Jerome007

He really was inaccurate yesterday. I would have tacked it as a bad day but for aaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllll the posts on here mentioning it. Seriously, I didn't see nothing to worry about in preseason or game 1. This one, way more. This time he was. But still, let's see. He still got 245 yards. Take out "garbage time" and it was still 200 yards, with a subpar supporting cast. So even with issues, he can be effective! And overall I still think he showed more good than bad, yet he was inaccurate. So his potential is still way up there. Crazy.

Bingo. All this talk of McD having lost the lockeroom because of Davis. WHat? Dude was bad and quit in the worst possible way. If there are signs the coach is losing his team, that won't be it.

It sure was. But was it really because McD made the calls? If so, that remains! But it would surprising it's too that extent. I mean, like you mention it was night and day. It was like Roman. Great strategies and designs, bad game day calls. It was much better with Lynn calling the plays, but Roman had designed them.

Fair. But let's see what Watson does this year. As for Dak and Zak, it's the media making them superstars because their OLine was so damn dominant. I don't think they suddenly went from studs to average because of 2nd year blues or whatever, or the defense "figured them out". Their Oline was really that good. I recall a a game when they ran down the middle for 8-10 yards a play, and the coaches still had to outsmart themselves and throw a pass. Mahomes has killed it today, but it's fairplay to think what Allen could do with a year on the bench, with good coaches, solid Oline and offensive weapons. Anyway, point is, no way for now to anoint Josh "THE GUY" and certainly not saying he's a bust!

Get it right , get it right away... that was his very first game as a starter, 5 and a half quarters. Damn people are impatient. Dak had a superb OLine his first year, no fair comparison. Wentz is awesome but you know, surrounded by Superbowl quality talent. Wilson and Watson, OK, fair. Still, it was the first game of a guy supposedly not ready. We waited for Tyrod to finally grasp throwing with anticipation, over the middle, etc. and it never happened. So maybe Josh will reach his ceiling fast... but give the kid a chance. I can't believe all the negative Nancys (not the post quoted) on here saying he is a bust already! Are you mad? You just come to spew vomit? GTFO with that non-sense. If he is a bust, it's not from this game anyone will know it. Not anyone can know from this one game. He looked like a rookie that belongs in the NFL. What more you expect at this stage with his surrounding cast, really?

People that stick to an agenda.... He hasn't bee injured last year, and you mean a 22 yo Shady would have come out just fine from this? Ridiculous

He looked like a rookie out there all right, but a super talented one! He missed some blitzes, misread some plays, looked left first when he should gone right, etc. All these you sense he can and will clean up his act with experience so it is exciting. Even in preseason he had shown he could master the clock. Hell he's way ahead of Tyrod in two minute drills! He is tough to bring down, which this time cost an INT and should have also caused a fumble. Still, overall, that should help. As for the more worrisome aspects, it's the first game of his 5 outings so far I found his inaccuracy troubling, as it seems it might be a recurring pattern. Before this game, I felt it was just needless parroting of this supposed trait. While he throws darts and bombs as good as anyone, we don't see many throws with anticipation, if any. Is it something he'll learn overtime or never be good at? No one can tell now. His high score on the Wonderlic test makes me hopefully he'll quickly improve. Exciting.

I was pissed at Daboll but then he got more creative. There's that. Not top notch but quite a step up from last week and the first two "drives" with unimaginative plays. Half-time adjustments and McD taking over obviously made the defense better in the second half. Like completely two different defenses. Weird.

Shady has awesome work ethic and desire to perform. And it didn't dip one bit. Star? Who knows... Hopefully he's not on the Mario/Dareus "sit on my cash" regimen.

"Not concerned is really pushing it. A lot. But it goes to show how much Allen is value, and that Shady has now decent backups. A year ago, a McCoy injury would have felt like total disaster. Now it sucks. I still wish he comes back quickly

I agree. I hope we see this. Not expecting a flawless performance, awesome stats or polished reads, but many glimpses of out of norm great plays, that can make us think that when he does polish his game over a year or two, he'll be a top QB. That's the hope for tomorrow. Not that he kills it every game from now till the end of the season!

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!