GunnerBill

No that is based on what I saw live at the time. Not had a chance to get to the all 22. But Dorian Williams in particular missed multiple gaps that led to big plays. Taylor Rapp missed one as well. You have to fill your gaps to get Henry moving horizontally. Then you have a chance. If you miss or are late to your gap and he gets going north to south you are in trouble. Our gap discipline was by far the biggest issue.

He was dominant on Sunday. As I said above every time we got the Ravens off the field there was a play in those 3 downs that Ed Oliver made. I know people here hate PFF but they gave him a 92.1 grade for the game. That was the 7th best grade they gave to anyone in the league at any position week 1.

Last night wasn't a Matt Milano type game even when he was at his peak, in fairness. I think absolutely he isn't close to Smith at this point. Simpson is a different type of linebacker and after some struggles earlier last season he does seem on the upswing. Where Matt is on the downslope is something to view in games other than Sunday night IMO.

The Bills defended the run much better when Williams was out. I know people love the idea of him because he is big and can hit but the next time he plays his right gap in the run game will be the first....

Agreed. I listened to Jeremy and Joe yesterday saying "what are the linebackers and DBs supposed to do? The front has to stop him" and thought you guys really have even less clue what you are watching than I thought. Our gap control was atrocious and the majority of it was linebackers and safeties not filling their gaps. Would some of the DTs other than Oliver getting off a block once in a while have helped too? Sure. But it was primarily loss of gap control on Henry's big runs. I think every drive the Ravens didn't score a touchdown on Ed Oliver had a critical play to get them off the field.

Both happened. That is sports.

Maybe. But that isn't a complete pass.

His contain and discipline first half was wretched. But he made some plays too including at the end if half to hold the Ravens to 3 and allow us chance to answer. He also did blow the would be sack 2nd half. If he and Rousseau both stay on their feet Lamar has no escape and they get him. Otherwise he showed some pop as a rusher. There was reason to be optimistic.

I am a little bit more defensive of the offensive playcalling. Partly cos there were some bad alerts by Josh first half and partly because until the Ravens eased up into a prevent style in the 4th Qrtr there was zero separation outside every time they did call to go down the field. Other than that on offense my concerns are minimal. Defense I think my more sustained long term concerns are greater.

These Chiefs and Ravens games come down to clutch plays. Comparing them to games against everyone else is pointless IMO. They are gonna come down to who makes the clutch plays when it matters.

Yea agree. It is Allen, Spencer, Ed, Benford and then possibly one receiver.

Yep. That is what I saw too. I was glad it was a chip shot.

Also possible. Also frankly if a couplen of bad play checks are what I have to suffer for Josh Allen being Josh Allen I will take it.

He did. The check into the 2nd and 1 run was out of a pass and was a bad check. Then the check into a screen to Kincaid was a poor check too we were outnumbered outside. Second half he seemes to check a bit less and almost think he confused himself first half by spending too much time worrying about what the Ravens were in.

The Ravens getting too conservative too early in the 4th. Before that the receivers outside had nothing.

The 2nd play was the Cook pretending to come into block and then sudden change and motion out. The Bills made 2 pointers on it last year (both with Cook and I think Shakir) but the Ravens were ready for it.

Yep. That's what it look like to me. They decided we can't lose unless we give up a quick one over the top. And once you get into that mindset it is hard to swap out of it.

Who knows? I should say in all of the questionable coaching calls last night (and there worse some) I think the Bills got two big strategic calls right: 9:27 in the 4th punting and not trying to convert a 4th and 16 from our own 37. Which would have been a v low percentage play and if you don't get it game over. 00:46 in the 4th. Palmer has had the 30 odd yarder to get you to the 34 and in field goal range. You are going to need one first down to make sure the Ravens burn their time outs and the final play of the game is a FG try for the win. The best chance you have to get that is throwing on 1st down. Joe Brady dialled up the perfect play, in breaking route for Keon behind the safety who has crept up into the box to play the run.... and as you said we might have got lucky that Keon was tackled. The coaches will get some heat for some calls especially around the 2 point try calls and some of their strategy but in those two moments they got critical strategy calls right. And that shouldn't get lost in the shuffle either.

The Ravens fans are blaming coaching. Which is an eternal truism in the NFL. Fans overblame coaching and underblame talent. That is consistent across all fanbases.

While I am not here to tell you the defense was good, or that the playcalling on O was perfect (although I defend that a bit more - receiver separation outside was the main problem.... again) and there is a lot that needs work especially on defense where some of the problems are pretty deep set. However, the way these top teams play each other is not reflective of the rest of the season. I have said it with Bills - Chiefs for a few years and I think it is true of Bills - Ravens now too. They are going to play blow for blow style football games. They are going to come down to the end. I am not sure there is a ton of value in comparing what those teams do against each other to what they do against everyone else. They save their best punches for each other.

Some of those behind the line plays were checks not play calls. It is generally their check when they see a stacked line. But agree they didn't have success with it. The difference in the 4th Quarter was definitely the Ravens backing off their coverage outside to avoid giving up the quick hit. They thought, wrongly that wad their only way to lose.

I thought he was crap for three quarters. He had 17 yards by the end of the 3rd. But once the Ravens backed their corners off and gave him a bit of room to operate he was excellent. Had an amazing 4th quarter and made the plays the team needed him to make. I still worry about his separation when teams want to get up in face and play him tight. But he did look more decisive and confident that last year. That is a plus. Even if he can force teams to play tight man coverage on him that is a start because it starts to dictate things a bit to the defense and might help elsewhere.

I didn't ever feel like that game was a "turn it off" or "go home" game. When Josh got sacked and we were punting down 15 I confess I thought get him out of there but then the Bills forced a 3 and out and the Ravens bothed the punt recovery (how big does that look now?) And then you had to leave him in and from there the miracle happened. If that near INT had stood. Or if they down the ball at the 1 and force us 3 and out then it would have felt like go home time. But as it was there was always just a chance. And lo and behold.

I don't think it was the Bills playcalling that changed particularly. I think it was the Ravens defensive calls as much as anything. They backed their corners off 5 yards thinking the only way they could lose was giving up the big one over the top. And that gave Coleman and Palmer some room to work. Coleman had the strangest 100 yard game ever. I thought he was utter crap for 3 quarters.

Yep. I agree. I don't know that the coaching on defense helped.... but the biggest problem there is we have 4 or 5 guys starting out there tonight who are not NFL starting talents IMO. The technique and fundamentals all night were a mess from certain guys.