A Few Thoughts About the Dolphins Game, in no particular order

[Gunsgoodtime]

I think the effect of having 4, or 5 starters on defense, and 9 on offense determined this game.  Injuries have decimated our SB run imo.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Gunsgoodtime

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 minute ago, Rc2catch said:

And Mahomes and Bienemy had a nice argument on the sideline was entertaining 

Oh I have to see that 

[Bob in STL]

Always appreciate your hard work to write these but this one misses the mark. 

 

We started  with a skeleton crew on defense and gave up 21 points, and 7 are on the offense. 

 

We used every O-lineman that we had.  We were literally down to ZERO backups.  

 

McKenzie spent part of the game hooked to an IV, as did Knox and Spencer Brown (who had a horrible game).  Diggs was on and off the field all game.  Davis dropped two big passes, one in the end zone.  

 

Allen was off at several key moments.   With all the substitutions he seemed to lose his cool.  Missed on throws.   

 

Through it all we had 497 yards and 40 minutes of possession and still lost because we just didn't finish, we made too many mental errors.  Dropped TDs, a missed FG, terrible decisions at the end of the first half, and the ill fated 2nd last drive of the game ending on the 2.   Why not roll Josh out on that last series and RPO?   The final drive was killed by poor clock management and a holding call.   

 

The dumb penalties were a problem.  We lost our cool.  Yet, given all the injuries we dominated them again.  Had we held on, kicked the long FG and won it would be a totally different vibe.  We hung tough even though we played down to Miami's level.  

 

We have to get healthy.  Now the OL is hurting.  

 

Miami will not fare as well in December.  

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

18 minutes ago, Roundybout said:

 

Hard, hard disagree. 

Insanely hard disagree for me as well lol without a doubt missed some throws but out of 60+ attempts and running for your life all game that’s going to happen. Any other qb in the league is losing that game by 2+ scores 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 minute ago, muppy said:

how rare it is to see #17 short pass a receiver.......lol right?

the double clutch got him 

and it looked like his hand had been hurt 

[JoPoy88]

24 minutes ago, Virgil said:

Well, if you're going to post angry, go big or go home.  If you are on team "we were injured," feel free to stop reading now.  This game was embarrassing in all aspects of the game, and even beyond to the NFL. 

 

1 - Everyone else - This whole week has been about the players we don't have on the field, yet it was the guys who stayed healthy that made some of the biggest impacts on the game.  In a game of "what if's", there were countless plays you could point to that could have sent this game in a different direction.  Milano with an inexcusable dropped pick 6, Josh with at least 4 passes that should have been easily intercepted, multiple lost yardage plays due to bad snaps, Brown getting just abused at RT until he also leaves the game sick, Bass with an short FG miss that could have been the game winner, and again Allen missing a wide open McKenzie for a touchdown. 

 

2 - Inevitable - If there were one thing that kept me up at night going into this game, it was fear of miscommunication and gap integrity between the safeties and corners.  In a game where the Bills did a great job of limiting Tua, Waddle, and Hill, they folded when it counted the most giving up an inexcusable 3rd and 22 to the Bills goal line.  Without that play, of all of them, the Dolphins stat line is pedestrian and pull off a miracle defensive performance.

 

3 - Safety - I don't know enough about all of the medical protocols or options for teams in a game like this, but you really have to question the NFL after this game.  How Tua was able to clear concussion protocol so quickly makes absolutely no sense.  I haven't seen a QB stagger off the field like that since Joe Montana with the Chiefs against the Bills in the playoffs.  I don't care how well he passed tests in the locker room, there's no way he should have been allowed to play.  To be clear, this has nothing to do with the Bills losing and I don't think Tua beat us on any level.  Between that, the amount of play stoppages for dehydration and cramping, and the amount of players who left the game early, something needs to be done differently.

 

4 - Come and take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane ("Louder!", "Alright")
So choose your last words, this is the last time
'Cause you and I—we were born to die

 

5 - Allen - You are either a stat person or you aren't, and for this game, I don't care about Josh's stats.  He lost this game for us on offense and I think he would tell you the same thing.  Josh's accuracy on crossing routes was poor, throwing multiple passes behind the receivers.  He threw at least 4 passes that easily should have been picked off, plus the miss to a wide open McKenzie last goal line drive.  While he overcame it, the PF call to lose 15 yards was inexcusable.  Josh was clearly rattled in the second half and started to press too much.  Maybe it was the heat, frustration of some terrible snaps, or playing with only 3 active receivers at times, but Josh needs to be better than this.

 

6 - Play calling - I have to hand it to the Dolphins as they had a very good game plan for our offense and did enough to keep the Bills offense at bay.  Again, you can look at stats all you want, but Diggs was relatively shut down in this game after the first quarter.  Howard left the game for a while and Diggs still couldn't do anything.  Davis was also quiet as we heard Gilly's name more than his.  As for the Bills, they continue to collapse on short yardage plays, can't run to save their life, and flirted with turnovers a lot.  Nothing ever felt fluid for the Bills on offense or defense, in a game that's almost impossible to describe to someone who didn't watch it.

 

7 - Motor - I understand that Moss had a big run in this game.  But beyond that, Motor was the only back doing anything on the field and it's been this way through three games.  Additionally, the running plays on the RPO or out of the shotgun were some of the slowest developing plays I've ever seen.  You would think the offense was running on quicksand and showed no push or burst up front.  And before you point to the loss of the entire right side of our line, this was before those injuries and were runs to the left side.  I know we are a passing team, but this is inexcusable.

 

8 - McKenzie - If there were one shining light on offense, it might have been that we finally saw a McKenzie jet sweep in this game.  McKenzie used his speed on quite a few plays to pick up nice chunks of yards, to the point that makes you wonder why he hasn't been used more up until now.  His 20+ yard catch was a beautiful touch pass by Josh, but an equally great catch by McK.  I also want to know why McK wasn't returned the free kick after the safety.  Was that because it was still a punt, in theory?

 

9 - Special teams - Between the Bass missed FG, being pinned inside our 20 a few times, and Crowder not even getting back to the 25 after the safety, the special teams was another group who found a way to not show up in this game.  Absolutely horrendous job by unit that was healthy coming into the game.

 

10 - Bye Week - I'll be honest, I don't know what to expect through the next 3 weeks.  You can find some solace in how the defense held Waddle and Hill down, but I'm not one willing to crown the Dolphins as a top tier team yet.  Going into Baltimore next week is going to be brutal, and then we still have the Chiefs after that.  I know that it's early, and thankfully we get to play the Dolphins again.  But we may very well need the tie breakers for the Ravens and Chiefs, so it sucks to have these games coming up when we aren't even 50% healthy.  Out of everything, I just hate having a season be defined by injuries, and that's exactly what this season is shaping up to be.

 

For those looking for more about the game, my apologies.  I'm not going to cool down from this game for a long time.  I can handle a loss and was expecting one.  But to lose like this is just pathetic to me.  The Dolphins were better prepared, had more energy, and played harder.  Lose, but don't get beat in those three phases.  That's on McD.

 

 

garbage takes, as usual.

[GymShorts84]

Allen didn’t lose this game, it just seems that way because the world revolves around Josh. We needed one play(Bass FG, Milano pick 6, WR to complete a catch) to win the game. This team wasn’t going undefeated. On to Baltimore. 
 

 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. “ TR

[DCbillsfan]

8 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

A couple of positives. 

 

1. With even more responsibility than usual in terms of calling and lining guys up Edmunds was really good again.

 

2. I thought from the tv angle Kaiir Elam had a heck of a game. Will want to see the all22 to confirm.

I'll add that Allen did not get hurt.  Just noticed Mac Jones left Pats game with leg injury.  Did not look good.

[UKBillFan]

3 minutes ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

Then call Brandon and advocate trading him since you think he’s so terrible in these close games clearly we need to go in a different direction and then you can scout the 2023 qb class 

 

It's a mentality issue which needs to be worked on. And that's across the franchise, for which Josh is part of. He made an error he shouldn't have made in a key siutuation, plus could have easily been intercepted four times.  He's played better, he'll play better, but when the pressure is on, in one score games, the choke seems to follow across the board. That needs to be sorted.

[ToGoGo]

I think you should hand in your "weekly thread" card. You're too short-sighted and having a privilege weekly thread like this requires more wisdom. 

[Billever76]

1 minute ago, UKBillFan said:

 

It's a mentality issue which needs to be worked on. And that's across the franchise, for which Josh is part of. He made an error he shouldn't have made in a key siutuation, plus could have easily been intercepted four times.  He's played better, he'll play better, but when the pressure is on, in one score games, the choke seems to follow across the board. That needs to be sorted.

What are you babbling about?...Allen put us up 13s last season in as clutch of a performance one can have....he delivered a strike to Davis that was right in the basket....he made numerous big time scrambles in what should have been sacks for 99% of the rest of the nfl

 

 

 

Horrible opinion

[UKBillFan]

7 minutes ago, Norcalbillsfan said:

Ya I agree, he definitely had a few bad throws especially the game winner but he was the offense today. I think we take for granted what he does some times, he broke at least 4 tackles that were sacks for most nfl qbs. Moved around the pocket and made plays. His stats might look better than he really played but he still kept this offense afloat with a once again atrocious run game.

 

I mean if Gabe makes that td catch is there even a whisper that josh played like trash today?

 

If Josh had got the ball to McKenzie there wouldn't be this discussion either. Plus I don't think he played like trash, but he had the opportunity to lead us to a close win and failed to do so. And our record in those games since the start of last year is now 0-7.

[Rc2catch]

8 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Oh I have to see that 

Andy Reid separated them. Mahomes was mad they let the clock run out to get to halftime. 

[DCbillsfan]

6 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

 

If Josh had got the ball to McKenzie there wouldn't be this discussion either. Plus I don't think he played like trash, but he had the opportunity to lead us to a close win and failed to do so. And our record in those games since the start of last year is now 0-7.

There are team wins and team losses.  Period

[ticketssince61]

20 minutes ago, Rc2catch said:

Time of possession was huge and I’m still a bit shocked miamis defense held up. Regardless of the heat that’s a long time to be on the field. 

 

 

The problem is that it took the same toll on our offense!

 

[Cotton Fitzsimmons]

 

It truly sucks that we lost this one… their punter cranking one right into his personal protector’s derrière for the safety was one of those moments that could’ve lived on in the annals of history.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Cotton Fitzsimmons

[NC-billsfan!]

33 minutes ago, Virgil said:

Well, if you're going to post angry, go big or go home.  If you are on team "we were injured," feel free to stop reading now.  This game was embarrassing in all aspects of the game, and even beyond to the NFL. 

 

1 - Everyone else - This whole week has been about the players we don't have on the field, yet it was the guys who stayed healthy that made some of the biggest impacts on the game.  In a game of "what if's", there were countless plays you could point to that could have sent this game in a different direction.  Milano with an inexcusable dropped pick 6, Josh with at least 4 passes that should have been easily intercepted, multiple lost yardage plays due to bad snaps, Brown getting just abused at RT until he also leaves the game sick, Bass with an short FG miss that could have been the game winner, and again Allen missing a wide open McKenzie for a touchdown. 

 

2 - Inevitable - If there were one thing that kept me up at night going into this game, it was fear of miscommunication and gap integrity between the safeties and corners.  In a game where the Bills did a great job of limiting Tua, Waddle, and Hill, they folded when it counted the most giving up an inexcusable 3rd and 22 to the Bills goal line.  Without that play, of all of them, the Dolphins stat line is pedestrian and pull off a miracle defensive performance.

 

3 - Safety - I don't know enough about all of the medical protocols or options for teams in a game like this, but you really have to question the NFL after this game.  How Tua was able to clear concussion protocol so quickly makes absolutely no sense.  I haven't seen a QB stagger off the field like that since Joe Montana with the Chiefs against the Bills in the playoffs.  I don't care how well he passed tests in the locker room, there's no way he should have been allowed to play.  To be clear, this has nothing to do with the Bills losing and I don't think Tua beat us on any level.  Between that, the amount of play stoppages for dehydration and cramping, and the amount of players who left the game early, something needs to be done differently.

 

4 - Come and take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane ("Louder!", "Alright")
So choose your last words, this is the last time
'Cause you and I—we were born to die

 

5 - Allen - You are either a stat person or you aren't, and for this game, I don't care about Josh's stats.  He lost this game for us on offense and I think he would tell you the same thing.  Josh's accuracy on crossing routes was poor, throwing multiple passes behind the receivers.  He threw at least 4 passes that easily should have been picked off, plus the miss to a wide open McKenzie last goal line drive.  While he overcame it, the PF call to lose 15 yards was inexcusable.  Josh was clearly rattled in the second half and started to press too much.  Maybe it was the heat, frustration of some terrible snaps, or playing with only 3 active receivers at times, but Josh needs to be better than this.

 

6 - Play calling - I have to hand it to the Dolphins as they had a very good game plan for our offense and did enough to keep the Bills offense at bay.  Again, you can look at stats all you want, but Diggs was relatively shut down in this game after the first quarter.  Howard left the game for a while and Diggs still couldn't do anything.  Davis was also quiet as we heard Gilly's name more than his.  As for the Bills, they continue to collapse on short yardage plays, can't run to save their life, and flirted with turnovers a lot.  Nothing ever felt fluid for the Bills on offense or defense, in a game that's almost impossible to describe to someone who didn't watch it.

 

7 - Motor - I understand that Moss had a big run in this game.  But beyond that, Motor was the only back doing anything on the field and it's been this way through three games.  Additionally, the running plays on the RPO or out of the shotgun were some of the slowest developing plays I've ever seen.  You would think the offense was running on quicksand and showed no push or burst up front.  And before you point to the loss of the entire right side of our line, this was before those injuries and were runs to the left side.  I know we are a passing team, but this is inexcusable.

 

8 - McKenzie - If there were one shining light on offense, it might have been that we finally saw a McKenzie jet sweep in this game.  McKenzie used his speed on quite a few plays to pick up nice chunks of yards, to the point that makes you wonder why he hasn't been used more up until now.  His 20+ yard catch was a beautiful touch pass by Josh, but an equally great catch by McK.  I also want to know why McK wasn't returned the free kick after the safety.  Was that because it was still a punt, in theory?

 

9 - Special teams - Between the Bass missed FG, being pinned inside our 20 a few times, and Crowder not even getting back to the 25 after the safety, the special teams was another group who found a way to not show up in this game.  Absolutely horrendous job by unit that was healthy coming into the game.

 

10 - Bye Week - I'll be honest, I don't know what to expect through the next 3 weeks.  You can find some solace in how the defense held Waddle and Hill down, but I'm not one willing to crown the Dolphins as a top tier team yet.  Going into Baltimore next week is going to be brutal, and then we still have the Chiefs after that.  I know that it's early, and thankfully we get to play the Dolphins again.  But we may very well need the tie breakers for the Ravens and Chiefs, so it sucks to have these games coming up when we aren't even 50% healthy.  Out of everything, I just hate having a season be defined by injuries, and that's exactly what this season is shaping up to be.

 

For those looking for more about the game, my apologies.  I'm not going to cool down from this game for a long time.  I can handle a loss and was expecting one.  But to lose like this is just pathetic to me.  The Dolphins were better prepared, had more energy, and played harder.  Lose, but don't get beat in those three phases.  That's on McD.

 

 

Really enjoy your posts and thanks for taking the time to write up thoughtful posts. Might have waited a day to post, this one seemed a bit emotional. 

[newcam2012]

20 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

I'll wait for the post-game press conference.  But he will tell you that he should have hit McKenzie for that touchdown.  No one touched him. 

If you look at the play Allen rushed the throw. He was sandwiched beteeenb2 Dolphins applying pressure. First It was the outsidecrusher and he adjusted to the inside and saw the other pass rushed. He looked to alter and hurry his throw. It's a  pass he makes in his sleep. I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw it leave his hand. 

[ChevyVanMiller]

Josh was under duress all game. I thought he played incredibly well considering his receiving core was depleted and the OL featured 3rd stringers for much of the game.

 

My biggest issue was McDermott burning a TO early in the 3rd quarter to avoid a 5-yard delay of game penalty. If I’m the head coach I am never burning a second half TO until inside the last few minutes of the game. They are far too valuable and that burned TO would have gotten Bass on the field to try and win the game at the end.

 

The only thing stopping this team are injuries. When we get healthy it’s going to be lights out football and bad news for the rest of the NFL.

[Southern Bills Fan]

I usually try to avoid writing “hot takes” right after a loss but if I hear McD in one more post game conference say “we’ll look at the tape and learn from it” one more time I’m going to strangle him. We lose the close games from the same mistakes every time and never learn from it. I love the culture he’s built but he’s a bad game day coach.