[OLINE PASS PRO/ QB UNFORCED ERROR ALL 22 REVIEW - WEEK 7 PATRIOTS]

Nice analysis but we are all focused on the wrong group.  The defense made a group of jags look like world beaters.  Penalties, poor third down performance, horrible tackling, and blown assignments extended drives and gave up scoring opportunities.  I thought Dane Jackson was terrible on screens and in run support.  Ford and Settle frequently got their butts handed to them.  Poyer was slow to react to patterns in his zone coverage.  When they are playing a really bad group of receivers like the Cheatriots, more man to man and pressure at the line of scrimmage combined with blitzing would have been a better approach.  Jones folds and makes big mistakes under pressure.  Miller should have been used more.

[Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane could do this and fix everything.]

Nothing as dramatic as some of us want is going to be done.  Massive upheaval is not in the cards for a team that has this kind of roster. 

 

An nfl friend of mine has pretty good knowledge that the Bills are working to get a receiver before the trade deadline.  Price likely to be a fourth or fifth rounder.  He would not tell me the teams involved but the players are known entities still on rookie deals. I'm guessing Denver, Washington, or Vegas.  I think all three of these teams are on the verge of having a fire sale to go into a rebuild. This does make some sense, if they have concluded that Davis is not going to be kept and neither Sherfield nor Hardy are working out.  The only names that make some sense for me are Jeudy, Dotson, or Renfrow.  If it doesn't happen, I believe it will be because the asking price got too high with other teams in the mix.

 

I also expect them to bring in another bigger DT to rotate with Phillips.  When Phillips was out of the game, the other guys were getting blown off the ball.  Ford and Settle can't consistently get penetration or hold their position and keep the linebackers clean.  This is a big problem.  This could be another trade or a raid on a practice squad.

[10 interesting stats I have been playing with this week | Allen, Diggs, Cook, Defense]

8 hours ago, Nephilim17 said:

Thanks for that.

 

This seems to blow up the narrative that the ball is forced to Diggs too much.

Interesting about Kincaid vs. Knox in terms of catch rate. That does support the narrative that Knox is not a consistent catcher. Just a hunch, but by the end of 2024 Kincaid will have displaced Knox as the number one TE.

Not unless he can become a competent blocker, although Knox still has an occasional drop of an easily catchable ball.

[Week 7: Buy, Sell, Trade]

If you really want to sell something, give away these games in Europe.  Playing surfaces aren't great for football (look at injuries), quality of the games are not good, home team fans lose a game, and teams that don't have a bye the following week have crap games.

Hunter Renfrow would be a great addition but will not likely be made available at a decent price.

[NFL Week 7 2023 referees (officials) announced: Bills at Patriots: Clete Blakeman]

I watch every game every week and have done so for a number of years.  Overall, the officiating has been poor this season.  Unfortunately, it isn't limited to the same crews each week but there are enough repeat offenders that the league should be addressing these worst of the bad officials.  Some of the really good head referees are often seen having long discussions with their crews before intervening to wave off bad penalty calls.  A few good officials seem to be keeping incapable officials from completely ruining games.  There have been quite a few games that are almost unwatchable because of the officiating.  If fans can identify the problem officials, you know the league knows who they are.  They effect the flow of game, the length of the game, and sometimes the outcome of the game.

[Why do they never use a 3rd LB?]

Multiple teams use a nickel as their base defense.  Several others are in nickel frequently and the percentage changes week to week based on the opponent.  Most teams that run a high percentage of three LB's aren't great against the pass.  Teams using base nickel try to have a superior d-line to jam the running lanes and keep LB's clean.

 

For those that think the defense was the problem, they need to watch the game again.  Losing three key contributors on the defense, I expected a bad performance and didn't see one.

 

On the final play, Waller initiated contact with Johnson and kept his hands on him throughout the play to create separation.  From that point on, the referee is going to let them play.  If Johnson had initiated the contact, Waller probably gets the call.

[Terrace Marshall Jr.?]

He has a poor understanding of their playbook, doesn't recognize coverages, and doesn't run accurate routes.  At LSU he was usually the superior athlete in one on one coverages (not the case in the NFL).  2024 is a loaded draft class and I don't expect Beane to gamble draft picks on a guy that has not shown that he belongs in the league.

[Dolphins @ Bills Postgame thread]

On 10/2/2023 at 4:45 PM, Beck Water said:

 

Just checking in.  Any good stories for us?

I showed up for Tuesday afternoon golf in a Bills golf shirt and Bills hat.  I had Shout set up as my ring tone and had my wife call me repeatedly through the round.  Two of our foursome are die hard fins fans.  They finally admitted that Allen owns them and they are unlikely to win the division.

[Dolphins @ Bills Postgame thread]

Living in Florida, I kept hearing how Tua was going to school the Bills and control the division.  I can't wait to talk some trash to those nasty little pukes tomorrow.  I will be brutal.

[Tre White Injury Updates (Torn Achilles now confirmed)]

This s--ks but the Bills have depth at this position.  Tre has been playing well but had not been the dominating guy he was before the knee injury.  I expect the other guys to play well within the scheme.  I don't expect a trade but I do expect a practice squad move to develop some depth.  Elam, Jackson, and Benford will be fine as long as they stay healthy.

[Davante Adams trade speculation…UPDATE: Schefter says no chance he is traded today (link pg 17)]

With the quality and quantity of talent in the 2024 draft, I doubt that Beane would trade draft picks for a 30 year old receiver.  Adams is a very good player but the cost is probably too high.

[Eating crow x2]

Jet sweeps into the short side of the field really don't give the runner a chance to take advantage of their speed.  They need to stop doing it.  Hardy should be running crossing patterns and deeper routes to occupy safeties.  He still looks fast but he is not being used in ways to display that speed effectively.

[Visiting Teams having Lots of Fans in the Stands]

I've been to several games in Jacksonville and there are usually many empty seats.  About a third of the people that are there are not Jacksonville fans regardless of who they are playing.  Bills, Chiefs, Steelers, Cheatriots, and Packers fans travel in large numbers.  Miami also gets large numbers of visiting team fans.

[Sunday Night Football: Steelers at Raiders]

13 hours ago, thenorthremembers said:

So much bad football in the NFL so far this year.

I agree.  Much of it has to do with really bad QB play.  Many people believe there are seven high draft pick QB's coming out in the 2024 draft.  Some of these really bad teams will be able to get a decent prospect without totally tanking this season.  Some of the older guys with diminishing skills may be scrambling to find a backup role in the league next year.

 

Another significant factor for the bad games is the approach teams take for their defensive roster.  They go all in on offense and go bare bones on defense.  It's best to be more balanced.  It is hard to control time of possession and field position with a bad defense.  It is also more difficult to be playing from behind.

 

Finally, there are some really, really bad coaches in the league.  Heading the list for me are Chargers, Bears, Raiders, and Cardinals.  Watching these teams play is painful at times.

[Leonard Floyd....great pickup, Beane!!]

McD will be able to keep four high quality pass rushers fresh into the fourth quarter of games.  That will be a real nightmare for opposing o-lines.  Few defenses have that luxury.

[Clock Management at end of 1st Half]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

At the moment Hardy is less effective in those gimmick play situations than Lil' Dirty.

You couldn't be more correct.  I think their original plan was to have Hines for those plays.

[Well Rounded, Complete, 3 Phase Football Game!]

What the Bills o-line did to an excellent front four was amazing.  There will be a few naysayers that want to point to a small number of bad plays but they are missing the real story.  I was most surprised by the effectiveness of the power run blocking.  They blew some really good players off the ball on multiple plays.  Right now there isn't a team in the AFC that has a d-line as good as Washington.  Knowing that, I believe we are seeing the formula that the Bills will be using to play aggressive defense, move the ball with a balanced offense, and dominate the time of possession. 

[Around the NFL Week 3]

I've heard over the years that the Ravens have very physical practices.  Maybe the extra hitting is taking a toll.

[Davante Adams Calling OUT RAPP!]

Ball was thrown into triple coverage.  What did Adams expect was going to happen?  It was a bang bang play when three guys collide.  Adams should be more concerned about why his coaching staff put him in that situation with the game out of hand.

[Josh Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week 2 and Week 4]

6 hours ago, Your Brown Eye said:

This guy (Nick Wright) is one of the very worst commentators on TV.  His takes on football are so far off the mark that they are laughable.  I assume that he throws stuff out their to generate controversy and viewership.  He seems to be a New York homer and he can't bring himself to give an honest take on Buffalo.  Josh being AFC offensive player of the week must be killing him after the things he said following week one.  Go Bills!

[Reader's Digest names Buffalo the "nicest place in America"]

4 hours ago, HOUSE said:

I see garbage out my front window

That might be a mirror instead of a window...just sayin'

[Spencer Brown vs Dawand Jones, request for analysis]

I thought he got in trouble when he didn't move his feet and tried to reach for his block.  This is a common problem for inexperienced tackles.

[Meanwhile over in Bengal land, there is weeping and gnashing of teeth]

What I find most amusing in all of this, relates to the ridiculous power rankings that various sports media outlets publish.  Bengals were consistently in the top two or three.  Granted, Burrow is injured but they have a number of other issues on their team.  Their secondary is not good.  They just made Lamar Jackson look like Dan Marino.  The o-line continues to play poorly and Burrow continues to take hits.  They have a lot of talented receivers but an average roster overall.  This does not make them a consistent championship contender.

[Raiders @ Bills - Postgame Thread]

Good game plan and smart execution.  I also liked the physical play by the o-line.

[Raiders at Bills 1990 AFC Championship Game]

I was at the game and remember Bruce being out in the cold pregame in a tee shirt.  Several Raiders fans were sitting in our section and were not dressed for the weather.  They were all gone before half time.  It is one of my best Bills memories.