Straight Hucklebuck

From the TV it just looked like every WR (especially on the outside - Brown and Diggs) were draped in coverage. Only Beasley was able to get away from time to time. Also, it looked like pressure was coming from both DEs and Allen couldn’t step up because Jones was right there as well pushing Morse back. Is that what it looked like from higher up? And again, not much pre snap movement, or McKenzie, or wide formations. We ran a lot of Colts formations with tight trips and less spacing.

Yeah man, you have been saying that and got pushback for me included. It really was evident tonight that the run game needs better than <5’10 RB’s with 4.62 speed. Allen carried this team rushing and passing the entire Playoffs. Moss was ok, but you didn’t see anything this year that made you think he could be a feature back.

Diggs got a few shots deep and the corner was glued to his back. Beasley did what he could underneath, but he’s not going to pick up Diggs’ slack. Brown was mostly invisible again and this staff punted on using McKenzie all three Playoff games. He had 325 yards, 71 of it came on a dump off to a wide open Hill who outran our entire defense.

There was no pressure at all though. The Bills got 2-3 hurries the entire game. I mean he gets all this credit for escaping, but who really got any pressure tonight? Did any lineman win one on one battles?

Well KC with Reid, Mahomes, Hill, Kelce and to a lesser extent Hardman are hard to stop. But one advantage that Allen does have is he is a legitimate dual threat QB. He is bigger and faster than Mahomes, and faster in game speed than Herbert. He’s avoided any knee injuries in 3-years unlike Watson, so my thought is, can he work the track sprinter type regimen that Christian McCaffrey did in his 2019 season, cut up, and improve his explosion and pure speed? It may be one edge that is available without having to develop another gear mentally or accept that he is at his athletic peak. Just a thought, maybe where some would say that’s the last thing he needs to work on. This is something he can do at the same time as the technique work. Oh and work on fumble drills too man. The ball hits the turf a lot.

Allen fought his guts out. With the type of linear improvement he had shown going from 10-20-37 TD’s I think he can achieve it. Like I said in my previous post, we know he is going to work on technique, the film study, but in addition I wonder if he can extract a bit more athletic ability out of that body. Just get into the best shape he’s ever been in. Be even more elusive, quicker on runs, twitchy, and start being able to roll left instead of always going right to avoid pressure.

I can’t think of the Quarterback, but a few years ago the Film mavens picked up on the fact that this Quarterback could not throw to one side of the field. And so the coverage always tilted to that side of the field and forced the play that way. Does that mean Dawkins allowed pressure from the left all night? Really I saw both ends crashing constantly and Jones was up the middle as well. It’s a survival tactic that Allen has developed and it has worked, but 100% agree without Davis saving the first half for the Bills with three outstanding white line work catches, the Bills possibly lose vs Indianapolis. I feel like when Allen has time he stands in the pocket and delivers. It’s just he doesn’t ever escape to his left, he only goes right. And defenses know this by now. You’re not going to get miracle sideline toe drags every game. The margins are so small. This forces the conversation back to Tight End. Diggs had been the Safety blanket up until that point. But tonight without motion, without changing his formation, he was like Sammy Watkins was with the Bills, lined up on the outside and forgotten about. If the Bills could get a move Tight End (Jonnu Smith a free agent) that would help and put Knox as a sprinkle player, not a starter. I always said this about Fitzpatrick, but I thought he’d be best served hitting the weight room and getting into the best shape he possibly could while he was here. No I never thought he was the answer but I thought it would give the team the best chance to win if he could extract every ounce of athleticism he could. Allen has the athletic floor. I’m sure he trains hard. I hope this off-season he gets into the best shape of his life, shaves another 0.10 off his (40). We saw what track workouts did for McCaffrey in 2019, maybe he can tap into that regimen. But another 6’6” QB Herbert is going to have the same problems with the pressure that KC brings because his weapons aren’t warp speed either. So if I’m Allen it’s not all mental. Can he extract a little more on the physical end? Beane was watching this game from the box. He saw the speed deficiency. He saw no pass rush. He saw a rotating band at #2 cornerback. He saw our lack of linebacker depth, the reliance on 30-year old WRs, our running backs. We know he is aggressive in the draft and smart in free agency, especially when it comes to the OLine.

Well several teams are well over the projected cap, so good players should come available, but maybe the Bills could pry Beckham away from the Browns for less than a first. Not sure I would do that given his injury history, but if healthy that would be a boost. JuJU Smith Schuster is a free agent I believe, doesn’t solve the speed issue, but could be a playmaker albeit he isn’t as good as before the concussion. Allen Robinson is another consideration.

Well the Bills decided to let air cover Kelce from the opening snap. And Hill looked like Sonic level speed tonight.

Tip your hat, they’re really good, hard to win in this league?

What did the analysts want Allen to do? Ride TJ Yeldon all night? Run up the middle more? Throw to double covered Stefon Diggs more? Jam it into Knox tighter? Beg McDermott/Daboll to play McKenzie? Become an OT and block for Barkley? He’s 2-2 in the Playoffs. He’s not a disaster. He fought until the very end.

We agree then, I don’t disagree with any of that. Unlike Schopp and Bulldog here, I don’t put this nearly as much on Allen. Yes he holds the ball, but he’s trying to do anything he can. If anything, tonight his roll outs to the right cut the field severely and there were no toe taps tonight. I get that it is his dominant hand, but occasionally trying to roll to the left may be something he needs to work on because it gets very predictable to flush pressure that way. Knox has the raw athletic ability, but he doesn’t come through enough. He committed a terrible drop before the interception. Both running backs are <5’10 and run 4.62. Singletary touched the ball way too much, and just when you thought he had been pulled for good, our OC calls an IFormation carry for him on 2nd-3. I don’t why the Bills staff upstairs can’t call down in the second quarter and give the contingencies for Kelce. You didn’t have any Plan B Sean? The Bills did nothing to combat or change that. No jams/chips off the line all night, there he was first drive of the 3rd running free off the line, being “passed off” to Safetys playing 20 yards down the field. Not one adjustment there like you were holding him in check anyways. Also, Tre White really was worked over tonight. Kelce easily bullied him and Hill roasted him, dropped the first pass or he would have had 200 yards tonight. Brown caught him with speed as well the week before. Just something I noticed, not that I want him traded or anything dumb.

I don’t know where you get a Tight End like that. Pitts won’t be there when we pick obviously and the Raiders aren’t trading Waller.

I agree with that to some degree. This game plan was pretty conservative though. The coverage was soft and McDermott told the reporter at half that there would not be sweeping changes. 3 blitzes in the first half, when you’re giving them 10 yards of cushion as it is, not sure what you’re trying to accomplish there.

Well the Bills decided to take McKenzie off the field for the past 3-games and I don’t understand that. I think the lack of motion stuck out. I watched Davis on the few plays he was in, and his get off the line was ok, so I’m not sure why his snaps were dialed back, you’re either healthy enough to play full speed or you’re not.

I know, but realistically he’s played his best ball. At 29 and the stage of his career where he’s starting to go team to team he’s not the answer. Competition, in training camp, a 4th-5th WR, ok, but Diggs needed help it seemed tonight.

Come on, he’s 29 and been on 4 teams now. A good veteran find this late in the season, but he doesn’t turn this game tonight. Cheifs were relentless on blitzes, so I agree with others, running back faster than a 4.62 is needed, a Tight End who can catch is needed, of course RT has been a patch job for years, and not one defensive playmaker on the line. Beane is smart and will attack it. I have faith in that.

TRUCK LOAD OF NOTHING JGMcD2 Brown had his chance tonight. Singled up in coverage and he couldn’t separate whatsoever. I’m not saying he needs to be cut, but Beane has to get another WR in here, because a 31 year old Brown can’t be handed the #2 spot. This team looked short on speed everywhere. I’m not sure why the Offensive staff decided to take McKenzie out of this offense. Two runs tonight and he immediately headed to the bench after both runs.

I’ll be rooting for Brady. He’s already won 6, been to 9, now 10, and it’d be nice to see the Mahomes train get derailed by the GOAT. That’s my opinion.

Bring it man. Lets hear your expert analysis. let’s go, expert analysis go ahead. Call your shot, break it down man, what happened tonight? What would you have done different if you’re the Bills staff?

I’m not saying that to brag, but how many times do you have to try and run out of those formations before you realize you lose yards every time you try and run to those edges?

Ohh community reputation. Wow. 1/3rd the posts but you sure can run your mouth now. Big guy.

What do you bring to the table instead of a big truckload of nothing? You do realize that he was being blitzed relentlessly and his WRs either dropped passes or generated no separation right? The Coaching staff decided to shelve McKenzie for the entire Playoffs as well.

Yeah, no pre-snap motion, and I didn’t like the tight formations. You could call out the plays that wouldn’t work before that happened and I did routinely.

Even if he gets the surgery, he’s not good enough.