Shaw66

On Tuesday morning, Lamar Jackson and his OC are looking at film of the Bills game. On how many plays does Lamar wish he had a do over? Three or five, including the INT. On Tuesday morning, Josh Allen and his OC are looking at film of the Ravens game. On how many plays does Allen wish he had a do over? Probably about 15. The game is about making the right decision and executing. Jackson outplayed Allen.

Allen threw 14 more incomplete passes than Jackson. I don't think he had 14 throw aways. Look at their passer ratings; 102 vs. 62.

Defend Allen all you want, and minimize what Jackson did all you want, but answer me this: Which quarterback exploited a defensive breakdown to get the touchdown that was the difference in the game? I'll answer it. Jackson. Which quarterback kept drives alive running the ball? Which quarterback kept drives alive by avoiding sacks? It's just foolish to think that the difference in the QBs was not the difference in the game.

I said earlier in the thread that I think it was all about Allen and Jackson. Jackson dictated the kind of defense the Bills had to play, but the Ravens dictated to Allen. The Ravens stacked the line of scrimmage, took away the run and forced Allen to get rid of the ball quickly. Either because Allen couldn't do it or because Daboll didn't adjust properly, they stopped the Bills offense. It is true, of course, that if you take away one play the game's tied. The further I get from the game, the more amazing the two defenses seem to me. They stuffed both offenses.

I didn't see a replay of it. During one of the games, late Sunday night or last night, the announcers said that the refs are making that call more often. They said that what teams have been doing is telling the tackle who gets double teamed to try to hold up both blockers so they can't slide off and block at the second level. So the refs have been looking for that holding and calling it more often in the past few weeks. Whether it actually was holding, who knows. The officials call what they think they see, but sometimes there's actually nothing there.

I think Ravens fans are saying the same think

That's interesting and I think an accurate description of what was going on. Allen has the arm and has shown the accuracy to be able to play that kind of game, provided he can handle the decision making. Unless I don't really understand, and Allen actually hasn't been able to handle it. The Bills should have been attacking the field differently, and either didn't try or don't have the players to do it. And on the other side of the ball, Baltimore's offense is built to play that way - everything is quick, short, and they come at you with enough speed that they put you back on your heels. So the conditions weren't as much of a problem for them. But the Bills defense is built to adjust to whatever you do on the field, so the Bills were making it very difficult for the Ravens to do what they wanted to do. The Ravens had as much trouble adjusting their offense to attack the Bills' defense as the Bills had trying to adjust. It turned out that the Ravens were just a bit better at getting SOMETHING out of their offense against our defense. Essentially both teams' offenses showed that they have trouble adjusting to good defense. As we've been discussing, among other things, the Bills could use an upgrade at receiver. And maybe at offensive coordinator. I think Daboll will be back next year, unless the Bills go on an amazing run and he starts getting HC inquiries. McDermott will take the view that everyone in the organization is learning their job, improving at it every year. McD isn't a finished product at HC - he'll tell you he's learning and improving all the time. They are so dedicated to that philosophy that everyone DOES get better. If Daboll was unable to adjust on Sunday, the one thing you can expect is that he will be better at adjusting next season. They are all learning on the job. Playing in the wind at New Era is a good example. Every stadium is different, and the wind is different. At New Era, it's also inconsistent. To have a true homefield advantage, you have know and understand the wind and how to play in it, even as it changes from game to game. As coaches, they come with some general knowledge of how to play in the wind, but the really valuable knowledge, the knowledge that gives you an actual advantage is accumulated over several years. It's knowledge that the players and the coaches acquire from experience in the games. Should Daboll have known better how to adjust? Yeah, probably. Will he have learned enough to do it better next time? Yeah, he probably will, because that kind of learning is what McDermott expects.

Ordinarily, it takes receivers a couple of years to have real impact, but the Bills don't need a huge upgrade. Someone who is a threat, even if he has flaws, can make the current crew more effective. A bigger Brown, a quicker Williams. Someone to add to the mix to divert the defensive attention. A real stud, of course, would be great, but a good, smart, big, quick guy who isn't a perennial Pro Bowler would make a difference. It's why I still want to see Williams. I think it's possible that he'd add a dimension that would attract attention. For example, if Williams had run Brown's route on Allen's last pass, he wouldn't have been covered any better - it would be impossible to cover him better than Brown was covered. Williams might have caught that ball. All the Bills need is someone who is something of a problem. Brown and Beasley are problems; the other guys are not.

I agree about this, too. McKenzie would be the choice to sit. Foster has shown he can run the jet sweep, although he doesn't have the return skills McKenzie flashes in the jet sweep and the (failed) wide-out screens. Plus, in a pinch, Brown or Beasley can run the jet-sweep. We can talk about this forever, and the conclusion is the same: despite the 2019 upgrades, the receiver room needs better players. And I share your concern about the playbook. I never understood why they were so quick to let Robert Woods go. He'd cure a lot of ills.

This is all good stuff. It also supports the argument for Duke Williams. I mean, the guy isn't the answer to everything, but he would seem to be a better option with respect to the bolded portions. The Bills get nothing out of McKenzie, Foster or Roberts with respect to the bolded issues. Williams at least would give the DBs another style of play to worry about. You're right about Gore. And you're right about not having enough options use against a good defense. Even Singletary - defenses have to pay attention to him, but he isn't a true big-play threat. He complements other players, but he isn't a guy to carry the load.

I'm not sure it was just one play, but what you say about the teams being evenly matched is more or less correct. If all goes well on Sunday night, the Bills defense will go back to attacking, and the Duck Boy won't understand what's going on, at all.

I have to respond to a few points. First, I agree with those who say the game was close, the Bills were competitive, we knew the Bills were a work in progress this season, etc. In fact, if you reread my post, you'll see that I said those things. Second, I disagree - strongly - with those who say that Jackson--Allen wasn't the difference. I don't see how anyone could think that. From a simplistic point of view, just trade the stat lines. Each had one turnover. Jackson threw for three TDs, Allen for one. Jackson ran for 40 yards, Allen ran for 9. Jackson threw for more yards. But more importantly, look at it globally. Jackson's unique skill set dictated that the Bills would do on defense. They rushed the QB under control. They didn't blitz. They didn't attack. The Ravens forced the Bills to play perfect defense if the Bills were going to win. The defense was outstanding, but not perfect. Baltimore's defense, on the other hand, dictated what the Bills had to do. The Ravens attacked the Bills offense all day long, because the film has made it clear that Allen struggles with pressure. In other words, the Ravens defense forced the Bills to play perfect offense if the Bills were going to win. The offense did about as well as Baltimore's offense, it's true, but the Bills' offense wasn't perfect. That difference, which drove the outcome of the game, was all driven by the difference in QBS. I love watching Jackson. He's spectacular. He will be a problem for defenses for many seasons, if he stays healthy. But the league will catch up with him and make him a little less spectacular than he is right now. But I've said it before, and I'll say it again now. If I'm building a team for the next ten seasons, I'm taking Allen. He has some growing to do, but he has everything a great QB needs. Yesterday, however, Allen's inability to make plays like Jackson can was the difference in the game.

All good points. As I said, the Ravens are really good. But when they put 8 men on the line of scrimmage, a good team with a good QB and good receivers should make them pay. Bills didn't.

Well, that was disappointing. The Bills lost at home to the Ravens Sunday, 24-17. Some of the reasons Bills fans wanted the win on Sunday: 1. Bills fans always want the Bills to win. 2. Bills fans wanted the Bills to challenge the Patriots for the AFC East title (and Kansas City did their job, beating the Pats later Sunday afternoon). 3. Bills fans wanted the Bills to put a stranglehold on a wildcard playoff spot. 4. Bills fans wanted the country to see a great team in Buffalo beat the supposedly best team in the league. 5. Bills fans wanted their quarterback to shine in the process. Bills fans got none of that, and it was disappointing. It’s a team game and all, but it’s hard to look beyond the quarterback stat lines for an explanation. Lamar Jackson was better than Josh Allen, period. Jackson passed better, 102 passer rating for Jackson to 62 for Allen. Jackson ran better, 40 yards to 9. Jackson made the big throw better, 61 yards to 37. Jackson managed the pocket better, 1 sack to 6. Jackson is defensive coordinator’s nightmare. It’s like the Ravens are playing with 12 players on offense. The DCs have to game plan for an extra running back. The Ravens’ read option plays are really good because they threaten the defense with two top-ten running backs. Okay, Ingram is 12th, but he’s only 12th because because Jackson takes too many carries that would otherwise be his. Jackson is an excellent decision maker, both on his option plays and as a thrower. The result is that defenses spend a lot of energy and manpower just trying to contain Jackson. Pass rushers can’t tee off on him; their rush has to be measured and disciplined to minimize Jackson’s scrambling ability. Blitzing is a huge risk, because if Jackson eludes the blitz, there simply aren’t enough defenders beyond the line of scrimmage to track him down in the open field. All the defense can do is play conservative, straight-up defense and try to minimize the damage. Allen has been that kind of threat occasionally, but Jackson is a threat every play. Allen wasn’t that kind of threat Sunday. The difference between the two made all the difference in the game. While the Bills were forced to rush four and drop seven, hoping the pass defenders could clog the passing lanes, confuse Jackson and give the pass rush time to get home, the Ravens often put seven or eight defenders on the line of scrimmage with no deep safety. They made running the ball difficult, they contained Allen, and they dared him to beat the Ravens with his arm. Allen couldn’t do it. The Ravens’ aggressive pass rush sacked Allen six times and forced him into several inaccurate throws. The stacked defense at the line of scrimmage limited Allen’s opportunities to run for significant yards – he almost broke free a couple of times, but the difference between Allen and Jackson as runners was obvious on those plays. One theory I have about Allen is that he’s let the wind in Buffalo get into his head. It’s hard to know, but it seems he overcompensates for the wind, as though he thinks he can gauge it, as if there’s some kind of formula he has to apply. He was uncharacteristically wild on Sunday, overthrowing deep balls, throwing too high to some short-range receivers. The wind was from the south, blowing across the top of the stadium from the Bills’ sideline. On the field, it seemed to be swirling – the streamers at the top of the goal posts were sometimes still, sometimes fluttering, sometimes straight out. The pant legs of the officials, too, were sometimes still and sometimes fluttering in the wind. Whatever the reasons, Allen didn’t get the job done. As much as we might hope the Bills will be a dominant team this season, on Sunday we saw again that the Bills’ receivers aren’t good enough. Beasley is certainly good enough, but he couldn’t hold onto Allen’s best deep throw of the game. McKenzie works as a running threat lined up as a wideout, but he never has convinced me he’s a pass catcher. Sunday one of Allen’s best throws, along the right sideline into the closed end zone, bounced off McKenzie’s chest. It was a tough catch to make, but if you want to be a championship player, you make that catch. Knox is not consistent enough catching the ball. He makes a highlight-reel catch every week or two, and drops one or two simple catches. Foster still seems to be a one-trick pony; when Allen threw his prayer, late, deep down field in the third quarter, Foster was badly outfought for the ball. Was it pass interference? Technically, maybe yes, but you aren’t going to get that call on a desperation throw where you simply aren’t aggressive enough. I have to wonder whether, whatever his shortcomings, Duke Williams wouldn’t be a better option to have on the field. If what we have seen of him is any indication, he’s going to catch the ball when it comes to him. Especially with teams stacking the box and threatening Allen to get the ball out quickly, a tall, physical receiver with good hands is good option for Allen to have. Whether he could have gotten into the position Beasley, McKenzie, Knox and Foster did on their respective drops, I don’t know, but Duke was more likely to actually make the catch when the ball arrived in every one of those situations. One thought about the Bills’ pass routes: The Bills obviously are very effective passing on the short and middle distance crossing routes. Allen throws that ball really well, and Brown and Beasley are good catching them. Either the Bills get away from those routes, or teams take them away. We didn’t see a lot of them Sunday. And yet, on Allen’s last throw of the day, there it was, Brown crossing from right to left near the goal line, Allen making a perfect throw, but credit Peters – he was right there. The Bills didn’t seem to have a lot of receivers in the pattern, and there was a lot of open space on the field. I’d think there’s an opportunity on that play for Allen to pump fake and for Brown to turn on the jets, continuing to cross the field. The pump fake should create a momentary hesitation by the defender and Brown should be able to get a little separation. The Bills’ defense was magnificent, except for their first mistake of the season on an explosive play. Something went wrong on Hurst’s 61-yard touchdown. Poyer looked at Hyde as if to ask “Am I wrong, or were you supposed to be there?” Jackson didn’t miss the opportunity and made an easy throw perfectly. Give Hurst a fifteen-yard reception with a tackle by the safety, and it’s a different game. The score would have been even, and the total yards would have been even. The important point, however, wasn’t the mistake on Hurst’s touchdown, it was the brilliance of the defense on the other 58 plays. The Ravens are gaining over 400 yards per game and scoring over 30 points. The Bills held them to them to 250 and 24, and if the safeties had tackled Hurst, it would have been 200 and 17. Baltimore’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry; the Bills held them to 4.5. They’re averaging 7.7 yards per pass attempt; even with Hurst’s play, Buffalo held them to 5.3. The Ravens run an offense that has been devastating opposing defenses, good defenses for two months. The Bills defense kept Jackson and his offense under control. And it wasn’t because the Bills’ offense kept the ball away from Jackson – the Ravens won time of possession, 33-27. The question for 2019 always has been “Will be the offense be good enough?” The answer on Sunday was “not quite.” 1. Doug Flutie was great leading the fans before the opening kickoff. 2, I’ve said it all season – Bojorquez is too inconsistent as a punter. Big leg, but he isn’t a technician. It’s an adventure every time he kicks it. 3. The Bills clearly have turned Roberts loose on kickoff returns. He’s regularly running balls out of the end zone. The Ravens, on the other hand, wanted no part of any kickoff, even if it landed only a yard deep in the end zone. 4. Yes, the Bills’ final, futile drive was aided by three penalties, but Allen and Beasley created the pass interference. Allen stepped up perfectly in a crowded pocket, Beasley knew to cut deep and Allen put it out there for him. The defender had no choice. 5. There weren’t many Ravens fans in attendance, and they didn’t make a lot of noise. They tried a few times, but they weren’t a factor. 6. Singletary is a threat in the run game – not explosive, but dangerous. If he can learn to be a more effective pass catcher, it would help. He had on easy drop, and he also needed to find a way to get two hands on the ball Allen just barely overthrew probably wouldn’t have caught it, but he had to make a better play. 7. Brian Daboll’s game plan was lacking. The Bills have a good collection of offensive weapons, and Daboll couldn’t figure a way to utilize them effectively. 8. As if we didn’t already know it, the Ravens are really good. Pittsburgh is a big game, in a lot of ways. First, it clinches a playoff spot, and it wouldn’t be good for the Bills need a win against the Jets on week 17 to assure a post-season game. Second, it’s the kind of game that demonstrates that good teams are good – on the road against a challenging but not elite opponent. Third, it’s a rebound game. The Bills had to be disappointed Sunday afternoon and Monday morning; good teams put it behind them and get ready for the next game. 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.

I like that people outside of Bills fans are noticing that Allen is good, but I I still don't like the narrative. They write about Allen like this is a surprise. Yes, it's true that if you compare this season's numbers to last season's numbers, the numbers are a lot better. And if you cherry pick them even more, you can make the narrative even better. It's written that way because no one was paying attention to Allen last season. We all know that when he came back from his elbow injury, Allen started looking like a real NFL QB. Also, it was pretty clear last season that all Allen had to do in 2019 was get himself some better receivers and focus more on taking the short completions that the offense was giving him. It also was clear in the off-season that that was the focus. The Bills got Brown and Beasley, and McDermott kept saying that the focus was to get Allen to take the easy throw. It already was obvious he could make those throws, he just wasn't throwing them. So what's happened this season? He's throwing the shorter ball, his completion percentage is up, and the Bills offense moves the ball. Yes, Allen is still learning, as all young QBs do, and that's adding to his improvement, but that was to be expected. He's smart, hard working, dedicated to his craft. So, great, people are taking notice. That's nice. But I want those people actually to analyze what's going on, and the national media wasn't doing it last season, so the narrative this season is all wrong. This isn't some miracle we're watching. It's pretty predictable progress.

Chandler - Just read this again. It's rich! It captures so much of the feelings of fans over the years. It's funny and poignant and true. Nicely done.

Love it, Chandler. I was with you all those years ago, and I'm still with you.

Sorry for your loss, Clem. My Dad's been gone for 40 years, and I still think of him every time I'm in the stadium. I go to the games because I like them, but he's always there with me.

Good point. I had this thought yesterday, and even I didn't start a thread about it.

I agree with all of this. As I said in the OP, when I first tuned in, it just didn't look right. What were those lovely blue uniforms doing on the field before a national audience on Thanksgiving? That can't be my Bills out there. I get psychology part. And I agree that the coaches are growing into their roles. I got that early on, too. McDermott's management philosophy is continuous improvement. Learn something, incorporate it into what you do, learn something else. Wash, rinse, repeat. Do it over and over, year after year, piling knowledge and skill on previously learned knowledge and skills. He was clear at the very beginning that he'd never been a head coach and he had a lot to learn. His own expectation of himself is that he will get better at being a head coach year after year. Part of that will be that he will get better at having assistants around him who are getting better, too. So, for example, he expects Daboll to keep getting better, understand more, plan better. And McDermott only wants coaches who are 100% into that kind of self-improvement. I don't think it's an accident that the offense seems to be improving weekly. Daboll is improving, and all of his players are improving in their roles. One other reason I'm feeling a little at sea, feeling like this can't really be a good team is that I, and I think most people, envision a good team to look and feel like some good team from the past. If they're going to be good, I think to myself that they will have to look like the Pats of the last 10 years or like the Cowboys in the 90s or the Niners in the 80s. We all forget that before the Niners in the 80s, NO ONE looked like that. When Montana hit Clark in the end zone to beat the Cowboys, I thought it was a nice story but the Niners couldn't actually be good playing like that. Before the Steelers in the 70s, NO ONE looked like that. The current Bills look different than the Pats - the QB looks different, the receiving corps looks different, the defense looks different. Successful football teams have their own unique style and personality, so what we're watching is something we aren't familiar with generally. On top of that, seeing a Bills team win three out of four consistently is something we aren't familiar with. It's all a new experience.

Kyle is still in touch with the team. I'm sure they'll include him appropriately as the team has success. He was an important foundation for what McBeane are building, and they won't forget.

Interesting. I've been a believer in McBeane since early on. Something about their self-assuredness made me believe. Their message was "we're here, we know what we're doing, we're going to build a really good team, there's a process and it will take time." Then, month by month, we could see the process at work. I keep saying it, and I'm sure it's true: They are building with Belichick's core philosophy, which is this: Football is football. It's the same game that people have been playing for 100 years. You win today the same way you won 100 years ago: you block and tackle, very well, every play, every player. You don't give away the ball. You execute the plays as designed, and you communicate and improvise based on your understanding of the plays. You play hard, you hit people hard, within the rules, every chance you get. I think that's what we're seeing. And I think what we're seeing is that the Bills are playing with the same philosophy as the Pats, but with better talent. Allen is playing smart (not Brady smart, but smart), and he's physically better than Brady. The Bills have better receivers. I think the Bills may actually have a better o-line. The Bills defense is more talented, player for player. Take Gilmore over White if you want, but the Bills have Poyer and Hyde. I don't think the Pats' front seven matches the Bills'. The other thing that makes the Bills like the Pats is that I now have confidence that the Bills will come out ready to play every game. They're doing effective game planning, and they're able to adjust during the game. As we write this stuff, the Bills players are getting ready for the Ravens. By Sunday they will know what they have to do, and they'll do it. They will be prepared to win the game, which is different from winning. The Ravens will be prepared, too, and they will come with intensity. Either team could win, but the Ravens will win big only if they are a really special team. We'll see.

Brady is playing in NE or nowhere. It's silly to talk about him going anyplace else. Brady understands better than anyone that his success is based in large measure on the coaches he plays for and the system he plays in. He understands how to attack defenses and he understands every nuance of the system he plays in. He has an answer for everything. If he were to go to a new team, he would leave behind the huge advantage he currently has. Brees has it with Payton, too. Brady knows that if he's on the field for a different team, with different coaches and in a different system, he may see the defenses the same, but he will have to respond to what he sees in new terminology and without all of the tools he has in NE. I think we are watching the end of Tom Brady, the final chapters of an amazing run. I hope the Bills can help push him out the door in two weeks.

I haven't seen them much and I don't know if your technical analysis is correct, but what I've seen makes me think this last paragraph is correct. The Ravens seem to come at you relentlessly, attacking on both sides of the ball and challenging you to execute offense and defense almost perfectly. That's the style the Bills play, but with a little less explosiveness. Like you, I think the Ravens have gotten better at this a little faster than the Bills, which isn't a knock on the Bills. I expect an intense game.

Agreed. All of those phrases applied to young QBs apply to Allen. The game is slowing down for him. He understands better what's happening, so he decides to go to the outlet guy more a split second quicker, so he doesn't rush the throw and therefore he throws accurately. One or two of those plays where he stood completely flat-footed in the pocket, looking downfield, amazed me. He knew he had time, so he just relaxed and watch the pattern unfold. When the time came to move, he moved. When the time came to throw, he threw.