Shaw66

The picks isn't the question. The question is the BIlls should have taken Mahomes.

I don't talk about playcalling. I don't know anything about playcalling, and frankly I don't think other than coaches and veteran QBs know anything about it, either. I think when announcers say that a call was a great playcall all he's really saying is the play was the right play for the defense that was called. But the coach didn't know what defense was called; if a different defense had been called, that play might not have worked at all. I'm not convinced that there's a whole lot of skill in playcalling. Play design and offensive design is a different story. The Bills had a lousy game plan today - they had very few plays that worked. That's on Dennison. As I've said, I think they make a mistake by not using Taylor's skills more. That's on Dennison (and maybe McD.) A lot was made about Dennison doing outside zone blocking and the Bills having featured inside zone blocking last year. But the reports are that last year the Bills used outside zone blocking as much as anyone last season. I think the failing of the running game is what happens with everyone who has success doing something for a couple of years - the league figures out how to stop it. They watch film, they see what works on defense and they use it. It's the offense's job to adapt. But if you're running game is getting stopped, usually the solution is to get better passing. Right now, the Bills don't have great weapons to use to get better passing.

I think that's correct, but I'd put it differently. I think he's doing everything he can to win this season with what he has. At any position where one guy is performing clearly better than the backup, the backup isn't playing. But at any position where a guy is not getting the job done, McD isn't giving the benefit of the doubt. So Kyle Williams plays over his backup, because Kyle PLAYS better than his backup, while Dareus doesn't play over HIS backup because Dareus is either injured or in a funk and just isn't playing well enough to deserve to be out there. Similarly, Miller must be underperforming. A couple of weeks ago someone asked a series of questions intending to get McD to say that Peterman would start. McD said ti's a competition at every position, so the reporter asked if Peterman might start soon. McD almost laughed at him His body language said the competition isn't even close. If McD were playing for next year, Peterman would be on the field. The day Peterman starts is the day you'll know that McD has bigen up on this season. I think for McD it's the exact same job as it is for a high school coach: Someone gives him a collection of players, and tries to win games. He said it after the game today - he's always evaluating and he's rethinking what he's doing to do based on his evaluation.

Watching Houston KC just now, and DeShaun Watson ran the read option. Collinsworth just said that when you crash the DE, someone has to fill in for him. In this case, the fill guy was too far away and Watson faked his way past the defender. So I say design plays with the right options for Taylor. Loss was all on the offense. I'm a big believer in coaching, but I don't think the Bills are putting enough talent on the field to do much on offense. That's why I think they have to use Taylor more. He and McCoy are the only elite skill guys on the field, and if you take Taylor's legs from him, then you have only one elite player.

Actually, he's on track for more carries this season than either of the last two. But I think more of his runs this season are scrambles. I have a theory that I hinted at. I noticed a couple of times last week that when Taylor ran what looked like zone reads, the defensive end always crashed on the running back, which is when Taylor's supposed to pull it back and run to the spot the DE would ordinarily fill. But when I looked, there was ANOTHER defender in the DE slot. I think what's happening is that defenses have adjusted to the zone read to shut down the QB option. We're not seeing teams run it as much this season as a couple years ago. If I'm right, it means that there are opportunities. If that's what teams are doing, it's the equivalent of having a spy on the QB, and when teams do that they've taken a player out of the ordinary defensive flow. That guy filling the DE slot must be a linebacker or safety. So where is throw BEHIND that guy? Last week, or was it two weeks ago, we saw Tyrod run around the right end, stop and hit Clay coming from the left end position. Was Clay filling the hole vacated by the linebacker? I don't know. What I do know is that for two years we saw a dimension in Taylor's game that we're not seeing now. Especially with a weakened receiving corps, the Bills can afford to leave weapons on the sideline.

That's the play I wrote about in The Rockpile Review. A good quarterback knows Clay will come open on that play, and it's his job to avoid the sack and lay the ball out there. Terrible play by Taylor, if you want your QB to win games for you.

Wow. I try to be pretty objective about Taylor. Some say I'm too kind to him. But I cannot say he played okay today. For me, the simplest measure is passer rating. In the modern NFL, you gotta be over 90. Taylor was under 84. That's where Fitzpatrick played, and it's where Manuel tried to get. His completion percentage was marginally over 50%, which was good in the 1960s but no longer. And he was throwing a ton of short passes, so his percentage should be higher. And those short passes were going for no yards. AND, as if that isn't bad enough, he got sacked six times, killing drives. If you're going to lay blame for the loss, which I generally don't do, you gotta start with Taylor and you don't have to look much further.

I don't think there's a lot of help out there. My cousin always tells me that it's not just injuries, but the timing of injuries and the positions are critical. If the Bills lost Lawson and Hughes, it would hurt the defense as much as losing Matthews and Clay on offense. The best hope is better play out of the offensive line, Taylor and McCoy. If they can do that, then O'Leary, Jones, Tate and Holmes will be enough. The Bills won't find better players bagging groceries somewhere.

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66 Trust the Process – Bengals Over Bills Prepare. Play the game. Get a result. Prepare. Play the game. Get a result. Trust the process. The Bills lost to the Bengals Sunday, 20-16. The approach was the same as in the four previous games: Play conservative offense, solid defense, stay in the game, win the second half. Somehow, I’ve internalized the mantra: Trust the process. I don’t get excited watching the first half. I celebrate the good plays, but I don’t fret over the bad plays. AJ Green beats Tre’Davious White for 77 yards and a score? Don’t worry, trust the process. By the end of the half, the process had tied the score and the Bills had what they play for – a game they could win in the second half. This time it didn’t work. The Bills had opportunities; they didn’t give the Bengals much in the second half, but the offense gained only 88 yards and repeatedly stopped itself with penalties or poor play. Just as in Carolina, the Bills could have beaten the Bengals, but they didn’t make the plays to win. It was a close game. Both teams had some injuries coming into the game, and guys got banged up during the game. It rained for the entire game. Did the injuries and rain slow down the Bengals and give the Bills an edge, or did the injuries and rain make the Bills’ struggling offense struggle even more? Probably both. Did untimely penalties hurt the Bills or the Bengals more? Probably both. It’s a loss. Prepare. Play the next game. Trust the process. Here are some thoughts about the game: 1. Let’s start with Tre’Davious White. The long ball to Green was the biggest play of the game. Probably not the most important, but the biggest. Without it, the Bengals have only 246 yards passing, 7 yards per attempt instead of 8.7. Without it, the Bills win 16-13. But, of course, Green DID beat White, and it’s plays like that that make the difference in games. White looked surprised that White went deep. He was playing the out-route and bit on the slightest hint that Green was about to break to the outside. Rookie mistake against a premier receiver. I wouldn’t be surprised if White was a little complacent after surviving Julio Jones last week. Green taught him that you NEVER can go to sleep on premier receivers. They always have one more move, one more gear, one more way to beat you. We’re watching the education of an NFL cornerback. He was an honor student coming out of college, but he’s in graduate school now. He’ll be better next time, because he learned a lesson. 2. Charles Clay. In the run up to the game, it seemed obvious that the Bills passing game would feature Clay. Taylor’s had a lot of success throwing to Clay lately, and with Matthews out and Jones not yet NFL-ready, it figured that the Bills would be throwing to Clay. His injury was a big blow to the offense. O’Leary stepped up and made some nice catches, but he can’t be the downfield threat that Clay is. 3. Tyrod Taylor. All of Tyrod’s warts were on display in Cincinnati. He was ugly inaccurate on some easy throws. Was the weather in his head? Whatever, he has to make the easy throws. Worse was his decision making. He waited in the pocket altogether too long. No way he should take six sacks for 27 yards. He took the Bills out of drives with those sacks. Watch the best QBs: they don’t wait in there that long. Watch Rodgers – if he doesn’t throw it in three seconds, he’s on the move. Taylor can escape and he can throw on the run; he needs to get out of there. Taylor also needs to make decisions and let it fly. He’s always been cautious with the ball, and McDermott apparently is obsessed with limiting turnovers. But there’s a downside to being cautious: you never learn to make the tough throws. Taylor’s problems were on display in the final drive. On first down, Taylor waited too long. He had a receiver 15 yards downfield, heading into open space on the left sideline. First, if Taylor knew his progressions and read the defense properly, he should have known his receiver would be open there. He should have been looking there. Second, if Taylor didn’t have time to get the ball out to the open space, then he should have been on the move to buy the time he needed. Instead, he took the sack, leaving the Bills second and 15 instead of, at worst, second and 10. Third, if Taylor was unsure about that throw, well, some of that unsureness is because he never takes the chance to make that throw, so he never learns how to make it. Two plays later, in desperation time, Taylor finally pulled the trigger, throwing the interception that ended the game. His receiver was surrounded by defenders, but that’s a throw good quarterbacks make. Throw it on a line, right at the numbers, and it’s a catch and the Bills are still in it. However, if in the first 59 minutes of games he doesn’t make that throw, then in the last minute of the game he’s no better than a rookie attempting that pass. The Bills need to turn Taylor loose during the game if they want him to learn how to win games on the last possession. 4. Micah Poyer. Was I the only guy who was confident the Bills were fixed at safety when these guys signed? Wow. McDermott knew what he needed back there, and he obviously has found what he needed. Every week, always in position, always making the tackle, always making a play on the ball. 5. Sammy Watkins. I’ve been okay with the trade from day one, but is there any doubt that the Bills need a serious outside receiving threat? The game was pretty even, except the Bengals had Green and the Bills didn’t even have Matthews. Once Clay went down, no one believed that the Bills would hurt the Bengals throwing the ball. The Bills’ offensive line just isn’t good enough to carry the team. 6. Can Brandon Tate be what the Bills need? He has the quickness, the shiftiness to make defenders miss. Touchdown catch was pretty impressive. Later he showed little ability to get two feet in bounds, but still, he looks like a threat. 7. Nice to hear: One of the TV commentators giving the scores said the Bengals have won two in a row, the first against the Browns and this week against the Bills, a good team. When’s the last time you heard someone say THAT? 8. The Bills really needed to move the ball on their last series of the first half. They put together a nice drive then stalled, getting nothing on three plays. One more first down and Hauschka would have had a shot at a field goal. In games where points are hard to come by, that was a missed opportunity. 9. The Bills need more offense, and I’d have Taylor running more. When he rolls out, he should run it upfield some of the time. Force the defense to respect his running threat, maybe open up some throws. If defenses are committing an extra man to defend the read option, then design plays to take advantage of that commitment. He has as many rushing attempts in previous seasons, but it seems to me there are fewer designed runs. 10. I like McDermott. I like his approach – continuous improvement. Study, practice, execute. Trust the process. Of course, approach isn’t enough. Xs and Os are important. It’s already clear that he knows how to coach defense. Week after week, teams struggle to score against the Bills. If he knows defense that well, either he also knows offense or he can identify coaches who do. When he says they’ll continue to work and to improve, I believe him. Bills can use the bye. The week off is good for Glenn, Gaines, Matthews, O’Leary and others. Maybe even Clay. Two more weeks of work can help the offensive line. Taylor and the receivers certainly can use the time. 3-2 is a decent start. That’s all. The measure of teams, as McDermott well knows, is November and December. We’ll see if the Bills can find some kind of offense by then. 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.

When do I need to show up at the Harp to get a seat? I'm too old to stand!

Thanks. I will call but I thought I might get better info here.

Do Bills fans still watch games at the Bleacher Bar at Fenway? How early do I have to get there to get a seat?

Thanks for this. It's always interesting when a player talks about what's actually going on inside the team.

The Pats fans in a bar in Nantucket are rich enough to buy the Bills so they could afford to be gracious.

Thanks, Happy. I appreciate the comment, especially from you.

One play that I wanted to comment on was the long kickoff return the Bills gave up. Obviously, someone screwed up the kick coverage (or maybe the Falcons just got the right kick for the play they had called). What was noteworthy about that play was how well Hauschka and Wright executed their roles. Hauschka made a good play, forcing the return man to cut wide to avoid the tackle. It cost the return man just a little time, time that Wright needed to close the gap and make the tackle. If Hauschka gets beaten to the inside, the returner would have been one on one with Wright coming across the field, and that's a really hard tackle to make. With the ball carrier forced wide, Wright could continue on a straight line and rely on the sideline to help him contain the man and make the tackle. Hauschka made a nice play, and Wright didn't quit on the play. If the kick return goes all the way, the Bills are trailing. Instead, three plays later Hyde intercepts and returns 37 yards. The kick coverage and the interception saved the game.

Meanie - Some responses to you and others. I think you're absolutely right about the oasis, and it isn't a mirage. For me, that realization came last week. They proved last week that they are a good football team, a team that will play everyone tough. Jauron's teams played everyone tough, too, but they weren't a good team. They were just a worthy opponent. Last week the Bills proved they are a good team. Yesterday they proved they are a good team that can beat anyone. Not saying they're going 15-1. Teams will beat them. But this team is serious threat to be IN every game and to win a lot of them. Interesting comment about Shady. I think it's true. I think we saw it last week, when Shady converted two consecutive third downs. We willed his way to the first down each time, on plays where he ordinarily would have gone down. (I don't mind that he'goes down easily and runs out of bounds. He's protecting himself, which is good for his career but also good for the team. I want him on field, and if he saves himself, I'm all for it.) Shady strikes me as the kind of guy who's generally committed to the team but who could give up on the team if he thinks the team is all f***** up. I don't know if that's fair or not, just my impression. But last week and yesterday, I think we saw the opposite. I think we saw a running back who believes in this team and who's committed to doing his share to make the team a winner. What's really encouraging about that is that if it's happening to Shady, it's probably happening to other players, probably a lot of players. On top of that, now they're all seeing that buying into the team effort actually is winning football games. I find the whole thing very encouraging. AS for the folks who are saying that the offense is too conservative when the Bills get the lead, I have two thoughts. First, McDermott doesn't agree with you. We've seen it for four games now. He is going to run the ball and run the clock when he has a lead. He trusts his defense, and he will do nothing that will stop the clock. And he's so sure of himself that he isn't even going to run out of formations that THREATEN to pass. He knows that the opponents will have studied the films and will know that the Bills are running all the time, and spreading the formation won't change the defensive mind set. But I also think something else is going on. I think the defense is ahead of the offense. By all reports, McDermott runs a pretty simple defense. His guys already are playing it well. There will be wrinkles added, but the defense is on its way. They lead the league in points allowed. That's not true for the offense. The offense, especially the O line, is still learning. I gave props to the O line because for the first time this season they were creating seams for the running backs. I think that's evidence that they're starting to get how to work together in this new scheme. Tyrod's learning the offense, and except for Clay he's been learning it with new receivers. I think you saw that he's making progress on some of his completions yesterday. The long one to Clay and the TD to Matthews both were plays where he look comfortable with what was going on - he knew where he was going to find his open receiver. It's a setback to lose Matthews for a bit. I think McDermott is especially conservative when he has the lead in part because he knows it's naive to put a lot on the offense before it's ready. He's giving the offense time to develop. While it's developing, he's going to run the clock. In other words, if things go well in the season, I think the offense when the Bills have the lead will become less conservative later in the season.

I was there. I go to games for football so I was just in my seat. Don't know where the Atlanta fans were but this sounds right. The whole place gives you the feeling that it's an entertainment facility and not a football stadium. The team is obviously working to get the fans engaged and vocal, but if the fans in the best seats for making noise are in restaurants, the noise isn't going to be there.

We've known each other for a long time, and I'll tell you that I can't remember being so excited, so emotional about a Bills win. I went into the game excited that the Bills had been able to beat Denver but that was at home against a weak qb. I felt like the Bills COULD be good but it probably would go as you described. It wouldn't have felt so great if there hadn't been so many Bills fans there. As the game went on we got louder and louder. I was fortunate to have been there.

Those ramps in the Aud are a distant memory. Last time I was in the Aud was 1970. The ramps in Atlanta were similar.

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66 Bills Fans Celebrate Big Road Win Matt Ryan’s fourth down pass fell incomplete and the Falcons fans headed for the exits. The Bills fans, of course, stood cheering as Tyrod Taylor took a knee twice and stood cheering as the Bills celebrated on the field. The way out of Mercedes Benz Stadium from the upper deck on the side of field is a series of about 20 ramps, each with a 180 hairpin turn on the next ramp. So as fans filed out, they could see the faces of fans ahead of them before they made the turn and the faces of fans behind them after they made the turn. Sunday, since a lot Falcons fans left the stadium before the Bills fans did, the crowd on the ramps after the game ended was maybe 50-50 Bills and Falcon fans. It took at least 15 minutes to walk down the ramps. All the way, the concrete walls around the ramps echoed with Bills cheers. Loud, really loud. Non-stop cheering, singing, smiling at each other, high fives. I caught myself feeling sorry for the silent Falcons fans. Then I thought, “wait a minute! I’ve spent 15 years listening to fans of OTHER teams celebrating like that after leaving Ralph Wilson Stadium, and now it’s OUR turn.” I enjoyed every minute of it. I was laughing and cheering, and there were tears in my eyes. It’s been a long time coming. On Sunday the Bills put together another workmanlike win, this time on the road against last season’s Super Bowl almost-winners. It was the best road win against a quality opponent in who knows how long? Just like last week at home against Denver, the Bills didn’t back into this win, they earned it. They did their jobs. Yes, Atlanta was banged up coming into the game, and they lost Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu during the game. But they have an All-Star quarterback, they’re a good team, and they were at home. They couldn’t beat the Bills. Yes, the Bills got the benefit of some oh-so-close calls, one on White’s fumble recovery for a touchdown and one on Hyde’s interception. But you know what? If you make plays, you’re going to get your share of calls. The Bills made the plays, they got the calls. Take advantage of the opportunities the game gives you. The Bills did that, and they don’t have to apologize to anyone. 1. Stephen Hauschka. Talk about doing your job. Watch him practice. Before every kickoff, without the ball, he takes a full run up and half swing with his leg. Then he approaches the tee slowly and practices his approach with his leg, stopping just before the tee. Every time, same routine. On third down, with a time out of the field, he ran onto the field and practiced the kick he’d have to make if the Bills didn’t get the fourth down. The guy is working on his kicking all the time. Oh, and he’s something else from long range. What a weapon! 2. Zay Jones. Yes, it’s in his head now. Killer drop on the long ball on what was a routine NFL catch. Sure was good to see him make the catch on that comeback route up the sideline later in the game. Easy catch, but it could be the catch that starts to get him back on track. 3. The Falcons fans. No wonder players like playing in Buffalo. The Atlanta fan performance was, in a word, pitiful. What were all those empty seats between the goal lines in the lower bowl? Where WERE those people? The crowd made a lot of noise on about three third downs, the rest of the time it sounded like a Bills home game in Toronto. The Falcons play this glitzy, really well-done video with Samuel L. Jackson trying to fire up the crowd. Yes, that Samuel L. Jackson. It’s loud, very loud. Everyone watches the video with interest, but no one makes any noise. When the video ends, the stadium is more or less silent. No one seems to get the message. From the upper deck, it sounded like the Bills fans were louder on many third downs than the Falcons fans. The Bills let the fans know they could hear it. 4. Tyrod Taylor. Took one or two avoidable sacks. Overthrew a couple of deep balls. But so long as the guy is completing 60% of his passes for over 8 yards per attempt, so long as he doesn’t turn the ball over, we’ll take it. Great deep ball to Clay, nice throw up the sideline to Zay, beautiful read of the defense on the TD to Matthews. He’s doing his job. 5. Sean McDermott. It’s obvious every week. McDermott expects his defense to win the game, and he expects his offense not to lose it. The Bills went up 14-10 on the fumble return, then got an interception. They followed with a 19-play, 11-minute drive, with 15 running plays! Hauschka hit the chip shot. The next time the Bills got the ball with the lead, three running plays and a field goal. When the Bills have the lead, they’re going to run the ball for as long as they can. Run the clock, punt if they must, and put the game back into the hands of the defense. Taylor isn’t getting 30 pass attempts if the Bills have leads. 6. Tre’Davious White. It’s a pleasure watching this guy. Always around the ball, always makes the tackle. 7. Marcell Dareus. Better start showing up, or he’s going to be playing someplace else next season. 8. Lorenzo Alexander. He can play on my team every season. He’s around the ball a lot. 9. Offensive line. Finally, what Shady’s been looking for – daylight. And Tolbert, too. Their numbers weren’t gaudy, but the run game was good enough for the win. McCoy was an ankle-tackle away from breaking a couple of big runs. 10. Charles Clay. The man gets open, and Taylor is finding him. He hurt the Falcons repeatedly on Sunday, and he was sure-handed. Lovin’ it. 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. Forgot a big thanks to the Bills Backers for an awesome pre-game party. Lots of fans, great food, great way to start the game. Those Falcon fans have a lot to learn about this football-thing.

No Bocce's? That's okay, I guess. I expect to drop by.

whaaa?

Not far enough to stop me. I'll be there.

I think Belichick learned a lot from Parcells. Parcells of course was more emotional than Belichick, but I think you're correct about their approaches to the game. Whatever is going on in McDermott's head, I like it so far. Still, I hope we'll see a more diversified and productive offense over time.