Watching the playoffs

[BuffOrange]

Watching the playoffs I'm once again reminded that winning teams:

...use gadget plays anywhere on the field no matter down or distance

....pass on critical 3rd and very short yardage plays

....pass on 1st and goal from in close

....throw 4 yard passes on 3rd and 10

 

Basically the winning teams do the same stuff that the Bills get criticized for every week.

559398[/snapback]

 

Touche

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Did you see that pathetic "effort" from the Jags? Did you watch the Giants putrid performacne at home? Did you see the Bengals struggling when they lost a single starter from their line-up? A remotely healthy Buffalo team would have likely played a superior game to any of those pretenders. How on Earth could those awful exhibitions have made any rational individual lower their opinion of the Bills? 

 

With all due respect, the "one player" ont he Bengals that went down was the heart and soul of the team...not to mention the best young QB in the game. Come on, man...The Bills are average on their BEST day, of which there are precious few during a season as of late. When's the last time you saw them utterly dominate a team the way the Pats or Steelers did this week? Last time I can remember is the opener against NE or maybe this year's opener.

 

You don't have to believe me. Just look for yourself at their roster and you'll find the heart and soul of that team is comprised of guys like:

HWard (1 TD)

JBettis (1 TD)

K Von Oelhoffen (knocked CPalmer out)

JPorter (their best LB)

A Smith (their best DE)

A Faneca (thier best OLineman)

D Townsend (their best corner)

You could also add solid starters like Danny Kreider, Marvel Smith, Jerame Tuman, Clark Haggans, etc.

 

That's 11 guys right there which is almost half their starters and most of the best players on their team a full 5 years after Donahoe left.

 

Good for Shittsburgh. Too bad he couldn't do it here, eh?

 

Yes, because a simple operation like building a football team has so few variables that the predicatable results could certainly only have a single explanation. 

Maybe you ought to try examining things with a little more depth, eh?

 

Really? Well, in your obviously superior opinion, which "variables" caused Tom Donahoe to fail? Was it his piss-poor evaluation of talent at the draft? Was it his utter incompetence with regard to bringing in REAL help for the O-line, rather than Farris, Anderson and Jerman? Or maybe it was his STELLAR head-coaching picks, where he passed up the likes of Fox, Lewis, Del Rio, Coughlin and a host of other competent coaches for the likes of Gregggg Williams and Mike Mularkey?

 

Variables my ass.

[Kelly the Dog]

Watching the playoffs I'm once again reminded that winning teams:

...use gadget plays anywhere on the field no matter down or distance

....pass on critical 3rd and very short yardage plays

....pass on 1st and goal from in close

....throw 4 yard passes on 3rd and 10

 

Basically the winning teams do the same stuff that the Bills get criticized for every week.

559398[/snapback]

The difference is an enormous one. The Bills didnt establish anything before they started throwing passes on critical 3rd and very short, 1st and goal from in close, etc. It's almost embarrassing to have to say this over and over once you're out of tenth grade, but you have to establish the run before LBs and DBS bite on play-action that allows you to pass on critical 3rd and shorts and at the goalline. We never did that basic football thing first. Teams expected us to throw on those plays because we did it more than not, and we did it early, and we never just spent three straight downs pounding the ball so that the play action would work. It was a monumental mistake.

[GG]

The difference is they are successful no matter what the play selection is.  The Steelers are able to execute trick plays because teams fear their running game first and foremost. 

 

They also pick up short yardage with ease.

559410[/snapback]

 

 

I agree, but with a twist. Did you happen to watch the Steelers games this year when Ben was injured? It was a remarkable mirror image of the Bills' futility to do anything right on offense, because there was zero respect for Maddox & Batch.

 

We can get into the chicken/egg comparisons, as well, but Steelers are able to execute the basics because their QB can pick apart a defense when he needs to. He's just not asked to do it that often.

[Simon]

With all due respect, the "one player" ont he Bengals that went down was the heart and soul of the team...not to mention the best young QB in the game. Come on, man...The Bills are average on their BEST day, of which there are precious few during a season as of late. When's the last time you saw them utterly dominate a team the way the Pats or Steelers did this week? Last time I can remember is the opener against NE or maybe this year's opener.

Good for Shittsburgh. Too bad he couldn't do it here, eh?

Really? Well, in your obviously superior opinion, which "variables" caused Tom Donahoe to fail? Was it his piss-poor evaluation of talent at the draft? Was it his utter incompetence with regard to bringing in REAL help for the O-line, rather than Farris, Anderson and Jerman? Or maybe it was his STELLAR head-coaching picks, where he passed up the likes of Fox, Lewis, Del Rio, Coughlin and a host of other competent coaches for the likes of Gregggg Williams and Mike Mularkey?

 

Variables my ass.

559737[/snapback]

 

Huh-uh.

You ain't gettin me goin again you fu(ker.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Huh-uh.

You ain't gettin me goin again you fu(ker. 

559756[/snapback]

 

 

I r teh debil.

[zow2]

I agree, but with a twist.  Did you happen to watch the Steelers games this year when Ben was injured?  It was a remarkable mirror image of the Bills' futility to do anything right on offense, because there was zero respect for Maddox & Batch.

 

We can get into the chicken/egg comparisons, as well, but Steelers are able to execute the basics because their QB can pick apart a defense when he needs to.  He's just not asked to do it that often.

559750[/snapback]

 

Thank you. Every once in a while i read a post here and it restores my faith in the intelligence of Bills fans to understand football. Most people here simply say the Running game stinks due to the offensive line. Reality is like you said,,,,,the good QB's in this league make bad or below average offensive lines look good, not only because they take fewer sacks and have better "awareness" back there....but they make the entire defense back off because of their passing skills. We saw a little of that when Holcomb was in there this year. The Bills had some moderate success running the ball in those games. When JP was in, it was mostly stack the box and rush the passer like mad dogs. Our Oline is subpar, no doubt about it....but a lot of our offensive problems are because we don't have a QB that teams respect.

[Kelly the Dog]

Thank you.  Every once in a while i read a post here and it restores my faith in the intelligence of Bills fans to understand football.  Most people here simply say the Running game stinks due to the offensive line.  Reality is like you said,,,,,the good QB's in this league make bad or below average offensive lines look good, not only because they take fewer sacks and have better "awareness" back there....but they make the entire defense back off because of their passing skills.  We saw a little of that when Holcomb was in there this year.  The Bills had some moderate success running the ball in those games.  When JP was in, it was mostly stack the box and rush the passer like mad dogs.  Our Oline is subpar, no doubt about it....but a lot of our offensive problems are because we don't have a QB that teams respect.

559775[/snapback]

This year, our problem was both. Our offensive linemen, party because most of them were hurt, were simply not getting any push or opening any holes whatsoever, regardless of whether the defense was crowded at the line because of no respect for our QB or not. Our guys were not beating the man in front of them. Willis had fewer holes to run through than any back I have ever seen. The defense could have been playing prevent with 2 seconds in the half from our own 40 and our linemen were not just pushing back their opponent a yard from the line. When Mike Gandy is your best lineman over the course of the year simply because he more consistently neutralized his man than any other player, let alone moved him or blocked him or god forbid, pancaked him, it doesn't matter what defense the other team is playing. Other than that, GG and yourself have a very good point. other tha saying that I don't think Big Ben would have fared much better on the Bills this season than Losman or Holcomb. He would have gotten killed.

[zow2]

...and i agree with you that the O-line was garbage for the most part, but the fact remains, there is no "perfect" offensive line in the NFL. Maybe not you, but many of the fans on this board will be crying about the o-line for years to come because at best, the Bills might be able to upgrade to be an "average" line in the future. Many teams around the league top out with an average line because injuries and free agency usually break it up. McGahee may have had few huge holes but he needs to run harder and find some seams. Larry Johnson would often break off some huge runs with very little openings. Hopefully, JP will get better and make the Line around him better like Favre did for so many years and Brady nowadays.