The short yardage conundrum

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

just an FYI

 

Last week the Bills converted over 90% of 3rd downs. 

 

 

[BRH]

I think the team has the general feeling - as do I - that they can pick up yards whenever they want.  Fail on 3rd and 1?  No problem, we're going for it anyway on 4th.

 

And the truth is that in have-to-have-it scenarios -- the 4th and 1 TD last night and a couple of late downs early on last week -- we usually find a way to pick up the yard(s).

 

In other situations, the consequences are a lot more dire for the opponent if we pick it up than they are for us if we don't.  So it's not surprising that in those types of situations, we lose the battle more often, either because we get outpushed or because we're not going to waste a particular play call if we don't absolutely have to have the yards.

 

Not worried.  

Edited September 20, 2022 by BRH

[ColoradoBills]

1 minute ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

just an FYI

 

Last week the Bills converted over 90% of 3rd downs. 

 

 

 

Exactly.  Yesterday the Titans filled the box a lot and had the football thrown down their throats.  Let's see what next week brings.

[Einstein]

4 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

just an FYI

 

Last week the Bills converted over 90% of 3rd downs. 

 

 

 

Only 1 of them being 3rd and 1.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

2 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Exactly.  Yesterday the Titans filled the box a lot and had the football thrown down their throats.  Let's see what next week brings.

Keep the opponents guessing 

1 minute ago, Einstein said:

 

Only 1 of them being 3rd and 1.

read this slowly 

 

 

The @BuffaloBills

have outscored last season's Super Bowl champs & No. 1 seed in the AFC by a combined score of 72-17

 

don’t be a chicken little 

ENJOY the W

[Buffalo716]

18 minutes ago, jethro_tull said:

No problem trying to address any chinks in the Bills armor.  

Seems like they need a beast running back for short yards.  

Singletary is 5-7, Moss is 5-9, both are 205 or so.  Cook is a 5-11 string bean.  

The FB Gilliam is 6 feet 244 but does he have it?  

Spend a high pick on a RB.  

We spent 3 picks within the first 3 rounds in 3 years lol

 

those are 3 high picks

[Big Turk]

Honestly, I think the Bills sometimes look at it as an opportunity to catch the defense offguard trying to stop them from picking up a yard and looking to hit a big play. I think the Bills are looking to go for the jugular every time they have a chance now and don't care if they miss on 3rd down because they are going for it regardless on 4th down. And honestly with Josh Allen can you blame them?

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

The titans front 7 was dominating…which is getting overlooked because they lost by 34 lol we were 9/10 on third down week 1 we are going to be fine 

[ticketssince61]

38 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

They try and get too cute at times instead of just running a play that will pick it up or sneaking Allen

 

... and in most of those situations JA in shotgun and not under center so there is a lot more margin for error

 

If you are going to go for it on most 4th downs - just pound it 2x - bound to get it 

[nedboy7]

Not a fan of Moss subbing for Motor.  Only when Motor needs a break. 
 

Edited September 20, 2022 by nedboy7

[Billy Claude]

I think they mentioned on the broadcast that the Bills were 32nd in the league last year in 3rd and 4th and one.  Plus, their short yardage troubles was  one of the main reason they lost all those close games last year.  It is definitely something that they should be working on. 

 

 

 

[SinatraSinger]

It's easy to get cute on 3rd and 1, when you know you are going for it on 4th and 1

 

[Einstein]

17 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

we were 9/10 on third down week 1 we are going to be fine 

 

This is not an excuse for not being able to move the ball on 3rd and 4th and 1.

6 minutes ago, Billy Claude said:

I think they mentioned on the broadcast that the Bills were 32nd in the league last year in 3rd and 4th and one.  Plus, their short yardage troubles was  one of the main reason they lost all those close games last year.  It is definitely something that they should be working on. 

 

 

 

 

Exactly.

[Magox]

I think this is a valid concern.  I was watching the game with my brother last night and multiple times I was telling him that we seem to struggle (relatively speaking) on short yardage situations.   When the game was opened up the offense dominated but once the yards to go for first down went below 2 yards the offense seemed to tighten up.  I do think it is an area that the offense should look to address with these practices, there is no reason why this team shouldn't be as dominant with short yardage as other situations.

[Hsker4life]

1 minute ago, Magox said:

I think this is a valid concern.  I was watching the game with my brother last night and multiple times I was telling him that we seem to struggle (relatively speaking) on short yardage situations.   When the game was opened up the offense dominated but once the yards to go for first down went below 2 yards the offense seemed to tighten up.  I do think it is an area that the offense should look to address with these practices, there is no reason why this team shouldn't be as dominant with short yardage as other situations.

It is definitely a concern. Never thought I’d see the day when fellow Bills fans are acting like we won the Super Bowl after two weeks of play. 

[TheBrownBear]

I think they lack an identity in those situations, tend to overthink it, and take way too much damn time getting set and snapping the ball.  Just get up there, call what you do best and go.  Don't think, "hmmnnn, let's try to be a power team this time", trot out Zack Moss and do some heavily telegraphed slow developing power run where he gets hit 2 yards behind the LOS.  Either get up there quickly and have Josh sneak it under center or go spread and let Josh hit a quick completion or pick it up with his legs.

 

And if you're gonna run it with a RB, it should be Singletary.  He's got the best vision of the bunch and has a nice ability to get skinny and make a couple of yards out of a very small crease.  Tough runner for his size too.  Moss shouldn't be seeing more than 10 snaps a game, imo.

Edited September 20, 2022 by TheBrownBear

[jethro_tull]

23 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

We spent 3 picks within the first 3 rounds in 3 years lol

 

those are 3 high picks

I know but we need a battering ram, not more water bugs.  

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

As great as this team is, the offense struggles in short yardage situations.

 

The Bills were dead-last in the NFL last season on 3rd and 1. And they were 0-4 on 3rd or 4th and 1 last night.

 

Question: Why do you think the Bills struggle in this area and what specifically do you feel that they can do to improve this facet of their offense?

 

Edit: A poster pointed out that we did actually convert one 4th and 1 last night. Sorry about the incorrectness above.

 

.

 

Honeslty, its just bad play calling.  Josh Allen has like a 95% career success rate on QB sneaks on 3rd/4th and 1 or 2 to go.  Yet, we rarely run it now, and against Titans, Daboll got cute with the sneak with game on the line and had Josh moving in and out of shotgun making it harder to get his feet set.  

 

And if you are not going to sneak it with Allen, at the very least let him drop back and roll out where he can make the play with his arm or make the play with his legs if the pass isn't there.  Its also nearly unstoppable.  

 

But too often last year, and Monday night we called weird low percentage plays trying to hard to be too cute or catch them off guard.  If you have been smacking them in the mouth all game, go out there and smack them in the mouth again, don't get fancy and cute in a gritty a moment like that.  Sometimes these coordinators out think themselves and over complicate the situation.  Know that your QB is a Sasquatch who can run and throw as good as anyone in the NFL, and use those tools and our weapons around him at their best.  

 

ALSO...give the ball to DEVIN more in these spots too and let him run a more traditional run there.  He hits the hole fast and finds the smallest creases.  He is so much faster to the hole with better vision than Moss, and Devin almost never loses yards and almost always finishes going forward.  So unless your OL gets blown up, he has a good chance to find that crease to get that yard.  

Edited September 20, 2022 by Alphadawg7

[Buffalo716]

Just now, jethro_tull said:

I know but we need a battering ram, not more water bugs.  

We have like one Water bug In cooks…

 

Singletary is a hammer Not a nail… Do you watch him run? He’s 5’7 200+ pounds, that’s thick… not a water bug 

 

He Consistently punishes defenders

 

Zack Moss is like 5’9 210 … Again thick as heck… You don’t need to be 6’2 225 to be a battering ram

 

Singletary consistently punishes defenders… Even last year at the end of the year he was setting the tone

 

They don’t like tackling him

[TheWeatherMan]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

As great as this team is, the offense struggles in short yardage situations.

 

The Bills were dead-last in the NFL last season on 3rd and 1. And they were 0-4 on 3rd or 4th and 1 last night.

 

Question: Why do you think the Bills struggle in this area and what specifically do you feel that they can do to improve this facet of their offense?

 

Edit: A poster pointed out that we did actually convert one 4th and 1 last night. Sorry about the incorrectness above.

 

.

QB sneak the GD ball.  There is no excuse as to why this offense can’t execute a sneak with the biggest bad a$$ QB to ever play the game.  Don’t give me the bs o-line sux on short yardage crap, the biggest vag of a QB to ever play the game had no problem picking up the first or a TD on sneaks playing behind crappy olines.  Playing 3rd/4th and inches out of the shotgun is as dumb as it gets.