RuntheDamnBall

you keep saying this as though it's a fact.

Jeff Tuel beat us and you know it.

I'd be interested to see what the median gain is. If I were a betting man, I'd say that a few very long CJ, Fred and Boobie runs are balanced out by many, many runs of -2 to +2.

You don't say. Brady and his legendary ability to adjust at halftime.

It's football. It's as much about the weekly conversation points as it is about the wins and losses. And one person's complaint is another's criticism or evaluation. Look: Hackett has the job. I think even the most hardened critic of him (and Marrone) would be happy to see playoffs, and be happy to be proven wrong. But I somehow missed the rule where you cede your right to be critical after a win. Go Bills!

I know it's a blast to play contrarian here, but can you identify (aside from the result) what you feel Hackett did really well in this game? I'll start: I do think they are doing a far better job of getting the ball into Watkins' hands even when he is covered, as seen in this game. I do think they identified a problem at guard and that Urbik does improve the situation, as seen in this game. The aforementioned Lee Smith play was very good. The playcalling and execution after Sammy's gaffe was strong - and I just want to see more of this attack mentality. Past Bills teams could have been held to a FG after that momentum rollercoaster.

To be fair, it's set up by the fact that people are likelier to expect the Spanish Inquisition than an effective play with distinguished NFL tight end Lee Smith.

Yes, of course. And if the "offensive line" keeps calling plays that don't work, and teams even comment about knowing what is coming when the "offensive line" calls them, one would guess that we would find another "offensive lineman" who could execute the play -- or perhaps examine some other options.

Hell, maybe the Patriots will give us six or seven extra chances with the ball, and Hackett will have Brady and co right where he wants them: in possession of the ball again after three downs.

Right. And I think extending drives is about a blend of 1) doing what you're good at 2) exposing the weaknesses of the defense, and 3) knowing your tendencies and refusing to fall into them completely We're not good at the up the gut runs - our guards and center aren't functioning well enough in the run game to create holes, and furthermore, the play selection and formations really signal our ambitions. The formation made pretty clear what play was coming next, a bulk of the time. Now, we finally have a player (Watkins) who can beat you even when that play is obvious, so this helps. In the run game, Fred Jackson has unique vision and after-contact skills that we don't yet see in most of our backs, either, so I think we need an adjustment there, in his absence. We did well enough at #2 but could have done more. I think that's what most Hackett critics are saying. #3 is the kind of strategy that NE is famous for. They blend what they are unstoppable at (Gronk, quick screens) with playcalling that isn't predictable, and it yields success year-round. Now, as the year continues, we'll see if Brady swoons like he did last playoffs, or if Gronk's health takes a downward turn, and that will limit them more. But we've got a great deal of our options at hand, and the ones that aren't available or clicking are in the run game as it is currently employed. What's the definition of insanity again? Mind you that this is all coming from "RuntheDamnBall."

Bingo. I was there and this was obvious.

Is gaining 15 yards total on the first down after 6 turnovers part of the gameplan? What makes the same pass play that you would run on third-and-long risky on first down? If anything it is less expected given the patterns that this team has shown on film.

I wanted them to take him or Murray, but if they met with him privately and saw maturity issues across the board, I have no problem with them saying "pass" for the same reason that we have Orton right now. This team doesn't have time for a project, whether that's a maturity project or a mechanics project. That's full offseason stuff. The dude does seem to want to act "prime time" before he's even graduated from the 2am shift.

No argument there.

57 people truly hate fun.

For sure. For me, it's just another reminder that everything was going Buffalo's way today. That's pleasant, but also not always going to happen.

Yup -- we were SCREAMING from the stands for them to run that third-down deep strike on first down, one of those times. You simply can't end the drive in their 40s (and punt) that many times. Killer instinct. Gotta have it to go far in the playoffs, IMO.

Hey man, all of those quarterbacks are white, average, and one of them even had a moustache.

This.

I was at the game, and one thing that I observed was, "damn if the Jets weren't getting treated like the Buffalo Bills," and at home at that. Yes, "we" won, but the Jets are a bad football team, they get no breaks, and they cough up footballs like coins from a loose slot machine. I think this is just another thing we have to remember when we think about how Hackett masterminded a 43-point effort.

6 turnovers. Not enough cashing in on them.

Agreed.

Yep, and somehow all 31 other teams haven't decided to get this desperate either. If anything we should be questioning the coaching and the schemes more than the personnel.

thanks!

wow, that's really cool information from Watkins about the extra film sessions. What piece did that come from? Would love to read the whole thing.