WideNine

Hawes is legit - so unselfish as a blocker with great technique and leverage. He brings great effort and intensity to each snap. You can tell how much the team and O-line appreciate him by how he was mobbed in the EZ - Allen could not even get through the crowd to congratulate him. Having a rookie that acclimates that quickly and provides so much value right out of the gate - kudos scouting and drafting team.

Allen is playing at a very high level. It is not just taking the underneath "safe" passes but knowing when teams are playing zone and playing shell coverage capping routes and knowing where the holes will be underneath and in the zones. His pre-snap reads are so much better, I am sure folks saw him recognize the play side corner blitz and call an "alert" to get the offense in the right set and just as that corner came on the blitz to get pressure in his face he flipped that quick side arm pass to I think Shavers for a long gainer down the right side knowing the Dolphin's D had vacated that space. So, the Allen of yesteryear would have reacted during the blitz with just his God-given physical abilities to escape and find a way out of the mess he was in. Sure, that was a fun and wild ride that left us all at the edge of our seats either in wonder at his abilities or complaining about sugar-high Josh, but now he recognizes when the blitzes are coming and has a good handle on what the defense has given up to be able to bring that pressure and where he can attack them. Allen is the epitome of that growth mindset the Bills preach - no matter the success and accolades there are always ways to get better. I am thoroughly enjoying this era of our Bills having a league MVP at QB who is performing like someone who has earned it.

I am curious about that as well. I don't have All-22, but it seemed like on our bread & butter zone runs where Cook normally takes a cutback lane they had backside defenders able to knife down the line and catch Cook from behind before he got rolling. I think that is why Brady went with a few toss plays down the stretch to try to get the ball to Cook on the outside in space, but it seemed like they were looking for that and turned those runs back inside towards pursuit. I am confident there is nothing that Kromer has not seen before and they come up with a counter for that. Perhaps some kind of wham concept to plant that backside pursuer into the turf.

Agree - I said we were predictable on most of our running plays, but that is not really anything new this season. We have lined up in 13 personnel and dared teams to stop our runs and many times they can't - even when they know they are coming. Hard to fault Brady for making teams prove they can beat our run blocking and Cook's abilities behind that. Would be nice to see a few more play-action passes to the TE down the seam on those plays - just to keep them honest. Perhaps if our defense could come up with a few more stops on 3rd and long we would not be talking about an offense that puts up 30+ points a week. Give my poor heart the games where we bury them early and Trubisky comes in for mop-up duty

Ray just needs to get back to being Ray and playing to his strengths. He is not Cook, with that vision and that shifty shake and bake to be a great cut back runner. Cook has become a more complete back when he also just takes the 2-3 yard profit and tries to push the pile forward when there is nothing there. Ray is a great gap runner who can accelerate and run through arm-tackles when he just hits his gaps, follows his blocks, plants that foot and goes. All our backs are better than average receivers too. The coaches and staff will work with him, and I am pretty confident he will find a way out of his sophomore slump.

I think we got a little predictable on situations when we were going to run the ball and the Dolphins were timing their run blitzes and when to crowd the box pretty well after the first 2 series. So, some self-scouting and looking at what they were keying on - was it down and distance or simply our personnel/formations? Perhaps mixing in a bit more play action when teams are expecting runs. On passing plays I thought I saw more single high, but I think that was only when I was paying attention on some downs where they expected run. Looks like Miami was using 2-3 deep shells to cap all the deeper routes that forced Allen to take what was under the sticks. We have some good RAC receivers, but there were times the routes were too short of the sticks to convert, so perhaps some work there on concepts that get those guys open a bit closer to the 1st down markers. Give the Dolphins defense some credit for how many open-field and shoe-string tackles they made in space. Allen was patient and taking what they were giving, this is far better than forcing it and turning it over, but I get it. It was frustrating watching drives stall out so our offense could not put them away, and our defense letting them convert on every 3rd down to hang around down to the wire.

What is the opposite of complimentary football? I felt like that was what I watched tonight. Defense needs the offense to put it away and get the Dolphins out of that running offense and they go 3 and out. We need the defense to get a stop and give the offense another chance they give up 8 minute drives and a score. We need a fast start and the Special Teams gives the Dolphins haif the field on the kickoff.

Had so many doubts about this pick... if the Bills trainers can continue to help him build up that lower body strength and developing the habits to stay low the kid could really blossom into something special. Fingers crossed his back holds up - when he was drafted with those back issues I was not expecting him to take as many snaps as he has. Expected they would need to ease him into the rotation, but it does not seem like they are coddling him at all.

We have key guys out on defense, but surprised we did not do more against that suspect Dolphins O-line. Also did not expect their collection of DBs to be able to defend our WRs at all and not sure what they were doing to keep Allen checking things down will wait for Marino's all-22. They were doing a good job with backside pursuit on our runs with Cook tripping him up in the backfield. Think that is why Brady went to more pitch plays to Cook in that final drive as a way to try to negate what they were doing, but they did a good job of turning him back inside against the LBs and pursuit. Those first few series it looked like our offense could not do anything wrong and the Dolphins were simply outclassed, but the Dolphins made some adjustments on D that seemed effective in taking away a lot of what Brady wanted to do. Defensively we just need Oliver back healthy on that line and if there was any doubt we know what Tre is good at and where his ceiling is for sure. Had no chance against Waddle, I think he knows and his game now is about keeping things in front of him and trying to take good angles and avoiding getting burnt on the big plays, he also has stepped up his tackling, but he gave up plenty of 3rd downs and the Dolphins were looking for him. I honestly just want to see Hairston on the field. When have we had that DB that can just blanket and lock down speedy receivers - it has been so long and if he pans out you have to wonder how much that will free up what they can do on defense. Our Bills won folks and they have a long break to rest up and heal up some more. Go Bills!

Honestly Milano has missed so much time the past few seasons I am kind of used to not seeing him out there and it is not like he and Bernard were lighting it up against the Ravens. Not having Oliver hurts, but a lot of valuable time on task for our rookies on the DL.

Run baby run... our big boys have to play big Hawes time!

Finally some relief for my poor ticker. Jeeze Buffalo - your killing me finding so many ways to let Miami hang around.

Could hold a clinic on how to click and close on those plays out on the flat and finishing those tackles.

Waddle on Tre - automatic

Yeah - usually the NFL is all about stressing how players are choir boys that was a really odd segue

Shakir! Shakir! Shakir!

It feels like Miami is doing a pretty good job of stacking the box and mixing in some 2 deep or single high looks (mostly looks like single high as they are emphasizing trying to stop the run with an extra man in the box). Josh has not found anything deep and has been trying to take his outlet option. Miami seems to be trying to lure Allen into taking those outlet passes and they are right there. They are doing a good job keeping the short completions from going anywhere or defending those passes. Miami is also doing a decent job on run blitzes and we have gotten stuffed on more than a few.

Tre cannot cover Waddle and they keep finding ways to get that matchup. Sorry Tre - they found their Waldo in coverage.

So tired of our smallish defense that cannot impose their will on anyone. Benford shows how you defend the flats and tackle in space. We need to get a few of those suspended pieces back Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi should help this rotation - and of course getting Oliver back That should improve.

My usual nightmare scenario where McD calls a TO for the defense to discuss a 3rd down situation and how many times does the other team convert? Dodged a bullet with Tua being Tua

What was that play calling - com'on Brady I love our short game, but he has to call a play now and then a little beyond the sticks.

It looked like he just took an elbow to the ribs - I hope he just got a stinger.

I am so looking forward to what Hairston will bring to this defense. Tired of the DBs that have to back off so much and give so much cushion because they don't have the speed. Benford is good and a great tackler, but need a true running mate. Tre is doing OK more in that safety kind of prevent the big gainer, but I don't think he can skate with better receivers any more

The dude is like 50 years old - he has plenty of excuses for missing a chip shot...cramps and old guy stuff.

McD at the half gives that sound bite that the offense has to score when they are down there. and...your defense is doing what out there other than giving up 3rd down after 3rd down conversions?How about giving the offense the ball back. Annoying.