A Few Thoughts about the Lions Game, in no particular order

[The Jokeman]

1 hour ago, Call_Of_Ktulu said:

If we put Croom in there for Clay Allen will be on a stretcher in the next game.  Croom is such a bad blocker that he would need to put up a stat line of 8 90 1  every game to offset how often Allen is mauled because of his poor blocking. I can easily say Robert Woods is a much better blocker than Croom.

 

All TE's and all WR's except Foster can easily be released after this season.

McKenzie should stay.

[iinii]

2 hours ago, Max Fischer said:

 

Yeah, he should not be throwing balls away under pressure. Instead he should take sacks or try to force throws. He should also try catching his throws because his receivers have a problem with balls that hit their hands. 

https://scores.nbcsports.com/fb/leaders.asp?type=Receiving&range=NFL&rank=232

apparently other people drop more passes than we do....

[The Poojer]

Completely irrelevant to the game, but Matt Barkley was in short sleeves and one of the biggest sideline cheerleaders today.  That impressed me quite a bit!

[Max Fischer]

2 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

The career 52.4% completion percentage is a good place to start.

 

 

 

It may help if you watch the games. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, Max Fischer said:

 

It may help if you watch the games. 

 

People have fetishized completion percentage around here, and I blame social media.

 

Tyrod had a good completion percentage and was a garbage QB.

 

[Max Fischer]

1 hour ago, iinii said:

https://scores.nbcsports.com/fb/leaders.asp?type=Receiving&range=NFL&rank=232

apparently other people drop more passes than we do....

 

I can’t help you if you don’t watch the games. 

36 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

People have fetishized completion percentage around here, and I blame social media.

 

Tyrod had a good completion percentage and was a garbage QB.

 

 

That and the magical 300 yards. 

 

Too many fans and pundits can’t seem to grasp the difference between “accuracy” and completion percentage. Allen has a dynamic vertical passing game. He has done this without a run game, with a poor offensive line and a poor to unknown receiver corps. 

 

I’m constantly amazed by fans and so-called experts who don’t see a QB who consistently makes plays, who could make every throw, who throws a beatiful ball, who has increasingly displayed touch, savvy and smart decisions — and has only played on nine games. If you’re not excited then there is no hope for you. 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2018 by Max Fischer

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

12 minutes ago, Max Fischer said:

 

I can’t help you if you don’t watch the games. 

 

That and the magical 300 yards. 

 

Too many fans and pundits can’t seem to grasp the difference between “accuracy” and completion percentage. Allen has a dynamic vertical passing game. He has done this without a run game, with a poor offensive line and a poor to unknown receiver corps. 

 

I’m constantly amazed by fans and so-called experts who don’t see a QB who consistently makes plays, who could make every throw, who throws a beatiful ball, who has increasingly displayed touch, savvy and smart decisions — and has only played on nine games. If you’re not excited then there is hope for you. 

 

 

 

Nice to see we’re on the same page here, brother.

[BuffaninATL]

15 minutes ago, Max Fischer said:

 

I can’t help you if you don’t watch the games. 

 

That and the magical 300 yards. 

 

Too many fans and pundits can’t seem to grasp the difference between “accuracy” and completion percentage. Allen has a dynamic vertical passing game. He has done this without a run game, with a poor offensive line and a poor to unknown receiver corps. 

 

I’m constantly amazed by fans and so-called experts who don’t see a QB who consistently makes plays, who could make every throw, who throws a beatiful ball, who has increasingly displayed touch, savvy and smart decisions — and has only played on nine games. If you’re not excited then there is hope for you. 

 

 

 

good take

[Perry Turtle]

2 hours ago, The Poojer said:

Completely irrelevant to the game, but Matt Barkley was in short sleeves and one of the biggest sideline cheerleaders today.  That impressed me quite a bit!

Hopefully they extend him and Buffalo's QB situation will be better than it has been in almost 25 years.

[Virgil]

Dear lord baby Jesus, please don’t let this turn into another Allen accuracy fight.  

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

1. Running game. McCoy this year: 3.3 y/c.  Ivory this year: 3.3.  Murphy today: 3.3.  Some guy named Ford today: 3.3.

All of which says to me: (a) our running game is just crap. (b) nobody on this current - Shady included - is capable of making something out of nothing.

Or the OL is crap that it cannot open holes for the Run game.

[Virgil]

Just now, ganesh said:

Or the OL is crap that it cannot open holes for the Run game.

 

Can’t it be both?   

 

I saw more arm tackles broken and guys escape piles today than I have all season.  I don’t think it’s just one or the other.  

[Formerly Allan in MD]

29 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Or the OL is crap that it cannot open holes for the Run game.

Bravo!

[keepthefaith]

5 hours ago, WhoTom said:

 

I'm not saying he's great, but I wouldn't give up on an early second round draft pick, who's only in his second year, and has shown signs of competence. Give him at least one more season to get it together.

 

 

 

 

 

He's improved but wouldn't be a 1 or 2 or 3 on a good team at this point in time IMO.  He'll get a good look in training camp next year with what will likely be a very different receiver group then. Hopefully he keeps his clothes on summer '19. 

Edited December 17, 2018 by keepthefaith

[Formerly Allan in MD]

"Houston, we have a problem."  On our initial drive, Allen was pushing the Bills down the field with short tosses and the backs were chewing up yardage.  The Lions showed no ability to slow the momentum.  So who on earth called the sudden deep throw that missed?  It basically killed the drive, as Detroit couldn't, and we got nada.

[Nihilarian]

5 hours ago, Virgil said:

1 - Rushing Attack - I'm sure I'll get proven wrong here by google, but it feels like we try to run the ball more without McCoy.  With him and Ivory out, we seemed to trust these young guys to run more and it paid off on many plays.  I saw more broken tackles and players burst out the pile than I have most of the season.  The rushing game wasn't dominant or a huge factor, but it existed and contributed to 2nd and 4/6 quite a bit in the beginning.  My question is, why?  When we are down to our 3rd and 4th RB, why are we featuring our rushing game more than when our top two guys are healthy?  Is it a testament to the decline of Shady?  I'm not sure.  But I know that we saw better production today in bursts and it's something I hope to see them replicate.

Today's game is how the team should have started playing from the beginning of the season in game one with running the ball from the start. Sadly, the team got behind in points in week one and two and the offense went pass happy with those mid to deep passes. This offense created it's own problems because the only QBs on the roster at that time were Peterman and Allen with the former starting. 

 

Week three against the Vikings the team got the lead and found the running game and the result was a win against a very good Minnesota team/defense 27-6 with all phases working well. 38 rushes for 128 rushes and 2 TDs...and guess what. No Shady McCoy. 

 

I have a few thoughts on today's offense in running from the start. First, McD might have had huge input in this as he should have from the start of the season once he saw the OC going pass happy with two very inexperienced QBs. Running the ball with any kind of success makes the opposing defense think stop the run first, which generally opens up the pass game and allows the offense to get into a rhythm of moving the chains. 

 

Second, it might be that Daboll has started learning on the job and came to the realization that running to set up the pass is the smart way to get the offense going rather then come out throwing with a rookie QB. 

 

Lastly, does this OC have something against McCoy for not utilizing him more in the run/pass game from the start of the season and for that matter when you look at his 72.5 catch  percentage over someone like Kelvin Benjamin's 37.1 catch percentage it really does make you wonder why McCoy wasn't used more as a wideout during the season. Zay Jones leads the team in targets with 78 targets, 44 receptions a 56.4 catch percentage. KB was second on the team in targets with 62 targets, 23 receptions. 

 

That said,

6 hours ago, Virgil said:

6 - Daboll play calling - Like our pass rush this week vs last week, I found myself frustrated with our offensive play calling this week. 

I've been frustrated with Daboll all season with his lack of run game when the team gets behind in points and his pass happy ways with a rookie QB playing behind a bad line. Those mid to deep passing plays usually require more time in the pocket then the line would allow and it's even worse with inexperienced QBs that have difficulty reading a defense and setting up/calling out protections.

 

Why keep throwing to the guys who can't catch shite? I question his whole offensive scheme to keep attempting to get that mid to deep pass game going to players who don't catch very well. Why not throw more underneath passes to the players who will actually catch more balls and will help move the chains. 

 

Bottom line: with a better run game from the RBs all season and the defense is even better because they are not on the field so much. The better the run game the easier it makes it for the QBs as it takes pressure off them to carry the offense. 

 

Daboll has been so intent on building a power passing offense with rookies, new QBs (Anderson) that he shot himself in the foot game after game. This year's team is 5-9 and it could have been 9-5 or better. All those blowout games to the Ravens, Packers, Colts, Patriots, Bears wouldn't have been blowouts had this team had a better run game in those games. 

 

On a side note, I know Bills fans don't think much of QB Derek Anderson but he has had a huge impact on Josh Allen and from what I've heard a lot of his improvement since his injury is more from Anderson then anything else.

[WideNine]

6 hours ago, WhoTom said:

 

I agree about keeping Foster and releasing most of the other WRs, but although Zay Jones has been inconsistent, he's demonstrated enough to get another year. It's too early to give up on him.

 

I would keep McKenzie over Zay...providing he's ok. Any word on his injury?

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

 

Can’t it be both?   

 

I saw more arm tackles broken and guys escape piles today than I have all season.  I don’t think it’s just one or the other.  

 

Less dancing around behind an o-line that cannot sustain blocks for too long. Ford and the smurf both would plant their foot and accelerate as soon as there was a seam and take what they could get.

[iinii]

3 hours ago, Max Fischer said:

 

I can’t help you if you don’t watch the games.  

 

 

So that means you have seen every drop by every receiver and know that the Bills have dropped the most?

The link I posted doesn’t have one Bills player in the top 30.

[Chandler#81]

4 hours ago, Max Fischer said:

 

I can’t help you if you don’t watch the games. 

 

That and the magical 300 yards. 

 

Too many fans and pundits can’t seem to grasp the difference between “accuracy” and completion percentage. Allen has a dynamic vertical passing game. He has done this without a run game, with a poor offensive line and a poor to unknown receiver corps. 

 

I’m constantly amazed by fans and so-called experts who don’t see a QB who consistently makes plays, who could make every throw, who throws a beatiful ball, who has increasingly displayed touch, savvy and smart decisions — and has only played on nine games. If you’re not excited then there is no hope for you. 

 

 

Yes. Especially note the winning, 4th Quarter TD pass! Excellent route scheme (a pick play 25 yards downfield?), pocket poise and a looping, arching pass leading the WR away from coverage where only he was going to catch it. Stark contrast from the howitzers for 10 yards. The kid is learning and improving every game.

[Max Fischer]

3 hours ago, iinii said:

So that means you have seen every drop by every receiver and know that the Bills have dropped the most?

The link I posted doesn’t have one Bills player in the top 30.

 

You don’t seem to understand football.