Inactivating Zach Moss

[ThurmanThomasEnglishMuffin]

I still don't understand why they left Moss, our best pass protection RB, inactive against one of the top 5 DLs. Idiotic decision.

 

It is clear to me the idea was to go 4 or 5 wide all game, pressure be d@mned. Having a chess piece like Moss who can help change up blocking assignments if the front 5 is struggling allows flexibility. Buffalo has 0 blocking TE to speak of. Breida has never been a (+) blocker. You give up blocking and catching with him in. This is why he has been cut so many times. He is fast, and will break one occasionally, but signals a rush.

 

Singletary is replacement level at blocking, and does not have natural hands. We all saw it. Moss may not be the runner Singletary is, but he adds a pass protection level the other backs don't, and he can chug out 4 YPC. His hands have been equal to Singletary given the targets they have had.

 

Poor game plan and scheme. Total failure to understand the opponent and what they will do.

 

Buffalo was going to go 4-5 wide all game and announced it by sitting Moss. This decision and the empty sets allowed Pitt to drop 6 and 7 into zone coverage with no fear. If the front 4 can get pressure, and drop the rest, you beat Buffalo. Unfortunately (PIT/KC/TB/WAS etc) can all do it. It is the recipe to beat the Bills. Have a (+) 4 man pass rush and drop 6-7 in coverage. They have to figure out how to beat a (+) 4 man rush. Sitting Moss is idiotic. He can pick up the loose defender and can still get 4 ypc should Buffalo actually run the ball.

 

Buffalo needs to become more proficient in a 3WR/1TE/1RB set or 4WR/ RB set. Moss is the best fit for both because of his blocking and running ability.

 

This game came down to arrogance and an inability to change up blocking schemes because Buffalo's best non OL blocker was inactive.

[FilthyBeast]

I'm puzzled by this move as well but I would disagree about Moss in pass protection, Singletary is much better in that area and probably why he's still the primary back for now.

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

This team puts so much emphasis on STs for the active roster on game day…then the STs always sucks anyway and lost us the game yesterday. We have to stop giving these valuable spots to guys that can ONLY play STs. It’s too much. It’s important but not important enough to undress impact players.

[Mango]

If I recall I used to ride Singletary hard about his pass pro. His rookie year he was a liability out there on passing downs. 
 

BUT!!! I have to admit he has gotten MUCH better. 
 

I still think Moss needs to dress. But somebody needs to take the TJ Yeldon role on the depth chart. 

[dreadlox]

1 minute ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

This team puts so much emphasis on STs for the active roster on game day…then the STs always sucks anyway and lost us the game yesterday. We have to stop giving these valuable spots to guys that can ONLY play STs. It’s too much. It’s important but not important enough to undress impact players.

So what your saying is you’d rather see Kumerow or Taiwan “undressed”?

[LABILLBACKER]

6 minutes ago, ThurmanThomasEnglishMuffin said:

I still don't understand why they left Moss, our best pass protection RB, inactive against one of the top 5 DLs. Idiotic decision.

 

It is clear to me the idea was to go 4 or 5 wide all game, pressure be d@mned. Having a chess piece like Moss who can help change up blocking assignments if the front 5 is struggling allows flexibility. Buffalo has 0 blocking TE to speak of. Breida has never been a (+) blocker. You give up blocking and catching with him in. This is why he has been cut so many times. He is fast, and will break one occasionally, but signals a rush.

 

Singletary is replacement level at blocking, and does not have natural hands. We all saw it. Moss may not be the runner Singletary is, but he adds a pass protection level the other backs don't, and he can chug out 4 YPC. His hands have been equal to Singletary given the targets they have had.

 

Poor game plan and scheme. Total failure to understand the opponent and what they will do.

 

Buffalo was going to go 4-5 wide all game and announced it by sitting Moss. This decision and the empty sets allowed Pitt to drop 6 and 7 into zone coverage with no fear. If the front 4 can get pressure, and drop the rest, you beat Buffalo. Unfortunately (PIT/KC/TB/WAS etc) can all do it. It is the recipe to beat the Bills. Have a (+) 4 man pass rush and drop 6-7 in coverage. They have to figure out how to beat a (+) 4 man rush. Sitting Moss is idiotic. He can pick up the loose defender and can still get 4 ypc should Buffalo actually run the ball.

 

Buffalo needs to become more proficient in a 3WR/1TE/1RB set or 4WR/ RB set. Moss is the best fit for both because of his blocking and running ability.

 

This game came down to arrogance and an inability to change up blocking schemes because Buffalo's best non OL blocker was inactive.

With Watt you never have to rush more than 4. And Daboll insists on rarely using a TE to help double Watt. Yesterday was just plain bad coaching by Sean & Brian followed by an awful day for Josh.

[Scott7975]

The difference between Moss and Singletary in pass blocking probably isn't much.  They also had Gilliam if they wanted.  You answered your own question.  They expected and pretty much did go 4-5 wide all game.  Moss being active was unnecessary in their game plan.  He would have changed nothing.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

3 minutes ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

This team puts so much emphasis on STs for the active roster on game day…then the STs always sucks anyway and lost us the game yesterday. We have to stop giving these valuable spots to guys that can ONLY play STs. It’s too much. It’s important but not important enough to undress impact players.

Corrected for you.  The only ST players that are important is the place kicker and the long snapper. The rest can be filled by street free agents.  

[Simon]

3 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

Moss being active was unnecessary in their game plan.  He would have changed nothing

 

If part of your game plan includes Zach Moss on the sideline in civvies, your gameplan is ****ed up.

[BuffaloBillyG]

Stephenson was out. McKenzie was coming back from a bum shoulder. He actually tweaked his other shoulder early in. They needed someone that could back up KR. Pregame, he was down in the end zone working with the ST coaches. May not be a popular move for the fans, but that was what it looks like the decision was based on. 

[NickelCity]

15 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

I'm puzzled by this move as well but I would disagree about Moss in pass protection, Singletary is much better in that area and probably why he's still the primary back for now.

 

Not sure that I agree on that one, to be honest. I think Moss is pretty good in pass pro. 

[Scott7975]

13 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

If part of your game plan includes Zach Moss on the sideline in civvies, your gameplan is ****ed up.

 

I agree.  The gameplan was absolute garbage yesterday.

[CountDorkula]

12 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Corrected for you.  The only ST players that are important is the place kicker and the long snapper. The rest can be filled by street free agents.  

considering 99% of kicks are touchbacks now.

 

You need three/four special teamers

Kicker

Punter

Long Snapper/have a guy who plays another position do it Hell Epenesa did it in preseason. 

One good gunner for punts. 

 

 

The emphasis teams, especially this one put on it is so ***** dumb. 

[BillMafia716ix]

Daboll doesn’t like to play physical football. We are too finesse on offense. Pass, pass, pass, run it then pass pass pass some more. 
 

He’s been here 4yrs and his approached hasn’t changed. We played right into Pittsburgh’s hands. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

39 minutes ago, No Place To Hyde said:

Stephenson was out. McKenzie was coming back from a bum shoulder. He actually tweaked his other shoulder early in. They needed someone that could back up KR. Pregame, he was down in the end zone working with the ST coaches. May not be a popular move for the fans, but that was what it looks like the decision was based on. 

 

Not sure who "he" is in this context?

 

 

[Bangarang]

So many hot takes

[BuffaloBillyG]

4 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Not sure who "he" is in this context?

 

 

Sorry, Breida was working with the ST coaches. That is the "he". My bad.

[SCBills]

I was happy with it before the game. 
 

After watching that, I think we outsmarted ourselves.   Thought we could spread em out and hit them with some Breida speed packages.  
 

In retrospect, having one of the best pass pro RBs in the league active probably would’ve made sense. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

I think they wanted to give him 1 more week to recover?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

54 minutes ago, CountDorkula said:

considering 99% of kicks are touchbacks now

 

If 99% of kicks are touchbacks now, can you help me understand why pro football reference says 992 out of 1687 (58.5%) of kickoffs were returned in 2020?

 

I hear 99% of statistics are made up.

 

54 minutes ago, CountDorkula said:

You need three/four special teamers

Kicker

Punter

Long Snapper/have a guy who plays another position do it Hell Epenesa did it in preseason. 

One good gunner for punts.

 

Imma have to pin @gunnerbill's excellent post on the different ST roles.

Here it is:

Bottom line at minimum, in addition to the kicker, punter and LS you need: a KR/PR; 2 Gunners, a Personal protector (we saw what happens when that doesn't work) and a couple of some inside wing protectors/wedge players

 

No offense to Epenesa (who surely tried his best) but having him fill in as long snapper was an undesireable adventure and made it clear that the LS has value.

21 minutes ago, No Place To Hyde said:

Sorry, Breida was working with the ST coaches. That is the "he". My bad.

 

Ah.  Then I agree with you.  I think Breida was active because of ST.  McDermott even said that in his post-game presser, that "he is a very important player to us on ST".  I'm not sure what other roles he has on ST - he could be a gunner I guess, though that's usually Taiwan Jones and Siran Neal - but I'm pretty confident he was active because the Bills wanted a "backup plan" to McKenzie at KR/PR

 

On the other hand there's this on how having a backup plan can sometimes backfire