Shaw66

I so wanted Tyrod to grow into a winner. I was even rooting for him on Sunday.

Bengals could have lost one or two. Other than that, great start.

Thanks. Maybe I need to revise the post some, because I forgot to talk about the Jets fans. As I said, I've been to several of these, but this time the Jets fans opened the game with about the same enthusiasm they had at the end of the game. It really seemed like they came to the stadium with no hope (and they were right - there was no hope). They rarely made noise on third down, and they didn't have any plays to get excited about. The lack of noise and the Jets futility made it one of the more boring pro football games I've seen in a while. There was surprisingly little energy in the stadium, right from the beginning. The way I felt, and it seemed the way many people (including Jets fans) in the stadium felt, was that we were just sitting and waiting for the Bills to do something exciting, because the Jets weren't going to.

It was a gorgeous day. Bright blue sky, a little wind, temperature climbing quickly from the 60s to around 80. In less than two hours, we’d driven from central Connecticut to MetLife Stadium. We cruised into the parking lot a little after 11. It was mostly Jets fans tailgating, with Bills fans sprinkled in all around. Two guys were sitting in folding chairs behind their car, which was about as close to the entrance to the stadium as possible. They must have been in line when the parking lots opened. They sat, chatting comfortably. They could have been sitting in their backyard, having a beer, and watching the kids splash in the kiddy pool. Except, one was dressed in Jets green, head to toe, the other completely in Bills red – the famous “color rush” style that the NFL and Nike promoted one year on Thursday Night Football. A few steps further, a Bills fan approached us and offered some Josh Allen MVP Puffs, right out of the box. With a big grin on his face, he said my daughter and I (unmistakably Bills fans in our blue and red caps and clothes and me in my brand-new blue Bills Nikes) could take some, but not our friend, who was decked out in green. We each took a handful—including our friend. We chatted with him for a few minutes, and then we headed into the stadium. My friend has three seats for Jets games at MetLife, and for many of the past 15 years he has shared them with me when the Bills come to town. Usually, he and I go with one of my family members; occasionally he’s given the third seat to someone else. Sometimes, he gives me all three. He’s a generous guy. And these aren’t just any seats. These seats are on the 30-yard line, second row, behind the right-hand end of the Bills’ bench, where the defensive linemen sit. A few hours after we walked into the stadium, the spectacular Rutgers marching band played right in front of us at halftime—they were great. A few minutes after that, James Cook would weave his way through the Jets defense right in front of us and then blaze into the end zone for the play of the day. It's just a great place to watch a Bills game. When we got to our seats, I stood for a few minutes, taking in the view. Only a few thousand fans had entered the stadium. A few players were on the field, stretching and loosening up, and stadium workers continued to set up miscellaneous stuff. A Jets fan from the next section walked along his row and approached me. “Can I ask you a question?” I said, “sure.” And then he asked the only question that matters: “What’s it like to have a quarterback?” He went on. “I mean, we really haven’t had one since Namath. Actually, I’m a Giants fan first, and both the Jets and Giants could have drafted Josh Allen. So, I want to know how it feels.” He knew an old Bills fan was the right person to ask, because Bills fans had a Super Bowl run with a Hall of Fame quarterback, then 20 years of quarterback futility, and now we have Josh Allen. We’ve truly been on the quarterback roller coaster. With a big grin on my face, I said, “It’s great! Having a quarterback is all that matters.” Nothing else needs to be said. I told him that I’d recently heard a Bills fan say, “The Bills used to lose games they should have won. Now, the Bills win games they should lose.” That’s how it feels to have a quarterback. And then he returned to his seat, and he and I sat watching what it means to have a quarterback and what it means to have—well—Justin Fields. Fields, now in his fifth season in the NFL, looked like a rookie as he tried to figure out what to do with the Bills’ defense. He couldn’t. In three quarters of football, he had three completions on nine attempts for 27 yards and two sacks that lost 19 yards. It was abysmal. The Jets couldn’t run the ball, either. Breece Hall, their star running back, managed just 29 yards on 10 carries. Fields and Tyrod Taylor, who relieved Fields in the fourth quarter, broke free on a few big scrambles, but nothing that amounted to anything. Meanwhile, Allen was having a workmanlike day, finding open receivers and delivering catchable balls. Allen’s stats would have been significantly better if Dawson Knox hadn’t dropped two passes. Allen added a few of his own scrambles—like Fields, he averaged 9.8 yards per carry. James Cook was the star ball carrier, with 132 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns, including the highlight-reel 44-yard gem. The Bills defense, which had struggled last week against the Ravens (the Ravens have a quarterback), simply outmatched the Jets everywhere, stopping the run and the pass with equal effectiveness. Tre’Davious White returned to the starting lineup and teamed with Christian Benford, challenging the Jets receivers to make plays against two #1 corner backs. Cam Lewis filled in for Taron Johnson nicely, and the Bills didn’t miss last week’s star, Ed Oliver. Joey Bosa stepped up in Oliver’s absence, flying around the field as he did so often for the Chargers, contributing a sack and forcing a fumble. He was a disruptive force. Sometime after the forced fumble, the defensive linemen sitting on the bench in front of us were enjoying the success they were having on the field. Bosa especially. He was walking around, chatting energetically with first one guy then another, demonstrating how he put hands on the blocker and pulled him forward while jumping to the side and bursting past him. He couldn’t sit down. Finally, he looked at me and the other Bills fans sitting around me and acknowledged us with a smile and wave. Here was a man who was happy to be a Bill. My good-natured friend sat through it all, waiting and hoping for the Jets to give him something to celebrate, but there was nothing. Late in the game, most of the Bills were milling around the sideline, watching the backups finish it up. Two boys and two girls in Bills gear and probably between five and ten years old came down the aisle and stood at the rail, trying to get the attention of any Bills player. They were blocking our view of the game; the ushers usually will move people away from there, but the game was essentially over, and the kids were having fun. They were calling out players’ names, calling especially for Josh. A lineman turned and waved at them, and they yelled back. A minute later Josh waved to them, and the four kids exploded in screams and shrieks before scrambling back to their seats to tell their parents. That’s how it feels to have a quarterback. GO BILLS!!! The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

Thanks. If you had to guess, where do you think the Bills might rank in terms of fans not from the team's city? I mean, I'd guess that the Packers, Steelers, and Cowboys in some order are at or near the top of the list. Do you think the Bills are in the top ten?

So cool to hear from fans who've never been to Buffalo. It's hard to imagine being a fan of this team if you didn't grow up there. Just so cool. I'll be there Thursday in 212 with my son. He spent his childhood in Connecticut and became a Bills fan, but he had an excuse - me. His children are growing up in Connecticut, too, and they're Bills fans. Have a great time! GO BILLS!

People were standing in front of us. Bummer.

I agree. There is a lot of Coleman's game that still looks like he's a rookie. I'm hopeful that his dedication and McDermott's leadership will help him continue to mature, both personally and as a player. There were times during the game on Sunday where I thought," if this guy gets serious and develops his game, he will be one of the best receivers in the league." He's not the same body type as Mike Evans, but I can see him being as valuable a weapon. He's learning ways to get open, and he has great but inconsistent hands. It's also quite clear that Allen already is looking to him. Allen is going to be pressuring him to get better and better, and I'm hopeful we are going to see some special things from him. But for now, he does some head scratching things. He certainly didn't look like he was paying much attention to where the back of the end zone was on that play.

Thanks. I didn't know the rule. Seems unfair to be ineligible if you were pushed out. Should be able to re-establish eligibility. DB can still make first touch if he has been pushed out.

I'll say it again: Look at Thurman's post. Bills have been top ten in two-point conversions for three straight seasons.

As Thurman#1 pointed out, the Bills have been top 10 in two-point conversions for the past three seasons. Tied for 9th in '24 with 50%. Tied for 10th in '23 with 75%. Tied for 9th in '22 with 66.66% So, if the Bills have been successful doing it, and if the analytics say go for it, what exactly is the reason for not going for it?

I think this discussion about whether to go for two is classic. I think people like to solve these problems in their heads; I know I do. But the reality is that someone has solved these problems statistically, and they know which strategies have the greatest likelihood of success. They are statistical facts. So, "if the Bills had just kicked the extra point those three times, they would have had the three points they needed to win the game" may sound nice to us, but as a statistical matter, the Bills would have been less likely to win the game doing that. Now, in this instance it turned out to be true, but in most instances it would not have. Same with "Well, if you've already kicked the extra point, don't take points off the board." Sounds nice, but the stats say you're less likely to win if you take that point. Google it. I did. The analytics says if you're down 15 with three minutes or less, kick the extra point. If you're down 15 with more than three minutes, go for two. Twice the Bills were down 15, and they went for 2 twice, just what the analytics say. Then they were down 8, so going for two is a no-brainer. McDermott did it right.

He clearly had both feet in bounds. I don't have the replay up, but when I watched I thought it was clear that he was forced out. Right? He did take a few steps out of bounds; did it look like he didn't get back on the field fast enough? And one more thing about that. I really think the NFL has to change the rules about automatic reviews. Scoring plays are automatic, but plays that would have been scoring plays but weren't because of a ref's ruling are not. So, McD would have to challenge that call, if it's reviewable at all. The lost timeout would have been really costly.

I agree with all of this. They are letting them play, and there's a lot of contact, grabbing, etc., but it's just two athletes fighting for the ball. They have it about right. And yes, Allen missed that throw by at least three feet. Surprised Collinsworth didn't comment on it. You could see that Coleman was ready to elevate and then didn't. Put that ball three feet higher, Coleman gets his hands above his head, and he catches it. If the play was designed for the ball to go where Allen put it, it's a pretty low probability play.

Pounding Dog, Bills Fan 89, and wjag all with great lists of commentary. Good stuff.

I've never seen him as being that kind of guy, but Sunday night could have been the beginning of his ascendancy. NBC showed him on the sideline, I think during the Bills last touchdown drive, before the three-and-out, and he looked seriously dialed in.

I agree - they don't. But the only way they will learn to be better is by working at it. It's something that needs to be in the arsenal, and when it's time to go for it, they need to go for it. JMO

I agree. I didn't say there was anything wrong with people leaving. I wish they wouldn't, because I'd like the stadium to be full to support the team, but it isn't for me to tell people whether they should stay or go.

It's the new NFL. The aggressive play, especially in a game where the opponent is a scoring machine, is to for it after penalty.

Bass going to IR opened a spot, I think.

This is classic! Thanks for your honesty about it. Love it! At a sports bar Sunday afternoon, I sat next to a guy who had flown in from CA just for the game. He was waiting for ticket prices to fall before he bought his. I've been wondering for two days now whether he stayed or left.

This is excellent. Both points. Flowers is a special athlete, as is Henry and Jackson. That's a lot of offensive firepower, probably more than any other team has, except the Eagles. And then they added Hopkins. They can score 40 every time out.

That's Charlie Brown.

I never leave games early. Never. (Well, I left Chiefs-Bills at Arrowhead at halftime during the weather delay a few years ago, but that was only because my wimp friend insisted on it.) I was disappointed that Bills fans started pouring out of the stadium in the fourth quarter after the Bills had fallen behind by the Ravens 40-25 on Sunday night, but different people have different points of view, and everyone’s entitled to theirs. The people who sit beside me at Highmark Stadium leave early most games. I don’t get it, but it makes sense to them, so okay. I always want to see what’s going to happen. I want to see the kneeldowns, if that’s what’s coming. I want to see the desperation passes, the onside kicks. I want to see the players meeting on the field after the game. I attend for the entire experience, whatever it is, so I don’t leave early. I don’t leave movies early, no matter how bad, and I don’t leave the theater early, either. Part of me says I owe it to the players to stay. They work incredibly hard to compete in these games, and they deserve an audience. (I know, they get paid to do it, whether I’m there or not. Still, when someone puts on a show for me, I’m going to watch it.) Did I think about leaving the Ravens game? No, not really, but I can say this: If I weren’t the kind of person who stays to the end, no matter how miserable the performance is, I would have been out the door after the magnificent Derrick Henry did his magic against the Bills again. My impression of the game to that point was that the Bills were fortunate to be only 15 points behind. Up to that, point the game felt like the score should have been 60-25. It seemed the Ravens were dominating. In truth, statistically, the game was pretty even. It was two special quarterbacks running two good offenses, with two pretty good defenses trying to figure out how to survive. The Ravens had had the better of it, throwing haymaker after haymaker. It was exciting, explosive football. Still, it felt like the Bills were being smoked, and although the Bills might score 15 in the last 10 minutes, it didn’t seem likely that the Ravens were done scoring. I knew, of course, that the Bills had a chance. Miracles happen all the time in the NFL. But to tell the truth, sometime in the third quarter I thought it was over. Every time I thought about the Bills mounting a comeback, I thought, “No, it’s over.” Why? Because the Bills just didn’t look very good. They couldn’t convert a two-point conversion. They couldn’t execute a quarterback sneak. They were close only because they got a gift touchdown on a desperation pass that was deflected and then caught by Keon Coleman, diving in the end zone. The Bills were close despite themselves. I tried to talk myself into having some hope. I reminded myself that McDermott stocks his team with players who never quit. I reminded myself that he trains his players to win the second half, and especially to win the fourth quarter. I remined myself that we had 17. Nothing worked. I thought it was over. When did I think they might actually win? Briefly after the touchdown got them to 40-38, but that hope disappeared almost immediately when they didn’t get the two point conversion to tie the game. I thought the chances the Ravens would go three and out were pretty slim. They’d punted only twice in the game. When did I think the Bills might actually win? When the Ravens were 3rd and 9 and there was more than a minute and a half left on the clock. That was literally the first time the possibility of winning came into my head and stayed there. I’d spent the previous hour thinking the game was over. Then Benford made the tackle on Hopkins, the Ravens’ punt bounced out of bounds, and I thought, “The Bills are going to win! THE BILLS ARE GOING TO WIN!” The final drive was magnificent. Josh Allen was masterful. As the commentators always say, the first first down is critical. Josh took an easy six yards over the middle to open the series, and the Bills were rolling. Easy sideline throw to Coleman for the first down. A gorgeous throw to Palmer, perfect, and then back to Coleman, and the Bills were ready to kick the game-winner. What was best moment in the game? The moments after it ended. People clapped and cheered and screamed, and they didn’t stop. The noise just kept coming and coming for three or four or five minutes, maybe ten minutes. Why did that happen? Because for the previous hour, we’d all been sitting there believing it was over, believing there was no hope. People weren’t even standing or singing along with the Shout song after scores. And then, after all of the agony, it was bang, bang, bang, field goal, game over. We couldn’t stop cheering. Who gets game balls? Prater, of course, and Allen, of course, and Oliver, of course. Big Ed made us believe when he bear-hugged Henry for a big tackle-for-loss. And he showed the way to the win when he stripped Henry for the only takeaway in the game that mattered. (Josh’s INT on the conversion attempt wasn’t the kind of takeaway that can change a game.) And a game ball for McDermott. Remember when fans used to complain about McDermott’s game management? Not Sunday night. He knew when to go for two and when to go for one. He managed the timeouts perfectly. His team used every second on the clock to get three points to end the first half, and they used every second on the clock to kick the game winner and deny the Ravens any chance of coming back. His philosophy of stopping the pass even if it means the Bills run defense is gashed proved, again, to be a winning strategy. And his never-say-die attitude carried the Bills to the win. 1-0. GO BILLS!!! The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

So, who besides Ed Oliver should I be watching? Bernard? Daquan? Bosa?