Shaw66

WOW! Thanks so much for that. It made me think of how much I loved reading Larry Felser's work. During the season, I'd go immediately to the sports section of the news to see what Felser was saying. There were columns where I learned football, because he asked players or coaches how the play worked. Columns about the background of a player, where he came from, how his football career developed. The guy had a genuine curiosity in everything about the team, but especially about the game. Above all, his columns the day after games were excellent and insightful. He told us the keys to the game, the turning-point plays, the winning strategy. It was consistently excellent. Felser was really good for a long time.

This is such an interesting point. It seemed that every ten minutes, the Bills looked better than the previous. And then better, and then better still. But it happened in a slow, methodical, gradual way that people didn't notice. I agree. But this team feels different.

I didn't notice Dixon, but I agree about Shakir and Cook. Cook's speed on the edge is breathtaking. Each week, he looks faster. And what you say about his patience is correct. He waits and waits, and then he zips. It's not an explosion - it's silent instant acceleration. And yes to Shakir, too. He is exquisite in the open field. I'm not sure there's anyone like him.

Frankly, I wondered if I was missing something. It's good to hear that your TV impression was the same. There was less support for the team than I heard at any of the home games I attended this season (five). People need to show up this Sunday.

It's well to remember all the things McDermott has said over the years. Either he says them, or players say he said them. One of them is winning the second half. They want to be the toughest guys in the second half. Another is that it's a long game, and you're going to have a stretch when things don't go your way. You have to recover and start making plays again. It's that mentality that keeps them focused when something like an explosive first-possession TD happens. No big deal.

Exactly. These games are a different challenge. That's the challenge of going deep in the playoffs. The challenge starts Sunday.

We had a good trip to Buffalo. Hartford to Amherst on Saturday, the Broncos game on Sunday, drive home in some sloppy snow on Monday. It’s probably just me, but I sensed apprehension in western New York. It seemed like no one wanted to get too excited about the possibilities of the coming weeks. No one wanted to get their hopes up. I read last week that tickets to the Broncos game in the secondary market weren’t selling at high premiums. In shops and restaurants, there was a nervous excitement, not typical regular season boisterousness. It was almost as though many people were afraid the Bills would lose and didn’t want to be let down. In the stadium, fans were loud for the Broncos’ first possession, were quieted by the quick TD, and then they watched with the same apprehension. The fans had doubts, and they didn’t seem to stand with the team on defense for the rest of the half. Slowly, as the Bills began to take over the game, the fans’ enthusiasm grew, but then it was the usual late-game party atmosphere for a blow-out win. Compare the Lions fans: It's all new to them, and their unbridled enthusiasm was on full display when the Bills were there a month ago. Lions fans seem to think that their team can and will roll through the entire NFL. They think that their disappointment last season was the final bump in the road, that now winning is almost a foregone conclusion. Maybe, but Bills fans have learned that it's more difficult than just showing up. It isn’t new to Bills fans any longer, and it seems this season Bills fans are just sitting with their fingers crossed, hoping this may be the year but prepared for a letdown. Thankfully, the Bills themselves had no doubts, no second thoughts, no fears. They just went about their business, being the team they intend to be – a team that can win by playing whatever style is necessary to win the game. They take the field knowing they’re prepared to play a style – running, passing, defending, that can be effective against the opponent. When the Broncos scored their touchdown, the fans were stunned. The Bills weren’t. The Bills just went about their business, playing the game they planned to play, Play by play, drive by drive, the Bills took over the game. They did it the way they planned, and they won. As the game went on, moving the ball became increasingly difficult for the Broncos and became easier for the Bills. It could have a more lopsided score, but the Bills play to win, not to have a fireworks display. In the NFL, there are some good teams, and then there are the best teams. Good teams make the playoffs, but they don’t match up well with the best teams. On Sunday, the Broncos, a good team, ran into one of the best. The Broncos couldn’t compete. The Bills put it all on display. The offense was relentless, and the defense was stout. After striking early for a touchdown, the Broncos; offense was stymied. The Bills’ defense is disciplined, fast, and strategic. They can play to stop the run, then can smother passing games, They disguise well, and they don’t make mistakes. For a rookie quarterback, it’s too much to handle. Bo Nix had a nice season, but his playoff education began against the Bills. How good are the Bills? We’ll find out. To my eye, the Bills are very good. I like the offense, a lot. There aren’t many teams running an offense as good as what the Bills are showing. The Bills have answers all over the field, in two senses. First, they have excellent players everywhere. The offensive line is stellar – they execute in every phase. They pass block. They create seams in the run game. They power block when Josh sneaks. They get downfield. The receivers are a dynamic mix of skills; they get open and they catch the ball. Cook runs with surprising power at the point of attack, great awareness in those seams the offensive line creates, quickness to change direction, and surprising acceleration and speed in open field. Brady bewilders defenses with an astonishing array of formations and player combinations. The Bills rarely take two offensive snaps with same personnel on the field. The Bills present a different look and different threats all game long. Brady uses motion well; Curtis Samuel was this week’s example. And Allen understands everything that’s happening. Allen runs, passes, executes, and leads as well as anyone in the league. The result – the Bills run well, they pass well, and they score. The defense is the same – solid players everywhere, and everyone executes. Milano and Miller, the two guys with demonstrated star potential, have begun contributing. They don’t make every play like we saw before their recent injuries, but they have begun to contribute in ways that slow offenses. The Bills have filled their roster with able backups, guys who step in and make plays, both on offense and on defense. Lewis and Bishop and Ingram can play, and Williams. Every receiver can make plays, every running back. Everyone does his job. There is no team in the league that plays team offense and team defense as well as the Bills, and that’s what makes them a great team. The Bills have now had their one game in the playoffs against a good team. If they want to win the Super Bowl, they have to star defeating the other great teams: the Ravens, the Chiefs, and some great team out of the NFC. Those teams are great in their own ways. The Ravens will come at the Bills with a tough, tough defense and two generational star players – Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. The Chiefs have their generational quarterback, offensive coaching that has been superb for several years, and a stud defensive lineman in Chris Jones. The Lions and the Eagles are just as tough and feature multiple star players. Those matchups pose the intriguing question: Does coaching and elite teamwork beat coaching and elite talent? Starting Sunday, against the Ravens, the real tests begin. Starting Sunday, we will see how great the Bills are. These are the games that the McDermott Bills haven’t been able to win consistently. These are the games that are the next step that we’ve been waiting for the Bills to take. 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 every-day 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.

It's called complementary football.

I'm not interested so much in Josh. Second team, all pro makes some sense, and I understand you can make arguments either way. I'm more interested in the fact that there are 44 spots on the first and second teams for All pro, which would mean that on average a team should have 1+ player on the all-gro team. In the case of a really good team, like the Bills, you would expect that they would have two or three or maybe even four players among the 44. The Bills have only one. What does that mean? I think what it means is that the overall talent on the Bills roster does not include any stars other than Josh. That's something we've known for a long time. And that leads me to the conclusion that the real award that is missing from the Bills is coach of the year. If the team is under talented compared to the great teams in the league and to the league in general, then it must mean that the coach is doing an outstanding job compiling the record he has compiled.

There was a thread going today that got closed, because the OP was just McDermott-bashing. But there was an interesting discussion starting about Codrington's role, his importance, and his backup. My view of punt returners is that all I care about is that the guy does not, under any circumstances, turn over the football. I don't want him to lose yardage, but if he doesn't gain any, that's okay by me. Brandon Codrington, of course, has been good at ball security - fumbled twice, lost one, I think. Not as good as I'd like, but he looks pretty secure back there. And he brings the added bonus of being an above-average, at least, return man. We've grown accustomed to seeing him pop for 10 to 25 yards, sometimes when it looks like there's nothing there. He's been a very nice contributor. What happens if he goes down? Well, Hyde is on the PS, and he is great at ball security, and he actually contributes some nice returns, too, just not like Codrington. And there's Shakir, who I believe has good experience in college and a solid head on his shoulders, and he also can contribute yardage, I'd guess more or less like Codrington. There may be others on the roster who can do it, too. I don't want anything to happen to Codrington (and I'm assuming he can go against the Broncos), but my sense is the Bills have the position covered.

Well, okay, I get it, but THE most reliable punt returner the Bills have had in the last ten years is on the practice squad, so the Bills won't be left high and dry if Codrington can't go. Micah Hyde. And, Shakir has a lot of punt returning experience. There are more important things to worry about.

Look at the defense. It covers and and runs to the ball the same as the starting defense. Not as well, of course, but same style and efficiency. That's true depth; any of those guys can move in to replace a starter, and the overall defense still functions well.

He's a guy with some brains and physical skills like Allen, but a lower level. A little smaller, a little less of a thrower, a little less of a runner. But still, compared to most QBs, he's more like Allen than most NFL QBs. I think that makes him the ideal backup for the Bills. And he looked it on that drive. He looked like someone who can the offense the way the Allen runs it, without the Hall of Fame production of Allen.

This. There are a couple of plays in here where his punch absolutely explodes. He's knocking guys off balance all the time. Hand play is the key to line good line play, and his hands and arms are great weapons.

Thanks. That's some of the best analysis I've seen here. Good stuff. As to your first two paragraphs, I think you describe exactly what McDermott is trying to do. He thinks that if he's loaded his team with guys who are superior talents (not stars, but superior), who are smart and who are willing to play a team game, he'll have a team that keeps getting better and better. McDermott believes that the team that executes better, over and over, will beat the team with some stars who execute well. Still, I hear you about Allen and of course you're right. Allen makes it all work. But we've always known that about football. Mahomes makes it all work. Brady makes it all work. I think McDermott would say that he can keep it working even when he loses players, other than Allen. McDermott has shown that he CAN keep it all working, even though he lost what seemed to be a lot of core players. He HAD an answer for the interior offensive line, he HAD an answer for the receiver room, he HAD an answer an answer at safety. Is the answer always better? Well, maybe not better than what was replaced, but the object isn't to replace those players with other players like them; the object is to replace them with players who keep the system running. Frankly, my view of this team is that it's already out-performed in the win-loss column and had a successful season if it gets one playoff win. I know, that's not the goal and all of that, but to have done a substantial retooling and end up with a BETTER team, that's darn good. This may not be a team that can win a Super Bowl, but it's pretty impressive even if it doesn't. I think that 2025 is when McDermott's system will prove itself with a REALLY big year.

You know, the Morse replacement thing is a good example of how little we know. It's obvious now that the Bills had a high degree of confidence that McGovern beside Torrence would be a fierce combo, and that Edwards could do the job. Some or a lot of the credit has to go to Aaron Kromer. But the point is, we don't really understand what these guys can do and can't do; McDermott and his staff are good at that evaluation. How we all felt about Bernard going into 2023 is another example. Receiver by committee is another.

Interesting discussion. I don't think the offensive production happened because of a superstar performance by Allen. I think we're now seeing the Allen that has been developing over the past several years, the Allen who's taken the desperation bomb out of his arsenal and replaced it with the high percentage completion. The example I've given before is that I'd rather have Allen thrown a ten yard pass with an 80% completion likelihood than a 40 yarder that has a 50% completion likelihood. In the current NFL, positive plays are more important than explosive plays. And I think you're ignoring or undervaluing what Brady has meant to all of this. I think it's amazing how often Allen, more or less in rhythm, delivers a pass to a guy who's wide open. This offensive has an answer for every defense, the players (particularly Allen) recognize the defense and run their routes, and Allen knows where the open guy is going to be. All of that allows Allen to throw balanced, with a quality arm motion, and deliver an easily catchable ball. They made the game easier for Allen. We see it when he's standing at the LOS, looking around, changing blocking assignments or plays. Then, when the play starts we see it because he rarely is surprised - everything is as he thought it was, and then his receivers come open exactly where they're supposed to come open. But they didn't make it easier by dumbing down the offense. The offense is as complicated as ever, but it's easier for Allen to run it. I think we're seeing, for the first time his career, executing the game plan and the plays as called. He's doing it because it all works, and it works because of what Brady has done. Brady's given him an offense where guys get open consistently and that Allen can execute consistently. Then, as you say, on top of that, Allen makes his share plays that are unique to him. I mean, Mahomes makes his plays, too, and some other guys from time to time, but I don't think anyone makes so many of those plays. Lamar may make a run or two that Allen can't, but Allen makes ten throws that Lamar can't. Mahomes has some effective runs, but not Allen runs. Not many guys make that throw to Coleman - not the one this week, which was great in its own right, but the one last week, when Allen waved Coleman downfield so Josh could throw it 60+ yards. Bottom line, you seem to think that we're seeing an accident that isn't likely to be repeated. I don't think it's that at all. McDermott doesn't run the team to win by accident. What we're seeing has been created by design. Not to make this a LAMP, but last summer I kept saying that the receiver room was put together by design. It was receiver by committee for sure; all that was necessary was to pick the committee. The Bills had all the guys they have now (minus Cooper), and they also had MSV and Claypool. And Shorter and Shaver. And probably one or two I'm forgetting. It was very clear that the Bills were going away from the number one stud receiver, that they were taking a different approach to passing offense, an approach that was more like what the Rams, 49ers, and Lions all had been doing - attacking all over the field, creating stress points in the defense and sending a receiver to those points for easy completions. I could see that it was being done by design, and we now can see that they knew what they were doing. It's not an accident, and it's not because Allen had some superstar season. I don't think Kincaid's usage is about holding him back. I think it's about what the opponent's defense looks like, where they can be attacked, and with what routes. Like everyone else, Kincaid eats when his are the routes that take advantage of what the defense is doing. It's all about every guy making plays when it's his turn.

I agree. Knock Mahomes on his butt once or twice on the way to a win in the AFC championship game - that's why Beane signed him. The plan was knock Mahomes on his butt year after year, but the knee injury took him out for the first two seasons of what was essentially a three-year deal. Third time's the charm, and all that.

Hap - This is a really interest post you put up in August about the offense and the passing attack. You were absolutely right about low-risk, low reward. Someone posted that the touchdown to Cooper was Allen's longest TD pass this season. The Bills are, in fact, putting together a lot of 10 play drives. But they've shown very well that they're built for blowouts. Everything you said in August was correct, except this. Few of us, if any, foresaw the devastating effect that offense can have when you have creative schemes, play designs, game plans, and a Josh Allen to execute them. We got a powerful, high scoring offense that doesn't drop bombs all over the field, and still scores - a lot. The OP in the Brady thread told us that the Bills are second all-time in points per drive. They're doing that without a 1000-yard receiver and without a 1000-yard rusher. It hardly seems possible, but that's what they're doing. I was one who said one or two receivers would go over 1000 yards, it just was tough to say who it would be. Kudos to Hondo and to Alphadawg. They both had a lot to say that was pretty much on point, although pretty much everyone overpredicted. I remember thinking in August that the negative nellies were wrong in saying that no one would go over 1000. Well, they were right, but in terms of big picture, they were completely wrong. For some interesting reasons, no one over 1000 has been a blessing, not a curse. Amazing year.

After his sack he was breathing heavily for several minutes on the bench. Not a good sign.

Yeah, Sunday there were a couple of plays where he attacked the run at the line of scrimmage, and I thought, "that's different." He isn't afraid to hit, and he seems to have good speed, so let's hope he's learning his way into the role. For me, simply the eye-test tells me he's a better talent (size and athleticism) than Hamlin. To his credit, Hamlin learned the position and plays it about as well as his talent will allow.

I've been thinking about this. What good is an elite cornerback when the Bills offense doesn't have a 1,000-yard receiver? Are they going to play man-to-man all the time so their elite cornerback can shut down Khalil Shakir? And while they're playing man-to-man, are they going to let Josh Allen run all over their defensive backfield? Or are they going to play zone? If they play zone, what good is an elite cornerback?

Nope. I would have loved being there, but not as much as Thrivefourfive.

I hear you, and I see what you see, but there are a couple of things about that. First, I think he's working his way back. I don't think he's fully recovered. But whether he's fully recovered or not, there's a more important point from McDermott's perspective. Every player's job is to execute his assignment to the best of his ability every time. The assignment is determined by the player's abilities. Your job is to get to your spot to the best of your ability. If your abilities are limited, then your spot is a little different, and the rest of the defense adjusts because your spot is different. What's important is that you get to your different spot every time, and your teammates will cover for you. Williams clearly can get to more spots than Milano, based on my observations. However, Milano gets to his spot every time, because he makes his reads and he knows his assignments. It's more important to McDermott that Milano does it every time than that Williams will do it better sometimes. That's why Klein was the choice last year. He was physically limited, but he executed to the best of his ability. So, if you're correct and Milano has lost a step, he'll be replaced next season. But he can't be replaced this season, because there is no one who can execute the assignments as well as he can. That's why Williams goes to the bench as soon as Milano is physically able to play. And that's why Elam sees such limited playing time, despite the talent we seen when he's on the field. You can disagree with that approach if you want, but it's how McDermott sees it, and he's the coach.

My recollection is that coming out of college Bishop had excellent physical skills and most importantly, he played his position flawlessly in college. He was smart and led the team. I think the Bills liked him for his smarts, just like they liked Bernard for his smarts. However, I suspect that safety is one of the toughest positions to learn in McD's defense, because the responsibilities are so broad. Cover like a corner, tackle like a linebacker, blitz, disguise what you're doing presnap. As some have said, missing a lot of camp hurt him, because that's the best opportunity to try to get up that learning curve. I think he's a good candidate to make a significant leap in year two. He has the measureables, and next year in camp he will be able fine tune the things he's learning about the position late in this season.