Serious question; what causes a team to pancake like this?

[Evian]

7 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Source?  Because that doesn't match McDermott's "single digits" or Beane's "91%"

 

I do think the source of the problems is likely to be elsewhere.

 

https://www.nfl.com/playerhealthandsafety/resources/press-releases/nfl-covid-19-testing-results-and-vaccination-rates-oct-31-nov-13-2021

 

The Packers and Vikings are the only two teams below 95% with neither starting QB vaccinated. 

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

What do I want from McD?

 

I want him to figure out this repeating picture!

 

If he want's Daboll to stay with and feature the run more, then tell him to do it-you're the boss. Watching a performance against the Jets is a trap.

 

The themes have been repeated by many of folks in the media and on this forum. I'm sure many of them are on his list, and he knows more than any of us.

 

I know some of the issue are tough in season fixes and could be limiting as to the potential this year. But, we should be able to come up with more than doing the same things and repeating and hoping.

 

Let's see it! He needs to take himself to the next level as a coach too. 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by D. L. Hot-Flamethrower

[jkeerie]

21 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

The point is, every team is dealing with this including several very successful teams. 

This is true, but the Bills have one of the lowest player vaccination rates in the NFL and unfortunately, Covid has impacted a number of player's availability and especially now when the schedule is getting harder.  I do think there are plenty of reasons behind the Bills' fall from grace.  This is just one more thing that has impacted.

Edited November 22, 2021 by jkeerie

[HappyDays]

Yesterday is what happens when our defense against the Titans meets our offense against the Jaguars, plus a dumb unforced error on special teams. Every phase of the team had every glaring issue pop up at the same time.

 

The Jaguars loss is a huge miss. Without that loss we could just swallow yesterday's debacle and move on. Instead we are now stuck in a dogfight with a bunch of other teams and have basically no margin for error the rest of the year. We can afford to split with the Pats, but that's about it.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Evian said:

 

https://www.nfl.com/playerhealthandsafety/resources/press-releases/nfl-covid-19-testing-results-and-vaccination-rates-oct-31-nov-13-2021

 

The Packers and Vikings are the only two teams below 95% with neither starting QB vaccinated. 

 

I don't think that article says what you think it says:

Quote

The NFL's COVID-19 vaccination rates as of November 17 are as follows:

94.3% of NFL players are vaccinated; nearly 100% of NFL personnel are vaccinated.

With such a highly vaccinated population, the NFL environment is not comparable to anywhere else in society. We will continue to work with the NFLPA with the goal of having 100% of players vaccinated.

30 of the league's 32 clubs have an overall vaccination rate of 95% or higher.

 

The "overall vaccination rate of 95%" I believe, is NFL personnel (100%) + players

There is nothing in that article about the Packers and Vikings being the only two teams below 95%

 

However this is interesting:

Quote

On November 16, an update of the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols and reminder of additional best practices was shared with NFL clubs, to include measures aimed at reducing potential exposures after the Thanksgiving holiday. Those include: Strongly encouraging clubs to implement drive-through testing for family and friends visiting players and personnel for the holiday; required testing of all players and Tier 1 and Tier 2 personnel on the Monday and Wednesday following Thanksgiving, regardless of vaccination status; and, mandatory mask-wearing for all players and Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 personnel, regardless for vaccination status, at all times when inside their club facility beginning Thursday, November 25 though Wednesday, December 1.

 

 

 

[Buftex]

5 hours ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

He said "I only want to talk about the guys that are here".  Not even "I hope they are ok" or "we look forward to them coming back".  It also comes off like some players, Poyer, Dawkins are very nonchalant about the situation. Allen appears to be the only one with a sense of urgency

Eh... I think you are trying to make something out of nothing.  If you listened to the press conferences after that game, the same reporter (pretty sure it is Jerry Sullivan) was trying to get whoever was speaking to make some sort of inflammatory remark about the guys who were missing because of covid.  They all pretty much said some version of what McDermott said...they did a good job of not taking the bait.

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Buftex

[Dr. K]

5 hours ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

My guess is a disjointed locker room.  McDermott could give 2 ***** about the guys on the covid list yesterday.  Very telling when your "leader" reacts the way he did.

It's not his fault that those dudes refused to get a simple shot that would have increased their chance to be available. What is he supposed to do? Sit by their side and hold their hands? They let down the team; HE's supposed somehow to apologize to THEM? 

[colin]

no adjustments, bad penalties, special teams blunders, and no ability to adapt (i.e. the things going wrong now are the same things that went wrong before, and last season).  This is simply a coaching staff in over their heads.  Mcd and Frasier have had success on D in the past, although they were both DBs and that's reflected in our finesse D.  Dabol, our ST corch, and our O corches, do any of them have any track record?

 

I think dabol and co (as well as our HC) sort of stumbled into josh allen and then got some talent around him and are using that to paper over their inability to lead and coach.  

 

i remember last year, we played NE who had like half their starters out for covid, and a ton of injuries.  they had to play 6 dbs because they had only 1 linebacker who could physically play.  we beat them on a miracle zimmer forced fumble on cam, ow we woulda lost that game.  

 

anyhow, their had huge personal issues, and we ran up and down on them, but they made a plan and prepared to put themselves in the best position to win, and they nearly did with a clearly inferior team.  for the bills, a rookie OT being out w coof means we can't protect and won't even bother to run.  a cover 2 or some shifty disguise means well we just have to totally suck on O, because our fat slob OC who's never had any success prior to getting josh allen and diggs doesn't seem to want to practice any under center plays consistently.

 

On d, we were getting mauled on the ground (again) and we still bit like dogs on play action.  never got out of nickle, but the pats were able to keep us out of the endzone playing dime all day.  

 

i honestly think of we simply practiced and schemed some more normal regular stuff that we could go to in a pinch, we'd have 2 or 3 less losses on the season (jax, pitt, maybe steelers, no chance we beat indy yesterday).  this team has no confidence in what they are doing from play to play and they shouldn't.

[dave mcbride]

23 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

The point is, every team is dealing with this including several very successful teams. 

That is true, but I also wouldn't be surprised if this sort of sentiment exists among some Bills players who have better ensured their week-to-week availability by getting vaccinated: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/11/23/michael-irvin-is-hot-about-amari-coopers-unvaccinated-status/. I often find Irvin highly annoying, but his point about the money is a good one -- players care a LOT about that. I can't put myself in other people's shoes, but if a guy like Star gets paid a very high salary to sit out a full season and gets paid again to sit out a couple of weeks because he wouldn't get vaxxed, some of his teammates might not be so happy with his life choice. But your larger point is right; other teams are dealing with the same issue (as evidenced by the link!), although I do think the Bills are definitely on the high end of unvaxxed status. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

On 11/22/2021 at 10:15 AM, Evian said:

They are a mentally weak team.  Covid has nothing to do with it.  Last year in the middle of Covid they were incredibly mentally tough.  I suspect they read the headlines about how good they were and believed them. 

I think it was just a dreadful defensive scheme against the colts…on the defensive side at least. How do you go nickel against a team with a great running game and Carson wentz for 60 minutes that’s the absolute worst scheme I could possibly think of not that I’m an nfl coach lol

[dave mcbride]

6 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

I think it was just a dreadful defensive scheme against the colts…on the defensive side at least. How do you go nickel against a team with a great running game and Carson wentz for 60 minutes that’s the absolute worst scheme I could possibly think of not that I’m an nfl coach lol

If you read the Buffalo News analysis today, Vernon Butler--who played nearly 70 percent of the snaps--was getting moved backwards on virtually every play, and Phillips didn't play well either. Maybe their scheme wasn't great, but this was more of a jimmies and joes problem than an x's and o's problem. Star's absence was really bad for them. 

Edited November 23, 2021 by dave mcbride

[uninja]

3 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

If you read the Buffalo News analysis today, Vernon Butler--who played nearly 70 percent of the snaps, was getting moved backwards on virtually every play, and Phillips didn't play well either. Maybe their scheme wasn't great, but this was more of a jimmies and joes problem than an x's and o's problem. Star's absence was really bad for them. 

 

I never appreciated OL play until much later in my football fandom life. What I wouldn't give for what the Colts have on their OL. There was some consternation from people with them taking a guard 6th overall but Quenton Nelson just destroys defensive linemen.

[Jeffbigalls]

All starts with coaching , great players can't overcome bad coaching .

[Billsflyer12]

On 11/22/2021 at 9:58 AM, Jauronimo said:

Dissecting coach speak is a waste of time.  No coach in any professional league gives specifics.  They also don't single out and rip their players or admit the obvious.  Messaging is consistent and even.

 

Reading anything into it is asinine.

If you haven’t, go listen to Granato this morning on WGR.  It was one of the best coaches interviews I’ve heard.  Then compare with the nothing crap you get from McD.  Really is eye opening.

[Jauronimo]

36 minutes ago, Billsflyer12 said:

If you haven’t, go listen to Granato this morning on WGR.  It was one of the best coaches interviews I’ve heard.  Then compare with the nothing crap you get from McD.  Really is eye opening.

Its not eye opening in the least.  While I like Granato's post game comments and his media transparency it doesn't say anything about his overall ability to coach the team.  Kruger was lauded for his interviews and he was a disaster.  People loved Rex Ryan's podium presence. Unmitigated disaster.  

 

Sean McDermott has a track record of success in this league.  To start pointing at his post game pressers as an indictment on his ability to coach this team after two bad losses is the epitome of asinine.  

 

Go watch a Popovich or Belichick presser and tell me how they're unfit to lead.  

[Billsflyer12]

23 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

Its not eye opening in the least.  While I like Granato's post game comments and his media transparency it doesn't say anything about his overall ability to coach the team.  Kruger was lauded for his interviews and he was a disaster.  People loved Rex Ryan's podium presence. Unmitigated disaster.  

 

Sean McDermott has a track record of success in this league.  To start pointing at his post game pressers as an indictment on his ability to coach this team after two bad losses is the epitome of asinine.  

 

Go watch a Popovich or Belichick presser and tell me how they're unfit to lead.  

I was responding to coach speak discussion, not coach abilities. 
 

For coaching abilities I only need to present McD bad clock/timeout management, one of worst disciplined teams in league, no visible accountability for that lack of discipline, back to conservative fourth down decisions, and his continued insistence on signing and playing his type of “process” players even though proven that they shouldn’t be.  He may not be the biggest issue with this team, but is certainly up there.  I have zero faith in his coaching ability to ever win a Super Bowl for the Bills.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Billsflyer12

[Blainorama5]

I was hoping the would be a poll for this thread....  😟

[JaCrispy]

Lack of leadership from the top...too much “we have love for each other” talk...😉

[Jauronimo]

10 minutes ago, Billsflyer12 said:

I was responding to coach speak discussion, not coach abilities. 
 

For coaching abilities I only need to present McD bad clock/timeout management, one of worst disciplined teams in league, back to conservative fourth down decisions, and his continued insistence on signing and playing his type of “process” players even though proven that they shouldn’t be.  He may not be the biggest issue with this team, but is certainly up there.  I have zero faith in his coaching ability to ever win a Super Bowl for the Bills.

Great, so you acknowledge that post game pressers and coach speak are utterly meaningless.  Stop wasting my time.

[Billsflyer12]

4 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

Great, so you acknowledge that post game pressers and coach speak are utterly meaningless.  Stop wasting my time.

If a coach literally says absolutely nothing to say at any press event, I would rather they don’t have them.  McD should Quit wasting everyones time with dull, boring, nothing crap.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Billsflyer12