Joe B All-22 from Houston playoff game

[Kemp]

The deer-in-the headlights look on Allen's face seen often in the 2nd half told me that he unraveled big-time. We can say it's because it was his 1st playoff game but we won't know if that is true until he gets there again. 

[GunnerBill]

I thought this was about the best Joe B write up of the year. He was watching the same game as me. 

[Billy Claude]

There was plenty of blame to go around.   I hope we don't go back to attack anyone who says anything vaguely critical about Josh Allen mode during the board was during the last off-season.

[colin]

allen lost the plot for a bit late in the game, you could see a crazed look on his face.  he was putting the world on his back, partly because his teammates were letting him down save motor (brown and duke each dropping two huge balls both early and late in the game, bad line play, etc), and partly because his coaches were putting it all on him (empty set on first down in overtime?  that goofy package of lee smith, the full back, and our rb all going out in routes w max protect, did we run out of that effectively at all?  the d knew what was happening the whole time).

 

most of the players on O were worse tho, especially down the stretch.  the blocking was terrible and i don't think it's just our players being trash, missing the RDE totally on 3rd down by the OG, OT, and RB leading to the total disaster is on coaching as well.  being predictable and not practicing consistency is the problem.  most complicated O ever, and we can't execute a sweep with a 3 to 1 advantage on blockers.  teams like new england don't have that happen.

[cage]

11 hours ago, N.Y. Orangeman said:

His standards for grading are an absolute joke and lack context.   His other stuff is decent

 

What do you think are his standard for grading and how do you disagree with them?

 

[stony]

6 hours ago, mannc said:

Go watch the QB sweep right in the 4th quarter.  Knox, Ford and Morse all block ghosts, while Cunningham practically hospitalizes Allen.  You’ll be super extra-stupified.

Sometimes it's difficult to extrapolate blocking assignments, specific responsibilities etc for individual players in the modern NFL because plays seem so complex at times (for me, anyways).  But watching that reply 10x will make you wanna pull your hair out.  Sometimes you just need to smash the guy in front of you.   

 

In a game of a million "what ifs," this one takes the cake. 

[JP's Voice]

Joe B is a good reporter but his knowledge of football is rudimentary at best. If you're looking for detailed analysis and breakdowns from and all-22 perspective I'd recommend Aaron Quinn from Cover 1, Joe Marino from the Draft Network, and Bruce Nolan from Buffalo Rumblings. 

 

I tend to ignore Joe B's all-22 analysis because like a few of you have said, his grading system is totally unexplained and illogical. I think I started to realize this after the Philly game when he graded Star so well after we got absolutely gashed. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

10 hours ago, ILBillsfan said:

Irregardless of the lateral play he got the team in position to tie the game with no timeouts.  Then in OT took the team down the field a lack of execution by the pulling center and Tr to block Kirkpatrick and then a horrible block penalty in first is what kept him from and the Bills from winning this game.

 

little over zealous on the Allen hate.

 

i love Allens passion to win and thought he did ok.  Players need to step up for the guy and also make some plays, oh and some plays to attack the middle of the field that was wide open in OT would of been nice

 

Here there's a genuine Allen issue.  Deep middle was his worst throw this year.  Now in the Nextgen summary chart it shows worse than it is because they use passer rating and that's where he threw a bunch of picks early in the year.  But essentially, teams have been daring Josh to hit the deep post route because he hasn't shown that he can.  He needs to fix this during the off-season.

 

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

12 hours ago, mannc said:

Funny, I thought the weather was fine in the dome on Saturday.  How did so many Bills “lose their footing” on the same play?

 

Turns out they were all playing with torn tendons.

 

#heroball.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

12 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

He’s not good vs the run. Oliver was the better player by far at the end of the year. Is he a nice piece in the rotation - yes. But he won’t be paid what he wants by the Bills because  they won’t value him that high and that’s ok. He should get as much as he can on the open market. 

 

There's also the fact that he's [Phillips] shown a little bit of a tendency towards stats chasing.  For example, the encroachment penalty against the Steelers.  He went off the snap count, which is brilliant to penetrate the backfield like he did and he should have gotten a sack, but in a close game it's a pretty sure bet that's going to be called as a penalty.  I don't think drawing an encroachment penalty is part of "Do Your 1/11" but if uncalled, it does give you a good chance to rack up a sack.

I personally think that emotionally and for a leadership standpoint, he's big for the Bills but I imagine they want to pay him as a rotational DT sharing snaps with Ed Oliver and he wants to be paid Big Money

[Hapless Bills Fan]

12 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

I don’t really understand the grading concept either 

 

Agreed, any more than I like the grades people toss out here without giving any basis or details.  Maybe I do Joe an injustice, but I thought it was telling that he was all over Star Lotulelei in Twitter for an awful game against the Eagles, then after McDermott on the podium discussed the selflessness of the DT position and quietly said "I thought Star had a good game", Joe reversed course and graded him high.  I think his grades are subjective "TLAR" stuff and don't add value.

 

Compare and contrast to someone like Jim Kubiak writing for TBN who grades Allen quarter by quarter each game.  He's in no way a Homer.  He gives criticism where due.  But he gives the base data he's working with (play selection, completions/incompletions and score) and explains what he's seeing and why it's good or poor and having actually played QB and coached it, he knows a lot more of what he's talking about.  I expect if you asked him to explain his grading, bring a beer or a big cup of coffee and grab a chair.

 

Then there's another step to some of the guys like Brett Kollsman (Film Room guy) who openly says how little any of us know or see compared to the coaches and players, but whose assessments play-by-play spot things that others miss and who brings in commentary about the play design and how well or poorly it matches what the defense is doing.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

12 hours ago, N.Y. Orangeman said:

I tried to ask him about it once and his answer wasn’t satisfactory

 

This does not surprise me.

[colin]

21 minutes ago, stony said:

Sometimes it's difficult to extrapolate blocking assignments, specific responsibilities etc for individual players in the modern NFL because plays seem so complex at times (for me, anyways).  But watching that reply 10x will make you wanna pull your hair out.  Sometimes you just need to smash the guy in front of you.   

 

In a game of a million "what ifs," this one takes the cake. 

 

sadly very very true.  knox was going too fast/too far upfield and missed dude, but morse literally just didn't see him.  i'm a broken record on this, but i'm convinced our overwrought goofy O has guys trying to learn and thus do too much, without any bread and butter plays everyone on the team can execute perfectly. 

 

on D, our tackling issues give me pause at times, but frazier has them in the position to win the vast majority of the time.  the soft cover on 3rd and 18 (simple enough call) woulda had everyone stopped short, and that blitz prior to the RB pass which killed us was blitzed perfectly and woulda stopped them COLD.

 

how many times a game do we have our O in a position to make a great play like that where it looks like our players understand their assignments and are in a position to make them?

[BillsFan2313]

 

 

11 hours ago, CincyBillsFan said:

 

They did?  I'm a simple football fan and in spite of all that went before if either Knox or Morse make that block on a perfectly called QB sweep Allen possibly takes it to house.  Or at worst we're in FG range to win it in OT.

 

My problem with Joe B is that he often can't see the forest for the trees.  Take a look at how other young QB's fared in their first playoff game.  Those stats have been posted all over 2BD the last few days.  A lot of great QB's had ugly first playoff games - even in games their teams won.  The bottom line is that the Bills asked to much of Allen.  Which is both good & bad.  It's good because they were confident he could handle it.  It was bad because when he had a bad play he lost it for a couple of series at a crucial point in the game.

 

And why is Joe B surprised that after the fumble Allen hesitated on some of his throws in order to make sure he didn't turn the ball over again?  I mean this was his FIRST 4th quarter in a playoff game and his FIRST ever OT game.    On the drive that should have won the game for the Bills but for a BS penalty on Ford and missed blocks on a perfectly called QB sweep I saw Allen get his feet back under him and make two great throws to gain 1st downs on 3rd & long. 

 

The fact is that this was as classic a TEAM loss as you're ever going to see in a close game that goes to OT.  And as I've posted elsewhere, if I had to choose the top 5 plays that lost the game Allen's play would NOT make the list.  Here's the list off the top of my head and tell me I'm wrong:

 

1)  missed block on QB sweep

2)  ref calling a blindside PF on Ford

3)  ref NOT calling targeting on the Texan who drilled Allen in the head on the QB sweep.

4)  the defense allowing Houston to convert a 3rd & 18 in OT

5)  Milano not wrapping up on Watson for a sack on that Texan FG drive that won the game.

6)  Brown not staying in bounds on the failed toe tap catch that would have given us first & goal at the 2.

7)  Duke not making a tough catch for a TD at the end of the first half.

 

Look. More then 5 plays and not one involved Allen doing something bad.  Go figure. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add Singletary completely whiffing on a block, that lead to a huge sack. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

12 hours ago, mannc said:

Funny, I thought the weather was fine in the dome on Saturday.  How did so many Bills “lose their footing” on the same play?

 

I'm just guessing here, but I think at that point the Bills D was pretty gassed (and I'll point out, they do have some control of that). 

 

The D knew they could get off the field on that play and turn the chance for the win back to the O and they tried to put it all out there.

 

The problem is that the difference between putting it all out there and landing on your face is pretty slim, and if your stabilizing muscles are done for the day Down you Go.  It may be a S&C issue where they need the guys all doing more Pilates or other stuff that strengthens those guys but 'Zo is a Pilates instructor and down he went, too.

 

5 minutes ago, colin said:

 

sadly very very true.  knox was going too fast/too far upfield and missed dude, but morse literally just didn't see him.  i'm a broken record on this, but i'm convinced our overwrought goofy O has guys trying to learn and thus do too much, without any bread and butter plays everyone on the team can execute perfectly. 

 

on D, our tackling issues give me pause at times, but frazier has them in the position to win the vast majority of the time.  the soft cover on 3rd and 18 (simple enough call) woulda had everyone stopped short, and that blitz prior to the RB pass which killed us was blitzed perfectly and woulda stopped them COLD.

 

how many times a game do we have our O in a position to make a great play like that where it looks like our players understand their assignments and are in a position to make them?

 

I am absolutely convinced of this.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

11 hours ago, CincyBillsFan said:

 

They did?  I'm a simple football fan and in spite of all that went before if either Knox or Morse make that block on a perfectly called QB sweep Allen possibly takes it to house.  Or at worst we're in FG range to win it in OT.

 

My problem with Joe B is that he often can't see the forest for the trees.  Take a look at how other young QB's fared in their first playoff game.  Those stats have been posted all over 2BD the last few days.  A lot of great QB's had ugly first playoff games - even in games their teams won.  The bottom line is that the Bills asked to much of Allen.  Which is both good & bad.  It's good because they were confident he could handle it.  It was bad because when he had a bad play he lost it for a couple of series at a crucial point in the game.

 

And why is Joe B surprised that after the fumble Allen hesitated on some of his throws in order to make sure he didn't turn the ball over again?  I mean this was his FIRST 4th quarter in a playoff game and his FIRST ever OT game.    On the drive that should have won the game for the Bills but for a BS penalty on Ford and missed blocks on a perfectly called QB sweep I saw Allen get his feet back under him and make two great throws to gain 1st downs on 3rd & long. 

 

The fact is that this was as classic a TEAM loss as you're ever going to see in a close game that goes to OT.  And as I've posted elsewhere, if I had to choose the top 5 plays that lost the game Allen's play would NOT make the list.  Here's the list off the top of my head and tell me I'm wrong:

 

1)  missed block on QB sweep

2)  ref calling a blindside PF on Ford

3)  ref NOT calling targeting on the Texan who drilled Allen in the head on the QB sweep.

4)  the defense allowing Houston to convert a 3rd & 18 in OT

5)  Milano not wrapping up on Watson for a sack on that Texan FG drive that won the game.

6)  Brown not staying in bounds on the failed toe tap catch that would have given us first & goal at the 2.

7)  Duke not making a tough catch for a TD at the end of the first half.

 

Look. More then 5 plays and not one involved Allen doing something bad.  Go figure.

 

Right On, and that's not to mention that the fumble involved Josh hesitating to tuck it and run because he saw Beas coming open, in a situation where he (should have had) D-Dawk, Singletary, and Kroft to handle 1 defender.  Josh shouldn't have had the ball where it was, gripped as it was, but the defender shouldn't have been near it either.    And being patient a bit to seek the throw instead of just taking off is exactly the maturation we wanted from him.

[Teddy KGB]

8 hours ago, Buffalo619 said:

I’ll always remember Josh for “the lateral”.            Pure Genius

I’ll always remember everyone that cries about the lateral like it was a turnover.  

[jrober38]

11 hours ago, Dopey said:

Offense didn't make the plays they had in front of them. Td dropped at the end of the half. Pass dropped w a minute left in regulation that would have shifted the field. Worse was a kick ass play in ot that just wasn't blocked right. 1 block and Josh is still running. That was a game winning call. That play perfectly illustrates the fact that a play not working isn't always cuz of a bad play call.The players are to blame for this loss, not Daboll.

 

Daboll consistently schemed up good plays all season only for the Bills players to not execute.

Whether it was missed blocks, penalties, missed deep balls to wide open targets or dropped passes. 

 

I don't see how anyone could have watched this season and felt Daboll didn't do a good job, given the mental errors by his players and the limited resources he had at his disposal. 

 

Personnel issues were questionable at times, but for the most part I think he did a really good job calling plays. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

11 hours ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

I get your point, but that fumble Was the momentum swing imo.

 

The fumble was a huge momentum swing, but that was not all on Allen IMHO.

[GunnerBill]

12 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

I don’t really understand the grading concept either 

 

No, nor do I. I usually just stop reading after the article finishes and don't bother with the grades.