THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - I Have No Idea

[Bob in STL]

19 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

You touched on all the main coaches, except one. 

 

I think we know (good or bad, depending on people's point of view) what we get with McDermott by now. With Brady and Babich, at least there can be some level of hope that they will succeed. 

 

However, as much as people like to downplay the unit...Coach Smiley and his STs are a major concern for me. And before anyone starts to downplay it, while it's true STs rarely will win you a game, they sure as heck can lose you one or two a season. Such as the blocked punt we gave up against Pittsburgh a couple years back. Or the walk off PR TD given up last year against the Jets. 

 

I'm hoping there is a turnaround there. 

Don’t forget the penalty on a FG against Denver that gave them another shot and cost us the game. 
 

The Bills ST were bad last season.  ST are a problem and both of our kickers are mediocre. 

Edited September 1 by Bob in STL

[balln]

To add to the above 

 

schedules are the same except: 

 

Bills play lions , ravens , chiefs 

 

Jets play den , Vikings , pit 

 

mia play raider, packers , browns

 

I also think we’re gonna be below D of last few seasons . We can be run on. And I just don’t like our pass rush and current safeties - we are going to struggle to get off field on 3rd down.

 

so. Comes down to offense carrying team and coaches coming up big. Which I have faith in to make playoffs. But not serious contenders 

[Stuartjohn]

On 5/21/2024 at 1:09 AM, NewEra said:

My wife and I are looking into spending lots of time in Southeast Asia in the near future.  Looking at the pros and cons- my only con so far is watching Bills games. 

 

Do any of you guys/gals live in the area or have experience watching games there?  Is it possible to have YTtv and buy the package and use a vpn?  Are games broadcast on any cable?  
 

I’d love to hear some discussion and get some advice on this. 

 

14 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

Pairing a legitimate running game with Josh Allen has been what I've hoped for and we haven't gotten there yet. 

 

The final half of last season with Brady calling the plays is the closest we've been.  He became coordinator on November 14th after that horrific loss to the Broncos and the Bills proceeded to win seven of the next nine games.  There only loses were the Philly game the week Bradly took over, and the 3 point loss to the Chiefs in the playoffs.  We began to run the ball effectively and the offense really clicked.

 

This preseason has seen a lot of questions about the Bills' receiving corps and the passing game.   What I'm excited about is the running game with this O-Line and Cooks and Ray Davis.  If they can run the ball as well or better than they did down the stretch last season, then I think this team will be very dangerous.

 

I don't want the Bills to become a "running team" while they have Josh Allen under center.  What I do want is for an effective running game to put opposing defenses in an unwinnable situation every snap where they can either stack the box and get beat by Allen's arm, or drop back into Nickle or Dime and have Cooks and Davis and our TE heavy sets run the ball down their throats.

“ 13 Seconds” McDermott will Forever OWN That Moment until Buffalo Wins a Championship! Closest they’ve been in 33years! Go Bills!

[Rockinon]

I think there has been a concerted effort to "build a bully" across the board. One of our best pass catchers is a TE. We have bigger WRs. We have some real talent at RB. Our OL is pretty good. Our QB is a handful.

 

Even on defense the pieces are there. It was decimated by injury last year, but there is talent there. They lost their best 1T DT, their best LB, their best pass rusher was still recovering from injury, half of their CBs and yet somehow they still did not completely collapse.  Milano's injury hurts, but this defense is going to surprise many here.

 

I think there has been too much focus by us fans on the individual players and their skill-set. Looking at the big picture, I believe the team is not just planning to win. They are planning to dominate.

[NewEra]

25 minutes ago, Stuartjohn said:

 

“ 13 Seconds” McDermott will Forever OWN That Moment until Buffalo Wins a Championship! Closest they’ve been in 33years! Go Bills!

Is McD moving to Southeast Asia too?

[amprov56]

3 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

My take is slightly different. As Shaw laid out, this newest version of the Bills brings so many questions that I’m going into 2024 with zero expectations for the level of success we’ve seen in recent years. So after SIXTY seasons of faithfully following this franchise I’ll go into 2024 looking to be nothing more than pleasantly surprised. And that just may be the outlook that finally opens this seemingly impossibly locked door. 
Go Bills 

60 years, man we have been through some times, if the 13 second gang only knew!

[KCNC]

I'm with you but most of my questions are with the defense.  DL has to step up their game to make up for holes in back 7

[billsfan89]

2 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

Don’t forget the penalty on a FG against Denver that gave then another shot and cost us the game. 
 

The Bills ST were bad last season.  ST are a problem and both of our kickers are mediocre. 

 

ST was a big time sore spot last season. The second Pats game was a lot closer because the ST unit spotted that Pats a free opening kick TD. The Chargers game was made even tighter because of the fumbled punt. That's in addition to the missed kicks in Philly that cost the Bills that game most likely and the Denver game where a simple snafu cost them the game outright. That's in addition to smaller execution issues. 

 

The ST unit only made two big play the Harty punt return that was critical in winning the Fins game and the opening kick forced fumble and recovery in the second Jets game that set the tone for that game and converted into points. 

 

I am fine with Martin, he looked solid in the pre-season and I think he can/will be about an average punter which is fine. I also think the kick return game with the player the Bills traded for from the Jets will be improved. Hopefully the Bills coverage units with lesser known players will be better. But Bass is where I am really concerned. He clearly has the yips despite making easy kicks in the pre-season he clearly is struggling from 40 out. I think Bass is going to cost this team a game and the Bills will replace him in season. 

[Shaw66]

5 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

I'm of the opinion that I have a semi-reasonable idea what's likely this year.

 

But I've been wrong before. We'll see.

 

And I'm ready too.

I can see this team being 12-4 or 13-3, and I can also see it being 8-9. Any of those outcomes and everything in between seem plausible, depending on how the season goes, how players develop, and how the coaches perform.  

[BearNorth]

Night game in Miami has to be a bit better than a 1:00 or 4:00 start.  It is the peak of Hurricane season tho.

 

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

I don’t think any of us has an idea, and with the roster turnover plus bloated dead cap, it looks like a down year.

 

only save is Josh being Josh+.

 

[Mat68]

Team has some new faces.  Whats constant is the Qb. The run game should be as good or better.  Mcdermott has a consistent defense.  I expect they maintain being 10 to 15.  Is Allen going to be part of a bad offense?  I dont think he will.  Buffalo wins the division and is more balanced than ever.  I think a lot of fans look at the Bills with blinders on.  When the team went on the run last season those key contributors are back on offense and defense.  Week 1 vs a rebuilding Cardinals team with a poor front 7 sets up for a big W out the gates.  Week 2 vs Miami who have a poor oline and dline plays into Buffalo hands as well.  

[Saxum]

55 minutes ago, BearNorth said:

Night game in Miami has to be a bit better than a 1:00 or 4:00 start.  It is the peak of Hurricane season tho.

 

 

Maybe a hurricane will hit stadium and pull away cover of home side of field.  It would be deserved.

[Chaos]

6 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

This is a pretty weird post, IMO.

 

This is unlikely to be one of the NFL's weakest divisions. More likely well stronger than average, though the Pats don't look likely to be pulling in their share of the plaudits.

 

And as others have said Josh has had strong weapons through most of his career here. Beasley, Diggs, Cook, Kincaid, Knox, Singletary, John Brown, Sanders, Gabe Davis, all "important offensive weapons." Probably none but Diggs and a year or two of Beasley played at elite levels. But a lot of good players there.

 

The D has been damn good as well, except against KC in the playoffs. There are plenty of games when Josh needed defensive help and got it. When we beat the Giants 14-9 last year for instance. When we beat the Chiefs in season last year 20 - 17. When we beat the Dolphins 21-14. Those are just last year. The D had many good games but plenty came on days when Josh also had good days, which isn't surprising since Josh has a bunch of good days. But so did the D despite a horrendous year for injuries.

Time will prove me right. 

[Shaw66]

16 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

My take is slightly different. As Shaw laid out, this newest version of the Bills brings so many questions that I’m going into 2024 with zero expectations for the level of success we’ve seen in recent years. So after SIXTY seasons of faithfully following this franchise I’ll go into 2024 looking to be nothing more than pleasantly surprised. And that just may be the outlook that finally opens this seemingly impossibly locked door. 
Go Bills 

With Allen and McDermott, I feel like the team alwaya will be good.  The question is, "how good?"

[machine gun kelly]

On 8/31/2024 at 5:37 PM, Shaw66 said:

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

Well, here it is, Labor Day and the 2024 NFL season is about to begin. 

 

What are we to expect from the Bills?  I have no idea.

 

At a technical level, I literally have no idea.  The game evolves, season after season, and only some of the strategies that worked in 2023 will work in 2024.  And some coaches will come up with new strategies, both offensively and defensively.  Those are changes that I barely understand at their simplest levels.  And it’s virtually impossible to predict what all those changes will be. 

 

At a personnel level, I have one idea – a lot depends on players who haven’t been big-time players previously, and that means uncertainty about how guys will perform.  Safeties, linebackers, a corner or two, various defensive linemen all must show that they are playoff caliber.  Offensive linemen, receivers.  The Bills don’t have holes, but they have a lot of questions.

 

At the coaching level, oh boy.  Brady has to have the goods.  Babich, too.  And McDermott.  McDermott has coaches and players he likes, and I’m sure he believes he can win with them.  This is the season all three need to show they are playoff caliber.  Can they?  Sure.  Will they?  I have no idea. 

 

As a fan, I think the Bills are going back to the playoffs.  Why?  Well, principally because I believe in McDermott and I believe in Allen.  I said it a couple of weeks ago:  There are 20 teams, for sure, that would trade their HC and QB for McDermott and Allen.  Maybe 25, but call it 20.  That tells me that those two men alone make the Bills a top-12 team, and top-12 is playoffs. 

 

I know some will argue about McDermott, but I don’t buy it.  He’s won as much or more as other coaches who have been around the league for a few years.  He’s dedicated to getting the whole job done, and pretty much anything McDermott dedicates himself to, he achieves.   Fire him in February, and he’ll have multiple head coach offers the next day. 

 

I’m looking for a good season, a playoff season.  How will they get to the playoffs, and what will they achieve there?  I have no idea.

 

I'm ready. 

 

 

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 everyday 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.

 

As always Shaw, well written and accurate.  There is ambiguity of how well these pieces will fit together so there is some angst by many of us, but I too have faith in Beane, McD, and Josh.  I don’t how far we’ll go, but there is no way we are not making the playoffs. It may be as a wildcard, but I’m still hopeful we win the East.

[SoCal Deek]

7 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

With Allen and McDermott, I feel like the team alwaya will be good.  The question is, "how good?"

Good….sure, most likely. At our age Shaw we’re kinda looking for ‘great’….at least once. So I’ll enjoy 2024 in hopes that the proverbial blind squirrel has to find a nut once in a while. 😁

[CNYfan]

I agree with the basic precept of this post.   

I am not sure what to expect.  

[LABILLBACKER]

19 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I can see this team being 12-4 or 13-3, and I can also see it being 8-9. Any of those outcomes and everything in between seem plausible, depending on how the season goes, how players develop, and how the coaches perform.  

We are definitely not winning more than 10-11 games this season.  Our schedule is too tough and there's been too many players swapped out. The floor is around 8-9 wins. As @Shaw66 says we literally have "no idea"?

[Billsatlastin2018]

After 4 years of dominance in the AFC-E, “I have no idea” is a strong condemnation of their chances in 2024. And most of us would agree!

 

There are simply too many unknown balls in the air. Another thread posted the Top 5/6 dominant offensive teams this year ( SF, Miami, Philly, Cinci, Det, Hou) and the Bills play SIX games against those! We now have two very questionable kickers, including the most critical one, who last seen, shanked us out of the Playoffs!

 

And the D. WERE they AVERAGING 400 yards given up during the past 4 critical Playoff losses?  Are they any better?

 

Finally, we have “13 Seconds” McD. I simply cannot EVER get around that HOFailure blown Lombardi opportunity. And, if I didn’t see the other defensive meltdowns, at least I’d think they were still there.

 

I am reduced to hope- only because we have the wonderful Unicorn. But, I am very afraid that if the Shakirs, Cooks, Colemans & Kincaids don’t step up… waaaay up… 17 will try and shoulder his way to Ws. Getting far too dangerous for that.