Bills at Texans Playoff Game, Saturday 4:35 pm

[longtimebillsfan]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I think probably Daboll and McDermott agree with you, the question they're weighing is who they could leave off. 

 

Playing Foster is apparently something Heath Farwell is willing to "go to the mat" for.

Yes, Foster seems to play a significant roll on special teams.

Edited January 2, 2020 by longtimebillsfan

[Buffalo Junction]

4 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

 

I agree but if you look at the first 2 years Farve was at GB, which were his 2nd & 3rd years in the NFL:

 

2nd year in the NFL/1st in GB Farve threw for a little over 3000 yards and had 18 TD passes & 13 INT's in 13 games started.

 

3rd year in the NFL/2nd year in GB Farve threw for a little over 3000 yards and had 19 TD passes & 24 INT's in 16 games started!  GB had a 9 - 7 record.  You know that Holmgren and Company had to be deeply frustrated by Farves play this season.

 

It wasn't until Farves 4th year in the NFL and 3rd at GB that he exploded into superstardom. 

 

Can’t compare the stats man. It was a different league. D lineman could murder QBs and DBs could mug WRs. For reference in 93’ Jim Kelly threw for 3382 yards, 18 TDs, and 18 INTs compared to Favre’s 3303 yards, 19 TDs and 24 INTs. Not too far off. For sure they tried to reign in the gunslinging. IIRC Holmgren added penalties for Favre’s turnovers which would violate the current CBA. Still, GB didn’t restrict the gameplans to account for Favre throwing into coverage. They let him play and learn. 

[longtimebillsfan]

1 hour ago, stevewin said:

Wonder if Duke has ever tried to be a gunner.  If thats really whats keeping him off the game day roster seems to me it would be worth his whike to dedicate some of his time to mastering running down the field on ST.  Would think he would acrually be able to do some damage in that role anyway

That's a good idea for next year, but it s probably too late in the season to try something new.  We don't want our special teams to cost us a game like that nightmare in 99.  

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

https://www.battleredblog.com/real-actual-thought-provoking-houston-texans-analysis/2020/1/2/21045969/2019-nfl-playoffs-the-buffalo-bills-have-the-coaching-advantage
 

 

2019 NFL Playoffs: The Buffalo Bills Have The Coaching Advantage
Why the Bills are considered well-coached and the Texans aren’t.

 

 

If the difference between these two teams lies in the coaching, let us examine the coaching match-up in the hopes that it will shed a little more light on the coming game.
 

 

....

....

This brings me to the foil. I will stop short of calling McDermott a villain. He is more of an anti-hero. A shadow version of Bill O’Brien, as we will see in a moment. A look into his coaching background and record will show that he is very much the mirror image of one William James O’Brien.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

46 minutes ago, Buffalo Junction said:

Favre slung it early. Certainly helped having a HOF level talent WR1; pro bowlers at WR2, WR3 and TE, and a RB with several 60 reception seasons though. Not to mention a coaching staff that had Mike Holmgren, Sherman Lewis, Steve Mariucci, Jon Gruden, Gil Haskell, and Andy Reid. Putting players and coaching talent like that around Allen and he’ll look a lot better quickly. Particularly if there weren’t any rules about not contacting players in the offseason. I like this coaching staff.... That early 90’s GB staff was one of the greatest offensive staffs ever assembled though. 

 

It's been commented before that the bolded makes player development greatly more difficult in this era.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

58 minutes ago, wppete said:

Just heard on NFL network Houston has the 27 Ranked Defense and they are banged up. This is great news for us. 

 

#19 on points, #28 on yards.  I concern myself more with points. 

 

11 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

https://www.battleredblog.com/real-actual-thought-provoking-houston-texans-analysis/2020/1/2/21045969/2019-nfl-playoffs-the-buffalo-bills-have-the-coaching-advantage
 

2019 NFL Playoffs: The Buffalo Bills Have The Coaching Advantage
Why the Bills are considered well-coached and the Texans aren’t.

If the difference between these two teams lies in the coaching, let us examine the coaching match-up in the hopes that it will shed a little more light on the coming game.
....

This brings me to the foil. I will stop short of calling McDermott a villain. He is more of an anti-hero. A shadow version of Bill O’Brien, as we will see in a moment. A look into his coaching background and record will show that he is very much the mirror image of one William James O’Brien.

 

" The Bills have similar strengths to the Texans, albeit maybe slightly worse. They put Josh Allen, John Brown, Ed Oliver, Tre’Davious White, and Tremaine Edmunds on the field. The only true weaknesses they have as a team include lacking a legit #1 running back and no #2 wide receiver opposite John Brown. They get by on sound fundamentals and a few special plays from Josh Allen. "

 

Cole Beasley and Motor say "Boo YAH!"

[GG]

53 minutes ago, stevewin said:

I get it, but I still think the whole value of a single gunner is overblown tbh.

 

How many tackles during the course of a game does Foster or Perry really make.  If you kick kickoffs out of the EZ (should be possible in Houston), that leaves only having to cover punts.  Say that's an average of 5 punts - and likely some number of those are fair caught.  For the sake of argument - say there are 4 punt returns.  If everyone stays in their lanes and the ST as a unit is well coached its likely someone, even if not a single gunner, can make a tackle within a reasonable area.  Does putting someone on the game day roster for 4 plays because they are a gunner involved in a handful of plays - with the likelihood that the the ST unit should be able to not allow a big run back if everyone does their job - ie. not dependent on just one gunner - really outweigh having someone available to make an impact on a much higher number of offensive plays.   Factor in that if the player you are substituting for the gunner will be involved in many more plays on offense with potential for positive impact, which theoretically could result in less punts, lowering even more the requirement on the gunner to affect the game.  You could also limit the number punt returns by kicking OOB if you were so worried about not having a player as a single gunner on the field.

 

You're discounting the effect that good gunners have on the fair catch decisions.  If the gunners don't get there in time you increase the possibility of a big return.

 

Having said that, Foster is a mediocre gunner as well and he doesn't merit keeping an active roster spot considering his anemic offensive contributions this year.

[JerseyBills]

2 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

Wow , this is huge people. Fuller adds a whole new element to that passing attack. That's a huge loss for them , will have a big impact on their passing attack.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

I put this in the Love thread but

it may belong here too 

 

Does Josh Allen need to outperform Deshaun Watson for Bills to win?
 

 

 

[MDH]

2 hours ago, stevewin said:

I get it, but I still think the whole value of a single gunner is overblown tbh.

 

How many tackles during the course of a game does Foster or Perry really make.  If you kick kickoffs out of the EZ (should be possible in Houston), that leaves only having to cover punts.  Say that's an average of 5 punts - and likely some number of those are fair caught. 

 

 

Punts are only fair caught if the gunners get down field quickly and force them to be. Its not just about making tackles.

 

Fans have never appreciated the importance of special teams, thankfully we have a coaching staff that does.

[stevewin]

9 minutes ago, MDH said:

 

 

Punts are only fair caught if the gunners get down field quickly and force them to be. Its not just about making tackles.

 

Fans have never appreciated the importance of special teams, thankfully we have a coaching staff that does.

Fine - so then there are no fair catches - then cover 5 punts instead of 4.

 

I'm not minimizing the importance of special teams - I'm questioning the importance of a single gunner, if the rest of the ST unit is "good" and coached "well".  They should be able to cover kicks without catastrophic effects if a single gunner is replaced by another gunner (who is still able to perform the function of a gunner - likely without a catastrophic drop-off).

 

Or like I said - if the special teams unit is not capable of covering kicks if the esteemed Robert Foster is not the gunner (silly of course), then kick it OOB.

 

How did the ST unit survive for games Foster was hurt/inactive?  It's honestly not  a good thing if we are saying the Bills ST is so dependent on a single player (who will not be going to the Pro Bowl as ST specialist)

Edited January 3, 2020 by stevewin

[MDH]

Just now, stevewin said:

Fine - so then there are no fair catches - then cover 5 punts instead of 4.

 

I'm not minimizing the importance of special teams - I'm questioning the importance of a single gunner, if the rest of the ST unit is "good" and coached "well".  They should be able to cover kicks without catastrophic effects if a single gunner is replaced by another gunner (who is still able to perform the function of a gunner - likely without a catastrophic drop-off)

 

If the coaching staff thinks he’s more important than a WR5 who contributes nothing to ST I’ll trust that they know more than posters clamoring for their fan favorite to see the field.

 

Personally, I don't think Duke playing has anything to do with Foster, Foster is going to be active because of his ST play. Duke being active will depend if the coaching staff beleives they can sit a player from another position group. Before Wallace’s injury I would have said that the Bills don't need to dress 4 safties every week and Coleman could be sat. But now that the secondary depth is being tested Im not so sure. Lee Smith is another one I could see being sat but they like him for grinding the clock and goalline.

 

Fans are making too big of a deal about this.  Duke wouldn't see more than a few targets anyway, I don't want him taking targets away from Brown or Beasley. I wouldnt mind seeing him active but it’s just not a big issue. 

[stevewin]

1 minute ago, MDH said:

 

If the coaching staff thinks he’s more important than a WR5 who contributes nothing to ST I’ll trust that they know more than posters clamoring for their fan favorite to see the field.

 

Personally, I don't think Duke playing has anything to do with Foster, Foster is going to be active because of his ST play. Duke being active will depend if the coaching staff beleives they can sit a player from another position group. Before Wallace’s injury I would have said that the Bills don't need to dress 4 safties every week and Coleman could be sat. But now that the secondary depth is being tested Im not so sure. Lee Smith is another one I could see being sat but they like him for grinding the clock and goalline.

 

Fans are making too big of a deal about this.  Duke wouldn't see more than a few targets anyway, I don't want him taking targets away from Brown or Beasley. I wouldnt mind seeing him active but it’s just not a big issue. 

That's fine.  BTW, I'm not a Duke zealot - more a question of the impact of reserving a spot for an offensive player vs ST player.  I guess some would wish Yeldon also in that scenario.

 

I wish in the next CBA they would expand the game day roster.  Allowing more players to be active could reward teams with more roster depth  

[John in Jax]

Here's a thought: The "Texans" is an absolutely IDIOTIC name for that team. It would be like the Bills being named the Buffalo New Yorkers, or the Rams being named the Los Angeles Californians.....or how about the Miami Floridians?

 

So, by the idiotic name alone, they deserve to lose!  AMIRITE?  LOL

[MDH]

30 minutes ago, John in Jax said:

Here's a thought: The "Texans" is an absolutely IDIOTIC name for that team. It would be like the Bills being named the Buffalo New Yorkers, or the Rams being named the Los Angeles Californians.....or how about the Miami Floridians?

 

So, by the idiotic name alone, they deserve to lose!  AMIRITE?  LOL

 

From a poster named, “John in Jax”

 

Sorry, it was too easy. ?

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tesla03]

really hope the team is listening to the national media calling the Bills the worst team in the playoffs. 

 

just hope we go out there and punch them in the mouth. have Allen run down their throats and blitz the living hell out of Watkson and make their oline work. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

17 minutes ago, Tesla03 said:

really hope the team is listening to the national media calling the Bills the worst team in the playoffs. 

 

just hope we go out there and punch them in the mouth. have Allen run down their throats and blitz the living hell out of Watkson and make their oline work. 

this happened before and on 2 occasions a Bill said something and the team lost.  
 

ignore the fodder and focus on the game and

Do their Job 

 

[njbuff]

46 minutes ago, Tesla03 said:

really hope the team is listening to the national media calling the Bills the worst team in the playoffs. 

 

just hope we go out there and punch them in the mouth. have Allen run down their throats and blitz the living hell out of Watkson and make their oline work. 

 

The Bills have been called every name in the book the last 20 years..................

 

Why should anything change now?

 

A win in Houston won't change anyone's mind. A win (if they get past Houston) in the divisional round might change a few minds though. ?

[PromoTheRobot]

Here's your chance to pack that dump, Bills Mafia!