Inactivating Zach Moss

[FieldGeneral]

Not only did he bench his best RB to counter an aggressive pass rush, but he also didn't adjust to what his QB was doing or not doing. Had Josh been accurate, this wouldn't have been an issue, but Pittsburgh was in our backfield all game. And Sean kept Pittsburgh in this game when it should have been a blowout. 

[Utah John]

I watched an analysis of last year's performances by Singletary and Moss in pass protection.  Moss was far and away better than Singletary in that aspect of their games.  Singletary is probably a slightly better rusher, but Moss's superiority in pass pro means he should be starting whenever the Bills play a team with a strong pass rush.

[Doc Brown]

I hope they go back to running back by committee with Moss and Singletary next week and have Breida as a healthy scratch.  If McKenzie gets injured just have Hyde back there to fair catch the punts.  Taiwan Jones can field kickoffs.

[vincec]

The Ol handled Pittsburgh’s DL OK last season. I’m sure that factored into their thinking. Daboll likes to be aggressive in his sets so it’s no surprise to me that Moss was the odd man out.

 

What I don’t like is that no matter how much Daboll talks about “doing whatever it takes” in terms of personnel, run/pass balance, game planning, etc., every game plan looks the same and never seems to change during the game if things aren’t working. I literally laughed out loud at his PC when he said that if they need to run it on every play to win then that’s what they will do.

[GunnerBill]

13 hours 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.

 

The problem is the guy who "only play special teams" was right there on a punt coverage tackle (think Neal got the credit but Neal and Jones converged and sandwiched the returner from either side proving again they are an elite tandem) and was the guy leading the path for McKenzie and the huge return. He very much did his job on Sunday. If everyone else had played as well as him we would have won the game.

 

Matakevich was certainly part of the mix up for the blocked punt (and you could argue he over Andre Smith is largely for special teams, thought I was surprised to see Smith down and Dodson who is more there for non-ST purposes up) but I actually but more of it on Reid who basically fails to get his hands on anyone and falls over (maybe you don't wanna dress a long snapper?) and the punter who seems to start a yard too close and then takes almost 3 seconds to get his punt off because of his bizarre "shuffle, step, kick" technique (maybe you don't wanna dress a punter?)

 

I think we have downgraded at Punter and I say that as someone who was never a Bojo fan. 

[Teddy KGB]

13 hours ago, FieldGeneral said:

And Sean kept Pittsburgh in this game when it should have been a blowout. 

Ahh, classic McDermott returns 😂

[Andrew Son]

No problem with the gameplan here.

 

We were going up against a very stout front 7 and suspect secondary.  The play was to spread it out and test the secondary, not run into a brick wall.  The execution just wasn't there. 

[Big Gun]

6 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said:

Ahh, classic McDermott returns 😂

Yup, outcoached again, this makes 4 games in a row dating back to the Colts game.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

41 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

No problem with the gameplan here.

 

We were going up against a very stout front 7 and suspect secondary.  The play was to spread it out and test the secondary, not run into a brick wall.  The execution just wasn't there. 

 

I see the initial logic and have no not too much problem with the gameplan going into the game, especially given that Tuitt was out of the picture and HIghsmith was battling an injury.

 

Once it became evident that they were able to get pressure with 4 or even 3 and that Cam Heyworth was terrorizing this year's OL as much as last year and the secondary was "holding" long enough for the pressure to get there, I have a problem with not adjusting to a different plan.

 

It's a valid point that a 4 wide and 5 wide set is a plan that yields returns only if your base OL or OL/+1 can protect long enough to allow the receivers to spread out and run routes of different depths.  Once it became clear that wasn't happening, change the plan.

 

 

8 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

I hope they go back to running back by committee with Moss and Singletary next week and have Breida as a healthy scratch.  If McKenzie gets injured just have Hyde back there to fair catch the punts.  Taiwan Jones can field kickoffs.

 

The snap counts are out there and without fielding any PR or KOR, Breida played 33% of the ST snaps.  I'm not sure what he was doing - anyone?

 

I'm worried for Moss seeing the field now, because once a guy starts playing 1/3 of the ST snaps it seems Farwell can't live without him and the gameday decisions go his way.  I fear we're going to be keeping 2 so-called RBs on the field due to ST and having only 1 actual RB who can genuinely be an RB active.

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

8 hours ago, vincec said:

The Ol handled Pittsburgh’s DL OK last season. I’m sure that factored into their thinking. Daboll likes to be aggressive in his sets so it’s no surprise to me that Moss was the odd man out.

 

What I don’t like is that no matter how much Daboll talks about “doing whatever it takes” in terms of personnel, run/pass balance, game planning, etc., every game plan looks the same and never seems to change during the game if things aren’t working. I literally laughed out loud at his PC when he said that if they need to run it on every play to win then that’s what they will do.

 

Well... that is pretty much what they did in the first NE game last year and close to what they did against the Chargers.

 

But in general I agree that in-game adjustments seem lacking and that Daboll seems to lack a strategic perspective on the game, by which I mean "if blocking and misleading the front 7 are big issues all game, maybe don't run a trick play that critically depends on blocking and misleading the front 7"

[Alphadawg7]

19 hours 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.

 

The over exaggeration of Moss around here is over the top, and no offense, but this is way off base.

 

Our OL was not expected to play as poor as they did.  They were atrocious, not only did they fail to protect Josh, but they killed us with holding penalties, which they even had another one the stat sheet didnt show because Cole Beasley dropped the third down throw and it made it 4th and long by declining the penalty instead of like 3rd and 20+ yards.  

 

Moss being inactive had nothing to do with why we lost, literally nothing.  We lost because our OL was a train wreck in general, Daboll was terrible in his scheme and play call, Josh pushed too hard to carry the team when the offense sputtered and looked for the big play rather than take what was there, and we had a blocked punt.  Moss being active changes none of that.  He is not suddenly blocking TJ Watt.

 

And for the love of all things holy, what in the hell will it take for Daboll to understand that Josh is NOT Lamar, he is not a RUNNING QB...he is a Pocket Passer who can make you pay big time with his legs while extending plays and scrambling for big yards.  This stupidity of making Josh a straight RB so many times in a game BEFORE the box is cleared out is so unbelievably stupid that I can not even fathom why Daboll is obsessed with it.  All it does is get us 4 or 5 yards at best and risk Josh fumbling or getting hurt on big contact.  

 

There are only 3 times Josh should be running...QB sneaks, designed runs on ROLLOUTS where the threat of passing is there, or when no one is open and he has open daylight to go.  He is not a damn RB, stop running him up the middle off the snap with these countless RPO's while the defense is still on in the box.  That is NOT his game Daboll.  

[Eastport bills]

18 hours 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.

 The things you rattled off are so obvious to fans, and made a huge difference in the game, is there anyway they don’t activate Moss next week. Besides, the guy is a better short yardage option than Motor or Breida. Arrogance is in Dabol's DNA and Sean has to be the leader who makes adjustments when his team gets victimized. 

[vincec]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Well... that is pretty much what they did in the first NE game last year and close to what they did against the Chargers.

 

But in general I agree that in-game adjustments seem lacking and that Daboll seems to lack a strategic perspective on the game, by which I mean "if blocking and misleading the front 7 are big issues all game, maybe don't run a trick play that critically depends on blocking and misleading the front 7"

So 2 games out of the last 20?
 

I wouldn’t hold your breath this season waiting for a game plan that doesn’t involve spreading the field with 4 and 5 wrs and throwing the crap out of the ball. Which was probably not ideal against a defense like Pittsburgh’s. That may have been one of the times to make some modifications.

[BillMafia716ix]

We got cocky. We signed Emmanuel Sanders and wanted to show off our new toy by going empty and throwing it all game. 
 

Making Moss inactive showed they had Zero interest in trying to establish any type of running attack to keep the Steelers defense honest. Just a poor overall gameplan by Daboll. 

[Success]

Unless Moss regressed, he HAS to be in there every game going forward.

 

We can't go into a game without a guy for short yardage.  And he can do a lot more than that.  That decision will never sit well w/ me - not that I know better than the coaches, but I feel like they didn't take this 1st game as seriously as they should have.

 

[hondo in seattle]

9 hours ago, SWATeam said:

No problem with the gameplan here.

 

We were going up against a very stout front 7 and suspect secondary.  The play was to spread it out and test the secondary, not run into a brick wall.  The execution just wasn't there. 

 

I partially agree with you.   Clearly Daboll saw a 'weak' secondary and reasonably thought he could exploit it.  

 

But he overestimated our ability to protect our QB.  And Josh had a bad day.  We're a pass-first-and-second offense.  When Josh has a bad day, we're in trouble.  

 

Daboll doesn't go into a game with a Plan B: 'If we can't pass it, we'll run it and here's how.'

[Jerome007]

I find Singletarry to be a good blocker too, so a moot point to me... especially since he was rarely used to pass block!
(I get Daboll's game plan, it made sense on paper, but do the coaches know you can ADJUST when it doesn't work as planned out and the OL needs help?)

 

Who replaced Moss on the active roster? Does he get paid for being inactive? Do they dress a practice squad player when there is a "healthy scratch"?

[RoyBatty is alive]

On 9/13/2021 at 6:16 PM, Scott7975 said:

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.

 

 

Yeah the great blocking fullback Gilliam. Go back and watch the infamous 4th down play where we lost 5 yards, Gilliam job was to 1) "sell" the were going to run 2) block ahead for Breida.  He did neither, whiffed on the one defender that got to Breida, we had two bills and Pitt needed only one guy to make the tackle.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

Because Moss is a slow plodder, with no playmaking ability and not enough size to be a true bruiser. 

 

He’s a classic McDermott running back  in the mold of Mike Tolbert, Chris Ivory, Frank Gore.

 

He’s a holdover from McDermott saying we need to be “physical” in the run game.

 

He’s never been an impressive player, and a lot of his nostalgia among fans is being overhyped in his first Training Camp by Joe B. 
 

On top of that he’s been injured.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

12 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I partially agree with you.   Clearly Daboll saw a 'weak' secondary and reasonably thought he could exploit it.  

 

But he overestimated our ability to protect our QB.  And Josh had a bad day.  We're a pass-first-and-second offense.  When Josh has a bad day, we're in trouble.  

 

Daboll doesn't go into a game with a Plan B: 'If we can't pass it, we'll run it and here's how.'

I am happy to see Daboll and this coaching staff getting heat for this.

 

Buffalo media is still going with we ended 13 games last year, meanwhile it’s 2021 and our vaunted offense scored 16 on Sunday.

 

Suddenly the narrative is now, Pittsburgh is really good, but…. we’re unlikely to see a defensive line that good again so fire away.

 

You’re not beating Kansas City (or probably Cleveland) without scoring 35 points. 
 

But Sunday wasn’t that. It was a 10-6 ballgame into the 4th Quarter.