Alphas All-22 Review - Preseason Game 1 vs Bears

[Alphadawg7]

I do not know if I am going to have the time to invest in doing this for all the preseason games as I have a pretty busy August moving forward, but I did have time to do it this time.  Admittedly, I didn't have as much time as I wanted for this, so I spent the most time on the first half offense and less time on the defense as a whole or the 2nd half as whole where I more focused on players I was the most interested in.  So here are my take aways:

• Offensive Line - I am going to start here because this was a consensus big concern coming out of the game.  
  • The good:  Pass Protection.
    • Overall I was quite impressed with the pass protection throughout the game.  It did well until Buechele got in the game and got sacked 6 times.  Before I started the review I saw a stat on twitter that showed PFF only credited the OL for one of the 8 sacks in the game mainly because 6 of them were on Buechele where he had a whopping average of 3.5 seconds to throw but was running around like a loon.  And I have to say that isn't wrong.  More importantly in the first half with Allen and then Mitch against a lot of Bears starters, the OL did quite well in pass protection.  
  • The bad:  Run Blocking.
    • To the shock of no one, we struggled all game to open anything up for the RB's.  To be fair, the Bills really only installed 3 runs for this game and did no scripting or game planning, however, still you can see that timing was a big issue for the OL.  
      • This is to be expected given its the first real live action for these guys as a unit and the OL is a group that needs to play as one and there were just a lot of timing issues where guys were not getting into the second level as intended or getting shoved into each other.   
      • NOTE:  This was also the Bears second preseason game, so also not a surprise they are a little sharper coming out.
  • Standout:  One player that I left very impressed by is SVPG.  He had a strong game overall and I think this kid is gonna be a player.  Can't over value reps against the 3rd stringers and guys not long for the roster, but he popped on film and it is what you want to see from the rookie, showing out when he should be.  I don't expect him to start week 1, but this kid will be our starting Center sometime down the line IMHO.
  • Takeaways:  I am not really sitting here concerned about the OL right now.  The pass protection was strong and the run blocking had a lot to do with timing, there was even a play where the center didn't seem to know the right snap count.  The issues I saw in the run blocking were all very correctable and coachable things, many of which will get better with more reps.  If at the end of preseason it is still an issue, then my concern levels will rise accordingly, but I do expect to see an improved showing next week.  
• Running Backs - Since the run game was a big concern, moving straight into the running backs.
  • The good:  Ray Davis
    • Running:  I think this guy is going to be a bigger part of the offense than people realize.  He did not get a lot of running room obviously on his 4 carries, but all of that was on the fault of the OL.  There was one carry that stood out...there wasn't much of a hole, but there was a hole and he hit it fast and hard that turned what could have been a loss of yards into positive gain of about 3 yards.  This is completely contrary to a similar play where Cook had a hole and rather than hitting the hole quickly he danced around until the hole closed.  
    • Receiving:  Davis continued to show he may be our most reliable pass catcher out of the backfield this year as Cook has been struggling with more drops again all camp.  While the expectation with Cook was that he would be a major receiving threat, and he can be when he holds on to the ball, we may see a lot of his targets shift over to Davis because McD hates when the ball hits the ground.  
    • Pass Pro:  He had 2 pass pro snaps and he did his job quite well on both.  Limited size, but pass pro is always the thing that keeps rookie RB's on or off the field, so seeing him do it well in a live setting after reportedly doing well with it in camp was encouraging to see and why I think he is going to be more involved as rookie.
  • The bad:  James Cook
    • I am not down on Cook, and this was just a tiny sample size, but there are 2 plays that stood out for me.  To be fair, the OL failed him on all of his carries but one, however its the one that stood out and why it added to what I would say was a bad day for him even though it was very limited day. 
      • Play #1:  He had only 1 play where the OL did their job and provided a hole to get through, however, unlike Davis above who hit the hole fast and hard to get positive yards, Cook danced and let the hole close, something he has done at times in the past.  Cook for me is explosive in space, but he isn't always fast to find the creases to get through the smaller holes and opportunities.  This is where I think him and Davis differ where Davis has great acceleration and tends to hit the hole quickly and with aggression on his tape in college.  Which is why he was my RB3 in the draft.  
      • Play #2:  This one was his lone pass protection play and he just didn't do a good job at all and it is the one where Edmunds knocked down the ball.  Its one play, and I felt Cook improved last year in pass pro to be fair, so not going to panic here over it.  But these are the only 2 plays where doing his job was completely in his control and didn't do his job.  
    • Takeaways:  Admittedly, I am high on Davis overall and was pre-draft too.  But, Cook had a strong season last year, so how big of a role the rookie would have was still a question mark, and still is, for this next season.  But, Davis has proven to be more reliable as a pass catcher in camp so far where Cook has dropped several passes he needs to catch.  And I think Davis may be the more explosive runner when it comes to hitting the holes and could prove to be better in pass protection than Cook as well despite the fact Cook IMHO improved in that area last season.  As we sit right now, I am starting to think that Davis and Cook may split more than people initially thought in his rookie year.  And that is less a knock on Cook, and more an endorsement in Davis being able to provide value this year that gets him on the field more than maybe you would expect for a team with a returning 1200 RB from last season.  
• Wide Receivers - Overall, this was a good showing for the ones that matter.
  • The good:
    • Shakir - Not a lot needs to be said, but he did what most of us expect from him this year and that is just be the best WR on the field for us.  He won his routes easily and displayed his YAC abilities that got a lot of people calling him Deebo-Lite.  
    • Samuel - Small sample size here, but one play that popped for sure was that WR screen was a thing of beauty and the way he exploded off the catch and followed his blockers was excellent.  He looked the part out there on all his snaps.
    • Coleman - Now, this is going to get some push back from stat sheet checkers seeing he only caught one ball on 3 targets, but that isn't the full story.
      • Coleman did quite well on the routes he wasn't targeted.  I watched every route he ran and many were clear out routes where he did exactly what was intended and drew the coverage with him.  This is something Davis did a lot of and what was an important part of the offense, especially after Brady took over.  Davis was limited in many areas of his game, but 2 things he did well was commit to the dirty work which is clear out routes where you can't sell them unless you commit to them like you are expecting to get the ball and of course his blocking.  Seeing Keon run those clear outs like any other route was great and encouraging.  Doing the dirty work is only going to increase his snap %.  
        • First target - This was a thing of beauty.  He earned 5 yards of separation on his stop route for an easy turnaround and run for the first down.  If he can do this consistently, he is going to be a chain mover all day.  
        • 2nd target - This was his worst route, especially considering it was clear they were clearing out the middle to isolate him and get him the ball.  He didn't get through the physicality cleanly on this play (something he will need to keep working on) and the result was that his cut wasn't sharp so he was blanketed the whole way through.  The positive of the play is that Mitch makes a piss poor decision to force him the ball still and then compounds that with an awful throw, but Keon saves the play and played great defense on the play showing his awareness and good football IQ on the play.  I can think of MANY interceptions that were intended for Gabe Davis where he was just oblivious and failed to prevent it adequately.  So not a good route, but still some positives on this play to take away.
        • 3rd target - This one IMHO is a TD or PI if Allen is the QB.  That close to the endzone there is going to be contact on the route he is running all the time.  He made a good turn and was headed for inside position on the DB, which is exactly what you want from him on this route.  The DB tugs a bit at his jersey while having his hand on his chest that disrupts the cut from being clean and then Mitch throws a bad ball where the DB is over the back of Coleman 2+ yards before the ball even reaches him and sails out of his reach.  When you watch it back, I think the reason PI wasn't called was because the pass was so bad.  Had Allen been in and thrown a good ball, Coleman either uses his position despite the contact to make the TD catch or we likely see a PI flag thrown.  His ability to go up and get the high pass was 100% impacted by the DB over his back on his shoulders, its undeniable.  
    • The bad:
      • MVS - I will be surprised if he makes the roster at this point.  Without question, of all the "relevant" players with legit potential to make the roster, he had by far the worst day.  He has had several practices with bad drops, including ones with multiple bad drops.  He also showed poorly in his blocking in this game as well.  There was literally nothing I would label a "good" result from this game.  
      • Hamler - He did not have a good day either as a receiver or as a returner.  I think Hardy is looking more and more probable for the roster and the return job (more on him later).
  • Takeaways:  I think there is a lot to be optimistic about right now in regards to the receiving group.  I already know the same 5 or 6 people are going to jump all over this with all their doom and gloom, but the facts are the facts.  Right now, the receivers as a whole are having a great camp.  I have LONG been high on Shakir since he was drafted, I have started multiple threads about him in the past 2 years, and all reports is that he is "always open" (along with Kincaid) in camp and he showed that again in this first action.  Samuel I think is going to be a fun piece of the offense whose speed and explosiveness may be getting undervalued by some around here.  Coleman's strong camp and what I felt was a strong overall showing in his first preseason game gives me confidence that he will make an impact as a rookie, and not just in what you see on the stat sheet either.   
• Quarterbacks - Not a lot of mystery here...Allen looked good, his one pass deflection had everything to do with Cook whiffing on his pass pro.  Mitch made some nice throws and also made some terrible throws.  Buechele isn't an NFL caliber QB and is camp fodder IMHO and I am doubtful even makes our PS.  I think Mitch is an upgrade from last year, but like with most teams with an elite starting QB, I don't think there is much hope if 17 misses any relevant time.  
• Defense - Because I was limited on time, I didn't spend as much time on the defense as a whole, but I did go through a few players who I had the most interest in.
  • Elam - I thought he had a good game and played well.  I feel really good about our top 3 DB's...depth is another question, but the top 3 guys I feel good about.
  • Solomon - I thought he had a strong showing and did well in the run defense as well.
  • Kingsley - Had a decent showing and I think this year may be his best shot to make the roster, if not, he never will.
  • Hardy - This kid had a strong game as a DB, and with Hamler struggling both as a receiver and screwing up a return, I am starting to think this kid is  going to make the roster because he has more going in his favor.  The receiver room is deeper and harder for someone like Hamler to crack.  Meanwhile, the CB room is top heavy and thin behind guys like Taron, Rasul, Benford, and Elam.  More importantly was how many snaps he played on the outside this game and the fact he did quite well with them.  I think most saw his as a NCB more than anything, but he is showing (at least in this game and some at camp) some outside potential as well.  
  • The bad - There was plenty of bad, but most of that came from fringe roster guys and didn't bother going through them all.  
  • Takeaways - I think there were some encouraging signs from some of our younger guys that hopefully they can build on.  The fringe guys got abused and I am less concerned with that.  Gable for example has no chance to make this roster, but I can see him as a PS guy.  He is no where close to ready which is to be expected.

 

Best part of the game was no significant injuries.  Oliver was cleared to go back in, so no concern there.  There were quite a few relevant injuries across the league in this first full preseason weekend, so grateful we got out of there relatively cleanly.  

Edited August 12 by Alphadawg7

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Kingsley Johnathan paying off Alphadog as well 😉

 

Thank you for the write up. 

[Logic]

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. 

Looking at your running back observations reminds me: I said this earlier this offseason and caught flak, but I'm sticking with it: By midseason or thereabouts, Ray Davis will be the starting running back on this team and getting the lion's share of the reps. James Cook will be relegated to the role to which his body type and skillset make him more well suited: Change of pace and third down back.

At the VERY least, I expect a 1A/1B situation, but I'm sticking with Davis overtaking Cook as the primary back in this offense. 

[msw2112]

Great write up by the OP.  I didn't see the entire game and I was heavily distracted for the parts that I did see, so I was not able to see a lot of the nuances and specifics that I usually look for in a preseason game.  In addition to it being a busy Saturday, the game was so ugly and boring that it didn't do a lot to keep my interest.  I'm a little more encouraged about the team than I was 5 minutes ago, so thanks for that.

[MJS]

10 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Kingsley Johnathan paying off Alphadog as well 😉

 

Thank you for the write up. 

Yeah, I guess for some it is impossible that he just played well. I'm not sure why. He has always been decent. But he is a roster bubble guy. He isn't some dominant force of a player.

11 minutes ago, Logic said:

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. 

Looking at your running back observations reminds me: I said this earlier this offseason and caught flak, but I'm sticking with it: By midseason or thereabouts, Ray Davis will be the starting running back on this team and getting the lion's share of the reps. James Cook will be relegated to the role to which his body type and skillset make him more well suited: Change of pace and third down back.

At the VERY least, I expect a 1A/1B situation, but I'm sticking with Davis overtaking Cook as the primary back in this offense. 

Cook is just too hesitant out there. And his pass blocking is atrocious. He is at his best when he hits his holes with speed and purpose, but that just doesn't happen enough. He's too passive.

[Alphadawg7]

18 minutes ago, Logic said:

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. 

Looking at your running back observations reminds me: I said this earlier this offseason and caught flak, but I'm sticking with it: By midseason or thereabouts, Ray Davis will be the starting running back on this team and getting the lion's share of the reps. James Cook will be relegated to the role to which his body type and skillset make him more well suited: Change of pace and third down back.

At the VERY least, I expect a 1A/1B situation, but I'm sticking with Davis overtaking Cook as the primary back in this offense. 

 

I don't know if Davis ascends to starting RB status as a rookie, but it is certainly possible he could be the early down back come midseason, especially if Cook keeps having ball security issues.  I do think its quite possible it can be more of a 1A/1B situation by midseason (or maybe sooner) than say one of them dominating snaps the back half of the season.  I can see them riding the hot hand too at times or sitting someone for long stretches in a game if they put the ball on the ground like McD has done at times in the past.

 

Edited August 12 by Alphadawg7

[Alphadawg7]

42 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Kingsley Johnathan paying off Alphadog as well 😉

 

Thank you for the write up. 

 

30 minutes ago, MJS said:

Yeah, I guess for some it is impossible that he just played well. I'm not sure why. He has always been decent. But he is a roster bubble guy. He isn't some dominant force of a player.

 

I am not that high on Kingsley, but by all reports he has had a strong camp and so I was interested to see how he did...and he showed well enough in this first preseason game.  I think we aren't as deep there this year, so I think he is trending towards making the roster right now.  

 

I will say this, this season is his best shot to make the roster as next year that unit is going to very likely get bolstered IMHO with a significant addition via FA, trade, or the draft.  We have a lot more cap room next season to do so, and we got 3 extra premium draft picks to go along with all our normal picks.  Plus, if I am not mistaken, I think the expectation is we might get another one with a comp pick, but even if we don't we already have an extra 2nd and 2 extra 4ths.  

Edited August 12 by Alphadawg7

[gonzo1105]

7 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

 

I am not that high on Kingsley, but by all reports he has had a strong camp and so I was interested to see how he did...and he showed well in this first preseason game.  I think we aren't as deep there this year, so I think he is trending towards making the roster right now.  

 

I will say this, this season is his best shot to make the roster as next year that unit is going to very likely get bolstered IMHO with a significant addition via FA, trade, or the draft.  We have a lot more cap room next season to do so, and we got 3 extra premium draft picks to go along with all our normal picks.  Plus, if I am not mistaken, I think the expectation is we might get another one with a comp pick, but even if we don't we already have an extra 2nd and 2 extra 4ths.  

The problem with his play was he had I believe 3 penalties, and to me that’s unacceptable for a roster bubble guy 

[Alphadawg7]

23 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

Great write up by the OP.  I didn't see the entire game and I was heavily distracted for the parts that I did see, so I was not able to see a lot of the nuances and specifics that I usually look for in a preseason game.  In addition to it being a busy Saturday, the game was so ugly and boring that it didn't do a lot to keep my interest.  I'm a little more encouraged about the team than I was 5 minutes ago, so thanks for that.

 

To be honest, I was not looking forward to doing the review myself, and I only did it because I wanted to really see what the film showed around the offense in the first half.  But once I did, I came away feeling a lot better about what I saw in just about every aspect.

1 minute ago, gonzo1105 said:

The problem with his play was he had I believe 3 penalties, and to me that’s unacceptable for a roster bubble guy 

 

McD was pretty pissed about the number of penalties in this game in his post game presser, so that is not going to bode well for anyone.  But, I don't know there is anyone behind him that is making a case for that likely last spot there and he has reportedly had a good camp and he did some good things in this game.  

[SoonerBillsFan]

1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:

I do not know if I am going to have the time to invest in doing this for all the preseason games as I have a pretty busy August moving forward, but I did have time to do it this time.  Admittedly, I didn't have as much time as I wanted for this, so I spent the most time on the first half offense and less time on the defense as a whole or the 2nd half as whole where I more focused on players I was the most interested in.  So here are my take aways:

• Offensive Line - I am going to start here because this was a consensus big concern coming out of the game.  
  • The good:  Pass Protection.
    • Overall I was quite impressed with the pass protection throughout the game.  It did well until Buechele got in the game and got sacked 6 times.  Before I started the review I saw a stat on twitter that showed PFF only credited the OL for one of the 8 sacks in the game mainly because 6 of them were on Buechele where he had a whopping average of 3.5 seconds to throw but was running around like a loon.  And I have to say that isn't wrong.  More importantly in the first half with Allen and then Mitch against a lot of Bears starters, the OL did quite well in pass protection.  
  • The bad:  Run Blocking.
    • To the shock of no one, we struggled all game to open anything up for the RB's.  To be fair, the Bills really only installed 3 runs for this game and did no scripting or game planning, however, still you can see that timing was a big issue for the OL.  
      • This is to be expected given its the first real live action for these guys as a unit and the OL is a group that needs to play as one and there were just a lot of timing issues where guys were not getting into the second level as intended or getting shoved into each other.   
      • NOTE:  This was also the Bears second preseason game, so also not a surprise they are a little sharper coming out.
  • Standout:  One player that I left very impressed by is SVPG.  He had a strong game overall and I think this kid is gonna be a player.  Can't over value reps against the 3rd stringers and guys not long for the roster, but he popped on film and it is what you want to see from the rookie, showing out when he should be.  I don't expect him to start week 1, but this kid will be our starting Center sometime down the line IMHO.
  • Takeaways:  I am not really sitting here concerned about the OL right now.  The pass protection was strong and the run blocking had a lot to do with timing, there was even a play where the center didn't seem to know the right snap count.  The issues I saw in the run blocking were all very correctable and coachable things, many of which will get better with more reps.  If at the end of preseason it is still an issue, then my concern levels will rise accordingly, but I do expect to see an improved showing next week.  
• Running Backs - Since the run game was a big concern, moving straight into the running backs.
  • The good:  Ray Davis
    • Running:  I think this guy is going to be a bigger part of the offense than people realize.  He did not get a lot of running room obviously on his 4 carries, but all of that was on the fault of the OL.  There was one carry that stood out...there wasn't much of a hole, but there was a hole and he hit it fast and hard that turned what could have been a loss of yards into positive gain of about 3 yards.  This is completely contrary to a similar play where Cook had a hole and rather than hitting the hole quickly he danced around until the hole closed.  
    • Receiving:  Davis continued to show he may be our most reliable pass catcher out of the backfield this year as Cook has been struggling with more drops again all camp.  While the expectation with Cook was that he would be a major receiving threat, and he can be when he holds on to the ball, we may see a lot of his targets shift over to Davis because McD hates when the ball hits the ground.  
    • Pass Pro:  He had 2 pass pro snaps and he did his job quite well on both.  Limited size, but pass pro is always the thing that keeps rookie RB's on or off the field, so seeing him do it well in a live setting after reportedly doing well with it in camp was encouraging to see and why I think he is going to be more involved as rookie.
  • The bad:  James Cook
    • I am not down on Cook, and this was just a tiny sample size, but there are 2 plays that stood out for me.  To be fair, the OL failed him on all of his carries but one, however its the one that stood out and why it added to what I would say was a bad day for him even though it was very limited day. 
      • Play #1:  He had only 1 play where the OL did their job and provided a hole to get through, however, unlike Davis above who hit the hole fast and hard to get positive yards, Cook danced and let the hole close, something he has done at times in the past.  Cook for me is explosive in space, but he isn't always fast to find the creases to get through the smaller holes and opportunities.  This is where I think him and Davis differ where Davis has great acceleration and tends to hit the hole quickly and with aggression on his tape in college.  Which is why he was my RB3 in the draft.  
      • Play #2:  This one was his lone pass protection play and he just didn't do a good job at all and it is the one where Edmunds knocked down the ball.  Its one play, and I felt Cook improved last year in pass pro to be fair, so not going to panic here over it.  But these are the only 2 plays where doing his job was completely in his control and didn't do his job.  
    • Takeaways:  Admittedly, I am high on Davis overall and was pre-draft too.  But, Cook had a strong season last year, so how big of a role the rookie would have was still a question mark, and still is, for this next season.  But, Davis has proven to be more reliable as a pass catcher in camp so far where Cook has dropped several passes he needs to catch.  And I think Davis may be the more explosive runner when it comes to hitting the holes and could prove to be better in pass protection than Cook as well despite the fact Cook IMHO improved in that area last season.  As we sit right now, I am starting to think that Davis and Cook may split more than people initially thought in his rookie year.  And that is less a knock on Cook, and more an endorsement in Davis being able to provide value this year that gets him on the field more than maybe you would expect for a team with a returning 1200 RB from last season.  
• Wide Receivers - Overall, this was a good showing for the ones that matter.
  • The good:
    • Shakir - Not a lot needs to be said, but he did what most of us expect from him this year and that is just be the best WR on the field for us.  He won his routes easily and displayed his YAC abilities that got a lot of people calling him Deebo-Lite.  
    • Samuel - Small sample size here, but one play that popped for sure was that WR screen was a thing of beauty and the way he exploded off the catch and followed his blockers was excellent.  He looked the part out there on all his snaps.
    • Coleman - Now, this is going to get some push back from stat sheet checkers seeing he only caught one ball on 3 targets, but that isn't the full story.
      • Coleman did quite well on the routes he wasn't targeted.  I watched every route he ran and many were clear out routes where he did exactly what was intended and drew the coverage with him.  This is something Davis did a lot of and what was an important part of the offense, especially after Brady took over.  Davis was limited in many areas of his game, but 2 things he did well was commit to the dirty work which is clear out routes where you can't sell them unless you commit to them like you are expecting to get the ball and of course his blocking.  Seeing Keon run those clear outs like any other route was great and encouraging.  Doing the dirty work is only going to increase his snap %.  
        • First target - This was a thing of beauty.  He earned 5 yards of separation on his stop route for an easy turnaround and run for the first down.  If he can do this consistently, he is going to be a chain mover all day.  
        • 2nd target - This was his worst route, especially considering it was clear they were clearing out the middle to isolate him and get him the ball.  He didn't get through the physicality cleanly on this play (something he will need to keep working on) and the result was that his cut wasn't sharp so he was blanketed the whole way through.  The positive of the play is that Mitch makes a piss poor decision to force him the ball still and then compounds that with an awful throw, but Keon saves the play and played great defense on the play showing his awareness and good football IQ on the play.  I can think of MANY interceptions that were intended for Gabe Davis where he was just oblivious and failed to prevent it adequately.  So not a good route, but still some positives on this play to take away.
        • 3rd target - This one IMHO is a TD or PI if Allen is the QB.  That close to the endzone there is going to be contact on the route he is running all the time.  He made a good turn and was headed for inside position on the DB, which is exactly what you want from him on this route.  The DB tugs a bit at his jersey while having his hand on his chest that disrupts the cut from being clean and then Mitch throws a bad ball where the DB is over the back of Coleman 2+ yards before the ball even reaches him and sails out of his reach.  When you watch it back, I think the reason PI wasn't called was because the pass was so bad.  Had Allen been in and thrown a good ball, Coleman either uses his position despite the contact to make the TD catch or we likely see a PI flag thrown.  His ability to go up and get the high pass was 100% impacted by the DB over his back on his shoulders, its undeniable.  
    • The bad:
      • MVS - I will be surprised if he makes the roster at this point.  Without question, of all the "relevant" players with legit potential to make the roster, he had by far the worst day.  He has had several practices with bad drops, including ones with multiple bad drops.  He also showed poorly in his blocking in this game as well.  There was literally nothing I would label a "good" result from this game.  
      • Hamler - He did not have a good day either as a receiver or as a returner.  I think Hardy is looking more and more probable for the roster and the return job (more on him later).
  • Takeaways:  I think there is a lot to be optimistic about right now in regards to the receiving group.  I already know the same 5 or 6 people are going to jump all over this with all their doom and gloom, but the facts are the facts.  Right now, the receivers as a whole are having a great camp.  I have LONG been high on Shakir since he was drafted, I have started multiple threads about him in the past 2 years, and all reports is that he is "always open" (along with Kincaid) in camp and he showed that again in this first action.  Samuel I think is going to be a fun piece of the offense whose speed and explosiveness may be getting undervalued by some around here.  Coleman's strong camp and what I felt was a strong overall showing in his first preseason game gives me confidence that he will make an impact as a rookie, and not just in what you see on the stat sheet either.   
• Quarterbacks - Not a lot of mystery here...Allen looked good, his one pass deflection had everything to do with Cook whiffing on his pass pro.  Mitch made some nice throws and also made some terrible throws.  Buechele isn't an NFL caliber QB and is camp fodder IMHO and I am doubtful even makes our PS.  I think Mitch is an upgrade from last year, but like with most teams with an elite starting QB, I don't think there is much hope if 17 misses any relevant time.  
• Defense - Because I was limited on time, I didn't spend as much time on the defense as a whole, but I did go through a few players who I had the most interest in.
  • Elam - I thought he had a good game and played well.  I feel really good about our top 3 DB's...depth is another question, but the top 3 guys I feel good about.
  • Solomon - I thought he had a strong showing and did well in the run defense as well.
  • Kingsley - Had a decent showing and I think this year may be his best shot to make the roster, if not, he never will.
  • Hardy - This kid had a strong game as a DB, and with Hamler struggling both as a receiver and screwing up a return, I am starting to think this kid is  going to make the roster because he has more going in his favor.  The receiver room is deeper and harder for someone like Hamler to crack.  Meanwhile, the CB room is top heavy and thin behind guys like Taron, Rasul, Benford, and Elam.  More importantly was how many snaps he played on the outside this game and the fact he did quite well with them.  I think most saw his as a NCB more than anything, but he is showing (at least in this game and some at camp) some outside potential as well.  
  • The bad - There was plenty of bad, but most of that came from fringe roster guys and didn't bother going through them all.  
  • Takeaways - I think there were some encouraging signs from some of our younger guys that hopefully they can build on.  The fringe guys got abused and I am less concerned with that.  Gable for example has no chance to make this roster, but I can see him as a PS guy.  He is no where close to ready which is to be expected.

 

Best part of the game was no significant injuries.  Oliver was cleared to go back in, so no concern there.  There were quite a few relevant injuries across the league in this first full preseason weekend, so grateful we got out of there relatively cleanly.  

Good stuff Alpha!  I am on the Davis and SVPG, trains.  I felt SVPG should be getting the meat of reps at starting center, but what do I know?

[Augie]

14 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Good stuff Alpha!  I am on the Davis and SVPG, trains.  I felt SVPG should be getting the meat of reps at starting center, but what do I know?

 

My first thoughts. It would be great if SVPG can get up to speed and we could put McGovern back at LG. I want our best 5 out there, and to maintain as much continuity as possible. 

[Sestak4ever]

My concern with Cook is that he hasn’t truly elevated his game like I had thought he might, especially with the talent around him. At Georgia he really wasn’t the featured back, at least not in every situation. It was more spot duty and situational opportunities. That’s why his workload there was relatively light and he didn’t get a lot of carries. He mad splash plays for them which got him noticed. I was glad we drafted him because I saw the potential. He will have to improve his consistency and eliminate errors.

[Alphadawg7]

5 hours ago, Augie said:

 

My first thoughts. It would be great if SVPG can get up to speed and we could put McGovern back at LG. I want our best 5 out there, and to maintain as much continuity as possible. 

 

It would be great, but probably unlikely.  The center and Allen need time together, and SVPG hasn't spent any time as it is with Allen.  When we drafted him I thought he could compete for the starting gig, but only if he was getting some reps with the ones.  And with the guys ahead of him, there wasn't a need to rush him along, so he hasn't gotten any time with the ones.  

 

Given he has had zero time with Allen thus far, I think any chance of starting this year will come down to injuries opening up the possibility.  I do think he will maybe start getting some live game reps with the backups in blow outs with the backups, but I think realistically, his chance to compete to start at center will probably not come until next season.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Put SVPG in the pivot now and don't look back.  What's the point of waiting.  If he doesn't work out then you can revert to McGovern later. 

 

Right now I see an OL with Dawkins, McGovern, Van Pran, Torrence, and Brown as a better short and long term option than Edwards at LG and McGovern at C. 

 

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

5 hours ago, Sestak4ever said:

My concern with Cook is that he hasn’t truly elevated his game like I had thought he might, especially with the talent around him. At Georgia he really wasn’t the featured back, at least not in every situation. It was more spot duty and situational opportunities. That’s why his workload there was relatively light and he didn’t get a lot of carries. He mad splash plays for them which got him noticed. I was glad we drafted him because I saw the potential. He will have to improve his consistency and eliminate errors.

Not Elevated his game?  He was 4th in rushing and 6th in all purpose yards.  How much more does he need to do to say he has elevated his game? 

I get the frustration at the drops, but he's a top 4 RB on a team that didn't even feature the run game until halfway through the season.  Remember when this elite coaching staff was giving meaningful carries to Murray? 

[Sestak4ever]

14 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Not Elevated his game?  He was 4th in rushing and 6th in all purpose yards.  How much more does he need to do to say he has elevated his game? 

I get the frustration at the drops, but he's a top 4 RB on a team that didn't even feature the run game until halfway through the season.  Remember when this elite coaching staff was giving meaningful carries to Murray? 

I agree to a point, but he had some big games and others where he was a non-factor. He has elevated his game, but look at the talent around him. With Allen as the qb teams will be playing pass first against us. Allen is a huge threat to run also so I would think Cook would not be as targeted by defenses. I could be wrong, but I was/am looking for more consistency and if he catches those passes he dropped it would definitely put other defenses on notice. They would have to guard more closely to the play action stuff and the chance Cook slips out for a pass. Again, just my take.

[billsfan89]

I think SVPG is on a similar path to Spencer Brown his rookie year. Brown didn't light things up in camp but he was solid in his reps. Brown played fairly well in pre-season even though he mostly played against second stringers. Then as the season started word was Brown was really killing it in practice. Then about 4 weeks into the season "word on the street" was that Spencer Brown was likely going to start at some point. Then Brown started the 7th game and was the starter the rest of the way.

[Big Turk]

Cook still a liability in pass pro I see...

[GunnerBill]

16 hours ago, gonzo1105 said:

The problem with his play was he had I believe 3 penalties, and to me that’s unacceptable for a roster bubble guy 

 

Missed a couple of run game assignments too. I thought he was really rough on Saturday. I don't agree with the premise he played well. There was a significant gap between Solomon and he IMO, and they have been rotating in for one another in camp. 

[GunnerBill]

8 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Put SVPG in the pivot now and don't look back.  What's the point of waiting.  If he doesn't work out then you can revert to McGovern later. 

 

Right now I see an OL with Dawkins, McGovern, Van Pran, Torrence, and Brown as a better short and long term option than Edwards at LG and McGovern at C. 

 

 

 

I don't. Edwards was not the issue on Saturday. I think he had one play where he kinda lost his anchor that was on him, otherwise Edwards was good. It was more the right hand side - particularly Spencer Brown that seemed to be struggling with communication or was half assing it. I haven't watched Joe Marino's breakdown but I believe he put it down to timing issues. Regardless, Spencer Brown wasn't blocking where he should have been blocking at the time he should have been blocking way too often. And I don't think Torrence had his best game either. While I think SVPG looked tidy technically and had a solid debut he was playing against 3rd stringers and there were still a couple of snaps where some of his over balancing tendency shows up and he ends up pushed back. I think the Bills need to not rush him into the lineup and wait until he has earned that spot. At the moment he is 3rd on the depth chart because that is where his play has him. It isn't any reason for concern but equally I don't think he has done anything yet that justifies rushing him into the lineup.