All-22 Grades for Bills/Chiefs (The Athletic)

[HappyDays]

 

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1. Edmunds helped take away a Mahomes crutch

Edmunds is an incredibly gifted mover for a player with his size and the Bills used it to their advantage. Sometimes Mahomes drifted out of the pocket out of habit, which immediately fired up the teaching point on this rep.

So often, linebackers and defenders will see the quarterback roll to his right and naturally begin to drift with him. But on this rep and on a handful of others, Edmunds wouldn’t drift to his right or rush Mahomes. Instead, he deepened his drop and went hunting for receivers targeting the middle — the area Mahomes so often exploits by baiting defenders out of position.

It’s a two-pronged attack because the Bills still need someone to prevent Mahomes from taking off with the ball. Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson played that role beautifully, not overcommitting while still insinuating to Mahomes that a step forward would not result in a positive outcome.

Edmunds executed this strategy several times in the game, and it contributed to why the Bills were so successful against Mahomes.

 

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2. Rousseau’s stat-heavy day backed up by the film

He was, without question, one of the best players on the field Sunday night — and the Bills needed it. Considering the strategy to rush only four at Mahomes and the quarterback’s propensity to break contain, having a long-limbed defender who can both win at the point of attack and keep Mahomes hemmed in is worth a lot. And Rousseau was worth a lot in that respect.

Of all the defensive linemen, Rousseau had the matchup to exploit against rookie right tackle Lucas Niang. Rousseau set the tone on the first snap by whipping Niang to the ground in run defense. On the second snap, Rousseau set the edge and forced the running back inside, kept his arms extended and disengaged at the perfect moment to dive and make a stop, limiting the Chiefs to a small gain. He put together several good run-stuffing reps from the left defensive end position.

That edge contain served two purposes, as it was critical in both run and pass defense. Rousseau’s presence on pass plays from the left side helped take away some of Mahomes’ desire to roll to his right. With Rousseau being more of a steadying rusher without sacrificing the edge, he forced Mahomes elsewhere when plays broke down. Rousseau also put together some excellent one-on-one wins to affect plays, showing he’s more than just a hold-in-place edge rusher. And all of this happened without mentioning a sack or interception in a big moment, which is why Rousseau’s outing was exceptional.

 

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3. Oliver’s big answer
Like Rousseau, defensive tackle Ed Oliver had struggled recently as a pass rusher. His run defense is excellent, but he didn’t have the pass-rushing impact many were hoping for in his third season, especially considering how he finished 2020. Oliver was working against a pretty solid Chiefs interior offensive line, but to his credit, the defensive tackle had one of his best pass-rushing showings and all-around games of the season. Oliver was explosive and constantly fighting through one-on-one blocks. He also worked well on stunts to free up himself or a teammate. Oliver was getting into the backfield as a run defender, either redirecting the ball carrier or chipping in on the tackle himself.

 

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4. Feliciano takes big step forward
The Bills had their preferred starting five offensive linemen all available for the first time this season. Even though the Chiefs were without their best pass rusher in Chris Jones, the entire line performed admirably in allowing quarterback Josh Allen to dice up the Chiefs in the way he did. One of the standout performances came from left guard Jon Feliciano, who returned to the lineup after a one-game absence due to a concussion. Feliciano was physical and quick-footed to deal with the interior one-on-one matchups the Chiefs threw at him. He was a physical force as a run blocker and helped pave the way for Allen, Zack Moss and Devin Singletary to open up the Chiefs defense that way.

On the opposite side of the line, things couldn’t have gone much better for rookie and 2021 third-round pick Spencer Brown. In his first career start, Brown worked against the Texans’ subpar pass-rushing group, and Brown dominated the matchup. Against the Chiefs, Brown worked one-on-one against the talented Frank Clark quite a bit. It wasn’t a perfect day for the Bills’ new starting right tackle, but Brown more than held his own on several occasions.

 

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5. Should the Bills dial back Hughes’ snaps?
Although the pass rush did its job on some plays against Mahomes, I was left wondering about Jerry Hughes’ involvement and whether it would benefit the Bills to reduce his workload. Hughes put together some good rushes off the edge, but there were a few more washouts against offensive linemen than we have come to expect from Hughes over his Bills career. Hughes’ best rushes came after he had some rest. On the other hand, he sometimes got caught taking interior approaches with his moves and allowed Mahomes an easy escape valve to get outside of the pocket.

 

Top 5 grades:

1) Allen (A)

2) Hyde - (A)

3) Rousseau (A-)

4) Edmunds (A-)

5) Johnson (A-)

 

Bottom 5 grades (worst to 5th worst)

1) Beasley (C+)

2) Obada (C+)

3) Gilliam (B-)

4) Epenesa (B-)

5) Singletary (B-)

[Reader]

Interesting that it appears that Hughes graded better than Epenesa despite the blurb about him.

[cage]

16 minutes ago, Reader said:

Interesting that it appears that Hughes graded better than Epenesa despite the blurb about him.

 

The blurb isn't negative about him, just that he might be even more effective if they used him a bit less.  He's 33 at this point...

[RoyBatty is alive]

Edmunds and his length and speed really were a difference maker in that game.  Hyde and Poyer each had a great game, what an incredible tandem we have and credit to Leslie Frazier, dynamic game plan and his men followed through and didn't make any major errors that I saw. Defense is a well oil machine right now.

Edited October 14, 2021 by RoyBatty is alive

[Cash]

1 minute ago, cage said:

 

The blurb isn't negative about him, just that he might be even more effective if they used him a bit less.  He's 33 at this point...

Right. I’m sure Joe B was thinking about Beane’s post-draft comments about Addison as well. The gist was basically, “We love him and think he’ll be more effective with fewer snaps.”
 

In my amateur opinion, that appears to be right - I’ve noticed Addison mostly for positive plays this year, as opposed to mostly negative plays last year. (Most notably the Cardinals game.) Given that the young DEs have all been showing flashes, count me in on the “less (of Hughes) is more” bandwagon. 
 

I also loved the blurb about Edmunds. Those are the types of plays that us fans don’t see during the broadcast, but still have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

23 minutes ago, Reader said:

Interesting that it appears that Hughes graded better than Epenesa despite the blurb about him.

"Hughes’ best rushes came after he had some rest."

 

That comes with the territory of a 33 yr old defensive end that has a lot of energy.

[Utah John]

I'm glad Edmunds is getting props.  His role on this defense is not to be the splash play generator.  It's to eat space and contribute as 1/11th of the unit.  His size and speed are what make the overall unit work well.  At least in pass defense.  He still takes the wrong gap sometimes on run defense.  Maybe most LBs do that too, and we don't notice because we don't look for it.

 

It's great that Spencer Brown is working out so well.  As things stand though we now have a really expensive guard (Williams) who's drawing tackle pay.  It's good to know though that we have such depth at tackle -- most teams couldn't lose even one tackle without hurting their offense.  If Brown keeps on playing so well, or better, I can see Williams leaving at the end of the year.  That might have been McBeane's plan in the first place, to have Brown take over at right tackle.  And then the Bills draft or sign a FA, or two, at guard.  

[BuffaloBill]

It’s hard to believe how well put together this Bills roster is. They had an exceptional game with one, if not the best defensive players in Milano off the field. They really seem to play the 1/11th philosophy to a T on both sides of the ball. No doubt, on given plays some of the players contributed more than 1/11th but no one player had to do this consistently to win. It was a shared responsibility on both sides of the ball.

 

So far, the only question I am asking myself this season is, “how the hell did this team lose to the Steelers?”

[freddyjj]

1 hour ago, Utah John said:

As things stand though we now have a really expensive guard (Williams) who's drawing tackle pay.  It's good to know though that we have such depth at tackle -- most teams couldn't lose even one tackle without hurting their offense.  If Brown keeps on playing so well, or better, I can see Williams leaving at the end of the year.  That might have been McBeane's plan in the first place, to have Brown take over at right tackle.  And then the Bills draft or sign a FA, or two, at guard.

Not so sure paying Williams to play G next year is out of the question as Bills will have Brown, Doyle, Boettger, Ford and Bates on inexpensive deals.   If OBD picks an OG and/or C in front half of draft then it will possibly spell the end of Morse, Willliams, Feliciano and/or Ford in 2023.  

[JohnNord]

3 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 5 grades:

1) Allen (A)

2) Hyde - (A)

3) Rousseau (A-)

4) Edmunds (A-)

5) Johnson (A-)

 

Bottom 5 grades (worst to 5th worst)

1) Beasley (C+)

2) Obada (C+)

3) Gilliam (B-)

4) Epenesa (B-)

5) Singletary (B-)

I was surprised to find that Spencer Brown had a very modest grade.  I though he played well

[The Dean]

2 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

I was surprised to find that Spencer Brown had a very modest grade.  I though he played well

 

His grade was, at the very least a B-. I dn't consider that "modest" at all. Especially as a rooke. Then again, I was never considered an easy grader

[LABILLBACKER]

3 hours ago, Reader said:

Interesting that it appears that Hughes graded better than Epenesa despite the blurb about him.

Jerry just seems a step slow. Father time is undefeated. I think he and Mario will be gone next year.

[Captain_Quint]

2 hours ago, BuffaloBill said:

It’s hard to believe how well put together this Bills roster is. They had an exceptional game with one, if not the best defensive players in Milano off the field. They really seem to play the 1/11th philosophy to a T on both sides of the ball. No doubt, on given plays some of the players contributed more than 1/11th but no one player had to do this consistently to win. It was a shared responsibility on both sides of the ball.

 

So far, the only question I am asking myself this season is, “how the hell did this team lose to the Steelers?”

'Suffocation' is the word that I would describe our play with this year. It's 60 minutes of football with very few mistakes and alot of quality talent on both sides of the ball. Our depth is one of the biggest team strengths. This week it was Klein and Neal. Last week Cam Lewis. Our 8 man dline rotation is another great example of quality depth. 

 

Fun to watch when you can get excited for the backups to get their shot, and they actually produce results. All 3 phases are playing with alot of discipline and focus. 

[Motor26]

2 hours ago, freddyjj said:

Not so sure paying Williams to play G next year is out of the question as Bills will have Brown, Doyle, Boettger, Ford and Bates on inexpensive deals.   If OBD picks an OG and/or C in front half of draft then it will possibly spell the end of Morse, Willliams, Feliciano and/or Ford in 2023.  

I would love for them to splurge for Brandon Scherff, and draft a OG/C in the first 3 rounds. Solidify the offensive line, we have solid players but no one top 5 at their position. However, I doubt the Bills won’t spend what it will cost for Scherff as it doesn’t fit their team building strategy.

[NoSaint]

6 hours ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

Edmunds and his length and speed really were a difference maker in that game.  Hyde and Poyer each had a great game, what an incredible tandem we have and credit to Leslie Frazier, dynamic game plan and his men followed through and didn't make any major errors that I saw. Defense is a well oil machine right now.

its why Edmunds is such a tough case until he gets more consistent. 
 

he does things that are impossible to teach based on his rare physical gifts. 
 

he just needs to keep doing them and doing them more often.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

7 hours ago, Cash said:

Right. I’m sure Joe B was thinking about Beane’s post-draft comments about Addison as well. The gist was basically, “We love him and think he’ll be more effective with fewer snaps.”
 

In my amateur opinion, that appears to be right - I’ve noticed Addison mostly for positive plays this year, as opposed to mostly negative plays last year. (Most notably the Cardinals game.) Given that the young DEs have all been showing flashes, count me in on the “less (of Hughes) is more” bandwagon. 
 

I also loved the blurb about Edmunds. Those are the types of plays that us fans don’t see during the broadcast, but still have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. 

 

The team has more defensive lineman than they need to keep active.  Wonder if the best strategy would be each week, make either Addison or Hughes inactive.  (Ideally activate each of them for half the game, is there anything in the rules about that) 

 

My point is by the time you sit out 2 to 3 each week, it kind of forces either Hughes or Addison to take more snaps than what would be the ideal  If one of those two were sitting out, would give someone else not named Hughes or Addison more snaps in their place and keep those two fresher when needed.

[Governor]

8 hours ago, Cash said:

Right. I’m sure Joe B was thinking about Beane’s post-draft comments about Addison as well. The gist was basically, “We love him and think he’ll be more effective with fewer snaps.”
 

In my amateur opinion, that appears to be right - I’ve noticed Addison mostly for positive plays this year, as opposed to mostly negative plays last year. (Most notably the Cardinals game.) Given that the young DEs have all been showing flashes, count me in on the “less (of Hughes) is more” bandwagon. 
 

I also loved the blurb about Edmunds. Those are the types of plays that us fans don’t see during the broadcast, but still have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. 

We see Edmunds. It’s about blocking lanes and balls thrown across the body from Mahomes. You’re basically just backing up to take away angles kinda like playing tennis.  You find the spot on the court where you can’t get beat down the line or cross court but can still react and back up for a lob.

 

If Edmunds sees it’s a run, he can approach the net the same way you would serve and volley. If it’s a pass, you back up and protect those same lanes and don’t let the ball (player) get past you.

Edited October 15, 2021 by Governor

[BADOLBILZ]

40 minutes ago, Governor said:

We see Edmunds. It’s about blocking lanes and balls thrown across the body from Mahomes. You’re basically just backing up to take away angles kinda like playing tennis.  You find the spot on the court where you can’t get beat down the line or cross court but can still react and back up for a lob.

 

If Edmunds sees it’s a run, he can approach the net the same way you would serve and volley. If it’s a pass, you back up and protect those same lanes and don’t let the ball (player) get past you.

 

 

When he's not played well.......yes.......it's looked like tennis. 

 

He had a lot of trouble dealing with teams running pass plays right at him last season rather than allowing him to hover-cover........there was still some of that going on early this year........he's improved his recognition and hastened his decision making in recent weeks and done a better job in coverage.     

[BillsShredder83]

5 hours ago, Motor26 said:

I would love for them to splurge for Brandon Scherff, and draft a OG/C in the first 3 rounds. Solidify the offensive line, we have solid players but no one top 5 at their position. However, I doubt the Bills won’t spend what it will cost for Scherff as it doesn’t fit their team building strategy.

I keep hearing raving reviews on the Iowa Center who's name escapes me. Nice thing with this roster is we can truly pick BPA, and if he's projected first round and slides because of his position, than I'm not afraid of taking him 30-32 obv IF front office is on board 

[Sherlock Holmes]

9 hours ago, BuffaloBill said:

It’s hard to believe how well put together this Bills roster is. They had an exceptional game with one, if not the best defensive players in Milano off the field. They really seem to play the 1/11th philosophy to a T on both sides of the ball. No doubt, on given plays some of the players contributed more than 1/11th but no one player had to do this consistently to win. It was a shared responsibility on both sides of the ball.

 

So far, the only question I am asking myself this season is, “how the hell did this team lose to the Steelers?”

Blocked punt...and one good TJ Watt play