THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Outstanding!

[Shaw66]

“Outstanding”

 

The Bills were outstanding Sunday afternoon, beating the Tennessee Titans 13-12 on Stephen Hauschka’s 46-yard field goal on the last play of the game. 

 

“Outstanding?”  Yes, outstanding.  There is a lot to talk about in the NFL, but there is only one measure of success, and that’s winning.  When you make the plays to win, you’re outstanding. 

 

“Really, outstanding?”  Yes.  When you put together a fourth-quarter drive to win the game, you’re outstanding.

 

“But it was only the Titans.”  Yes, the Titans were 3-1 but had played like they were 1-3.  Statistically, they were indistinguishable from the Bills.  Doesn’t matter.  It’s the NFL, and nobody gives you anything in the NFL.  You have to earn it against your opponent, whoever the opponent is.  There were plenty of ways to lose to the Titans, and plenty of Bills teams over the past 15 years would have found them.  Not this Bills team, not this Sunday.

 

“But Josh Allen, the Bills’ ‘star’ rookie quarterback, was 10-19 for less than 100 yards and an interception.”  Perfect, actually.  What more could you ask than to give your rookie more game experience without asking him to win the game?  Allen had an excellent game.  He made a couple of bad throws (one too low to Benjamin that Kelvin should have gone down for and might have caught, a couple of others not as accurate as you’d like, and one perhaps a split second too early to Holmes that resulted in the interception), but in general Allen’s throws were on target and out of harm’s way.  The flea flicker was probably a throwaway.

 

Most importantly, Allen was in control on the winning drive.  No panic, no mistakes.  He needed to make only two routine throws to win the game, and he made them, on target so that McCoy and McCloud could make the critical runs after the catches.   

 

Allen didn’t take sacks, he didn’t turn it over and he had another highlight-reel touchdown run. 

 

Allen’s a keeper.

 

“But the Bills passing game is so horrible that they had to play one-dimensional running football.”  Actually, there were signs of life in the Bills’ passing game.  Zay Jones looked like a quality receiver; running crisp routes and catching the ball.  McCloud contributed. 

 

And the Bills did some of the overdue innovation their passing game needed.  They actually ran a couple quick crossing routes that almost guarantee a receiver will be open for gains worth taking.  They ran a couple of rub routes, and Allen had a nice completion to Clay over the middle that should be there all day.  The Bills also had Allen on the move more, giving him time to look downfield instead of scrambling to avoid the pass rush.  Roll-outs do have the disadvantage of shrinking the available passing lanes, but Allen’s running threat tends to neutralize that problem by opening holes as the defenders cheat toward the line of scrimmage.  Look for more roll-outs next week, as Allen tries to outrun Watt and Clowney.  

 

A lot of fans complained when the Bills signed Chris Ivory as LeSean McCoy’s backup.  They aren’t complaining today.  On Sunday, Ivory was the guy who bedeviled the Bills for years with the Jets.  He’s one tough dude.  And Shady was Shady, almost good enough to carry the team completely on his own.  The defense must key on him every down he’s on the field, and when he’s out, Ivory is pounding away. 

 

The Bills defense put in another excellent day of work.  Hyde’s absence didn’t hurt them, Milano stood out, again, with visible plays all over the field, and the pass rush hurried Mariota, even if the Bills couldn’t catch him. 

 

It’s time to get used to it – the Bills play bend-don’t-break defense.  More or less every team can move the ball against the Bills between the 20s, because they will give up the short stuff in order to stop anything deep.  It was no surprise that the Titans kicked four field goals; the Bills’ TD defense has been stingy for the past three weeks. 

 

The Taron Johnson INT was sweet.  Perfect position and a great break on the ball to make the play.  Preparation plus talent equals success.

 

“But outstanding, really?”  Yes, outstanding, because with the game on the line the Bills’ coaches asked the players to execute the plan the coaches had installed during the week – pound the ball, get first downs, run the clock – and the players executed, perfectly.  It was McDermott’s process on display.  Prepare, practice, execute.  Prepare, practice, execute.  The process produces wins. 

 

We’re all so conditioned to the pass-happy NFL that with four minutes left, Bills fans everywhere were wondering how this rookie QB and those receivers were going to make the plays the Bills needed to win the game.  The answer was the Bills didn’t need them.  The Bills engineered a masterful four-and-a-half-minute, 11-play drive to win the game.  It was more or less perfect – no penalties, no plays for negative yards, no incompletions, one third down conversion, excellent clock management, routine execution on the field goal. 

 

In the NFL, the name of the game is winning.  In the first six weeks of the season, the name of the game is winning with a team that isn’t yet fully formed, against teams that you don’t know a lot about.  With a rookie quarterback, the name of the game is winning while your kid is trying to figure out how to win.  

 

Winning with a rookie QB in the first six weeks of the NFL season is OUTSTANDING.

 

On to Houston!

 

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.

[Happy]

It was a sloppy game, at least offensively.  But, as stated by the OP, the offense came through when it counted in the fourth quarter and drove down for a game winning FG...which is outstanding...for this team.  Hopefully the Titans game gives the offense momentum to build off of.  The Texans game is another winnable one.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Happy Gilmore

[blargo]

I agree with the OP.  Bad teams find ways to lose that game.  A holding penalty here a fumble there.  This team found a way to win this game.  Good for them.

[Shaw66]

8 minutes ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 The Texans game is another winnable one.

It's like last year.  Keep penalties down, minimize mistakes, no big plays, get a couple of takeaways, work the offense.  

 

In the meantime, Allen keeps getting better.  

 

I've been saying it for weeks:  The second half of the season, the Bills will look like a good team, because the defense will be good and Allen will know what he's doing.  

[DRA3196]

"Outstanding" summary that is right on point. With our offensive talent there is no reason for us to be 2-3 but here we are. There are plenty of measurables in the game of football, but what people can't tangibly see is HEART. A football team needs heart. It seems that every week another rookie or young player is getting our attention because they made a play, made a difference in the game. The kids are learning and growing weekly. Leaps and bounds. When the team plays complimentary football and plays with heart. Days like yesterday happen. on to Houston... GO BILLS!!!

[WhoTom]

24 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

A lot of fans complained when the Bills signed Chris Ivory as LeSean McCoy’s backup.  They aren’t complaining today.  On Sunday, Ivory was the guy who bedeviled the Bills for years with the Jets.  He’s one tough dude.  And Shady was Shady, almost good enough to carry the team completely on his own.  The defense must key on him every down he’s on the field, and when he’s out, Ivory is pounding away. 

 

I loved seeing McCoy and Ivory on the field at the same time. Who should the defense key on? Josh can hand it to either one, pass it to Shady, throw downfield, or run it himself. That's a scheme that plays to the team's strengths while hiding its weaknesses.

 

Edited October 8, 2018 by WhoTom

[Shaw66]

6 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

I loved seeing McCoy and Ivory on the field at the same time. Who should the defense key on? Josh can hand it to either one, pass it to Shady, throw downfield, or run it himself. That's a scheme that plays to the team's strengths while hiding its weaknesses.

 

One play they had McCoy, Ivory and DiMarco.  Defend that!

[billspro]

I think we can win with a similar formula next week too.

 

Allen made some big third down conversions.

 

We got Shady back on track.

 

The Dline is providing great pressure. Alexander and Hughes have been fantastic this year. Neither of them are getting the credit they deserve.

 

The game is slowing down for Edmunds. He was everywhere yesterday. He has the potential to be the next great Bills LB.

 

Taron Johnson was unbelievable. I read an article comparing him to Winfield and I think he has a chance to be that good. Him and Tre will make this secondary elite at some point.

 

There is a lot to be excited about right now.

23 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

It's like last year.  Keep penalties down, minimize mistakes, no big plays, get a couple of takeaways, work the offense.  

 

In the meantime, Allen keeps getting better.  

 

I've been saying it for weeks:  The second half of the season, the Bills will look like a good team, because the defense will be good and Allen will know what he's doing.  

 

That sounds like the “process”

 

We play a lot of talented defenses this year. That won’t make things easy on the offense either.

[Stank_Nasty]

that play shady made on 3rd down on that game winning drive. my god..... he knew we was gonna stick his foot in the ground and reverse field before the ball even got half way to him I think, and the rest of that play was shear WILL. "I will not be denied!".... I realize his time is winding down and I find myself making sure I really soak in those sort of plays now.

[berg1029]

Honestly, that's what progress looks like.  Allen played a smart game, he threw it away when he needed to, he wasn't taking sacks, he wasn't making awful throws that resulted in interceptions.  He is improving in the areas that he needs to improve in.  You can't ask for much more from a raw prospect.  Just keep getting better game by game

[Da webster guy]

 

14 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

that play shady made on 3rd down on that game winning drive. my god..... he knew we was gonna stick his foot in the ground and reverse field before the ball even got half way to him I think, and the rest of that play was shear WILL. "I will not be denied!".... I realize his time is winding down and I find myself making sure I really soak in those sort of plays now.

 

Oh that catch and immediate stop and turn was vintage Shady.    I don't know if I've ever seen that before.  

 

Honorable mention was that Jason Croom catch at his feet AND behind him, he somehow picks it up and manages to get upfield like 8 yards on that play.   

He's a really talented kid, I'm wondering if there is any route that KB runs that Croom can't, because we oughta start targeting the guys that make plays over guys that keep letting us down.   Jason played WR for three years in college before converting to TE, he's the same size as KB, we already know who the better blocker is, lets get off this whole WR1  WR2  nonsense and work in the guys with hands, toughness and determination.  If it means 3 TE's and Zay then lets install some new personnel packages.

 

You never know what you have on your team until you play a handful of real games.   The good ones re-tool and adjust, not based on names but production.

 

 

. 

Edited October 8, 2018 by Da webster guy
.

[buffaloboyinATL]

Good to see a positive post. I was starting to think we lost the game and I dreamt the victory, with all the doom and gloom around here. 

[Shaw66]

20 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

that play shady made on 3rd down on that game winning drive. my god..... he knew we was gonna stick his foot in the ground and reverse field before the ball even got half way to him I think, and the rest of that play was shear WILL. "I will not be denied!".... I realize his time is winding down and I find myself making sure I really soak in those sort of plays now.

His time may be winding down, but his play hasn't.  He's as dangerous as he was 5 years ago.   He had a half dozen carries yesterday where he ALMOST slipped through - those were plays that went for 3 that were THIS close to going 15 to 50.   

 

As quick and shifty as he is, what I like best about him is he REALLY wants it.  Like the play you're talking about.   He doesn't have Marshawn Lynch's power and balance, but he has Lynch's heart.  He's underrated around the league. 

[Nihilarian]

Like me, I think most Bills fans relishes, loves old school style of football in which you pound the rock and play great defense.

 

That style of play has worked all throughout the history of the NFL from Lombardi's Packers, to Shula's Dolphins, to Joe Gibbs hogs, to Marv's Bills, to the current Ravens with Joe Flacco. Pounding the rock worked then and it still works in today's game. 

 

And yes, even the K-gun with the no huddle was a run first scheme that relied upon Thurman Thomas being 70% of the offense. The Bills used to run Thurman with his cutbacks and teams were so determined to stop him that Kelly would throw to Reed over the linebackers moving up to stop Thurman. 

 

The Ravens have proven you can pound the rock and still properly develop a QB to compete with the rest of the league. Plus, they have won a super bowl with that QB.

[Stank_Nasty]

4 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

Like me, I think most Bills fans relishes, loves old school style of football in which you pound the rock and play great defense.

 

That style of play has worked all throughout the history of the NFL from Lombardi's Packers, to Shula's Dolphins, to Joe Gibbs hogs, to Marv's Bills, to the current Ravens with Joe Flacco. Pounding the rock worked then and it still works in today's game. 

 

And yes, even the K-gun with the no huddle was a run first scheme that relied upon Thurman Thomas being 70% of the offense. The Bills used to run Thurman with his cutbacks and teams were so determined to stop him that Kelly would throw to Reed over the linebackers moving up to stop Thurman. 

 

The Ravens have proven you can pound the rock and still properly develop a QB to compete with the rest of the league. Plus, they have won a super bowl with that QB.

I don't entirely disagree with this. but the ravens havent made the playoffs once since 2012 and this year they aren't winning because of the running game. they are 25th in rush yds per game. the bills need to get the pass game worked out to consistently win games. hands down.

 

EDIT: I think your actual point flew over my head the first time I read. I do agree we can still develop a guy while primarily running and playing defense. 

Edited October 8, 2018 by Stank_Nasty

[Spiderweb]

17 minutes ago, Da webster guy said:

 

 

Oh that catch and immediate stop and turn was vintage Shady.    I don't know if I've ever seen that before.  

 

Honorable mention was that Jason Croom catch at his feet AND behind him, he somehow picks it up and manages to get upfield like 8 yards on that play.   

He's a really talented kid, I'm wondering if there is any route that KB runs that Croom can't, because we oughta start targeting the guys that make plays over guys that keep letting us down.   Jason played WR for three years in college before converting to TE, he's the same size as KB, we already know who the better blocker is, lets get off this whole WR1  WR2  nonsense and work in the guys with hands, toughness and determination.  If it means 3 TE's and Zay then lets install some new personnel packages.

 

You never know what you have on your team until you play a handful of real games.   The good ones re-tool and adjust, not based on names but production.

 

 

. 

That is interesting and I too have wondered if maybe Croom could move back to WR. He has made some nice catches on poor throws and appears far quicker and much more athletic than Benjamin. Can he run routes and get separation? Give it a try...

[Shaw66]

6 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

 

 

EDIT: I think your actual point flew over my head the first time I read. I do agree we can still develop a guy while primarily running and playing defense. 

It's what I realized after the game and said in my write up.   Young QBs need playing time.   They need to be on the field, calling plays, looking over defenses, making changes at the line, managing the whole game.   They need to log hours of playing time.   What's better than logging those with a run-oriented offense that wins game?   Minimize rookie QB mistakes, get rookie QB experience, win games.   Can't win a Super Bowl like that, but you can get your QB ready to win one.

[Nihilarian]

3 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

I don't entirely disagree with this. but the ravens havent made the playoffs once since 2012 and this year they aren't winning because of the running game. they are 25th in rush yds per game. the bills need to get the pass game worked out to consistently win games. hands down.

With the current Ravens it's not for lack of trying as they are currently 10th in rushing attempts. My point was that Flacco was developed into a strong pocket passer in a run first scheme and he eventually won a SB. 

 

Josh Allen had his moments yesterday as he threw for two first downs on that game winning drive. Allen loved to throw the Ball at Wyoming and like that team he had a bad line, WR corps. Right now it makes more sense to do it like they did it against the Titans.

[Seasons1992]

39 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

that play shady made on 3rd down on that game winning drive. my god..... he knew we was gonna stick his foot in the ground and reverse field before the ball even got half way to him I think, and the rest of that play was shear WILL. "I will not be denied!".... I realize his time is winding down and I find myself making sure I really soak in those sort of plays now.

 

 

THIS, 100%. I said as it happened to my kids, "That move and play right there may be the reason they win this game." It was beautiful. 

[Stank_Nasty]

1 minute ago, Nihilarian said:

With the current Ravens it's not for lack of trying as they are currently 10th in rushing attempts. My point was that Flacco was developed into a strong pocket passer in a run first scheme and he eventually won a SB. 

 

Josh Allen had his moments yesterday as he threw for two first downs on that game winning drive. Allen loved to throw the Ball at Wyoming and like that team he had a bad line, WR corps. Right now it makes more sense to do it like they did it against the Titans.

ya. I edited my initial response after I reread what you said.... I agree you can still develop a guy while protecting him with the run game and defense. it just eventually has to shift.