THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - An Emotional Loss

[CSBill]

Well done Shaw. Thanks. I pretty much agree with everything you say.

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Another excellent accurate synopsis Shaw....I was done with Zay during camp and was convinced Duke would make the team and Jones would be cut. It's like McB are giving him more time and chances solely on his draft spot. If I'm Josh or Matt I would never waste a target on him again. 

You mentioned being angry. As a crazed fan for 50 years this was a huge game. I can understand why so many were happy & optimistic. As far as Josh goes Ive said he's going to take much longer than some of these other young qbs to develop.  What pissed me off about  yesterday was his inability to learn from previous mistakes.  Whether its ints or scrambling he's gotta use his Brain! He's just playing dumb. He might be able to throw a ball out of New Era but if he doesn't become more cerebral  his fate will be that of EJ.

As far as the officiating I mentioned in many threads before the game I thought the league might be ready to move on from the incessant NE narrative.  That we might get a few calls that we would never get in years past. Boy was I wrong. The officiating was disgraceful right on schedule. I won't even mention the several calls. 

Finally this might just be the BEST DEFENSE IN BILLS HISTORY.  No time to panic, on to Tennessee.....

I think Allen just choked.   That is, he started out playing tentatively, nervous, whatever, got lousy results, then felt the pressure more, than pressed to make up for things that went wrong.  He lost focus.   He has very specific things he's supposed to do on each play, and I think he lost focus on those things, because of the pressure and because he felt he needed to make plays.  

 

McDermott knows he has to get him refocused and on track.    I agree with others that it wouldn't be the worst thing for him to sit against the Titans and then have the bye week to get back to his more under-control self.  

[Xwnyer]

I think we only gave up 6 on blocked punt they missed the PAT.   People are forgetting we kept Brady to 10freaking points when you,do that you MUST win the game.

[Jrb1979]

3 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I think Allen just choked.   That is, he started out playing tentatively, nervous, whatever, got lousy results, then felt the pressure more, than pressed to make up for things that went wrong.  He lost focus.   He has very specific things he's supposed to do on each play, and I think he lost focus on those things, because of the pressure and because he felt he needed to make plays.  

 

McDermott knows he has to get him refocused and on track.    I agree with others that it wouldn't be the worst thing for him to sit against the Titans and then have the bye week to get back to his more under-control self.  

While he did choke, I don't think he lost focus. He played like he always plays. He will always want to play hero ball. Its just who he is. He will make plays but also will have the INTs to go with it. Where has his deep ball accuracy gone? So far this season its been pretty bad. I expect growing pains but to still have these moments of bad decisions should start to be less and less. So far this year he is making a few every game. 

[Shaw66]

4 minutes ago, Xwnyer said:

I think we only gave up 6 on blocked punt they missed the PAT.   People are forgetting we kept Brady to 10freaking points when you,do that you MUST win the game.

I'm not sure what that means.   It sounds nice to say and all, but it ignores reality.   The Patriots defense has been lights out.   They're coached by perhaps the greatest defensive schemer of all time.  You have a second-year QB.  The Patriots did the exact same thing to the Rams in the Super Bowl.   

 

So, yes, I agree, if you want to have a very good team, you need to win games where your hold the opponent under 20.   I get that.  There's no shame in a rookie QB getting schooled by Belichick and putting up only 10.

[KCNC]

Great write up!

[Locomark]

Excellent as always Shaw. This game was at times fun, at times exacerbating, but at all times exactly what we have grown to expect from the Bills.

[Heathcliff]

Shaw I look forward to your insightful analysis after each game. Thank you for your level headed contributions.

Coach called out Zay pretty hard in his presser and Zay better hear it loud and clear. I would not be surprised to see him not starting next game.  His blocking seems to be the only positive he brings anymore. 

[Xwnyer]

9 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I'm not sure what that means.   It sounds nice to say and all, but it ignores reality.   The Patriots defense has been lights out.   They're coached by perhaps the greatest defensive schemer of all time.  You have a second-year QB.  The Patriots did the exact same thing to the Rams in the Super Bowl.   

 

So, yes, I agree, if you want to have a very good team, you need to win games where your hold the opponent under 20.   I get that.  There's no shame in a rookie QB getting schooled by Belichick and putting up only 10.

I,have been reading a lot of gloom and doom, my point was we held them to points on offense.  Yes they have a HOF coach whose defense confused  Jim Kelly and every QB that has faced him.  Just eliminate that damn blocked punt and we kick a FG in fourth and win 13-10.  I was disappointed with Allen chucking the ball into such heavy coverage versus just grounding it like Brady did.  However had Allen grounded it like Brady the flags would have flown.   Our D showed it is darn good we just need to offense to not make the major mistakes it is making.   I want us to attack defenses like we did with first drive in second half

[stuvian]

we now know we belong on the same field as NE. 

[SoCal Deek]

Shaw, lost in all of the game day discussion was the absence of Antonio Brown. The Patriots pass offense looked horrible and the normally reliable Tommy Boy was a mess. Twice he tried a spin-o-Rama quick crossing route and wildly miss the receiver. Both should have been picked and returned for six. Are we watching the end of our long nightmare?

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, SoCal Deek said:

Shaw, lost in all of the game day discussion was the absence of Antonio Brown. The Patriots pass offense looked horrible and the normally reliable Tommy Boy was a mess. Twice he tried a spin-o-Rama quick crossing route and wildly miss the receiver. Both should have been picked and returned for six. Are we watching the end of our long nightmare?

You know, I had a similar thought.   Interviews and watching him gave the feeling that he's getting weary.   He seems a little tired, and perhaps a little less sharp.   I've also been thinking that he's going to get hurt.   He'll get hit one of these days and do his knee or his ankle or break a leg and injure his shoulder, something.   Any of those things - injury or just being tired - I think is likely to cause him to hang it up after this year.   It's a serious grind for these players, and it's tougher to do in your 40s.   His wife is going to be asking him if he really needs to keep doing this.  

[Figster]

15 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I'm not sure what that means.   It sounds nice to say and all, but it ignores reality.   The Patriots defense has been lights out.   They're coached by perhaps the greatest defensive schemer of all time.  You have a second-year QB.  The Patriots did the exact same thing to the Rams in the Super Bowl.   

 

So, yes, I agree, if you want to have a very good team, you need to win games where your hold the opponent under 20.   I get that.  There's no shame in a rookie QB getting schooled by Belichick and putting up only 10.

I agree, no shame in getting schooled by B B. Josh Allen gave his body up for the team trying to make up for his mistakes. Paid dearly.

 

 The game will haunt Allen which is fine by me.

 

It should...  

[Shaw66]

4 hours ago, Figster said:

I agree, no shame in getting schooled by B B. Josh Allen gave his body up for the team trying to make up for his mistakes. Paid dearly.

 

 The game will haunt Allen which is fine by me.

 

It should...  

It's possible that we will look back at that game and say that was the point at which his career stopped advancing - that he forever after played tentative, didn't make throws, didn't learn.   It really is possible.   In that sense, the day might haunt him.

 

It's also possible, more likely, that the memory of that game will burn within him, always pissing him off and driving him to get better.   That's probably the sense that you meant. 

 

 

[Figster]

6 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

YyIt's possible that we will look back at that game and say that was the point at which his career stopped advancing - that he forever after played tentative, didn't make throws, didn't learn.   It really is possible.   In that sense, the day might haunt him.

 

It's also possible, more likely, that the memory of that game will burn within him, always pissing him off and driving him to get better.   That's probably the sense that you meant. 

 

 

I don't think anything scares J A more then letting the team down IMO.

 

If that answers your question... 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Figster

[Shaw66]

19 minutes ago, Figster said:

I don't think anything scares J A more then letting the team down IMO.

 

If that answers your question... 

I think you're probably right about that. 

 

I continue to think he will be a star in a few years.

[Figster]

22 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I think you're probably right about that. 

 

I continue to think he will be a star in a few years.

Or sooner 

 

The way Allen tried to shake off the KO reminded me a little of Kelly.  Kids as fearless as they come.

 

I'm not sure If thats a good thing, or bad thing.

 

Worked out well with J K.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Figster

[Shaw66]

10 hours ago, Figster said:

Or sooner 

 

The way Allen tried to shake off the KO reminded me a little of Kelly.  Kids as fearless as they come.

 

I'm not sure If thats a good thing, or bad thing.

 

Worked out well with J K.

Kelly was so tough.   It was said that if he hadn't been a QB he would have been a linebacker. 

 

I remember one game where he was knocked unconscious and came back after a timeout to throw a TD pass.   It would be great if Allen had that in him.   

[Logic]

Thanks for the writeup.

The only thing I'll say is that that was a WEIRD Bills-Patriots game. How many times during the past 20 years against the Pats could the Bills have a blocked punt TD against them, throw three interceptions, and NOT got blown out? How many times have we left the Bills-Pats game feeling like the Bills were the better team, that they SHOULD have won the game, but for a few silly mistakes?

It was weird looking, I tell ya. Like one Bills analyst said after the game: The gap between these two teams hasn't only closed, it's non-existent. The Bills appear to be as good as the Patriots across the board. The one glaring exception, of course, is at quarterback, and that was the difference in the game. Like you said, this will either be the game that forever ruins Josh Allen (like the Cardinals game did to Trent Edwards), or it'll be just another speedbump on the road to a great career. I would be lying if I said that I'm not at least a LITTLE nervous that it's going to be the former rather than the latter.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Logic

[Figster]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Kelly was so tough.   It was said that if he hadn't been a QB he would have been a linebacker. 

 

I remember one game where he was knocked unconscious and came back after a timeout to throw a TD pass.   It would be great if Allen had that in him.   

It would not surprise me If J A was practically begging to go back in and finish the game. Body language said it all. Back in the days of J K Allen would have finished the game. In all liklihood won on a last minute drive. A star would be born.

 

The football gods chose a different path because they are not looking for a one man army. Been there, done that, and as entertaining as Cam Newton was in his prime he never reached full potential. Football is a team sport said one football god to another. To become a Champion you must stand united.  

 

So lets make Josh Allen One Buffalo strong... 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Figster