Being nitpicky: please let Allen pass the ball more

[SoonerBillsFan]

We wont beat KC dinking and dunking, Spags will be ready for that.

[Einstein]

4 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

For me it's not about the number of attempts, it's about the quality of attempts. Brady called our passing offense like our backup was in. It was kind of bizarre. I don't need Allen to be Superman on every snap but we should put the ball in his hands and take the leash off to let him close out games.

The game never should have been that close with a +3 turnover difference. And its for the reasons you state, in my opinion.

[HappyDays]

35 minutes ago, Dr.Mantis_Toboggan said:

Huge difference between Josh doing everything by himself, and coming out of halftime with a chance to step on their throat and instead just running straight at the best run defense in the league when you have the best player, ever, under center…

 

Yes the first play of the 2nd half set the tone. Baltimore was obviously going to adjust to shut down the run. We had an opportunity there to take them by surprise on that first play and ultimately establish an insurmountable lead. Instead we fed into their adjustments and turned an easy win into a nailbiter.

 

I really don't mind the run heavy approach. When it works it really works. But when the defense is about to adjust we have to be one chess move ahead of them and start attacking through the air right when they've sold out to stop the run.

[billsherd]

Was the football slippery with the weather around.  Ravens all turnovers came on passing plays. 

[SoonerBillsFan]

I dont know WTH that was last night playcalling, but it was crap and we got lucky they turned the ball over 3x. If we don't let Allen be Allen and start taking some mid field shots at least, then KC is gonna beat us badly.

1 minute ago, HappyDays said:

 

Yes the first play of the 2nd half set the tone. Baltimore was obviously going to adjust to shut down the run. We had an opportunity there to take them by surprise on that first play and ultimately establish an insurmountable lead. Instead we fed into their adjustments and turned an easy win into a nailbiter.

 

I really don't mind the run heavy approach. When it works it really works. But when the defense is about to adjust we have to be one chess move ahead of them and start attacking through the air right when they've sold out to stop the run.

I would have put our fastest WR in the Slot and said "split the safety's on the way to the endzone" and have just let it rip.

[Man with No Name]

we let henry back into the game by going into our shells in the 3rd qtr. if we score there, it's more of just lamar lamar lamar. 

[alton]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

 

This might blow your mind, but Allen had over twice as many pass attempts in the second half as he did in the first half.

True but they were all short or bubble screens. 

[HappyDays]

13 minutes ago, ganesh said:

the WEATHER.  It is not the same playing in Highmark stadium as in domed stadiums in Detroit and LA

 

Ravens were passing downfield just fine.

 

So I don't really buy weather as the reason.

[Don Otreply]

1 hour ago, KentuckyBillsFan said:

Definitely obvious some of our fans have not come to terms with the fact that our new identity is one of running the ball behind a big O-line and Josh not doing everything by himself

The OP  alluded to “little bit more down field passing” , not abandoning the run game, your broad brush statement is silly, I have advocated for our current style of play for quite some time now, and I do agree with the OPs assertion, a “few” as in “not a lot”, of deep ish passes could have had the effect of spreading out their defense a “bit” more, don’t go making a mountain out of a mole hill, nuthin but luv,

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Big Turk]

41 minutes ago, Dr.Mantis_Toboggan said:

I think the problem is the overwhelming majority of the throws were like 5-8 yards at most in the second half. 
 

I’m not sure if this was intentional play design to beat pressure, playing safe ball security football, or the Ravens playing defense in a way that limited the pass game and thus made it more advantageous to call a run heavy offense, likely a combination of those factors. But yeah, I think it’s the lack of any big explosive pass plays made it feel like they weren’t passing the ball even though it was a pretty balanced approach, and to be fair, the run game was working more than it wasn’t against the toughest front in the league. Brady just seemed to fail to realize when it stopped being as effective and took longer to adjust than I would’ve liked personally, but we all got what’s most important - Big Dubs, on to KC. 
 

Geaux Bills.

 

We played KC/Patriot ball. Short, high percentage plays to prevent getting behind the sticks and being put in positions where you have to try and force things. And just keep doing it over and over and over. Keep converting 3rd and shorts, keep the chains moving, get the ball out of Allen's hands quickly.

Edited 6 hours ago by Big Turk

[TheBrownBear]

I think Josh is very aware of the narrative that he turns the ball over and has been extra protective of the football this season.  It's hard to argue with the results to this point, even if it hasn't provided the same type of visual fireworks as past seasons.  It also doesn't help that he has subpar separators at the WR spots.  There's only so much "throwing guys open" you can do before you start turning the ball over.

 

Having said that, yes, last night felt an awful lot like watching Trent Edwards' brain in Josh Allen's body.

[SCBills]

3 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

Ravens were passing downfield just fine.

 

So I don't really buy weather as the reason.

 

Were they though?.. in conventional fashion?

 

The only big time downfield throw they connected on in structure (that I can remember) was the pass to Bateman over Hamlin.

 

Bills had one to Shakir first drive of the game. 

 

Ravens had some bigger plays down the field when Lamar scrambled or bought time, whereas Allen was pretty much hemmed in the pocket and we seemed ultra-focused on keeping things safe.

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by SCBills

[Julio Hopkins]

I wouldn't say that's nitpicky at all.  The offense didn't perform in the second half.  

 

The offense could have come out in the second half and put the Ravens away for good.  Instead, they stuck with the running ball control offense which gave the Ravens an opportunity to win the game despite turning over the ball three times and losing the time of possession game.  

[T.E.]

They only attempted four passes over 10 yards. With the best QB in football playing at home. The only adjective that comes to mind is "cowardly." That will not work next week.

[HappyDays]

1 minute ago, Big Turk said:

 

We played KC/Patriot ball. Short, high percentage plays to prevent getting behind the sticks and being out in positions where you have to try and force things. And just keep doing it over and over and over. Keep converting 3rd and shorts, keep the chains moving, get the ball out of Allen's hands quickly.

 

Chiefs have a much better defense than we do, as did the Pats in their dynasty years. Small ball, ball control offense works when your defense can shut the opponent down. Baltimore on the contrary was moving the ball at will in the 2nd half yesterday. I felt pretty confident they were going to score another TD until Bernard made a great play... I was surprised and disappointed in how little urgency we showed to try and close the game out on offense. My thoughts are we should use the run to establish the game, but use Allen to close it out. And I don't mean just increasing our pass attempt numbers, I mean actually giving him free reign to go make some plays.

[PoundingDog]

I think this is step 1 of Josh's evolution as a passer, in that, less risky plays. The result shows as every mentioned, even at the sacrifice of lesser numbers this year.

 

Once he's comfortable in that mindset, he may have more calculated risk-taking plays next season. The gun slinger mentality is still in him. More about decision making: when to take risk and when not to. That's a fine line. I promise had this year not going great offensively, you would likely see more risking taking shot or 50-50 balls from Josh. The success means he really does not have to, so far at least.

[Buffalo03]

1 hour ago, KentuckyBillsFan said:

Definitely obvious some of our fans have not come to terms with the fact that our new identity is one of running the ball behind a big O-line and Josh not doing everything by himself

There's a difference between not having Allen do everything and having him throw for a 130 yards a game. We called 7 first half passes. We had an 11 point half time lead. The first drive of the 3rd quarter should have been the kill ***** drive. Go up 28-10 and the Ravens weren't coming anywhere close to that. Instead we were ultra conservative and it nearly cost us. Yes, you don't want Josh having to carry the whole thing, but you don't want to take it out of hands too much

[Don Otreply]

1 hour ago, gonzo1105 said:

Yup totally agree. People want the big explosive plays and haven’t come around to were more the Steelers with Big Ben or the Panthers with Cam than we are the High flying pass team they saw 5 years ago 

You are over blowing the OPs very mild assertion of thinking a “few more”  ten to fifteen yard passes is the same as abandoning the run game, that is just plain silly, being one of the posters here advocating for our current play style for quite some time now agree that we would have benefited from such tactics, 

[longtimebillsfan]

Let's not change what is working.

 

Our balanced, ball controlled offense is doing just fine thank you.

 

The more we keep Mahome off the field the better we are.

[TheBrownBear]

3 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

Chiefs have a much better defense than we do, as did the Pats in their dynasty years. Small ball, ball control offense works when your defense can shut the opponent down. Baltimore on the contrary was moving the ball at will in the 2nd half yesterday. I felt pretty confident they were going to score another TD until Bernard made a great play... I was surprised and disappointed in how little urgency we showed to try and close the game out on offense. My thoughts are we should use the run to establish the game, but use Allen to close it out. And I don't mean just increasing our pass attempt numbers, I mean actually giving him free reign to go make some plays.

I agree 100% and think we've largely followed your suggested approach all season (as recently as the Broncos game).  For whatever reason, we remained in turtle mode during the entirety of the second half last night.  I'm watching at home and can't see the entire field, so maybe our WRs were completely locked down all night and Josh and the coaches had zero faith in our ability to challenge the Ravens' secondary? That's the best I can come up with.