THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Titans Meet the New Bills

[Logic]

Shaw - 

The only thing I'll quibble with is your notion that the Bills don't have good deep threat WRs.

John Brown absolutely IS a great deep threat receiver. Robert Foster was one last year, too. Now, maybe Foster's injured or in the coach's doghouse for some reason, but I find it hard to believe that he suddenly forgot how to be a deep threat.

With Brown and Foster as WRs and Allen at QB, it's a little strange to see the Bills be SO conservative and SO dink-and-dunk on offense. What I think is happening, moreso than the Bills just CHOOSING to go that route, is that defenses are taking away the deep ball week after week, knowing that the best way to beat the Bills offense at this point in time is to FORCE Allen to dink and dunk his way down the field, figuring he'll make a mistake sooner or later. I think the reason the coaches drilled into Josh's head time and time again this offseason the importance of the short game and taking what the defense gives you is that they KNEW this is how defenses would defend Allen this year, and they wanted him to have a counter punch via the short game. My hope, then, is that Allen learns and evolves to be so effective in the short game that defenses HAVE TO start defending it more honestly, thus opening up the deep balls once again. To have a quarterback with Josh Allen's physical gifts and two receivers with the speed of Brown and Foster and to NOT have a lethal deep passing game is, in my mind, a waste. My hope is that, as time goes on, we see the return of the deep game. Toxic differential is a huge factor in the outcome of football games, and one of the ways to make sure to win toxic differential each week is to connect on some big plays in the passing game.

Time will tell. In the meantime, as long as they keep winning, any way they are able to do it is just fine with me.

[US Egg]

"Titans Meet the New Bills"

 

So we won't get fooled again ?

Edited October 7, 2019 by I am the egg man

[Shaw66]

7 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

"Titans Meet the New Bills"

 

So we won't be fooled again ?

Who won't?

[US Egg]

13 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

"Titans Meet the New Bills"

 

So we won't get fooled again ?

Does the edit help ?

 

Who's Next ?

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

Shaw - 

The only thing I'll quibble with is your notion that the Bills don't have good deep threat WRs.

John Brown absolutely IS a great deep threat receiver. Robert Foster was one last year, too. Now, maybe Foster's injured or in the coach's doghouse for some reason, but I find it hard to believe that he suddenly forgot how to be a deep threat.

With Brown and Foster as WRs and Allen at QB, it's a little strange to see the Bills be SO conservative and SO dink-and-dunk on offense. What I think is happening, moreso than the Bills just CHOOSING to go that route, is that defenses are taking away the deep ball week after week, knowing that the best way to beat the Bills offense at this point in time is to FORCE Allen to dink and dunk his way down the field, figuring he'll make a mistake sooner or later. I think the reason the coaches drilled into Josh's head time and time again this offseason the importance of the short game and taking what the defense gives you is that they KNEW this is how defenses would defend Allen this year, and they wanted him to have a counter punch via the short game. My hope, then, is that Allen learns and evolves to be so effective in the short game that defenses HAVE TO start defending it more honestly, thus opening up the deep balls once again. To have a quarterback with Josh Allen's physical gifts and two receivers with the speed of Brown and Foster and to NOT have a lethal deep passing game is, in my mind, a waste. My hope is that, as time goes on, we see the return of the deep game. Toxic differential is a huge factor in the outcome of football games, and one of the ways to make sure to win toxic differential each week is to connect on some big plays in the passing game.

Time will tell. In the meantime, as long as they keep winning, any way they are able to do it is just fine with me.

I think your take on this is backward, although we agree about what we expect over time - a passing game that attacks the entire field.

 

Where we disagree is on what the Bills are trying to do.   It isn't that they want to go deep and teams are taking it away, forcing the Bills to go short.   The Bills WANT to go short.   They said it all during the off season, that they had to get Allen focused on the short passing game.   That wasn't because teams were taking away the deep ball; the Bills had a lot of success throwing deep in the second half of the season.

 

Instead, I think it's a point of view that the Bills have, that they haven't said, but I'm pretty sure it's what they think.   It's borrowed in some way from the Pats and other successful offenses.   The point of view is that they want every play to be a positive play, and if it can't be positive, at least not negative.   But first and foremost, if at all possible, make it positive.   So throwing the ball 20 yards downfield, let alone 40, is not a preferred play for the Bills, because the completion percentage on deeper balls is 50% or less, and because you can get those balls intercepted more easily.  50% means half the plays are not positive, and that's not what they want.  They want every play to be positive.   So throw five and eight yard passes, because you can complete 80% of those, and because they're less likely to be intercepted.   Eventually, when you get very good at that game, the defenses start packing it in because you're killing them with nickels and dimes.  When they back it in, the percentage on the 20 to 40 yard passes goes way up, because you get more one on ones, more favorable matchups, less blitzing (because the blitzes don't get home on the short passing game and the lbs are more useful trying to clog the passing lanes) etc.   

 

The difference in our view is that I don't think the Bills have been forced into the short game.  They believe as a matter of football philosophy that you have to be good at the short passing game to make the rest of the passing game work well.  

 

Allen has all the tools.  He has to learn more about the defenses, and he has to develop a little better judgment.   Once that happens, and it's happening week by week, the whole field will be available to him, and he will be one of the great ones.   It's coming.  It's fun to watch it coming. 

2 hours ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

I thought it was explained pretty well above. It was a close game, Tennessee has a very good defense and it was difficult to move the ball for large chunks of yardage, the Bills game plan was a short passing game and had NOT taken any downfield shots at all, Allen has had turnover issues in every game this year and was coming off a 4 turnover performance - pretty much on plays he was trying to go downfield, they were getting the ball first in the 2nd half, and they had just dodged a score and an emotional lift on the part of the Titans - and their defense was playing lights out.

 

IMO, it was not the time to try to take shots down the field.

Right.

 

The most important point is Allen.   He's still a bit of loose cannon, and a turnover in that situation could have been devastating.   It's true, 45 seconds and three time outs, other teams go for it.   But most teams don't go for it.  You know which teams go for it.   The ones that have Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Rivers, Mahomes.   Sure, I want my team's QB to be on that list, but so far in his career he hasn't been good enough to allow his coaches to trust him.  The time is coming, but it isn't here yet.  

 

[Beast]

2 hours ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

I thought it was explained pretty well above. It was a close game, Tennessee has a very good defense and it was difficult to move the ball for large chunks of yardage, the Bills game plan was a short passing game and had NOT taken any downfield shots at all, Allen has had turnover issues in every game this year and was coming off a 4 turnover performance - pretty much on plays he was trying to go downfield, they were getting the ball first in the 2nd half, and they had just dodged a score and an emotional lift on the part of the Titans - and their defense was playing lights out.

 

IMO, it was not the time to try to take shots down the field.

 

What would it have hurt to send a WR or two deep down the field and attempt to make a play or get a PI call?

 

With how good the Bills defense is I think it is ridiculous not to get more aggressive in those situations. 

[LABILLBACKER]

16 hours ago, Another Fan said:

Process-Itis!

 

Love that phrase.  I’ve been infected with it in all aspects of my life 

Wait till you get the Procectomy....that comes next year!

[Shaw66]

10 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Wait till you get the Procectomy....that comes next year!

As in next season, when the Bills are 4 and 11, McD is about to get fired, and I'll be asking where I can get a procectomy!   

[GoBills808]

Pass protection was phenomenal. Probably already been said but it bears repeating, especially with the injuries in-game to oline- pass pro was outstanding to my eyes.

[Shaw66]

33 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Pass protection was phenomenal. Probably already been said but it bears repeating, especially with the injuries in-game to oline- pass pro was outstanding to my eyes.

That's a good point.   I remember it was thinking that in one game the pass protection was a lot better than previous weeks, and the Bills' pass rush on D also was better.  

[billsfan1959]

1 hour ago, Binghamton Beast said:

 

What would it have hurt to send a WR or two deep down the field and attempt to make a play or get a PI call?

 

With how good the Bills defense is I think it is ridiculous not to get more aggressive in those situations. 

Oh, I don't know, say a sack and a fumble, or an interception return, that resulted in points for Tennessee. Either one of those could have hurt - and this board would have been in a complete meltdown if Allen turned it over and it resulted in any kind of points.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I typically am one that believes in being aggressive in those situations, and I wouldn't have been upset if they had tried to take some shots downfield. However, everything I know about that particular situation, as I detailed in a previous post, makes me feel they made the right decision. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

18 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Frankly, if they’d made those four field goals, the Bills probably would have gotten another touchdown, simply because the new Bills always seem to get what they need. 

^^^^My fav line in your excellent write-up, and couldn't agree more. To some, it's an annoying habit that they don't get more "piling on" points in these games--but as we all know, none of that matters if you know what it will take to win each week, and execute on that knowledge successfully (I have little doubt as the O continues to catch up to the D's performance levels, excess points will come regardless). 

 

The Rolling Stones may have said it best...

 

 

[dollars 2 donuts]

37 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

^^^^My fav line in your excellent write-up, and couldn't agree more. To some, it's an annoying habit that they don't get more "piling on" points in these games--but as we all know, none of that matters if you know what it will take to win each week, and execute on that knowledge successfully (I have little doubt as the O continues to catch up to the D's performance levels, excess points will come regardless). 

 

The Rolling Stones may have said it best...

 

 

 

 

Amen to both you and show HUDS.  I have gotten more comfortable with the "just win baby" sort of thing that is going on, but it is a little annoying.  I think we will handily beat Miami, buteven that game I think isn't going to be like the finale, but more like the giants 28-14 win....never in doubt, but never cruising.

[Shaw66]

5 hours ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

Amen to both you and show HUDS.  I have gotten more comfortable with the "just win baby" sort of thing that is going on, but it is a little annoying.  I think we will handily beat Miami, buteven that game I think isn't going to be like the finale, but more like the giants 28-14 win....never in doubt, but never cruising.

There will be more offense next year. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

5 hours ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

Amen to both you and show HUDS.  I have gotten more comfortable with the "just win baby" sort of thing that is going on, but it is a little annoying.  I think we will handily beat Miami, buteven that game I think isn't going to be like the finale, but more like the giants 28-14 win....never in doubt, but never cruising.

I totally get that D2D—these cardiac kids are still finding their rhythm but when they put it all together watch out! 30+ point weeks are just around the corner 

[HappyDays]

On 10/6/2019 at 9:44 PM, Shaw66 said:

Well, I did get excited once in the Titans game: when Duke Williams scored.  I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for a good story, and Duke’s is a good story.  Here’s a guy with a lot of talent whose life was, at least by all reports, headed in the wrong direction.  His football career was in the tank.  Then he decided to get himself back on track and to work his way onto an NFL roster.   Saturday, he was added to the Bills’ roster, and Sunday he caught his first NFL pass, then his first NFL TD pass. 

 

Duke’s excitement with the TD was clear.   His teammates shared his excitement after the catch, because they knew what it meant to him.  Josh Allen shared it, too, when he took a knee to end the game, then flipped the game ball to Duke.   

 

This is something I love about Bills fans. When Duke scored that TD the whole stadium erupted with Bills fans cheering his name. At an away game! Does that happen with any other fanbase? A practice squad player gets called up and scores a TD on a routine play. He had 4 measley catches. Why should anyone care? But every Bills fan knows his story and knows how hard he worked to earn that TD. We watched him go from CFL tryout to 3rd string training camp fodder to game winning TD hero, and in that moment every Bills fan was celebrating with him. McDermott is building something special.

Edited October 8, 2019 by HappyDays

[NickelCity]

Such a fun game. So cool to see the fans take it over. I really wonder if Bates will hold the RT position at the end of the season. On the flip side, we all like to hype Dawson, but this is how many games in a row where he's had multiple drops? Enough. Catch the damn ball. 

[Shaw66]

6 hours ago, NickelCity said:

Such a fun game. So cool to see the fans take it over. I really wonder if Bates will hold the RT position at the end of the season. On the flip side, we all like to hype Dawson, but this is how many games in a row where he's had multiple drops? Enough. Catch the damn ball. 

Right. 

 

Somebody has to ask Knox if he remembers a guy named Zay who used to play for the Bills.

 

This is where McD tests Knox.   You want to be a Bill?  You make the plays.   It's that simple.   McD doesn't ask them to do anything they can't do; he asks them to be excellent at what they can do.  If he can't catch balls consistently, he won't be a Bill.  

 

 

[buffalo2218]

20 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Right. 

 

Somebody has to ask Knox if he remembers a guy named Zay who used to play for the Bills.

 

This is where McD tests Knox.   You want to be a Bill?  You make the plays.   It's that simple.   McD doesn't ask them to do anything they can't do; he asks them to be excellent at what they can do.  If he can't catch balls consistently, he won't be a Bill.  

 

 

In fairness to Knox, one was a play where the DB made a good play on the ball, but I do agree he does need to step up his game a bit. Not sure why he chose to try to hurdle a guy instead of flat out trucking him

[Shaw66]

57 minutes ago, buffalo2218 said:

In fairness to Knox, one was a play where the DB made a good play on the ball, but I do agree he does need to step up his game a bit. Not sure why he chose to try to hurdle a guy instead of flat out trucking him

I wasn't dumping on Knox so much as commenting on McD's system.  We all know how Belichick sits people when they fumble.  McD is doing it too.  Produce or move on.