Cover1 Breakdown of Bills OL vs. Steelers. "Breakdown" is the Apt Word

[Hapless Bills Fan]

As noted elsewhere, they are doing this without all-22 Film

Still worth watching IMO.

 

Initial takedown:

1) JFC, Dawkins got Pwned.  Just Ugly.

2) It may be unfair to finger-point Feliciano.  I can't say he was great, but Turner points out that protection calls all day by and large slid the line right, to let Ford help Williams with TJ Watt.  This basically left Feliciano 1:1 with Heyward and Dawkins on an island.

 

Dawkins looks nothing like the Franchise LT we paid in this film.  It's Ugly.

If a full off-season of training and no injury was supposed to result in an improved Feliciano, the early returns are not positive.

 

That said, why the Bills failed to say, "OK, this isn't working, let's get you guys some help" I can not guess

 

3) Except that as Turner points out, every single guy on the line looked bad at times so 🤷‍♂️

 

 

[billybrew1]

As far as I'm concerned, Feliciano is a favorite Bill, through and through. The guy goes where he is needed no questions asked.

The problems that arose are because Dion Dawkins suffered weeks with covid when the two had to get things down for the upcoming season.

The good news is that this is all fixable, maybe the bad news is that we won't know when. It could take some time for three things to occur: for Dawkins to come all the way back. For Feliciano to adjust to LG and for Dawkins and Feliciano to work out their complicated relationship between a guard and a tackle in the NFL....

This could take awhile, Wallers....

[RoyBatty is alive]

20 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

As noted elsewhere, they are doing this without all-22 Film

Still worth watching IMO.

 

Initial takedown:

1) JFC, Dawkins got Pwned.  Just Ugly.

2) It may be unfair to finger-point Feliciano.  I can't say he was great, but Turner points out that protection calls all day by and large slid the line right, to let Ford help Williams with TJ Watt.  This basically left Feliciano 1:1 with Heyward and Dawkins on an island.

 

Dawkins looks nothing like the Franchise LT we paid in this film.  It's Ugly.

If a full off-season of training and no injury was supposed to result in an improved Feliciano, the early returns are not positive.

 

That said, why the Bills failed to say, "OK, this isn't working, let's get you guys some help" I can not guess

 

3) Except that as Turner points out, every single guy on the line looked bad at times so 🤷‍♂️

 

 

That to me sounds like a disaster, which is what it was, especially considering Dawkins was still Covid weak (despite what McDermott said post game).

[Buffalo716]

Line calls will be shifting right all season 

 

Dawkins got no help last year and he won't really again... If your LT can't consistently win 1 on 1 then he isn't a starting caliber LT 

 

Dion should bounce back when he gets into full game shape

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

That to me sounds like a disaster, which is what it was, especially considering Dawkins was still Covid weak (despite what McDermott said post game).

 

I looked it up, and last season it was Boettger playing LG. 

 

IIRC Heyward totally terrorized Boettger for the first half, with the result that at the half our offensive drives were Punt-Int-Punt Punt Fumble Punt FG, and we were leading 9-7 at the half on the strength of a Taron Johnson Pick-6 with a missed XP.  We made some adjustments in the 2nd half that somewhat neutralized him, but I don't remember what they were - anyone?

 

 

4 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Line calls will be shifting right all season 

 

Dawkins got no help last year and he won't really again... If your LT can't consistently win 1 on 1 then he isn't a starting caliber LT 

 

Dion should bounce back when he gets into full game shape

 

That's all find and dandy like Cotton Candy, except when do we expect that "full game shape" transition to occur?  And what we gonna do until it does?

 

Because if we don't have a plan besides than "Dawkins should be able to do it so let's Make a Plan Like he Can" while he's getting there, we could be in rather a W-L hole before it goes down.

 

I did not realize how awful Dawkins played at times.

[ticketssince61]

really insightful - gives a perspective that the average fan does not not have

[RoyBatty is alive]

4 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I looked it up, and last season it was Boettger playing LG. 

 

IIRC Heyward totally terrorized Boettger for the first half, with the result that at the half our offensive drives were Punt-Int-Punt Punt Fumble Punt FG, and we were leading 9-7 at the half on the strength of a Taron Johnson Pick-6 with a missed XP.  We made some adjustments in the 2nd half that somewhat neutralized him, but I don't remember what they were - anyone?

 

 

It was a brutal game versus the Steelers until the pick six so the "regression" of the team from last year is really not that dramatic.  One year we had a pick six, the next year they block a punt for a TD.  Beyond those two plays,  the games were not radically different imo.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

8 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I looked it up, and last season it was Boettger playing LG. 

 

IIRC Heyward totally terrorized Boettger for the first half, with the result that at the half our offensive drives were Punt-Int-Punt Punt Fumble Punt FG, and we were leading 9-7 at the half on the strength of a Taron Johnson Pick-6 with a missed XP.  We made some adjustments in the 2nd half that somewhat neutralized him, but I don't remember what they were - anyone?

 

 

 

That's all find and dandy like Cotton Candy, except when do we expect that "full game shape" transition to occur?  And what we gonna do until it does?

 

Because if we don't have a plan besides than "Dawkins should be able to do it so let's Make a Plan Like he Can" while he's getting there, we could be in rather a W-L hole before it goes down.

 

I did not realize how awful Dawkins played at times.

 

They were blitzing a ton in that one.  They went away from the deep crossers and into some more timing based stuff to beat their man coverage

[oldmanfan]

We have to hope Dawkins gets healthier but it takes a while to get over Covid.  Williams had a bad game but that should be an aberration.  But the interior?  Hayward is a beast, true, but those guys have to step up.  Otherwise we might need to get the 7th round rookie and Bates in there and see if there’s an upgrade to be had.

[RoyBatty is alive]

4 minutes ago, ticketssince61 said:

really insightful - gives a perspective that the average fan does not not have

It was very insightful.  What is really sad about the missed 55 yd TD to Sanders is that on that one play, our Line played specatuvclar, Josh had zero pressure and all the time in the world, no debate about that.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Dawkins missed a ton of camp, was also essentially hospitalized with an illness and supposedly lost a fair amount of weight and strength to anchor.  If he doesn't improve, and fast, i have to consider giving spencer brown snaps.  

[Buffalo716]

9 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I looked it up, and last season it was Boettger playing LG. 

 

IIRC Heyward totally terrorized Boettger for the first half, with the result that at the half our offensive drives were Punt-Int-Punt Punt Fumble Punt FG, and we were leading 9-7 at the half on the strength of a Taron Johnson Pick-6 with a missed XP.  We made some adjustments in the 2nd half that somewhat neutralized him, but I don't remember what they were - anyone?

 

 

 

That's all find and dandy like Cotton Candy, except when do we expect that "full game shape" transition to occur?  And what we gonna do until it does?

 

Because if we don't have a plan besides than "Dawkins should be able to do it so let's Make a Plan Like he Can" while he's getting there, we could be in rather a W-L hole before it goes down.

 

I did not realize how awful Dawkins played at times.

It's a tough situation

 

Most teams are putting their best pass rusher over the right tackle, to find a weak spot 

 

So you have to shift your line to the right

 

Your left tackle is just naturally a better pass blocker , so if there's somebody on your line that has to go one-on-one it's usually him 

 

You could give Dion help but then it's going to leave worse blockers vulnerable

[Hapless Bills Fan]

21 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

It's a tough situation

 

Most teams are putting their best pass rusher over the right tackle, to find a weak spot 

 

So you have to shift your line to the right

 

Your left tackle is just naturally a better pass blocker , so if there's somebody on your line that has to go one-on-one it's usually him 

 

You could give Dion help but then it's going to leave worse blockers vulnerable

 

Then maybe we need to be bringing in an extra OLman or keeping in a TE or RB to help block.

 

It seems to me one reason they re-signed Darryl Wiliams is that he did pretty well at RT without extra help most of the time.

 

21 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

I would be enraged at Dawkins if I were McBeane or Pegula.  Don’t get the vaccine, get covid really bad then show up fat and out of shape.  How much did we pay you?  

 

FWIW I think he showed up somewhat overweight and out of condition in OTAs and minicamp before becoming ill.  And he was in the process of getting vaccinated when he got sick.  I don't think they have energy to spare getting mad at him, just ask him to "control what you can control" going forward.

[billybrew1]

1 hour ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

It was a brutal game versus the Steelers until the pick six so the "regression" of the team from last year is really not that dramatic.  One year we had a pick six, the next year they block a punt for a TD.  Beyond those two plays,  the games were not radically different imo.

JA thrashed the Stealers in the third and forth quarters last game.  He stood brave around a crumbling OL and made play after play. This time he was nervous and off and the Stealers did not blitz. So, a lot of big differences.....

[Buffalo716]

36 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Then maybe we need to be bringing in an extra OLman or keeping in a TE or RB to help block.

 

It seems to me one reason they re-signed Darryl Wiliams is that he did pretty well at RT without extra help most of the time.

 

 

FWIW I think he showed up somewhat overweight and out of condition in OTAs and minicamp before becoming ill.  And he was in the process of getting vaccinated when he got sick.  I don't think they have energy to spare getting mad at him, just ask him to "control what you can control" going forward.

I think Williams was good last year

 

But he got a ton of help.. a lot more than Dion 

 

Williams had Knox chipping watt Sunday, and protection slid his way

 

Dawkins just has a harder job

[Bruffalo]

1 hour ago, dneveu said:

Dawkins missed a ton of camp, was also essentially hospitalized with an illness and supposedly lost a fair amount of weight and strength to anchor.  If he doesn't improve, and fast, i have to consider giving spencer brown snaps.  

This is the downside of drafting so many project but super high upside players.  Brown is not ready to start and depth behind that is even worse.  If Dawkins doesn't bounce back and fast we're looking at a serious problem for this season.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

I think Williams was good last year

 

But he got a ton of help.. a lot more than Dion 

 

Williams had Knox chipping watt Sunday, and protection slid his way

 

Dawkins just has a harder job

 

I didn't see Knox chipping too much last Sunday, but maybe I missed it

By my count off the data cover1 presented (from Sharp Football Stats, I think, 1:59 in) Bills had a TE in the game on 46 snaps

No TE in the game on 33 snaps, including 10 snaps with just WR and 23 snaps with just an RB

 

I think those snaps underrepresent the number of empty backfields, since I believe I saw both Motor and Knox split out wide quite a lot

 

I believe you that Dawkins last year had a harder job and got less help, and did it well

But That was Then, This is Now.

 

43 minutes ago, Bruffalo said:

This is the downside of drafting so many project but super high upside players.  Brown is not ready to start and depth behind that is even worse.  If Dawkins doesn't bounce back and fast we're looking at a serious problem for this season.

 

Agree.  But frankly, Dawkins looked bad enough last week that it has me eyeballing Brown and asking "How Hard Could it Be?"

[Buffalo716]

17 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I didn't see Knox chipping too much last Sunday, but maybe I missed it

By my count off the data cover1 presented (from Sharp Football Stats, I think, 1:59 in) Bills had a TE in the game on 46 snaps

No TE in the game on 33 snaps, including 10 snaps with just WR and 23 snaps with just an RB

 

I think those snaps underrepresent the number of empty backfields, since I believe I saw both Motor and Knox split out wide quite a lot

 

I believe you that Dawkins last year had a harder job and got less help, and did it well

But That was Then, This is Now.

 

 

Agree.  But frankly, Dawkins looked bad enough last week that it has me eyeballing Brown and asking "How Hard Could it Be?"

Wasn't counting how many times Dawson knox chipped 

 

But I saw him at least a few times

 

I would have to dive in further to see how often and effective it was

[Hapless Bills Fan]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Wasn't counting how many times Dawson knox chipped 

 

But I saw him at least a few times

 

I would have to dive in further to see how often and effective it was

 

My overwhelming impression was that we kept guys in to block on very few snaps, but I do know that impressions can be mistaken

 

I saw Singletary being totally ineffective and out ahead of the line seeking someone to block while Ingram put Dawkins in the spin cycle on 4th and 8

That's not to say he wasn't in there blocking valiantly and effectively other times, but that was the only time that stood out to me.

[Buffalo716]

6 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

My overwhelming impression was that we kept guys in to block on very few snaps, but I do know that impressions can be mistaken

 

I saw Singletary being totally ineffective and out ahead of the line seeking someone to block while Ingram put Dawkins in the spin cycle on 4th and 8

That's not to say he wasn't in there blocking valiantly and effectively other times, but that was the only time that stood out to me.

As a whole the line certainly was ineffective

 

Including the backs and tight ends