ROCKPILE REVIEW - Serious Win

[Shaw66]

The Bills really didn’t need to go for it.  It was fourth and two on the San Francisco 28.  They led 27-17, and they’d just run five minutes off the clock.  A field goal would put them up by 13 points with ten minutes left.  But Sean McDermott wanted more.

 

I imagine the conversation on the radio went something like this:

 

McDermott:  “Bri, you got something for this?”

 

Daboll:  “Oh, yeah!”

 

McDermott:  “Do it!”

 

A few seconds later, Stefon Diggs made about eleven moves to get five yards open on a three-yard route, leaving Josh Allen with one more wide-open target.  First down! 

 

Two plays later, Allen found Gabriel Davis alone behind Richard Sherman – I admit it, I love to watch loud-mouthed players get beat! – for a 28-yard touchdown, and the game was over. The Bills gave up a late touchdown and won 34-24. 

 

Two things about that fourth-down play stood out.  One is named Diggs, the other, McDermott.

 

Diggs came to Buffalo, we thought, to be the glamor boy, the deep threat, the guy you see making plays on Sports Center, if you still watch Sports Center.   Lately, he’s been doing the dirty work, and a lot of it.  Last night, four Bills caught touchdown passes – none of them was named Diggs.  Three Bills had longer receptions than Diggs. 

 

Still, the passing game was all about Stefon Diggs.  It was easy to see in his grass-stained uniform late in the game – he had been mixing it up all night.  Tough contested catches, including his signature sideline toe-tap.  Smart route running.   Blocking – his perfect block on the goal line created the airspace for Dawson Knox to fly into the end zone and give the Bills the lead in the second quarter. 

 

Diggs had 10 catches for 92 tough yards (he leads the league in receptions and is fifth in total yards).   He leads a receiving corps that is such a threat to go deep that, together with Josh Allen’s arm and legs, opponents abandon man-to-man coverage.  Only the best zones have been able to stop the Bills passing game.

 

Give that man a game ball.

 

As for McDermott, this is the man fans criticized as recently as last season for being too conservative, for running out the clock to end halves, for punting when he should have gone for it or kicked the field goal on fourth down.  No one is complaining now. 

 

On that fourth-and-two play, McDermott told his team there would be no hail Mary TDs in the Arizona desert this night.  He told his offense he knew they could convert, and he told his defense he trusted them to win it if they didn’t.  He had an offensive coordinator ready with the play, and he had players who could execute. 

 

He had no fear going for it at fourth and goal from the one to open the game, the beginning of one of the most disastrous stretches in a Bills game since McDermott arrived.  (Well, let’s say since Nate Peterman’s start against the Chargers.)

 

And he had no fear at the end of the first half.  If ever there was a time to run the ball, run out the clock, and head for the locker room with the lead at the half, this was it.  After the Bills’ spectacular drive to open the game, ending in failure at the one-yard line, after the 49ers’ equally spectacular drive deep into the red zone, after the brilliant Bills’ goal-line stand, after the Moss fumble and the 49ers touchdown, the Bills recovered.  They put together a quick, long touchdown drive to tie the game, forced a punt, and drove for a second touchdown and the lead with less than three minutes remaining in the half.  Just don’t give up a score, and we’re good.

 

The Bills forced a second punt and took over on their own ten with just over a minute left in the half.  Last season, the Bills run the time off the clock and head for the locker room, happy to have escaped with the lead.  That was last season.  This season, it was Singletary, Beasley, Diggs, Beasley, Davis, Bass for three and a ten-point lead.  It was what Rodgers does, Brees and Brady do, what Manning did.   And now it’s what Allen does. 

 

Let’s say it plain and simple:  The Bills win over the 49ers was the kind of game that good football teams win:  On the road, against a desperate, well-coached, physical team, a must-win game (they’re all must-win at this time of the season), and the Bills simply took control of the game and never let go.   It was impressive.

 

And I haven’t said a word about the defense.   I could write a completely different column about the equally superb effort on the other side of the ball.  I know about all the adversity the 49ers have faced, and I know that Garropolo and Kittle weren’t on the field, but Kyle Shanahan is one of the very best coaches in the league, and there was no question that the 49er offense would show up, ready to pound the relatively weak Bills run defense.  The 49ers wanted to control the game by running the ball, and the Bills defense simply wouldn’t let them do it.  It was one of the Bills’ best defensive performances of the season.  Consider these plays and players:

 

1.  The goal-line stand has become a Bills’ staple.  They simply will not allow you to run up the middle against them on the goal line.  The stand in the first quarter was superb. 

The stand in the fourth quarter was, of course, even better and deserves separate shout outs.

 

2.  Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, first down.  Butler penetration and monster tackle for a two-yard loss.  He was blocked, but it didn’t matter; he was coming.

 

3.  Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, second down.  Incredible recovery and touchdown-saving tackle by Hyde.  What a play!   Toughness, determination, technique. 

 

4. Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, third down.  White chases his receiver across the end zone and outfights him for the interception. 

 

5.  The entire defense looks different when 58 is running around out there.  The guy is just so good.  Several plays I’d ask myself, “Who was THAT?  Oh, it was Milano.”   The defense McBeane imagined in the off-season was going to feature some three-linebacker sets, with Klein in the Alexander role.  I think it’s coming.

 

6.  I mention Edmunds every week, but that’s because there’s something to say about him every week.   Now we’re seeing what the whole package can look like.  He was all over the field against the 49ers, and he was hitting people with authority.   Nice solid tackling, excellent pass defense, just all-round savvy play. 

 

7.  Beasley is superb.  I thought he was lost for the game on the first hit, but he’s tougher than that.  Like Diggs, he’s doing the dirty work. 

 

8.  Remember when Micah Hyde returned punts?  I’d forgotten how good he is as a return man.  Then he had his interception and reminded us all.  He wasn’t going down until it was time to go down. 

 

9.  Remember when Tyler Bass looked shaky place-kicking?   Balls off line, hooks and slices?  He’s settled down and looks like the kind of guy the Bills expected when they drafted him.  Interesting how the Bills use him on kickoffs – sometimes directional kicks to the coffin corner, with the coverage pinning the returner deep, sometimes long kicks into or through the end zone.  He’s looked sound and effective for weeks.

 

10.  Feliciano went down and the offensive-line play suffered.  He’s a key guy. 

 

11. Brian Daboll continues to draw up surprise plays, with the McKenzie touchdown and the Knox touchdown and the Knox inside shovel pass.  His offense was ready.

 

12.  Saved the best for last.  Josh Allen.

 

 

9-3 with four big challenges left. 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Shaw66

[Halloween Land]

Great review! Incredible performance by the whole team really. Now hopefully they carry that against the Steelers! 

[RangerDave]

I'd also like to add props to the defense.  They took "bend, but don't break" to record limits!  You will never see another 97 yard drive that ends in zero points again!  It HAS to be a record, as it is only one yard from being the longest drive possible without points.  Go Bills D!

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Geez...I just got a little misty eyed reading this 😂

[Shaw66]

One after-thought.  Levi Wallace.

 

There was a completion against him on an out pattern to the right sideline with Levi underneath and a safety behind him.  And there was the long completion against him up the left sideline.   On both plays, he could have been better, but on both plays he was very close to getting a hand on the ball as it arrived.   And there was the pass interference call where he did get his hand on the ball, but apparently was holding the receiver's arm down.   

 

In every case, Wallace was technically excellent.  He's really a solid #2.  You never see Wallace looking around, wondering how he blew an assignment.  He's where he's supposed to be, contributing all the time.   

[MiltonWaddams]

13 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

One after-thought.  Levi Wallace.

 

There was a completion against him on an out pattern to the right sideline with Levi underneath and a safety behind him.  And there was the long completion against him up the left sideline.   On both plays, he could have been better, but on both plays he was very close to getting a hand on the ball as it arrived.   And there was the pass interference call where he did get his hand on the ball, but apparently was holding the receiver's arm down.   

 

In every case, Wallace was technically excellent.  He's really a solid #2.  You never see Wallace looking around, wondering how he blew an assignment.  He's where he's supposed to be, contributing all the time.   

He will assuredly be derided by many as he is the largest liability in the Bills starting secondary, but he is a strong cb2. He played a beast of a wr in Aiyuk and was outmatched on 3 big plays, but also had him well-covered on many plays.

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

45 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

The Bills really didn’t need to go for it.  It was fourth and two on the San Francisco 28.  They led 27-17, and they’d just run five minutes off the clock.  A field goal would put them up by 13 points with ten minutes left.  But Sean McDermott wanted more.

 

I imagine the conversation on the radio went something like this:

 

McDermott:  “Bri, you got something for this?”

 

Daboll:  “Oh, yeah!”

 

McDermott:  “Do it!”

 

A few seconds later, Stephon Diggs made about eleven moves to get five yards open on a three-yard route, leaving Josh Allen with one more wide-open target.  First down! 

 

Two plays later, Allen found Gabriel Davis alone behind Richard Sherman – I admit it, I love to watch loud-mouthed players get beat! – for a 28-yard touchdown, and the game was over. The Bills gave up a late touchdown and won 34-24. 

 

Two things about that fourth-down play stood out.  One is named Diggs, the other, McDermott.

 

Diggs came to Buffalo, we thought, to be the glamor boy, the deep threat, the guy you see making plays on Sports Center, if you still watch Sports Center.   Lately, he’s been doing the dirty work, and a lot of it.  Last night, four Bills caught touchdown passes – none of them was named Diggs.  Three Bills had longer receptions than Diggs. 

 

Still, the passing game was all about Stephon Diggs.  It was easy to see in his grass-stained uniform late in the game – he had been mixing it up all night.  Tough contested catches, including his signature sideline toe-tap.  Smart route running.   Blocking – his perfect block on the goal line created the airspace for Dawson Knox to fly into the end zone and give the Bills the lead in the second quarter. 

 

Diggs had 10 catches for 92 tough yards (he leads the league in receptions and is fifth in total yards).   He leads a receiving corps that is such a threat to go deep that, together with Josh Allen’s arm and legs, opponents abandon man-to-man coverage.  Only the best zones have been able to stop the Bills passing game.

 

Give that man a game ball.

 

As for McDermott, this is the man fans criticized as recently as last season for being too conservative, for running out the clock to end halves, for punting when he should have gone for it or kicked the field goal on fourth down.  No one is complaining now. 

 

On that fourth-and-two play, McDermott told his team there would be no hail Mary TDs in the Arizona desert this night.  He told his offense he knew they could convert, and he told his defense he trusted them to win it if they didn’t.  He had an offensive coordinator ready with the play, and he had players who could execute. 

 

He had no fear going for it at fourth and goal from the one to open the game, the beginning of one of the most disastrous stretches in a Bills game since McDermott arrived.  (Well, let’s say since Nate Peterman’s start against the Chargers.)

 

And he had no fear at the end of the first half.  If ever there was a time to run the ball, run out the clock, and head for the locker room with the lead at the half, this was it.  After the Bills’ spectacular drive to open the game, ending in failure at the one-yard line, after the 49ers’ equally spectacular drive deep into the red zone, after the brilliant Bills’ goal-line stand, after the Moss fumble and the 49ers touchdown, the Bills recovered.  They put together a quick, long touchdown drive to tie the game, forced a punt, and drove for a second touchdown and the lead with less than three minutes remaining in the half.  Just don’t give up a score, and we’re good.

 

The Bills forced a second punt and took over on their own ten with just over a minute left in the half.  Last season, the Bills run the time off the clock and head for the locker room, happy to have escaped with the lead.  That was last season.  This season, it was Singletary, Beasley, Diggs, Beasley, Davis, Bass for three and a ten-point lead.  It was what Rodgers does, Brees and Brady do, what Manning did.   And now it’s what Allen does. 

 

Let’s say it plain and simple:  The Bills win over the 49ers was the kind of game that good football teams win:  On the road, against a desperate, well-coached, physical team, a must-win game (they’re all must-win at this time of the season), and the Bills simply took control of the game and never let go.   It was impressive.

 

And I haven’t said a word about the defense.   I could write a completely different column about the equally superb effort on the other side of the ball.  I know about all the adversity the 49ers have faced, and I know that Garropolo and Kittle weren’t on the field, but Kyle Shanahan is one of the very best coaches in the league, and there was no question that the 49er offense would show up, ready to pound the relatively weak Bills run defense.  The 49ers wanted to control the game by running the ball, and the Bills defense simply wouldn’t let them do it.  It was one of the Bills’ best defensive performances of the season.  Consider these plays and players:

 

1.  The goal-line stand has become a Bills’ staple.  They simply will not allow you to run up the middle against them on the goal line.  The stand in the first quarter was superb. 

The stand in the fourth quarter was, of course, even better and deserves separate shout outs.

 

2.  Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, first down.  Butler penetration and monster tackle for a two-yard loss.  He was blocked, but it didn’t matter; he was coming.

 

3.  Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, second down.  Incredible recovery and touchdown-saving tackle by Hyde.  What a play!   Toughness, determination, technique. 

 

4. Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, third down.  White chases his receiver across the end zone and outfights him for the interception. 

 

5.  The entire defense looks different when 58 is running around out there.  The guy is just so good.  Several plays I’d ask myself, “Who was THAT?  Oh, it was Milano.”   The defense McBeane imagined in the off-season was going to feature some three-linebacker sets, with Klein in the Alexander role.  I think it’s coming.

 

6.  I mention Edmunds every week, but that’s because there’s something to say about him every week.   Now we’re seeing what the whole package can look like.  He was all over the field against the 49ers, and he was hitting people with authority.   Nice solid tackling, excellent pass defense, just all-round savvy play. 

 

7.  Beasley is superb.  I thought he was lost for the game on the first hit, but he’s tougher than that.  Like Diggs, he’s doing the dirty work. 

 

8.  Remember when Micah Hyde returned punts?  I’d forgotten how good he is as a return man.  Then he had his interception and reminded us all.  He wasn’t going down until it was time to go down. 

 

9.  Remember when Tyler Bass looked shaky place-kicking?   Balls off line, hooks and slices?  He’s settled down and looks like the kind of guy the Bills expected when they drafted him.  Interesting how the Bills use him on kickoffs – sometimes directional kicks to the coffin corner, with the coverage pinning the returner deep, sometimes long kicks into or through the end zone.  He’s looked sound and effective for weeks.

 

10.  Feliciano went down and the offensive-line play suffered.  He’s a key guy. 

 

11. Brian Daboll continues to draw up surprise plays, with the McKenzie touchdown and the Knox touchdown and the Knox inside shovel pass.  His offense was ready.

 

12.  Saved the best for last.  Josh Allen.

 

 

9-3 with four big challenges left. 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Good God man if--Gid forbid-- you lose your fingers in a mechanical rice picking machine, use your handstumps to keep producing this sort of thing.  Awesome read. 

[Kwai San]

Great review.....felt like I was back in my living room watching the game again last night!!

 

The D!  Man the D!  Nice to see props for the D!

[Billsfan1972]

Great review......  

 

Agree with all, but the Defense while they made plays and stands, they were overall good not spectacular and gave up # of yards.  SF is not a great team on offense and decimated as all know by injury.  

Edited December 8, 2020 by Billsfan1972

[Shaw66]

14 minutes ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

Good God man if--Gid forbid-- you lose your fingers in a mechanical rice picking machine, use your handstumps to keep producing this sort of thing.  Awesome read. 

sdxlwsdepdslsxa;'dewshoppgs;pxasz;bdx[;xbdz ;

[Da webster guy]

Good post.  We are now getting to enjoy the fruits of our labors with this team which frankly we deserve more than most fanbases.

Brady is gone, we have a young franchise qb, good coaches in place the Bills are fun to watch and poised to win the division handily this season.

 

As much as Josh has improved, its easy to overlook McDermott's progress, but he's learning clock management and making better game calls.  The OP talks about the end of the 1st half from our own 10 with a minute left and how we attack now.  Sean simply didn't have that in him until recently and its great to see.

 

We are playing our best ball to date and somehow are the healthiest we've been all year.  I wouldn't want to play against the Bills right now, this team is rolling.

 

 

[Logic]

Good stuff.

I thought the comments from all the 49ers players after the game were telling. They all said they knew what the Bills offense wanted to do and just couldn't stop it. That's "elite offense" type stuff. That's "K-Gun" type stuff. 

There are lots of things to talk about with the Bills right now. The defense rounding into form, Tre'Davious White being the most clutch defensive back in football, Daboll, McDermott...but for my money, the most interesting and important development of this season is this: Defenses are running out of ways to try to stop Josh Allen. He carves up man. He dices up zone. He beats the blitz. He sits back and picks apart soft, deep zones. Defensive coordinators keep coming up with new answers, and Allen keeps changing the questions. Last night was a great example. Saleh threw various well-disguised zone sets at Allen all night and he picked them apart. They finally said "ah, hell, let's go man", and Allen immediately through a TD to McKenzie. When they blitzed, he beat them. When they sat back, he beat them. 

Even if Allen has reached his ceiling, the Bills will be good for a long time -- but no part of me believes that he has reached his ceiling. Exciting for us, scary for the rest of the NFL.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Logic

[Forward Progress]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

One after-thought.  Levi Wallace.

 

There was a completion against him on an out pattern to the right sideline with Levi underneath and a safety behind him.  And there was the long completion against him up the left sideline.   On both plays, he could have been better, but on both plays he was very close to getting a hand on the ball as it arrived.   And there was the pass interference call where he did get his hand on the ball, but apparently was holding the receiver's arm down.   

 

In every case, Wallace was technically excellent.  He's really a solid #2.  You never see Wallace looking around, wondering how he blew an assignment.  He's where he's supposed to be, contributing all the time.   

 

Wallace had a tough matchup with Aiyuk last night and it's fair to say that Aiyuk got the better of Wallace.  Football is a game of match-ups and this is the only match-up I could see that favored the 49'ers.

 

Dane Jackson looked good in his two appearances this year and I'd like to see him elevated to the active roster to get a few more snaps to find out if he's ready for a bigger role.  I think he's done enough get a promotion from the practice squad.  

 

McDermott has instilled a culture where young players need to earn their way onto the roster to keep them "hungry and humble."  As fans, we get impatient when we think that better players are held down on the depth chart (e.g. Boettger), but if holding back on promotions to starters reinforces the culture where playing time is earned, not given, then we can try to be a little more patient as this is a big part of the Bills becoming a contender.

 

 

[Billsfan1972]

35 minutes ago, Da webster guy said:

Good post.  We are now getting to enjoy the fruits of our labors with this team which frankly we deserve more than most fanbases.

Brady is gone, we have a young franchise qb, good coaches in place the Bills are fun to watch and poised to win the division handily this season.

 

As much as Josh has improved, its easy to overlook McDermott's progress, but he's learning clock management and making better game calls.  The OP talks about the end of the 1st half from our own 10 with a minute left and how we attack now.  Sean simply didn't have that in him until recently and its great to see.

 

We are playing our best ball to date and somehow are the healthiest we've been all year.  I wouldn't want to play against the Bills right now, this team is rolling.

 

 

It was all about that first down play.  McD called a run & if it hadn't gained 8 yards, I imagine the Bills would have gone conservative.  

[timekills17]

@Shaw66 I think the defensive play of the game was the Hyde stop on second down that you mentioned.

The Tre INT was terrific, and he seems to have that knack for getting the game sealing pick, but it never happens without Micah's determination to not let that ball cross the goal line.

That was just an amazing, physical, one-person play.

[YattaOkasan]

1 hour ago, Billsfan1972 said:

It was all about that first down play.  McD called a run & if it hadn't gained 8 yards, I imagine the Bills would have gone conservative.  

Maybe.  I do think they intend to run the clock down at the start of their 2 min drive at the end of the half to not give the other team the ball back (49ers had 3 TOs still so you cant start with an incompletion).  It is more likely to look "conservative" than it is to look like it did last night, but I think thats the approach.

[Kelly the Dog]

42 minutes ago, timekills17 said:

@Shaw66 I think the defensive play of the game was the Hyde stop on second down that you mentioned.

The Tre INT was terrific, and he seems to have that knack for getting the game sealing pick, but it never happens without Micah's determination to not let that ball cross the goal line.

That was just an amazing, physical, one-person play.

That was huge. Both INTS were huge. Another monster play was Daryl Johnson for the 9 yard loss on a running play. That was the only time I thought maybe the 9ers MIGHT be able to get back in the game, and suddenly it was 2-19. A TD would have made the game 17-14. They got a 45 yard FG instead and the Bills went down and scored.  And what a ridiculous effort on that play.

[Don Otreply]

Shaw66, I couldn’t have said it better, 

 

Go Bills!!!

[NewEra]

“He was blocked, but it didn’t matter, he was coming” ❤️

Edited December 8, 2020 by NewEra

[NewEra]

I think the best play of the game was Edmunds stuff on 4th and 1.  We should’ve stopped them on 3rd down to make them go 3 and out but the flag flies onto the screen from the other side of the field for a phantom PI.  That led to a 13 play drove in which they were manhandling us in the run game for the most part.  And then the goalline stand happened.  Edmunds said NO and laid the lumber on Wilson, who’s a decently sized back. We told them that they weren’t going to impose their will on us like the chiefs did earlier in the year.  Things are different.  
 

Sure, they got in a couple plays later after the Moss fumble, while the D was still exhausted, but edmunds tackle really resonated with me.  I was ******* fired up!  My wife said she got goosebumps because I was so fired up lol