WideNine

He loses contain when he does that, but I think he has been dinged up this year. They should sign Lawson as I think he has proved it on his "prove-it" deal. Would reflect well on the org for guys that have tried to work within the process. I think some long runs happened with Johnson in at RDE would have to go back to see, but our ends should not rush too deep, nor lose outside contain this game as they are doing most of their damage on the ground.

Yeah our RDE is getting swallowed

Now we need the D to clamp down or force a turnover... do that and Denver's memory of 2nd half meltdowns comes home to roost.

That's my QB - just saying it loud and proud.

Damn - Foster... they had found a good way to use him this game.

Late getting online today - refs are a bit ticky-tacky took away a pretty sure TD with Gore down to the one on a holding on our center. Never like calling holds on interior linemen because there is one on just about every play. It is the Sumo position of football. I think the pick by Josh was a route miscommunication... I doubt the play is supposed to have all the receivers bunched around the same area to the right and no one running that post. Wonder if that was because Beasley was out and someone subbing in did not quite get the route concept on that play. They have a lot of option routes they use with Beasley based on defensive looks, but that takes a lot of experience from the receiver playing that slot position.

This will be a good test. They have great DE's and a disruptive NT. They can force the QB off his spot and hurried throws. This isn't Miami where Josh could order desert after casually finishing his dinner back there. They will seek to double smoke with man press and some shallow zone help to try to take Allen's first read away to allow that pass rush to get to him. Brown is Allen's security blanket so it makes sense that they will try to take him out of the game. Passing wise, it would be a good game for others to step up...Beasley, Knox, and whoever they activate this game. I would lean on the run too to slow down that rush, but we will see if Dabs bucks convention. A few designed read option or rpo runs for Allen as well as jet sweep fakes could take advantage of an overly aggressive front. I like our D matchup...Fant has come on for them, but we have the right personnel to take away a pass-catching tightend as long as Frazier does not have them in a passive zone. Our run defense is starting to come along, and I trust White to blanket Sutton. Should be a close game, but I expect some turnovers by both offenses with these defenses and whoever wins the turnover battle has the edge. Bills have been so close to getting more turnovers, maybe this is the game. Can't believe we are still watching meaningful games this late in a season instead of jokingly talking about how we could mathematically still be in the playoffs if this or that team loses all their remaining games and we run the table with ours.

Seems to be a lot of confusion in Dolphinland about RPO. Apparently they cannot see the 3 receivers we had start their routes? Will admit that in all fairness it was more a read option (or maybe just a fake) to that dive play as there was no doubt Josh was keeping it to run. The top 2 receivers sold the RB run with one running the defender off and our slot setting up inside leverage as if he were blocking for the RB. McKenzie on the play side setup to block downfield for Josh right away. Daboll made them look a bit silly on that play, but it should work wonders against guys selling out in run blitzes. That element of contain discipline that keeps DE's from crashing down on inside runs when there is a mobile QB...have to flash that now and then to keep them honest. I give our Smurfs some grief, but that was some committed downfield blocking my McKenzie. Yes, that was well executed and fun to watch.

I did like that 3x1 package, and that is why I said I hope it is just a numbers game based on the packages. If opposing teams are using nickle db's to cover Beasley it would be interesting to sub a more physical Duke in the slot now and then to spell him and create some different mismatches.

Fair enough, just was listing some of the things I saw he was doing with those limited reps. Not sure if he can do that consistently.

The only analysis I provided is that he has done a lot with the 7 targets he was given, while there are other receivers who have been given more opportunities and have been meh. I think it is a fair statement to say we don't know what we have with this kid because of the limited reps. Not going to say he is a world-beater, I don't get too high or too low on our PS guys, but no one really knows what he can bring to this offense with the limited chances he has been given. Nice Lee Smith comment, I think we may have done a tackle eligible play once last year too.

I think you are right. There is so much administrative overhead and distraction that comes with being a HC, trying to find the right personnel to make up your staff and keep them pointed in the right direction. Some make the transition and do well others are better as coordinators who just have to focus on their craft.

You may trust this staff, but I am still skeptical in regards to their ability to judge receiving talent - We are not that far removed from Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones. Brown was a proven commodity before coming to the Bills. Your rushing analogy makes no sense - correlation is not causation for example: Against the Browns we had a combined 56 yards rushing for all our backs, but Duke was not in the game. The ONLY possible explanation is that we lacked the impact of having Duke's blocking on the edges? In regards to total rushing yards, Daboll throws darts at a board deciding on how often this team is going to run the ball and the number of rushing yards has nothing to do with the fact that Duke is a better blocker on the edges than our smurfs. Duke has only been targeted 7 times - he has caught 6 of those for 58 yards and a score. You have to be used to see if you can be useful, and this staff gives way more opportunities to some to prove they suck than others. I assume there has to be more to the story, and it may simply be a numbers game with the personnel packages they want to run, but I am not going to say the kid can't ball. Titans Duke 4 targets 4 completions 29 yards and TD Miami 1st divisional game Duke targeted once - complete for 23 yards Eagles Duke 2 targets - completion 1 for 6 yards

If marginal and sub-standard means productive when given the chance in actual games, blocking on the edges, high pointing balls, winning contested throws, and scoring TDs, then I do like marginal WRs over track guys that rarely produce when given multiple games and reps to show up. Count me among the delusional that want to see more production out of our WR positions. Other than Brown I think there is plenty of marginal and sub-standard getting the nod to start each week. There is room to explore other personnel options on this roster, not sure why he is in Daboll's dog house.

It's hard when it comes to Allen as he has shown the plasticity to be open to coaching and seems to have the ability to apply what he has learned. There are some ups and downs, but I think the overall trend is a positive aggregate of lessons learned and applied. So any blanket statements like "he will never", or "he will always" are premature at best considering he is still growing as a NFL QB. Hard to know what we have till you can come to a consensus that his NFL skills have plateaued. As long as he is willing to put in the work, and that work shows up in a positive way as improved results on the field, we will need to be patient.

I have never believed that you let the defense dictate your plays that way. Heck the Bills were loading the box for weeks and were still getting run on. The Browns are no great shakes at stopping the run....26th in rushing yards allowed. Make them prove they can stop you, it is like running away from a fight just because the other guy starts jogging in place making Bruce Lee noises. The point is more that the Bills should maintain some semblance of run balance while a game is still within reach to have an extra guy to pick up the blitz or chip a DE, slow the pass rush with play action, and to take some of the load off your young QB. Instead our offensive game plan placed an emphasis on our weakest area (forcing our inexperienced QB into quickly diagnosing complex coverages and pressure packages) playing into their strength, while not attacking their known weaknesses. It was a mistake, and hell will freeze over before your hear that from OBD, but I expect Daboll in the booth and the balance in the Dolphins game was the result of self-scouting that came to some similar conclusions. That does not mean that you go heavy and run-pass-pass-punt in a predictable pattern, I think Gunner had referenced some stats that showed passing on 1st down is actually more effective. But having a base package of personnel that can line up in different formations, that force a defense to defend sideline to sideline, yet allows you to run or pass out of it is not a terrible thing. I think it was more confusing for our offense platooning so many different personnel packages, than it was to opposing defenses. And sometimes I think our different personnel packages tipped our hand as to what we were running. The net result was guys running the wrong routes and a schizophrenic offensive identity. I hope we stay committed to keeping our best players on the field for more snaps and maintaining some run/pass balance. I think it will pay off.

Those soft tissue and tendon injuries can linger longer than a fracture healing - either way, they both are going to impact what he can do as it will be a while before he can put his full weight on that joint and have it hold up. And after that, you have to get the strength back that you had before...to get back into game condition. My guess is that he will be out for the remainder of the season, unless we go deep into the playoffs... (dare we hope). The Bills sports med facility and staff I think have come a long way, not sure what miracles they can perform, but believe he is in good hands looking at the way they did not rush Singletary back from the hammy. In the past, teams would do that and it would be a recurring issue for the player. So far (knock on wood) Singletary does not look like he has lost any of his burst or acceleration, and does not seem to be dealing with it tightening up on him over the course of a game.

Lamar has to have a few of these under his belt, perhaps they were just trying to spread the love a bit. He did have another great performance though.

Not really, just saying he had some left in the tank. It was time to move on.

Shady still has some wiggle left in him. Was kind of relieved that we would leave the hammy issues and missed games he had behind with our shiny new RB, then Singletary pulled his hammy. The irony was not lost on me.

I am usually not the sentamental type, but Gore carried this team when we did not have a deep bench at RB this year and at times was the only real spark. He is still a good back to have back there in pass-pro, and although teams have been getting to his feet with well executed run blitzes, I think he still has a role to play. Reduce his touches so he can keep his legs a bit fresher for those short yardage situations between the tackles when they call his number. Don't use him on stretch plays that require more cutback, change of direction, and burst ability, but let him spell the kid when needed. That is the balance I hope they continue to leverage.

I don't think that was what was going on as there were far too many times Allen would have them snap the ball with 5 or less seconds on the clock. Certainly Daboll does relay plays to Allen before they huddle up, but they went up-tempo because Daboll made things a bit simpler for Allen by not subbing different offensive personnel packages after each play, which allowed them to be more up-tempo and aggressive.

I won't disagree with the profile, but we have speed. I think it is or should also be a matter of route discipline and where Josh is as a QB. A good route runner creates separation with quickness in and out of his breaks, but that also requires Allen to throw it right before he comes out of his breaks to take advantage of the separation before a DB recovers. Allen has gotten better with that, but is not quite there with the consistency. That may be the reason Daboll has preferred to use guys who can create more separation that Allen can visually confirm rather than guys who can catch contested throws into tight windows.

Usually a defensive player, and we have a defensive-minded HC. WR...I don't see happening as the first Bills pick, but you can bookmark this post and see if I am right after the draft.

BPA at a position of need. Prob DE as they go off the board first, and we have Hughes not getting any younger, an ineffective Murphy at RDE, and Shaq who may test FA. Then BPA at DB, WR, LB, or OL...could go in a lot of directions. As far as receivers go they just need to focus on a bigger, physical receiver, who catches with his hands, highpoints, catches contested throws. Something like a Duke Williams who has been riding the pine while Daboll rolls out the speedy Smurf corps. Would love to know what the deal is with that because he seemed like he was developing some chemistry with Allen and was throwing great downfield blocks. Then it was healthy scratch, healthy scratch, healthy scratch... Did he take a dump on Daboll's desk?