WideNine

I think our 3rd qtr adjustments as a whole are not where they need to be. Daboll has to think one move ahead, what plays have we had success running, what might they do to counter that, and then what should we do if they make those adjustments? Instead we generally get stuffed right off the bat and end up punting or creating a turnover. I think Daboll may want to consider having some scripted plays for the 2nd half and run an up-tempo series to see if he can get them out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Allen and this team seem to respond best when in that 2-minute drill mode and they don't over-think things. Just some ideas This seems like deja vu to me as I used to get frustrated with Marv's teams too because they were notorious for coming out of halftime flat and giving up points. I used to wonder "what kind of pep-talk are you giving them Marv?".

Yep. And in other "discouraging" news Allen currently leads the league in clutch 4th qtr drives leading to wins. Last year he was tied for second. You can't teach clutch performance it is either in the dna or it isn't. There is plenty for Allen to work on, but he does have it in him to take the team down the length of the field to win a game with only seconds left on the clock when needed.

I guess I am wired a bit weird... never assume that just because someone did not find success as a Bill that they cannot find their game in another system with other players. Does not change that that for some reason they were not a fit for my team, and good luck with all that. Just the running of the mouth thing bugs me, reminds me of all the lip KB sent the Panthers way before he under-performed his way off our roster then the Chiefs. Just not a good look for any professional athlete if they want to do themselves a favor as a pro that a GM will take a chance on, and as a player that may need to look in the mirror and be honest about the things they could do better. Josh tends to make later reads (as he learns defenses) and throwing with more anticipation is something he is working on, but he can still recover and throw to a spot because he throws on a rope and I don't think Zay has the hands for those kinds of throws. A QB who has less of an arm and has had to always read defenses well, and has always thrown with anticipation to a spot will not have as much on his ball and Zay may find more success. I prefer receivers that have the hands to handle the quick slants and deep outs because the ball is supposed to get there in a hurry. I think we may have found that receiver in Duke, and for the Bills sake and for Duke's I am hoping this chapter of Duke's life (especially when challenged by success) he keeps the off-field demons at bay.

their run defense has not been AS tested as their pass defense because only one team shut down Brady this year and had the luxury of being able to pound the rock all game long - our Bills. Everyone else is forced to pass to try to catch up with a token run here or there. Pittsburgh - 12 rushing attempts could not stop NE scoring Miami - 14x buried by NE scoring Jets ran Bell, but NE keyed on him and the Jets are pretty limited offensively - NE kept him bottled up and the Jets could not stop Brady Bills - Gore 17X for 109 yds and we gave Brady fits. Redskins - 18x by committee for 131yds, could not keep pace with NE scoring abandoned it in the 3rd.

Truth. I would rather pull our guards and center and run against that D than throw into it. You're going to get the phantom holding call against your interior linemen, but less chance of turning it over because they are built for man coverage and to pressure the passing game into sacks, ints, and fumbles. Instead, take it right to them, nothing fancy, just slobber knocker trench warfare.

...and we are 4-1 ...and we are 3rd in red zone scoring (TDs) ....and our defense is 3rd overall preventing yards per game ....Josh is 8-1 as a starter when he keeps turnovers to 1 or less. We are building something here, no one said it was finished yet.

OBJ does not strike me as a 1/11th kind of guy. Just saying.

I think Ford has been looking more and more like he is getting into NFL shape. If he has come as far as he has on just natural ability, the kid will have an amazing ceiling as he puts on more muscle. I thought looking at his college clips he would struggle with speed rushers on the outside so I am not as disappointed in him as some. They have put him out there on a limb when he has been more suited to guard while he develops. I think his future is bright though if he stays healthy. He just needs to keep working on his power/explosiveness out of his stance and his kick slide... The Bills strength training staff will get him where he needs to be.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is not going to be a thing when Jones has "a good day". Even if Zay is able to catch some lobs elsewhere, this team needs receivers that can catch bullets. I was hoping Zay can find his game on a new team, but he and daddy need to be pros and STFU.

This seems to be a bit of a theme with your posts so wanted to reply. I actually was on the be patient with EJ band wagon back in the day. It was not till I spoke with a friend of mine who has close ties to a bunch of New Orleans players that attended a regular off season training camp with some Bills players. Told me I needed to give that up because even the Bills players were frustrated with E.J. because he could not pickup an NFL playbook and coaches were having to dumb things down to half-field reads. Badol said about the same thing a million times, but my rule of thumb was and still is to disagree with him - always? Hearing it again from an outsider just confirmed it was time to move on. Apples and oranges trying to compare Allen to EJ. Daboll has one of the more complicated offenses in the league and Josh is grasping it and when given time, is going to his 3rd or 4th read. Time to let it go, or try a new argument.

It's been a mixed bag, some wide open shots where Allen has simply had bad mechanics throwing off platform - and I cannot remember a QB who overthrows a 50 yard pass while back pedaling and throwing off his back foot - he really does have an arm that is almost too strong. Then there have been a few that have been spot-on, but Allen has failed to see the safety over top that has taken passes that were on the money and intercepted them ala NE. Most teams play man with at least one safety over top when playing the Bills while bringing extra guys on the rush to force Allen into quick decisions and quicker passes, or force him to pull it down and roll out where he has had the tendency to lock onto a receiver which leads to some telegraphed throws and picks. So the opportunities have been a bit limited. Would like to Daboll crank up the run game consistently enough so that play action can freeze the safety enough to get Brown deep and our pass protection to hold up enough for Allen to step into those throws. I think then we will see some good long balls, but even if Allen just gets the hang of getting those shorter passes out quickly and eats up the clock with long drives while protecting the ball, he puts our defense in a better position to seal the wins.

I've brought this up before too. One way to slow that pass rush is to vary the snap count more than they do. A long READY hut-hut almost every play allows defenses to jump the count. They did the same thing last year assumed our line was so bad it had to be predictable to limit the pre-snap penalties.

In crunch time I would prefer Gore to Yeldon in regards to ball security. Analytics be damned? For me it has more to do with how each carries the ball. One carries it like a purse, and the other carries it like he's protecting a baby while falling down a flight of steps. Those last runs by Gore he was so wrapped around the ball you could not even see any of the ball peeking out. He just has more of my confidence in situations where I know teams are desparately trying to punch it out.

Folks keep moving the goal posts. It was all about completion % last year. This year it is yards/game. The kid makes mistakes, but he has worked on his short game accuracy and is clutch closing out games. It is a learning curve where I have seen both progress and glimpses of where he could be when he puts it all together. And we are winning.

This. Allen has been getting too much pressure off the edge on the right and there are games where that has had him spooked and he bails on the pocket early. We need Singletary so we can have a more consistent rushing attack that allows Gore to stay fresh and slow opposing defenses that pin their ears back on the pass rush. Singletary is also a RB we can use to get around the edge on stretch plays and toss sweeps if defenses are too focused on rushing/containing Allen A receiver that can make contested catches; someone Allen will not be afraid to throw to when covered. Hopefully Duke fills the bill. I would add Allen continuing to learn to read defenses and getting the ball out quicker.

What a lot of folks missed on that int was also that the Titans all-pro safety Byard who was in man coverage on Yeldon at mid-field, saw Beasley beating his man read Allen's eyes and pealed off his man to undercut the route. It was a heck of a defensive play reading Josh's eyes and diagnosing where he was going to go with the ball. We have to remind ourselves that sometimes there are really good players on the other side of the LOS and it is not just Josh throwing bullets into the numbers on the wrong jerseys. It was a very good defensive play and why that safety is the highest paid safety in the NFL. I can go with it was a dangerous place to throw the ball, or that the safer play would have been to throw it away, but it was not some terribly errant pass just a bad read by Josh on either Beasley continuing across the field, or Yeldon being a bit more aggressive - looked like he had a better angle on the pass than the Titans safety and he just stopped. Could be that Beasley and Yeldon each were yielding to the other the right-of-way so both just stopped. The Bills would be well served over the break to work out some basic route rules with their receivers so when Josh escapes pressure to extend a play they can break off their routes without being on top of each other or running into each other dragging defenders with them. Either way, those plays will happen and Allen will learn not to throw into a traffic jam in the middle of the field with an all pro safety there.

Oof! That's the one, and a cautionary tale for the next gen fans. Not to throw a wet blanket on the great start the team has made. Enjoy the wins, but the Bills need to take it one game at a time and don't look past any team.

Good Lord, I am trying to remember was it the Steelers that came to The Ralph and sat all their starters and we thought there was no way we were going to lose and got kicked in the nuts? The PTSD may be messing with my memory, but thought it was Pittsburgh.

Don't think getting rid of instant replay changes things for the better. It was only implemented because the officiating the Bills were subjected to in NE was so horrific that it made ol' Ralph so pissed he rallied the old guard to create the swing votes needed to implement it. Instructing each head official to reduce flags thrown per game by 40%, would be one positive move. Make all officials full time paid employees whose retention, and performances are audited and graded by an objective 3rd party to remove the in-house self evals they use today which IMO seems too insular to be effective. Also, in the absence of oversight and transparency who corrects any corruption or bias that may be systemic in that org.

All scoring plays are reviewed...supposedly. The Titans scored on that illegal forward pass.

Not all, but many of your high passing yard games come from teams playing catch-up from behind. I would rather we stay comfortably in the lead. I expect Daboll to use a variety of plays as he always does, and if Singletary can go, this is the game to help him shake off the rust. Once in the lead I would like to see us put a team away in the 3rd rather than come out flat... See what adjustments they make and calmly punt if needed on our initial drive, get the ball back and counter their changes sans turn overs to score a few in the 3rd.

Duke seemed really humble, appreciative and committed to working and keeping the life habits that have helped him both get, and embrace the chance he has to live up to his potential. I am rooting for him as a person and as a fan of the way he plays the game.

When the Titans sold out and threw everything but the kitchen sink into every gap on the right side of the line, and Josh seemed surprised for a split second that there was no one to account for him on that bootleg and waltz to the first down keeping the clock rolling....you just saw the last of the compete dribble out of that Titan team. Having been there as a Bills fan so often I have to say it feels so much better being on this side of these games.

Prob had a QB that could not and did not throw like his arm was a rail gun. Josh's throws get there in a hurry.

There have been very few times that I wanted to see players fail, KB and AB I did not mind seeing the crash and burn.... There are times when certain players are just not a good fit, and I think with Zay he may never realize his potential in this offense and will likely never live up to the draft reach - it happens. In another system with a different QB and scheme maybe it works better for him.