THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - I've got Nuthin'

[blitzboy54]

3 hours ago, CincyBillsFan said:

You can call last nights loss a lot of things but "humiliating" is not one of them.

 

 

I see where you are coming from but giving up the real estate they did with 13 seconds is pretty embarrassing. I find myself in an unfamiliar place of hating the head coach who has telegraphed and now proven in the toughest moments he is at his core, a coward. 

[TheCockSportif]

You are a treasure, @Shaw66, and I say this in earnest.  I opined in one of the game day threads yesterday that I was done posting here, save for Off the Wall, until the draft or next season.  It's all variable based on where things are with me going into 2022 and the Bills.  And then I forgot you and @Virgil, and how much reading your stuff means to me each week; this is even more important now that @Virgilmight be retiring his going forward.

 

In any case, I kind of shrugged my shoulders after the game yesterday then worked on a mix for this song that I'm working on, then totally crashed hard until 6am this morning.  I woke up this morning asking myself if I gave a crap about the Bills anymore.  And then I read your weekly, in-season entry, and realized that you are right.  I'm numb.  I still am.  You nailed it, as usual, and have a great offseason.  Looking forward to your contributions in 2022, as always!

[MTBill]

The game you didn't mention that always hurt me a bit - was that crazy Bronco's game - the one in Buffalo where they came back at the end and somehow managed to kick a field goal to win it - when everyone was sure they didn't have time to run it.  That thing stung.  It wasn't the playoffs or anything, but it was as bad as the "just give it to them" game in my gut.  No Goal...  Wide Right... Homerun Throwback...  13 Seconds...  All of these are like the old Wide World of Sports opening, the Thrill of (imminent) Victory, the Agony of Defeat...

 

All of that said.  I really thought we would win yesterday because our Defense would slow them down 'enough'.  Which they did a decent job of early, but seemingly could do nothing to stop them in Q4 and OT.  The look on Josh's face on the sideline after the first go ahead score.  followed by having to do it one more time...

 

AND - for the record, the OT rule is what it is.  I don't see how it would have ended any different.  Sorry.  Mahomes was unstoppable from the Bills vantage point.  I hate him every much as I hated Tom Brady.  But he was lights out better than Brady ever was last night.  And him running across the field to find Josh after the win, was pretty special - not Belicheck coming to see you in the locker room special, but pretty classy from someone I thought was classless.

 

Thanks again for your work.  You help put things in perspective for those who aren't going to games, hell I barely get to see them except playoffs and prime time games.

[HamSandwhich]

1 hour ago, BullBuchanan said:

Maybe someday they'll give out MVP awards, championships and wins for the player that looked better according to that team's fans, but until then it comes down to actual performance. Mahomes played mistake-free football and came up just as big as Allen did when he had to in coming from behind twice, and driving the field in OT to win the game. He even outgained Allen in the air and on the ground, though I fully believe Allen would have pulled even had he gotten another drive.

That sidearm throw under Rousseau was one of the sickest throws I've ever seen. The escapability that Mahomes had all night long from the pocket was amazing. We had no answer for him, and they had no answer for Allen. The situations our team found themselves in required Allen to display more heroics, but Mahomes did every time he was needed. His team just asked him to do it less.

You have opinions all the way through too, so eye test for you also then? Allen >>>> Mahomes. As much as you’d like to argue, opinions are just that, opinions and my opinion is what you see above. Mahomes is very very good, Allen is just better to me. 

[major]

4 hours ago, blitzboy54 said:

This game for me in all time Buffalo losses

 

1. Wide Right

2. 13 seconds

3. No Goal

4. Music City Miracle 

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Everything else

 

Mine:

1. Wide right

2. music city miracle

3. 13 seconds 

4. 1989 cleveland

5. Dallas,Buffalo MNF game

6. Super bowl 28

7. Super bowl 27

8. Super Bowl 26

9. Dang- this is depressing (I’ll stop now)

[Reks Ryan]

I keep catching myself saying "They won the game" or "they had it won"  out loud.   Which is weird to some of my coworkers, since I am not in WNY, and I just kind of blurt it out in the middle of a project or on video conference call. 

 

 

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

 

 

Tre'Davious White is the example.   Here's this outstanding talent, and what the Bills have done with him is blend him into the defense to make the whole defense better.   Well, that's nice, but in some ways it makes White less scary to the offense.   Rather than turn him loose on the offense, a one-man gang of sorts, playing shut-down corner all game, or roaming the field, free-lancing, his big-play capability is kept somewhat under wraps.  

 

 

This got me to thinking. 

 

Micah Hyde was corner/safety in Green Bay.   How about making White a safety, to free him to make plays over the field?  Trade Poyer for picks, draft a corner in the first round, or get one in free agency.  

 

Move White all over.   He can take a good tight end, a Kelce or Kittles, man-to-man.   He can move over on plays where you want him on an island on a wideout.  He can blitz.   

 

Can he tackle as well as he needs to?

[chaccof]

5 hours ago, B-Large said:

Meh, it was an incredible bout and the Bills lost on a coin toss.... I'm about 100% confident had it been tails, we'd be excited for next week.  The OT rule is awful, and it cut short a special night.... I hope they consider changing it.

 

I feel like we're just entering our window here.... while this one is disappointing, this is a game that the organization will grow from.  Maybe they won't lose to poor teams in the regular season and hurt themselves on the playoffs by being on the road... that is a big takeaway...

 

The Chiefs have been an excellent organization for 10+ years now... this game shows we're almost there, and we will have our run and opportunites.

 

I'd rather lose like that 99/100 times that get blown out, or 20 seasons with draft threads in early December.

 

Fix what needs fixed, get ready to kick ass next season....

 

Josh is special.  He'll get a ring, no doubt.

 

 

I agree that the team has a unique window for the next couple of years.  I think it remains to be seen what this lose does to the key players and coaches that will be around.  It's a soul crushing lose and those players and coaches around next year can learn from it and come ready to kick butt to make certain the road to the SB goes through Buffalo or they can let this bring the organization down like the Music City Miracle did (anyone recall 17 years of futility?).  I hope its the former but we won't know until next September.  

[Scott7975]

3 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

But that's not what happened. They both played equally flawless football. Given that Mahomes has been doing it 4 straight years and has made it to the AFCCG every year, tie goes to the runner.

 

 

IMO Allen gets the edge.  Mahomes receivers get a lot YAC.  Allens receivers do not.  Its a bit easier when you got guys taking a 5-10 yard pass and running 10+ more yards with it.

 

KC receiver YAC 2699 (1st in the league)

Bills receiver YAC 1743 (17th in the league)

 

Allen ranks 6th in average completed air yards

Mahomes ranks 34th (there's a few guys in there that didn't play a full season but he is still bottom of the league.  Even Tua is higher)

 

Thats almost 1000 yards of difference.  Thats huge and what our offense lacks.  Our offense is entirely on Allens arm.  The guy is dropping dimes in tight coverage with hardly any YAC.  Don't get me wrong.  Mahomes has just as good an arm but its a bit easier on him.  His guys are running free all season long and then getting big YAC to boot.  I don't know if its just scheme or our guys don't really get much separation but it needs to be fixed.  Its not just our run game that pressured Josh its that Josh is expected to always make perfectly accurate tight window throws all game long.

 

All of that was apparent in full view in this playoff game. Mahomes had guys running wide open every play.  Little pitch and catch and boom the guy is gone for 20 more yards.

 

I watched boring games all weekend.  Everyone of those games had people with big separation.  TE's and WR's with 3-5 yards of space on a lot of passes.  How often do you see that happen for the Bills?  Im not talking about the check downs to Singletary either.  

 

Beasley gets passes just as he is being hit.  Knox getting passes and he has to bulldoze for a couple extra yards. Even when Diggs, Sanders, or Davis are getting balls downfield they have a step or two at best.  Sure we might get some busted coverage because a guy slipped or something once in a while but not as often as I see it happen for every other team.

 

Obviously there is a lot more into being a good QB that air yards and receivers getting YAC. Mahomes and Josh are both likely future HoF QBs and are pretty equal IMO.  I just edge Josh because I think his job is harder in this system than Mahomes is in KC's system.

 

 

On a side note... As great as a game Josh had... where was Diggs?  3 catches for 7 yards is almost criminal.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Scott7975

[Helpmenow]

33 minutes ago, major said:

Mine:

1. Wide right

2. music city miracle

3. 13 seconds 

4. 1989 cleveland

5. Dallas,Buffalo MNF game

6. Super bowl 28

7. Super bowl 27

8. Super Bowl 26

9. Dang- this is depressing (I’ll stop now)

I would add the game in 1980 versus the chargers with fergy hobbling. 

[BullBuchanan]

3 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

 

IMO Allen gets the edge.  Mahomes receivers get a lot YAC.  Allens receivers do not.  Its a bit easier when you got guys taking a 5-10 yard pass and running 10+ more yards with it.

 

KC receiver YAC 2699 (1st in the league)

Bills receiver YAC 1743 (17th in the league)

 

Allen ranks 6th in average completed air yards

Mahomes ranks 34th (there's a few guys in there that didn't play a full season but he is still bottom of the league.  Even Tua is higher)

 

Thats almost 1000 yards of difference.  Thats huge and what our offense lacks.  Our offense is entirely on Allens arm.  The guy is dropping dimes in tight coverage with hardly any YAC.  Don't get me wrong.  Mahomes has just as good an arm but its a bit easier on him.  His guys are running free all season long and then getting big YAC to boot.  I don't know if its just scheme or our guys don't really get much separation but it needs to be fixed.  Its not just our run game that pressured Josh its that Josh is expected to always make perfectly accurate tight window throws all game long.

 

I watched boring games all weekend.  Everyone of those games had people with big separation.  TE's and WR's with 3-5 yards of space on a lot of passes.  How often do you see that happen for the Bills?  Im not talking about the check downs to Singletary either.  

 

Beasley gets passes just as he is being hit.  Knox getting passes and he has to bulldoze for a couple extra yards. Even when Diggs, Sanders, or Davis are getting balls downfield they have a step or two at best.  Sure we might get some busted coverage because a guy slipped or something once in a while but not as often as I see it happen for every other team.

 

Obviously there is a lot more into being a good QB that air yards and receivers getting YAC. Mahomes and Josh are both likely future HoF QBs and are pretty equal IMO.  I just edge Josh because I think his job is harder in this system than Mahomes is in KC's system.

Again, that's faulting Mahomes for opportunities he didn't need because his team played better. Outside of hurdling guys, Mahomes can do everything that Allen does and has when he's needed to. He's had the best start to a career in NFL history. Brady dinked and dunked his way to a handful of Super Bowls early in his career, because he didn't need to do anything else. We saw later that he could also drop 50 TDs on a season by airing it out to Moss, Gronk, Hernandez and Welker when the situation called for that too.

At this point, it's not even really worth it to discuss who is better in a vacuum. They're both great, but Mahomes is undeniably more successful, and it's going to take significant changes to flip that because of how hard it is to get better when you're already at the top

[Scott7975]

Just now, BullBuchanan said:

Again, that's faulting Mahomes for opportunities he didn't need because his team played better. Outside of hurdling guys, Mahomes can do everything that Allen does and has when he's needed to. He's had the best start to a career in NFL history. Brady dinked and dunked his way to a handful of Super Bowls early in his career, because he didn't need to do anything else. We saw later that he could also drop 50 TDs on a season by airing it out to Moss, Gronk, Hernandez and Welker when the situation called for that too.

At this point, it's not even really worth it to discuss who is better in a vacuum. They're both great, but Mahomes is undeniably more successful, and it's going to take significant changes to flip that because of how hard it is to get better when you're already at the top

 

Im not trying to fault Mahomes at all.  He is one of the best in the league.  I just happen to think Allen is better in ways because he has a harder job.  

 

I agree with the last part.

[LABILLBACKER]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Allen was incredible.  

 

Remember when the narrative was "Allen isn't accurate, and you can't fix accuracy"?   

 

He'll be better next season.  

Let's see if we can avoid losing games we should easily have won like Jags & Steelers. We can't deny we still don't have anywhere near a pass rush to touch Mahomes. 

[Billsfan1972]

Shaw you do a great job and are an incredible fan.  Yes you don't like what I say and not sure why.

 

You seem very hesitant to ever blame coaching. However there were 13 friggin seconds left. That comes down to coaching.

 

I had friends over and was screaming did you do a pooch kick to the five 10-yard line which Bass had been very successful throughout the year doing. Then we can talk about the two plays afterwards and how badly they were botched.

 

I've been a Bills fan since 1972 and you never know when this chance will come again. Yes I'm very upset.

[BullBuchanan]

5 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Let's see if we can avoid losing games we should easily have won like Jags & Steelers. We can't deny we still don't have anywhere near a pass rush to touch Mahomes. 

That doesn't help us beat Mahomes and the chiefs. I dont care at all about losing upset games to ***** teams early in the season. I care about being able to compete in january. You have to win enough to get there, but that's pretty much it. With there only being a single buy now, that's not the most achieveable goal, and maybe you shouldn't even want it.

1 minute ago, Billsfan1972 said:

I've been a Bills fan since 1972 and you never know when this chance will come again. Yes I'm very upset.

There's a new chance every year. Allen may not play 2 perfect games again next year, and hopefully he doesn't have to.

[jlgarsh]

4 hours ago, Stuartjohn said:

My thoughts are- They should Fire Frazier if he called the defensive plays with 13 seconds left.

Bring in Vic Fangio and have a Real #1 defense next year! Regarding  that “Paper tiger “ # 1 defense- I’m glad Not “one player made the pro bowl”-  do you think Any of them deserved it now?
This feels as bad as Music City miracle! I keep thinking  What would Bellichek  or Parcells or Bill Walsh or Jimmy Johnson done differently with 13 seconds left! I bet they would have won the game- inexcusable!

Tre White if healthy should have been a lock. 

[Bad Things]

For the first time in my life, I had to turn the game off before it finished.

I don't know exactly why, but this game was insanely stressful to watch.

It honestly got to the point, where my smartwatch started beeping, giving me a "stress warning".  What?

I took the hint, turned off the tv with 2 minutes left and took my dog for a walk.  I just had to chill out.

 

Thank God I did, because I probably would've had a heart attack if I hadn't.   Ugh.

 

Let's go Buffalo!

[Shaw66]

22 minutes ago, Bad Things said:

For the first time in my life, I had to turn the game off before it finished.

I don't know exactly why, but this game was insanely stressful to watch.

It honestly got to the point, where my smartwatch started beeping, giving me a "stress warning".  What?

I took the hint, turned off the tv with 2 minutes left and took my dog for a walk.  I just had to chill out.

 

Thank God I did, because I probably would've had a heart attack if I hadn't.   Ugh.

 

Let's go Buffalo!

Wow.  Well, we're glad you're still with us.  

 

I'll write a letter to Coach McDermott and ask him to try to make next season's games less stressful.

[RunTheBall]

The defense was the problem all game long, the coaching especially in the last 13 seconds.

 

Edmunds was absolutely abused, and I’m a fan. Their whole game plan was putting Edmunds in conflict and he didn’t make one impact play. That has to be a consideration going forward.

 

I’ve seen McD change his conservative philosophy on O, going for it twice on 4th on that first drive was balls of steel. I think he will adjust his defensive philosophy based on this devastating loss. It won’t be lost on him how piss poor the coaching was on the 13 second drive.

 

Mahomes is incredible. Josh is as well. I give Mahomes a lot of credit for seeking Josh out at the end of the game, that’s sportsmanship. 

[Reed83HOF]

4 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I haven't entered the fray to talk who's fault it was, what might have been done differently, etc.   I've seen several comments about the loss being on the coaches and how they did or did not manage the defense down the stretch.  I have a variety of thoughts about all of that, and I might talk about it more later, but for now I want to respond this idea.

 

I don't think I agree with McDermott's defensive philosophy, but this "deer in the headlights"  thing is wrong.  That's what people said about the defense when they gave up some drives in the Houston playoff game, and they completely ignored multiple stops the defense made in that game, stops that allowed the Bills to get back into the game.  

 

Last night, Hill had a humongus return late in the game, and the defense held on three downs and forced a field goal.  A huge stand. 

 

The fact that the Bills defense can't stop two of the top five offensive players in the league, at will, any time, is NOT the problem.   Did the Chiefs also have a deer in the headlights look?   They couldn't stop the Bills, either.  

 

 

Hill is the unicorn that makes them so tough to defend, his catch and run killed us, no other WR in the league can do what he did, they would have been tackled immediately. If you focus on taking him away that is where Kelce, gets a mismatch and they nail you. The rest of their pass catchers etc. are meh.