Shaw66

I note with interest former Bills playing on other teams. The only ones I wish the Bills had are Watkins and Woods. I root for Nickel-Robey and Goodwin. Anyone else think it was cool that the two defensive coordinators last night both were D coordinators for the Bills in the past six years?

I didn't know that, but I agree completely. Rodgers is extraordinarily gifted. His touch is amazing. His accuracy on short balls rivals Brady, and on long balls Rodgers is clearly better. Rodgers scrambles nearly as well as Wilson, maybe better, he runs well, protects himself. He does everything.

As I said, I think the difference will come down to the quarterbacks. I think what you have are two well prepared, well coached defenses. Whether one is better than the other, I don't know, but if they're different, it's not by so much that it will determine the outcome. QB is by far the most important position, and QB is the position where there's a real talent differential. Put another way, they're both playing against good defenses, and I think Brady will be able to do more against the Bills than Allen against the Pats. BUT, it could be close enough that it's a one-score at the end, and then it's anyone's game.

I agree with these responses about Mahomes and Marino. I think in both cases you're talking about really skilled guys whose skills fit beautifully with the talent and coaching around them. When we're watching Brady, Rodgers, Brees and Peyton, it was something different. You could see that they knew what to do whatever was thrown at them. Although the talent around them matters, for sure, you could take those guys and put them on almost any team, and the team would be a touchdown better. They just KNOW.

Good in this thread. I use the same strategies people describe here, but to go in a different direction. The fundamental points are: 1. Park on the side of the stadium that is in the direction you want to go, because the shortest route is the best and you don't want to be driving against the flow. So if you're going east, park on the east side, west, west side. 2. Park on or near the main road you're going to take. 3.. Stay off the interstates. 4. Stay out of the stadium lots. Better to walk farther from the stadium and park in a small lot so you aren't in a line to get out of the lot. So, for me, it's like this. I take I-90 east home, but I avoid I-90 for a long time. I park on the south side of Big Tree not far from California. South side because I want to turn right out of the lot - easier to find someone who let's you in. I take Big Tree east (what is that, Route 20 or 20A?) straight through downtown Orchard Park to East Aurora. Then I take back roads north and east through East Aurora, Elma, Alden, and eventually head east on Route 33 to Batavia, where I catch I-90. Usually, I'm out of traffic once I get through Orchard Park. I-90 traffic is still heavy in Batavia, but it spreads out by Rochester. Niagara Falls? Do the opposite. Park on the northwest side of the stadium get on whatever roads take you north and west from the stadium. Probably go all the way downtown before getting on any highway. Pick up 190 someplace downtown and I'd guess you're on your way.

All week I've had trouble getting a handle on Sunday's game. I simply haven't known how to think about the matchup. After watching last night, I got it. Here's what I think about Sunday: I think the Bills and the Pats are built the same. In his presser on Wednesday, Belichick described the Bills the way people describe the Patriots: solid in all aspects of the game, they don't make mistakes, they disguise what they're doing, they have good players at all positions, they have good coaches. The Patriots have been at it longer than the Bills, so I think the Pats actually have an edge in overall effectiveness, but I think the Bills should be competitive. However, watching the game last night, it was impossible not to recognize how great Rodgers is and, despite being very good himself, how Wentz's abilities simply don't approach the mastery Rodgers displayed. Brady is like Rodgers, and Allen is like Wentz. Brady and Rodgers have combined their talents with years and years of experience in the league. They give the impression, and Brady actually said it about himself, that they understand everything he sees going on in the defense. One thing they said the Packers new head coach did when he arrived was tell Rodgers and the offense that they should go back to doing whatever it was that worked so well for so many years. Essentially, he said he wanted to take advantage of all the experience Rodgers had. Time and again last night, Rodgers knew exactly where to go with the ball. He had a really quick release occasionally, to take advantage of a window that he knew would be closing, he knew how to buy himself time in and outside of the pocket to get the receiver to the spot on the field where Rodgers could make a throw. He drilled some balls, floated some balls, all with great accuracy. You could SEE it on the field all night long. Brady has that kind of mastery, too. Wentz and Allen have great skills. I think Allen is a better thrower and also a better scrambler, but Wentz is certainly no slouch. And most of the time, they can match the big boys, throw for throw. But every once in a while they don't know what to do with the ball, because the defense has crossed them up, or because the primary receiver didn't run the route right or something. When one of those things happens, Wentz and Allen are improvising; Rodgers and Brady know what to do. It's as though Rodgers and Brady are chefs, and no matter what collection of ingredients you give them, they can make you something to eat. Allen and Wentz will give you plenty of tasty meals, but every once in a while they give you a plate of crap. Those skills that Rodgers and Brady have are the result of having thousands of on-field, in-game repetitions, film study, coaching, thinking, practice. They've learned to throw side-arm and over the top, to make quick releases, to make subtle moves in the pocket to buy time, when to bail, when to run, when to slide, when to do each of the little things that add up to their being truly excellent at what they do. Wentz and Allen show some of those things, some of the time, but they're still figuring it out, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. If their progress continues, and I expect it will for both of them, in another three years we'll see a couple of young QBs who are deadly weapons, like Rodgers and Brady are. So what do I expect on Sunday? I expect Brady will be the difference, because QB is such an important position and he's the best in the business. That could mean the Bills get blown out, it could mean the Bills lose a close one. Or it could mean the Bills find a way to play with the Pats despite Brady's obvious superiority over Allen, just like the Eagles did. Keep it close, compete on every play, and then, when you're about to lose the game to the best QB in the game (who didn't think Rodgers was going to march the Pack down the field i=and tie the game?), catch a break in the end to win the game. Oh, and one more thing. Don't ask me how in heaven's name Mahomes is already able to play so much like a seasoned veteran. I'd guess that the combination of Reid and a lot of talent around him minimizes the impact of the things that Mahomes doesn't understandyet. Whatever it is, he's the only young QB who seems to demonstrate the kind of the breadth of skills that only the old masters have.

This is so true. QBs with big arms get a lot of chances, just like guys with 4.3 speed.

I wasn't thrilled with Rosen's size or his mouth, but after Mayfield and Darnold went I figured he was the choice. Reluctantly. Then the Bills traded up and something clicked in my head. I found myself thinking, almost screaming, "take the big arm, take the big arm." I was really excited.wjen the pick happened. He ain't no Jeff George. We know that already.

Now that WAS dumb. HOORAY!!! Bills trade up for Russell Wilso - WHHAAA? TJ Graham?

That's a good point, and it's good evidence of why it takes so long to become a really outstanding QB. The best QBs have seen it before and process it quickly when they see it again. It's easy pickins for a guy like Belichick to throw a half dozen wrinkles out there that Allen will misread. Three years from now, it won't be so easy.

Well, if that had been the safety on a standard deep drop, Allen is NOT supposed to throw the ball. They're objective is to get single coverage on that play; if they do, they take the shot. But if it's double coverage, Allen is supposed to go someplace else, because the offense is all about making every play a positive play. THAT double coverage was incredibly well designed and disguised. They baited Allen, and he took it. I don't have a problem with it, because that second defender arriving on the scene was probably a total surprise to Allen and probably most QBs. Allen's key probably was the safety who came down on Brown, Allen read it and let it fly.

Wow. This game is so complicated. That's great preparation by the Bengals. And I agree, unless the Bills had seen that drop before, there's no way Josh would have seen that coverage coming. Thanks for posting that.

I think what SC Bills just said maybe overstates it, but he's more or less right. That is, I don't think everyone on defense is above average, but a lot are. Poyer and Hyde are, in my opinion, above average safeties, but not elite. Neither has the exceptional speed that might make him a special force. They are, I think, exactly what McDermott wants if he can't have an elite guy. They are solid, sure tacklers with anticipation and reaction time, and they are dedicated to the system. They know their jobs and are really good at executing. That's what I think Hughes is, too. I never thought he was an elite pass rusher. He got sacks by using his ability but by abandoning his gap discipline. What is interesting about Hughes is that he's learned that by doing his job, he gives up some sacks but he helps the team. He's committed to the system and he's an excellent athlete. Those guys aren't over=achieving - they're good players. But by doing their jobs so effectively, they help the defense over-achieve. People rave about White. I think he's very good, but I don't think he's one of the top shut-down corners in the league. And he's gotten beaten badly in the run game the last couple of weeks. I think Milano and Harry Philips are you classic over-achievers. This process is one where the level of knowledge and execution keeps improving, year after year. Along the way, you hope to add some elite talent that blends in. That's what Edmunds and Allen and Oliver are. They are under-achievers right now - they're all performing BELOW the level that we expect of them. Allen isn't a top 10 QB now, but he will be a disappointment if he doesn't get there. Edmunds isn't a game-changing MLB, but he can be. Oliver seems to be playing well but isn't the disruptive force we hope he will become. There's a thread up about ESPN calling the Bills the best defense in the league. I watched the Bears last night, and they get my vote over the Bills in a heartbeat. They seem to play with a lot discipline, but they come at you with Mack and Hicks and Fuller. They achieve by having really good players, and some special ones, playing a disciplined system. I think the Bills achieve nearly as much, but with less top end talent. The top end talent will come the Bills will add a standout year after year, but right now they're playing with good football players who come together to get a really good team result. I think the offensive line are over-achievers, except for Morse. Dawkins isn's dominant, Ford certainly isn't, and everyone else is a journeyman from whom the Bills have been getting pretty good results. Having said all that, what I like about this team is that it's being built like the Patriots. It's not a team that is dependent on having elite players dotting the lineup. This team needs an elite QB, and I think they will have one in a year or two, max, and an elite defender at MLB or edge, ideally both. Edmunds could be one of those guys. But the rest of the positions have to be filled by team-players who are committed to doing their jobs because they know that if they all do their jobs they're going to win their share of games. Those guys are over-achievers. I think a result of the system that McD runs is that somehow they can plug a rookie like Dawson Knox and depend on him down after down. Maybe Dawson will turn into an elite tight end; right now, he looks like an over-achiever. I thought it was interesting that the announcers said last night that they've dumbed down the offense for Trubisky. McDermott hasn't done that. They're giving Allen the whole offense, recognizing that he's going to get screwed up sometimes. But they want him learn the whole offense, from day one. And somehow, they've been able to do it. Belichick does that, too. He challenges the players to do the job that the offense or defense requires be done.

They are the perfect pair for discussing this question: do two people who don't know what they're talking about know more or less than one person who doesn't know what he's talking about?

Gotta say the Bengals last possession the noose was unbelievable. It sounded like people were ready to rush on the field en mass to crush the Bengals.

Good stuff. I don't know the Pats personnel at all really, but I don't think what you're saying is about the people, any way. Belichick will scheme to have his people beat your weak people, and you have to find a way to beat him another way. The problem is that on the other side of the ball, you have to find their weakness and beat them atbit. But Brady always knows what you're likely to do and always has an answer. Bills might be able to find a way to get 20 points, but they also have to find a way to keep Brady from getting 30.

The complexity is another thing that McD is doing like Belichick. McD expects his team to be able to play any style of football, on both sides of the line. So he has a complex offense that everyone must mast,which demands that the defense must master all aspects of defense to stop any offense. Year after year they get better at both sides of the ball.

By overachieving, I meant that they are outperforming their talent. They are good athletes but not great players. By adopting and playing in McDermott's system, they are better than their talent would suggest. They absolutely were the better team all three weeks. They play like the Patriots, but they aren't as good at it yet. I'm very interested in how well they will compete on Sunday. They might lose, but i expect them to surprise a lot of people.

Sorry to hear that news, Harry. Silver lining is that you have plenty of time to recover. Good luck, we'll be looking forward to your return.

Maybe you're correct about this.

Well, if what you're saying is nothing would have been better than what they did, I agree with you. But once they decided to do something, they should have done it better. Those before game ceremonies are just publicity efforts, feel-good stories. Pancho was the guy they let announce draft picks, the guy they called from the draft war room.

I'm like you. The first stats I look at are QB stats, and the first of those is passer rating, because it correlates so well with the top QBs. After three games, Josh's passer rating is in the low 80s. That's where Taylor was by the time he left Buffalo. Low 80s doesn't do it. However, Allen is up 10 points in the passer ratings over his rookie season, so it's good movement. My measure for him is that he should get to the top 15 this year, and he has a way to go. And if you take away the two INTs in the first game, which really weren't on him, his passer rating is 91.5, about 18th in the league. So he's in range. Give it a few more weeks and lets see where he is.

Adrenaline, too, you're right. In a sense, it's the same as the really bad plays. He needs to continue to settle down, so that he can make EVERY play in EVERY situation. Even though it's impossible, that IS what's expected of him.

Yeah, I tried opening the One Buffalo app - no go. They had 10,000 people trying to access the same app, and I suspect it crashed. I had my credit card tickets, which still work.

Every Monday morning, NFL fans in eight or ten cities study the stats, rewatch the video and listen to the commentary about how their team let a game get away from them. Fans in eight or ten other cities continue to celebrate their team’s win, trying to erase from their minds the half dozen or so ugly plays that could have made the difference between victory and defeat. A kickoff return for a touchdown, called back. A gift two-point conversion. A fumble ruled out of bounds, barely. A pass, inches too high, deflected off a receiver’s fingertips and intercepted. Every week, it’s the same story. Fans dealing with a loss, telling themselves they could have won. Other fans celebrating, having watched their team make enough plays to win. Just enough. For Buffalo Bills fans so far in 2019, the Bills keep making just enough plays to win. They keep hearing the players say things like “we’re resilient,” “we’re built for this,” and “we’re built to win.” Those comments sound good, and maybe there’s something to them, but the reality is the Bills are 3-0 against teams that are a missed chip-shot field goal away from being a combined 0-9, having come from behind twice and nursed a lead to secure the win once. The Bills have had their moments, and a win is a win, but they still have a lot to prove. And so it was on Sunday. In their home opener, the Bills turned a totally dominant first half into a nail-biting, comeback win. The fans came prepared to make some noise, but they were strangely quiet before the game. The fans seemed to know that their team wasn’t some New England or Kansas City juggernaut, rolling over opponents with relentless precision. They seemed to understand the Bills were simply a bunch of emotionally charged over-achievers making enough plays to win games. In the first half, the Bills defense dominated. Like, really, really dominated. Late in the first half, the Bills’ leading tackler had only two tackles. Why? Because the Bengals had gone three and out so often that they hadn’t run enough plays for anyone to have made more than two tackles. Time of possession in the first half almost was 30:00 to 00:00. Almost. The defense kept asking the fans for more noise, and the crowd gladly obliged. Play after play, the noise rose from the stands, and Andy Dalton was forced to resort to hand signals to get his team organized. The highlight was Micah Hyde’s strip that the Bills recovered for their first takeaway of the day. Good as the strip was, it was Levi Wallace’s determination that made the play. Wallace was beaten off the line of scrimmage and out of position to make a play on the pass, but he recovered enough, just enough to get a piece of the receiver and hold on for the tackle. His determination was enough, just enough to give Hyde time for the second hit and the strip. Pure grit. But all wasn’t right in Bills land, because the offense was struggling. The offensive line was giving the running backs precious little daylight, and all those wide-open five and eight and fifteen yard passes from previous weeks weren’t so wide-open. The Bills put together one nice drive for a touchdown and managed a couple of field goals for the 14-0 half-time lead. In the third quarter, things changed, dramatically. The offense continued to struggle, but what was more distressing was that for the first time in 2019, the defense looked vulnerable. The Bengals began attacking weaknesses in the defense that allowed them to get the ball to players in space. Joe Mixon and the Bengal receivers seemed to be running free in the Bills secondary, and it was all the Bills could do to stop 15-yard gains from becoming 60-yard touchdowns. The Bengals closed the gap to 14-7, tied it at 14-14, then took the lead 17-14 with four minutes left in the game. A lot of the noise had left the stadium. Then the Bills offense went to work. Dawson Knox made the big play, a 49-yard catch and run. Knox’s determination ignited the crowd. Josh Allen made a couple of nice runs and Frank Gore powered into the end zone to take back the lead. With the extra point, the Bills were up by 4. It would have been 3, except that in first quarter the Bills had gotten a two-point conversion on their first touchdown after a Bengal penalty. Now here came the Bengals, needing a touchdown because of that two-point conversion. The crowd came back to life, louder than they’d been all day. Still, the Bengals found openings in the Bills defense and marched down the field, into range for a field goal which wouldn’t be enough. Forced to keep attacking, Dalton threw high off Auden Tate’s fingertips, Hyde tipped it and White had his second interception. A great win. A few observations. 1. When the Bills took the field, Harrison Philips led the charge onto the field wearing a sombrero in honor of Pancho Billa. Great touch. Boo to the Bills. They honored Ezra Castro, aka Pancho Billa, before the game. He deserved a half-time ceremony. Pancho Billa, a completely spontaneous creation of a single fan, and the Bills Mafia are special, fan-driven activities that the Bills would have created themselves if they’d thought of it. The Bills missed the opportunity to tell the fans at half time how important they are; instead, the Bills gave us frisbee catching dogs. The fans missed the chance to say thank you to Castro and his family by having only a pregame announcement (that most fans missed because the lines were so long at security). 2. Line play was the story of the game. The Bills had trouble getting the running game going, and they couldn’t protect Allen. The pass protection looked like 2018. Allen was on the run a lot. Meanwhile, the Bills defensive front four did a good job against the run but could mount no meaningful pass rush. Dalton had all the time he needed for his second half heroics. The Bills made a play here and there against the Bengals’ second half passing attack, and it proved to be just enough, but only their first half dominance saved them. 3. Josh Allen was the story of the game. (Yes, I did that on purpose.) There are two important things we know about Josh Allen: he’s a great play maker, and he still makes stupid plays. The fumble was stupid. The interception was stupid. The deep throw to Foster that was nearly intercepted was stupid. The throw to Knox in the end zone could have turned out to be stupid. But, man, can Josh Allen make plays. The overthrow of Jones down the right sideline was a great play, escaping the rush and finding Zay. Yes, he overthrew it, but he was on the run, forward, and it was a really tough throw. He escapes pressure with the best of them, and he knows where he will find his receivers. What I like best is that his quick release and strong arm allows him to find receivers coming open over the middle and get the ball there before the window closes. His receivers often catch the ball as it’s about to fly past them, because it’s coming at them with real pace. That ability allows Josh to complete passes that many QBs can’t. And his running. The Bills are giving him just enough designed runs to force the defense to account for him. That makes everything just a little easier for the other ball carriers and for the receivers. How many fourth quarter wins does he have now? I don’t track that stat, but it’s getting hard to ignore. 4. Everyone on the field plays north and south, up and down the field. Except Isaiah McKenzie, who seems to play the whole game east and west. Someone ought to track how many miles he logs going in motion, sometimes getting the ball, sometimes just attracting attention. Back and forth, back and forth. 5. Frank Gore is just a force of nature. 6. Cody Ford was really excited when Gore scored the game winner. After the game, when most players had left the field, he was high-fiving Bills fans around the Bengals’ side of the field. For a minute it looked like he would circle the stadium, but then he turned and ran to the tunnel. Ed Oliver and a couple other Bills were high fiving fans on the Bills’ side. 7. In the car after the game, I listened to McDermott’s press conference. He sounded emotionally drained. All he could say was it’s hard to win in the NFL, these guys have heart, we have a lot to work on. All true. 8. It was hot in the Stadium. Hot days bring out the tight tee shirts, the tank tops, the short shorts, the Spandex zumbas. A feast for the eyes. 9. The wind was blowing. Bojo needs to learn to punt into the wind; those high boomers just come back to him. I was surprised Hauschka didn’t have the distance on his missed field goal with the wind at his back. The wind didn’t seem to affect the passers, although Allen’s overthrow of Jones might have been wind-blown. 10. McDermott may have won the game by deciding to go for two. A fan behind me said he wants to root for a team that takes the penalty and takes a shot in that situation. It’s a process. There’s plenty to improve on. But 3-0 with a chance to go up a game on the Patriots is exactly where the Bills wanted to be late in September. 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.