Jerome007

No one comes close IMO. Too bad his career was cut short by injuries.

My rational take too. The eagle's view approach. And I agree. But of course, come Sunday, it'll be all about winning NOW, great plays, seeing Allen crush it, foaming at the mouth and all that LOL

Most high picks have been taken in by bad teams, obviously. And many superstar QBs had a shaky first year in teams that ended up with way more L than W. So just wait before the doom'n'gloom for Allen. It went from "he's a bust!" before he even played a preseason snap to "this OL and coaching staff will kill him or his confidence". Hey, both could happen but can you let the kid and the team play more than one game, as horrible at that game was? As a Bills fan, I hope he crushes it, that he is the future. He may be a bust, this team might break his spirit, IDK, but I'm betting he is a winner! Anyway, I don't see the point in the downers that are so afraid to be disappointed they just mouth off negative crap all the day long. They'd rather be "proven right" in their cowardly skepticism than you know, actually root for the team! And don't give us the "I'm realistic" crap. We don't know yet how Allen will turn out, nobody does, and unless a major trade is done, this is, for better or worse or really worse, the team for this year.

Yep. And as mentioned, Peterman probably made 90% of his decisions pre-snap, so that's why he seems faster in releasing the ball... but one has to read the field too for opportunities or lack of! Allen does seem to survey the field, hence he takes more sacks but as he gains experience he should do his reads faster and faster. His rocket arm makes short throws money as he zips'em in there when he sees them. As for Croom being wide open, recall O'Leary was often too. You don't have to be fast, just faster than the ones covering you... or hopefully no one covers you such as Croom in this case. SCHEMES. Benjamin, marked as #1 WR, will most likely never be that opened and he ain't outrunning fast CBs. But he is supposed to be a ball hawk, back shoulder throws, etc. Edit: On rewatching the GIF some more I have to defend Nate somehow. On that Croom play, he has thrown the ball just as KB and Croom go by the defenders. Hard to guess the two guys near Croom would let him pass by like that! Though, if with the SCHEMES Croom had never gone deep before to lull these guys to sleep, then yeah, it was the better choice. But NP had thrown the ball before he got wide open. Just don't look at the end but when the pass is thrown. QB is a tough job! BTW no matter the QB, chemistry develops over time with the receivers and it's exactly these kinds of plays that can go from duds to touchdowns.

Because it HAS to be a vet with TEACHING skills, one that hopefully wants to coach after his player career is done. Like Favre said, he didn't have to coach Rodgers or make it easy on him to steal his job, so it's not a normal prerequisite of the QB position. In this case, it has to be the required and declared job position. A highly paid one at that! Allen needs all the guidance he can get. Why not? I really think he can be a star. Since he's so raw, helpful minds on little stuff and to exchange with can go a long way to improve his offs of being successful.

Yeah. Some people with great credibility saying opposite things. Oh well, it was only ONE game so let's roll and move forward. My own uneducated disappointment is if the OL and WRs are your weak points, and RBs and TEs your strong points, why so many one back + 3-4 WRs sets? Use double TEs, Shady + Ivory at the same time, Shady in the flat hopefully lined up with a LB etc. Mix things up! And with Allen's arm, Daboll better use some max protection plays + deep routes. Change things up! I saw on NFL network a breakdown of two great plays by the Redskins OLine and I was shocked at how mobile they were comparing to the Bills'

They still need a decent QB #3 (well... #2 actually). It HAS to be a vet with TEACHING skills, one that hopefully wants to coach after his player career is done. Like Favre said, he didn't have to coach Rodgers or make it easy on him to steal his job, so it's not a normal thing. In this case, it has to be the required and declared job position. A highly paid one at that!

Some people can be so negative. Do I "trust the Process"? Let's just say I have a lot of doubts. McD and Beane are rookies, so I expect some bad decisions... and there sure have been some! And I don't get all the blowouts when the HC is conservative and a defensive minded guy. But damn, you guys that also disregard making the playoffs are purely negative for the sake of it. Sure it was with some luck and a 9-7 record, but they did it! If the roster is soooooooo bad then it's even more worthy of praise for the coaches. That was 2017. It's a new year and they'll be judged on this year, like they should. The fact they were destroyed 3 games in a row last year but came back gives some hope for sure. And I trust Allen can be "THE GUY". More hope than profound conviction but the "eye test", his "it" factors, yeah I'm excited still. Daboll better get creative and use the TE and RBs more as OL and WRs are not a strong point! The Ravens were up early yet the Bills run D held, which is surprising and maybe a good sign, though with 47 points they sure found a way around that... As for the negativity, just look at the posters gloating and salivating at the thought of telling us "I told you so" if Allen doesn't pan out! Will he be the star? Who knows, but recall some "experts" even saw him as the first overall pick, and most among the top 4 QBs of the draft. So, indeed, why are you here if you hate the team and want it to fail? Shouldn't you hope for Allen to be good at the very least?

This. And special teams. And like mentioned in the OP, use him plus double TE sets at times! Daboll really left everyone to dry, not just the players IMO. It's only one game but let's just say it was the worst outcome except for injuries. I also think they should use a lot of double RB sets! Ivory and Murphy do make DiMarco's FB position a little useless... if that ever happens. Does he catch balls well? If so, again, use him. When the Oline and WRs are your weak point, stop using them so much as if there were no other formations than a 3-4 WR set!

Thanks PolishPrince, I didn't know about another angle. And to the naysayers, we can say Josh had at least an OK game, which is good, and we don't know until he starts what the Bills have, and then again, until many starts since he got to have his chances at improving! He is the Bills QB now unless McD has a total brain cramp, so why not support him instead of being all negative, waiting for his "inevitable fall" to prove you're right?

Only Mahomes is fair comparison. You're gonna compare a rookie QB thrown in at 0-40 in bad weather to vets like Rodgers and Fitz? People can mock all they want, but the drops were awful including a TD, he scrambled, didn't throw a pick. Did he hold the ball too long? Yes. Did he made a HUGE mistake not feeding Shady the ball and running his own number? Damn right, that was an easy McCoy TD. But those are rookie mistakes that hopefully he will gradually eliminate by playing this year. Will he? Time will tell but his great Wonderlic score combined with his upsides, I think so. Anyway, do the Bills have a choice with the current roster???

Exactly. It's more weird than a tale tell sign. People vomit all over McD and company, but the Bills keep surprising us in both directions. Who expected the 3 blowout games in a row? But then who expected the team to bounce back and make the playoffs? It makes no sense either way. A conservative defensively minded coach should even less have a team that does this. Hard to read to much into this IMO. Still during that long drought, the Bills were rarely destroyed like that, and damn it sucks!

You and I have the EXACT point of view on this. And now with Ivory and Murphy, the Bills have alternatives for those early runs down the middle. I'm not one of the "Shady is 30 so over-the-hill" guys, but what prevents saving him for his strengths, and using others to "pound the middle" early? (If they don't get tackled at the handoff...)

Well again, put Shady for screens, small passes, lined up as WR against a LB. And while Allen certainly can't run as good as TT, he can run!

Did you read that superb post by Bills4Ever4Life? Nope, the Bills can't pound it up the gut with that OLine! But McCoy is a sweep, small pass, lined-up as WR nightmare! And use the other two, CI in particular, to ram it up the gut and at the very least soften up those defenders for up-the-middle runs by McCoy in the second half. Nothing prevents from using Shady AND another running back at the same time. Get creative dammit. I thought Daboll was!

Oh yeah. Allen has shown he has absolutely no business playing, right? You go girl. You are the expert. Maybe you'll be right, and hopefully you aren't, but stop with the blinders and certainty of your "agenda".

Yes as much as I can't figure out why Foster is still here, that one wasn't on him. But easy to see with more game experience and coaching, a back shoulder throw here and boom, long completion. Allen is money already. His few bad passes and holding out too long will slowly diminish with experience. If he doesn't get injured (doh!) he seems to have all the tools. He is very raw but trial by fire is the way to go. What other choice is there with the current roster anyway? Trubinsky looked much better yesterday than last year. Lots of great QBs had dismal W-L records in their first year but they progressed. The biggest knock against Tyrod IMO is that he simply didn't progress. His strengths and weaknesses remained the same. And that was mental, what experience should have helped him overcome. Let's see if/how fast Allen progresses as he looks like the real deal to me. And to the "haters", most "experts" said he would be among the top 4 QB s picked, so chill out and give the kid a chance.

Exactly. So many things were awful that there is no need to invent some. But the running back group is solid. With that OL they can't just "pound the ball", but they could mix things up. Use Murphy or Ivory at the same time as McCoy, use Shady more in sweeps, short passes in the flat, as a WR facing a LB. He needs space! And in the 1st half use Ivory to soften up that defense so Shady has more running room and a fresh body for the 2nd half.

Mine too. KB lacked EFFORT but sad to write he was still the best Bills WR out there. Who else was there? We saw no one. Zip. Zay Jones is a bust, no doubt now. The Bills running back group is solid, time to use them. No, they can't "pound the ball" when the OL is swiss cheese and McCoy gets tackled at the handoff. But use Shady with a lot more sweeps, short passes in the flats, as a wide receiver! You don't have to run that fast to get open, just run faster than the dude covering you! And often put Ivory or Murphy with Shady at the same time. I'd use these two to soften up the defense in the first half while saving Shady's body for the 2nd. And what about TE? We have 4 on the team. Get them involved! O'Leary at least was sometimes wide open even though he was slow. Where is Daboll's "genius"?

Some of the dead cap money is on Whaley, but there's some on them. And OL is a disaster. They still put millions in there too. The Coleman wasted money. Davis paid 5M and not even dressed up. Yet before all that they had made that cheap paycut offer to Incognito, you know, the Pro Bowler best lineman on the team that opened holes for McCoy. Sound plan! And overpaid Star. WTH. I hope he delivers but I fail to see he is THAT good. And getting rid of AJ doesn't look smart now does it. They have made some good decisions too, and I sure hope Allen is the one that saves them all! We shall see. It was an interesting stat tidbit in the SNF game that Rodgers started 6-6 in Lambeau but has been 50-8 since. Nooooooooo I'm not comparing Allen to Rodgers. Just that so many successful QBs have had an horrible first year, in the W-L department at least.

Yep. I too like the guy and he wish him the best but consistency has never been his strong point. But I'd take him on the team now LOL

We are all pissed but he is most likely not close to 100%. In this case, let's have some patience. For Ducasse and Zay Jones...

You downers were proven right big time for this game, but to say right now, September 9th 2018, that Allen is a bust? Get out and find another team. We have no idea yet and to a lot of us he shows many very good signs. Of course he is raw, will read defense slowly, etc. But there is no choice now, time to learn by doing! That the OL sucks was bad enough. Now it's clear WRs do too, and the OC wasn't very imaginative was he? Why did the Bills keep 4 TE if they're not involved more than this?

Allen, Murphy, the punter, and the fact that if the Ravens can totally rebuild their WR corp in one offseason, so can the Bills No big injuries Ravens also made a big use of their TE. Where were Clay and the other guys?

At least the commentators, who have mentioned 20 times how bad the Ravens WRs were last year, and how the 3 new ones have produced... gives hope than Allen can have a year that attracts WRs to come play here from next year! I never thougth I'd be one clamoring for Dez Bryant! But the WRs ar as bad if not worse than the OL