2020 Our Year For Sure

It's so awesome to see, he's going to be a staple of our D for a long time.

Thank you

EJ in home games: 3-2 record, 91.8 rating, 62.8%, 7 TD, 3 INT, 7.22 ypa, 213 ypg

I don't know how I'm going to get excited about next season but I know I'll find a way. The masochism continues.

What about controlling the LOS on defense? Pettine took part in a number of top defensive units that featured Pouha at NT. I'm imaging a Pat Williams or Vince Wilfork type NT with Dareus next to him at the 3-tech or the 'big end,' keeping Kiko clean of blockers in the middle. In my opinion it's the run D holding us back from having a top defensive unit. Teams like Atlanta and Pittsburgh should not be able to run on us- those teams should be made one dimensional so that our outstanding pass rush and DBs are allowed to take over the game. A space eater next to Dareus could get us there, then you keep Kyle Williams and rotate him for the NT in passing situations. We also seem to be short an NFL-calibre linebacker but I can't see that having quite the same effect. Offense, the line seems to be good enough- we're a strong rushing team whose lost two games where we didn't allow a sack. Doesn't scream top priority. Keep adding weapons for EJ and watch this offense improve along with it's quarterback. But on D we can get to the next level by shutting down the run more consistently, leaving opposing QBs upriver without a paddle.

Always

Nothing supernatural. As Manuel gains experience, this will be a playoff team. That kid is not going his whole career without reaching the postseason.

Tomorrow Tomorrow I love ya Tomorrow It's only A day away!

Yeah stomach still hurts.

Haha enjoy it brother. GO BILLS

The result of SD/CIN will be huge for this scenario. Norv is gone, Rivers is playing at an elite level and they're at home in 4 of their last 5. Bengals, Giants, @ Broncos, Raiders, Chiefs Gotta have this one as we can't trust the Raiders or Giants, and the Chiefs already lost to SD at Arrowhead. I'll say the Bills do make it. SD loses to Cincinnati and Denver, Baltimore loses to NE and @DET (they also go @CIN), while the Jest and Fish split and also lose @CAR and vs. NE respectively.

He's probably thinking of the Dolphins game where the ref was hovering behind Reed and he stood up and got a penalty.

'Olympic speed' would seem to be enough speed to qualify for the Olympics. Nobody said he has 'Team USA speed' or 'gold medal speed.' If Goodwin is faster than a few guys at the bottom, then yes, he has 'Olympic speed.' Just my $0.02

Did they all play against Pittsburgh? Either way it's a good point, we really haven't yet seen the whole machine working the way it was designed. Now with a bye week, with Manuel perhaps hitting a groove, and some vulnerable defenses on the schedule we could be in for something of a show. Also to stay on topic, Graham certainly has his flaws but he's gotten a lot better from year 1 to 2. I think he'll be just good enough as a deep threat to keep around for depth.

Being the slot receiver is not a demotion. Victor Cruz has been the Giants' slot receiver his whole career. Marques Colston was Marrone's slot receiver in NO when he was setting the world on fire. The Bills have been using Stevie in the slot because he's our primary receiver. Woods, Goodwin and Graham give us speed on the outside that will open the middle of the field for Stevie, just as Marrone did for Colston years ago. Eventually, years from now, I could see Woods usurping SJ for the slot WR / primary target role. But this season Stevie is the guy when healthy. The fact Goodwin can do things like burn Antonio Cromartie deep, and tracks/adjusts to the ball in the air well, is going to be huge for us in the future in terms of pulling safeties toward the sideline and away from the primary.

Agreed, definitely PI. Where Kuechly first bearhugged Gronk is about 4-5 yards deep in the endzone, the exact depth where the ball ends up landing. That can't be uncatchable. It was awesome to see the Pats* eat it for once. Great game

I think we get one more year. ^agreed, NS.

I like Marrone and I hopethink he's a winner, but the way they're calling this offense sometimes is baffling. We use Shotgun as a base offense with a rookie quarterback, and two standout halfbacks. That's emphasizing your weaknesses. This team should be in the I-formation the majority of the time, run everything through Freddie and Spiller and play action off of that. Put the Shotgun to bed until you face third and long. When they used the I-form against Baltimore they ended up with a number of successful run plays followed by a beautiful play action bomb from Manuel to Woods- this should be our base offense all the time. Why you would come out in Manuel's first game back and put him in the Shotgun right from the first possession through the whole game is way beyond my comprehension. We're a running team that insists on neutralizing ourselves with the way we line up. The coaches are far from hopeless but I do think they need to make a change. If it were me I'd tell Hackett he's temporarily banned from using Shotgun other than 3rd down and at least 5 to go. The coaches need to play to the offense's strengths or EJ doesn't stand a chance.

Neutral fans around the league have seemed to embrace the Bills when they've shown signs of life, in my experience. Next year we'll be a quality football team, it may make sense for the league to help us out a bit. An underdog and a redemption story all in one, with marketable players like Manuel, Kiko, Mario, Stevie, the RBs. One can hope. Or if we get on a run now.

I remember a ~30 yard drag/crossing route that Edwards hit perfectly at the sideline to set up a game winning kick with seconds remaining. I wanna say it was at Jacksonville, to Peerless Price ? That was a man's throw, and the moment I started to buy in a little bit.

I wonder if this is about them wanting to use more I-formation. I find myself saying as much to the TV every time they line up in Shotgun on 3rd and 1.

Thanks for the breakdown. If he can function well enough to limit negative plays and keep KC from selling out on the run, we'll have a chance. I hope Hackett looks to establish a little something in the passing game early via play action to keep the box open for Freddie and CJ.

You took that one the wrong way. There were posts a few pages back where people were saying they want a coach who doesn't use what we refer to as 'gut calls,' and that got me thinking is all. I'm only suggesting we don't go overboard, far from insulting statisticians.

This is a good thing as long as Marrone views it as only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to game management. I'm a firm believer that you can have say 14:00 on the clock, 4th and 5 on the opponent's 20, and on some days the right call is to go for it and other days the right call is to take 3. If you're at home against Miami and both sides of the ball are on their game, that's different than being at New Orleans and needing to put up as many points as you can, when you can. Is the quarterback playing well? Are we stopping the run? Where is the current momentum of the game and if I go for it how would the momentum change if we get the touchdown, or if we turn it over. etc. I love stats and figures as much as the next science nerd but when you're leading a group of human beings, I think there will always be a place for 'gut calls.' I do suspect Marrone gets it as he seemed to go for it against Cincinnati and then take a field goal at Miami in somewhat similar situations.

I rely on you good folks for tidings from Twitterland