Redzone execution = Superbowl for this team...

[Hebert19]

Random thoughts by Jack Handy for those old enough to remember the SNL skit. 

 

Looking back at a few games we played this year against playoff teams and how those games played out....and the execution to get a chance to win the game was awesome...but when it came to getting it down we failed.   

 

Last few weeks we have run the ball better and it's improved but with the pressure on will Daboll stick with it. 

 

1.  Titans game - well take away the KO touchdown...that drive by Josh and the O was perfection...until it wasn't.  Both Josh and Daboll panicked in the endzone a bit.   8 plays.  79 yards.  Just under 3 min.  Perfect until the slip.  Game lost in red zone. 

 

2.   New England game 1  - granted conditions were ***** but we had 2 kicks in the red zone with spectacular throws and runs by Josh and again came up short.  Again Daboll overthought things and we didn't convert.  Especially 1st and goal on 6 I think.  

 

3.   Tampa - well *****.  Another great drive by Josh and we just couldn't finish.  Felt a little like we didn't call the best plays down there again. 

 

Feels like while we practice situational football a lot we get a little on edge when it matters down there.  We do that in the playoffs and we lose.  3 playoff teams.  3 chances to win. Josh delivered like a champ...then inside the 10 we fold.  

 

Peyton called his own plays in those situation most of his career...do we need to give Josh more flexibility in those situations?

 

Anyway...just looking back (and forward) and if we execute inside the 20 I'd say no one can beat this team.   We score TDs we put pressure on the other team and that's when our D is best.  

[Malazan]

9 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Peyton called his own plays in those situation most of his career...do we need to give Josh more flexibility in those situations?

 

What leads you to believe he doesn't have the option to override the play call?  I'm also failing to get the crux of this post. You're telling us the sky is blue. Do you expect debate that the red zone isn't important?

[Big Blitz]

19 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Random thoughts by Jack Handy for those old enough to remember the SNL skit. 

 

I believe it was deep thoughts.... 

 

19 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

 

 We score TDs we put pressure on the other team and that's when our D is best.  

 

 

Getting and playing with the lead is the most underrated part of this teams success.  I can't off the top of my head think of a game we blew a 2nd half or 4th quarter lead and lost since Houston in 2020.  

 

The Rams last year - but we won.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Big Blitz

[billybrew1]

51 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Random thoughts by Jack Handy for those old enough to remember the SNL skit. 

 

Looking back at a few games we played this year against playoff teams and how those games played out....and the execution to get a chance to win the game was awesome...but when it came to getting it down we failed.   

 

Last few weeks we have run the ball better and it's improved but with the pressure on will Daboll stick with it. 

 

1.  Titans game - well take away the KO touchdown...that drive by Josh and the O was perfection...until it wasn't.  Both Josh and Daboll panicked in the endzone a bit.   8 plays.  79 yards.  Just under 3 min.  Perfect until the slip.  Game lost in red zone. 

 

2.   New England game 1  - granted conditions were ***** but we had 2 kicks in the red zone with spectacular throws and runs by Josh and again came up short.  Again Daboll overthought things and we didn't convert.  Especially 1st and goal on 6 I think.  

 

3.   Tampa - well *****.  Another great drive by Josh and we just couldn't finish.  Felt a little like we didn't call the best plays down there again. 

 

Feels like while we practice situational football a lot we get a little on edge when it matters down there.  We do that in the playoffs and we lose.  3 playoff teams.  3 chances to win. Josh delivered like a champ...then inside the 10 we fold.  

 

Peyton called his own plays in those situation most of his career...do we need to give Josh more flexibility in those situations?

 

Anyway...just looking back (and forward) and if we execute inside the 20 I'd say no one can beat this team.   We score TDs we put pressure on the other team and that's when our D is best.  

Of course, I agree with you but it is kind of like saying, if we score more TDs than the opposition we will win. Not quite but it is kind of similar.....

and yes, of course, we will have to be good in the red-zone, we will have to be good everywhere.....limit mistakes.

 

Go Bills!

[Thurman#1]

It's not that simple, IMO. We have to do a lot well in the playoffs. Would we win a game if we never saw the red zone? Wouldn't have a single red zone failure.

 

But yeah, it's been a problem. Not in every game, though. In Jax we only had one red zone failure. The 12 penalties for 118 yards was as much to blame for our failure that day., and the 2 INTs the fumble we lost.

[Richard Noggin]

So...situational football?

 

Red zone is probably the most important "situation" in football. Has definitely been an issue in this team's losses. One could argue that the ability...and dedication...to run the heckin' ball in goal-to-go situations has been missing for much of the season, which then inarguably allows defenses to cheat against the pass.

 

Mahomes and the Chiefs had to learn in 2021 how to be patient and physical on offense to beat the zone-heavy, deep safety looks. Allen and Daboll finally did it against the Patriots in Foxboro. And last week they ran the dang ball in the second half and especially in the red zone. Can they keep progressing in this way? 

[transient]

2 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

 

I believe it was deep thoughts.... 

When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather...

 

 

 

...not screaming in terror, like the passengers in his car.

[NewEra]

It was perfect until Dawkins and Feliciano got clobbered simultaneously as Josh slipped.  Some bad luck.  

[GunnerBill]

5 hours ago, Hebert19 said:

Random thoughts by Jack Handy for those old enough to remember the SNL skit. 

 

Looking back at a few games we played this year against playoff teams and how those games played out....and the execution to get a chance to win the game was awesome...but when it came to getting it down we failed.   

 

Last few weeks we have run the ball better and it's improved but with the pressure on will Daboll stick with it. 

 

1.  Titans game - well take away the KO touchdown...that drive by Josh and the O was perfection...until it wasn't.  Both Josh and Daboll panicked in the endzone a bit.   8 plays.  79 yards.  Just under 3 min.  Perfect until the slip.  Game lost in red zone. 

 

2.   New England game 1  - granted conditions were ***** but we had 2 kicks in the red zone with spectacular throws and runs by Josh and again came up short.  Again Daboll overthought things and we didn't convert.  Especially 1st and goal on 6 I think.  

 

3.   Tampa - well *****.  Another great drive by Josh and we just couldn't finish.  Felt a little like we didn't call the best plays down there again. 

 

Feels like while we practice situational football a lot we get a little on edge when it matters down there.  We do that in the playoffs and we lose.  3 playoff teams.  3 chances to win. Josh delivered like a champ...then inside the 10 we fold.  

 

Peyton called his own plays in those situation most of his career...do we need to give Josh more flexibility in those situations?

 

Anyway...just looking back (and forward) and if we execute inside the 20 I'd say no one can beat this team.   We score TDs we put pressure on the other team and that's when our D is best.  

 

We have the most redzone drops in the NFL. The playcalling has been an issue down there at times but the execution has been the bigger issue.

[AuntieEm]

4 hours ago, billybrew1 said:

Of course, I agree with you but it is kind of like saying, if we score more TDs than the opposition we will win. Not quite but it is kind of similar.....

and yes, of course, we will have to be good in the red-zone, we will have to be good everywhere.....limit mistakes.

 

Go Bills!

   If we score more points we will win.  They could score 1 td nothing else and lose to 3 fgs.  Yes I want them to have good success in the red zone by not settling for fgs, but also know when it is better to take the sure 3 points and make the opponent press to keep up.

 

[Chandler#81]

@Hebert19 for the love of god, step AWAY from the keyboard!

[Hebert19]

9 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

 

I believe it was deep thoughts.... 

 

 

 

Getting and playing with the lead is the most underrated part of this teams success.  I can't off the top of my head think of a game we blew a 2nd half or 4th quarter lead and lost since Houston in 2020.  

 

The Rams last year - but we won.

This.   We are great front runners and usually blow teams out when we have lead (Pittsburgh being one I recall we blew...maybe 10-0?)

 

So key is finish early drives. 

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

We have the most redzone drops in the NFL. The playcalling has been an issue down there at times but the execution has been the bigger issue.

Drops and penalties against NE cost us

[JerseyBills]

Our RZ offense has been inconsistent all year. We'd be the 1 seed with better execution in the rz

[Frostbite]

I think play calling is the biggest issue down there. Daboll likes to call plays that need space to develop and there just isn't enough of it down there with so many guys within striking distance of making a tackle. It's almost like he ignores the situation and calls what he wants to call (similar to when Josh hurt his foot against Tampa on a scramble and a few plays later he's calling another designed run).

 

I'm sure they practice RZ scenarios but the entire offense, including Daboll, seem to panic when we get down there. 

[SoCal Deek]

They have the ultimate red zone weapon: an athletic running QB. And yet Daboll has no clue how to use that to his advantage. You roll Josh out and make the defender choose between coming up to stop the run or sticking with the receiver. If chooses the run you flip it to the open TE or RB. If he chooses the receiver, Josh walks into the end zone. It is NOT rocket science!!

[DapperCam]

A few interesting/counterintuitive things regarding red zone %.
 

- We are better this year than last year.

- The only AFC playoff team ahead of us is the Chargers, and just barely (by 0.3%).

- Our red zone % in the past 3 games is 10% higher than our season average, so hopefully we’re getting hot at the right time.

[Frostbite]

3 minutes ago, DapperCam said:

A few interesting/counterintuitive things regarding red zone %.
 

- We are better this year than last year.

- The only AFC playoff team ahead of us is the Chargers, and just barely (by 0.3%).

- Our red zone % in the past 3 games is 10% higher than our season average, so hopefully we’re getting hot at the right time.

Are we better this year than last year in the RZ as a whole (including field goals)? or is that just TD %?

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I just learned yesterday Jack Handy was a real writer on SNL. I always thought it was a made up name to go along with the deep thought skit.

[atlbillsfan1975]

This teams biggest challenge will be in goal-to-go situations. Inside the 10 yard line is when the Bills need to be at 75% or more for a TD in the playoffs. Kicking more than 1 FG from inside the 10 yard line during the playoffs isn’t going to help win many games. 

[DapperCam]

1 hour ago, Frostbite said:

Are we better this year than last year in the RZ as a whole (including field goals)? or is that just TD %?

TD%

 

https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/red-zone-scoring-pct