The misuse of Cook and Hines was borderline criminal

[Logic]

I know, I know, it's "everybody's fired up and venting on TSW" week. 

As I sit here this morning and read all of the talk of the Bills not surrounding Josh Allen with enough weapons, I'm getting irritated. Don't get me wrong, they could have used another good receiver because Davis and McKenzie didn't step up as hoped, and they obviously need OL reinforcements....BUT...

The Bills had two very speedy, potentially potent weapons on their offensive roster, and they didn't use them. I'm talking about James Cook and Nyheim Hines. 

All offseason, it was clearly a top priority to add a pass catching back with speed. They ultimately drafted one with a high pick AND traded draft capital for a second one. Both guys, Cook and Hines, were ultimately wasted in an un-creative offense that seemed to completely refuse to utilize their unique talents. 

Ok, so you want to send Diggs and Davis deep every play? Fine. But for an offense that supposedly "lacks weapons underneath" and lacks weapons in general, the inability and refusal to use Cook and Hines as pass catching threats, or to use their speed to stretch the defense horizontally, or to provide pre-snap eye candy that gives the defense a moment of pause...it's just outrageous. You lack talent in the slot? Fine. How about splitting Nyheim Hines into the slot and actually using him as a receiver, not just a never-thrown-to decoy? You're telling me Cook and Hines can't consistently win routes against linebackers?!

Cook, Hines, and heck, even throw Isaiah McKenzie in there. All of these guys have speed, quickness, and can turn a 3 yard play into a 30 yard play with their explosiveness. Even if Dorsey had done nothing else but use them constantly in pre-snap motion (I think we saw this ONE WEEK with Hines, and then never again) and the occasional jet sweep, there HAS to be some value in having fast running backs who can catch the ball well. How about some Texas routes? How about literally ANYTHING designed to get these guys open in space?

The thing that worries me going forward is that even if the Bills DO add more potent offensive weapons, Dorsey won't have the faintest clue how to use them. He certainly didn't seem to know how to use Cook or Hines. Putting up 10 points in the most important game of the year while explosive guys like Hines and Cook largely ride the pine? Unacceptable. Ridiculous. Unconscionable. Here's hoping Dorsey takes a good, long look in the mirror this offseason and comes back much improved next year.

Edited January 25, 2023 by Logic

[Coach Tuesday]

I think we just need to burn another 2nd on the pass-catching RB position, we'll get it right eventually.

[BarleyNY]

17 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

I think we just need to burn another 2nd on the pass-catching RB position, we'll get it right eventually.

That pick needs to go to a backup defensive lineman and you know it. 

[Logic]

First two responses are A++

 

[pigpen65]

Yeah it would have been cool to run some stuff on offense the Bengals had never seen before. Like change things up. Make game planning harder for them instead of doing everything exactly the same from game to game. I don't know, I'm no Dorsey. 

[Bookie Man]

Unreal how this offense can't execute a screen. I started paying attention around week 8. Saw maybe 1 screen play go for more than 5 yards.  Good to have in the arsenal to help slow a pass rush. But who needs that?

[John from Riverside]

Not sure what happened with Hines
 

With cooki, when it was all said, and done, he was showing more as a runner than he was a passer

[Steptide]

I saw this on Twitter last night. You think he can't figure it what to do with running backs? This is more concerning to me

 

 

[Real McClappy]

7 minutes ago, Steptide said:

I saw this on Twitter last night. You think he can't figure it what to do with running backs? This is more concerning to me

 

 

He could have at least used the 49'ers playbook

[Logic]

[Andrew Son]

Clearly some sort of disconnect with how aggressively Beane went after pass catching backs- from McKissic to Cook and Hines- and then their eventual use.

 

You could hear some annoyance from Beane yesterday about the Hines situation.

Edited January 25, 2023 by SWATeam

[dorquemada]

4 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

Clearly some sort of disconnect with how aggressively Beane went after pass catching backs- from McKissic to Cook and Hines- and then their eventual use.

 

You could here some annoyance from Beane yesterday about the Hines situation.

 

If the only play the O is capable of running is "everyone run deep!" then yeah i guess stop spending draft/trade capital on RBs.  The O scheme that my friends and I used to run playing pick up football when we were 9 years old had more wrinkles than what we've seen the last few games

[whorlnut]

Is Dorsey to blame?  Partly. I put a lot of it on McD. He is the HC and why wasn’t he in Dorsey’s ear all week telling him to use those guys?  Maybe he was, but I can’t imagine Dorsey completely neglecting cook and Hines if his HC wasn’t demanding more out of them. 

[Sestak4ever]

Are you suggesting trying to isolate Cook on a linebacker and letting him use his speed and cutting ability to take the pressure off of Josh in blitzing situations, the way Georgia used him? How we heard about that all off season, but we refused to use him in that capacity and never played to one of his strengths. Watch some of his tape with Georgia and his pass catching ability is obvious.

[OldTimer1960]

48 minutes ago, Logic said:

I know, I know, it's "everybody's fired up and venting on TSW" week. 

As I sit here this morning and read all of the talk of the Bills not surrounding Josh Allen with enough weapons, I'm getting irritated. Don't get me wrong, they could have used another good receiver because Davis and McKenzie didn't step up as hoped, and they obviously need OL reinforcements....BUT...

The Bills had two very speedy, potentially potent weapons on their offensive roster, and they didn't use them. I'm talking about James Cook and Nyheim Hines. 

All offseason, it was clearly a top priority to add a pass catching back with speed. They ultimately drafted one with a high pick AND traded draft capital for a second one. Both guys, Cook and Hines, were ultimately wasted in an un-creative offense that seemed to completely refuse to utilize their unique talents. 

Ok, so you want to send Diggs and Davis deep every play? Fine. But for an offense that supposedly "lacks weapons underneath" and lacks weapons in general, the inability and refusal to use Cook and Hines as pass catching threats, or to use their speed to stretch the defense horizontally, or to provide pre-snap eye candy that gives the defense a moment of pause...it's just outrageous. You lack talent in the slot? Fine. How about splitting Nyheim Hines into the slot and actually using him as a receiver, not just a never-thrown-to decoy? You're telling me Cook and Hines can't consistently win routes against linebackers?!

Cook, Hines, and heck, even throw Isaiah McKenzie in there. All of these guys have speed, quickness, and can turn a 3 yard play into a 30 yard play with their explosiveness. Even if Dorsey had done nothing else but use them constantly in pre-snap motion (I think we saw this ONE WEEK with Hines, and then never again) and the occasional jet sweep, there HAS to be some value in having fast running backs who can catch the ball well. How about some Texas routes? How about literally ANYTHING designed to get these guys open in space?

The thing that worries me going forward is that even if the Bills DO add more potent offensive weapons, Dorsey won't have the faintest clue how to use them. He certainly didn't seem to know how to use Cook or Hines. Putting up 10 points in the most important game of the year while explosive guys like Hines and Cook largely ride the pine? Unacceptable. Ridiculous. Unconscionable. Here's hoping Dorsey takes a good, long look in the mirror this offseason and comes back much improved next year.

I think the porous OL required the RB to stay in to block on many plays.

[colin]

so, i've read some pretty convincing breakdowns here and elsewhere, and it seems like our biggest issue in the passing game was that davis and mckenzie very often run horrible routes and are in the wrong spot.  that's basically why they got the ghosts of bills wrs past late in the year.

 

our OL play was also crazy bad.  huge downgrades this season at LG and RT (brown was hurt, i have hope he's better next season).

 

so im guessing with these various issues they never spent the time or the effort to get the rb passing game or screen game going, my guess is saffold is so utterly trash that he can't be counted on for anything, and that sunk the screen game.

[dakrider]

At the time I had wished the Bills gotten McCaffrey, but they would have completely misused him too.  There is no reason at all Bills weren't continuously trying to hit Cook and Hines and Singletary etc. on the quick 5-10 yard plays, especially in slick conditions.  And on the plays you have more time you look for Diggs and Davis downfield. Josh was not anticipating the rush very well and part of that was because he was looking downfield to much. Although in this game the first 2 Bills drives they did run short quick plays on 1st and 2nd downs that all 4 plays resulted in just a couple yards each and was left with 3rd and 5+ both times.  So the Bills were failing in the short plays as well.  Cincinnati defense was dialed in and the Bills offense was mostly inept. 

[Logic]

2 minutes ago, colin said:

so, i've read some pretty convincing breakdowns here and elsewhere, and it seems like our biggest issue in the passing game was that davis and mckenzie very often run horrible routes and are in the wrong spot.  that's basically why they got the ghosts of bills wrs past late in the year.

 

our OL play was also crazy bad.  huge downgrades this season at LG and RT (brown was hurt, i have hope he's better next season).

 

so im guessing with these various issues they never spent the time or the effort to get the rb passing game or screen game going, my guess is saffold is so utterly trash that he can't be counted on for anything, and that sunk the screen game.

See, but to me, the first two things you mention -- bad WR play and bad OL play -- are all the MORE reason to get your running backs going.

Like..."oh, our receivers are struggling? Our protection is bad, leading to Josh running for his life?"...those seem like the EXACT type of factors that would make you go "let's get the ball quickly to our speedy running backs in space and let them make plays.

I dunno, maybe I'm taking crazy pills.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

I love them as a 1-2 tandem next year, but we've gotta upgrade that OL and develop a screen game. Those are easy yards that negate the blitz as well. Seemed like blitzing the ***** out of Allen was working for teams towards the end. 

[Inigo Montoya]

I was hoping to see the Nuclear Nyheim playbook unleashed against the Bengals.  

 

Apparently it was delayed at the printers.