How are we supposed to feel about this win??

[dave mcbride]

Just now, ScottLaw said:

Josh had a poor game I thought. Some on the pathetic offensive line and some on him…. Glad he got that out of his system before next week and crossing fingers for a completely intact offensive line. 

I thought he had some high throws but overall I thought he was fine. The first two TD throws were fantastic throws (to Diggs and Davis). He was truly under siege all game too. The INT was just a great play by the defender (and good play design), who fooled Allen. The throw was accurate but Allen didn't account for the DB dropping back in the zone. The Panthers are very good against the pass - 2nd in passing yards allowed and 3rd in net yards per pass attempt. They are first in the league in yards allowed per drive. Reddick and Burns can REALLY get after QBs, and the secondary is definitely better than average. 

[Nextmanup]

13 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

I'm happy because the Panthers D is good, but it wasn't a good game. 

 

From Football Outsiders:

 

Game Spotlight: Buffalo Bills 31, Carolina Panthers 14

 

What Happened: Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez suffered an injury during warmups. Cam Newton spent the afternoon executing what looked like a six-play game plan, and "Cam dives off tackle" was at least two of the plays. The Bills should have cruised to victory, but they needed some Panthers fourth-down blunders and a late-game garbage-time touchdown to make this closer-than-it-should-have-been game show as a blowout on the scoreboard.

 

What it Means: The Bills are not being graded on their ability to beat the pathetic Camthers but on their readiness to face the Patriots again. On that curve, they get a C- at best.

 

Early Bills drives stalled. They needed to get the ball near midfield to score their first two touchdowns. Josh Allen threw a costly interception before halftime. Cam's QB Power plunges and short RPO tosses were more effective than they should have been. The Bills would have been in real trouble if the Panthers could have kicked field goals or run a game plan longer than a kiddie menu. If the Bills start slowly, execute poorly, and fail to adjust to a run-heavy game plan of routine plays against the Patriots next week, well, we have already seen the results.

 

The Bills may want you to believe that they recorded a statement win on Sunday. It was really more of a mumble.

 

What's Next: Bills-Patriots II: Return of the Mac.

 

The Panthers face the Buccaneers twice in the next three weeks. And frankly, they deserve it.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2021/zombie-steelers-just-wont-quit

Grading our performance as something like a C- is fair.

 

It was a very up and down, poorly played/coached game, and it doesn't bode well for the future.

 

The good news is it was a win, and that's all that counts.

And we don't ever have to play that specific game again--which is good.  

 

However, as someone who had hoped that the team snapped into a higher gear in the second half of the Tampa game, I was disappointed.

 

Clearly no high gear on this team--yet.

 

Maybe it comes this week?

 

As long as it comes, we'll be OK.

If it doesn't come, we're going nowhere.

 

 

 

 

[dave mcbride]

Just now, Nextmanup said:

Grading our performance as something like a C- is fair.

 

It was a very up and down, poorly played/coached game, and it doesn't bode well for the future.

 

The good news is it was a win, and that's all that counts.

And we don't ever have to play that specific game again--which is good.  

 

However, as someone who had hoped that the team snapped into a higher gear in the second half of the Tampa game, I was disappointed.

 

Clearly no high gear on this team--yet.

 

Maybe it comes this week?

 

As long as it comes, we'll be OK.

If it doesn't come, we're going nowhere.

 

 

 

 

Well, there were some good signs. The two early TD throws were fantastic plays, and Knox played well. The Singletary TD run was good all around. With a little more time at the end of the first half, they may have converted all of their red zone possessions into TDs.

[FilthyBeast]

16 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

I'm happy because the Panthers D is good, but it wasn't a good game. 

 

From Football Outsiders:

 

Game Spotlight: Buffalo Bills 31, Carolina Panthers 14

 

What Happened: Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez suffered an injury during warmups. Cam Newton spent the afternoon executing what looked like a six-play game plan, and "Cam dives off tackle" was at least two of the plays. The Bills should have cruised to victory, but they needed some Panthers fourth-down blunders and a late-game garbage-time touchdown to make this closer-than-it-should-have-been game show as a blowout on the scoreboard.

 

What it Means: The Bills are not being graded on their ability to beat the pathetic Camthers but on their readiness to face the Patriots again. On that curve, they get a C- at best.

 

Early Bills drives stalled. They needed to get the ball near midfield to score their first two touchdowns. Josh Allen threw a costly interception before halftime. Cam's QB Power plunges and short RPO tosses were more effective than they should have been. The Bills would have been in real trouble if the Panthers could have kicked field goals or run a game plan longer than a kiddie menu. If the Bills start slowly, execute poorly, and fail to adjust to a run-heavy game plan of routine plays against the Patriots next week, well, we have already seen the results.

 

The Bills may want you to believe that they recorded a statement win on Sunday. It was really more of a mumble.

 

What's Next: Bills-Patriots II: Return of the Mac.

 

The Panthers face the Buccaneers twice in the next three weeks. And frankly, they deserve it.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2021/zombie-steelers-just-wont-quit

 

A win is a win but I tend to agree that this win didn't instill much confidence and it's just another game where the Bills were lucky they weren't playing a competent QB/Coach/etc or it would have been a loss.

 

I also think the Bills are going to need to play like they did against the Bucs in the 2nd half (i.e. a full complete game) just to have a chance to hang around with the Pats next week because they are going to be facing a very motivated and angry team that's going to be ready to demolish the Bills from the opening kickoff. Also let's not forgot about McD's ill advised post game comments last time, I can guarantee Belichik won't.

[dave mcbride]

Just now, FilthyBeast said:

 

A win is a win but I tend to agree that this win didn't instill much confidence and it's just another game where the Bills were lucky they weren't playing a competent QB/Coach/etc or it would have been a loss.

 

I also think the Bills are going to need to play like they did against the Bucs in the 2nd half (i.e. a full complete game) just to have a chance to hang around with the Pats next week because they are going to be facing a very motivated and angry team that's going to be ready to demolish the Bills from the opening kickoff. Also let's not forgot about McD's ill advised post game comments last time, I can guarantee Belichik won't.

I don't think Belichick gives a flying eff what McDermott said after the game. Like, at all.

[Billsfan1972]

The best thing to come out of this week, is that the Bills too know they did not play well (maybe the defense thought so).  

 

Coming off the Miami, NYJ & NO games, I think they were pretty high on themselves (jmho).

3 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

A win is a win but I tend to agree that this win didn't instill much confidence and it's just another game where the Bills were lucky they weren't playing a competent QB/Coach/etc or it would have been a loss.

 

I also think the Bills are going to need to play like they did against the Bucs in the 2nd half (i.e. a full complete game) just to have a chance to hang around with the Pats next week because they are going to be facing a very motivated and angry team that's going to be ready to demolish the Bills from the opening kickoff. Also let's not forgot about McD's ill advised post game comments last time, I can guarantee Belichik won't.

The Pats are not that good.....  Stop it.  

 

The problem is that the Bills have not played well of late.

[Nextmanup]

22 hours ago, Success said:

We can't possibly be at the stage of fandom where a 17 point win doesn't please us.

 

If it was only that simple.

 

[FilthyBeast]

Just now, dave mcbride said:

I don't think Belichick gives a flying eff what McDermott said after the game. Like, at all.

 

Probably not because he knows he owns this team and has been living rent free in everyone in western NY's head for the greater part of two decades now.

 

Either way with McDermott matched up against Belichik it's pretty much like facing a 10 point handicap right out of the gate which is why this team truly needs to show up and try and jump on this team early so they don't get ran all over and have a chance to win.

[CowgirlsFan]

What a relief!!   On to NE.