The offensive strategy: it will come around

[Rubes]

I'm just as exasperated as everyone else after this debacle, but I think despite the loss this game will go a long way toward helping to establish an offensive strategy that can work well against many defenses. Assuming that we keep everyone healthy and that AVP builds on the successes from this game (which I think he will).

 

I think everyone recognizes that the offensive line did a man's job in that game and held up fairly well, with only a few exceptions. Despite the few bad sacks, Trent generally had good time and space to move around and get the ball where he wanted it. And when they asked the linemen to giddy up, they giddy upped really well and got out in front to the second level. I doubt AVP asked the line to hold up for some of the longer balls and played it safe, but the line showed that they have the skills needed to operate the short to medium passing game. The longer passing game will come as they try it out more.

 

But really, as others have pointed out, the offense showed that it can be reasonably effective at moving the ball even when the defense "takes away" the longer strikes to Owens and Evans. That includes both running the ball and throwing it with short strikes and screens. This is key. Even the well-coached and talented New England defense had trouble stopping the short game. This serves notice to other teams that this offense is talented enough to run the short game/running game effectively, and you're going to have to stop that. That means defenses are going to have to come up with strategies to stop that, and that means committing more LBs and safeties.

 

It will be interesting to see if AVP can get the offense to recognize when this is happening, because when it does, that means things are going to open up in the medium and long passing games. The three receiver/single TE/Jackson alone in the backfield set could end up giving defenses fits.

 

A lot of it depends on how the offensive line can hold up to the pressure. The line passed the first test in this game. Now it's up to AVP to build off of that, and I think he will. But it's a process, and it will take some time. By game 4, I think the O-line will have become very comfortable with each other, and that will help gradually open up the offense.

[Red]

I agree.

 

I don't think the naysayers were watching the whole game in comparison to previous blowouts by the Patriots where the Bills did not even have any business being on the same field.

 

In this game, not only did they belong, they deserved to win the game in the end. They were the better team Monday night. They had the swagger needed to win not only the game but the season.

 

The Pats running game was contained. Moss and Welker put up yards, but they had to fight for every inch (unlike previous contests where the Pats pretty much could do whatever they wanted), and poor little Welker didn't get his precious YAC because Corner was all over him.

 

And the O-line, if this game is indeed a marker of things to come, performed admirably (love Eric Wood).

 

Bottom line, mistakes were made that ultimately cost the Bills the game. But, BUT...they were all correctable mistakes. Bell will learn to set himself properly. McKelvin will hang onto the ball (and probably run a few back). And Owens, Evans, and Jackson will hang onto more balls than they drop.

 

IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT!!

 

For a game one where everybody and their grandmother predicted a loss anyways (in blowout fashion), the Bills had the Patsies up against the ropes with 2:06 to play.

 

'Nuff said.

[Rubes]

Thanks, although this wasn't necessarily intended as a "dont worry, they'll get better" post. It was more to talk about how offensive strategy evolves over time. People are worried about why we didn't do this or do that, but it will come. Defenses adjust to the things you did well, but those adjustments then open up other opportunities. And the point is that we did a number of things well that future defenses are going to have to take into account, and this will allow AVP to evolve the offense to do other things (like throw downfield more).

 

It will come.