A Few Thoughts about the Texans game, in no particular order

[Virgil]

One of the more well-known comments heard in the NFL is "On any given Given Sunday....", referring to the idea that any team can win any game at any time.  Fans see upsets all the time and this Sunday was no different as a NJ Jets team was able to pull a win out against the Titans.  However, sometimes Goliath is just plain Goliath and they smack David down with a force that makes them question if the NFL really the right career choice for them.  On Sunday, over the course of multiple plays, series, and quarters, Bills players showed Texans players what it's like to have another grown man simply dominate them.

 

1 - Edmunds - If you've been reading along, you would know that I'm not sold on Edmunds as our MLB of the future and do not believe he is worth top 10 money when his current deal runs out.  However, if Edmunds could replicate his performance he displayed against the Texans towards all future opponents, I would be willing to Venmo the money to the Pegulas myself.  It would be easy to call out the interception Edmunds had as his highlight, but that's not the play that stood out to me.  The Texans stacked the strong side along side a few additional receivers.  They called a toss to the halfback and mismatched blockers to Bills defenders.  While everyone else got swallowed up in the play, Edmunds watched the blocks unfold, picked an open lane, and broke through for a great tackle about 2 yards passed the line of scrimmage.  This is the kind of play recognition, quick thinking, and decisive action I've wanted to see from Edmunds since he was drafted here.   Additionally, when covering the middle of the field, he was able to get his hands on a few balls for deflections, versus tackling the player after the fact.  Edmunds was a difference maker on the field today, which is what your middle linebacker should be.

 

2 - The Replacements - Gene Hackman must've been wearing a McD mask, because a lot of guys stepped up today in lieu of many key starters.  Cam Lewis was all over the field today, including the backfield in run support.  Jaquan Johnson did an amazing job filling in for Poyer and possibly sealed the shutout with a late game interception.  Basham started on the first series, in what appeared to be a heavy line set, and even recorded his first NFL sack!  Ike was solid starting for Feliciano and I'd argue they had their best rushing game of the season (sorry Cody Ford).  Klein was solid filling in for Milano (please be back for the next two games) and had a tipped pass at the LOS, which led to an interception.  Overall, excellent job all around for guys making the most of their opportunities.

 

3 - Not Today - It can be difficult at times to feel a hit from the stands or grasp the speed at which a play can happen.  However, Ed Oliver had a stop in the backfield that left the crowd quiet.  Oliver shed his block and destroyed the halfback in the backfield so quick that even his momentum ran away scared.  This was the play many of us visually when we drafted Ed and he also played a solid overall game.  He showed great speed and relentlessness as he was chasing down plays all over the field.  With Star excelling beside him, Oliver was left to feast.

 

4 - Here's the selfless confession
Leading me back to war
Can we help that... our destinations
Are the ones we've been before

 

5 - Defensive Line - The game ball for this game has to go to the defensive line as all of them seemed to make standout plays.  Star had his second sack of the season after brushing his defender out of the way like a rag-doll.  Hughes and Addison played the edges beautifully and were able to break down a few plays where the Texans were trying some quick screen throws.  Groot was fairly silent, but was decent in coverage off the line.  If this line is able to play even a fraction of this good next week, our chances get incredibly better.

 

6 - Knox - I'm not sure how many more games people need to see from this kid, but Knox seems to really be taking advantage of his third year growth.  Knox was a monster in this game and wide open a lot (I'll get to that later).  His first TD showed some great run after the catch while his other was a great play execution.  Knox was again strong in run blocking and caught everything thrown his way.  The tape of this game may cause opposing teams to have to account for him, which can only help Allen and the rest of the receivers find better connections.  I look forward to seeing how this season ends for the Angry Run season winner.

 

7 - 3rd down/Red Zone - Again this season, the Bills are struggling to convert in the Red Zone and on 3rd downs.  What makes this more alarming is how successful they were just last season.  A lot of the drives don't have that rhythm to them that keep the opposing defense off balance or even make you confident as a fan.  The QB sneak, which turned into an outside run, was a beautiful play by Josh; as was the TD to Knox.  However, on the play before the Knox TD, Allen scrambled to his right (for what looked like a TD) and hesitated to throw to an open Knox earlier for a TD.  Something is missing in these situations and we are not going to be facing forgiving teams over the next two weeks.  We need 6 instead of 3 if we hope to take either game. 

 

8 - Deep Seam - The Texans played quite a bit of Cover 2 against the Bills and being in the fans showed me just how many deep passes we missed out on, leaving me with some concerns about Allen's downfield vision or confidence.  Sanders is a monster at finding open holes in the zone.  On a play which ended in a sack, Josh had Sanders wide open down the middle deep for a touchdown, but either never saw him or didn't want to pull the trigger.  To be clear, this isn't a situation where he was open for a quick second or Josh was scrambling.  Josh was clean in the pocket with no one near him and I'd say Sanders was open for a full second or two.  Even worse, Sanders did the same thing on the next play and was also missed.  This is another area that I'm concerned about going into next weeks game and about Josh's performance so far this season.

 

9 - Diggs - If you want to look at the impact a player can have on an opposing defense, look no further than the touchdown pass to Knox.  Diggs was wide open about 10 yards in front of Josh, whom pump-faked towards him.  On that pump fake, the entire secondary jumped towards Diggs, which allowed Knox to become that much more open.  That's what a true #1 can do for your team.  Even with that level of focus on him, he still managed to haul in a ton of passes and break the hundred yard receiving mark.  Diggs was able to get open deep and anywhere else he pleased in this game.  While it's been a slow start to the season, hopefully this was a good tune-up game for Diggs and Allen to get ready for the Chiefs next week.

 

10 - Stadium Experience - I've mentioned some of these things after the home opener, but I had to walk around and verify things.  After this terribly rainy game (twice in a month), I'm all in for a new stadium.  For starters, Allen was terrible in the rain in throwing a first pass interception and missing guys by 5-10 yards.  Even if the stadium is 5 years out, let's give Josh the following 10 years a home he can excel in.  Secondly, we need wider tunnels for people trying to walk around the stadium to not have to push their way through people waiting in line for food.  With so many people trying to take cover from the rain, the tunnels were a nightmare.  Lastly, and by far my biggest issue, is the food selection, availability, and signage.  There are signs for food above almost every concession stand that aren't actually sold there.  The beer area had 4 options, and none of them were Labatt Blue Light.  I couldn't get an italian sausage anywhere.  I had to walk ten sections down to get pizza logs and they were sold out by halftime.   Most of the concession stands have half of their menu covered up, because the selection has been reduced so much.  From what I could tell, fan food options are hot dogs (everywhere), pretzels (everywhere) chicken tenders (50%), pizza (50%), buffalo chicken logs (25%) pizza logs (20%), wings (5%), and then basic snacks.  I have never seen such poor signage, availability, and stock in my entire history of going to stadiums for any sport or team.  It's an absolute joke. 

 

 

We are on to the hardest part of our schedule and I can't say I feel as confident as everyone else is.  While our defensive line has been good, it was fairly neutralized by Washington.  Allen was good against Washington, but not great against anyone else.  Our ability to convert on 3rd down or in the red zone is huge opportunity.  We need this game against the Chiefs, not only for the home field advantage, but to prove to our guys that they can beat them.  They are our biggest mental obstacle and all that stands in the way from fully believing we can win the whole damn thing.  Josh needs to be on, the defense needs to swarm, McD needs to get big brother Andy out of his head, and Daboll needs to have some plays dialed up.  Mafia.....Mount Up!

 

Go Bills!!!

Edited October 4, 2021 by Virgil

[saundena]

Always enjoy your comments (although the lyrics/quotes are always lost on me)

 

Your David and Goliath is very true.  Sometimes, Goliath simply pulverizes David.

 

With respect to 8 - deep seam, I noticed this too and I wonder if any of Josh's supposed hesitation on those through might be due to the weather at yesterday's game?  It was very wet and he seemed to be throwing high all day, like it was sipping out of his hand a spit second too early.

 

The INT... to me that seemed like a miscommunication.  

 

I'm very happy with Edmonds

Edited October 4, 2021 by saundena

[Virgil]

1 minute ago, saundena said:

Always enjoy your comments. with respect to 8 - deep seam, I wonder if any of Josh's supposed hesitation on those through might be due to the weather at yesterday's game?  It was very wet and he seemed to be throwing high all day, like it was sipping out of his hand a spit second too early.

 

The INT... to me that seemed like a miscommunication.  

 

It was dry on those plays and he previously made some deeper attempts. You could be right, but I don't feel like this was the case here.

[Coach Tuesday]

Overall pretty good list but your omission of Spencer Brown is notable.  Potentially a huge story line going forward.

[Virgil]

1 minute ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Overall pretty good list but your omission of Spencer Brown is notable.  Potentially a huge story line going forward.

 

Honestly, the offensive line was tough to keep track of at times from the stands.  I read a lot about things he did well after the game, but it would have been me relaying things second hand

[Gugny]

27 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

 

What took so long?  I'm noticing a trend. 

[Warcodered]

14 minutes ago, saundena said:

Your David and Goliath is very true.  Sometimes, Goliath simply pulverizes David.

Yeah you don't hear about all the guys before David that got wrecked.

[Virgil]

2 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

What took so long?  I'm noticing a trend. 

 

I'm trying to be consistent with when I put these out.  I used to rush for Sunday evenings, but with them getting prime time games and me attending more, Monday is an easier commitment.

 

Also, I never hear you complaining.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Good write up

1. Agree with everything you said about Edmunds including the play you highlighted.

1a. Star is playing his best football. 

2. On the Josh scramble for the pylon, it was hard to tell how open Knox was.  It looked like he was wide open but but there may have been a defender trailing him that we could not see

3. Diggs is just a flat out super-star. Not as physically dominant as some of the top tier WRs's like Hopkins and Julio Jones but he and Cooper Kupp are probably the best route runners in the league.  He has great hands as well.

4.  Knox is a star in the making.  Most physically gifted TE they have had in three decades - maybe ever.  He can get deep. He can get separation. He runs well after the catch and he makes difficult catches. Drops seem to be getting better.  He is at best an average blocker but his work in the passing game makes up for that.

5. Stadium experience - great points.  I don't know how many on this board have a chance to go elsewhere.  The food and drink options in the club level at Highmark pale in comparison to many other places.  And the general admission food options and tunnel issues are awful.  Now that said, there are worse out there too.  Oakland was the worst experience ever.  Chicago was not much better.  Green bay was disappointing too(the Milwaukie Baseball stadium is amazing though) I've not been to Dallas or Vegas yet, so I can't compare to them all, but the top of the line for me was Arizona club.  KC has really good food too.  

 

 

 

[Gugny]

Just now, Virgil said:

 

I'm trying to be consistent with when I put these out.  I used to rush for Sunday evenings, but with them getting prime time games and me attending more, Monday is an easier commitment.

 

Also, I never hear you complaining.

 

I just thought you might be sticking your fingers where they don't belong like that Urban Meyer fella.

[Albany,n.y.]

I'm worried that if, after yesterday,  the Bills don't add Cam to the 53, he'll get signed by another team.  Then the question is who do you cut in order to get him on the 53.  My choice is Ford.  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

11 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Overall pretty good list but your omission of Spencer Brown is notable.  Potentially a huge story line going forward.

Good call out.  Getting a 3rd round pick to be a capable rookie RT could be huge.  If Williams can play RG at a decent level the starting 5 may be quite  abit better than what they started the year with.  

[Mango]

Great write up per usual. 

Re: Stadium experience, a few things: 

 

-I am unsure how a different open stadium would help Allen in the rain? 

- Why would different cement and rebar effect where Labatt Blue is sold and the stadium having more than just delivered pizza? This is relatively new and firmly falls on the Pegula's and/or Delaware North. The stadium is having some structural issues and needs to be replaced. But lets not confuse poor hospitality management with new construction. That one falls firmly on the organization no matter what building they are in. I am rarely a conspiracy theorist, but I think this is on purpose from the Pegula's. My tinfoil hat says that they are trying to downgrade the gameday experience to garner more support for a new stadium and/or get more money from the state/county. 

[J-Bo]

Always a great analysis and game breakdown...keep up the great work Virgil! Enjoy it sooooo much!

[billsfan1959]

39 minutes ago, Virgil said:

The Texans played quite a bit of Cover 2 against the Bills and being in the fans showed me just how many deep passes we missed out on, leaving me with some concerns about Allen's downfield vision or confidence.  Sanders is a monster at finding open holes in the zone.On a play which ended in a sack, Josh had Sanders wide open down the middle deep for a touchdown, but either never saw him or didn't want to pull the trigger.  To be clear, this isn't a situation where he was open for a quick second or Josh was scrambling.  Josh was clean in the pocket with no one near him and I'd say Sanders was open for a full second or two.  Even worse, Sanders did the same thing on the next play and was also missed.  This is another area that I'm concerned about going into next weeks game and about Josh's performance so far this season.

 

I'm not sure how many deep passes were missed out on and the All-22 isn't out yet. I'm not really sure not seeing open receivers deep is any kind of an issue as much as it is a matter read progressions, line breakdowns, etc. For example, on the play in which Allen was sacked, Sanders was going deep to Allen's left. Allen started his progression on the right side of the field moving to the left. I believe he did see Sanders; however, by the time he looked to the left side of the field and started to set up, Mercilus was on him for the sack. The very next play he did hit Sanders over the middle.

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

38 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

I'm trying to be consistent with when I put these out.  I used to rush for Sunday evenings, but with them getting prime time games and me attending more, Monday is an easier commitment.

 

Also, I never hear you complaining.

I think you just did 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

40 minutes ago, Albany,n.y. said:

I'm worried that if, after yesterday,  the Bills don't add Cam to the 53, he'll get signed by another team.  Then the question is who do you cut in order to get him on the 53.  My choice is Ford.  

Cody isn’t getting cut. 

[LabattBlue]

The concession stand issue is why Delaware North shouldn’t have the contract.   Let local restaurants fill the entire concession area.  Think about a food truck festival without the trucks.  
 

Did I say Delaware North sucks, and the same goes for the crap they provide at Key Bank Center. 
 

👎👎👎

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

One of the more well-known comments heard in the NFL is "On any given Given Sunday....", referring to the idea that any team can win any game at any time.  Fans see upsets all the time and this Sunday was no different as a NJ Jets team was able to pull a win out against the Titans.  However, sometimes Goliath is just plain Goliath and they smack David down with a force that makes them question if the NFL really the right career choice for them.  On Sunday, over the course of multiple plays, series, and quarters, Bills players showed Texans players what it's like to have another grown man simply dominate them.

 

1 - Edmunds - If you've been reading along, you would know that I'm not sold on Edmunds as our MLB of the future and do not believe he is worth top 10 money when his current deal runs out.  However, if Edmunds could replicate his performance he displayed against the Texans towards all future opponents, I would be willing to Venmo the money to the Pegulas myself.  It would be easy to call out the interception Edmunds had as his highlight, but that's not the play that stood out to me.  The Texans stacked the strong side along side a few additional receivers.  They called a toss to the halfback and mismatched blockers to Bills defenders.  While everyone else got swallowed up in the play, Edmunds watched the blocks unfold, picked an open lane, and broke through for a great tackle about 2 yards passed the line of scrimmage.  This is the kind of play recognition, quick thinking, and decisive action I've wanted to see from Edmunds since he was drafted here.   Additionally, when covering the middle of the field, he was able to get his hands on a few balls for deflections, versus tackling the player after the fact.  Edmunds was a difference maker on the field today, which is what your middle linebacker should be.

 

2 - The Replacements - Gene Hackman must've been wearing a McD mask, because a lot of guys stepped up today in lieu of many key starters.  Cam Lewis was all over the field today, including the backfield in run support.  Jaquan Johnson did an amazing job filling in for Poyer and possibly sealed the shutout with a late game interception.  Basham started on the first series, in what appeared to be a heavy line set, and even recorded his first NFL sack!  Ike was solid starting for Feliciano and I'd argue they had their best rushing game of the season (sorry Cody Ford).  Klein was solid filling in for Milano (please be back for the next two games) and had a tipped pass at the LOS, which led to an interception.  Overall, excellent job all around for guys making the most of their opportunities.

 

3 - Not Today - It can be difficult at times to feel a hit from the stands or grasp the speed at which a play can happen.  However, Ed Oliver had a stop in the backfield that left the crowd quiet.  Oliver shed his block and destroyed the halfback in the backfield so quick that even his momentum ran away scared.  This was the play many of us visually when we drafted Ed and he also played a solid overall game.  He showed great speed and relentlessness as he was chasing down plays all over the field.  With Star excelling beside him, Oliver was left to feast.

 

4 - Here's the selfless confession
Leading me back to war
Can we help that... our destinations
Are the ones we've been before

 

5 - Defensive Line - The game ball for this game has to go to the defensive line as all of them seemed to make standout plays.  Star had his first sack of the season after brushing his defender out of the way like a rag-doll.  Hughes and Addison played the edges beautifully and were able to break down a few plays where the Texans were trying some quick screen throws.  Groot was fairly silent, but was decent in coverage off the line.  If this line is able to play even a fraction of this good next week, our chances get incredibly better.

 

6 - Knox - I'm not sure how many more games people need to see from this kid, but Knox seems to really be taking advantage of his third year growth.  Knox was a monster in this game and wide open a lot (I'll get to that later).  His first TD showed some great run after the catch while his other was a great play execution.  Knox was again strong in run blocking and caught everything thrown his way.  The tape of this game may cause opposing teams to have to account for him, which can only help Allen and the rest of the receivers find better connections.  I look forward to seeing how this season ends for the Angry Run season winner.

 

7 - 3rd down/Red Zone - Again this season, the Bills are struggling to convert in the Red Zone and on 3rd downs.  What makes this more alarming is how successful they were just last season.  A lot of the drives don't have that rhythm to them that keep the opposing defense off balance or even make you confident as a fan.  The QB sneak, which turned into an outside run, was a beautiful play by Josh; as was the TD to Knox.  However, on the play before the Knox TD, Allen scrambled to his right (for what looked like a TD) and hesitated to throw to an open Knox earlier for a TD.  Something is missing in these situations and we are not going to be facing forgiving teams over the next two weeks.  We need 6 instead of 3 if we hope to take either game. 

 

8 - Deep Seam - The Texans played quite a bit of Cover 2 against the Bills and being in the fans showed me just how many deep passes we missed out on, leaving me with some concerns about Allen's downfield vision or confidence.  Sanders is a monster at finding open holes in the zone.  On a play which ended in a sack, Josh had Sanders wide open down the middle deep for a touchdown, but either never saw him or didn't want to pull the trigger.  To be clear, this isn't a situation where he was open for a quick second or Josh was scrambling.  Josh was clean in the pocket with no one near him and I'd say Sanders was open for a full second or two.  Even worse, Sanders did the same thing on the next play and was also missed.  This is another area that I'm concerned about going into next weeks game and about Josh's performance so far this season.

 

9 - Diggs - If you want to look at the impact a player can have on an opposing defense, look no further than the touchdown pass to Knox.  Diggs was wide open about 10 yards in front of Josh, whom pump-faked towards him.  On that pump fake, the entire secondary jumped towards Diggs, which allowed Knox to become that much more open.  That's what a true #1 can do for your team.  Even with that level of focus on him, he still managed to haul in a ton of passes and break the hundred yard receiving mark.  Diggs was able to get open deep and anywhere else he pleased in this game.  While it's been a slow start to the season, hopefully this was a good tune-up game for Diggs and Allen to get ready for the Chiefs next week.

 

10 - Stadium Experience - I've mentioned some of these things after the home opener, but I had to walk around and verify things.  After this terribly rainy game (twice in a month), I'm all in for a new stadium.  For starters, Allen was terrible in the rain in throwing a first pass interception and missing guys by 5-10 yards.  Even if the stadium is 5 years out, let's give Josh the following 10 years a home he can excel in.  Secondly, we need wider tunnels for people trying to walk around the stadium to not have to push their way through people waiting in line for food.  With so many people trying to take cover from the rain, the tunnels were a nightmare.  Lastly, and by far my biggest issue, is the food selection, availability, and signage.  There are signs for food above almost every concession stand that aren't actually sold there.  The beer area had 4 options, and none of them were Labatt Blue Light.  I couldn't get an italian sausage anywhere.  I had to walk ten sections down to get pizza logs and they were sold out by halftime.   Most of the concession stands have half of their menu covered up, because the selection has been reduced so much.  From what I could tell, fan food options are hot dogs (everywhere), pretzels (everywhere) chicken tenders (50%), pizza (50%), buffalo chicken logs (25%) pizza logs (20%), wings (5%), and then basic snacks.  I have never seen such poor signage, availability, and stock in my entire history of going to stadiums for any sport or team.  It's an absolute joke. 

 

 

We are on to the hardest part of our schedule and I can't say I feel as confident as everyone else is.  While our defensive line has been good, it was fairly neutralized by Washington.  Allen was good against Washington, but not great against anyone else.  Our ability to convert on 3rd down or in the red zone is huge opportunity.  We need this game against the Chiefs, not only for the home field advantage, but to prove to our guys that they can beat them.  They are our biggest mental obstacle and all that stands in the way from fully believing we can win the whole damn thing.  Josh needs to be on, the defense needs to swarm, McD needs to get big brother Andy out of his head, and Daboll needs to have some plays dialed up.  Mafia.....Mount Up!

 

Go Bills!!!

 

Good write up!  WRT

 

1  I wonder if Edmunds is just going to be one of these guys where if he has an open lane, he can wreck havoc, but not very good in "hand to hand combat"  May be due to him being so big and long, he loses balance and leverage??

 

5  Thought Star was credited with a sack last week?

 

6  Been saying all along  Knox has to many assets that can't be taught, speed, size, athleticism that you don't want to give up on him too soon.  It may be paying off this year, at least so far.

 

 

Some additional comments by me

 

Allen needs to stop the hard count.  It's gotten old and not fooling the other team anymore, (only Beasley)  Save it for when really needed in crucial situation.

 

On the incomplete to Moss at goal line.  Barber commented that had Allen waited a split second longer for Moss to turn, he'd have caught it.  From my view I felt if Allen did wait the defender was cutting down the angle and might have broke up the pass of it completed Moss would have run out of room to turn it up field.  My take was Allen threw it at the correct time, Moss needs to learn to turn earlier on them.

 

On potential Allen TD run that McD challenged,  those type of spot calls rarely are ever overturned so the odds of McD winning challenge were very low.  However Allen and rest of offense wasted so much time throwing their arm up wanting McD to challenge, there was no time left to run next play so only choice was TO or challenge which effectively gives you a TO.  The only downside is you only have one challenge left, but that late in game and with score as it was, wasn't likely to matter!

 

Onto to KC!!

[BearNorth]

39 minutes ago, Mango said:

Great write up per usual. 

Re: Stadium experience, a few things: 

 

-I am unsure how a different open stadium would help Allen in the rain? 

- Why would different cement and rebar effect where Labatt Blue is sold and the stadium having more than just delivered pizza? This is relatively new and firmly falls on the Pegula's and/or Delaware North. The stadium is having some structural issues and needs to be replaced. But lets not confuse poor hospitality management with new construction. That one falls firmly on the organization no matter what building they are in. I am rarely a conspiracy theorist, but I think this is on purpose from the Pegula's. My tinfoil hat says that they are trying to downgrade the gameday experience to garner more support for a new stadium and/or get more money from the state/county. 

Food service all over the country is having problems, 1.) finding workers, 2.) issues with the supply chain.  Suspect that may be also what's happening. 

6 minutes ago, BTB said:

The concession stand issue is why Delaware North shouldn’t have the contract.   Let local restaurants fill the entire concession area.  Think about a food truck festival without the trucks.  
 

Did I say Delaware North sucks, and the same goes for the crap they provide at Key Bank Center. 
 

👎👎👎

Wonder what the governor, who will be negotiating the stadium deal thinks about Delaware North???