Wraith

No.

Browning outplayed Burrow!

Allen does not really step into throws. He rotates his upper body in a violent snapping motion to generate all that power. A lot of modern QBs are taught this way. The blow from Jones/Dawkins was unfortunately timed and placed to hit Allen so he couldn't finish the snap.

I think intentionally passing up on a very high percentage touchdown to go up by 4 points with 1:55 to play to instead set up a 3rd and 5 and a potential 39 yard field goal attempt to tie the score would not be the correct decision, thinking probabilistically.

There was no way Diggs was getting the first down on that play. Assuming the pass is accurate with the blow from Dawkins, and assuming Diggs actually catches it, that option was getting 4 or 5 yards max. They would still be facing a 3rd and medium while trying to preserve a FG attempt.

I'm talking about the last 2nd down throw to Shakir all the Monday morning QBs are clamoring for a throw to Diggs instead because the CBS broadcast made it look like he was wide open two yards downfield. The defense gave the Bills a wide open receiver in the end zone and the correct decision was to take it! Chris Jones made a great play to walk Dawkins into Allen and ruined it.

Yes, he was wide open and Allen's anticipation to see the window about to develop was awesome.

Images below show the release of the pass (left) and a moment later (right). There was no way Diggs was getting that first down. Diggs is a terrible YAC guy and had two defenders squared up between him and and the line to gain.

Passing up the wide open Shakir for Diggs on a 2-yard drag route on 2nd and 9 would've been moronic. The mirror image of that route was almost intercepted earlier. This time, Diggs had two defenders squared up on him. 23 was shadowing him the entire route and 32 passes off Kincaid to 22 to pick up Diggs as he goes to the flat. At the time of the pass they're both tracking Diggs. We've seen how Diggs runs with the ball. There is no way Diggs is making it for a first down, if he even catches the ball. Add in that Shakir is catching everything lately and Diggs is most certainly not and it was an easy decision. This is football, quarterbacks can't control every variable, good decisions don't always work out. The images below show the moment of the throw (left) and a moment later (right). The anticipation Allen showed on that throw was incredible. Chris Jones just beat Dion Dawkins.

The passing game has been up and down this season but the timing of this post is odd. The passing game was very efficient and well-structured against the Steelers and even against the Dolphins it was moving the ball at will until the red zone.

Some interesting factoids from Twitter. Visiting defenses get called for holding at a huge (statistical outlier) rate in Kansas City but the advantage almost goes away when on the road. Conversely, Kansas City's pass defense is much worse on the road.

I agree with this and along those same lines, the Bills defense was also clearly prioritizing run defense and that can mean de-emphasizing the pass rush to maintain gap integrity.

Yes, exactly this. The big change for the Pittsburgh offense is they suddenly started finding big plays in the passing game. Rudolph has thrown 3 TD passes and the shortest one was for 66 yards. The others were 71 and 86 yards. Of course all three of them are mostly yards after catch and have been kinda flukey. Against Baltimore they had exactly one sustained drive that went for 76 yards and a TD on 12 plays. Their other TD came on 71 yard pass where Deonte Johnson took a slant route right up the middle between Baltimore's backup safeties who took terrible routes looked disinterested in tackling the whole game. In total, their drives were: 1st Half 6 plays, 22 yards, punt 12 plays, 76 yards, rushing TD 3 plays, 2 yards, punt 4 plays, 13 yards, fumble 3 plays, 9 yards, punt 8 plays, 23 yards, fumble 2nd Half 4 plays, 4 yards, punt 4 plays, 2 yards, punt 6 plays, 89 yards, passing TD (drive was 5 plays for 15 yards before a 71 yard passing TD on 3rd and 4). 9 plays, 25 yards, FG (after a Baltimore fumble at the BAL 32)

https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/ny/buffalo/KBUF/date/2022-10-9 Weather Underground says average windspeed was 22 mph with gusts up to 36 mph during the Bills-Steelers game on October 9, 2022. Pretty much right on what is forecast for this upcoming game.