BADOLBILZ

No, the safety just decides he's going to throw to that side..........likely because Allen opened up his body to that side and stared down the receivers. Just a poor play by Allen all around.

Arrived at gate about 12:50........took about 3 minutes to get thru and ticket scanned etc........had to wait 10 seconds for two guys in front of me who were confused about which side of the concourse they were in but was seated just as players started getting announced.

Adderall and criminal trespass........close enough?

then then get the booster repeat step 2

It doesn't keep them honest. The Steelers were largely indifferent to Allen's designed runs. Modern defense isn't about preventing modest gains like that it's about making teams work their way down a long field without making enough mistakes to kill their drive...........and tryna help them make mistakes with TFL's, sacks and turnovers. It's not full-on MLB "3 true outcomes"......and the NFL game by design is somewhat crafted to prevent such statistical manipulation of the sport.......but teams really aren't sweating the small stuff like that on defense. I'm not a big proponent of running the football more.........but there are going to be games and opponents where you gotta' be able to take advantage of them selling out for pass defense. And it's not just to "keep them honest".........running the ball physically takes the starch out of an opposing defense.

He was DK Metcalf before DK Metcalf. That 2013 season was one of the greatest ever by a receiver......1646 yards........with a bunch of scrub Cleveland Browns QB's. At the time it was the 10th most receiving yardage in a season ever and it's still 15th..........and he did that in what is still the second fewest amount of catches among that group because he averaged a crazy 18.9 ypr...........and the guy with the fewest was Charlie Hennigan in 1961.........so in the SB era that Josh Gordon season is still simply epic.

Yeah the post is about play action and the lack thereof in the Bills offense and why. Wasn't well stated and a clumsy mixing of points(designed run from empty backfield), but yes I do mean RPO. And no the Bills don't run "read option"(which to clarify, is a dedicated run only play because the OL are moving downfield to block at the snap) and yes I am convinced that teams are more than happy to let Allen execute designed running plays............aside from perhaps within 5 yards of the goal line........so they really do not serve as a deterrent to just rushing the QB with abandon from an empty backfield. An empty-backfield Allen is the best a defense can hope for, IMO. Add in referees willingness to throw holding flags again and a wide open, unobstructed view for officials to watch 5 blockers hold 4 gap-responsibility-absolved pass rushers.......it's a recipe for dink and dunk football with predictable penalties sprinkled in. And that's literally what has happened over and over in both the preseason and the first regular season game.

We literally discussed the course of action they were going to take, did we not? The utter defiance for the masking in the concourses and bathrooms allowed them to do what they wanted to do from the outset.........and 60,000 people got to see exactly why. That was their only play, ultimately. They can't enforce the mask wearing in that size of a crowd. I put my neck gator on and pulled it up to leave the stadium and the sheriffs looked at me like..........".holy *****! One of these assh*les actually followed the rule".

I have a nagging concern that perhaps the shotgun, empty formation stuff is more about their concern that Allen might regress if put under center and asked to run play action. The RPO version of play action is better than nothing but it isn't terribly convincing with Allen. He's a good runner but I think teams will take their chances on designed runs with him so I don't expect to see more of that. But being under center and turning your head away from the defense for a half second on play action is very different. I think he needs to be able to do that. Maybe the Bills are trying to figure out how not to go that route but I don't think he can max out his game until he gets comfortable selling run fakes by taking his eyes off the secondary for a split second. Without that every time he extends to hand off defenses know it's a run. Which would explain why they are just emptying the backfield when not running.

Sorry to hear that. Yeah it's an OCD........we're naturally conditioned to find something to obsess about. I was obsessed enough with the results in the late 90's that I actively took steps to put it in perspective. One of the first and most important steps was forgiving the officiating crews in advance.........permanently. Letting that go in the wake of "just give it to em'" and HR throw forward really made the rest of it easy. Next step.......remember they are a thriving business. Hold them accountable for their product. That involves letting go of a fraction of that "suspended disbelief" that's required to have an allegiance to some billionaires team that he wants you to spend money on. I'm more of a fan of Bills fans than I am of the NFL product with the name on it.........but I robustly support the franchise........because it benefits us as a whole. I still love being a Bills fan........I still have empathy for the organization and players where it's really warranted........but I have it in perspective that the losing has zero to do with me and the winning is just the icing on the cake. The cake is being focused on the process.........knowing the game and the players.......following the draft and free agency.......getting ready for the tailgating season........getting ready for individual games......the actual gatherings....discussing and debating the team etc..

As a Yankees fan who is watching the most inexplicable season of ups and downs and strange happenings in franchise history near it's regular season end..........I can tell you that a championship this season would be the most memorable of their many to me. So the Bills going 9-8 and somehow surviving the playoffs and winning the SB would probably top anything they could do short of going undefeated from beginning to end..........and frankly chasing being undefeated would probably be no less stressful than losing 8 regular season games. I will add that I will not be lamenting whether the Bills won or did not win a SB on my death bed. I know those people are out there but it's less people than those people think.

I don't want to run the ball a lot more but having a back in the backfield and forcing the defense to respect the run..........or then using that RB in pass pro or as a safety valve receiving option..........is much more valuable than just running him out to the boundary to be an unusable receiver (as they did Sunday). If Singletary gets that wide he might as well keep going and get a drink of water. You are playing 10 versus 11 when you do that.

I don't know why but they were just not playing to the whistle on Sunday.........they were sound..........they made some great solo tackles and weren't missing nearly as many as they typically have.........but it was almost like they were trying to shut off the switch as soon as possible.........and most turnovers don't just fly into your waiting arms on defense.......you have to be on your toes. My main point is Tremaine gets flat footed the split second he thinks the play is over. You could make a highlight film of tipped passes that have gone thru his grasp and one constant is initial hesitation on his part. Instinctive play is really the ability to think ahead......anticipate what might happen........he just doesn't seem to be able to foresee potential opportunities which negates so much of his physical talent(which is probably unmatched for an off-ball LB). I'm frustrated because I was worried about Daboll getting wicky-wacky (Wyche/Mularkey reference) based on their preseason approach.........but was hoping that was just to mislead the Steelers. Then it played out like I feared. But I was aware that they might lose the game........and said before the game that if they have to lose one of the first two, the Steelers is the one. They need to take care of business in Miami and hopefully the respond to the poor performance they just gave with a strong one against the Fish. Don't want to get 2 games behind in the division so early.

71% 11 personnel in 2020 per Hapless post above. I think you might have been compelled to want to disagree with me because you've given me the red x on concepts like more play action being used in the Bills offense as well. There was none on Sunday. A lot of my points were re-inforced by that play calling. We've also disagreed on the approach at WR..........I thought they were too heavy on guys who do short to intermediate work.......which again, simplifies things for the defense. I'm not looking to go 70's Al Davis here with 20 air yards per attempt but the reason the offense turned from atrocious in 2018 to serviceable in 2019 was WR separation. If you can't threaten teams deep and you run 5 receivers into the pattern then they will squat on you and limit how open you can get underneath. Being relatively one-dimensional in your WR corps is a problem. I know Allen has had issues getting over the top..........if it's a 20-30 yard target that he can throw on a line he's generally been exceptional........but throws requiring arc/touch/timing they have been an issue. One way to resolve that is have that guy who can go up and physically dominate a boundary CB in a contested catch situation.......which would allow Allen to under throw the ball. The Bills don't have that and we've disagreed on the value of that.......but also saw what a difference it makes for Pittsburgh being able to under throw the deep ball and draw PI's or have a guy like Claypool rip the ball away for a huge gain.

The NFL's premier special teams player Matthew Slater is playing on a 2 year $5.3M contract. Tyler Matakevich got a 2 year $7.1M contract from the Bills. If Tremaine Edmunds gets 25% more $ on a new deal than Darius Leonard would I need to show the contract of every off-ball LB in the league to illustrate how "overpaid" that is?

The point I was making was regard to the nature of empty backfield/5 receiver pattern football producing low yards per play(dink and dunk).............so I guess you were just straw-manning me with the idea that it never should be used. I never said that. Despite the Bills defense not manufacturing a take away..........there is one take away from this game that we should try to remember............sometimes you can identify problems with your offensive approach during the preseason games. They ran the sh*t out of empty backfield during the games and then came out and did it in the opener. The offense Sunday had a very Mike Martz/Marc Bulger 2003 and beyond feel to it.........QB with minimal protection, under intense pressure.........coordinator and QB still trying to force their way thru what the defense isn't giving them. Fortunately for Bills fans Daboll isn't the HC.........I will be surprised if McD let's Daboll go Martzy for nearly an entire game like that again.

Yeah, I didn't listen to Tasker.......he's generally all over the place with his takes but not wrong about that. I pointed out that aspect of their "empty backfield" gameplan in the preseason game against GB.........in that game Allen bailed them out on 3rd and 20 on their first drive with a ridiculous TD throw to Davis. Forced the Pack into a man coverage situation. But that was a precarious down and distance to have ended up in for the Bills starters against GB backup defenders. Expecting to have time to throw deep when running empty backfield sets against a good defense was quite the combination of arrogance/stupidity from the Bills. Instead of defiantly trying to beat a coverage that invites you to do things you find difficult.........the sensible thing to do is to force them out of the coverage.

Yeah.......the Vikings squeezed every ounce they could get out of Beane for Diggs..........but let's be honest that pick was in the single digits wrt % of the value of the package they dealt for Stefon. Disingenuous to try to sell "Teller was traded for Diggs".

Yes as you know there were a handful of people in the lower bowl (above the concourse level) who were being really D-baggish about unapologetically standing up right at the snap and just causing people to miss the play and/or a line two people wide to have to stand up for 20 rows when everyone else in the section was seated. Well there was a highly visible issue in 133 where two dudes just refused to sit down despite being the only ones standing.......and wouldn't listen to the usher so security yanked them........... when other obnoxious standers saw the dudes getting carted out they sat their asses down without any urging and stayed there. If everyone is standing, fine. If you are the only one.......read the room.

Yeah one pass play out of 00 for every 10-11 quarters of play is probably too insignificant to note. But while 00 is "5 wide".........00 is of course not the only personnel set they've run empty backfield from and send 5 players out into the pattern. In fact it's most certainly the LEAST frequent. We saw the results of putting a Devin Singletary outside the numbers in the passing game yesterday........less than nothing.......it's like playing with 10 players on the field. Not "quite" as bad as Kevin Gilbride running Sam Gash out to the X receiver position...........but not much different. And hey, Daboll even ran an homage play(literally) to 2004 Gilbride with that "4th and stupid" 8 yard lateral. Yeah, we got a good taste of empty backfield football in the Gilbride/Bledsoe days. While receivers are better now.........the matchup advantages created by "empty" really are not. LB's can cover better now. Safeties are smaller and more like CB's. And CB's get paid top dollar and the position draws quality players. Turning the pattern into a stew of those players negates the talents of guys like Diggs and Beasley.

Yeah you disagreed with the dink and dunk portion of the argument...........your reasoning was the perceived matchup advantages created in coverage. I overheard Jeremy White on the radio today say something about Beasley lamenting the lack of room to operate yesterday.........which would be very consistent with one of my very key points regarding the limiting nature of running 5 wide.........congesting the field makes it easier for the defense to cover as a unit.

With as much "dedicated" and well-above-average-paid special teams personnel as the Bills employ.........critical mistakes really aren't easy to excuse.

You just want to bring up things you don't want to talk about today, don't you? Don't worry about officiating.........ever...........I am sure you are aware of my opinion on this as I've made it clear many times..........worrying about negative result officiating is for losers. If you want to complain about officiating complain about not being a team that does things that make the opponent catch flags. For instance.......for every whine about the PI calls yesterday.........unmentioned is the fact that teams know that they can get the Bills DB's heads turned around on certain routes and create situations where they seem to not be looking back for the ball allowing a prepared receiver to sell a PI call.

I'd put the scene commensurate to the 51-3 AFC Championship game versus Raiders in January 1991. Most raucous environment from start (until punt block) since that, IMO. That won't continue........might be able to get there again if they reach the AFCCG but the crowd won't be like that again in-season.