THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Don't Look to Me for Answers

[Shaw66]

“Don’t Look at Me for Answers”

 

Did you come here looking for something that would make you feel better about the Bills’ performance against the Packers?  I may be an optimist, but I’m not a psychiatrist.  Nothing I write will straighten out those ugly thoughts in your head.  Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

 

I’m pretty good at finding silver linings.  I’m still looking for them following the Bills shutout loss at Lambeau Field on Sunday. 

 

I was looking for improvement Sunday.  Not necessarily improvement over the show the Bills put on against the Vikings, because I knew that game was an aberration.  I wanted improvement over the second half of the Chargers game.  I wanted to see a young team continuing to put things together.

 

Instead, I saw a mess, pretty much everywhere.

 

Josh Allen finally looked like a rookie.  Who but a rookie throws that wounded duck floater near the end zone to blow the best scoring opportunity of the day?  Who but a rookie repeatedly fails to read the defensive front seven and identify where the rush is coming from?  Who but a rookie holds the ball too long over and over?  Who but a rookie hangs his receiver out there to dry on the hit that knocked Benjamin silly?  

 

I’m a big Allen fan.  All I can say about his performance Sunday is that most QBs have to make those mistakes to learn how not to make them. 

 

The offensive line reverted to pitiful.  Didn’t John Miller play pretty well his rookie season?  I mean, well enough to look like a keeper?  Aren’t players supposed to get better through the early seasons of their careers? 

 

Brian Daboll should have had a sleepless Sunday night.  Every team in the league, except the Bills, seems to be able to get receivers open for quick throws to wide outs on short patterns.  Not the Bills.  The Bills ran one wide receiver screen pass against the Packers, but they forgot the screen – there were ZERO blockers lined up wide when the Bills tried it.  It was bubble screen without the bubble.  Who runs a play like that?  Where are the rubs, the slants, the sideline patterns?  Yes, receivers were covered, but the QB and the receivers are supposed to recognize defenses and take what the defense is giving. 

 

Nothing worked, all day.  Nothing.  Daboll was supposed to send his team onto the field with a couple dozen plays that will work against particular Packer sets, so that over the course of the game they can run 20 or 25 or 40 plays that actually work.  The Bills had about 10.   That’s like being in 8^th grade and getting 10 correct on a 25-word spelling test.  How am I supposed to make you feel better about that?  “You should feel good, son.  You spelled your name right”?

 

The defense wasn’t as bad as the offense.  Giving up 22 points when your offense is going three and out and giving the ball away isn’t all that bad, not against a Hall of Fame quarterback playing at home.  If that makes you feel better, I’m glad, but it gives me headache.

 

One thing that encourages me when the Bills are losing at halftime is that the McDermott Bills are a second-half team.  They played better after intermission last season, and they’re doing it again this season, at least on defense.  Of course, by the fourth quarter it was clear to everyone that the Bills could play another 60 minutes and still not score enough to catch the Pack, so everyone seemed to play the second half on cruise control. 

 

The really black lining in the defense’s dark cloud is the absence of hitting.  The Bills defense against the Packers looked like they were playing flag football.  Why didn’t the ref call roughing the passer when Edmunds landed on Rodgers?  Because of the total lack of violence, that’s why.  The ref would have been embarrassed to say that Edmunds could actually hurt anyone with that hit.  Lorenzo Alexander knows how to get after guys once in a while, but the rest of the defense plays patty cake.  Look out, Tom Brady, here comes Matt Milano!  I don’t think so.

 

The refs, of course, didn’t help, but that’s what you get when you’re a sad-sack loser playing the world champions at home.  The Packers got away with an obvious hold of Hughes in open field on the Pack’s first possession.  McDermott was right that the clock should have kept running at the end of the half, and it cost the Bills three points.  Allen suffered a pretty obvious helmet-to-helmet hit on one of his sacks without a call.  The replay clearly showed Allen’s knee on the ground with his hand holding the ball, fingers over the end of the ball, on the should-have-been-reversed fumble call.  If the refs had gotten those calls right, and given the Bills a few more, the score would have been closer but the outcome would have been the same.  

 

All you can do is forget about it and move on. 

 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

[Figster]

Shaw reading the Rockpile Review always makes me feel a little better if its a any consolation.

 

Misery loves company, hehe

 

thanks buddy

[TheElectricCompany]

I sure hope Mcdermott doesn't look at the tape for answers. 

The tape belongs in parking lot burn barrel. 

We're on to Tennessee. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by TheElectricCompany

[Happy]

Maybe not look to you for answers, but McDermott better have some.  And that is questionable.  The Bills are now 1-3, and while no one expected them to be 3-1, the three losses were all embarrassing.  A lot of this appears to be on coaching.  Receivers not getting open, OLine can't block for the run game and the pass game blocking is somewhat iffy.  On defense, aside from the second half of the Chargers game as well as the Vikings game, scheme is timid at best.  Why not be more aggressive against the Rivers and Rodgers of the NFL?  McD has to stop coaching scared...scared of winning, even with a talent deficient roster.

[billspro]

I need answers Shaw!!!! Haha

[Fadingpain]

2 minutes ago, Happy Gilmore said:

Maybe not look to you for answers, but McDermott better have some.  And that is questionable.  The Bills are now 1-3, and while no one expected them to be 3-1, the three losses were all embarrassing.  A lot of this appears to be on coaching.  Receivers not getting open, OLine can't block for the run game and the pass game blocking is somewhat iffy.  On defense, aside from the second half of the Chargers game as well as the Vikings game, scheme is timid at best.  Why not be more aggressive against the Rivers and Rodgers of the NFL?  McD has to stop coaching scared...scared of winning, even with a talent deficient roster.

What if they are not particularly interested in winning this season at all?

 

Most of their decisions/actions/inactions in the off-season would suggest, strongly, that they are NOT interested in winning this year.

 

I'm sure they think Allen is their guy and they are done QB shopping.  That is probably a mistake, but that's how they are going to view the situation.
 

So presumably their plan is to finish bottom 3, and trade down to the highest bidder, and really rebuild the core of the team with a bunch of acquired strong draft selections.

 

They are either trying to do that, or they really suck.

 

I honestly don't know which it is, yet.

 

 

[PlayoffsPlease]

Nice summary as usual Mr. Shaw.  Please try to take more solace in the defensive performance.  It should not give you a headache. 

[Shaw66]

1 minute ago, Happy Gilmore said:

Maybe not look to you for answers, but McDermott better have some.  And that is questionable.  The Bills are now 1-3, and while no one expected them to be 3-1, the three losses were all embarrassing.  A lot of this appears to be on coaching.  Receivers not getting open, OLine can't block for the run game and the pass game blocking is somewhat iffy.  On defense, aside from the second half of the Chargers game as well as the Vikings game, scheme is timid at best.  Why not be more aggressive against the Rivers and Rodgers of the NFL?  McD has to stop coaching scared...scared of winning, even with a talent deficient roster.

I don't think he's coaching scared, but I don't think he's coaching right, either.  After the Chargers, he got after them about playing with speed, and they responded.   He shouldn't have to be after them to dial up the basics all the time, but that's what seems to be necessary.

 

A lot of blocking is just getting to the right spot and getting in the way without giving ground.   His linemen don't seem to do even that consistently.   And the same about the receivers, although I think it's more about scheme than the players.   They always say the defense is always giving you something - the middle, the sidelines, the short, the deep.   This teams should be able to come to the line and see, at least some of the time, what the defense is giving and TAKE IT!   Take the five yard slant, the out pattern, the dump off over the middle.   All Allen has to do is see it and throw it.  I'm sure it isn't that simple, but it sure LOOKS simple when Rodgers and Rivers and Flacco do it.  Allen has to be able to do it SOME of the time.  

[Happy]

Just now, Fadingpain said:

What if they are not particularly interested in winning this season at all?

 

Most of their decisions/actions/inactions in the off-season would suggest, strongly, that they are NOT interested in winning this year.

 

I'm sure they think Allen is their guy and they are done QB shopping.  That is probably a mistake, but that's how they are going to view the situation.
 

So presumably their plan is to finish bottom 3, and trade down to the highest bidder, and really rebuild the core of the team with a bunch of acquired strong draft selections.

 

They are either trying to do that, or they really suck.

 

I honestly don't know which it is, yet.

 

 

 

If the plan was to tank this year, then why the effort against the Vikings?  Why the half time adjustment against the Chargers?

I don't think the word "tank" is in McDermott's vocabulary.  I do think he and his staff are getting completely mismatched against mediocre to good teams.

[MILFHUNTER#518]

1 minute ago, Shaw66 said:

I don't think he's coaching scared, but I don't think he's coaching right, either.  After the Chargers, he got after them about playing with speed, and they responded.   He shouldn't have to be after them to dial up the basics all the time, but that's what seems to be necessary.

 

A lot of blocking is just getting to the right spot and getting in the way without giving ground.   His linemen don't seem to do even that consistently.   And the same about the receivers, although I think it's more about scheme than the players.   They always say the defense is always giving you something - the middle, the sidelines, the short, the deep.   This teams should be able to come to the line and see, at least some of the time, what the defense is giving and TAKE IT!   Take the five yard slant, the out pattern, the dump off over the middle.   All Allen has to do is see it and throw it.  I'm sure it isn't that simple, but it sure LOOKS simple when Rodgers and Rivers and Flacco do it.  Allen has to be able to do it SOME of the time.  

Rookies like Allen NEED games like this to learn from. Rodgers, Rivers and Flacco had to learn to do that, and it took SERIOUS time. He will get it, I believe in Josh. 

[Shaw66]

I also think that up and down is what you get with McDermott.  We saw it last year, and we're seeing it this year.  They're world beaters one week and egg beaters the next.  

[Success]

I loved how our defense played yesterday.  Since the 2nd half against the Chargers, that unit has been stellar.  They did everything they could yesterday.  Very encouraged by that.

 

I still like what I’m seeing in Allen.  As the OP states, young QB’s have to make those mistakes.  But he’s tough and doesn’t stop competing.

 

I’m not throwing in the towel yet.

[Shaw66]

2 minutes ago, MILFHUNTER#518 said:

Rookies like Allen NEED games like this to learn from. Rodgers, Rivers and Flacco had to learn to do that, and it took SERIOUS time. He will get it, I believe in Josh. 

I'm a serious believer in Josh.  And I agree about the mistakes.   That's why it's good for him to play this season - let him make the mistakes this season, when the team isn't going anywhere anyway, than next season.

 

AND, there's a long way to go.   Josh will be much better in the second half of this season.  

3 minutes ago, Success said:

I loved how our defense played yesterday.  Since the 2nd half against the Chargers, that unit has been stellar.  They did everything they could yesterday.  Very encouraged by that.

 

I still like what I’m seeing in Allen.  As the OP states, young QB’s have to make those mistakes.  But he’s tough and doesn’t stop competing.

 

I’m not throwing in the towel yet.

Points per game they aren't horrible, and that's what really matters.   Yards per game, they're horrible, more or less.  

 

If Edmunds keeps learning, the defense should improve in the second half.  

[SoCal Deek]

Thanks Shaw

 

On Saturday I posted how we were all going to see whether the Minnesota game was the outlier or whether they were on a clear upward path.  The answer is simple...the Vikings game was the outlier! Our only hope is that September is the new August in the NFL and that Sunday was the final preseason game so now the Starters are going to hit the gas pedal. Yeah...right!

[Soda Popinski]

Growing pains.   

[Happy]

5 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I don't think he's coaching scared, but I don't think he's coaching right, either.  After the Chargers, he got after them about playing with speed, and they responded.   He shouldn't have to be after them to dial up the basics all the time, but that's what seems to be necessary.

 

A lot of blocking is just getting to the right spot and getting in the way without giving ground.   His linemen don't seem to do even that consistently.   And the same about the receivers, although I think it's more about scheme than the players.   They always say the defense is always giving you something - the middle, the sidelines, the short, the deep.   This teams should be able to come to the line and see, at least some of the time, what the defense is giving and TAKE IT!   Take the five yard slant, the out pattern, the dump off over the middle.   All Allen has to do is see it and throw it.  I'm sure it isn't that simple, but it sure LOOKS simple when Rodgers and Rivers and Flacco do it.  Allen has to be able to do it SOME of the time.  

 

If the OLine can't block consistently, who is that on, the OC or the OLine coach?  If the receivers can't get open in their routes, is that on the OC or WR coach?  Why does the defense seem to play timidly against better QBs, is that on Frazier with McD's blessing?  My fear is that McD believes so strongly in his buddy network and coaches he hires, he won't fire them if they don't change what they're currently doing to something that suits what they have as far as personnel.  Maybe I'm wrong about this, and I hope so.

 

The opposing defenses seem to be giving our offense the longer routes, occupying the LOS which stops the run, and sending DB blitzes that Allen can't diagnose; they know all of this is a challenge for a rookie QB.  Hopefully Allen starts to see some of these tactics and starts to audible and counteract; it will take a little more time, losses, and pain.

[SoCal Deek]

Come On Happy!

Rogers was getting the ball out of his hands in less than two seconds!  Are you trying to tell us that the Bills defense didn't notice?  Brady does the same to them twice each year.  Allen needs an offense loaded with short slants, screens, etc.   Stop trying to throw the ball long so we can all be impressed with this ARM STRENGTH!!!!

[Foxx]

46 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

“Don’t Look at Me for Answers”

 

Did you come here looking for something that would make you feel better about the Bills’ performance against the Packers?  I may be an optimist, but I’m not a psychiatrist.  Nothing I write will straighten out those ugly thoughts in your head.  Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

 

I’m pretty good at finding silver linings.  I’m still looking for them following the Bills shutout loss at Lambeau Field on Sunday ....

 

... All you can do is forget about it and move on. 

 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

i really enjoyed this one, Shaw. thanks for taking the time.

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

This team has good players on defense and some of the worst offensive personnel in recent memory. I think the DC is a serious issue and our GM is apparently not interested in adding any talent to help Allen. It’s not good.

[Gordio]

Here is a sobering stat.  In McDermott's tenure as head coach the Bills have loss 7 out of the 21 games by more than 20 points.  Tanking/not tanking, in an era when parity reigns that is simply mind blowing.