Week 2 - Bills at Dolphins - Game Week Thread

[zow2]

After McCaffrey was sidelined on Monday and a journeyman UDFA RB nobody has ever heard of gashed the Jets D for 148 yds (5.7 avg).... I'm not taking any RB lightly.  They can all go off including Jeff Wilson and an injured Achane.

[newcam2012]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Remember the key here is not to overreact on defense. I expect Miami to come out with a good script and have some success offensively early on. The key is the Bills just settling in, playing their defense and capitalising when the Fins make mistakes and Tua puts the ball in harms way - as he will at some point. If you start getting funky in response and getting away from your plan that's when they kill you. Settle in, trust your scheme, execute and take your opportunities. 

 

On offense got to pickup the Miami blitzes well up front, know where our hots are and get the ball out early. Not a day for Josh to hold the ball. 

By time they settle in they could be down 14 points. The Dolphins aren't the Cardinals. Is it me or do the Bills overwhelmingly get off to slow starts. I think it's vastly due to being out coached and out game planned. Don't you? 

3 hours ago, finn said:

Still, I worry about slants, with Tua throwing instantly, so no pass rush, and Hill and their other speedsters catching the ball at full speed. How do you defend against that? Our corners don't jam, do they? 

We've defended it well in the past. I think McD knows how to contain, limit, and beat Miami. The real question is can the newer younger players step up and execute the defensive game plan. There will be some new wrinkles too. Can they adjust properly. 

 

I think the Bills will be fine on offense so long as they take care of the ball. 

[GunnerBill]

Just now, newcam2012 said:

By time they settle in they could be down 14 points. The Dolphins aren't the Cardinals. Is it me or do the Bills overwhelmingly get off to slow starts. I think it's vastly due to being out coached and out game planned. Don't you? 

 

I think the offense has to be good early because I think it will be tough for the defense early. I go back to the home game with Miami early last year and the teams traded touchdowns until drive 3 when the defense had managed to settle in and get a beat on what Miami was trying to do. Then the Bills stopped them, scored on offense and the game was basically done. 

 

As for overwhelmingly off to slow starts.... they were 14th best 1st Quarter defense and 10th best 1st Quarter offense in 2023. So not fantastic but certainly not evidence of overwhelming bad starts. They definitely came out very slow last week on defense. They didn't on offense though. They went right down the field on both their first two drives and beat themselves with an unnecessary turnover and then an avoidable penalty. In 2022 we were 2nd in the league in first quarter offense and got off to a ton of very fast starts. I'm not sure the evidence points to a coaching issue. 

[sleeby]

Tua -->  Who-ah?  

[Sestak4ever]

I think a ton relies on our offense to build a two score lead, which then forces the fin’s hand offensively and allows our defense to pressure and dictate the flow of the game. Keeping my fingers crossed. 🤞 Go Bills!!🏈🍻

[RunTheBall]

12 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I think the offense has to be good early because I think it will be tough for the defense early. I go back to the home game with Miami early last year and the teams traded touchdowns until drive 3 when the defense had managed to settle in and get a beat on what Miami was trying to do. Then the Bills stopped them, scored on offense and the game was basically done. 

 

As for overwhelmingly off to slow starts.... they were 14th best 1st Quarter defense and 10th best 1st Quarter offense in 2023. So not fantastic but certainly not evidence of overwhelming bad starts. They definitely came out very slow last week on defense. They didn't on offense though. They went right down the field on both their first two drives and beat themselves with an unnecessary turnover and then an avoidable penalty. In 2022 we were 2nd in the league in first quarter offense and got off to a ton of very fast starts. I'm not sure the evidence points to a coaching issue. 

Oh SNAP!  Guess that theory was bunk.

 

14th best defense in the first quarter feels about right. McD and the DC usually adjust quickly though, although AZ took longer than we’d like.

[SoCal Deek]

11 minutes ago, Sestak4ever said:

I think a ton relies on our offense to build a two score lead, which then forces the fin’s hand offensively and allows our defense to pressure and dictate the flow of the game. Keeping my fingers crossed. 🤞 Go Bills!!🏈🍻

That’s true….but is there ever a game that you wouldn’t  like to have a two score lead? 😉

[Lost]

35 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

As for overwhelmingly off to slow starts.... they were 14th best 1st Quarter defense and 10th best 1st Quarter offense in 2023. So not fantastic but certainly not evidence of overwhelming bad starts. 

 

Where did they rank last year in 1st quarter turnovers?

[Boatdrinks]

A tough early season divisional matchup, this one will probably be close. Average margin of victory has lessened in the McDaniel era. While this game won’t convince me either way on the Bills being a contender in 2024, I’ll give an edge to Miami in this one. That’s an edge though, not a lot -and as we’ve seen before a couple signature Josh Allen plays could get Buffalo a victory. 

[Mat68]

1 hour ago, newcam2012 said:

By time they settle in they could be down 14 points. The Dolphins aren't the Cardinals. Is it me or do the Bills overwhelmingly get off to slow starts. I think it's vastly due to being out coached and out game planned. Don't you? 

We've defended it well in the past. I think McD knows how to contain, limit, and beat Miami. The real question is can the newer younger players step up and execute the defensive game plan. There will be some new wrinkles too. Can they adjust properly. 

 

I think the Bills will be fine on offense so long as they take care of the ball. 

I dont believe that.  Buffalo knows exactly what Miami is doing.  The big change is using Achane more in motion and using him to open up holes for Waddle and Hill over top.  Same concepts similar players.  Stop the run on early downs with 6 and 7 boxs.  Limited the big play and win the game.  Force Miami and Mcdaniel to go the long way down the field.   

[SoCal Deek]

49 minutes ago, Boatdrinks said:

A tough early season divisional matchup, this one will probably be close. Average margin of victory has lessened in the McDaniel era. While this game won’t convince me either way on the Bills being a contender in 2024, I’ll give an edge to Miami in this one. That’s an edge though, not a lot -and as we’ve seen before a couple signature Josh Allen plays could get Buffalo a victory. 

On the flipside, the Bills record streak continues with now something like FORTY TWO straight games since they’ve been beaten by more than two scores. Pretty incredible. 

[GunnerBill]

59 minutes ago, Lost said:

 

Where did they rank last year in 1st quarter turnovers?

 

Don't see that info tracked anywhere I normally use unfortunately. I'd be interested if anyone else can put their hands on it. 

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, newcam2012 said:

By time they settle in they could be down 14 points. The Dolphins aren't the Cardinals. Is it me or do the Bills overwhelmingly get off to slow starts. I think it's vastly due to being out coached and out game planned. Don't you? 

We've defended it well in the past. I think McD knows how to contain, limit, and beat Miami. The real question is can the newer younger players step up and execute the defensive game plan. There will be some new wrinkles too. Can they adjust properly. 

 

 

We don't overwhelmingly get off to slow starts.  

 

How does that mean being outcoached or out game planned?  So lets just make up the Bills starting overwhelmingly slow.  Since we usually end up winning the game, does that not have to do with coaching?  Doesn't that indicate that we can make in game adjustments and out game plan the other team the rest of the game?

[ColoradoBills]

2 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

By time they settle in they could be down 14 points. The Dolphins aren't the Cardinals. Is it me or do the Bills overwhelmingly get off to slow starts. I think it's vastly due to being out coached and out game planned. Don't you? 

 

I think it's you.  Where are you getting this data that shows the Bills are "slow starters".

[RiotAct]

1 hour ago, Boatdrinks said:

While this game won’t convince me either way on the Bills being a contender in 2024, I’ll give an edge to Miami in this one. That’s an edge though, not a lot -and as we’ve seen before a couple signature Josh Allen plays could get Buffalo a victory. 

if we go in and trounce them I’ll be 100% sold

Edited September 12 by RiotAct

[Boatdrinks]

16 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

if we go in and trounce them I’ll be 100% sold

I would love to see it, but wouldn’t go overboard this early on. I still look at the schedule and see consecutive games vs Chiefs, 49ers, Rams and Lions as the bellwether for the Bills chances this season. 

[Gregg]

21 minutes ago, Boatdrinks said:

I would love to see it, but wouldn’t go overboard this early on. I still look at the schedule and see consecutive games vs Chiefs, 49ers, Rams and Lions as the bellwether for the Bills chances this season. 

 

Don't forget the 3 straight road games coming up after Jacksonville. At Baltimore, at Houston, at Jets.

[newcam2012]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

We don't overwhelmingly get off to slow starts.  

 

How does that mean being outcoached or out game planned?  So lets just make up the Bills starting overwhelmingly slow.  Since we usually end up winning the game, does that not have to do with coaching?  Doesn't that indicate that we can make in game adjustments and out game plan the other team the rest of the game?

It can definitely mean that. It can also mean the Bills roster was rock solid the last few years. Led by Allen and Diggs. 

 

I definitely over stated my position. Overwhelming slow start was a poor choice of words. 

59 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

I think it's you.  Where are you getting this data that shows the Bills are "slow starters".

Gunner, broke down the stats very well. Refer to his detailed post. 

[Boatdrinks]

19 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

Don't forget the 3 straight road games coming up after Jacksonville. At Baltimore, at Houston, at Jets.

Sure, those will be some key contests . The Bills have had their struggles vs Jags, even Jets at times. They are all still fairly early in the schedule  though. How a team is playing around and after Thanksgiving is typically the most important part of the regular season. 

[Royale with Cheese]

21 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

It can definitely mean that. It can also mean the Bills roster was rock solid the last few years. Led by Allen and Diggs. 

 

I definitely over stated my position. Overwhelming slow start was a poor choice of words. 

Gunner, broke down the stats very well. Refer to his detailed post. 

 

If you meant by the first game of the season, since we did lose 2 out of 3 before Sunday....that would be a legitimate point.

Especially since both of those losses were against subpar teams in the Jets and Steelers.