Question: What do you think is the biggest factor in offensive improvement?

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

I know it's still very early in the season...obviously the Bills offense so far is much better this year than it was last year. 

 

I've been thinking about several factors, and I'm curious to see what others think, as to what has been the biggest factor. Here are my thoughts:

 

* Josh Allen in his 2nd season.

Most people say that QBs see a big or biggest "jump" in year 2. Even though Allen didn't play in 16 games last year, he entered year 2 as the entrenched starter. He also had an opportunity (due to injury) to take a step back and learn from the sidelines last year, after making a few starts, to study and learn from a couple of veteran QBs. Early in his career (including 2018 preseason), the game was a bit too fast for him, evidenced by his hesitation to throw on some plays. The TD pass to Croom in preseason week 1, and the Benjamin TD pass against the Chargers in week 2 of the regular season come to mind (he cocked his arm once before letting the ball go on each play), but that was expected. 

 

Again, it's still early, and I'm sure he trusted his arm strength maybe a little too much, but there's been an obvious progression for Josh as far as the speed of the game goes. Film study, familiarity with scheme, and settling in and getting comfortable and confident probably has a lot to do with that. He's also improved in key areas that were perceived as weaknesses, particularly with his footwork. His hard work in the offseason is paying off.

 

* Added talent.

 

A. The WR group.

Clearly, John Brown and Cole Beasley have been good additions to this offense. This has bumped guys like Jones, McKenzie, and Foster down the depth chart. By adding them, perhaps the playbook has grown a bit from last year, having WRs that offer more than last year's squad. Adding McKenzie last year opened up some things in the playbook, but we're seeing some things in the passing game this year that weren't shown last season. 

 

B. The offensive line.

With 4 new starters on the offensive line, including 1 rookie (who has been splitting playing time with another new lineman; not sure which one is considered the starter), I was expecting some serious growing pains along the line for the first several weeks of the season. Aside from an occasional missed block on the edge, the offensive line has been a strength for the Bills.

 

Paying big bucks for Morse looks like a great move, as he has been instrumental in the group's success so far. His instincts and pre-snap recognition have been extremely helpful for a 2nd year QB that struggled to recognize and adjust to pre-snap blitz looks at times last year (although mostly early in the year). Pass protection is better this year, and that starts with the center. Oh, and the guy can move. Having an "athletic" center has helped open up the playbook in the run game. The Bills have been pulling linemen quite a bit so far, and without Morse, I don't think that would be the case. Feliciano and Spain are adequate enough when pulling (Spain is a mammoth), and the 4 linemen (5 technically, Nsekhe/Ford) on both sides of Morse are strong enough to utilize pin and pull in either direction.

 

C. Tight Ends.

The Bills TEs have been playing at a high level in both the passing game and in the run game with key blocks. Lee Smith was a nice addition, known for his blocking but can catch, but how about the rookies Knox and Sweeney? They have been a pleasant surprise.

 

There's more I could dive into, and for some reason, my post was created before finishing without hitting the post button, so I'll edit quickly (sorry if you're reading the premature post before editing)...

 

IMO, the biggest factor is the offensive line, especially Mitch Morse. Without the improved play of the line, the other factors I mentioned may not look quite as good. The Bills threw the ball 18 times in a row to start the season and were effective moving the ball until turnovers thwarted drives. If the line wasn't as improved, life would be much more difficult for Allen. Having a respectable rushing attack also helps Allen and the passing attack to be more effective.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Drunken Pygmy Goat

[DuckyBoys]

Little bit of all three  Josh playing more situational smarter football because he's not under duress on every snap.  New skill guys get open so he isn't holding the ball or has a place to go quicker.  O line looking better and Josh getting the ball out quicker makes them look better  Team game, need improvement in many places 

[oldmanfan]

The O line.  Bringing in so many FAs when so many other teams are struggling up front was an excellent move by Beane.

[CEN-CAL17]

To be honest... I haven’t really been overly impressed yet.

 

I do see potential, but nothing has come together yet. Off and on in the first game, plus turnovers. A couple Josh got lucky were called back. 2nd game for a long stretch couldn’t do anything. Josh received a lot of pressure even on 3 step drops. 

 

Im optimistic but I haven’t really seen a offensive game yet where I feel like this team has got something special.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I’m legitimately impressed the line was played as well as it has. Morse is the only legit NFL star. The rest are average players and journeymen. I don’t think the line has been great but it has been solidly above average.

The fact the OP thinks the TE play has been at a high level just goes to show how low the bar is set for TEs in Buffalo. They are rookies and have shown some ability which offers some hope.

Allen is playing at a much higher level. Decision making and accuracy are significantly improved. I just want to see a few more games against better defenses.

 

But to answer the question, I think it is the WR group. Kudos to Beane for the signing of Brown and Beasley. These two are the most significant upgrades over the players from last year especially comparing the group before Foster emerged.

[Apocalypse Nuts]

Receivers getting open consistently and JA keeping his eyes downfield a lot more than last season whether the protection is there or not.  You can sense he's making every effort to not take off and run on passing plays.  When the pocket breaks down quickly and he doesn't take a sack, that roll-out to his right and throwing across his body is deadly.  With Brown and Beasely there, he'll have better chances of having a receiver find a spot to get open.  All phases of the offense look really good (pass protection needs consistency) in spurts but like has already been said they've yet to put together a full game yet (it's early I know) and they get bogged down for long stretches at a time.  When they can put it all together for an entire game, or long enough to destroy another team, I'll be more optimistic.

 

John Brown and Beasely have had a better impact this early on that I thought they would.  Brown especially.  I heard the talk about his great speed being just a part of what he does well- full route tree and all - but he really is all over the field doing all kinds of things.  So interesting how quickly he and JA have developed a chemistry even though they hardly connected in the preseason.  Almost like the coaches knew they'd synced up already and didn't want to tip their hand.  I love that John Brown signing.  He's impressed me with a lot more than speed.  If I had to pick one that's had the most impact, it's tough but I'm going with Brown.  He's bailing out JA so much keeping drives going in addition to being the over-the-top threat that's opening up stuff for the other fellas..  After a little rough of a start, Beasely's doing great also but we knew he would bring that.  I was not expecting brown to have 7 catches a game.  Hope they keep that up.

[DuckyBoys]

24 minutes ago, 1ZAYDAY1 said:

To be honest... I haven’t really been overly impressed yet.

 

I do see potential, but nothing has come together yet. Off and on in the first game, plus turnovers. A couple Josh got lucky were called back. 2nd game for a long stretch couldn’t do anything. Josh received a lot of pressure even on 3 step drops. 

 

Im optimistic but I haven’t really seen a offensive game yet where I feel like this team has got something special.

5 td drives of over 70 yards in 2 games?  Cmon we didnt see that through most of last season

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

25 minutes ago, 1ZAYDAY1 said:

To be honest... I haven’t really been overly impressed yet.

 

I do see potential, but nothing has come together yet. Off and on in the first game, plus turnovers. A couple Josh got lucky were called back. 2nd game for a long stretch couldn’t do anything. Josh received a lot of pressure even on 3 step drops. 

 

Im optimistic but I haven’t really seen a offensive game yet where I feel like this team has got something special.

 

Ok, but have you not noticed improvement over last season?

 

Granted, it's hard not to look better on offense when compared to last season, but I'm at least encouraged with what I've seen. 

 

The Bills have shot themselves in the foot at times. Unfortunate and untimely turnovers in week 1, and that "long stretch" where they "couldn't do anything" consisted of drops and penalties. But for the most part, they've been efficient, and in control of games. And with a good defense, that is all you need. 

[nedboy7]

While they are all significant, if I had to pick one, it would the improvement from Allen. 

[US Egg]

Should wait to access any offense improvements for at least a few more games.

 

That would be a more realistic time frame to appropriately gauge where the offense is at.

[Dkollidas]

I’d add scheme/playcalling.

 

i think Daboll has done a good job of playing to Allen’s strengths. A lot of shotgun, lots of spread, giving Allen clear lines of sight to where his guys are on the field.

 

The scheme itself reminds me a lot of what New England does.

 

but overall I’d say it’s a combination of everything.

And as one poster said, I haven’t been “overly impressed”. Rather it’s been “encouraging”. I want to see if they continue to gel and continue to limit turnovers. That’s the biggest key. 

[GoBills808]

Third down conversion rate. Right at middle of the pack through 2 games (14th in the league) converting third downs at 43.5%. Last season the Bills offense was 30th converting 31.6% of third downs. 

[Augie]

All of the above. 

 

To varying degrees, at different times. 

[CEN-CAL17]

19 minutes ago, Drunken Pygmy Goat said:

 

Ok, but have you not noticed improvement over last season?

 

Granted, it's hard not to look better on offense when compared to last season, but I'm at least encouraged with what I've seen. 

 

The Bills have shot themselves in the foot at times. Unfortunate and untimely turnovers in week 1, and that "long stretch" where they "couldn't do anything" consisted of drops and penalties. But for the most part, they've been efficient, and in control of games. And with a good defense, that is all you need. 

Offense is definitely improved for sure. 

 

But it I just haven’t been wow’d yet overall. Yes we are 2-0... Cincy is 0-2, this will be a tough game.

 

I do see this offense getting better, The game will continue to slowdown for Josh. It’s consistency we need with more of a killer instinct beat them down mentality.

 

To be fair like 80% of the offense is new... I hope to see by game 5-6 the things I mentioned are more prevalent.

[ganesh]

57 minutes ago, DuckyBoys said:

5 td drives of over 70 yards in 2 games?  Cmon we didnt see that through most of last season

and 5-for-5 in the Red zone.

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

37 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

Should wait to access any offense improvements for at least a few more games.

 

That would be a more realistic time frame to appropriately gauge where the offense is at.

 

Yeah, I get that it's early. But I think the arrow is pointing in the right direction, and even though injuries will come in to play, I don't think the offense has plateaued. All we can go off of is what we've seen so far, and compared to last year, it's refreshing.

 

Also, I think Daboll has other tricks up his sleeve that he's saving, some of which, we'll see next Sunday. Our offense in many ways resembles what the **Pats have done over the years, and one thing I expect to see in that regard is evolution on offense. 

[MJS]

I'd like to say offensive line, but I have to go with the additions of Brown and Beasley. They get separation and Allen always has somewhere to throw. That's been a huge difference.

 

Obviously the offensive line is dramatically improved, and that just helps everything on offense.

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

30 minutes ago, 1ZAYDAY1 said:

Offense is definitely improved for sure. 

 

But it I just haven’t been wow’d yet overall. Yes we are 2-0... Cincy is 0-2, this will be a tough game.

 

I do see this offense getting better, The game will continue to slowdown for Josh. It’s consistency we need with more of a killer instinct beat them down mentality.

 

To be fair like 80% of the offense is new... I hope to see by game 5-6 the things I mentioned are more prevalent.

 

I'm not necessarily focused on the record, although I understand that being 2-0 certainly leads to more rosey overtones in posts. 

 

The Bills are far from the **Pats and Chiefs. The talent on the Bills is better, but not at their level. I think it's safe to say that, under McDermott, he gets the most out of his players and they may overachieve. When compared to those teams, the Bills really don't have much "star power" on the roster. 

 

I think as the Bills offense progresses, Allen specifically, we'll see a bit more of a killer instinct. Maybe that happens this year, maybe more noticeable next year. McDermott is a defensive coach after all, and the defense is the strength of this team, so it makes sense to lean on that strength until we see enough improvement on offense to warrant a significant shift in approach.

 

We all want to see maximum results, and see them now. I do think that some of the overall progression of this franchise has been somewhat intentionally slow-played a bit, but it makes sense IMO. Soon, we'll lose key guys on defense to free agency and retirement, making that side of the ball less of a strength. Key players like Hyde, Poyer, Hughes, Zo may not be around too much longer, and it's not safe to assume that those wholes will be adequately filled immediately. The idea seems to be that, when that happens, Allen and the offense will have progressed enough to compensate for that, and will be able to overcome those losses. Then we'll see a shift in approach and overall philosophy. That's how a good HC/GM operates and builds for the long haul. And the good news is that even though McDermott is a defensive minded coach, he has enough sense to give his OC enough leeway to run the offense the way he sees fit. Many people have been calling out McDermott for being too conservative against the Giants with a 2 TD lead late in the 2nd, but all it takes is one play, one mistake on offense, to give the Giants the ball back with an opportunity to make it a closer game. And in the 3rd, the Bills weren't quite as conservative as people are saying IMO. Their problem was execution. There were plays to be made that weren't (Knox drop) that would have changed things, and penalties that kind of limited the ability to be aggressive on those drives, or wiped out gains. But again, with a strong defense, defensive minded coach, and a 14 point lead, the clock becomes an opponent as well. Until the offense takes another step or two, we should expect a similar approach in games, based on the opponent.

 

In 5-6 weeks, we'll know a lot more, but the real test will come over the last 5-6 weeks of the season. 

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

41 minutes ago, MJS said:

I'd like to say offensive line, but I have to go with the additions of Brown and Beasley. They get separation and Allen always has somewhere to throw. That's been a huge difference.

 

Obviously the offensive line is dramatically improved, and that just helps everything on offense.

 

That's why I think the line has been most important. If the line wasnt playing as well as it has, guys like Brown and Beasley getting open wouldn't matter quite as much, because Allen wouldn't have as much time to hit them as often. While the offense isn't exactly a well oiled machine firing on all cylinders, it would look less potent than it has without good blocking. And that has led to an improved rushing attack, which only helps the passing attack. 

 

The good thing is that talent has been added to all three areas at once: O-line, WRs/TEs, and RB. If one of those areas wasn't addressed, we would see a less potent version of the offense we've seen so far. Not only that, but having improved talent in those 3 areas should only help to speed up the progression of Allen. 

[fansince88]

They have improved mostly due to better players. We had a shotty OL at best last year and 4 #5 wrs our TE room couldnt play most of the games either. Even better then the improvement from last year to this year is the improved play week 1 to week 2. I will be even more encouraged if we see the same into week 3. LETS GO BUFFALO