My opinion on today's game and the preseason

[mrags]

Ok. First off, Mods, feel free to merge with any one of the other "my take" threads. Just thought maybe another one wouldn't hurt so bad. Your call though.

 

My first thing that I noticed today was that this offense is really going to hurt the defense if it can't stay on the field for a decent amount of plays. We don't need 80+ plays a game but if we have a couple 3 and outs in a row our defense will be in some serious trouble.

 

Doom and gloom is running wild right now but a few things to keep in mind here as we watched them today:

-Stevie was back for his first game, looked healthy but of course he's rusty. I know I'm not the only one that thought he was done for after we saw his leg bend backward on his fumble.

 

-If your like me, your testes creeped up into your throat when you saw CJ on the ground clinching his knee. I know I'm not the only one that said "oh crap, there goes the season"

 

-Don't care what anyone says, Freddy is extremely slow and not anywhere near where he was just a year ago. We better hope CJ doesn't go down because at this point even Choice is looking more promising than Freddy. I know I'll get burned at the stake for this and I may be exaggerating a little bit. But it's not too much of a stretch.

 

-other players that just got back today and give me hope that things aren't really as bad as we all think:

TJ

McKelvin

Kiko

 

Players that liked good today:

Kiko

Lawson

Kyle and Dareus (I know they are partially responsible for allowing like 1,000 yards rushing today but they looked decent)

Gilmore (until he left)

 

Guys that were both good and bad:

A. Williams, one okay he's good and another he's all over the field in the wrong spots

Brooks, Searcy, see A. Williams

The OL can't tell what's going on. Some plays they look good and some, not so much.

 

 

A few things going forward:

EJ and Byrd should be smiling like never before after today's game. Both secured starting spots on this team today and they didnt even do anything.

 

Just worried and hopeful that EJ gets at least a full week of practice before the opener.

 

Marrone and the coaching staff:

-I'd love to see how they react to this @$$ kicking today. Will they crumble or have this team ready. Something that Dicky and Chan never got right. After a huge butt kicking they had their team prepared for another one. Lets hope Doug gets these guys fired up. I'm gonna guess they will be.

 

-Hackett is going to have to learn how to change things up in game. If 2 straight drives end in 3 and out he needs to change up the pace a little until they get something going. He'll, go no huddle, get the offense right to the line, but take the play clock all the way to 1 before you snap the ball. Should work wonders.

 

-Pettine is gonna have to light a fire under some of these guys if they continue to play lax. Not sure if it was the scheming/lack of, or just the vanilla type play but some of these guys were taking plays off. Inrember seeing Mario standing around watching the RB run past everyone on the other side of the field. This can't happen. All these guys need to work.

 

-Be aggressive, but learn not to over pursue. Half of the long rushing plays were because our DL and LBs were overly aggressive and forced themselves right out of the play. If we continue this, all opposing teams will have to do is run draw plays and screens and were going to have a long day in defense.

 

 

I'm sure I missed some good, bad and ugly but this is all I got right now. Feel free to add any or give me your thoughts.

[jahnyc]

Not sure that Hackett is fully responsible since Tuel was the quarterback for most of the game. I like the idea of an uptempo offense, but we will see if we have the right personnel to run it. If it is not effective, Hackett will need to be able to change things up, otherwise the defense will get killed.

[mrags]

Not sure that Hackett is fully responsible since Tuel was the quarterback for most of the game. I like the idea of an uptempo offense, but we will see if we have the right personnel to run it. If it is not effective, Hackett will need to be able to change things up, otherwise the defense will get killed.

forgot to add that. Just cut Kolb. He's not fit to play QB in this league.

 

If EJ isn't ready to play, it's going to be a longgggg season.

 

 

[dollars 2 donuts]

Well said, mrags...can't really argue with too much of it. I can walk away from this one easily, but hopefully the new look Bills learned something today.

Edited August 25, 2013 by dollars 2 donuts

[timtebow15]

I expected worse but when I reviewed the game it wasn't that bad with a few exceptions. The Bills were driving when Johnson fumbled on the way to a score and then Kolb left. As bad as Kolb is Tuel showed he was a rookie today. We had 3 turnovers and they had 2 but were lucky to recover both. The first half wasn't terrible and then the backups looked poor in the second half. The exceptions:

 

Our 2 CB spot is horrible! Rogers is terrible and McKelvin below average. Gilmore looked like he was giving 90% today and should be fine and Byrd is coming back but who plays the 2nd CB position? I think Brooks is the best of the rest and if Gilmore or Bryd aren't great or get hurt we are in trouble!

 

Defense over pursued on all the big run plays. Bradham was bad, Hughes and Bryant lost contain. Only Kiko looked consistent. Linebacking is still a concern. If I was playing the Bills I would just employ a quick passing attack and use a lot of misdirection plays.

 

If the Oline has one injury they go from being barely adaquate to awful.

 

EJ is the only QB capable of keeping a defense honest or we'll face 8-9 in the box again. EJ somehow not playing like a rookie is the only chance we have to be good.

 

Other than that I don't see too much to worry about!

[mrags]

I expected worse but when I reviewed the game it wasn't that bad with a few exceptions. The Bills were driving when Johnson fumbled on the way to a score and then Kolb left. As bad as Kolb is Tuel showed he was a rookie today. We had 3 turnovers and they had 2 but were lucky to recover both. The first half wasn't terrible and then the backups looked poor in the second half. The exceptions:

 

Our 2 CB spot is horrible! Rogers is terrible and McKelvin below average. Gilmore looked like he was giving 90% today and should be fine and Byrd is coming back but who plays the 2nd CB position? I think Brooks is the best of the rest and if Gilmore or Bryd aren't great or get hurt we are in trouble!

 

Defense over pursued on all the big run plays. Bradham was bad, Hughes and Bryant lost contain. Only Kiko looked consistent. Linebacking is still a concern. If I was playing the Bills I would just employ a quick passing attack and use a lot of misdirection plays.

 

If the Oline has one injury they go from being barely adaquate to awful.

 

EJ is the only QB capable of keeping a defense honest or we'll face 8-9 in the box again. EJ somehow not playing like a rookie is the only chance we have to be good.

 

Other than that I don't see too much to worry about!

i think Leodis wasn't too bad considering it was his first game back. He was rusty but wasn't horrible.

[Wazzu Bill]

forgot to add that. Just cut Kolb. He's not fit to play QB in this league.

 

If EJ isn't ready to play, it's going to be a longgggg season.

 

You say cut Kolb, but look at Tuel's play. The bills did not make a first down in the entire second half. Not one. Kolb isn't a star player but he is capable of completing a pass of more than 5 yards

[timtebow15]

i think Leodis wasn't too bad considering it was his first game back. He was rusty but wasn't horrible.

He must have been really, really rusty because I saw recievers running wide open when he was in there and he has always been very inconsistent. But I suppose Rogers makes him look like an all-pro.

[Big C]

Butler seemed to have a decent game for what little time he was on the field. I'd like to see him get some snaps with the first team next week.

[Mark Vader]

Well said, mrags...can't really argue with too much of it. I can walk away from this one easily, but hopefully the new look Bills learned something today.

That's what I hope for too.

 

A loss like this might be what these players needed to experience, and learn from it.

[purple haze]

Not sure that Hackett is fully responsible since Tuel was the quarterback for most of the game. I like the idea of an uptempo offense, but we will see if we have the right personnel to run it. If it is not effective, Hackett will need to be able to change things up, otherwise the defense will get killed.

 

I think after Kolb got hurt, and not having another QB, Hackett and staff decided to keep things somewhat simple.

 

He must have been really, really rusty because I saw recievers running wide open when he was in there and he has always been very inconsistent. But I suppose Rogers makes him look like an all-pro.

 

Receivers were running open everywhere. Why single out McKelvin? Rogers, Brooks, Williams, Searcy were out there too, making Grossman and White look like starters.

 

forgot to add that. Just cut Kolb. He's not fit to play QB in this league.

 

If EJ isn't ready to play, it's going to be a longgggg season.

 

After he ran backwards and took that sack when he could have slid in the pocket I was done. EJ has to be the QB. He's the only arm that Graham can't outrun.

[Peace Frog]

I think after Kolb got hurt, and not having another QB, Hackett and staff decided to keep things somewhat simple.

 

 

 

Receivers were running open everywhere. Why single out McKelvin? Rogers, Brooks, Williams, Searcy were out there too, making Grossman and White look like starters.

 

 

 

After he ran backwards and took that sack when he could have slid in the pocket I was done. EJ has to be the QB. He's the only arm that Graham can't outrun.

I hated that sack too. It was very Rob Johnsonesque.

[....lybob]

some thoughts

 

Am I again overrating the DL ? on paper these guys should be fantastic against the run, Carrington, Dareus, K Williams , and M Williams are big boys but once again they look like they have no answer against those power sweeps . The power sweep is a hard play to defend but I don't see other teams get victimized by it play after play- good defenses blow them up from the backside or the DTs start to get penetration or the MLB reads the hole and blows up the RB- but this game gave me a flashback to last year ewwwwww.

 

with Bryd coming back do we try Duke Williams at CB - after Gilmore our CB situation is pretty scary, I'm not saying Duke Williams is the answer but I wonder how much coverage ability we'd be giving up to get Duke's superior tackling.

 

OL- maybe Levitre was too expensive but his loss is apparent especially in the running game - The Bills are $23,736,689.00 under the cap second only to Cleveland, I sure hope that money is earmarked to retain talent somewhere down the line , I'm kinda tired watching the Bills tread water with as much talent going as coming.

[Big Turk]

Realy? Byrd "secured" a starting spot?

 

Dude, he secured the starting spot when he signed his tender. You don't franchise tag a guy for him to come back and sit on the bench, let's be real here...