WideNine

Silly. I don't think there is a fan that is not happy when Allen is happy and also playing his best. Critique just comes from that desire to see his success.

That is one advantage, but he is accurate as hell from the pocket so our secondary cannot be playing like the keystone cops out there with their communication and need to stop giving up so much cushion so the rush has a chance to get to him. Interior pressure will be huge, but I would expect them to run a bit more to keep our rush in check. Kyren Williams is a good back and leads the league in rushing success rate among regular backs at 64.8%, with 294 yards at 5.4 per carry. Blake Corum adds 162 yards at 4.9 so not too shabby. We have been doing well against the run, but the Rams will do the smart thing and likely stick to the run enough to slow down the pass rush. A tough test for Jim's squad, but the NFL does not believe in waiting for teams to get their crap together. Got to grow up quick.

Man that was a bit tough to watch, but grandpa Klein did his best. I just think most of us went into this season expecting growing pains for the defense and they need to improve. Their DL is coming along, but the secondary is struggling. What we did not expect is an offense that would turn the ball over 5x against SD, and then come out so ineffective vs NE the next week and not have better answers. Not expecting us to win vs Rams, but hoping to see a better game plan, less mistakes, and our guys competing and making them earn it.

So what would a smart HC do? Figure out a way to win TOP and limit how often you expose your swiss cheese defense not rapid fire 3-and-outs and putting those guys right back out there.

Perhaps - I try to stay away from the hysteria. I will admit I was pretty pissed because in the back of my mind is this mantra of "Just don't lose to NE and that meat head Vrabel." and they did... so for sure that torques me. Even if we crush an opponent, I will take some time dissecting a game for what I think we did well (so stuff the team could lean into or players developing) and where we could improve (poor game management, plays to be made we left on the field, or players struggling - players will say "we left meat on the bone"). Basically, an approach and a mindset of continuous improvement and that there are always things the team could do better even when they have logged a win. I am probably not a big fan of a win is a win - I understand that an ugly win still counts, but there is more to it for me. There is a win that leaves me asking WTH was that? Because it was a roller coaster ride and we all know our team did a bunch of stupid things that normally would have cost us the game and we somehow got the bounces and the calls and pulled the horseshoe out of our backside at the end. Then there are wins where we look like we had the right plan going in and we executed it the way it was supposed to be executed, and we won because we deserved it. Those feel very different to me as one leaves me feeling more confident about my team. Regardless I had to do something to level out the highs and the lows so the highs are not too high and the lows are not the depths of depression. Getting into the All-22, and those folks that go through game analysis helps me learn more about the game and process the losses.

Possible - McD was always a firm believer in having that veteran presence in the locker room. Thought that was something Beane ascribed to as well. A lot of turnover this season and hard to know what that locker room leadership looks like or if it is a missing element.

Depends I guess on what each fan thinks is meant by "growing up" as it could be a lot of things. For some it is cutting down on the team making mental mistakes, unforced errors, and taking care of the ball. For some it is how players reacted before and after this loss. For some it is the offense getting back to playing more under control and on schedule. For some it is the defense being able to stop the pass and get off the field. For me it is coaching that needs to self-scout, fix communication issues, and game plan better. It is on them to fix the pass protection, create a better game script, use your TEs and 13 personnel and stay committed to the run, make better and more timely adjustments on both sides of the ball, offensive play sequencing that uses our best players, take more control of pass protection by scripting moving the pocket left or right which also makes Allen more comfortable and would leave one of those wide 9 defenders in no man's land. For the defense understanding down and distance situations and doing the right things in those situations, having a plan for mobile QBs when we face the next one, and just tighter coverage. For some it is Allen doing the smart-right thing in high leverage situations. Allen had one year where I think he led the league in protecting the ball and limiting negative plays. He simply did a lot of the right things with the ball - so we know he has the capability with the right guidance. Can they get back to that and help him find the balance between his elite physical talents and making good decisions. Lots of ways to look at this, and for me I am not surprised that the defense has to grow up and gel as I expected that. I am more surprised with an offense that had less changes in the off season apparently having to learn from scratch how to attack defenses using shell coverages, wide cage rushes, and spy mirrors on Allen. Because that has never happened before.

This. The reality of the running game play by play on the first half: 1st quarter: Cook 4 yard run 6 yard run -1 yard run 8 yard TD run 2nd quarter: Tough sledding - I think is the bias folks remember. Cook 1 yard run 0 yard run on a 1st and goal against a stacked DL. Then a 4 yard run near goal line after a bad penalty on Dawkins and then a weird penalty on Vrabel. Sets up Allen TD run As to the 1st half passing efficiency: We had 4 incomplete passes 2 fumbles - one lost 1 sack 3rd quarter NE opened up with a score The Bills: 2 yard run (penalty on NE defensive holding) 1st down. 2 yard pass Incomplete 1 yard pass ( NE showed blitz and we checked into that play to Coleman they were waiting for) Punt. NE wanted us to stop running, because that was the best chance for the Bills to get into a rhythm and maintain TOP, keep play action relevant, keep our defense fresh, and put pressure on Maye. Also when we use more of our very talented TE room with more 13 personnel looks and getting those guys more involved in both run blocking and the passing game. Brady and Carmichael were happy to go along with their game script... Good teams stay committed to running the ball, not just when it is churning out positive yards, but for how it forces defenses to play you.

There is always hope. Let's see if Brady pivots to staying committed to running the ball, game plans better, and manages the game better. They need to fix the pass protection and how teams are attacking that left side. OL love run blocking and it is something this group can excel at once they get going, also makes your play action actually work for hitting those TEs and deeper shots. So let Cook cook and spell him now and then with Davis. Fix those things and you end up naturally reigning in the worse aspects of risky Allen play with a more balanced approach moving the chains, limiting the defensive reps and keeping them fresh. We will learn a lot about this team in how they respond vs the Rams. Tough opponent to draw up with our issues in the secondary. Every team we face is going to dust off some form of this defensive blueprint so they have to evolve if they want to get back to winning football.

This is very true and what defensive coaches have scouted for years. Allen does not like to play behind center in the pocket. Even with a clean pocket he is dancing around because he has always leaned on his athleticism to buy more time to make the plays he wants. Take that away and you take away something he is more comfortable doing and making him go through progressions. Get pressure on him with a few blitzes and you speed up his infernal clock and he will make more hurried mistakes. He still has that tendency to turn down wide open check downs and outlets that are profits that move the chains. All of those things are advantages that savvy defensive coaches will copy. Some of it is just better coaching around him. Allen checked out of a blitz look and dumped the ball right where NE wanted it. That was NE scouting how the Bills handle those looks and dictating our response. Good coaching would also counter these tendencies by having Allen share the load with Cook and just running more which we did last season and have forgotten that it generally works to keep Allen more on schedule.

I am not sure I understand what you are saying. Are you saying they are coached not to force the ball into coverage when they have time on the clock at the end of a game, all their timeouts and it is only 2nd down on the opponents 40? You should never have to coach that during the week.

Agree with a lot of this. Josh has been in the league long enough where he should understand what to do with the ball in those situations. I look more at the unforced errors, the ones where you just say, "Josh, you don't need to do that there, you had better choices there." Defenses are keeping him hemmed in and he is definitely not comfortable right now with his pass protection and teams have been exposing the left side of the OL and Deon's pass set tendencies and Dawkins needs to self-evaluate and be willing to make some corrections. Allen may just be that kind of QB where tough coaching just works better to keep him on the rails who knows if his hero-ball tendencies are just DNA. There is so much good in his game, I guess we hope that Brady and Carmichael can find a way to get him to just play smarter. Running the ball more would help remind Josh that it ain't all on him.

Didn't we also see a passing game that sputtered out? You cannot just abandon the run game because a few early runs don't gain 4-5 yards, you stick with it. You also don't take the ball first of you have the option. Poor coaching. The rush attempts per quarter were abysmal. Anyone that thinks they have seen a good offense the past 2 weeks are very much cherry-picking performances. The offense is definitely struggling too.

The difference for me is I came into this season thinking that this defense was going to need some time to find its legs. So many new players, new offensive minded HC, new DC, and a new defensive system. What did the offense lose or change? I expected them to be able to carry a defense that was going to need time, but they have really struggled and keep putting that leaky D back on the field with abysmal possessions and turnovers. Yes, the defense needs work, and that falls within my expectations, worse with Oliver mailing it in (family tragedy and probably not mentally ready to contribute... it's a theory) and Landon Jackson injured so DL rotation hit. In the backfield Benford out, Hancock out, T'Corey Couch -DB pulled hammy at the half, and Dee Alford hurt. Does the defense need to play better? Yes, they do, but I'm more disappointed with the offense and offensive play calling and HC game management.

Everyone knows you don't stop feeding a back like Cook the ball just because it is tough sledding for a while and he was averaging 6 yards/carry. Only 12 freaking carries and NE never stopped feeding their back because their coach knows better. Keeps the defense in check, makes play action believable, and helps a struggling offense stay in rhythm. Never understood that logic of we stopped running the ball because it was tough sledding unless you have fallen well behind and are running out of clock. Did we stop passing the ball when that was not working and we were piling up 3 and out possessions and settling for field goals in the red zone after getting nothing passing? Of course not.