Joe Brady, Josh Allen, and the playcalling

[Low Positive]

I'll have to go look at the all-22, but I think a lot of the bad play calls on those two third-quarter drives were audibles. Let's take those WR screens that went nowhere as an example. As we know, the Ravens have been historically great at simulated pressure. My memory of those plays is that the Ravens simulated blitzers and Josh audibled into those screens to beat the blitz. Not a bad play call. But then, the Ravens backed out and covered the flats and blew up the screens. I think this happened at least twice. I'm also pretty sure Josh called his own number on those QB sneaks at the goal line. My broader point is that we don't know if plays that don't work are because Joe Brady called them or if Josh Allen misread the defense and audibled into the wrong play.

[SoonerBillsFan]

It just looked like a horrible called game all night.

[MikePJ76]

You could also credit the ravens for playing good defense.  
 

 

[SoCal Deek]

Just now, SoonerBillsFan said:

It just looked like a horrible called game all night.

Not in the first half. 

[Low Positive]

Just now, SoonerBillsFan said:

It just looked like a horrible called game all night.

I just always wonder what the called play was when Josh calls "alert" and the resulting play doesn't work.

1 minute ago, MikePJ76 said:

You could also credit the ravens for playing good defense.  
 

 

I absolutely do. I think those simulated pressures and then blowing up the screens was good scheme and excellent execution. And you could see that on how happy the D Coordinator was after those plays. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I would say it was the weirdest game plan (at least second half plan) I have ever seen.  I agree that some of it was audibiling to other plays though. 

 

Josh also looked uncomfortable with the fronts the ravens were showing.

 

My one big complaint is that we never even tested the outside corners, outside of the one DPI.  Their corners struggle against bigger receivers. 

[JohnNord]

5 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

I'll have to go look at the all-22, but I think a lot of the bad play calls on those two third-quarter drives were audibles. Let's take those WR screens that went nowhere as an example. As we know, the Ravens have been historically great at simulated pressure. My memory of those plays is that the Ravens simulated blitzers and Josh audibled into those screens to beat the blitz. Not a bad play call. But then, the Ravens backed out and covered the flats and blew up the screens. I think this happened at least twice. I'm also pretty sure Josh called his own number on those QB sneaks at the goal line. My broader point is that we don't know if plays that don't work are because Joe Brady called them or if Josh Allen misread the defense and audibled into the wrong play.

The TE screen to Knox was 100% a Josh Allen audible and not a very good choice

[MikePJ76]

8 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

I just always wonder what the called play was when Josh calls "alert" and the resulting play doesn't work.

I absolutely do. I think those simulated pressures and then blowing up the screens was good scheme and excellent execution. And you could see that on how happy the D Coordinator was after those plays. 

I noted during the week that something in the Baltimore scheme gave buffalos passing offense a real hard time this year.  That second Miami game and both Baltimore games.  
 

even early in the titans game the bills offense had issues.  That is another team running the ravens ish scheme.

[Low Positive]

1 minute ago, JohnNord said:

The TE screen to Knox was 100% a Josh Allen audible and not a very good choice

Just went and watched that play again. Roquon Smith walks up to the line like he's going to blitz and Van Noy is dropping into coverage. Josh calls the audible. But after the snap, Smith doesn't blitz and Van Noy runs up towards the line. If Smith has blitzed, Knox would have run right past him and gotten the first. Josh just got tricked.  

[dave mcbride]

The Ravens defense is really good. It bears repeating that they were the best defense in the league by far over the final seven weeks of the season. And they dominated the Steelers in the playoff game too when it mattered (ie, before a very long garbage time session).

[CincyBillsFan]

18 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

I'll have to go look at the all-22, but I think a lot of the bad play calls on those two third-quarter drives were audibles. Let's take those WR screens that went nowhere as an example. As we know, the Ravens have been historically great at simulated pressure. My memory of those plays is that the Ravens simulated blitzers and Josh audibled into those screens to beat the blitz. Not a bad play call. But then, the Ravens backed out and covered the flats and blew up the screens. I think this happened at least twice. I'm also pretty sure Josh called his own number on those QB sneaks at the goal line. My broader point is that we don't know if plays that don't work are because Joe Brady called them or if Josh Allen misread the defense and audibled into the wrong play.

The first Bills play of the 3rd quarter was the pitch play that had burned the Ravens in that last drive of the half.  It was stuffed for no gain.  All I could think was didn't Brady assume that the Ravens D coaches discussed THAT play extensively in the locker room and adjusted their D?  Sure Allen may have changed some calls but there was a clear intention of not being aggressive on offense the entire 2nd half.  It worked as we won the game but it was very risky IMO. 

 

 

[Shaw66]

Whether it was Josh or Brady, I don't know.  I just know I was sitting there saying over and over "throw the ball downfield a bit."  Not bombs away, not 25-yard strikes, just get some 8- and 12-yard gains to get the defense back on its heels.  It seemed all night the Bills were attacking with runs and passes at the line of scrimmage. 

[mannc]

Let’s hope Joe’s interviews went well last week…

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

33 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

I'll have to go look at the all-22, but I think a lot of the bad play calls on those two third-quarter drives were audibles. Let's take those WR screens that went nowhere as an example. As we know, the Ravens have been historically great at simulated pressure. My memory of those plays is that the Ravens simulated blitzers and Josh audibled into those screens to beat the blitz. Not a bad play call. But then, the Ravens backed out and covered the flats and blew up the screens. I think this happened at least twice. I'm also pretty sure Josh called his own number on those QB sneaks at the goal line. My broader point is that we don't know if plays that don't work are because Joe Brady called them or if Josh Allen misread the defense and audibled into the wrong play.

 

I disagree that he audibled out at the 2 since the play started with him in shotgun and he was never at the line of scrimmage at all so it was definitely at least imo a designed shotgun sneak which to me made 0 sense since the push has been so reliable for us. 

[Sweats]

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Whether it was Josh or Brady, I don't know.  I just know I was sitting there saying over and over "throw the ball downfield a bit."  Not bombs away, not 25-yard strikes, just get some 8- and 12-yard gains to get the defense back on its heels.  It seemed all night the Bills were attacking with runs and passes at the line of scrimmage. 

 

 

 

Yeah, i was thinking the same thing..........we needed to even just attempt the threat of a passing attack to open the field up and it just seemed like our game plan was to just keep trying to run (sometimes it worked, sometimes not).

 

Almost as if to say, "So Baltimore, you've got a running game?.......well, we've got a bit of our own", which i ordinarily wouldn't argue with, however, this team is not built to go toe to toe with the opposition, we are built for chunk yardage which relies on passing, to set up the run.

 

Very, very unusual game plan yesterday.......but it worked.

[TNBills]

While the win is great and Baltimore is a terrible matchup for us, especially in these conditions, I just keep asking myself where is Cooper and Samuel? I also don't recall ever seeing a 4 by 1 set with motion all game?

[Pete]

42 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

It just looked like a horrible called game all night.

We squandered a few chances to make it a three score game.  We didn't even burn clock those drives

1 minute ago, TNBills said:

While the win is great and Baltimore is a terrible matchup for us, especially in these conditions, I just keep asking myself where is Cooper and Samuel? I also don't recall ever seeing a 4 by 1 set with motion all game?

thumbs up to 4 by 1 bunches, thumbs down to bubble screens.

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

Brady was too busy interviewing this week

[Pete]

How many passes were attempted down the field.  If it wasn't a bubble screen, Josh often checked down to a dump off to RB.  Take the training wheels off Brady

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 minutes ago, TNBills said:

While the win is great and Baltimore is a terrible matchup for us, especially in these conditions, I just keep asking myself where is Cooper and Samuel? I also don't recall ever seeing a 4 by 1 set with motion all game?

Hollins had a catch on the fourth qtr FG drive in the 4:1.  Romo pointed it out.

But for whatever reason they were determined to run the ball. Lots of Gilliam on the field. I have wanted him off the team for years but he played well last night. Had some nice blocks and good ST plays.