Sammy Watkins' Rib

We had somewhat pedestrian takeaway numbers this season as a team. That's actually a positive going into next season. It'll be hard to repeat as the #2 PPG defense at 16ppg but there is a decent chance our defense can at least match there takeaways or create even more takeaways next season. In Trubitzky's break out season last year Chicago lead the league by a wide margin in takeaways with 36. For comparison this year the Bills were tied for 10th place with five other teams with 23 takeaways. The Bears takeaways in 2018 were not sustainable and they dropped all the way down to 19, the bottom third of the league in that category. Bills are at a far lesser risk to see a huge drop in takeaway's stunt the team and Allen's success in 2020. On the flips side, teams like Pittsburgh and New England who led the league in takeaways at 38 and 36 respectively will find it difficult to even come close to those takeaway totals in 2020. Which could lead to one or two more regular season losses in the coming season.

That second QB sweep was ball game if the Knox and the lineman make that block. That one hurt bad. Looking at the replay I would say decent chance Allen picks up 10 there. Worst case scenario we are looking at 2nd and 2 from the 35 yard line.

I kind of agree. Especially to end the season. They can't score points. Zero TD's on the season. 0-3 since the last New England game in stopping two point conversions. Only 10th in take aways this year. 7th in sacks. Played some pretty bad offenses. The positive is that they have been a top three defense for two years running now so it's not like they are a fluke this season. And they haven't played only bad offenses the last 32 games. They are good but a championship caliber defense scores points for the offense and creates even more take aways.

Duke did everything he needed to on the play to make the catch. He ran a good route. Got good position. Turned and stretched his body. Just failed to grasp the ball. Everything Duke did leading up to not completing the catch tells me he is perfectly capable of making that play. He just let it get by him. Not lunacy at all.

Totally agree. Pretty much a complete team loss. Maybe would include special teams and White as one's we can't pin the loss on as well. Some people are scared of next seasons schedule with the tougher opponents on paper and our inability to beat a winning team this season. But I sort of look at that differently. In some ways we were unlucky odds wise to not beat Baltimore or New England at least once despite playing three games but one score or less. Even though we have tougher on paper opponents I think we will at least win one or two of those games next season. The offense did not play at some extraordinarily high and unsustainable level this year. Not at all unreasonable to think they won't improve several spots at minimum in PPG and YPG rankings. Defense might not be able to make a third straight year as a top three unit so however many spots the D might decline in the rankings hopefully we have at least an equal jump in the rankings for the offense. But also on the plus side for the defense, they did not have unsustainable sack, Takeway or TD totals. In fact they had no defensive TD's at all. So in some ways, while the D could slip in PPG and YPG, they have a better chance of staying around the same or even improving in sacks, takeaways or TD's.

Are you trying to say it should have been thrown like a jump ball? That would give the defender a better chance of breaking up the pass. IMO, Allen pretty much put it exactly where it should have been. Place a little high and to the outside where Duke either catches it or it is incomplete. Very little risk for an INT or tipped up in the air and picked. NFL receivers, even fourth stringers are perfectly capable of twisting their bodies and making catches like that. Heck they even catch them and tap their feet in bounds sometimes for even greater degree of difficulty.

At least our QB has a pair. When Josh melts down he plays "hero ball". That's not exactly a negative trait for a QB to have. When Darnold melts down he "sees ghosts".

I agree he should have caught that TD pass. Allen delivered the ball right where it needed to be. At the same time. Guys drop passes. Especially other guys on this team. It happens. Duke appears to actually have a decent ability to make some tough catches. Him and Allen should put in some two a days over the summer out at the ranch in Firebaugh. Get those hands ready for next season.

I think the real question is where was Duke all season long? He should have been active on game days. Yeah he has some drop issues but so do a whole lot of guys on this team. He is one of the only guys on the team that makes regular "wow" type catches. Too bad he couldn't hall in the perfectly placed TD pass to end the half though.

It was his elbow that came down before his knee actually. He did a great job actually of keeping his knees from hitting the ground. It was a really close call. Had it been ruled a first down initially they would have stayed with that call. That's how close it was.

That play was killer. It was probably ball game. Allen picks up 7 yards there at minimum if not a first down. I think it would have put us at the 35 yard line worst case scenario. Second and 3 yard to go. Call two straight running plays from the 35 yard line maybe pick up the first down. Worst case scenario probably kicking a 50 yard FG to win it. BUT, Knox still has a ton of talent. There was a play earlier maybe the same drive in overtime even where we had a 3rd and 12 i think. Allen threw it short of the stick to an open Knox on the sideline. Knox still had one man to beat and about five yards to get the first. As soon as I saw that it was Knox that he targeted I knew we had a good shot to pick up the first. That is the kind of talent Knox has. He can easily and regularly beat one defender.

It was dumb play that ended up working out for us because I think it stopped the clock right? I absolutely love Allen and as weird as it sounds it's plays like that that make me love him. Dude is so unpredictable. As I said early in the season I think after the Bengals game, the guy will absolutely rip our hearts out in some games with his hero ball mentality. But he'll also lead us to about an equal number of victories over his career in Buffalo with that same mentality. Learn to love it Bills fans!

In overtime he actually called a perfect play. A little too perfect for our players to execute apparently. The QB sweep on first down. I actually jumped out of my seat as soon as the ball was snapped because it immediately looked like a great play. We had the Texans beat from the snap. Josh had not one but two lead blockers. Only needed to block one guy. Both Knox and the o-lineman (don't remember who) must have figured the other guy would make the block. Instead of picking up at minimum 7 yards on the play if not a first down, Allen gets crushed and only gains one yard. A good example of players needing to execute the play calls.

Anyone else slightly worried that we play a little too confidentiality with Tre and leave him one on one on an island with Hopkins one too many times today? Tre's had a great year but i hope Hyde and Poyer provide plenty of cover over the top regardless of which DB is on Hopkins today. I have flashbacks of leaving White one on one with AJ Green. Rich has been pounding the table for Gore to get respect all year.

But has he been ruled in?