A Few Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....

[JohnC]

1) Call me a broken record. I have been called worse. The thing is Da'Norris Searcy can play football. If I was a GM, he would be on my football team. Limitations? Sure, but the man makes PLAYS.

 

2) Chandler is a strange player. Isn't he hard to really grade? His catch today (the play that was over turned) was flat out tremendous. He also caught a key first down.

 

3) You see, there are no stats to confirm this, but Seantral Henderson played about as good as a Right OT is capable of playing.

 

4) There is much to say about Watkins. People, he was COLLEGE open!!! He truly was. On many plays there was nobody near him. EJ missed him for a TD, but I will get to that, and more on Watkins.

 

5) Those who have read my posts know that I want players, especially high draft selections, to take over a football game and win it. Well, CJ Spiller did just this today and I am here to say it. Hats off to John C. Let's hope he can continue to do this.

 

6) Corey Graham is just so good. OMG does this man make play after play!!!

 

 

 

8) Watkins? He was just sick today. This kid was "college open" in the NFL today. It's important that we as fans understand this. The guy was alone on pattern after pattern. It was just SO impressive. Seriously, this is the NFL. The kid was by himself on numerous plays. This imo is just so rare.

 

9) Anthony Dixon is another player who can win a team football games.

 

10) Nigel Bradham played to his preseason form. He is a tough guy, and btw so is Preston Brown.

 

11) Congrats to all who were at the TBD home opener. I was there in spirit and thinking of you.

 

12) EJ was OK today, but I'm not going to go too crazy. Again, I cannot stress just how open Watkins was. He almost had a couple of picks, and I wish that he would have run more often, but that's not his fault.

 

13) Gilmore continues to be a concern. Sorry, but it's true.

 

14) Mario didn't show up huge on the stat sheet, but he is flat out great. Yes.....great.

 

15) OMG I'm sorry to be trite. I've spent a lifetime trying not to be. But in a weird way, after all we have been through, Bills Fans ARE the "eyes of the world."

 

16) Congrats my friends and fellow fans.

 

17) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Bill NYC, Excellent summarization of the game. I won't respond to all your excellent points but will just respond to a few. Marrone and the staff are using Spiller as he should be used. The kickoff run back for a TD and the long run in the second half were both critical plays in this game. Playmakers are very difficult to acquire. When you have an opportunity to get that type of impact player you should seize the opportunity and then put that player in a position to succeed.

 

Watkins is another scintillating player who was well worth the high cost to acquire. As you noted although he was the focal point of the passing game he was still open all day long. One of his attributes that has amazed me is his strong hands. As well as he played it is obvious that he is impaired with the lingering painful rib injury. I suspect that he won't be fully healed this year. He is a tough dude!

 

As you noted Graham was a tremendous signing. At this very early point in the season he is the most dependable CB. He is a smart and mature player. Bill, I'm imploring you not to prejudge Gilmore. I feel very strongly that he is going to be an upper tier CB. He is not fully healthy and he is still rusty. Be patient with him and you will be richly rewarded with a high caliber CB who will regularly be assigned the best receiver on the offense. Go against your instincts and trust me on this one. I will not lead you astray!

 

Prior to the season Marrone was asked on WGR who he felt was the most improved player. Without any hesitation he said it was Bradham. It's apparent that not only has he improved but he has taken a quantum leap forward this season.

 

Mario Williams is a force and Kyle Williams is an interior dynamo. There isn't a defensive lineman in the league who knows how to utilize leverage like KW. He is a leader on this team not by the way he speaks up but by the way he plays.

 

Accolades should be directed toward Hackett for the way he is handling EJ. Hackett is running a very simple low risk offense for EJ. Most of his passes (especially the short roll out passes) are safe passes and not multiple read plays. Without a doubt as the season advances the OC will be adding to the offense and giving EJ more downfield passes. Because our defense has so far played well there is little pressure on EJ to force plays in order to catch up. Manuel is showing a lot of maturity by not forcing the issue and being impatient. Not asking him to do too much and having him play cautiously is the right approach to take with him. At this point EJ is playing adequately enough. If he steadily gets better then I will be more than satisfied. In my view he is not the type of qb who is going to make the quantum leap forward. Steady progression is what I am now seeing and what I hope to continue to see.

 

It's very early in the season but so far Whaley has made some nice moves. Making the trade up for Waktins, acquiring Graham, Dixon, the drafting of the risky Henderson were smart moves this year. Last year's trade of Sheppard for Hughes and the acquisition of Lawson were also positive transactions. Whaley is very invested in the development of EJ. So far his coaching staff is handling him in a very smart and judicious manner that will give him the best chance to succeed.

Edited September 15, 2014 by JohnC

[rockpile]

Great post Bill but you missed Kyle Williams - he was a beast today and the referees were really reluctant to call penalties on Miami Offense for some reasons for he was being held multiple times.

 

In reference to penalties against the Bills and uncalled on the Dolphins in the third quarter, I thought I time warped to the 70's. Horrible

 

Yeah, how did Miami not get several false start calls from both OTs? Great game!

 

GG was sitting behind me and was screaming about the false starts, especially from the blind side.

[FireChan]

 

 

In reference to penalties against the Bills and uncalled on the Dolphins in the third quarter, I thought I time warped to the 70's. Horrible

 

 

 

GG was sitting behind me and was screaming about the false starts, especially from the blind side.

 

At least the refs didn't miss a TD play that went out of bounds like they did in the Chargers game. That was the worst mistake I have ever seen.

[LB3]

 

 

At least the refs didn't miss a TD play that went out of bounds like they did in the Chargers game. That was the worst mistake I have ever seen.

 

Worse than the fail mary?

[ganesh]

Bill,

 

No mention of our RT today? He shut down Wake Cameron. Wake couldn't even sniff EJ's odor. It was that dominant by Seantrel.

 

Another play that stood out showing a new generation of Bills was the hit put on by Woods on the Kick return. It was bone chilling!

[Freddie's Dead]

At least the refs didn't miss a TD play that went out of bounds like they did in the Chargers game. That was the worst mistake I have ever seen.

 

That was a scoring play and was supposably reviewed, and even then, they can't get it right. Officiating this year is down across the board. NFL needs to get better officials, these guys suck badly.

[FireChan]

Worse than the fail mary?

 

Yep, Harvin stepped out of bounds clearly at the 20. They gave him the TD. Commentators were speechless.

[Freddie's Dead]

Worse than the fail mary?

 

Way worse, dude stepped out of bounds 20-30 yards out, they gave him the TD anyway.

[LB3]

 

 

Yep, Harvin stepped out of bounds clearly at the 20. They gave him the TD. Commentators were speechless.

 

Damn... I'm going to have to see that.

[rockpile]

5. The fans wee clearly rocking the Ralph! It was a beautiful thing to see and hear!

 

 

It was like the 90's again. The 12th Man had a great game.

Edited September 15, 2014 by rockpile

[BillsVet]

I'm not so sure. Right now, he still looks like a pretty limited QB. He makes some nice throws when he has time, but he tends to panic when he senses pressure from the pass rush. There were several plays today where he got rid of the ball too soon to avoid the rush, where he could have held it a little longer and completed the pass. I think he is showing some improvement, though.

 

A win is a win is a win. No doubt and I certainly didn't expect 350 yards and 4 TD's (the extreme some will reference). At the same time, the play-calling just seems like it's tailored to protect against his weaknesses at this point in his career.

 

Buffalo did a great job protecting EJ and giving him time to throw. His pocket presence seems better, but some throws were head-scratchers.

 

With two games of tape, I am interested to see how the offensive game plan adapts to what defenses throw at EJ. And how EJ performs against them.

 

 

Christ

 

You got anything substantive to say about someone's point or are you going to reference who you referenced?

[BuffaninATL]

That was a scoring play and was supposably supposedly reviewed, and even then, they can't get it right. Officiating this year is down across the board. NFL needs to get better officials, these guys suck badly.

 

sorry, I had to .... one of my all-time pet peeves

 

anyone have a link or time stamp of the Woods' hit on ST ? I had a crappy Internet stream and did not see it ..... thanks all

[bowery4]

Nice post Bill surprised you didn't talk about the Oline. What'd you think?

[BuffaninATL]

Bill,

 

Always enjoyed reading your posts these many years. My comments below.

 

1. Da'Norris played well today. The 4th down stop on Tannehill was huge. Dude is a baller.

 

2. Borrowing from Dickie V, Chandler is a Dow Joneser.

 

3. Wake was a non-factor, Seantrel had a fantastic day.

 

4. College open, awesome take!

 

5. Remember when we thought Marrone was a Maroon for CJ at KR? That's why he's a coach and we female dog about it here. That play alone won the game.

 

6. Right now, Corey Graham is the best off-season FA signing by ANY team.

 

7. Cameron needed to Wake up to find out that Bills Fans are the Eyes of the World (one of my top 5 Dead songs).

 

8. Sammy Watkins, Jr. He's just a cool cat, babe....

 

9. Boobie is the breasts.

 

10. We're Only Making Plans for Nigel is finally showing what we saw in college. Preston Brown made a nice comeback and looks like a playa just in need of experience.

 

12. I liked EJ's play today. OK, he missed a couple throws, but he started to look very comfy in the read option. Looking good for his 12th NFL game.

 

13. Gilmore was not a shining light. Hopefully it's just a nagging injury and he'll come back to form.

 

14. Mario Williams was a monster today!

 

sweet take on an underrated song from the 1st Wave of 80s music - very well played sir.........

[Alaska Darin]

I forgive him based on his perfect deep throw to Sammy in the end zone that he dropped...

Why do people keep saying this? Grimes made a hell is a play, diving and grabbing Sammy's left arm. That pulled his hand off the ball, which is why he didn't hold on to it. It was a great throw, a great adjustment by Watkins to it, and an even better desperation play by Grimes.

[Hplarrm]

EJ: is not the reason we're winning. He has accuracy problems, tries to float the ball in too often. (Although I think the missed TD to Sammy in slot may have been Sammy's fault for not reading it more inside). At this point Tannehill is the better QB. He's more accurate, sees the field better, and throws well on the run. Today he had no running game and his WRs make a number of crucial drops.

 

Gilmore: sick catch by Wallace on back should throw. Nothing a DB can do. Wallace was still held to under 60 yards. The DBs on this team are good, people have to realize the Wallace's and Brandon Marshal's of this league will get their plays no matter.

 

Searcy: reminded me of Troy Palomolu at his best on that play. No wonder Madden had him as league MVP for a number of years. Difference maker.

 

CJ: should have been returning kicks his whole career.

 

Refs: apparently tackling guys 5 yards out of bounce is permitted now. Both teams got away with it. All in all a strangely officiated game.

 

Why are you surprised about EJ. he was a PROJECT when we drafted him, but really this is not a problem because it was generally agreed that it was not a very good class at all for instant QB talent. The Bills had to draft a QB in the first as we simply badly needed one after a decade and a half of bad QB decisions going back to win Ralph made a hand shake deal with Jimbo to pay him off when he signed his next new deal. The deal never happened because he was done as a player but Ralph made a bad deal which simply began our QB miscues.

 

EJ was a great college player but any one with even a modicum of football intellect knew he was a PROJECT who would not be the QB we wanted and deserved without a lot of reps. The good news is that Whaley and Merrone obviously made the same assessment and intelligently focused on building a team which MIGHT be able to compete for the playoffs with a young might be adequate one day QB (EJ).

 

IMHO Whaley/Merrone deserve a ton of credit for:

 

1. Recognizing that our run game was actually a league leader in production but also had several risks. The acquisition of Brown abd and it now is clear Dixon reinforced this big league run production with talent which should allow dealing with injury and FA and even allows us to risk Spiller in the dangerous return game where his talents were obvious today. The next step is get the ball in his hands even more as regularly using his receiving skills

 

2. They invested in and seem to be pulling off a high risk strategy of getting a bunch of talented tackle worthy OL players and putting the 5 best on the field. Henderson with 1st round talent and an 8th round character seems to be working out greatly (he schooled Wake today who apparently read Brady's tendencies like a book last week but could not handle EJ/Henderson. Further, Glenn and Wood look like solid players whoever they are with. Williams still needs to improve, but the demos are good. Pears strikes me as not as talented as we want. but O am impressed that he refuses to lose his spot to the more highly touted OL players like Cujo, Cyril, or the othrs hanging around like Urbik and Hairston. The unit is being productive but a lot is EJ being mobil and our RBs being good. The unit still dos not show successful push in short yardage you think their size would produce, but competition is good an under an OL ciach at HC like Merrone there is potential here.

 

3. Likewise they have assembled a talented corps of receivers Watkins justified the thinking o trading up for him today. Fuller seasin if execution is needed before a declaration of mission accomplished is mire than silly Bush like braggadocio but the braintrust thinking was sound.

 

The bottomline is that despite the 90+ QB ranking EJ has and deserves, he is still a PROJECT. He has had less than a full season (16 games of starter reps, so anyone who expects him to perform like a vet is just silly. The good news about the Bills is that with dynamic and productive players they are building a team capable of winning with mere PROJECT play from the QB. The three great stats today were no sacks, no INTs and the ONLY important stat 1 W!!!!!!

 

if ej THREW 1 TD pass a game (giving him a paltry 16 for the season), but also had no sacks and no INTs I would be overjoyed with his play

[truth on hold]

Never said I was surprised, but for the most part agree with rest of your post, especially about being forced into a position of drafting QB high in a weak class, and construction and caliber of the oline ... I hope they keep playing well, they're giving EJ a lot of time.

[Bill from NYC]

Mario Williams is a force and Kyle Williams is an interior dynamo. There isn't a defensive lineman in the league who knows how to utilize leverage like KW. He is a leader on this team not by the way he speaks up but by the way he plays.

I hate the term "smart player" for several reasons I won't get into, but KW really knows what he is doing out there. Dareus had two blockers on him when Kyle made the sack. It looked like he knew exactly where to go.

There was a poster here years ago (AKC) who constantly emphasized the importance of the DT position. Not only was he correct, I think that with the rule changes the position has grown in importance. QBs and WRs get all the calls. Pressure has to come from the middle now to upset the play.

I hope that the Bills continue to be strong at DT now and in the future.

[GunnerBill]

One of the highlights of my week during football season is getting to work on a monday morning making a cup of tea and sitting at my desk (not working) reading Bill's "A Few thoughts" post. As ever, a complete joy.

 

I think you are slightly harsh on EJ. I thought there was one horrible series, where he could have been picked on consecutive throws, and I think the miss in the red zone to Woods on the slant (ball to low) was a bit of a panicked throw. The thrwo to Sammy in the redzone looked like a slight communication breakdown as much as anything else. But the guy is playing good football. Not great football, but good, solid, sensible football.

 

Two additional points if I may - on the two lines.

 

1) This O-Line is better than what we had last year. I'm not willing to call it anything special yet, but the left guard position was a disaster last year, and whilst Chris Williams is miles away from a stud, he is exactly what some called for last year - a serviceable guard (although I do think we are overpaying him but that's besides the point) and the addition of Seantral has stiffened the right side of the line no end.

 

2) The D-Line was good last year, but what I think we have there now that maybe we didn't before is some depth. Stefan Charles, Jairus Wynn and Corbin Bryant and Manny Lawson all made plays in that game. Are they as dominant and consistent as our first 4 guys? No, but they are giving us the chance to keep those guys fresh for the key moments in the game and there isn't a huge drop off when they come in. I think those guys have been developed nicely and Schwartz is getting the balance on when to use them right at the moment. He seems to like the roatations in the 3rd Quarter particularly so he can get his 4 front line guys back together in the 4th when the game is on the line.

[YoloinOhio]

Tough to look at negative things in a game like this but I thought Robey had trouble with Jarvis Landry in the slot.