THE ROCKPILE REVIEW – And Down Go the Dolphins –

[Billsatlastin2018]

4 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

One play was one of the great plays in Bills’ history:

Twas.

 

But, that’s not the one I’ll recall. In fact, I saw two ghosts in this back and forth playoff style slugfest. One bad and one good.

 

The first- the bad one? Anyone who has been a Bills follower forever, did not see Cook drop a critical and easy TD Pass with 15 ticks left.

 

They saw Ronnie Freakin Harmon!

 

The second was that incredible tour de force by 17 on the 3rd. & 13. The same 3rd & 13 that Mark Ingram performed against the Bills in XXV. In both, the players simply willed the D to stop them. In Allen’s case, he simply put the team on his back to smash through any opponent!
Do anything to get that critical First Down. Both broke through 5 opponents.

 

And the Dolphins, their Coaches & Fans knew he was coming at them to ice this game. It will go down in Allen’s intro film to Canton, should he be so lucky as to play another decade!

[Shaw66]

Miami and Dallas led the league in points scored. Against the rest of the league they averaged over 30 points per game.  In three games against the Bills they scored 20, 14, and 10.  

2 minutes ago, Billsatlastin2018 said:

Twas.

 

But, that’s not the one I’ll recall. In fact, I saw two ghosts in this back and forth playoff style slugfest. One bad and one good.

 

The first- the bad one? Anyone who has been a Bills follower forever, did not see Cook drop a critical and easy TD Pass with 15 ticks left.

 

They saw Ronnie Freakin Harmon!

 

The second was that incredible tour de force by 17 on the 3rd. & 13. The same 3rd & 13 that Mark Ingram performed against the Bills in XXV. In both, the players simply willed the D to stop them. In Allen’s case, he simply put the team on his back to smash through any opponent!
Do anything to get that critical First Down. Both broke through 5 opponents.

 

And the Dolphins, their Coaches & Fans knew he was coming at them to ice this game. It will go down in Allen’s intro film to Canton, should he be so lucky as to play another decade!

Those are good!

[Stroke 17]

Going back to the 2021 pick by Taron Johnson. Covid game' smaller crowd but so loud Collinsworth commented how loud 7500 people were. 

 

I was at the game with my family, as the Ravens were driving I was as nervous as I had ever been at a game, When Johnson made the pick, like you, I thought he would take a knee. I was so excited I layed out in the aisle screaming and thanking God himself. As I jumped up and grabbed my daughter she was yelling, Dad, HE"S RUNNING. I looked toward the field just in time to see him cross the goal line.  It was one crazy party .

 

Fast forward to last night, watching at home, sweating it out, my wife and 3 daughters in a 3 way text and me screaming at the TV and Harty gets the punt, I want him to just make the catch, he's running, he's still running, TOUCHDOWN.      My daughter texts says, Is dad alive and did he see it or was it like the Johnson pick. Saw every step this time.

 

Crazy nervous until the Rapp pick.

 

Talk about FANDEMONIUM!

 

THEY'RE KILLIN ME WHITEY, THEY'RE KILLIN ME!

[Shaw66]

5 minutes ago, Stroke 17 said:

Going back to the 2021 pick by Taron Johnson. Covid game' smaller crowd but so loud Collinsworth commented how loud 7500 people were. 

 

I was at the game with my family, as the Ravens were driving I was as nervous as I had ever been at a game, When Johnson made the pick, like you, I thought he would take a knee. I was so excited I layed out in the aisle screaming and thanking God himself. As I jumped up and grabbed my daughter she was yelling, Dad, HE"S RUNNING. I looked toward the field just in time to see him cross the goal line.  It was one crazy party .

 

Fast forward to last night, watching at home, sweating it out, my wife and 3 daughters in a 3 way text and me screaming at the TV and Harty gets the punt, I want him to just make the catch, he's running, he's still running, TOUCHDOWN.      My daughter texts says, Is dad alive and did he see it or was it like the Johnson pick. Saw every step this time.

 

Crazy nervous until the Rapp pick.

 

Talk about FANDEMONIUM!

 

THEY'RE KILLIN ME WHITEY, THEY'RE KILLIN ME!

Great story!  I was there, too, and I saw every step.  I was really worried that the game was slipping away on that drive.  It was so intense, and then Johnson was on his way.  

[stinky finger]

There is something very special going on with this team. I feel it. 
 

They just keep passing every test. I sense this story will end very well. 
 

Shaw66 - thanks for starting this and sharing. Your post and some of these replies are among the best I’ve witnessed on this board - ever. 

[Neo]

11 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

DOWN GOES FRAZIER! 

DOWN GOES FRAZIER!

DOWN GOES FRAZIER!

 

 

I read the thread title with the exact same intonation!

[CSBill]

Thank you, Shaw—a fun read, as always. And I agree with you and Chris C, it did have a playoff feel. The game had playoff intensity and drama. Adding to that, the Bills Mafia showed up to neutralize the stadium. It is a fitting, dramatic ending to a very dramatic regular season.

 

And now, it's on to the real playoffs, and as the great Marv Levy once reminded us, it is time to "fight on" . . .

 

      "Fight on, my men," says Sir Andrew Barton,
      "I am hurt, but I am not slain;
      I'll lay me down and bleed a while,
      And then I'll rise and fight again.

    

     "Fight on my men," says Sir Andrew Barton,
     "These English dogs they bite so low;
     Fight on for Scotland and Saint Andrew
     Till you hear my whistle blow!"

[fan_in_tx]

13 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Right about how the coverage worked.  Hyde's may have been the best INT I've ever seen.

There was another one that season I can;t remember the game where Po made a ridiculous catch toe tapped and landed on his back out of bounds.  But they said he lost control which seemed to be BS on the replay.

[Bookie Man]

I remember watching a game with Collinsworth and thinking “who is this prick!?”. Didn’t like him for a long time. But now I actually don’t mind when he calls games. Him and Tirico are a good combo imo. 

[oldmanfan]

I wish I had your talent with the pen (or keyboard), Shaw.  A perfect encapsulation of my feelings.  I don’t mind any of the color guys on any of the telecasts.  And the return will live long in Bills history.

[Drew21PA]

15 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Right.   I have to admit, I didn't notice Spector, whom several people have commented on.   What I noticed was that the defensive line wasn't blowing people up, but they were working hard enough to get consistent pressure and be making stops in the run game. 

 

And the D backs were all over the place.  Loved when Poyer lit up that guy and Collinsworth went nuts.  Rapp was possessed on the last two plays.  Benford stood out all game, and Jackson was his usual solid self.   

 

It was a great show.  

 

I'm sure the Dolphins came into the game expecting to win, and came into the second half confident.   I usually don't take pleasure in the other guy's misery, but I really enjoyed thinking about how shell-shocked they were at the end.   Josh just coming at them relentlessly, mistakes or not, especially on the long third-down run, Harty exploding on them, and the defense just completely taking it to them.   It was awesome.

Thank you for crediting McDermott - he deserves it you’re absolutely right.  The halftime adjustments were championship caliber (did I say that right? 😂). What good coaching does!  Kudos to learning sean

 

i noticed in the first half our dline was dominating too but man were the dolphins taking advantage of no calls

 

saw a TON of holding on the big men up front - I know it happens every play but dang it was like Dallas vs Miami all over again

[Billy Claude]

9 minutes ago, Drew21PA said:

Thank you for crediting McDermott - he deserves it you’re absolutely right.  The halftime adjustments were championship caliber (did I say that right? 😂). What good coaching does!  Kudos to learning sean

 

i noticed in the first half our dline was dominating too but man were the dolphins taking advantage of no calls

 

saw a TON of holding on the big men up front - I know it happens every play but dang it was like Dallas vs Miami all over again

 

To be fair, there was a ton of holding by the Bills oline that were also not called.   There was one on the QB pushes where the Bills oline man had his arms completely around the Dolphin player but perhaps they never call holding on those plays.

 

[Shaw66]

5 minutes ago, Billy Claude said:

 

To be fair, there was a ton of holding by the Bills oline that were also not called.   There was one on the QB pushes where the Bills oline man had his arms completely around the Dolphin player but perhaps they never call holding on those plays.

 

One of the important differences in playoff football is the officiating. They allow a lot more. Not that it was correct, but the noncall on the Knox I interference was another example.  

[SoMAn]

16 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Fans have different opinions about the color commentators on NFL broadcasts.  Some like one and dislike another.  Others feel the opposite.

 

I like Chris Collinsworth.  I like him because he genuinely enjoys watching the games.  He gets excited about plays and about situations.  Does he embellish his excitement sometimes?  I’m sure he does, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t enjoying what he’s seeing.  And he sees the game well.  As soon as a play is done, he often talks about one player who did one particular thing; then the replay comes up and there it is, just as he said. 

 

Sunday night Collinsworth got to call the final game of the 2023 regular season, the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins to decide which team would win the AFC Eastern Division.  He got a great game to watch, full of interesting plays, important plays, big plays, and big mistakes.  He loved it.

 

Late in the game, Collinsworth said something that was absolutely correct – the game felt every bit like a playoff game.  It was dramatic from the very first play until the final interception.  Every play mattered, and every fan watching knew it mattered.  Everything about the game was at an emotional level higher than Bills-Cowboys, Bills-Eagles, Bills-Chiefs in previous weeks.  It was great football entertainment, and it was the perfect game on which to end the regular season and move into the playoffs.

 

And, of course, it was a perfect game for the Bills, because they came from nowhere six weeks ago to the number 2 seed in AFC championship bracket.  I loved it.

 

One play was one of the great plays in Bills’ history:  Deonte Harty’s 96-yard punt return tied the game and gave the Bills the emotional energy to take the lead on their next possession.  And because the game felt just like a playoff game, I will remember that play together with Taron Johnson’s 101-yard interception return against the Ravens in the 2021 Divisional playoffs.  

 

Emotionally, the plays were so similar.  The Bills were leading the Ravens and were trailing the Dolphins, it’s true, but the Ravens were about to score to tie the game, and the Bills had seemed to be going nowhere.  They certainly seemed to be going nowhere against the Dolphins.  As Johnson started out of the end zone, I thought he should have taken the knee and the touchback.  As Harty caught the punt on the four, I thought he should have taken the fair catch.   Then, in both cases, an absolute explosion!  By the time Johnson hit the 20-yardline, and Harty, too, it was a simple footrace. 

 

Both games turned around after those 80-yard dashes.  I knew the Ravens were dead birds after Johnson’s magic, and when the Dolphins went three and out on their next possession, they were dead fish.  Two role players (Johnson hadn't yet emerged as the stud he's become), two game-changing plays, two phenomenal Bills’ wins.

 

Mike McDaniel is one of those offensive-geniuses we keep hearing about.  He installed some wrinkles in the Dolphin running attack that absolutely tore up the Bills’ in the first half.  Achane, particularly, was running wild, and Collinsworth appreciated every minute of it.  He understood and explained how McDaniel had taken misdirection to a new level, and how it was confusing the Bills.  Still, the Bills’ defense held the Dolphins to two touchdowns in the first half, and the Bills trailed by only 7. 

 

Then Sean McDermott, the other coaching star in the game, took over.  Having watched only from the sideline, and with the help of his assistants, he developed and installed the antidote during half time.  McDaniel’s magic was neutralized, and the Dolphins didn’t sniff the end zone again.  The defense completely smothered the Dolphins in the second half – the run game fizzled, and the offensive line harassed Tua enough to limit the effectiveness of the Dolphin quick passing game. 

 

Josh Allen had just enough to overcome a series of costly mistakes, including a first-half interception and a second-half sack-fumble-turnover.  Still, he was larger than life.  When he got going, running like a man possessed and making multiple pinpoint throws to receivers finding their way into seams, he was Josh Allen at his best.  He’s just so good, running and passing, that he demoralizes the other team.  His play said, “We are not going to lose,” and the Dolphins heard it. 

 

The playoffs began Sunday night.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were every-day people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

I think Collinsworth does a great job. I don’t understand the hate from some. It was like that for Dierdirf too-another guy in the booth I thought did a fair job. 
 

[ganesh]

On 1/8/2024 at 3:13 PM, Shaw66 said:

Right about how the coverage worked.  Hyde's may have been the best INT I've ever seen.

That INT by Hyde is one of the "moment" plays in Bills history as it changed the tone of that game completely.  If the Patriots score that TD they would have tied the game.  It is somewhat similar to the Taron Johnson pick six against the Ravens.   

[LABILLBACKER]

Harty's return was exactly like Taron's. Absolutely explosive and game changing.  Collinsworth was correct in saying Josh should've thrown the 3 yard flat pass to Lenny for the 1st down on the 2nd INT.  And even if Gabe doesn't trip, that pass is getting picked easily.  McD did a fantastic job adjusting to Mike's RPO in the 2nd half.  We need to embrace the checkdowns against Pitt.  The deeper stuff will come later.  Pass with tempo.

[LeGOATski]

NFL quarterbacks are supposed to be these uber-protected little babies.

 

Josh is the only QB in the league who actually mans up on a defense. The dude flexes on defensive tackles. No other QB is the embodiment of physicality for his team.

 

He's truly special to watch.

[Since1981]

Punt return shows how emotion is still important to the game. It’s hard to grasp that men making $10M need emotional lifts, but it is true.
 

Home Field + 17 = Emotional Lifts

Edited January 10 by Since1981

[LeGOATski]

5 minutes ago, Since1981 said:

Punt return shows how emotion is still important to the game. It’s hard to grasp that men making $10M need emotional lifts, but it is true.

 

There is zero correlation between the money and the emotional investment in the game.

[Ayjent]

Shaw glad to see you posting these this year.  This game was a perfect embodiment of the 2023-24 Bills.  The Bills are extremely talented but sometimes make themselves the toughest opponent.  They still persevere and win, playing their best when it matters most.  They have the talent to win it all, but also can be prone to mistakes that derail that opportunity as the margin for error gets smaller. However, the team is mentally and physically tough, which is what is different from past years.  This team has a different identity this year, a nastier, tougher one.  I think that helps them in the playoffs this year significantly.

 

They’ve also made a point to infuse the team with FAs with rings or Super Bowl experience, such as Rapp, Floyd, Miller, Fournette, and Joseph.  This is not an insignificant thing coupled with the bad taste of playoff exits in prior years. I’m not saying it’s destiny they go or win it by any means, but the ingredients are different this time around.  It’s a confident group that has the talent and experience, and they just need to continue on playing their best football. If they do I’m not sure who can stop them, but we shall see.