Straight Hucklebuck

When McDermott was introduced as HC and interviewed on WGR 550 he talked about a "physical run game" and playing in "snowy" Buffalo weather. And his first couple of years in 2017 and 2018 indicated he wanted to do that. Even in 2019 - going with 35 year old Frank Gore was telling. But - I think that plan changed when Allen improved, and Beane got Allen John Brown and Cole Beasley in 2019. After that it was Diggs in 2020 and the pass game naturally took over.

Mike Schopp said the other day that he should have been the starter.

Another dynamic WR cuts through all of this cloud of what is really happening behind the scenes at OBD. Allen would throw to that player if he was available. 4 of the 5 WRs we have can't separate down the field, so Allen is chained to them operating as underneath options, or banking on Davis to get by on blown coverages. 9 games in and it's still Kincaid on dumpoffs and outlets, the volume has just increased. So ... not many levers to pull with 8 games left to try and get another playmaking element from the group of players we have. Dumping off to Fournette is not a real plan. Envisioning Harty suddenly getting 6 balls a game is hard to imagine. This team LOVES Gabe Davis, as long as he remains untouchable then ...

Bills did a good job of ditching the run in this game IMO. It wasn't going to work. On point #3 - again - we've kicked it around a lot on here, who else is on the roster that can reliably get open? To this point the Bills have found Shakir, and he's catching the ball thrown to him at 92% rate. So if Diggs, Kincaid and Shakir are staples, that really only leaves me with a few options left that I can think of: 1. Flat out take Gabe Davis off the field more and trust that Harty can win out wide. 2. Begin a rotation with Gabe Davis, taking him off and mixing in Harty and Sherfield. 3. Dump consistently to the backs - Cook, Ty Johnson, Murray, and Fournette - Allen has shown he will not do this reliably/methodically. Bills have tried to push this for the past two seasons. 4. Go back to 12 personnel with Kincaid and Morris, but this probably starts eating into Shakir's snaps, and why is that a good thing? 5. Start utilizing 4-wide again and just get some rotations going - moving Diggs around, putting Shakir out wide, then Harty, then Gabe back out wide, splitting Kincaid out wide, or in the slot on a spread look. I don't know that those slot-usuals can play outside, but some 4-wide looks in place of the condensed 3x1 RPO looks might be beneficial.

This is what I said after Week 1. You have a rocket armed QB that you drafted chained to a bunch underneath guys, with only Diggs having enough skill balance to reliably separate, catch the ball, and run deep/after the catch. It started in 2021 when the answer was sign Emmanuel Sanders. That was the mental flaw that capped this offense.

When you listen to McDermott and Dorsey, their philosophy seems to be do a little of everything so as never to become too predictable. Honestly, they are starting to sound like Chan Gailey was at the end, even Allen said it - if we could fix it we would - where it's this never ending conveyor belt of try a little of this, do a little of that, run shotgun on 2-inches to keep the defense off balance, take a shot with Harty then never play him again, have Gabe be a decoy over here, don't overuse Stef over there, mix in an Allen designed run but then never use it again because he'll get hurt. I'm wondering if that's why they look like a jumbled mess. Ken was talking about getting players "in space" this week, leaving no "stone unturned" - that's an old Gailey phrase as well. He's not creative. We saw this with Hines, we're seeing it now with Harty - he doesn't know what to do with these guys. I think a part of this is you have a rocket armed QB with 0 deep threats. He wants to uncork throws, but he's chained to personnel that can't really threaten a defense either by route running or speed. We need to spend a 1st Round pick on a real WR with enough size/speed/route running traits that can just win. High traits WR from a real school. That's the biggest problem in our offense. Not sieving for flakes of gold in the river, or mining for diamonds in the rough. I think Harty can be a small lever to pull (2-3 times try to get the ball in his hands), but look, he's never been a big part of an offense. He has less than 1,000 career receiving yards. If he was Tyreek Hill, he'd be out there. Sherfield I didn't see anything in. He's a journey man - Cardinals, 49ers, Dolphins, etc. Andy Isabella has bounced around the league, and again, has less than 1,000 career receiving yards.

You look at Harty's two most memorable plays this year: The 10 yard First Down against Miami where he slides to catch a low ball, gets up and beats two guys to the sticks. The 10 yard First Down against New England where he makes 4 guys miss in a phone booth and picks up a first down. Both of those routes were simple routes to the sideline-flat. Nothing complicated, no motion, to jet sweep action, no trips action - those two plays just don't add up to me as to why he can't catch 2-3 of those kind of passes a game. But he's not on the field enough to even assess his routes so I can't tell you. There is nothing in the 15-20 yard area for this team outside of Diggs. You never see Harty over the middle, on a drag, on a slant or curl. They threw a bomb to him in Cincy and he never saw the field again.

I think at this level, the best QBs are absorbed in football. The margins are so thin. The constant study of the playbook, dedication to their fitness and nutrition, proper rest. They have a thirst to get better, working with Jordan Palmer in the offseason, picking out a piece of their game that they want to improve and making it a priority, holding throwing camps with the WRs in the offseason. The long and short of it you have to love the day to day grind, establishing a routine.

NastyNateSoldiers - the Bills play a rotation at other places on the roster, I don't understand why they can't start cutting Gabe's snaps back. He was out there 93% of snaps on Sunday, and finally it looked like, got benched for Sherfield. So it can be done. Sherfield in, then Gabe in, throw Isabella in there, then Harty, back to Gabe. And at least with those other players - there might be a little speed as you have indicated. Gabe hasn't improved his speed at all in 4 years. He doesn't need to be in there 95% of the time.

Well you don’t have to just sit there and keep punching the timeclock, at this point Diggs and Kincaid are your constants, so try anything else with the pieces you have: 1. Have a Josh McDaniels type come to Jesus meeting. 2. Players go to Dorsey individually. 3. Hire a consultant. 4. I know it’s sacrilegious but maybe dial back Gabe’s snaps because he can’t separate or do anything more than 50% of all the games he’s played. 5. Target Diggs 20 times a game. Target Kincaid the other 20. 6. Maybe play Harty more than 7 combined snaps in the last two games after he shows you that he can make 4 guys miss in a phone booth against the Patriots ?????????????????? 7. Activate Shorter and try him? 8. Call up Isabella and try him? 9. Call up Fournette and try him? Can’t figure out how to do 6-9: line them up in the back field and pitch it to them. 10. Let Josh call the plays. 11. Just start calling Josh designed runs again and get 11 on 11. 12. Get Gabe off the field 13. Get Gabe off the field 14. Get Gabe off the field

Bills haven't drafted a WR earlier than Round 4 since 2017. It took them a year and a half to realize Khalil Shakir (the guy who ran a 4.43 and had 1,100 yards at Boise) should be on the field. I have no sympathy for them. Unless they start dialing back Gabe's snaps they get what they deserve. The answer we'll all get is "blocking" and "nobody outworks Gabe" - but it's not working anyways, they're scoring 20 points per game after the Miami game. Deonte Harty has been inexplicably benched by this team - and like we saw with Hines, Dorsey has no idea what to do him as a player.

There is a reason why the Bills consistently rank in the teens when it comes to skill talent. It’s Diggs and JAGS, said that at halftime of the Jets game. There just isn’t much speed on the field.

They are a defensive team with an elite checkdown QB. He tried to muscle one throw and it died in the air. Mixon is nearing the end of the line and there is nothing behind him. For them to win they’ll need their defense to carry them, and I thought for as much as the Bills line is average at best, Hendrickson and Hubbard didn’t do a lot.

Joe is a pedestrian athlete. But they make his running out to be amazing. He does nothing special at all as a runner.

Another dominant WR has been the need since this team decided to sign Emmanuel Sanders in 2021. We’ve stalled on offense because we haven’t kept adding elite talent - it was Diggs and then we stopped. You're 100% right - Beane’s premise was wrong. After 13-seconds Beane thought two things: 1. Keep the core together. 2. We need more pass rush. I said it and thought it when they signed Sanders to be their #2 when he was waffling on retirement (sound familiar) - they need another explosive playmaker. The 2020 AFCCG showed you that. You didn’t have enough to keep up with the Chiefs. And instead it’s been junk pile and yard sales and thrift stores. First round this year, and especially should be a good pick when we miss the Playoffs, have to, must, get a #1 WR in here.

The only thing that bothered me tonight was overstating Burrow’s athleticism. He ran 5 times tonight for 4 yards, a long of 7 yards. He runs a 4.9 40. So this calf excuse has gotten really old. And if Joe keeps inviting contact like he has been, then someone will eventually lower the boom on Princess.

LOW POSITIVE BABY

Tune started at QB today, Josh Dobbs, Devito, Pickett, Geno Smith, it can get a lot worse than Allen.

You would think that this job would be in-demand from an offensive mind.

Hamstring at the end of the 3rd quarter.

There were times in this game that Cook is lined up as the 4th WR instead of Harty and that I don't understand.

He's starting to heat up. Still nothing deeper than 10 yards, but he is slithery underneath.

I think they'll win the next two games and be 7-4, but of course then it's Eagles.

100%. Would be nice now to have gone all-in and gotten Davante Adams 2 years ago.

This game was not as loud as the Monday Night game last year. Agree on the no-huddle. It's obvious to everyone else watching the game.