The Saffold Report - Week 9, Bills v. NJ Jest, 11/06/22

[Freddie's Dead]

I hate doing these after a loss.  It's a lot of work and it just makes it harder.  Many concluded that the Bills OL sucked against the Jest.  The Saffold Report will state what I see on a play, then assign a point system -1, 0, +1, and keep a running total.  So did Saffold suck against the Jest?  Let's go to the tape.

 

Bills 1st possession

1st and 10, BUF 45 - 76 stones 95 on the PB, JA bomb to Diggs for 42 (+1,+1)

1st and 10, NJ 13 - 76 blocks air, late combo to help 73, Josh pressured elsewhere INC (0,+1)

2nd and 10, NJ 13 - 76 blocks 95, then combos to level 73's block, Josh throws it right to Whitehead for the INT (+1,+2)

 

Bills 2nd possession

1st and 10, BUF 33 - 76 RB on 95, who moves left and assists on the tackle on Motor for 1 yd (-1,+1)

2nd and 9, BUF 34 - 76 pulls on RPO, Josh hits Diggs on the slant for 13 (+1,+2)

1st and 10, BUF 47 - 76 blocks air, late combo, Josh pressured elsewhere, lobs to TDJ, INC (-1,+1)

2nd and 10, BUF 47 - 76 pulls and erases DB 4, Motor for 5 (+1,+2)

3rd and 5, NJ 48 - 76 blocks air, JA throw to Motor for FD (0,+2)

1st and 10, NJ 37 - 76 fights 97 to a standstill, Cook run for 6 (+1,+3)

2nd and 4, NJ 31 - 76 PB on 97, who breaks away late, maybe a pressure on JA, throw to Knox in flat loses 1 yd (-1,+2)

3rd and 5, NJ 32 - 76 combos 95 right, JA runs left for FD (+1,+3)

1st and 10, NJ 25 - 76 pulls, spins back, perhaps gives up pressure, JA complete to Knox for 9 (-1,+2)

2nd and 1, NJ 16 - 76 blocks air again, Motor goes right for FD (0,+2)

1st and 10, NJ 12 - 76 blocks air yet again, late combo on 95, JA fumbles, then recovers for -2 (0,+2)

2nd and 12, NJ 14 - 76 blocks 95, who runs around him to assist on the tackle on Motor for 2 (-1,+1)

3rd and 10, NJ 12 - 76 blocks air AGAIN, Josh scrambles for the TOUCH....er.... to the goal line (0,+1)

1st and goal, NJ 1" line - 76 schmozzle (CBS was late coming back from replay, so I didn't see the block, no score for this play), as JA runs in standing up for the TD

 

Bills 3rd possession

1st and 10, BUF 25 - 76 blocks 95, passes him off to Morse, and combos on 73's guy, JA to Cook for 8 (+1,+2)  OK, I've seen 76 combo on nearly every pass play.  It looks like the Bills are trying to frustrate Quinnen Williams by sending multiple OL at him.  No one is really taking 95 on one-on-one.  When 95 isn't on Saffold's side, he ends up blocking air.

2nd and 2, BUF 33 - Saffold pulls left, erases DB4, Cook runs for FD (+1,+3)

1st and 10, BUF 38 - 76 PB on 97 straight up, JA to cook, who gets drilled and drops it, and Cook haterz calling for him to be cut (+1,+4)

2nd and 10, BUF 38 - 76 combos with 73 on 95, they throw him to the ground (no holding there, no) and JA INC to a double-covered Diggs (+1,+5)

3rd and 10, BUF 38 - 76 combo with 73, JA pressured, INC to Gabe (-1,+4)

 

Bills 4th possession

1st and 10, BUF 7 - 76 stones 95 on an RB, but 95 assists on the tackle of Motor after 4 (+1,+5)

2nd and 6, BUF 11 - 76 combos 95 with Morse, JA swing pass to Motor for 3 (+1,+6)

3rd and 3, BUF 14 - 76 picks up blitzing LB, JA slant to 14 for FD (+1,+7)

1st and 10, BUF 21 - 76 blocks DT, passes to Morse, then combos DE with 73, JA rolls right, hits 14 for FD (+1,+8)  This is clearly a staple of the Bills blocking scheme this week, but 76 took 3 possessions before he could do it right.

1st and 10, BUF 35 - 76 pulls, blocks DE, Motor right for 4 (+1,+9)

2nd and 6, BUF 39 - 76 PB on 97, Josh to Diggs for 17 (+1,+10)

1st and 10, NJ 44 - 76 PB on 97, JA to McKittrick, who drops it (+1,+11)  McKittrick haterz play!

2nd and 10, NJ 44 - 76 blocks air, late combo with 73, JA to Motor, with a juggling catch for 8 (+1,+12)

3rd and 2, NJ 36 - 76 pulls and absolutely mauls Sauce Gardner, JA designed student body left, untouched to the EZ FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!!! (+1,+13)

 

Bills 5th possession

1st and 10, BUF 25 - 76 again passes 95 to 60, then combos, JA across his body to Gabe for FD (+1,+14)

1st and 10, BUF 40 - 76 combo PB, JA to Knox for FD (+1,+15)

1st and 10, NJ 43 - 76 passes 95 to Morse, way late on combo to 73, ends up blocking air, JA throws it into the ground (0,+15)

2nd and 10, NJ 43 - 76 again ends up blocking air, JA to Stef who drops it (0,+15)

3rd and 10, NJ 43 - 76 blocks air on designed JA run, gets to 2nd level but no one there, JA for 6 (0,+15)

 

1st half observations

Rodger Saffold recovered from a slow start to become decent in PB and RB.  His highlight was the cleanout block on Sauce Gardner that created the JA 36 yard rushing TD.  I'm interested to see if Saleh makes the adjustment to counter how the Bills OL is handling Quinnen Williams by passing him off.  Saffold looks poised to have a bad 2nd half, he's just off today.  The Jest got a lot more pressure in the 2nd half, so let's see how much of that was 76.

 

Bills 6th possession

1st and 10, BUF 29 - 76 passes 95 to Morse, who gets pushed back into JA for the sack (-1,+14)  Looks like the adjustment was to simply bull rush Morse after 76 passes him off.  It worked.

2nd and 17, BUF 22 - 76 blocks 95, who circles around to the right, and pressures JA into throwing an INT right to Sauce Gardner (-1,+13)

 

Bills 7th possession

1st and 10, BUF 25 - 76 RB on 95, Motor for 4 (+1,+14)

2nd and 6, BUF 29 - 76 PB on 95, JA scramble for FD (+1,+15)

1st and 10, BUF 38 - 76 stands up 97, JA scramble for 9 (+1,+16)

 2nd and 1, BUF 47 - 76 pushes 97 three yards upfield, Motor stoned for no gain (+1,+17)

3rd and 1, BUF 47 - 76 goes to 2nd level, JA sneaks behind him, this time Gilliam with the push (+1,+18)

1st and 10, NJ 49 - 76 brushes by, sets up the screen to Motor, then completely whiffs on 57, who tackles Motor for only 2 (-1,+17)

2nd and 8, NJ 47 - 76 seals 95 left, Cook sweeps right for 2 (+1,+18)

3rd and 6, NJ 45 - 76 stones 95, JA to Cook in the flat for 11 (+1,+19)

1st and 10, NJ 34 - 76 pushes 97 upfield, Cook runs left for 1 yard (+1,+20)

2nd and 9, NJ 33 - 76 good PB on 97, JA scrambles right, throws it away (+1,+21)

3rd and 9, NJ 33 - 76 stones 95 again, JA overthrows Hines down the left sideline (+1,+22)

 

Bills 8th possession

1st and 10, BUF 27 - 76 RB left, jet sweep to McKittrick right for 9 (+1,+23)  WE NEED MORE JET SWEEPS DORSEY!!!

2nd and 1, BUF 26 - 76 goes to 2nd level, luckily pass was behind the LOS to McKittrick, who handled an off-target throw from JA to get the FD (0,+23)

1st and 10, BUF 39 - 76 pulls, RPO left, but JA pulls it away (incorrectly), scrambles, and is tackled for no gain (0,+23)

2nd and 10, BUF 39 - 76 stands up 97, JA complete to McKittrick for 9 (+1,+24)

3rd and 1, BUF 48 - 76 combos DT with Morse, JA sneaks it over 76 for the FD (+1,+25)

1st and 10, BUF 50 - 76 holds his PB, JA runs right, sacked for -4 (+1,+26)

2nd and 14, BUF 46 - 76 holds up 95, JA throws incomplete, should have been INT (+1,+27)

3rd and 14, BUF 46 - 76 and 60 combo 95, JA bomb INC to Diggs (+1,+28)

 

Bills 9th possession

1st and 10, BUF 25 - 76 combo PB, JA complete to Diggs at midfield, holding on 73 (bull#### call, Jest player tripped over other OL and DL feet, refs picked a helluva time to call holding, cost us at least a tie)

1st and 20, BUF 15 - 76 with a late combo, JA to Gabe for 18 (+1,+29)

2nd and 2, BUF 33 - 76 combo with 73, JA strip sack, loss of 19, injured elbow (+1,+30)

3rd and 21, BUF 14 - 76 holds up his PB, but guy gets around to pressure JA, who underthrows Gabe (-1,+29)

4th and 21, BUF 14 - 76 blocks air, late chip on 95 to keep him away as JA scrambles left and launches a 70 yard bomb, which Gabe drops, albeit while being interfered with by Sauce Gardner (+1,+30)  The parting shot from the refs, who were horrible today

 

Conclusions

1.  Saffold was much better in the 2nd half than the first half.

2.  He did OK against Quinnen Williams, but QW got his in the 2nd half.

3.  Joe B will likely have a field day with all the air blocks that 76 had today.  I'm giving him a B-.

4.  Not sure if I will do this next week.  If the Bills lose, probably not, it's too much work and too much pain 

 

76 grades overall:

Chefs - A

Packers - A-

NJ Jest - B-

Edited November 10, 2022 by Freddie's Dead

[CSBill]

Thanks for the work on this @Freddie's Dead

 

Yeah, confirms what we saw. The Bills as a whole were off the entire day. There were a few bright spots, but all-in-all it was a bad day with bad results.

 

My biggest concern is what happens next. This is now six (6) quarters of inconsistent football by both the offense and defense. Let's hope it is a blip on the season and not a sustained pattern.

[machine gun kelly]

1 hour ago, CSBill said:

Thanks for the work on this @Freddie's Dead

 

Yeah, confirms what we saw. The Bills as a whole were off the entire day. There were a few bright spots, but all-in-all it was a bad day with bad results.

 

My biggest concern is what happens next. This is now six (6) quarters of inconsistent football by both the offense and defense. Let's hope it is a blip on the season and not a sustained pattern.

It was last year, and I believe we are more talented this year.  Not time to panick as there are too many chicken littles on tbd right now.

[HomeTeam]

Thank you Freddie. This is a tremendous amount of effort to do this.