WideNine

Antoine Winfield. The best open-field tackler I have ever seen play the game.

Folks get all comfy with our #2 overall defense, but yeah NE did a good job of running the ball down our throats. Once the defense committed everyone they could into the box to try to stop bleeding yards, NE was able to sneak guys like Edelman and Gronk behind them with play action for long gainers as the game wore on. Was a tough game to watch our team from either side of the ball. Also one of those games where we were all pretty critical with how flat-footed Edmunds was against the run from his Mike position, anticipating and filling the right gaps. Edmunds is a freak athlete who can cover a lot of ground in a hurry defending against passes and dropping into zones, but coming up to fill against the run seemed to be a concerning gap in his game. His recognition and reaction to attack the right gaps in run defense seemed to improve as the season progressed. Hoping that trend continues.

I believe that "All 22" did a Star review, and he was taking on double teams with the games they featured. Just a guess, but perhaps some teams that ran well on us like NE figured they could handle Star with a single blocker which allowed them to do more pulling and ISO blocks to spring their RBs. Expectations are high with Star considering the money - I get it.

Star drew a lot of double-teams last year which in theory should have allowed our other defensive linemen and linebackers to get upfield and be more disruptive. I don't think that happened enough, and that our defensive line struggled and definitely could be pushed around by good running teams. I have a hard time faulting a guy that other teams felt they have to account for with a guard and center, but I also do not think of Star as that explosive first step disruptive kind of player either. He strikes me more as a guy that can do exactly what he does, occupy two blockers without giving up too much ground. My hope is that Ed Oliver is that gap-shooting disruptive force that can get behind blocks to produce more TFLs behind the LOS.

Folks get a bit touchy about any questions around Knox. When I mention the drops, I am referring to his 15 rec to 28 targets in 2018. The scouting feedback on Knox was that he was athletic, good size, former QB so understands that perspective, a competent blocker, and works well in space, the risk were that he was a raw route runner with inconsistent college production and will need a lot of coaching up. He was only given 2-3 targets a game so.... sparsely used, but an argument could be made that he did not do enough with those targets. Considering the priority that OBD put on Josh having receivers that do not put the ball on the turf, Knox struck me as an odd selection looking no deeper than the production numbers. A lot of teams showed interest in Knox so my hope is that they all saw enough to look beyond his college production and felt any issues he has can be solved with good coaching. I do not think the plan would have been to have him take the bulk of the starting reps this season, rather they would have leaned on Kroft and gradually worked the rookies into getting reps. So it is not a slight on our rookies when folks talk about having a vet to start before throwing these guys into the fire.

That is the thing. His drops and apparent lack of ability to produce in college is why there are so many ?'s around Knox. The Bills watched a lot of tight ends in a deep class get taken before they decided to pull the trigger and trade back into the 3rd for Knox. There is going to be some 2nd guessing around that. It isn't hating on this kid if folks are wondering what Beane saw in Knox that trumped the production questions. They brought the kid in for interviews/workouts prior to the draft and I do think he was the guy they were targeting so I guess we will see sooner rather than later.

RIP Sue. Condolences to your family as you were far too young to have to say goodbye.

.and holding steady at #13.....

Because that is what we really need... Trusting the officials more (at all) to make the right calls and having them being just as much a part of the game as the players (who doesn't love it when there is officiating after each play?).

This is what I was thinking...only so much shine you can put on the turd which was last year. Last year, other than Foster the rest of the revolving receiving core were inconsistent to terrible. 3 step drops and timing? Don't make me laugh, as Allen was pressured on nearly 40% of his drops. Folks act all innocent and offended when they toss a lamp grenade out there that reads like Allen had to lean on weak excuses for not hooking up better with our receivers last year. Of course that is going generate some backlash, as Allen had as many valid reasons for poor passing stats as that former rookie QB in Arizona had, yet still found ways to move that offense. With veteran receivers running the correct routes to the correct depth and (once they gel - fingers crossed) an o-line that can block for a three-step drop with a clean pocket...the numbers will get better.

This is what I am thinking. McCoy has that bum hammy and each year he pulls it and comes up limp, the other aging vets all have a good chance of getting dinged too. I think the kid will get some carries, maybe a lot if pressed into duty early and tears it up.

Love to argue with you there, but I cannot. We can only hope that they simply thought there were flaws in Peterman's game in 2017 that could be corrected in the offseason and perhaps they tasked Daboll and Culley with doing just that while obviously not understanding that Peterman had traits (throwing it to the wrong jersey when under duress) that seem somewhat ingrained. Nor will I ignore the poor judgment of surrounding Peterman with the kind of supporting cast they did other than they must have assumed that it was a throw away season with all the cap they shed. Beane could not come right out and say that they were not going to be as competitive as they needed to be and probably banked that our defense could at least keep games from being completely lopsided laughers while they gradually worked Allen into getting reps. Also, from all reports Peterman was one of those guys who can light it up in practice only to stink it up live. The Peterman experiment in 2018 was mercifully short-lived, as Daboll must have convinced them that there was little there to salvage and it was time to wish him luck elsewhere.

This is where I am at. The Bills went with prospects with high ceilings that are going to need some coaching up. In Jax Oliver will need some coaching up too, but I think his ceiling may be a bit higher than some of the later round picks we nabbed - time will tell. I have seen some pundits give the Jaguars a failing draft grade, but I think they had a solid draft and I am not one to give Marrone any credit for anything so it is not like I want to like what they did in the draft. I do not know enough about our TE coach Boras to have an opinion on his ability to get it done, but he did not do a terrible job with Croom with a season of coaching and he has had little talent to work with overall. Would like to see what he is able to produce with this new crop before looking for position coach upgrades. Older clip with Boras getting after it in practice.

This. Many former successful athletes do not have a clue about how to assess the talent of others and apply it, they tend to turn to what they were able to do as players as their baseline. Some should just never be in a position to "coach" others; Just watch an Edelman interview and you can virtually see the Neurons chasing the butterflies around.

This, and apologies for the long post. We all hear it is a passing league, but a solid run game is still essential and NE put on a clinic last year that a strong run game coupled with short possession passing can still be pretty effective - added bonus of preserving Brady's 40+ year old noodle arm while keeping that other team's high-flying offense cooling their heels on the sideline too. Their defense, like ours was also good at limiting opponent TOP and creating turnovers. They rushed for 1st downs an average of 131 to opponents 93, passing attempt for 1st down averages were too close to call which tells you that NE was able to possess the ball and run more rushing plays on average than their opponents. Now their average rushing plays (and this is where the contrast with the rest of the league can be seen) NE rushed 478 times while the average for the rest of the league was 367. Sony Michel was their workhorse for most of that. Passing they only attempted 574 to the league average of 605, BUT NE completed 378 to the league average of 370. So on average teams try 30 or so passes more than NE, but they have nearly 40 more fall incomplete. They were 10+ in turnover ratio. Not to be Captain Ahab tilting at whales with my NE comparisons, but it seemed fitting when folks get so enamored with high flying offenses that you look at the team that has been able to bring those teams down and learn something from that. Running the ball is still effective strategy, but you have to keep the sticks moving and maintain possession of the ball (as one can see with the increased number of plays on average NE was able to run). They are efficient in the passing game having far fewer passes fall incomplete, but not in the traditional sense of having a clear #1 WR diva-type that some on this board seems so determined to find; rather the ball is spread around to guys who do not drop it with the average yards around 15 - Gordon was their guy for stretching the field but only by a bit... note White who had the most reception but averaged 8.6 yards - evidence of that short possession game that the coaches want Allen to master over time. James White 87 751 8.6 42 7 Julian Edelman 74 850 11.5 36 6 Rob Gronkowski 47 682 14.5 42 3 Josh Gordon 40 720 18.0 55 3 Chris Hogan 35 532 15.2 63 3 All this being said I don't think there should be any specific offensive philosophy the Bills fall into, rather being proficient running and passing and tailoring game plans for the next opponent. The only guiding principal that I think they stay committed to is working strategies into the game plan to wean Allen away a bit from the "hero ball" he plays to leaning a bit more on his team mates. That means having some patience with the short high-percentage game and working the running game that did not exist last year. This does not mean that Allen will not take his deep shots, if he sees Brown or Foster singled up or uncovered he is going to use his cannon arm - as he should. His arm strength is an advantage that the Bills should not ignore. Also does not mean that Allen will not take off some times, he was pretty dangerous with his legs and gradually was learning to head for the sidelines or slide to avoid the big hits. If a defense gives up 15 yards of green in front of them, Allen is going to take off (and should) if he is confident he can get a 1st down or more. More effective balance in our offense (rushes and short high-% passes) less turnovers or "3 and outs", just means it is going to be a nightmare for defensive coordinators to game plan the Bills. Of course we also need a defense that does not bend so much that teams can simply eat up the clock moving slowly down the field keeping our offense off the field (the flaw of that bend-don't-break nonsense) - statistically we have a very good defense, but teams with a good rushing attacks were able to move the sticks on us while we feasted on teams with poor offensive lines and passing attacks. I think those feasting games inflated our defensive averages and ranking enough to create some misleading assumptions. Lastly the wild card that cost us a few games where the offense and defense played tough, we need a Special Teams unit that can kick the ball, notch field goals when needed, cover to protect field position, or tilt field position a bit in our favor which was largely missing last year. A lot needs to come together this year and not just the offense, and maybe Vegas is right, but they lean on metrics so much and can be blind to teams that are on the crux of breaking out. The Bills could be that team this year and I can't wait to see what the coaching staff is able to do.

NE does not want a lot of stars, just role players who can execute Bill's game plan. Even when they have picked up veteran star players in the past, those guys shut up and tow the line even if they only get a bit role in a game. Part of the reason IMO Beane said they don't buy into the #1 wide receiver concept.

I had forgotten that Miami pillaged Marvin Allen for their assistant GM leaving that Senior National Scout position vacant. Miami had a better draft than expected and the Rosen pickup was not too shabby with their current needs and depth at QB.

Safeties up or playing cover 1 then take your deep shots. If 2 deep zone, run or work the middle with Beasley, RBs releasing, or your TEs. Throw in a few Daboll "fun" plays to take advantage of any defensive tendencies. And overall less offensive miscues leading to penalties and bad field position.

There have been a lot of similar comments about Wrecks way of running the team and lack of discipline and that the staff did not seem like they were on the same page. I think a team can get lucky and have things just come together, but to be consistently competitive you have to have a solid foundation and good leadership from top to bottom with everyone on the same page. When Crossman's kickoffs against the Jets were line drives to their dangerous return guy and the Bills paid the price you could tell McDermott in his post-game presser was livid. He kept a lid on it mostly, but it was clear he expected the kickoffs to go anywhere, but near Andre Roberts. I know players have to execute, but coaches are ultimately responsible for being on the same page with their game plan and coaching up their units to do that. Crossman did not get it done, they replaced him... jury is out on the new guy getting his unit better prepared. I don't see a lot of cronyism in the McBeane management of this team's staff, you either are getting the job done and have a passing grade, or they are going to shop the staff position around to see if they can upgrade it.

I think we talked about "prescriptive BPA" here before. You don't just pick the best athlete at a random position, you take the best player available on your board who aligns as a good (non-reach) value for that round and pick that also fits either a current or future team need. Beans also evaluates draft depth at certain positions of team need to see if free agency is a better option prior to creating their board. I think that is in part why they wanted Morse...not very many quality centers in this draft AND I think they were looking for a proven commodity.

Hopefully not mine. After we did not addess TE or Recever at the top of the 3rd I was pissed. Should have stayed up long enough to see them trade back into the 3rd for Knox.

That was awesome to see, Beane runs a tight ship. He did say that they had high grades on a few guys at 9, but Ed was the highest grade on their board. With all the time they spent scouting and interviewing Oliver you know he was the guy they wanted from the opening bell, and they got their guy and did not have to trade away a dime to do it. I thought Oliver was a top 3 or 4 pick, and when the draft went QB first the chips started to fall our way. I don't think Hockenson was ever on their radar as I think their plan going in was to address TE in round 4 because it was such a deep class. I still like the kid, but glad we got our guy. The reason I think they were originally thinking a TE would fall to them in the 4th was how he responded to the run on TE's in the 3rd (Josh Oliver, Jace Sternberger, Kahale Warring) if they were going to get a TE that still had a decent grade on their board they were going to have to move back into the 3rd to do it. Hard for me to believe that the Bills have such a well-prepared and decisive group running its draft.

We watch this team, they don't. We know the kind of QB we saw in Allen the first game, and the kind of QB we had in the final game that stepped on Miami's throat and did not let up. There are more reputable places that do deeper dives, and it "ain't" that hard to tell them apart. Sure Allen has work to put in, but we have already seen that his game is trending in the right direction. Gotta win games now to shut'em up, but I don't want them fawning all over us either when we turn the corner. I am not conditioned to handle that.