Dear Coach,

[Bob in STL]

please stop the Mularkey?

 

You know, that call on our first possesion, the 4th and 6? Yes, if it works you look real smart for about 3 minutes, but it didn't work. In fact, none of your fourth down gambles have worked. Check the stats and you will see we are bottom feeders on 3rd and 4th down conversions. Perhaps we can work harder on the basic dive play for one yard? Execute that simple play flawlessly and the trick plays will open up.

 

I know you are smarter than me so think about it. It seems like every game we have a moment like this.

 

Thanks and keep up the good work.

[ricojes]

please stop the Mularkey? 

 

You know, that call on our first possesion, the 4th and 6?  Yes, if it works you look real smart for about 3 minutes, but it didn't work.  In fact, none of your fourth down gambles have worked.  Check the stats and you will see we are bottom feeders on 3rd and 4th down conversions.  Perhaps we can work harder on the basic dive play for one yard?  Execute that simple play flawlessly and the trick plays will open up. 

 

I know you are smarter than me so think about it.  It seems like every game we have a moment like this. 

 

Thanks and keep up the good work.

799639[/snapback]

I think the fake punt would have worked, a coach has to assume that his punter can catch the ball. But they wouldn't have been in that position if Shelton doesn't false start.

[Fan in San Diego]

I think the fake punt would have worked, a coach has to assume that his punter can catch the ball. But they wouldn't have been in that position if Shelton doesn't false start.

799641[/snapback]

 

Enough already with the would have's and could have's just drop the freakin play from the playbook and concentrate on making 3rd and inches.

[ricojes]

Enough already with the would have's and could have's just drop the freakin play from the playbook and concentrate on making 3rd and inches.

799648[/snapback]

Well, they didn't make the third and inches...

 

And by saying make the third and inches, isn't that a would have and could have?

[Dan Gross]

Enough already with the would have's and could have's just drop the freakin play from the playbook and concentrate on making 3rd and inches.

799648[/snapback]

 

Forget the 3rd and inches, connect on the bomb for a TD on 2nd and inches.

[Bob in STL]

I think the fake punt would have worked, a coach has to assume that his punter can catch the ball. But they wouldn't have been in that position if Shelton doesn't false start.

799641[/snapback]

 

If its 4th and 1 and you decide to put in the short yardage team and go for it thats one thing. When it became 4th and 6th it was time to punt. Period!

 

I am tired of what "would of have worked". Lets stop hurting ourselves with poorly executed tricks. We are not good enough to overcome the momentum swing that we give the opponent.

 

We try a trick play every game. I think that our opponents are planning for it.

[Rubes]

I was really hoping we'd just do a QB sneak on 2nd and inches. Get the first down, keep the ball, three more plays. Ah well, what do I know.

[Kelly the Dog]

All good and great teams have and use trick plays. If the Bills tried to battle it out mano-a-mano straight up against this Bears team, on a roll, at home, without the trick plays, the score would have been, like, 40-7. The only way to have a chance is to convert a play or two like that to give us a couple advantages.

[Bob in STL]

All good and great teams have and use trick plays. If the Bills tried to battle it out mano-a-mano straight up against this Bears team, on a roll, at home, without the trick plays, the score would have been, like, 40-7. The only way to have a chance is to convert a play or two like that to give us a couple advantages.

799760[/snapback]

 

They never try the mano-a-mano stuff. They failed on the first 3rd and inches and gave up on it (although the penalty put them in a punting situation on 4th down).

 

Good teams have and use trick plays because first and foremost they are very good at executing the basics. That is what helps the trick plays to work, an element of surprise. Buffalo is not surprising anyone. It's like the opponent knows we will not battle in short yardage situations

 

All I am saying is lets execute McGahee over our massive RT, when playing in a short yardage set. Practice it and run it until we see results. Use the FB and TE set effectively. I have never seen a team so inept in short yardage and its been like that for years. Some of it is talent and some of it is the mindset. Have we even tried a QB sneak?

 

We should be able to execute 3rd and 1 yard about 60% of the time. The trick play thing is getting so predictable.

[ricojes]

They never try the mano-a-mano stuff.  They failed on the first 3rd and inches and gave up on it (although the penalty put them in a punting situation on 4th down). 

 

Good teams have and use trick plays because first and foremost they are very good at executing the basics.  That is what helps the trick plays to work, an element of surprise.  Buffalo is not surprising anyone.  It's like the opponent knows we will not battle in short yardage situations 

 

All I am saying is lets execute McGahee over our massive RT, when playing in a short yardage set.  Practice it and run it until we see results.  Use the FB and TE set effectively.  I have never seen a team so inept in short yardage and its been like that for years.  Some of it is talent and some of it is the mindset.  Have we even tried a QB sneak? 

 

We should be able to execute 3rd and 1 yard about 60% of the time.  The trick play thing is getting so predictable.

799777[/snapback]

 

While I do agree that the Bills should be good enough to pick up a 3rd and 1, I do not agree with your mano-a-mano stuff. If you think we could have lined up against the Bears and beat them mano-a-mano, you are seriously delusional. The Bills are a young team that is improving, they are no where close to the talent on the Bears.

[Dan Gross]

Good teams have and use trick plays because first and foremost they are very good at executing the basics.  That is what helps the trick plays to work, an element of surprise.  Buffalo is not surprising anyone.  It's like the opponent knows we will not battle in short yardage situations 

799777[/snapback]

 

With respect to the fake punt: if Moorman holds onto the ball, it's a first down, according to the gaping hole that was to his right (the direction he was running). Sounds like they were fooled to me...It wasn't a matter of "they weren't fooled" as much as it was (I won't say the e-word) a mistake in getting it done on our part...

[MRW]

IMO, on the road, against a superior opponent, early in the game, is exactly the time to trot out a trick play like a fake punt. The key to using trick plays is to run them when the other team isn't expecting them, which was the case yesterday. And wasn't the real problem with that play the bad snap and Moorman's failure to field it? How would that have been different on an actual punt?

[Bob in STL]

While I do agree that the Bills should be good enough to pick up a 3rd and 1, I do not agree with your mano-a-mano stuff.  If you think we could have lined up against the Bears and beat them mano-a-mano, you are seriously delusional.  The Bills are a young team that is improving, they are no where close to the talent on the Bears.

799780[/snapback]

 

 

Yes - I think we can and should win some of those battles in the trenches. Especially if we isolate the play to an area of strength. Ever hear of a two tight-ends set and a man in motion?

 

The Bears defense is excellent, they are fast but they are not overly big. Our defense is being built in that image. No reason to believe that we cannot move the line for a freak'in yard.

[RunTheBall]

It wasn't even a yard, it was inches. Every time this team lines up for 3rd and 1 I cringe because there's a very good chance we won't make it. Every time another team lines up for 3rd or 4th and short I'm pretty sure they're going to make it.

 

That's the trenches, and if you don't have the horses or the attitude in the trenches it's very tough to win ball games.

 

I agree Bob, this has been a problem for years and I think simply displays our weakness on the lines.

 

RTB

[crazyDingo]

Dear Fans,

 

I told you. You all laughed at me and harrassed my children and called me names--but look at you now. Ever since Pittsburgh I knew--KNEW!--my visionary playcalling was the wave of the future. Now, every team is starting to recognize the value of a complex, high-risk, no-room-for-error trick play. Correct personnel be damned! MWUAHAhahaha!

 

Miami is beautiful and as soon as we get to the Superbowl, I will send you losers a fruitbasket.

 

Love,

Mike Mularkey

 

P.S. I always hated chicken wings. GO CHEESEBURGERS! MWUAhahaha!