What I saw, and why I am actually optimistic after this Bucs game

[Alphadawg7]

Im still confident we will get into the playoffs and can make a SB push still THIS YEAR.  The teams paced with us are not nearly as balanced as we are.  There are a couple of things I am taking away from this stunning comeback and heartbreaking loss...and I think the team will be better for it.

 

• McD inserted himself into the defensive adjustments over Frazier.  Late in the 2nd half, McD was in his face and giving him instructions, it was seen on camera and even Romo knew exactly what was going on and they even made it a point to go back and show it again after the defense was able to flip the switch to end the 1st half.  Those changes carried over into the 2nd half where we really shut down the Bucs the whole half until a broken play in OT lost us the game. 
  • Moving forward, I think McD will take more control on the defense, especially after the successful adjustments he helped insert in this game.  And he has done this before, and successfully.  Even taken play calling away from Frazier before, again successfully.  Too much is on the line now, every game is of critical importance here on out.  
• The OL looked SUBSTANTIALLY better (not great still, but substantially better than the atrocious first half) during our second half once we got the run game going with Allen and our backs.   
  • I just cant see any chance Daboll doesn't get absolutely reamed by McD if he falls back into a pass only offense again at any point this season moving forward.  McD wants to run the ball, but Daboll has an allergy to it until the game is getting out of hand.  I think the second half offense we saw is going to be more what we see the whole game.
• Emmanuel Sanders:  I am just going to say it...this offense is better without Sanders and it showed after he left the game.  That is NOT meant to be a knock on Sanders, its NOT his fault nor is he a bad player by any means.  However, our offense flows better when we had Cole as an additional focal point of the offense.  (see next bullet point)
  • Gabriel Davis needs to also be on the field more because he brings what Sanders does to the table, but also has more size and physicality too.  
• Cole Beasley:  We NEED Cole more involved and it showed in the 2nd half big time.  What he brings in terms of short and quick strikes, opens up the rest of the field, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, gives Josh a quick place to get rid of the ball and move the chains consistently when the pass protection is not there.  When Diggs and Sanders are out there together, they have been able to neutralize it by taking away the big play and using the 2 high safeties.  
  • We need to build LAYERS back into our passing game, and a combination of Diggs, Cole, Knox, and Davis gives us a lot more of that than Diggs and Sanders combo.  
  • Cole really helps neutralize the blitz as well, much harder to bring the house when you need to defend the quick strike to a guy who will almost certainly burn any one on one defender for an easy first down.  

 

So I know we have had sooooo many of these "wake up" call games already against Pitt, Tenn, Jax, Colts, and now Bucs.  But, I don't really know that we had one like this yet...a true wake up game where what we were doing was NOT working...and we figured it out big time during the game and still narrowly lost.  The Bucs game is more reminiscent of the Cardinals game last year.  Where we found our confidence and groove on the field, not in practice or film study...but on the field where they rallied to do what seemed enough to win the game and a bad break left them just short (the BS non PI call at end of regulation).

 

I think the way our team adjusted and rebounded against one of the top SB contenders during the game is something they can finally build on.  Previous "wake up" losses, we did NOT find our groove really in those games.  Even the Titans game...our defense was struggling the whole second half so much we went for 2 instead of OT.  But against the Bucs, our D shut down the Bucs in the 2nd half and our offense moved the ball at will once we got the run game involved and guys like Cole, Davis and Knox all over the field.  

 

Call me a homer...but as heart breaking as the loss was, I am able to come out of that game with the optimism that this team can still make a run THIS year if they can build on and carry over the 2nd half Bills team that was on the field.  And while people are all over here hating on McD, I think he is a substantially big part of the reason for our comeback and was a big reason for all the adjustments that were made to get us back in that game.  He isn't perfect on gameday, and I think his waning confidence in Daboll and Frazier at times is impacting that...but I think he is still the right coach for this team and one of the best leaders in the league.  

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

I was thinking about it 

 

this team is like 5 plays away from being the #1 seed. 
 

💩 is just happening 

 

Or someone is paying Murphy double Overtime 

[Freddie's Dead]

Earlier in the season, Sanders was better for this offense than John Brown.  Now I'm not so sure.  I was actually thinking after the game that the Bills should take a flyer on Brown for the playoff run.  I know it'll never happen, but a guy can dream.....

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

A missed PI for a go ahead TD. 
 

the Refs never fail

[filthymcnasty08]

The team (and coaches) found their character, in my opinion, for the first time this season.  They bottomed in the first half.  IMO, provided Josh is ok, they will make it very interesting the rest of the way.  It may very well be a "best team not in the playoffs" trophy when all is said and done which makes this season a failure.

[OrangeBills]

It's really Beasley.   For whatever reason he was not part of the Offense this season until the 2H of the Bucs game, and it showed

[Billsatlastin2018]

It was an ‘L’ - PERIOD!

 

Like 5 others.

No getting around it. They’re not very good. 
 

10-3 is good.

Not 7-6. 
 

One tiny example. Our key superstar made multiple critical runs, including one where he slightly stepped out, going for the game winner! 
 

Please tell us all, please ask Dumball, where the hades was that play on a mini Tornado night last Monday night?

 

Not once.

 

The HC has turtled into a conservative- accepting 4th Down Punts & FGs, rather than TDs.

The OC is a Red Zone clown- designing Losses instead of Wins.

 

That’s Stockholm Syndrome thinking bedevilling you.

[LABILLBACKER]

All I know is this team needs to start rallying alot more around their leader Allen. The way he wills this team and carries them on his bach is staggering. We're not going to be able to fix issues like OL, RB, MLB all this offseason.  But get a fast RB and a couple of better guards and we'd be  worlds better. Coaching must improve along with Beane's selections. This team has way too much talent to be dicking around like this.  And finally we need a big enough lead to neutralize the refs. 

[colin]

nice take alpha.  i responded to a post of yours in another thread w some of the same ideas, so of course i agree.

 

i don't know that im as optimistic as you, but you make a strong point.  and to his credit, i think mccoach put his foot up in everyone at half time, and the results were much better.

 

go bills!

[Alphadawg7]

3 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

I was thinking about it 

 

this team is like 5 plays away from being the #1 seed. 
 

💩 is just happening 

 

Or someone is paying Murphy double Overtime 

 

Its so true actually...like for real.  Colts game was more like a few plays, but outside of that, all the other losses could be flipped over 1 play.  

 

1. Pitt...there are a number of plays you can point to as a single play that cost us the game be it a bad break, penalty, etc.  But the most obvious choice...the blocked punt.  
2. Tenn - Josh I think had converted every QB sneak successfully, including two where the snap was fumbled, outside of one or two in his 3 year career.  Daboll for the FIRST time decides to sneak Josh by starting him in shotgun and walking up to the line.  Big mistake, he doesn't do his normal routine of setting his feet to get the push he needs and his back foot slips.  But I can also point to multiple dumb penalties that either took points off our board or gave titans extended drives and points.  Otherwise, it wouldn't have even come down to that play.
3. Jax - Geezus, so many times we took points away from ourselves.  Pick one and there is your one play.
4. Colts - While this game got out of hand early...there are 3 self inflicted plays in the first half that caused it to spiral.   
   1. 3rd and 2, Josh is on his way to a big gain on a run and poof, play blow dead, false start.  Next play holding...suddenly we are out of FG range on a drive we were moving the ball at will to open the game for our offense and its 3rd and 18.  
   2. Next drive, we hold them on 3rd down. to get off the field...poof penalties give them life and they score.  
   3. On the ensuing KO, McKenzie gives them a free TD on his own without being touched.
5. NE - See Jax game notes.  Drops were a biggie too and Diggs not tracking the TD pass as well, albeit tough in those conditions.
6. Bucs - The PI at end of regulation that wasn't called.  The PI in overtime that wasn't called.  Those 2 ref impacted plays took the comeback away from us.

[BillsFanSD]

I've been pretty disappointed in the production we've gotten from Sanders.  That's not a crack on the guy -- he's old, and it looks like he may have hung around for one year too long.  If we had acquired him a couple of years ago when we first tried, maybe last year's playoff run ends differently.  But I agree that it's time to get Davis on the field more.  At this particular moment in time, Davis seems like the better player.

[eball]

Homer.

 

Man, I hope you’re right.  I really do.

 

[BBMB Poster]

We have to figure out a way to win close games.  We have been close, but we have lost every close game we have been in this year.

[Success]

The last 2 weeks were as gut-wrenching as anything I've experienced as a Bills fan, except for the SB's (obviously). And that's saying something. We're like the gut-wrench capitol of the sports world.

 

I appreciate these observations and the overall sentiment, and mostly agree.  The O-line IS playing somewhat better.  Did anyone notice Brown yesterday?  He looked amazing on a few plays.  He somehow made it all the way downfield to make the last block near the goal-line on Allen's run, and bowled a defender over on the play prior to that.  

 

And for sure, I've been saying "this was their wake-up call!" all season.  The nature of the last 2 losses will either send this team into a spiral, or bring out the best in them. They seem to have real character these past few seasons, so I'm opting for the latter.

 

[Special K]

In that second half, that was the first time that the team was firing on all cylinders, offense, defense, special teams(even Haack had two of his best punts as a Bill) for the first time since the Titans game, IMO.

 

They finally looked like their old selves again, and I hope they carry that forward in the next 4 games and Playoffs!!

 

Unfortunately, not winning the close games is what separates this years team from last years team.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Special K

[BillsFanSD]

2 minutes ago, BBMB Poster said:

We have to figure out a way to win close games.  We have been close, but we have lost every close game we have been in this year.

Yeah, but wins and losses in close games are high-variance affairs.  It's not that we're doing anything inherently wrong during close games, just that we're getting unusually unlucky.

 

Yesterday we were all set up with first and goal at the one yard line at the end of regulation.  Or at least we would have been, with just normal officiating.  That we weren't was totally outside of our control.  

 

Last week we played the game in a wind tunnel.  Our uber-reliable K missed a chippie earlier in the game, so we absolutely had to have a TD.  Shaky execution, poor play calling, and a really dumb penalty committed by Knox snuffed out that final drive, but if we play the last series over again we probably win that game about half the time or so.  Just not that time.

 

We had the Tennessee game as good as won.  All we had to do was pick up a routine fourth-and-one with our 6'5" 240 lb QB.  Oh no our pro blow LT got blown up and our pro bowl QB slipped and now it's game over.  If we replayed that last series, how often do we win?  8o% of the time?  90% of the time?  Just not that time.  

 

I forget how the Pittsburgh game went, and the Jacksonville game doesn't count because there's no excuse for that game being close in the first place.  But there are three unlucky games right there that could have easily gone the other way with just undisasterous luck.  

[Chandler#81]

1 hour ago, Billsatlastin2018 said:

It was an ‘L’ - PERIOD!

 

Like 5 others.

No getting around it. They’re not very good. 
 

10-3 is good.

Not 7-6. 
 

One tiny example. Our key superstar made multiple critical runs, including one where he slightly stepped out, going for the game winner! 
 

Please tell us all, please ask Dumball, where the hades was that play on a mini Tornado night last Monday night?

 

Not once.

 

The HC has turtled into a conservative- accepting 4th Down Punts & FGs, rather than TDs.

The OC is a Red Zone clown- designing Losses instead of Wins.

 

That’s Stockholm Syndrome thinking bedevilling you.

Take your canookazz back over the border and stay there, ya waffle-eatin’, Grey Cup watchin’ Yankee wannabe!

😉

[Billsatlastin2018]

1 hour ago, Chandler#81 said:

Take your canookazz back over the border and stay there, ya waffle-eatin’, Grey Cup watchin’ Yankee wannabe!

😉

 

Mmm...

How many decades have YOU been a Bills’ Season Tix holder?

How many Bills Playoff games & SBs have YOU been to?

[Nextmanup]

3 hours ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

I was thinking about it 

 

this team is like 5 plays away from being the #1 seed. 
 

💩 is just happening 

 

Or someone is paying Murphy double Overtime 

Or maybe we aren't very well coached, and the difference between coaches is the difference in a win or loss, especially in a close game against a good team that is well coached.

 

If we are getting blown out, or doing the blowing out (Miami 35-0 for example) coaching doesn't matter.

 

Tampa, New England, Tennessee, it's the difference in the outcome.

 

 

 

[BuffaloRebound]

The only positive i see right now is that this team showed some heart.  I just think our schemes on both sides of ball are not putting us in the best position to win.  Frazier plays the same tired schemes until McDermott gets pissed in middle of game.  And Daboll is a 1 trick pony that the NFL has figured out.  I think the players and even McDermott battle their butts off.  But against good teams it’s like we’re charging the line on horseback while the enemy has machine guns.  Our schemes are tired and need a re-boot.