Shaw66

5-1? Did I miss a win somewhere? I don't agree about Bojo. He absolutely boomed a punt that flew to the end zone. He gave his teammates no opportunity to down the ball inside the 20. He hasn't shown me the finesse you've like your punter to have. I'm not sure what Alexander was thinking, but he MAY have been thinking that that play was going to go for more than 15 yards - there was a lot of open field, and the 15-yard penalty may have been a bargain.

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66 TITANS MEET THE NEW BILLS The Tennessee Titans welcomed the Bills to Nashville on Sunday and were the latest NFL team to be introduced to the new Buffalo Bills. Like four teams before them, the Titans discovered that the new Bills give you nothing. Nothing. You may make a play against them, you may make a lot of plays. You may even beat them. But they give you nothing. If you want it, you have to earn it. The Titans didn’t have enough to earn it. They missed four field goals, and if you don’t take advantage of the opportunities you get against the Bills, you lose. Simple as that. Frankly, if they’d made those four field goals, the Bills probably would have gotten another touchdown, simply because the new Bills always seem to get what they need. The formula for the new Bills is obvious: stifling defense, ball control offense, no mistakes. They aren’t perfect in any of those categories. Perfection is the goal, and the Bills get close enough to perfect to force the opponent to be nearly perfect if the opponent wants to win. Four missed field goals is not nearly perfect. Personal note: I’ve been infected. I’ve been infected by Sean McDermott. I have process-itis. I’m now a one-game-at-a-time, one-play-at-a-time, don’t-get-too-high and don’t-get-too-low guy. Someone asked me the other day who’s next after the Titans. I didn’t know. I don’t get upset when Allen makes a bad decision. I don’t cheer as much when the Bills score. I’ve bought the process. It’s always about the next play, and the Bills always are prepared for the next play. I was calm when the Bills were down 16-0 to the Jets. I was calm when they lost the lead to the Bengals. I was calm when Allen was launching those stinkers against the Pats. I was calm when the Titans tied the game. I was calm because I knew the Bills were calm. If they’re calm, why should I worry? I’ve never felt this way about the Bills before. Frankly, I miss the highs and lows a little. I miss the exhilaration and the pain, but that’s okay. I like the winning. I like the winning a lot. 1. Well, I did get excited once in the Titans game: when Duke Williams scored. I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for a good story, and Duke’s is a good story. Here’s a guy with a lot of talent whose life was, at least by all reports, headed in the wrong direction. His football career was in the tank. Then he decided to get himself back on track and to work his way onto an NFL roster. Saturday, he was added to the Bills’ roster, and Sunday he caught his first NFL pass, then his first NFL TD pass. Duke’s excitement with the TD was clear. His teammates shared his excitement after the catch, because they knew what it meant to him. Josh Allen shared it, too, when he took a knee to end the game, then flipped the game ball to Duke. 2. Injuries have to be a concern. Bills need Morse. Ford needs to play to learn his jobs. Seeing Poyer on the ground was disconcerting. Singletary was missed for another game. Milano and Murphy. The bye is too early for my taste, but it will help the Bills get healthy, and it comes at a good time for Allen to savor a win and to get himself locked into the playing style that will win games. 3. The Bills’ defensive line works and works, and Sunday the Titans’ offensive line play clearly was to the Bills’ liking. The Bills were relentless. Mariota was in trouble often, and thanks particularly to Jordan Phillips, went down often. Alexander, Hughes and Oliver filled up the stat sheet. Oh, by the way, in the first five weeks of the season, the Bills defense, the one that had so much trouble stopping the run consistently in 2018, has kept the likes of Le’Veon Bell, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry under control. Pretty good stuff. 4. Tremaine Edmunds continues to impress. He isn’t the most physical middle linebacker, but he’s closing nicely on the run now, and he’s exceptional in pass defense. Not many middle linebackers get that pass breakup late in the game. He’s a special talent. 5. Josh Allen said it was his best game as a pro, and it was. He didn’t make spectacular plays, but he consistently made the right plays. He found the right receiver most of the time and delivered catchable balls. He threw the ball away when he needed to, except once. He ran effectively. He slid. He has to keep learning, keep growing. 6. John Brown ran sharp routes and made tough catches all day long. Dawson Knox, not so much. 7. The final drive to run the clock and close out the game was excellent. Some might say that it was garbage time yards for Gore, but it was anything but that. The Titans were down only one score and desperately needed the ball for one more shot to tie the game. The offensive line took over when the Bills needed first downs, and Gore did the rest. 8. Road wins. Take care of business at home, and pile up some road wins. That’s always been the formula. Bills now have three road wins. Yes, two were the Jets and Giants, but there’s no arguing the Titans were pushovers. The Titans have been solid on offense and very tough on defense. It didn’t matter to the Bills – they controlled the ball, controlled the clock and scored when they needed it. Good teams win on the road, and every week that goes by it becomes easier to see that the Bills, finally, are a good team. 9. Did I miss something, or did Ryan Bates hold up just fine at right tackle? I guess we can see now now why Brandon Beane was so interested in acquiring him. Welcome to the NFL, Duke! Let’s see more of that in the weeks and years to come. 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 think that's nonsense. It shows how ridiculous these fake stats are. I've watched a lot of pro football this season, and I've been at three of the first four Bills games, and I will tell you that Josh Allen is NOT getting the protection a lot of other QBs are getting.

Right. And Brady too. The master film study coach and the master film study quarterback could do nothing. Kind of hard to believe, actually. If Allen had played his best instead of his worst, it would have been a blowout. Of course, Belichick had something to do with that.

McD said its exciting just to be in the stadium when a guy hits milestones like that. Especially if he's on your team.

Thanks Logic. You said it boldly and directly. I have to say, I didn't leave the game thinking the Bills were the better team. The Patriots were the better team Sunday, but they were better only because they game planned better (the blocked punt gives them the edge of game planning) and they had the better quarterback. That combination made the Pats the better team. It was weird, true, and amazing. I don't think the fans around the country actually understand what happened at New Era on Sunday, but the Pats understand and the Bills understand. By the way, everything Belichick said about the Bills in his press conference Wednesday before the game was true. He described exactly the defense he and Brady saw on Sunday. And he did what he always does on defense - he took away the Bills best player, #17. Yes, I have a little something gnawing at me about Allen going the wrong way, but I don't think that's going to happen, for two reasons. One reason is Allen himself. He's too determined to let himself fail. No player is going to be more ready for the rematch than Allen. The other reason is McDermott. He is going to be there every step of the way, propping Josh up, helping him see what he needs to do.

Well, this is an interesting theory, but others say he didn't hit his head. Plus, before that play, he missed Gore badly in the right flat. I think he was off from the opening kickoff. My theory is that he was nervous, excited, wired, whatever you want to call it, and he never calmed down and played the game his coaches expect of him. As I said, I think the moment was too big for him.

Kelly was so tough. It was said that if he hadn't been a QB he would have been a linebacker. I remember one game where he was knocked unconscious and came back after a timeout to throw a TD pass. It would be great if Allen had that in him.

I think you're probably right about that. I continue to think he will be a star in a few years.

It's possible that we will look back at that game and say that was the point at which his career stopped advancing - that he forever after played tentative, didn't make throws, didn't learn. It really is possible. In that sense, the day might haunt him. It's also possible, more likely, that the memory of that game will burn within him, always pissing him off and driving him to get better. That's probably the sense that you meant.

That's exactly right. They should not be allowed to make plays without reasonably protecting the defenseless player. Jones was reckless, and that recklessness shouldn't go unpunished. The point is that they are trying, or should be trying, to eliminate all head injuries. The way to that is to punish every player who causes a serious head injury either intentionally or because he wasn't being careful to protect the defenseless player. Everyone, including the players, scream when a new player safety rule comes in. But within two years of the new rule being instituted, the problem is pretty much solved. There are probably 90% fewer hits on defenseless receivers than there were ten years ago. QBs aren't getting hit below the knees any more. They aren't getting hit in the head any more. The players adjust to the rules, even if they don't like it. The problem with the head injuries is that they are so severe and have such long term consequences, it isn't enough deterrent to have a 15-yard penalty. Automatic game and multi-game suspension will stop all but the accidental head hits.

But players are not required to leave the field on every play. What I'm saying is every time a player goes down with a hit to the head, play is stopped and the trainers come out to deal with him, the play should be reviewed, whether a penalty was called or not. If on review it's determined that the tackler hit shoulder or helmet to head and did so without regard to the health of the guy who got hit, a personal foul should be called and the guy who made the hit should be suspended from NFL play until the guy who got hit is cleared to return to the field. If it's two plays, fine, the hitter is out for two plays. If it's the rest of the game, fine. If it's three weeks, fine. You hit someone in the head in a way that is a violation of the rules, you sit as long as the guy you hit sits.

I don't know about arresting people, but generally I agree. If you're going to have rules to stop people from getting seriously injured, then the rules should be tough enough to cause people to be punished for violating the rules. In the case of head to head hits, I think it's simple. Head to head hit is a personal foul. The guy who commits the foul is suspended from further play in the game until the guy who was hit in the head is cleared to return to the field. That's fair, because the decision about whether he can return to the field is made by the trainers and doctors, not the coaches and players. The hitter is suspended from game to game so long as the victim is in the concussion protocol. End of story. Institute that rule and and head to head hits will disappear. THAT would be getting serious about head to head hits.

Thanks. I thought it was a great game too. Two teams scratching and clawing and scheming for every yard.

You know, I had a similar thought. Interviews and watching him gave the feeling that he's getting weary. He seems a little tired, and perhaps a little less sharp. I've also been thinking that he's going to get hurt. He'll get hit one of these days and do his knee or his ankle or break a leg and injure his shoulder, something. Any of those things - injury or just being tired - I think is likely to cause him to hang it up after this year. It's a serious grind for these players, and it's tougher to do in your 40s. His wife is going to be asking him if he really needs to keep doing this.

I'm not sure what that means. It sounds nice to say and all, but it ignores reality. The Patriots defense has been lights out. They're coached by perhaps the greatest defensive schemer of all time. You have a second-year QB. The Patriots did the exact same thing to the Rams in the Super Bowl. So, yes, I agree, if you want to have a very good team, you need to win games where your hold the opponent under 20. I get that. There's no shame in a rookie QB getting schooled by Belichick and putting up only 10.

I think Allen just choked. That is, he started out playing tentatively, nervous, whatever, got lousy results, then felt the pressure more, than pressed to make up for things that went wrong. He lost focus. He has very specific things he's supposed to do on each play, and I think he lost focus on those things, because of the pressure and because he felt he needed to make plays. McDermott knows he has to get him refocused and on track. I agree with others that it wouldn't be the worst thing for him to sit against the Titans and then have the bye week to get back to his more under-control self.

I don't recall Brady doing this. One reason I think it's new is that no one else does it. Everyone has learned how to ground it on the screen pass, and they all do it. If Brady had been doing this for years, others would have copied it by now. Maybe I'm wrong.

All of this. Allen now has the opportunity to grow up. All he needs to do is watch the film of Brady in a tough game and himself in the same tough game, and see what he did that Brady didn't.

Of course the jury is out. It's impossible to say with certainty that anyone will get better. Having said that, I have a high degree of confidence that Allen will get better. I think yesterday he just lost his head.

Nice post, as usual. I want to make a couple of comments. First, people know I write a column, too. I travel to the games, so my post on the game isn't written until Monday morning. I make it a point to write without looking at any of the posts here, or any articles or columns anywhere, really, so the thoughts are mine. Still, somehow, for the second week in a row, Virgil and I have been saying the same things. I don't recall exactly what it was last week, but a major theme in my column was the same there as Virgil's. This week, it was what an emotional game it was. If anyone noticed, it was in both cases, great minds thinking alike! Daboll - I can't say I studied the game plan, but I would guess the plan wasn't as bad as you think. McDermott sounded like he was very disappointed in Allen, and not just because of the INTs. He commented about how things went fine in the third quarter when he just did what he was taught to do. So I would guess that what we saw was less of a problem with Daboll and more of a problem with Allen failing to execute the way he was supposed to. The Pats were allowing 200 yards per game allowed before they came to Buffalo, and they coughed up 375 to the Bills. So I'd guess Daboll's plan wasn't too shabby. The Bills were allowing 300 yards per game and gave up 225 to the Pats. Is anyone saying the Pats had a bad game plan? I think it's more about two really good defenses and offenses trying to figure any way at all to put together consistent drives. I thought there were two other plays where intentional grounding should have been called. Let's be realistic. It's become the custom in the league to allow QBs to throw the ball at the feet of a screen pass receiver when the QB decides the play is busted. It's obviously grounding, but it's not called. Okay, I get that, although the league could just say "tough, the guy's not open, throw it someplace else. Get out of the tackle box and throw it past the line of scrimmage." But that's not how it's called. I get it. But what Brady is doing is something new. He is very obviously intentionally throwing the ball away in the field of play and claiming it's okay because there was a receiver "in the vicinity." Well, the point of the rule is that you're supposed to be trying to make a play, and Brady obviously is not. This is the most accurate passer perhaps in the history of the league throwing the ball ten yards down the field and missing his receiver by ten yards. Did you ever see him miss a short throw by ten yards and throw it into a cluster of defenders? No. The only time he misses by ten yards, he's throwing to grass. It's a clear violation of the rule, and the league has to start calling it. I don't know if there are any other NFL QBs doing that. Way over the head of the receiver and out of bounds on the sideline, okay. But throwing the ball to the middle field where no one is there is only permitted when the QB is outside the tackle box. It's another one of the smart way the Pats take advantage of interpretations of the rules. I think they're breaking the rule and the refs are smart enough or don't have the guts to call it. They will push the interpretation until someone calls them on it. I suspect the officials will be discussing this play this week.

Think about it this way: You have two 11 year olds on your soccer team, one named Josh and one named Zay. Josh is running all over the field, sometimes out of position, always trying to get the ball away from the other team. Zay's always in position, but when the ball comes his way, the defender always beats him to it. If you're thinking about it realistically, which kid has a future at soccer? Josh. I have a much better chance of dialing Josh's enthusiasm back than getting Zay energized enough to actually make plays. Now, with 11 year olds, both of them stay on the team and you work to improve both of them. On a professional team, you move on from players and work with the next man up.

You guys can argue about this all day if you want, and I haven't seen a lot of replays, but I think it's simple: 1. It was offensive pass interference. 2. The officials on the field missed it. And this is the important part: 3. On review, they are going to overturn calls that (a) are obvious (this was) and (b) actually affected the reception. Wallace was so far behind Gordon before the pick that I think the review official decided that if there'd been no interference Gordon would have caught it anyway. Yes, maybe Wallace might have made a quick tackle and saved a big gain, but he wasn't ever going in position to break up the pass. They haven't exactly said that's how the reviews work, but they have said over and over that the purpose of the rule is to avoid unfair result of an obviously missed call, as happened to the Saints in the playoffs. In other words, it's not enough that the interference was obvious; it also had to affect the catch.

Josh will learn. He will be one of the premier QBs in the league, because of his talent, his brains and the system he's playing in.

This, exactly. He should have prevented two interceptions and caught a touchdown pass. He failed on all three. Other than that, I thought he played great two receptions for four yards.