WideNine

I am not saying the refs forced the Bills offense into those turnovers and procedural errors. Those were just poor execution and you don't win games making those mistakes. But Hochuli did not do us any favors with the ticky-tacky calls that kept the offense from establishing a rhythm. Like the phantom hold on McGovern when NE's DT got turned around and tripped over his own feet with a timely shove from McGovern. Most coaches call that finishing your block and I am not a fan of calling holds on interior linemen unless they are beaten on a rep and grab onto and hold the defender from the back or side. Getting pancaked on your backside is not a hold in my or the NFL rule book, but maybe there was something there that merited throwing a flag other than negating the positive play??? Legal Block (Finishing the Block) - If the offensive lineman maintains contact within the frame of the defender’s body (i.e., shoulders and chest) and drives him down as part of a sustained block, it’s considered legal—even if the defender turns away. - The defender turning his back doesn’t absolve him from being blocked. If he spins or disengages and the blocker continues driving legally, it’s just finishing the block. Holding - If the offensive lineman grabs the jersey, hooks an arm, or pulls the defender down from behind, especially after the defender has turned away or is trying to disengage, that’s holding. Just one example of why that game was painful to watch like most Hochuli-refed games.

It is more when his crew called those penalties and the flag fest in the first half was decidedly tilted Buffalo's way helping establish a game script which puts a team on the receiving end in a hole. It is not just NE, it is whenever I see his crew on the docket for us I cringe. Credit to NE's defense for their plan to stress the right side of pass pro and Josh's tendencies to drift right extending plays. They had that well covered, used some wide nine alignments on that side, an overload and corner blitz from that side, and a spy to close on Allen and force some mistakes. Maye did make some clutch throws, but I would not say that our db's were doing much in the way of contesting throws. The Bills used multiple defenders trying to cover Diggs, but he ran circles around them. Regardless NE has a QB who is showing he can be clutch in high leverage situations and someone they can build around.

I have never liked Hochuli's crews as I feel like they always have a bias against the Bills and I was thinking it was going to be a hard game to watch when I saw it was his crew. AI can be pretty cool for taking what you think you see as a bias and aggregating the data to validate some of those trends: Shawn Hochuli’s crew has penalized the Buffalo Bills more heavily in first halves than almost any other team over the past five seasons—especially in primetime games. --- 📊 Penalty Volume vs. Buffalo in First Halves - In the October 5, 2025 game, Hochuli’s crew flagged the Bills 8 times in the first half, totaling 90 yards—tied for the second-most first-half penalties under head coach Sean McDermott. - The record for most first-half penalties against Buffalo under McDermott is 10, also from a game officiated by Hochuli’s crew. - These totals are well above Hochuli’s average first-half penalty count for other teams, which typically ranges between 4–6 flags per half. --- 🚩 Comparative Trends Across Teams - Hochuli’s crew averages 11.7 penalties per game across all teams, but the distribution is not uniform. - Road teams tend to get flagged more often than home teams under Hochuli—about 9.0 vs. 6.25 penalties per game, respectively. - The Bills, regardless of home/away status, have consistently been on the high end of Hochuli’s enforcement spectrum, especially for: - False starts - Defensive holding - Unnecessary roughness - Roughing the passer --- 🧠 Strategic Implications - Hochuli’s crew appears to have a pattern of tight enforcement early in games, particularly against Buffalo, which can disrupt rhythm and field position. - This trend is not mirrored across all teams—suggesting either matchup-specific scrutiny or systemic bias in how Buffalo’s style interacts with Hochuli’s rule emphasis. --- Yeah, his crew sucks and makes our games almost unwatchable. There were some legit calls and unforced dumb mistakes sprinkled in by our offense, but far too many ticky tacky calls early against my Bills that kept erasing good plays, putting stress on the offense, and keeping them from establishing a rhythm.

I hold out some hope that more Shaq and less Dorian will lead to some better results from the second level. Dorian was coming along well I thought last season, but has looked lost out there trying to process where he should be. As a group, especially the second level, if they stick their tackles, the D should have a better showing. One would think after the last game tape, tackling was likely a focus of remedial fundamentals practice for the defense this past week. But Maye looks like a dude and will get some yards on scrambles for sure. It would be great if we could get up a few scores early to force them out of their run game a bit and get some heat on him on 3rd and long to force a turnover or two. Go Bills!

Not sure if anyone else posted this, but one of the better Allen interviews confirming the growth we have seen in him.

It is kind of funny how our defense works so hard to get teams in 3rd and long and the opposing team must be thinking "we got them right where we want them". It has been a breath of fresh air watching Shaq Thompson quickly diagnose plays from the second level and close on the ball and make tackles. Here's hoping it becomes a contagious thing. But to OP's point the margin for error in wins and losses in the NFL can be slim, and any team facing the Bills this season is going to treat this game like a litmus test that either confirm that they are a great team or that they have the potential to be if they can hang with Buffalo. So we will be seeing their best shot and that is what comes with having a team the rest of the league considers elite. We can enjoy that rarified air a lot better than the musty old basement we were in for almost 2 decades. I like to critique Bills performance win or lose. There are positives you can take out of the losses and there are lessons learned from even our most resounding wins. For me that and enjoying games are not mutually exclusive - I can do both. I can go farther and say getting more into the X's and O's is therapeutic and can keep a fan from the extreme highs and lows.

I do think he has a lot to prove still since taking on the DC role and winning it over the team keeping and promoting Washington. It is not like Washington has lit it up in Chicago and I am not sure he did enough to develop our defensive line when he was here. Babich's claim to fame was the development and play of our linebackers which lately has not really shown up on the field with the struggle hitting run fits and tackling. An argument could be made that Shaq Thompson is our best linebacker, but he is an 11 year vet who learned how to play the position elsewhere.

Dunno. I am caught somewhere between this is the most awesome idea... a white out. to it could go horribly Billsy... I'm joking of course, but the whole waiving white towels thing... I can't be the only one that thought this.

Don't get me wrong I like your spirit and hate the Patriots as much as anyone. That being said, I don't think teams need a gold jacket RB like Henry to run on this squad when backup running backs named Miller are breaking 5 weak tackle attempts on their way to the EZ. Pretty weak showing against the run last week and all I can say is this is a very up and down defense we have. Seems like they focus and pour it on a bit more after a rough week of their film review and remedial tackling practice. I do expect a more motivated squad to stick their tackles this week.

Honestly, I think they have one of the better rebuilding projects going on in the division and they seem like they have a good QB to build around. Vrabel has given this team fits in the past when he was with the Titans, and they always had respectable W/L records but could not get over the playoff hump. It is not like he is not familiar with what this team likes to do on defense and our tendencies. I don't think he has had a lot of exposure to Brady's offense and a more mature Allen so we will see. I don't like the guy (residual Patriot bias), but he seems to be one of the few players/coaches from the Belichick tree that may actually have the juice to stick in the NFL as a coach with some success.

Holy PTSD - you meant THAT game. Another game in a long list of very Billsy endings that snatched defeat out of the almost sure jaws of victory.

There are more than a few events I sacrificed at the altar of my Bills coming out flat and getting embarrassed - IMO it is OK to put family and friends first. I think you realized, and it probably goes without saying, but the Bills/Cowboy game I was thinking of was in 2019 that they won 26 to 15 and my Bills put the rest of the nation on notice that they had arrived.

For years we complained about our basement-dwelling Bills never getting prime time exposure. We were ecstatic when we were on the Thanksgiving Day docket vs the Cowboys and Allen took over that game. Our Bills were on the map and getting more recognition. Now prime time is the norm for our Bills and they have a great network draw, but their schedule is lot less predictable. ...be careful what you wish for right?

Changed my handle a few times. Was LeftOverture for a long time, I think ColdBlueNorth for a while and maybe a few others that I dropped after I got bored with them. Dating myself but first started posting when this was a board on the Rochester D&C back in the Jurassic days of internet and dial-up connections (if that level of tech does not resonate with you then enjoy your youth). Life can get a bit hectic but always find myself coming back to TBD at some point during each season. This has always been a great place for Bills fans to connect each season and has aged well.

Torrence leaves me wanting a bit more, but for a kid they started as a rookie and played every snap that season, and for his solid work last season, he has provided a lot of value at a team-friendly price. With that whiff I think teams will have their DT line up wide on that B-gap then attack the A-gap to keep McGovern and Torrence from setting a double. Bonus if O'Cyrus takes an outside set and opens that lane with no center help. Teams have caught us a few times with that stunt.

I am trying - I thought everyone just knew where to find the usual All-22 breakdowns and commentary. Mia Culpa.

Torrence is not exactly nimble, and he can be a bit late getting into his sets but he is certainly better than many of the guards we have had in the past (Ford, Saffold). They need his run blocking ability a bit more than the pass pro. And yes, I have seen him get beat with that inside move before too.

I thought the same thing, but the one that got around him Allen had a lot of time and kept patting the ball. Josh has been better about being decisive and getting the ball out, but he held on to a few a bit longer than usual. Ryan did a heck of a job on run blocking too and the one pull where he fell Torrence took a big step backwards with his right foot and tripped him up. That I think is more about having reps with the other o-linemen to get a feel for their sets. Speaking of Torrence he got smoked by that DT that lined up more in the B gap, but crossed his face on an inside A gap move right into Allen. Torrence really overset on that one, but overall our O-line is pretty solid.

Lordy guys - I do not start enough posts to "Lamp" posts As anyone can attest as I have been visiting and contributing to this board for the past 20 years and care little for the attention garnered. Just like to share my thoughts. Here you go you whiners

I have been listening to All-22 breakdowns of the Saints games from a few sources not just my favorites and it seems Ryan Van Demark had a really solid game. I made some snap judgements about his play during the game and taking it all back and eating my humble pie. Seems that all in all the kid did a great job out there and I am glad for him. With Grable on IR we are a bit thin with quality depth with our swing tackles and he was an ascending player not that long ago.

When someone says "Yes, I am your average punter." they mean where they would land near dead center on a chart like this. Hopefully it just means he is just super consistent, and you know exactly how much distance you can expect out of each of his punts.

Tre has made some solid open field tackles, but we know what we have in him at this stage when it comes to his coverage. I was glad to see they had a plan to work some reps in for Strong. We need that depth at corner and we need these young guys we brought in to get repped enough so they can step in when and if they are needed to start some games.

The bottom line is the Bills are winning and are sitting at 4 and 0 on top of the AFC and there is room for optimism that they have not peaked and there is certainly room for growth. There have been some frustrating inconsistencies and missed opportunities to take control of some games that have you on the edge of your seat as a fan just begging them to put that team away. The defense did keep the Saints bottled up and off the score sheet during that 2nd qtr. offensive lull so there have been some flashes. Shaq Thompson has looked solid at LB. Special Teams felt like they struggled a bit with penalties, poor punts, and poor punt returns/field position which made it seem like the field was tilted our way for a long stretch and we were playing too much in the shadow of our own EZ. We are usually pretty solid when it comes to managing and flipping field position in our favor. I think OBD may be considering Codrington as a replaceable piece, but I have to admit that I like having him as a returner. I feel like he has really settled that role that had been a bit of an adventure in seasons past, but certainly a luxury if that is all he does on the team. I have heard speculation that they are looking ahead at freeing up spots, and perhaps they are also giving some visibility to Curtis Samuel to boost trade value? Teams realize that the Bills were struggling getting set on D and as predicted the Saints went with quick snaps and no huddles to take advantage of that and it worked a few times, and we saw McDermott having to burn a few timeouts to get things settled. It seemed like his adjustments were effective so that is good. On at least one occasion I think McD had a good point that the Refs were not allowing the defense the time to match an offensive substitution. This reinforces my general impression that we had the "F" grade officials for this game. Per NFL Rules: if the offense substitutes one or more players, the defense is allowed a reasonable opportunity to substitute as well. Referee responsibility: The officials — particularly the umpire — will stand over the ball to prevent a quick snap until the defense has had a fair chance to respond. I think this was what had McDermott hopping mad is that they were not waiting for the Bills defensive substitutions and preventing the quick snap. "No huddle" or "tempo" offenses: If the offense does not substitute, they can snap the ball quickly, and the defense must be ready without delay.

We have struggled with our rushing and 3rd down defense for a while. Buffalo Bills Defensive Rankings (2021–2025) Season | Rushing Defense Rank | 3rd Down Defense Rank -------|-----------------------|------------------------ 2025 | 32nd | 17th 2024 | 17th | 13th 2023 | 15th | 13th 2022 | 5th | 32nd 2021 | 13th | 1st Our tackling has been poor too and some of that starts up front with our young players getting moved off their spots and not being gap sound. Overall tackling year over year since 2021 has been uninspiring for how much attention our defensive side of the ball gets. Season | Missed Tackles | NFL Rank -------|----------------|---------- 2025 | 47 (through Week 3) | 18th 2024 | 108 | 14th 2023 | 125 | 20th 2022 | 98 | 9th 2021 | 91 | 6th Here is the breakdown by player for this year. Some of it is growing pains with young players, but plenty of players that have been around are not taking good angles, breaking down, and wrapping up in space. They have to get better with the fundamentals. I noticed that Dorian got the yank after he was juked by Rattler on a scramble and whiffed on an EZ run by Miller. In fairness Miller ran through about 5 weak arm tackles on his way to the EZ so Dorian was not alone on that one. Top 10 Buffalo Bills Players – Missed Tackles (2025) Rank | Player | Position | Missed Tackles -----|---------------------|------------|---------------- 1 | Cole Bishop | Safety | 12 2 | Christian Benford | Cornerback | 10 3 | Terrel Bernard | Linebacker | 9 4 | Taylor Rapp | Safety | 8 5 | Dorian Williams | Linebacker | 7 6 | Ed Oliver | DT | 6 7 | Matt Milano | Linebacker | 6 8 | Greg Rousseau | DE | 5 9 | Taron Johnson | Nickel CB | 5 10 | DaQuan Jones | DT | 4 There is a lot of hope that the infusion of veteran talent on the line will get this unit back on track and hopefully we can upgrade that CB2 spot, but these players and coaches need to step up. Just getting better at tackling will go a long way to improving so many of the issues this defense has getting off the field. To throw our coaching staff a bone I feel like many times the coaches have put players in position to make the tackles, but too many times that first player misses. I know each year is different, but one of our best defensive years was 2021 and that year we had 3 very senior coaches on that side of the ball with Frazier, Bob Babich Sr., and Eric Washington. Frazier took the heat for that epic loss to KC in the waning seconds, but overall the organization lost a lot of years of experience on that side of the ball. I would have to surmise that it has lead to the inconsistencies and growing pains we have seen since and probably why the team went out and brought in some veteran defensive coaches to assist this offseason. When you make this many changes to a side of the ball it usually takes some time for all the pieces to fall into place so I am holding out hope for improvements as the season progresses.

We have a potent offense that does a good job usually of sustaining drives, eating up clock, and scoring. Our points against look better as we have had some really timely turnovers from teams on the doorstep, I keep wondering how long we can keep that up but we keep getting them. We are 31st in the league against the run and that is just a fact and something that has to get better, along with the missed tackles. I am hopeful that we have the kind of players waiting in the wings that can help our D hit its stride down the home stretch. Imagine this offense getting the ball even more when they are already averaging 30+ points a game. I thought I heard something during the broadcast that sounded like Ray Davis did not have good practices and that is why he is not getting the work. Not sure what happened there as I thought he was having a good camp this year. Maybe I misheard. Coleman is getting better, and Palmer is starting to click with Allen. Kincaid and Allen are on the same page and Hawes is doing great blocking and receiving. We are 4 and 0 and have NE and Atlanta then we go into the bye and we get some much needed reinforcements on D when they come back.