A Tale of Two Seasons (It Was the Best of Times, It Was OK, At Least We're Winning)

[mjt328]

19 hours ago, st pete gogolak said:

I'm not a doctor.  Not buying in to concussion theory.  In another thread someone suggested shoulder sprain.  Again, not a doctor, but statistics indicate SOMETHING happened in the first half of the Packers game. 

 

By the Packers game, the Bills had been struggling in the Red Zone for over a month.

I think the frustration finally boiled over, and Josh Allen started pressing too hard and throwing into coverage.  

 

During that 3-game stretch, Allen really wasn't turning the ball over between the 20s.  Just interceptions in tjhe Red Zone.  The only full game he really struggled entirely was the Jets game, which he repeated this last week (telling me it's the defense he's facing).  

 

[Warriorspikes51]

On 12/14/2022 at 8:10 PM, transient said:

I think Josh, Gabe, and Isaiah don't trust one another right now, and it's limiting what they can do offensively. I think teams learned to take Gabe out of his element and Isaiah is his same ol' unreliable self.

Didn't Sean or Beane recently say that Gabe's ankle is nagging him 


 

5 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

 

By the Packers game, the Bills had been struggling in the Red Zone for over a month.

I think the frustration finally boiled over, and Josh Allen started pressing too hard and throwing into coverage.  

 

During that 3-game stretch, Allen really wasn't turning the ball over between the 20s.  Just interceptions in tjhe Red Zone.  The only full game he really struggled entirely was the Jets game, which he repeated this last week (telling me it's the defense he's facing).  

 

I mean, he didn't turn the ball over.....and we had like 6 dropped passes?  Add those in and he likely has 275-300 passing (1 was a deep throw to Brown)

Edited December 16, 2022 by Warriorspikes51

[Mark92]

I don't look at it as the sky is falling or anything.  This schedule has been brutal and they are 10-3.  Yes, you are what your record says you are but it's not a huge stretch to say this team could be 13-0.  If Allen doesn't dirt the touch down to McKenzie in Miami.  If McKenzie comes up with the 3rd and 2 catch in New Jersey.  If Allen hadn't fumbled on the goal line against the Vikings.  Yes they are not blowing teams out but a win is a win.  If they can get that #1 seed it's going to be really hard to come in here and knock them off.  

[Real McClappy]

On 12/14/2022 at 6:56 PM, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Buffalo is 10-3 and the number 1 seed. Yes, the numbers could be better but you can’t really argue w/ those results. Winning tight games like these will give them the confidence they need going into the playoffs where the games will be a lot closer and defensive. I’m loving what I’ve seen so far. Allen doesn’t have to win it all by himself. This defense is highly capable of winning on their own now that we have Tre White back and a healthy set of linebackers. 

Bolded is all everyone wanted including the media for awhile. Now that we are doing that with complimentary football everyone is "Concerned" with Allen. 

It's going to happen, I prefer it to start against Cincy on O and we march red hot into the playoffs on O and D. If that happens I see SB run. 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Real McNasty

[Billsfan1972]

On 12/14/2022 at 6:19 PM, LeGOATski said:

It's normal to go through struggles during the season.

 

Schedule, injuries, and defenses adjusting to the Bills offense have all factored into these struggles.

 

Thankfully, the Bills have still won games throughout, actually winning their close games this year instead of falling short.

 

A tough schedule still remains, but playing good complimentary football should keep them rolling and allow them to head into the playoffs with the #1 seed.

Struggle is a few games (maybe 3).  It's been 6.5 games (with NE being closest to a good game but #'s just okay).

[Robert Paulson]

23 hours ago, vincec said:

It’s not that hard to understand. Teams are playing the Bills with a lot of zone or hybrid zone defenses with a focus on Diggs. These reduce Allen’s scrambling ability and take away the deep stuff. To combat this the Bills need be able to either “run them out of it” by gashing the light boxes with the run game or throw it to inside targets like the TE, RB and slot WR. Problem is that this has only been moderately effective because the Bills don’t really have a dominant running game outside of Allen and have unreliable inside receivers.

a lot of this falls on the o line and the fall out from them being not very good

-can't run block to suck the defense up

-can't pass block so Knox needs to stay in or chip taking away a weapon

-josh various bumps and bruise that have a cumulative affect on his ability to hit tight window throws

-Davis banged up and maybe some loss of confidence and/or figured out by the defenses we play due to him being banged up

-lil dirty maybe feeling affects of concussion still but is either on or way off

-Dorsey learning to counter punch

 

still we are 10-3, a few plays from being 13-0 with a top 3 points differential

 

tomorrow defines which direction we go

 

41-17 Bills

[Ray Stonada]

Why all this armchair diagnosis for a team that’s the top seed in its conference?

 

Buffalo could easily be 13-0 despite all of the injuries.

 

The Bills’ offense was NOT better last year, plenty of games where nothing clicked last year.

 

The Bills have as good or better a chance as last year to rock out and win out, and then take three playoff games.

 

LET’S GO BUFFALO

[Billsfan1972]

On 12/14/2022 at 6:56 PM, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Buffalo is 10-3 and the number 1 seed. Yes, the numbers could be better but you can’t really argue w/ those results. Winning tight games like these will give them the confidence they need going into the playoffs where the games will be a lot closer and defensive. I’m loving what I’ve seen so far. Allen doesn’t have to win it all by himself. This defense is highly capable of winning on their own now that we have Tre White back and a healthy set of linebackers. 

They've also lost close games, not sure that's a great thing either.

 

As I see it they are 3-3 with Baltimore, KC & Detroit wins offset by Miami, Minny & Jets losses.   

 

Always looking for the silver lining?  

[Billsfan1972]

On 12/15/2022 at 9:43 AM, mjt328 said:

If you look closer, the offense actually hasn't been playing consistently good since Week 2.

 

It started in Miami with mostly Red Zone problems, and drive killing drops.  They also struggled to move the ball much of the first half against both the Ravens and the Chiefs.  Since that point, they have had some nice stretches and had some decent stats on paper.  But to any fan who watches this team weekly, it's obvious that something hasn't been quite right.  Things are coming in short bursts, and not from a steady rhythm.

 

My belief is that teams are focused on taking away the deep shots from our offense, and we are struggling to get reliable play from the short passing game.  For three seasons, this team got a lot of production from the slot.  With Jameson Crowder hurt, Isaiah McKenzie dropping passes and Khalil Shakir pretty much invisible as a rookie, we no longer have the someone who can get the easy 4-5 yards over the middle. 

 

On top of that, Gabe Davis has proven to be a deep threat with questionable hands, and not much else.  Dawson Knox has been used more as a blocker this season, and leaking out into the flats.  He doesn't seem to get a lot of work from the slot either.  They have gotten the backs (mostly James Cook) involved in the passing game somewhat, but not consistently.

 

There is a reason this team re-signed Cole Beasley.  It may be the key piece we've been missing.

 

Agree to some extent, but up until HT of GB I was fine.  Agreed bad first halves vs. Balt (much I blamed on the weather) & KC it was more mistakes (they punted one time in the half), but I was never worried that they couldn't turn it on.

 

Heck I remember them getting the ball at the 4 yard line vs. KC and thinking "96 yards before half, no problem".

 

Since GB and the # of Ints (cleaned up of late) and way too many 3 & outs (or short drives).

[AlfaBill]

On 12/14/2022 at 4:57 PM, NewEra said:

I think every season is made up of 3-4 mini seasons. This season has been no different-  

 

Mini season 1- week 1 through Green Bay halftime.  Dominance with one set back due to injury and luck.  Injuries 

 

Mini season 2- 2nd half of Green Bay through the Vikings game.  What happened to our QB?  Can Dorsey handle being OC?  More injuries

 

Mini season 3-  cleveland through now.  Perseverance required.  Perseverance, check.  Building blocks for the SB run.  No more Von Miller, time for other to step up.  
 

4 games left-  who knows if there will be another (or multiple) mini season(s) to end the year or if mini season 3 continues to roll along…. I can’t wait to find out!!  

 

 

Mini season 4 now to SB win

josh returns to form, D continues to play punishing Defense, Josh wins  SB MVP. 

[JerseyBills]

Ya I was listening to Rich Eisen yesterday in the car and he described what Philly is doing now as to what Buf was doing in the first 6 weeks 

 

Philly scares me more than any other team because usually you see the real identity of a team later in the year vs earlier 

 

But ya Josh seems different for sure. Just looks a split second off with some hesitation.  I'm still not worried but it's def a stark contrast to before the bye week.

But the weather has sucked. The whole 3 away gms in 12 days I'm sure has had an impact and our WRs are dropping alot of passes

 

We'll be fine I believe.  As I've said before, I think this adversity and winning ugly will only benefit the team in the playoffs 

[What a Tuel]

On 12/14/2022 at 5:59 PM, st pete gogolak said:

I've posted on this before but now I'm paranoid obsessive about it.  We've played 13 games, so half the season is up to the end of the first half of the Packers game.  Josh's stats at that point were 167 completions on 249 attempts (67%) for 2101 yards, 19 TD's and 4 INT's.  Definitely MVP numbers.  From the second half of the Packers game and the following six games, his stats are 133 completions on 221 attempts (60%) for 1452 yards with 7 TD's and 7 INT's.  Weather for the Vikings game wasn't great and was terrible for second Jets game.  On the other hand, two of the games were in a dome and in the first half of the season, we played the Dolphins in a sauna and the Ravens in a driving rain.

 

So, is it physical (obviously elbow but lousy game and a half before elbow injury)?  Mental?  Lousy play-calling?  Dropped passes?  Worse play from the offensive line?  A combination of all of the above?  Much more conservative play over the last four games leading to 6 TD's and only one pick on a tipped ball and, oh yeah, four wins.  

 

Still believe something happened in the first half of Packers game to impact him physically and whatever it was, it didn't go away immediately then was followed by the elbow issue.

 

It's been a brutal schedule so far this year.  Really hoping for a big game this week or next week from Josh to put an end to the string of "mediocre numbers" and go into the playoffs with this as a dead issue.

 

Tougher defenses?

 

Points Allowed:

Rams 16th

Titans 12th

Dolphins 23rd

Ravens 8th (struggled)

Steelers 14th

Chiefs 19th

 

Packers 21st (didn't struggle outside of bonehead picks)

Jets 6th (struggled)

Vikings 25th

Browns 27th

Lions 30th

Patriots 5th (didn't struggle)

Jets 6th (struggled)

 

There is a stretch in there where we played bad defenses and the offensive should have feasted, but they did score an average of 27 points a game in those with an admittedly more balanced attack.

[LABILLBACKER]

On 12/14/2022 at 3:56 PM, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Buffalo is 10-3 and the number 1 seed. Yes, the numbers could be better but you can’t really argue w/ those results. Winning tight games like these will give them the confidence they need going into the playoffs where the games will be a lot closer and defensive. I’m loving what I’ve seen so far. Allen doesn’t have to win it all by himself. This defense is highly capable of winning on their own now that we have Tre White back and a healthy set of linebackers. 

My biggest fear is losing Josh.  Our OL has done a poor job (as usual) of protecting him. Quessenberry got his elbow torn up. Spencer & Rodger are turnstiles. Bates now is hurt. If we have to rely on Q, Rotten and Hart the playoff run will be very short.  I'll tip my hat to the D this season with Micah & Von out. But their historical failures in the playoffs cannot be ignored. 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

3 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

My biggest fear is losing Josh.  Our OL has done a poor job (as usual) of protecting him. Quessenberry got his elbow torn up. Spencer & Rodger are turnstiles. Bates now is hurt. If we have to rely on Q, Rotten and Hart the playoff run will be very short.  I'll tip my hat to the D this season with Micah & Von out. But their historical failures in the playoffs cannot be ignored. 

Yeah kiss the season goodbye if that happens but I’m not sure who could really lose their starting QB and make a serious run. Maybe the 49ers

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

6 hours ago, Billsfan1972 said:

They've also lost close games, not sure that's a great thing either.

 

As I see it they are 3-3 with Baltimore, KC & Detroit wins offset by Miami, Minny & Jets losses.   

 

Always looking for the silver lining?  

Silver lining? They have the best record in the AFC. Some people are never happy

[goober]

5 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

Ya I was listening to Rich Eisen yesterday in the car and he described what Philly is doing now as to what Buf was doing in the first 6 weeks 

 

Philly scares me more than any other team because usually you see the real identity of a team later in the year vs earlier 

 

But ya Josh seems different for sure. Just looks a split second off with some hesitation.  I'm still not worried but it's def a stark contrast to before the bye week.

But the weather has sucked. The whole 3 away gms in 12 days I'm sure has had an impact and our WRs are dropping alot of passes

 

We'll be fine I believe.  As I've said before, I think this adversity and winning ugly will only benefit the team in the playoffs 

I read that in my head like it was out of a scene from Fargo

"But ya Josh seems different for sure.  And this weather - aw geez.  It's gonna have an impact you betcha"

[Billsfan1972]

20 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Silver lining? They have the best record in the AFC. Some people are never happy

Almost everyone is good with a 10 and 3 record, what people are posting about is how they got there. You cannot ignore that there have been issues.

[boater]

On 12/14/2022 at 7:24 PM, HOUSE said:

I am starting to believe Josh and Ken Dorsey are NOT the best of friends right now 

Doubtful. Josh is very loyal.

 

It would take something huge for him to drop you as a friend, it seems to me.