temperature that is necessarily the biggest issue - it is the accompanying wind/rain/slippery conditions. I am 100% for those conditions if I have a stout defense and a power running game and only an adequate QB (or worse) as we have had the previous 20 years. If I have the best QB on the field and the best WRs - I want everything to give them the best advantages possible. If that means a climate controlled Dome to block wind and rain - give it to me. It is not something that has happened in Buffalo except for very minor periods of time, but you want to take advantage while you can.

But his sack % is way higher than Josh this year.

How about this - I definitely think on MNF this week Ike outplayed Quentin, but I will only speak for the one game where only Ike played. He does have a Chance to outplay Quentin on Sunday Night Football this week also as long as the Colts game is not delayed until 8 pm. 😂

Totally agree - Ike has potential as a run blocker - he is not as consistent and he is not the finisher that Mongo is. Where I was impressed was in his handling of the pass pro because that requires so much interaction with the Center and Tackle. He filled in nicely as opposed to Winters that was driven back and multiple times versus the Chargers - appeared to screw up on stunts. I think the Bills were very concerned that the 49ers would follow what the Chargers did if they left Winters in. The change presented a different view and forced the 49ers to review how they wanted to attack the OL as Mongo is a totally different beast than Winters at RG. If Ike can keep it up after teams get some film - then we will be ok, but teams will now look for ways to attack Ike/Dawkins and we need them to hold up.

My wife and I laughed at that commercial- I said what a terrible person to choose - there is just no joy or fun in his voice. That could have been a great commercial if the Murray part had been played by someone with a personality.

It is interesting because he does have a very dour facial expression and seems to get into a funk, but I have not heard any complaints from teammates at this point. He is young and things have pretty much always gone fairly well for him - so learning to lead while there are team struggles is hard. I am not going to knock him yet, but something to watch. He has a long way to go in my minds eye. I will also be interested in the HC because I really do not think highly of Kingsbury - he seems sort of in that same mold - great to be around when winning, but watch your back when times are tough. I did not think he would be a great HC and as we saw at the college level - he was not a good leader there. That entire team dynamic makes for some interesting potential drama. I could see this team become a SB contender and/or totally flop and fall apart and maybe both at the same time.