Week 14: Bills vs. Jets Postgame

[26CornerBlitz]

New York Jets 27, Buffalo Bills 23

1. Sunday presented us with a chance to see the second and third quarterbacks selected in the 2018 draft, and predictably, it provided highs and lows. Sam Darnold threw an ugly interception trying to do too much in the second half. Josh Allen threw an even more unattractive interception on first-and-25 when he very easily could've just thrown it away (it was truly inexplicable). But they both did things well, too, including Allen rushing for over 100 yards and Darnold leading a game-winning touchdown drive that saw him run inside the 1-yard line. The next play, Elijah McGuire scored the go-ahead touchdown.

 

That drive -- and the Jets' overall comeback effort in the fourth quarter -- was punctuated by Darnold throws reminiscent of his best days at USC. Darnold put a beautiful ball on Robby Anderson down the sideline to get the Jets down to the Buffalo 5. And earlier, it was his scrambling ability that produced a touchdown pass to Anderson to tie the game at 20-20. Darnold was missed during his three-game absence, and games like Sunday -- mistakes included and accepted -- are why New York (4-9) remains high on his future.

 

2. In the end, it was Allen's mistake that did the Bills (4-9) in. Desperate for yards, Allen threw a pass down the sideline and missed his intended receiver, instead landing in the hands of Trumaine Johnson. The warts are evident in Allen, and he makes up for it by running for good chunks of yards. But that model isn't sustainable, and he's already suffered an injury once earlier this season. After the game, ESPN's Mike Rodak tweeted about how Allen looked beaten, with a bloody elbow and a slow gait. This isn't how you want your franchise quarterback to look.

 

3. Speaking of injuries, this game wasn't merciful. LeSean McCoy left in the first half with a hamstring injury and returned to the sideline in a sweatsuit. Chris Ivory left late in the game, leaving the full running back responsibility to Marcus Murphy. And perhaps largest of all, very promising middle linebacker Matt Milano, who has played like the heart of a good Buffalo defense, was carted off with an injured that looked to be serious. On the other sideline, Darnold left early with a foot injury, though he returned to lead the Jets to a win and potentially save his coach's job (or delay his firing). That reinsertion raised an eyebrow, seeing as the Jets aren't playing for much other than Bowles' (and their own) employment.

 

-- Nick Shook

[billspro]

4 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

Okay now I'll touch on the QB play today:

 

*  Overall I thought both Allen & Darnold looked good and showed me that these two are going to be going at it for a long time in the Division.  Sure both guys made rookie mistakes but they also both made some fantastic plays to.

 

*  Now some folks are going to quote the passer rating and say Darnold kicked Allen's butt.  But I say you have to look beyond the numbers to truly compare the two QB's passing performance.  At the risk of sounding like an apologist making excuses when you compare the QB's keep in mind the following:  Both QB had very bad INT's.  Classic rookie mistakes.  Allen had a 2nd INT at the end of the game but that was in desperation time.  Let's not forget that Darnold should have had TWO INT's as a Bills player had a clean break and simply dropped what should have been an easy INT.  Maybe even a pick 6.  Also consider the number of dropped passes Allen had compared to Darnold.  Factor in these two things and the two QB's had close to identical games.

 

*  Both QB's did a nice job at the end of the game to put their teams in a position to win.  And Jet's and Bills fans should be excited by this.  Allen led the Bills on a 65 yard drive just missing a TD pass to put the Bills up 23 - 20 with a FG with 2 minutes left.  Darnold then one upped him with a game winning TD drive.  In each of the drives both QB's had huge throws with Allan's being that beautiful back shoulder pass to Foster and Darnold with that great deep throw to move the ball to the 5 yard line.  It's fair to say that both QB's were clutch when the game was on the line.

 

*  Allen also had a nice end of the half drive to put the Bills in position to end the half with a FG.  He threw a couple of rockets to covert 3rd & longs on the drive.  Putting you team in position to score at the end of the half is clutch QBing. 

 

*  Allen had 101 yards rushing including a TD.  He also had a bad fumble but the Jets only got a FG out of it.  The truth is Allen took a much nastier beating in the pocket then he took running the football.  The # of hits Allen took compared to Darnold was noticeable.  And those hits WERE NOT the result of Allen holding onto the ball to long.  The Jet's pass rush was getting to him very fast. 

 

*  Bottom line is both the Jets & Bills should be happy that they probably have their franchise QB's for the next 10 years. 

 

 

 

This is a great post, This is going to be a future rivalry. Both QBs had impressive rookie performances. Both teams should be excited about the offseason. 

 

The Jets oline is much better than the Bills. We had 0 QB hits and sacks today. Allen was getting hit on almost every throw today. 

5 minutes ago, StevieJohnsonGOAT said:

I'm amazed at what Josh Allen has been able to do with this supporting cast.  Three straight games with over 300 total yards. 

 

His #1 WR right now, Robert Foster, wasn't even good enough to play in college.  He had 17 career catches at Alabama.  Let that sink in.  

 

 

 

Me too, I have seen lots of franchise QB qualities.

[Big Gun]

1 hour ago, RaoulDuke79 said:

Yep........lets just keep the revolving door of coaches turning full speed. Get an new one every few years. It has proven to be a very successful strategy over the past few decades.

So if a coach proves to not be very good in 2 years he is supposed to be kept by your logic. If he not good he's not good, you keep hiring til you find a good coach. McVay, Peterson, Reich, Vrabel, Nagy have all shown something more than McCoach without tearing it all down.

[Boatdrinks]

Yes, Allen suffered an injury earlier this season....while in the pocket. He may have looked bloodied and beaten according to Rodak, but that was due to numerous cheap shots and late hits. Most of which went unnoticed by the stellar officiating crew. 

[RaoulDuke79]

1 minute ago, pop gun said:

So if a coach proves to not be very good in 2 years he is supposed to be kept by your logic. If he not good he's not good, you keep hiring til you find a good coach. McVay, Peterson, Reich, Vrabel, Nagy have all shown something more than McCoach without tearing it all down.

Yeah, I'm saying you need to give a coach more than 2 years. I don't think 2 years is adequate to evaluate whether a coach is good or not.

[CincyBillsFan]

3 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

New York Jets 27, Buffalo Bills 23

1. Sunday presented us with a chance to see the second and third quarterbacks selected in the 2018 draft, and predictably, it provided highs and lows. Sam Darnold threw an ugly interception trying to do too much in the second half. Josh Allen threw an even more unattractive interception on first-and-25 when he very easily could've just thrown it away (it was truly inexplicable). But they both did things well, too, including Allen rushing for over 100 yards and Darnold leading a game-winning touchdown drive that saw him run inside the 1-yard line. The next play, Elijah McGuire scored the go-ahead touchdown.

 

That drive -- and the Jets' overall comeback effort in the fourth quarter -- was punctuated by Darnold throws reminiscent of his best days at USC. Darnold put a beautiful ball on Robby Anderson down the sideline to get the Jets down to the Buffalo 5. And earlier, it was his scrambling ability that produced a touchdown pass to Anderson to tie the game at 20-20. Darnold was missed during his three-game absence, and games like Sunday -- mistakes included and accepted -- are why New York (4-9) remains high on his future.

 

2. In the end, it was Allen's mistake that did the Bills (4-9) in. Desperate for yards, Allen threw a pass down the sideline and missed his intended receiver, instead landing in the hands of Trumaine Johnson. The warts are evident in Allen, and he makes up for it by running for good chunks of yards. But that model isn't sustainable, and he's already suffered an injury once earlier this season. After the game, ESPN's Mike Rodak tweeted about how Allen looked beaten, with a bloody elbow and a slow gait. This isn't how you want your franchise quarterback to look.

 

3. Speaking of injuries, this game wasn't merciful. LeSean McCoy left in the first half with a hamstring injury and returned to the sideline in a sweatsuit. Chris Ivory left late in the game, leaving the full running back responsibility to Marcus Murphy. And perhaps largest of all, very promising middle linebacker Matt Milano, who has played like the heart of a good Buffalo defense, was carted off with an injured that looked to be serious. On the other sideline, Darnold left early with a foot injury, though he returned to lead the Jets to a win and potentially save his coach's job (or delay his firing). That reinsertion raised an eyebrow, seeing as the Jets aren't playing for much other than Bowles' (and their own) employment.

 

-- Nick Shook

Okay is this Nick Shook a moron or is it that he actually doesn't watch the games?  Talk about a shoddy and untrue description of the game today.  The idea that this fool is making money covering football is alarming.  Here's a few things this hack got wrong:

 

*  While drooling all over Darnold's game winning drive and extolling his very nice deep throw down the sideline Shook completely ignored that on the previous series Allen took the Bill's down the field for what could have been the game winning FG and made an equally nice deep back shoulder throw to get the Bills into the red zone.  

 

*  To lay the game on Allen's last INT is beyond lame.  It shows an utter awareness of what went during the previous 59 minutes of football. 

 

*  Was Allen's 1st INT really that much worse then Darnolds?  I mean Allen was working on a FIRST & 25 (thanks to bad penalties) and his INT didn't cost the Bills points or lead to Jets points.  Darnold's throw which seemed every bit as  bad as Darnolds cost the Jets at least 3 points.  Shook also failed to note that the Bill's defense dropped a potential pick 6 on a very poor Darnold throw. 

 

*  And to remind Shook that the injury that kept Allen on the sidelines for 4 games happened in the pocket.  It also would be apparent to anyone that watched today's game that Allen took a much worse beating in the pocket then he did running the ball.  What's not sustainable IMO is Allen getting crushed in the pocket on almost every pass play.

 

*  And for the record I believe that the NFL is in the process of a seismic shift in offensive football that will require QB's to do what Allen is doing on the ground.  And as long as Allen runs smartly, sliding or going out of bounds at every opportunity, his runs will remain an important weapon in his arsenal. 

[26CornerBlitz]

3 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

Okay is this Nick Shook a moron or is it that he actually doesn't watch the games?  Talk about a shoddy and untrue description of the game today.  The idea that this fool is making money covering football is alarming.  Here's a few things this hack got wrong:

 

*  While drooling all over Darnold's game winning drive and extolling his very nice deep throw down the sideline Shook completely ignored that on the previous series Allen took the Bill's down the field for what could have been the game winning FG and made an equally nice deep back shoulder throw to get the Bills into the red zone.  

 

*  To lay the game on Allen's last INT is beyond lame.  It shows an utter awareness of what went during the previous 59 minutes of football. 

 

*  Was Allen's 1st INT really that much worse then Darnolds?  I mean Allen was working on a FIRST & 25 (thanks to bad penalties) and his INT didn't cost the Bills points or lead to Jets points.  Darnold's throw which seemed every bit as  bad as Darnolds cost the Jets at least 3 points.  Shook also failed to note that the Bill's defense dropped a potential pick 6 on a very poor Darnold throw. 

 

*  And to remind Shook that the injury that kept Allen on the sidelines for 4 games happened in the pocket.  It also would be apparent to anyone that watched today's game that Allen took a much worse beating in the pocket then he did running the ball.  What's not sustainable IMO is Allen getting crushed in the pocket on almost every pass play.

 

*  And for the record I believe that the NFL is in the process of a seismic shift in offensive football that will require QB's to do what Allen is doing on the ground.  And as long as Allen runs smartly, sliding or going out of bounds at every opportunity, his runs will remain an important weapon in his arsenal. 

 

I think every point he made is legit and let's not forget Darnold has also been out with injury.  Allen was responsible for three turnovers today.  Accept criticism for Allen with some objectivity.  It'll be okay. 

[CincyBillsFan]

Just now, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

I think every point he made is legit and let's not forget Darnold has also been out with injury.  Allen was responsible for three turnovers today.  Accept criticism for Allen with some objectivity.  It'll be okay. 

 

If the criticism is legitimate I can except it.  But do you really believe Allen's bad INT was a LOT worse then Darnolds?  Sure Allen had 3 TO's today and he must do better to protect the ball but Darnold had a throw that 9 times out of 10 would have either been a pick 6 or a huge INT return.  That it was dropped doesn't absolve Darnold of a bad throw. 

 

IMO Allen & Darnold had a similar passing game.  They each had a terrible INT; they both made several excellent throws; and they both made big throws in driving their teams down the field at the end of the game.  IMO Shook was to positive on Darnold and to negative on Allen. 

 

I also disagree with Shook's characterization that Allen's running is not sustainable.  I think it is with only a slight down shift in the number of carries per game.  With respect to this game I thought Shook was disingenuous to throw out his critique of Allen's running, which did net 101 yards and a TD, without pointing out the disastrous Bill's O line play which had Allen running for his life and combined with the loss of their starting and back-up RB's meant that the ONLY Bills rushing option was Allen.  

[DuckyBoys]

To put it in as few words as possible ,  Allen needed some help to get a win and he got very little.  He has been the entire offense since coming back from the elbow and he is not good enough at this juncture to overcome bad O line play, no run game, little support from his receivers.  Add in the penalties and terrible special teams play and its just too much.  On the bright side even under  heavy duress on almost every snap and with zero run game he has been able to move the football.  I'd like to see them let him turn it loose on early downs.  Seems his best throws are coming on those third and impossible downs. 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[SCBills]

Another thing worth pointing out, in addition to trash OL play and Zay/Clay being terrible... how many times is Josh faced with 1st and 20?   

 

Im so sick of the offense surrounding Allen letting him down.  It’s Allen, Ivory, a couple WRs, 2 young Lineman and that’s it.  Everyone else might as well be wearing the opponents jersey. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

2 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

 

Yikes even worse than I thought !

 

 

[PolishPrince]

53 minutes ago, billspro said:

 

This is a great post, This is going to be a future rivalry. Both QBs had impressive rookie performances. Both teams should be excited about the offseason. 

 

The Jets oline is much better than the Bills. We had 0 QB hits and sacks today. Allen was getting hit on almost every throw today. 

 

Me too, I have seen lots of franchise QB qualities.

I think there is two things going overlooked after the game with Allen's play today that impressed me. One was the back shoulder throw to Foster, yes people have mentioned it, but when is the last time we have seen a BILLS qb make that throw? The other play was the Offside and allen lofted a soft ball to Zay just to see what would happen. This was the type of heads up play we have cursed the Bills for never taking advantage for, and Allen in just what his 8th game ever, took advantage and got us a huge chunk play... these are yards that wont show up on his stats either

16 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Another thing worth pointing out, in addition to trash OL play and Zay/Clay being terrible... how many times is Josh faced with 1st and 20?   

 

Im so sick of the offense surrounding Allen letting him down.  It’s Allen, Ivory, a couple WRs, 2 young Lineman and that’s it.  Everyone else might as well be wearing the opponents jersey. 

Honestly this is the only reason I have been mad at our last two losses. TBH overall I dont care we lost, season was a wash for the start and so far we have over achieved compared to what most analysts pegged us starting the season. I am mad though that Allen has put this team on his back, and every drive and almost every play his cast is just letting him down. I almost feel like I want the wins more for Allen than myself at this point lol

[Ralonzo]

Allen's best decision of the game was the hard-count Offside, where knowing he had the free play, he threw the ball way up high for a jump ball which resulted in a big defensive PI.

[DuckyBoys]

16 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Another thing worth pointing out, in addition to trash OL play and Zay/Clay being terrible... how many times is Josh faced with 1st and 20?   

 

Im so sick of the offense surrounding Allen letting him down.  It’s Allen, Ivory, a couple WRs, 2 young Lineman and that’s it.  Everyone else might as well be wearing the opponents jersey. 

Yup , he tries to use a hard count and at least 2 or 3 times Bills jumped.  Must be hard to remember you are going on the third hut hut  Execution has been really bad. 

[The Wiz]

Billsy comes to mind.

[CaptnCoke11]

12 minutes ago, Ralonzo said:

Allen's best decision of the game was the hard-count Offside, where knowing he had the free play, he threw the ball way up high for a jump ball which resulted in a big defensive PI.

That’s a no brainer decision.. Most competent QBs do that.  

Edited December 10, 2018 by CaptnCoke11

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

1 hour ago, Boatdrinks said:

Yes, Allen suffered an injury earlier this season....while in the pocket. He may have looked bloodied and beaten according to Rodak, but that was due to numerous cheap shots and late hits. Most of which went unnoticed by the stellar officiating crew. 

 

....beginning to think Daboll's game plan is sand lot football with Josh as only star of the show.......maybe why Daboll's OC stops are for just one year??.......

Edited December 10, 2018 by OldTimeAFLGuy

[Joeziehmer]

This seasons over and nothing to look forward to, now except the Habs, and twenty-four cups and counting.  Sabres fans good luck and happy holidays; Hanukah, Christmas, Ramadan, and Kwanza.