WideNine

These guys in the locker room are not going to start to point fingers, BUT as fans we get to have more fun and have the liberty to do so. I have always thought that Star is doing what Star did for the Panthers and what the Bills are asking of him today which is to engage blockers and create seams and gaps allowing LBs to penetrate and stop the run. The big difference for the Bills is that Edmunds at MLB is not Luke Kuechly in regards to his ability to quickly diagnose, avoid and shed blockers, and get to the running back. There are still too many plays where our linebackers are either on their heels waiting for the running backs and/or blockers to get to them or aggressively attacking the wrong gaps, or there are times they hit the right gap, but more than a few long runs were the result of the running back hitting the scrum with no where to go, yet being able to bounce it outside.

Wrong holiday, but this classic just popped into my mind...

Was more a response regarding Allen's ability to learn the read-option (or read option/veer more apt). It is often used in high schools and college offenses with athletic QBs as it is a simpler concept to teach and execute with limited reads. I had no doubt Allen could run it, and there are times Daboll has used similar concepts with a few of Allen's red zone runs. Was not endorsing the Bills to adopt it, but I like how creative Roman can be with that scheme...gave Belicheat a migraine. I think in the long run Allen will be better served learning to play from the pocket.

Then I am going to lean with the refs were just chill during the Skins game. My mistake regarding the reps. Because I did not hear Lee called for any penalties I lazily assumed he was just in on less snaps. I guess Smith may also have had some extra coaching to cut down on the mental errors. Time will tell if it sticks.

I do think some get "critical of the Bills" confused with "annoying mantra of unsupportable opinion". When folks get tired of that approach and tune it out, it is misconstrued as being a site not open to critiquing our team. There are plenty of Bills boards out there that are perfect for just endless bitching, TBD probably less so. The ignore works for the most part if you just can't see eye-to-eye with someone. I only have a very few in that list, and only those because it seemed they either stopped taking their meds at some point or rather than critique the topic, they fell back on what they are better at - trying to attack me or others personally. I do not have a lot of patience with that. There are a few ranting noobs on it that were either drunk or English was their 3rd language.... I hope that was the case, or Webster would weep. Nothing is perfect, but I keep coming back to TBD because I learn more about the team specifically and the game in general. There are more than a few quality posters here that change my mind, provide quality updates, or point to resources that have changed my opinion. I honestly feel better informed because of the community here.

Smith plays hard with attitude, but has been a yellow hanky magnet. Think he's been losing some reps to Kroft now that the foot issues are in the rear view (fingers crossed).

Hoping this means a balanced dose of running "under" Garrett to slow down that rush. I like both Ford and Nsekhe in our run game as they can both move people, it is their ability to hang with speed rushers and protect Allen that usually gets me nervous when we sell out "pass" on a play.

jeeeez... you are new to this whole Bills fan bad karma thing right? You never, ever flag fate this way.

I'm sorry, but it is kind of wild thinking about this from the player's perspective. Getting to play "you" in a game and with the other Bills players around you it has to be comical when Allen aims a pass at a streaking Smoke and it hits the camera man on the other side of the field. Would love me some reality TV watching the Bills players in that setting. Too funny!

Would love to disagree, but listing 6 teams that have a more consistent history of winning records and one that has a consistent history of choking... I don't even think the over 30% that did not vote Bills were Buffalo fans, they just hated another team more. Is what it is, you cannot force-change a narrative, just like the Allen hate on this board. If he keeps improving and winning they will gradually fade away, but if Allen regresses and this franchise has to hit the reset (again) they will finally have their day in the sun.

I thought that "force feed OBJ" comment interesting too. The problem they have had to date is that OBJ has been getting double-teamed, so I think establishing the run and forcing our safeties to have to respect that and not being able to keep a guy over top of OBJ would be part of their game plan. They will also test Wallace as he has given up ground to physical receivers and has been susceptible over top to the double moves. I have a feeling this game is going to do a number on my blood pressure.

Allen cracked me up, I don't want to throw to X (points to the left of the stadium) and have the pass go there (points to the right)... Madden bends to the marketing of big city players. Tre White 16th best corner in the league - response from Tre "that's a disgrace".

A bit too narrow of an argument as there are a lot more factors and this seems to me to be a tired retread of trying to force a narrative that does not take in all the facts. Allen needs to continue to work on his throws with anticipation and timing, but he has improved a lot in those areas of touch and timing. If you are objectively looking for that. As to other factors, play design and execution for example. There have been more than a few comments by former coaches and players who break down plays where I have heard this or that receiver should have done this to run off a defender and clear space for Beasley, or Smoke... Also, when the folks at the Athletic, or Cover 1 break down plays I often hear Allen put it in the only spot he could to keep X receiver from getting lit up. That route should have been x, or formation kept the safety too close, etc... The consistency of those comments tells me that either play design or execution had a hand in impacting YAC on those plays, but feel free to blame Allen it is the simpler thing to do rather than dig into plays that get snuffed out to see what the Bills really need to work on. When Allen does fail to lead a receiver and it is not a blown route and he does not have a defender in his lap, I am fine saying he threw a bad pass. It happens.

I was wondering the same thing about equipment and cleats during the Eagles game the way our guys were slipping out there. I had already unloaded on so many other areas where we struggled, felt I should stop at the equipment guy.

Leaning towards Luiget getting snaps. Luiget is a vet who has played DT for two teams that have asked him to leverage different interior gap techniques. If he is healthy he gets the snaps. It will not be that much of a curve for him to understand what the defensive staff feels they are giving up in the middle on run D, and what they are looking for him to bring. I am concerned that he has been cast off by two teams, but Phillips seemed to blossom here after getting the boot from Gase (genius), maybe Luiget finds his game again as a Bill.

There is a fundamental truth that the tried and true AA method taps into. Change only really happens when a person is truly ready to accept the fact that they have a problem and have made poor choices. Accountability is a rare commodity.

Roman could teach Allen the read option. Allen is not LJax, but he has enough skills Roman would find a way to use him. The read option offense is one of the easier offenses to execute and simplifies reads. From what I have seen and heard Daboll's offense is almost the exact opposite. Complex and requiring a lot of processing from the QB. I think he is a pretty good coordinator when it comes to tailoring talent to roles. LJax is in a good situation there and what they have him doing is obviously working so I don't think there is any other measuring stick that matters.

I think it is more that folks are cautious that struggling teams with enough talent seem to always have a game or two where they pull it together and are competitive. Cleveland fits that mold. Just have to be sure one of their odd chance wins is not against our Bills. I think we will be able to gauge what kind of day it is going to be pretty early. They are going to test us up the middle and if we can stone them and hang a score of two on them, they will have to rethink their game plan. Otherwise I think it will become a bit of a run-heavy play action slugfest. I think this is going to be a very physical game and a penalty-fest. I do not have a hard time picturing Landry getting tossed.

Kraft is cheap.

I felt like Edmunds was a different player flowing to the ball carrier when Harry was in the lineup. We had a couple really good running backs on teams committed to running the ball and our defense was solid shutting them down. Not sure if Harry was just that good at achoring and keeping Edmunds clean, or if teams have figured out how to beat our scheme and isolate our LBs with blocks....

OMG the responses to this are pure gold. "One more than I thought they had" ???

I think Duke brings that physicality and ability to win with contested throws. So that is my preference too, as I think having receivers out there that Josh believes can fight and win on 50/50 throws will help him continue to grow his game.

This "disrespect" was the driving factor to that silly statement I made about teams being more motivated to not fall to the Bills. Of course it is subjective conjecture. Even teams with poor records that have nothing to brag about I believe react with a degree of shock when they fall to the Bills. The Jets last year were a prime example; falling not only to the Bills, but a Matt Barkley-led Bills squad - Oh the humanity! I found the hue and cry of fans, former players, and the Jets org humorous because IMO the Jets were no great shake, but they acted like the sky was falling. Do you remember how for a while it seemed that every team we beat resulted in a coaching shake-up either happening or being discussed? Lose against the Patriots, Eagles, Saints, Packers, a forgivable offense, but the Bills...? Damn, we are worse off than we thought? It was not that long ago AB was tweeting about never playing for Buffalo (whose laughing now), and there is an entrenched perception of the Bills being that perennial bottom feeding team after our 17 year playoff drought. Backing into one playoff appearance since that dubious run cannot be expected to fully erase that narrative. Media and player perceptions are not changed by telling people you are better. If the Bills are successful building a team that can demonstrate that they can string winning seasons together the narrative will change on its own. I think they are on the right track, but they have to take care of business and get the wins. I don't expect any team we play to roll over for us and run to the bus.

I thought that quote was a good example of correlation does not imply causation. Teams run more to eat the clock and protect their lead, but you run to win too (and what that means varies from person to person), but I will go with finding the right balance of Run v. Pass and most folks breaking down film will say that having a RB on the field creates more opportunities in the passing game. Because even the threat of run slows down the pass rush, forces linebackers and safeties to stay closer to the LOS, and creates soft spots in the deeper zones they are supposed to be dropping into. With a mobile QB you even put more stress on the defense as defenders are in conflict, do I come up to stop Allen, do I cover Singletary as he releases as an outlet, do I drop back into my zone responsibility. It does not have to be grind it out football with one yard and a cloud of dust, but as Singletary earns Daboll's trust we should see his snap counts steadily go up. Singletary has also been a pleasantly effective surprise in pass-pro picking up the odd rusher coming free. The Bills are in this quandary now with their struggles against the run having to keep two very good coverage LBs in Edmunds and Milano closer to the LOS - throw in their safeties too if those guys are getting rolled. They survived the Skins as there was only so much damage Haskins was going to do thru the air. The Browns have the talent to be more of an issue. I hope they are so dysfunctional they lose, but McD knows that hope is not a strategy and they shopped for some interior run D help. I don't anticipate this game being a walk in the park... no NFL team is OK with being beaten by Buffalo. I think its a thing. The worse teams out there bring it when they play us.

I guess I have missed the guard hate. I think both our guards are serviceable and probably a bit better maulers than pass blockers. I felt that Feliciano struggled in our game against the Eagles, but was being asked to pass protect more that game against a great defensive front. Where I think we have had more consistency issues is at RT. Nsekhe has been struggling through nagging injuries and Ford is better suited for guard at this stage of his development than asking him to pass protect on the edge. We have struggled a bit all year picking up the delayed or corner blitz from Dawkins side, but that is more scheme and coaching recognition. Morse may not be a mauler, but he can pull with the best of them. Bobby Johnson has done a pretty good job with this group and they are much better than last year. The penalties were bugging me, but they cleaned things up against the Skins.