THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Patriots Win Again

[Shaw66]

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

 

The Rockpile Review is about the Buffalo Bills, but the story of Saturday’s showdown in Foxboro, with the AFC East championship on the line, was the Patriots – again. 

 

The Bills have a roster full of committed men, intense competitors, physical players.  They are well-coached and they are well-prepared for games.  The Patriots have been a great team for nearly two decades because they are all of that, and just a bit better than the Bills, for now. 

 

The Patriots have combined fundamental excellence on the field with coaching excellence to produce the greatest winning machine in the history of football.  The Patriots players block and tackle and throw and catch exceptionally well – it’s fundamental excellence.  They do it every week.  The coaches are creative and thorough; they create opportunities for the players to gain momentary advantages on the field.  The players use those opportunities to win. 

 

Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott are trying to build a winner using the same formula, and they have the Bills well on the way to success. 

 

The players can see in each game, win or lose, how their combined excellence at the fundamentals makes the difference in the game.   Each week they commit to getting a little better, and that commitment is evident on the field.  The Bills have become an exceptionally tough opponent.   They don’t make mistakes.  They grind on offense and defense and they are prepared to take advantage of opportunities.   Poyer’s forced fumble and Hyde’s excellent scoop and return are examples of the Bills’ style of play. 

 

The story on Saturday was simply that the Patriots coaches were better at creating opportunities for their players to perform.   Sean McDermott knows that the coaching must get better.

 

Belichick’s approach to the game is largely about numbers.   He creates opportunities for his team, and denies opportunities for his opponent, with numbers.   He knows that on most plays, most players will fight their opponent to a draw – they won’t win and they won’t lose.  So he knows that on defense he wants to put a lot of players on the ball, because although most of them will fight to a draw or lose, one or two will win and make the tackle.  On offense, he does the opposite – he seeks to create isolated one-on-one situations at multiple places on the field, so that if his player wins, there’s an easy opportunity to gain yards.  He expects his quarterback to recognize those opportunities. 

 

So, for example, sometimes on Saturday he had no one back to return punts.   Why?  Because the extra man on the line of scrimmage gives him an advantage.  He doesn’t need blockers on the gunners, because there’s no return man, so instead of blockers he has two guys back to protect against the fake.  The extra man on the line of scrimmage gives him one more chance for someone to win his one-on-one fight and make a play.   The punt block is more valuable than the few yards he gives up by conceding no return.  Eventually, of course, teams will adjust, but in the meantime, he has an advantage.   

 

Another example: the completion to Harry in the left flat.  The Pats wanted to get the ball quickly to Harry, but Lawson had picked up Harry and Brady looked to the right for his second option.   When he saw nothing there, he came back to Harry.  Lawson had continued his pass rush and Harry was alone for an easy completion.   Maybe Lawson made a mistake, maybe not, but the point is that the Patriots gave Brady three one-on-one opportunities early in the play – Harry, someone on the right and Harry again.  All he needed was one player to win his one-on-one and he had a completion.

 

Or look at the pass and run up the right sideline, I believe to Burkhead.  Brady dropped, the Bills had a blitz coming from his right, and Edmunds was responsible for the hot read on that side.   Edmunds got aggressive and took a couple of steps to his left and in toward the line of scrimmage when he should have stayed parallel to the line.   Once again, the Pats had a one-on-one and took advantage of the win.  If Edmunds had made the right play, Brady would have thrown the ball out of bounds.   The point isn’t that Edmunds made a mistake; everyone makes mistakes.  The point is that the Patriots play to create one-on-one situations, to recognize them, and take advantage of them when their player wins. 

 

Or, look at the opposite example.  On the Bills final drive, first and goal at the eight, Daboll calls a designed run for Allen to the left.  That play is exactly the opposite of what the Patriots do on offense.  The Patriots try to create isolated one-on-one situations so they can take advantage if their player wins.   A power sweep creates about five or six one-on-ones, blocker on tackler.  For that play to work, pretty much all of the Bills players have to win or neutralize their man; if one fails, that one defender makes the tackle.  Vince Lombardi could win with power sweeps, but today’s defenders are too strong and too fast; one of them almost always wins. 

 

Or, look at the Bills’ final offensive play.  In September the Pats forced Allen into several bad decisions with multiple blitz packages, including several six- and seven-man rushes.  They knew Allen would be prepared for the all-out blitz this time around, and Allen didn’t see it once, until the final play.  Then, true to form, Belichick wanted numbers.  He knew that numbers would maximize the opportunity to get a free rusher at Allen and get either a sack or a hurried throw.  Either Allen and the Bills failed to recognize it and adjust, or the Bills weren’t prepared for it.  If Allen could have broken wide, he had several receivers one-on-one and he would have had opportunities.  Still, Allen made a good play, knowing not to throw at Gilmore and throwing a 50-50 ball.  Beasley actually made a nice play of the ball, but the defender did his job.   

 

In a sense, Brady outplayed Allen and that was the difference in the game.   Allen took four sacks, Brady took none.  If Allen had thrown the ball away on those four sacks, his completion percentage would have been abysmal, and I’m not sure the Bills would have been much better off.   Statistically, Brady was better, but that wasn’t on Allen. 

 

Allen missed on a few throws, to be sure, but as a pure thrower, he was better than Brady.   He drilled several balls to Beasley in tight windows.   His long throw to Knox was beautiful (as was Knox’s catch), and the touchdown to Brown was borderline miraculous.   When Mahomes throws one like that, the networks replay it and replay it, raving about his ability to wait, to throw off balance with length and touch and all that, but this is Allen and the Buffalo Bills, so there’s just a comment about it being a nice throw and the announcers move on.  That was one of those great long throws that will make Allen a truly dangerous quarterback in the coming seasons.

 

The difference between Allen and Brady on Saturday is simple: coaching excellence on offense and defense.  Recall the Cowboys game; Allen was comfortable in the pocket and understood what he was seeing in the defensive backfield.  The result?  A lot of easy completions in rhythm.   On Saturday, not so much.  The easy option wasn’t there so often, and Allen was forced to make quick decisions and throw to covered receivers.  Brady, on the other hand, looked more like Allen looked against the Cowboys:  comfortable, with an open receiver available on many plays.   Brady threw accurately and the Pats moved the ball.  It wasn’t that Allen made bad choices; he just didn’t have the easy choices Brady had. 

 

And Brady’s success wasn’t at the expense of the Bills’ defensive players.  Sure, there was an occasional blown assignment, and there were a few more missed tackles than usual, but the Patriots’ ability to muster those long drives was regularly the result of finding the opportunity to create one-on-one situations at the point of attack.  They didn’t overpower the Bills; they simply found one-on-ones repeatedly (Brady’s forte) and won enough of them to keep drives alive. 

 

As we’ve seen before, on Saturday it looked like the Bills were being outplayed, but all that matters is the scoreboard.   The Pats dominated in the first half, but the Bills were down only seven, and when Kevin Johnson won his one-on-one to stop Harry on fourth and one, the Bills were in business.   The completion to Knox, the clock management and the play calling on the goal line all were championship caliber.   Tie game. 

 

The difference in the game?  The Patriots finished their fourth quarter touchdown drive, and the Bills didn’t finish theirs.  That was it. 

 

Give credit where credit is due: the Patriots really are who we thought they are.  And the Bills are who we thought they are, too: a very good football team that plays everyone tough.   They have a lot of winning ahead of them.

 

Bring on the Jets!

 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

[Bring it]

Your point about coaching excellence is accurate. One of my observations was that for some reason we rarely blitzed with more than the 4 lineman. Something we have done since at least the Cowboy game. Sure it’s Tom Brady! But this defense, especially the backside , is good enough to send extra defenders and force Brady’s throw! They ran the ball effectively but having extra defenders on the LOS helps to discourage that as well! What are your thoughts on this?? Why did we seem to abandon what has been so effective defensively?

[Shaw66]

16 minutes ago, Bring it said:

Your point about coaching excellence is accurate. One of my observations was that for some reason we rarely blitzed with more than the 4 lineman. Something we have done since at least the Cowboy game. Sure it’s Tom Brady! But this defense, especially the backside , is good enough to send extra defenders and force Brady’s throw! They ran the ball effectively but having extra defenders on the LOS helps to discourage that as well! What are your thoughts on this?? Why did we seem to abandon what has been so effective defensively?

I think the Bills have been getting pretty good pressure with four rushers over the past few games.  Yes, they've blitzed, too, but there were a lot of times in the past few weeks where four guys have collapsed the pocket pretty well.  Brady kills the blitz pretty regularly, so I'm guessing the Bills' plan was to get pressure with four and drop seven. 

 

I think that's another area where the Bills can learn from the Pats.  They blitz enough to make teams respect it, and they disguise the blitz well, too.   

 

Before the first Pats game, Belichick and Brady said that the Bills are really good at disguising their defense, so the offense has to run on post-snap reads.   I don't know this, but it looked to me like the Pats were doing more men in motion and shifting than usual, and I think Brady was getting better pre-snap reads as a result.  I think the Bills defense is becoming a bit of an open book for him, and that's a problem.   On defense, as on defense, the Bills need more creativity every time they play the Pats.   They have to come with enough new wrinkles that the Pats aren't sure what they're looking at.  

[ProcessTruster]

Next year they finish their last drives against the Ravens and Pats.   They still don't have the potency on either side of the ball.  The offensive roster will be better.   My guess is they continue to improve the roster on offense and defense and Josh will be one year better.   The process of building a great locker room and competing every game is and will pay dividends.   Hopefully McBeanes will stay the course, don't overspend for shiny objects, draft extremely well and coach better.   The wins will be there if they do.  

[Shaw66]

26 minutes ago, ProcessTruster said:

Next year they finish their last drives against the Ravens and Pats.   They still don't have the potency on either side of the ball.  The offensive roster will be better.   My guess is they continue to improve the roster on offense and defense and Josh will be one year better.   The process of building a great locker room and competing every game is and will pay dividends.   Hopefully McBeanes will stay the course, don't overspend for shiny objects, draft extremely well and coach better.   The wins will be there if they do.  

I agree with this completely.   And McBeane are not about bright, shiny objects.  They a process and they'll stick to it.  They've been patient so far, and they can see that what they're doing is workng. 

 

The talent they have today will improve.  The talent they draft and sign in free agency will increase the competition and improve the team more.  Allen will have learned more about playing big games - Pittsburgh wasn't too big for him, but Baltimore and New England were.  

 

Step by step.  

 

And that's not to say that they're done for this season.  They're already good enough that, although it's unlikely, multiple playoff wins this season are possible.  

[Maine-iac]

Draw up and execute a handful of zero blitz killing plays on offense and I can see this team getting some W's in the playoffs.  Seems to be the closest thing to kryptonite we have encountered.

[Shaw66]

18 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

Draw up and execute a handful of zero blitz killing plays on offense and I can see this team getting some W's in the playoffs.  Seems to be the closest thing to kryptonite we have encountered.

Right.  He's just gotta keep learning.  

[Bring it]

Even with this disappointing loss it seems that we definitely got peoples’ attention. Many, including even Jerry Sullivan feel we are a force to be reckoned with! Capable of beating the Pats in the near future. Probably next season is what many are looking for. Honestly I thought that a win was the only way to accomplish that!! But yesterday’s near victory has garnered a lot of attention!

[Success]

It's the whole "chess/checkers" thing that people have said ad nauseum, but correctly.  It's true about BB. I think McD is A1, but BB is just head & shoulders above everyone.  It's enough to make you cry "that's not fair" like you would have in 3rd grade playing against the big kids.

 

New England will never beat themselves.  We gave them all they could handle, but they still found a way, as they always do.  They made some plays where all I could do was shake my head.  Some of those fakes Brady executes are unlike any other QB - I have to watch the replay twice just to figure out what happened.

 

Hate it.  Hate all of it.  Must end.

 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

If “bright shiny objects” equals “elite talent at a position of need”, ill sign up for a little bling.  I think this seasons early pursuit of AB would indicate that the bills are on board with it as well.  Just don’t understand the fan attraction to less than elite talent when the SB teams were loaded with shiny objects

[Jumpsuit Jim]

The excellence of the Patriots under B.B. can be traced back to Parcells and his “Do Your Job” philosophy. Do the basics, do them well. Once the basics are mastered, the complex can be layered on top. 
 

Do you remember Brady and the Oats of the early 2000s? Nothing but hand offs and screens. Basics executed perfectly. Infuriating in their simplicity and the consistency with which the plays were executed. I yelled “How hard is it to stop a screen?” so frequently. That eventually became a complex juggernaut. Beautiful and frustrating. 
 

Some people here complain about our basic vanilla offense. The lack of creativity. Whatever. I believe that we are just working with a bunch of young guys, trying to get them to master the basics. 
 

We have been successful this year. But in the timeline that our exes and coaches have set forth, it was never about this year. This year is just another step in the building of a long term sustainable and successful Bills team. 
 

Viva los Bills. 

[Tcali]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I agree with this completely.   And McBeane are not about bright, shiny objects.  They a process and they'll stick to it.  They've been patient so far, and they can see that what they're doing is workng. 

 

The talent they have today will improve.  The talent they draft and sign in free agency will increase the competition and improve the team more.  Allen will have learned more about playing big games - Pittsburgh wasn't too big for him, but Baltimore and New England were.  

 

Step by step.  

 

And that's not to say that they're done for this season.  They're already good enough that, although it's unlikely, multiple playoff wins this season are possible.  

i dont think its about playing big games. Balt and NE just exploited JAs weaknesses better. Not all on JA...They know JA doesnt make smart decisions(as many as he should) under pressure..he will learn.

Only the Niners,ravens,saints(because of talent) and NE(they are smarter) are clearly better than the Bills. Future is bright.

 

[Shaw66]

16 minutes ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

If “bright shiny objects” equals “elite talent at a position of need”, ill sign up for a little bling.  I think this seasons early pursuit of AB would indicate that the bills are on board with it as well.  Just don’t understand the fan attraction to less than elite talent when the SB teams were loaded with shiny objects

When I see the bright shiny object reference, it means to me that the GM is attracted to the talent, thinking the talent will make the difference, instead of determining whether the talent is a proper fit.   

 

The reality is that great talent, talent that demands the ball, for example, doesn't fit McDermott's system, just like it doesn't fit Belichick's.   Bills' talent has to be willing to sacrifice self for team.  

 

So, for example, I'd love to have Amari Cooper.   But the first question will be whether he can be happy in system that won't necessarily have him leading the league in receptions.  

18 minutes ago, Jumpsuit Jim said:

The excellence of the Patriots under B.B. can be traced back to Parcells and his “Do Your Job” philosophy. Do the basics, do them well. Once the basics are mastered, the complex can be layered on top. 
 

Do you remember Brady and the Oats of the early 2000s? Nothing but hand offs and screens. Basics executed perfectly. Infuriating in their simplicity and the consistency with which the plays were executed. I yelled “How hard is it to stop a screen?” so frequently. That eventually became a complex juggernaut. Beautiful and frustrating. 
 

Some people here complain about our basic vanilla offense. The lack of creativity. Whatever. I believe that we are just working with a bunch of young guys, trying to get them to master the basics. 
 

We have been successful this year. But in the timeline that our exes and coaches have set forth, it was never about this year. This year is just another step in the building of a long term sustainable and successful Bills team. 
 

Viva los Bills. 

well said.

[Figster]

4 hours ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

If “bright shiny objects” equals “elite talent at a position of need”, ill sign up for a little bling.  I think this seasons early pursuit of AB would indicate that the bills are on board with it as well.  Just don’t understand the fan attraction to less than elite talent when the SB teams were loaded with shiny objects

One bright shiny object to go with Allen at the WR position and its very possible Buffalo beats the Ravens and Pats IMO.

 

Thanks for another great review OP

 

 

[Comebackkid]

Thanks for the review, very well written.   

[LABILLBACKER]

12 hours ago, Bring it said:

Your point about coaching excellence is accurate. One of my observations was that for some reason we rarely blitzed with more than the 4 lineman. Something we have done since at least the Cowboy game. Sure it’s Tom Brady! But this defense, especially the backside , is good enough to send extra defenders and force Brady’s throw! They ran the ball effectively but having extra defenders on the LOS helps to discourage that as well! What are your thoughts on this?? Why did we seem to abandon what has been so effective defensively?

I've been saying for the last 2 years play press cover 0 and blitz Brady with 5,6 or even 7 guys. He rarely throws deep anymore. Our defensive gameplan Saturday was just plain stupid. Then add the worst tackling all season and there was no way we were ever winning that game. The offense as it has all year,  disappointed. We take a 17-13 lead into the 4th qtr, only to crawl in "conservative" fetal position and allow Brady multiple opportunities to take back the lead. We still need to draft and sign FA help. Josh still has no true #1 wr, rb or te. The oline can still be improved. An 11 win season would be amazing but there's still so much room for improvement. 

Edited December 23, 2019 by LABILLBACKER

[Bring it]

7 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

I've been saying for the last 2 years play press cover 0 and blitz Brady with 5,6 or even 7 guys. He rarely throws deep anymore. Our defensive gameplan Saturday was just plain stupid. Then add the worst tackling all season and there was no way we were ever winning that game. The offense as it has all year,  disappointed. We take a 17-13 lead into the 4th qtr, only to crawl in "conservative" fetal position and allow Brady multiple opportunities to take back the lead. We still need to draft and sign FA help. Josh still has no true #1 wr, rb or te. The oline can still be improved. An 11 win season would be amazing but there's still so much room for improvement. 

Pressuring Brady is not easy but definitely doable. He can throw deep but not with any velocity. And even though he was never mobile he could move well in the pocket. Even that has diminished some!  With fewer reliable targets such as Edelman and no Gronkowski I too don’t understand the defensive scheme used on Saturday!? The offense is no where near the defense in the amount of time they have worked together! But this certainly leads to optimism as far as where this team can go in the future! Shaw is right they are going to win a lot of games in the future!! 

[Billsfan1972]

Great write-up, but sorry again it fits your narrative & absolves the Bills of their fundamental weakness, in game coaching & lack of adjustments.

 

Brady the prior 5-6 weeks was the Worst QB by all metrics in the NFL & is immobile.  Vs. the #3 defense in the league he then carves them up.  Sorry inexcusable.

 

On offense again 14 points (as per Pitt 3 came off turnovers that had the Bills pretty much in the Redzone).  What did they do both times.....  Ran, Ran & Ran more.

 

Again a game where they played good enough not to be blown out & that was all.......

 

Another tough watch.

[Shaw66]

31 minutes ago, Billsfan1972 said:

Great write-up, but sorry again it fits your narrative & absolves the Bills of their fundamental weakness, in game coaching & lack of adjustments.

 

 

Further evidence that you come here just because you like to argue.  Virtually my entire post was about being outcoached, and you say this. 

 

Over and out.  

[CLTbills]

20 hours ago, Bring it said:

Your point about coaching excellence is accurate. One of my observations was that for some reason we rarely blitzed with more than the 4 lineman. Something we have done since at least the Cowboy game. Sure it’s Tom Brady! But this defense, especially the backside , is good enough to send extra defenders and force Brady’s throw! They ran the ball effectively but having extra defenders on the LOS helps to discourage that as well! What are your thoughts on this?? Why did we seem to abandon what has been so effective defensively?

I agree, but as another poster stated yesterday... I wonder if they were intentionally not doing this for the chance that we see them again in the Playoffs? Take a chance at letting our front four get there. If it works, great. If not, the game still meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, at least as far as standings and seeding goes. (I don't necessarily agree - to me, the "moral victory" of beating the Cheats is too high). Just playing Devil's Advocate here. Now, if we see them in the playoffs, we can throw something at them that they aren't ready for or expecting, based on what we already put on film.

 

Not saying that I think this is what happened, but it was certainly interesting to see them stray from what they'd been doing for weeks now.