Shaw66

That play was great. I remember being impressed by Hyde's presence of mind and his toughness. That guy had a lot of room to run, and Hyde knew it. Hyde is a classic safety. He is the last line of defense, he knows it, and he takes that very seriously.

I mean, it's hard to pick one. I agree about what it says about Diggs. And it was text book. Fantatasic. I'll say this, the play of the game probably was in the that corner of field, because that's where Hyde made his tackle, too.

People are posting about "the play of the game." In that game, there were plenty. Hyde's tackle, White's INT, Johnson's TFL, Diggs' fourth down conversion, McKenzie's TD. Big play after big play. It's a lot of fun when you win like that. This, PLUS he's just learning. He's a fourth-year HC. He has to develop a feel for what works and what doesn't, just like players on the field. McD isn't done learning. His teams aren't done getting better.

Good stuff, especially #1. Thanks.

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Agreed. He was dinged and under pressure. He will learn. McD might now think it was a mistake to put him in the game for that series.

I didn't notice that Feliciano returned. I was worried that he'd miss some time. He really is a key part of the oline. The performance of the line is noticeably different when he's on the field.

One after-thought. Levi Wallace. There was a completion against him on an out pattern to the right sideline with Levi underneath and a safety behind him. And there was the long completion against him up the left sideline. On both plays, he could have been better, but on both plays he was very close to getting a hand on the ball as it arrived. And there was the pass interference call where he did get his hand on the ball, but apparently was holding the receiver's arm down. In every case, Wallace was technically excellent. He's really a solid #2. You never see Wallace looking around, wondering how he blew an assignment. He's where he's supposed to be, contributing all the time.

Team have stopped, or at least slowed down, the Bills passing game, but it's obvious that the Bills are now presenting some serious challenges to pass defenses. The Bills are pretty much forcing everyone to play zone against them. When Brown is on the field, they present difficult matchups, and even without Brown, Diggs, Beasley, and Davis are a pretty serious group. Beasley and Davis get deep well enough to complement Diggs, and Beasley and Diggs get separation against everyone but the best - Davis doesn't get separation, but he's one of those open-when-he's-covered guys. On top of that, playing man creates those running lanes for Allen where he just takes 15-20 yards because it's there. And to make matters worse, Allen's had great success against the blitz. If you blitz, you're forced into man-to-man, which is where you don't want to be. And if you're in man and blitz and Allen breaks the containment, those 15-20 yard gains can become 30-40 yard gains. So the Bills know they're going to see a lot of zone. And they're getting better and better at attacking it. And Allen is getting better at recognizing when the defense tries to change it up and go man. It's just becoming a first-rate passing attack.

The Bills really didn’t need to go for it. It was fourth and two on the San Francisco 28. They led 27-17, and they’d just run five minutes off the clock. A field goal would put them up by 13 points with ten minutes left. But Sean McDermott wanted more. I imagine the conversation on the radio went something like this: McDermott: “Bri, you got something for this?” Daboll: “Oh, yeah!” McDermott: “Do it!” A few seconds later, Stefon Diggs made about eleven moves to get five yards open on a three-yard route, leaving Josh Allen with one more wide-open target. First down! Two plays later, Allen found Gabriel Davis alone behind Richard Sherman – I admit it, I love to watch loud-mouthed players get beat! – for a 28-yard touchdown, and the game was over. The Bills gave up a late touchdown and won 34-24. Two things about that fourth-down play stood out. One is named Diggs, the other, McDermott. Diggs came to Buffalo, we thought, to be the glamor boy, the deep threat, the guy you see making plays on Sports Center, if you still watch Sports Center. Lately, he’s been doing the dirty work, and a lot of it. Last night, four Bills caught touchdown passes – none of them was named Diggs. Three Bills had longer receptions than Diggs. Still, the passing game was all about Stefon Diggs. It was easy to see in his grass-stained uniform late in the game – he had been mixing it up all night. Tough contested catches, including his signature sideline toe-tap. Smart route running. Blocking – his perfect block on the goal line created the airspace for Dawson Knox to fly into the end zone and give the Bills the lead in the second quarter. Diggs had 10 catches for 92 tough yards (he leads the league in receptions and is fifth in total yards). He leads a receiving corps that is such a threat to go deep that, together with Josh Allen’s arm and legs, opponents abandon man-to-man coverage. Only the best zones have been able to stop the Bills passing game. Give that man a game ball. As for McDermott, this is the man fans criticized as recently as last season for being too conservative, for running out the clock to end halves, for punting when he should have gone for it or kicked the field goal on fourth down. No one is complaining now. On that fourth-and-two play, McDermott told his team there would be no hail Mary TDs in the Arizona desert this night. He told his offense he knew they could convert, and he told his defense he trusted them to win it if they didn’t. He had an offensive coordinator ready with the play, and he had players who could execute. He had no fear going for it at fourth and goal from the one to open the game, the beginning of one of the most disastrous stretches in a Bills game since McDermott arrived. (Well, let’s say since Nate Peterman’s start against the Chargers.) And he had no fear at the end of the first half. If ever there was a time to run the ball, run out the clock, and head for the locker room with the lead at the half, this was it. After the Bills’ spectacular drive to open the game, ending in failure at the one-yard line, after the 49ers’ equally spectacular drive deep into the red zone, after the brilliant Bills’ goal-line stand, after the Moss fumble and the 49ers touchdown, the Bills recovered. They put together a quick, long touchdown drive to tie the game, forced a punt, and drove for a second touchdown and the lead with less than three minutes remaining in the half. Just don’t give up a score, and we’re good. The Bills forced a second punt and took over on their own ten with just over a minute left in the half. Last season, the Bills run the time off the clock and head for the locker room, happy to have escaped with the lead. That was last season. This season, it was Singletary, Beasley, Diggs, Beasley, Davis, Bass for three and a ten-point lead. It was what Rodgers does, Brees and Brady do, what Manning did. And now it’s what Allen does. Let’s say it plain and simple: The Bills win over the 49ers was the kind of game that good football teams win: On the road, against a desperate, well-coached, physical team, a must-win game (they’re all must-win at this time of the season), and the Bills simply took control of the game and never let go. It was impressive. And I haven’t said a word about the defense. I could write a completely different column about the equally superb effort on the other side of the ball. I know about all the adversity the 49ers have faced, and I know that Garropolo and Kittle weren’t on the field, but Kyle Shanahan is one of the very best coaches in the league, and there was no question that the 49er offense would show up, ready to pound the relatively weak Bills run defense. The 49ers wanted to control the game by running the ball, and the Bills defense simply wouldn’t let them do it. It was one of the Bills’ best defensive performances of the season. Consider these plays and players: 1. The goal-line stand has become a Bills’ staple. They simply will not allow you to run up the middle against them on the goal line. The stand in the first quarter was superb. The stand in the fourth quarter was, of course, even better and deserves separate shout outs. 2. Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, first down. Butler penetration and monster tackle for a two-yard loss. He was blocked, but it didn’t matter; he was coming. 3. Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, second down. Incredible recovery and touchdown-saving tackle by Hyde. What a play! Toughness, determination, technique. 4. Fourth-quarter goal-line stand, third down. White chases his receiver across the end zone and outfights him for the interception. 5. The entire defense looks different when 58 is running around out there. The guy is just so good. Several plays I’d ask myself, “Who was THAT? Oh, it was Milano.” The defense McBeane imagined in the off-season was going to feature some three-linebacker sets, with Klein in the Alexander role. I think it’s coming. 6. I mention Edmunds every week, but that’s because there’s something to say about him every week. Now we’re seeing what the whole package can look like. He was all over the field against the 49ers, and he was hitting people with authority. Nice solid tackling, excellent pass defense, just all-round savvy play. 7. Beasley is superb. I thought he was lost for the game on the first hit, but he’s tougher than that. Like Diggs, he’s doing the dirty work. 8. Remember when Micah Hyde returned punts? I’d forgotten how good he is as a return man. Then he had his interception and reminded us all. He wasn’t going down until it was time to go down. 9. Remember when Tyler Bass looked shaky place-kicking? Balls off line, hooks and slices? He’s settled down and looks like the kind of guy the Bills expected when they drafted him. Interesting how the Bills use him on kickoffs – sometimes directional kicks to the coffin corner, with the coverage pinning the returner deep, sometimes long kicks into or through the end zone. He’s looked sound and effective for weeks. 10. Feliciano went down and the offensive-line play suffered. He’s a key guy. 11. Brian Daboll continues to draw up surprise plays, with the McKenzie touchdown and the Knox touchdown and the Knox inside shovel pass. His offense was ready. 12. Saved the best for last. Josh Allen. 9-3 with four big challenges left. 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 true. I don't think I'll ever forget that night Ahmad Rashad scored twice in the last two minutes to beat the Raiders on Monday night. I was so wired, I couldn't sleep for hours. Retire. It makes planning for game time much easier.

LOL!!!

Thanks!

I don't believe this. Football at this level is all about developing technique and developing an ability to read offenses and respond with the scheme the coaches have implemented. I keep thinking about White's two interceptions, where he left his man and dropped into underneath coverage, right in the passing lane. That's not instinct. He's taught to recognize the situation and make the break in certain circumstances. And the other defenders also are taught to recognize the same thing and understand that when the circumstances arise, White will be dropping and their responsibilities will change accordingly. Playing the mike in the defense that McDermott wants to run. It's study film, recognize, and react. If you have a superior athlete, he's able to react. That's where Edmunds is headed. He never played defense like that in college. He's had as much to learn on the defensive side as Allen has had on the offense. Allen isn't done, and Edmunds isn't either.

I agree with this. Certainly no Keuchly, but McD is no dummy. I'm sure he knows Edmunds is not the same guy as Keuchly. And he knows Edmunds is the classic, old-school Mike. What I think is going on with McDermott is that he sees that Edmunds is a special physical player (not unlike Allen in the sense that Josh, too, is a special physical player), and McDermott's sense is that he can a build a defense in which Edmunds can have the kind of impact, although in different ways, that Keuchly has had. That is, in the same way McD looked at Keuchly and thought "I can win with that guy," McD looked at Edmunds and told Beane "I want that guy." Edmunds is still learning and growing, physcially, and McDermott is still figuring out exactly how to play Edmunds. If McD was correct, Edmunds' best days are still ahead of him. I expect the Bills will extend him after they extend Allen.

Thurm - Thanks for posting this. I so much want Edmunds to succeed. I have to say, however, that notwithstanding what Klein says, I still have my doubts, primarily because Edmunds hasn't shown the physicality that I think the Mike needs. He needs be tougher to block and neutralize than he his, and he has to hit people with more authority than he does. If you could be a mike without the physicality, Micah Hyde would be playing there. The position demands a man bigger than a safety because the position demands physicality. I'm hoping he'll develop in that area, because if he does, he'll be a true star.

McAfee is a piece of work. I love at the end, when Josh says he threw it 83 yards on college. Josh set himself up, of course, by saying it was high elevation, and the ball was some Nike ball, so McAfee comes right back at him about the thin air and the thick laces on that ball. Good fun.

Yeah, it's fun listening to someone who likes Allen and the Bills, and this is very good stuff, as far as it goes. Where I think it falls short is that Simms expresses surprise that the defense has gotten better. He said he didn't know what the defense was doing early in the season. Well, I'm a little surprised, too, but we shouldn't be. What we're seeing is what McDermott does. His coaches and players are trained to find the best way they can win this week's game. Every week, they're working on a new style of play to attack what they're going to see from the opponent. Early in the season they get mismatches, where what they try to do doesn't work, for one reason or another. So they learn from that and move on to next week's game. The result of this approach is that when December comes, the Bills have learned to do a lot of different things on offense and on defense. They can play different styles, and they've learned approaches to the game that will work on offense this week, or on defense. Preparing for the 49ers, they're saying "hey, remember what we did against Tennessee's run game? It was a good idea but didn't quite work because of a, b, c. Let's adjust it; we'll still use a and c, but let's go with e and q from the Seahawks game. Here's how we'll disguise it. The Bills are built to be better in December than in October. It shouldn't be a surprise.

Maybe this, maybe something else. I think he's too talented to stay on the sidelines. I'd guess that McD and Frazier and their staff are looking for ways to get him on the field. For example, we already know that the Bills are creative on defense. White's had two INTs this season where he's dropped his man and fallen into underneath coverage. That's not an accident, and it isn't White freelancing. It's by design - players are taught to recognize routes and to adjust, and it isn't just White. When he recognizes the opportunity, his teammates also have to recognize the opportunity, because they need to adjust to cover the gap that White is leaving. That on-field awareness is what makes Hyde and Poyer so valuable. It's awareness that, I think, Klein had to develop before he could do the things he's been doing. Norman has that kind of on-field thinking ability. He learned it playing for McD in Carolina. And I think before his injury he played better than most people give him credit. I could see the intelligence in his play. So certainly if the Bills are in dime coverage, and maybe even nickel, they're looking for ways to get him on the field. He's not a natural nickel back, but in the nickel, White could move to the slot man and Norman play the wideout. Certainly in the dime. And yes, maybe he's a safety. I don't think we've seen the last of Josh Norman.

And we're forever grateful to you.

Thanks for the recap. McDermott kind of guy.

I have two thoughts about this play. I didn't study the replay very carefully, so I don't know if it was unnecessary. As you say, it was borderline. My problems are these: 1. I'm afraid the officials actually buy what Bosa said - something along the lines of "how am I supposed to tackle him, he's huge!" In other words, the usual rules shouldn't apply because I can't tackle him. What? I'm entitled to kick Gronk because he's too big to tackle? If you're a 190-pound DB and you can't bring down Derrick Henry, you can't break the rules. What you do, and what Bosa is supposed to do, is hold on until help arrives. If you can't hold on, then too bad, the guy gets away. You are not allowed to make an illegal tackle just because the guy is big. 2. My second problem is related to the first. I think the officiating is really inconsistent this season. In the Steeler game today some guy got called for roughing the passer when he made a picture-perfect tackle of the QB just as the release was happening - in no way was it late, high, or low. He tried to break his fall. Flag. So why is that flag thrown and none thrown on Bosa's play. If the league is going to protect the players, it has to protect all the players.

Bado - This is excellent. What you're saying is that the Bills consciously traded bulk in the middle for quickness and speed. Of course, they assumed they'd have Star in the middle, but it's noteworthy that once Star opted out they didn't show any great desire to bulk up in the middle. I'd guess that the run defense philosophy is based on having two really quick linebackers in Milano and Edmunds and two excellent run-stopping safeties. Now they've figured out how to make Klein effective, too. Very interesting analysis. Thanks. But Thurm, they play eight deep on the D line, and they did nothing to get a second 1-tech guy. One might say they were counting on Philips in that role, but that's very un-Beanelike. They want competition, but they had no one to compete for the 1-tech. That suggests to me that they're taking a different approach, different from the traditional 1-tech, 3-tech approach.

Dr. D. - You should start a new thread with this. This clip gives a very interesting insight into how unusual Allen is. We keep hearing about his size and all, but this is an actual opponent giving a spontaneous explanation. You can tell that Allen's size and power is in his head, and that means it's in the head of every defender, every week. They know Allen's coming at them, just like they know Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray are coming at them in a different way. I think back to the play against the Rams when Aaron Donald pretty much couldn't tackle Allen. Bosa's telling us that Josh is a special weapon.

I didn't give back and look, but I've had a similar thought lately. I've watched a lo tr of football, and I'm amazed at how bad some of the teams look, especially on offense. The Eagles last night. The Bears. It seems to me now like it's impossible to be that inconsistent, that flawed. Then I realize that that is how the Bill's used to look. It's coaching. There was a dramatic change from Rex's last season to McDermott's first. Bulls had a dysfunctional ownership/management/coaching structure for a couple of decades.