[Is Sean McDermott in Bill Belichick's head?]

BB has said his whole career the thing he hates most is playing a QB that can run and break defenses down with his legs. Welcome Josh Allen, a big portion of Allen's game is doing exactly what BB hates most. He's probably the best in the NFL at it.  

[Allen refusal to throw underneath is killing us. Killing drives. This was on 17 strictly]

On 11/10/2021 at 9:49 PM, Scott7975 said:

 

The difference between Allen and Brady in time to throw is literally less than the amount of time it takes to blink.

 

This thread is just ridiculous.  The complaint is Allen refuses to throw underneath.  It was shown that he threw underneath for most of the game and it got us nowhere.  The complaint changed to he didnt throw it fast enough.  Well sorry... thats not our offense.  The only way he is throwing that ball faster is if the underneath is the first read and it is not.

I think we made it the first read in many situations today and it let to a lot of consistency in moving the ball. 

[12/26/21 Week 16 Gameday Bills @ Patriots* First Half Thread]

McDermott has shown something today has hasn't before in just pure aggressiveness. Most of this is predetermined. It's been clear anything even close on 4th down and we are going. Then compliments so far to Josh utilizing his check downs. He's almost going there as a primary read, it's given us consistency moving the ball.

 

Obviously the defense is playing lights out as well, but the two concepts above are really good to see. These are things we could be better at that have hurt us in this and previous years.  

[Since when can the booth reverse calls?]

I have watched a few games recently (happened in Bears game tonight)  where a play is ruled one way on the field. It appears obvious the coach will challenge and win. Instead of allowing this process to take place the refs decide to overturn the original call preventing the coaches challenge from occurring and changing the ruling on the play.

 

In both cases a few things were clear. The initial ruling on the field was not being debated by the officials. An outside entity was instructing the official to change the initial call. Play by play announcers commented "it looks like New York or the eye in the sky stepped in on that one". In both instances I will say it enhanced the quality of the game as it prevented a challenge that shouldn't have to occur, that said, did I miss something? At what point did the NFL say they would have booth reviews in real time along with coaches challenges? 

[Should Davis start over Sanders going forward?]

Sort of makes you wonder how a scrambling improvising QB like Josh might do with some targets who are taller than 6 feet. It almost seems like Josh is a QB made for larger body WR's that can be especially devastating in scramble drills. Outside of Knox, Gabe is next and we saw his RZ success last year and now this year. Sanders is a still a good player and will get time but Gabe brings something different and we need that right now.  

[Bills record setting win streak]

21 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

we don’t look like a different team. We just haven’t pulled out close games. Which is really just an anomaly. It would also be an anomaly if we were 5-0 in all the one score games. Eventually the Bills will regress to the mean which is a positive in our case because it would mean more wins.

Sure we are somewhat due for some regression to the mean, but it's not that black and white in my view. No point in commenting further on this one. Go Bills!! Big win, huge game next week. 

[Bills record setting win streak]

Honestly, I think if anything that stat shows why so many on the board are concerned. We feast in games where we get ahead and the offense becomes one dimensional. We look like a different team when that's not the case. It's just part of what makes this team feel so polarizing at times. 

Just now, Buffalo619 said:

These cherry picked stats are so out there, they really mean nothing. 

I think this one does mean something, but it's not good. 

[Change Pass Interference to 15 yd penalty (edited title)]

Is anybody who thinks DB's will be tackling WR's left and right actually watch college football? I'm a tick short of 40, in 20+ years of watching college football consistently I have never seen a player tackled nor a discussion regarding increasing the length of PI in CFB because of the way defensive players are reacting.

 

About the best argument anybody has posted is the athletes are better, that's why it will happen. About the most you would see is more physical DB play on downfield contested balls which I'm perfectly fine with. No NFL caliber players is going to just concede a guaranteed penalty over an uncertain outcome. They're too competitive and the game is too instinctual for this to even take place. Do you think in the New England game that Diggs would have been tackled on his dropped pass if this rule is in place? He clearly beat is man and the ball hit his hands. Regardless of the rule, to alter the outcome of that play the DB would of had to take his legs out diving at the last second vs just letting it play it out. Which could involve a bad pass or a drop, heck, maybe even an INT.  Get a grip people, nobody is getting tackled, they couldn't even if they wanted to do it. 

[Change Pass Interference to 15 yd penalty (edited title)]

1 hour ago, Beerball said:

Good idea, been saying it for years.

 

Another change, screw the half the distance BS. Move the ball to the 2 yard line. Why penalize the offense for being in the red zone?

This….👍👍👍

 

Half the distance really pisses me off. 

[Change Pass Interference to 15 yd penalty (edited title)]

2 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

It just doesn't happen often. I don't know why people act like it does. I think I've seen it once and the guy dove like he was diving for a catch and barely got him.

 

The only time a DB will grab or wrap up the WR is early in the route. You actually have to be pretty close to tackle or grab a WR.

 

Maybe I'm just not watching enough college football. I watch a lot of it.

Ya, I don't get it. I've watched a dumb amount of CFB this year and every year. You see similar things across both leagues as far as how DB's react to certain situations. You see more physical play close to the end zone or when a player is out of position. You aren't seeing the intent of stopping a pass with a penalty. You're seeing an honest attempt to stop a pass and in some situations that means more contact will occur. I just don't understand how people can think players can react the way they're discussing. It is very hard for a DB to even disengage his man to defend a pass to another WR because in his mind his responsibility is to defend his man. It's instincts when he comes off his man based on the eyes of a QB. He is using instincts to react and this all occurring based on where the QB's head and eyes are, the ball isn't even out yet. Tons of players can't even do this. To think they could allow the ball to come out, then consciously shift from defender mode to tackle drill, be in close enough proximity to even accomplish that. Again, you can't prove this to anybody who disagrees.  If it was so easy to accomplish I would really think college teams would find ways to use it as a competitive advantage by.    

[Change Pass Interference to 15 yd penalty (edited title)]

14 hours ago, pennstate10 said:

Really?

not sure what college games you’re watching. 
Maybe you can give a few examples because I don’t think I’ve seen this all season. 

I would love examples, I haven't seen this once all season

 

8 hours ago, Mickey said:

Interfering with and holding receivers on purpose happens all the time in the NFL.  The notion that for it to be "on purpose" the DB has to blatantly tackle the guy makes no sense.  DB's aren't that stupid, they do their best to disguise it but if they are beaten they purposefully take the foul. That is exactly what the Bucs did to Diggs when they grabbed him by the jersey to keep him from getting to that deep ball.  If they will do it with the current penalty (spot of the catch) then they will certainly do it if you reduce the penalty to 15 yards. 

 

I also don't buy for a moment that players would simply be unable to purposefully decide to take a foul because playing football is too "instinctual".  NBA players will take a a foul when it makes sense, soccer players do it all the time.  I can't count how many times I have seen a lineman hold on to a rusher that blew by him to keep him from killing the QB. 

 

The problem with interference calls is that it happens on sooooo many plays and refs aren't going to call it every play.  That means it all comes down to fairly random judgments and a whole lot of chance.  These plays happen downfield far from where most of the refs are located. They can't see everything.  Making the penalty less severe is not going to help.  

It's your opinion, your examples don't give it any merit, I could easily explain why every situation you're describing is completely different. That said we could do this all day. I'm holding my ground on somebody showing a streaking WR being tackled at the ankles in a college football game. I think if it's such a guaranteed outcome in the NFL, we would see it occasionally. I don't feel you go from never to all the time from CFB to NFL in this area, but again, all are entitled to an opinion on this. It's not something that can be answered so no point in trying. Some good points to both sides on this subject.     

[Change Pass Interference to 15 yd penalty (edited title)]

7 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

I have thought going with the college 15 yard rule was a good idea for many years now.

 

Giving the ball at the spot of the foul is often a gigantic penalty, and you're not sure the player would have caught the ball in the absence of the foul anyway!

 

 

How about having a 2 tier type of penalty.

 

If PI is "egregious" it's the spot of the foul.  I.E., the DB was horribly beaten and tackled the WR to avoid a huge completion.  

 

If not, it's 15 yards.  

 

It would still require the official to exercise subjective discretion (which is a terrible idea) but it might be a sound approach overall.

 

 

I can't trust egregious and not egregious with these guys. It would put us right back to a indisputable vs disputable and they don't get that right with unlimited time and slow motion. 

[Change Pass Interference to 15 yd penalty (edited title)]

Just now, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

I think they’re trying to disincentivize dbs just tackling receivers while the ball is in the air to save tds. Which wouldn’t you know it is exactly what happened to diggs in the end zone Sunday 🤣

That's the spirit of the rule, but I don't think the rule can be fairly applied and I also don't think the rule alters play. If anybody can recall a moment watching a college game where this occurred, I can't and I've watched a disgusting amount of college football.  

[Which was worse? Efe Obada/Tom Brady or Eddie Robinson/Chad Pennington]

1 minute ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

I don’t think any db is making that one on one play on Henry in the open field…kind of feel sorry for Norman actually lol

No, maybe cut him, that's about all you could do. Still, Norman literally got ejected. Eddie R was bad, yes, but a certain amount of manhood has to be lost when you get stiff armed like that. That's the stuff that changes a man. 

[Which was worse? Efe Obada/Tom Brady or Eddie Robinson/Chad Pennington]

What was worse.....

 

Eddie R's miss on Chad? or Henry's stiff arm on Norman? 

[Change Pass Interference to 15 yd penalty (edited title)]

Most of you are probably aware of this but in college football pass interference is a 15 yard penalty. I like that it's a 15 yards penalty. I do not trust the referees ability to judge PI in real life and do not want the risk of a penalty being called that is undetermined in length. If you object I imagine it's most likely out of the fear defenders will start tackling open WR's downfield. I used to think that way, never happens. I can count on one hand how many times I have seen a clearly defeated college player decide that committing a penalty is better than not committing one. No player can react that logically with something so instinctual, in real time, and those speeds. It NEVER happens. 

 

15 Yards, good idea, bad idea?

[Article on JA’s run game]

2019, first playoff game against Houston. We come out and run a QB sweep with multiple pulling lineman, the play goes for 50+. We run it one more time, if Cody Ford doesn't miss his assignment we win the game. Fast forward to 2021, we still haven't seen the play called again. 

[A Little Perspective: Why we shouldn't be down on the McBeane Regime]

I'm not asking for the hook, but I don't apologize for being harsh on either of them right now. Imagine if you were underperforming at work and you told your boss either of the following:

 

"I have been really good in the past"

"Remember how bad it was before I got here"

 

I don't see either being a viable excuse. It's both of their jobs to be good and we should hold them to that standard as we have when they have been good (I don't think fans have been short to praise either).

 

Lets see how we finish this year and then lets see what we do in the offseason. Nobody with a sane mind is calling for them to be fired.  

[Is this this team built the right way?]

15 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

I just wonder if we had a dominant offense ol how much different things would be

 

My guess is very different

Dominant like last year or balanced and dominant? 

[Is this this team built the right way?]

9 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

For the most part they are built right.

 

The OL has just had a very, very poor year.........including some guys who were excellent last year.........and subsequently the offense has struggled.

 

The defense is built to play with leads so they are a little lighter than ideal to play opposite a too often low scoring offense(but still very effective).

 

And the coaching on offense this season has left a lot to be desired.    

 

But no, it's not like they have holes all over the lineup and no depth or a ton of players who don't fit.

 

 

 

 

We have built a very good team no doubt. I'm discussing balance more than anything. Poor OL play or leads do not resolve our lack of a RB ground game or our ability to stop the better teams who can run the football. These issues have plagued us each of the last 3 years and since the start of our run. Is this something we have to address or not? 

[Is this this team built the right way?]

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

You mean, like, for a dome?

I don't see that fixing everything

[Is this this team built the right way?]

I wanted to evaluate if this team is built the correct way. As an example, the Run In Shoot is a heralded system littered with statistical champions that has won exactly zero championships in college or professional football. That said, it appeared like it could be the right way for a long time until it was clear it wasn't.  Was the no huddle offense the right way? We did win a lot with it, but we also never won a Super Bowl (I'm not saying it wasn't the right way, but it did have consequences playing that brand of football, good and bad). Say you're excellent at assembling the right talent for the vision you have, as the Oilers were, as Polian was, as Beane and McDermott seem to be, it might still get you nowhere if you have the wrong vision.   

 

Offense

To start off, evaluating this with Josh Allen makes it very hard. He accounts for a massive portion of our run game and also generates a lot of yards in broken plays. At times common sense needs to prevail. Would anybody question since the start of the Josh Allen playoff era we have not had a consistent or successful running game with our RB's? Our actual rushing stats don't matter to me. Those include Josh, which is why it makes it hard. But you can see it, taste it, hear it. We have had no consistent run game with our RB's since the start of the Josh Allen playoff era. We also know Daboll is very tilted toward the passing game sometimes even to the extent that we just give up on the conventional ground game all together. We have spent heavily in players geared to develop the passing attack and have for years. In sum, our vision on offense seems to be very clear. We are ok complimenting our QB driven run game with our RB's and being a predominantly passing team. 

 

Defense

We have a decided advantage against the pass vs the rush in just about every stat conceivable. Our first pick of the Beane era was a DB, our 1st round MLB was certainly known for his range and length. Our DL selections have been dominated by pass rush guys first with very little focus on players better suited to stop the run. In yards per rush allowed since 2019, we have the ranked 19th/24th and 7th this year. In yards per pass allowed since 2019 we have ranked 3rd/9th and 1st this year.  Advantage passing defense. Again, at times common sense needs to prevail. It would certainly appear like we have focused on building a defense that is very focused against the pass. 

 

KC Link?

While this is a passing league, it is not common to find comparable teams to the way we have been built. The only team I can think of with a similar profile as ours is Kansas City. In fact if you look at the year KC won the Super Bowl in 2019 they were about as close to a clone as any team has been to the 2020 Bills (so far the most successful version of this team), KC was 2nd that year in passing yards per attempt, 5th in passing yards per attempt allowed and 29th yards per rush allowed. Compare that to the 2020 Bills at 3rd/9th/24th respectfully. It starts to make you wonder, did we build the team in the form of KC to begin with or did we build the team to compete against them?

 

   

No Balance

On defense, 50% of our games since 2019 have involved 100+ yard outputs by the opposing offense and we are a .500 team in those games, 1-3 this season. Since our first playoff run in 2019, the Bills are 12-12 when they allow over 100 yards rushing on defense and 20-4 when they don't. On offense the Bills are 7-11 when they rush for under 100 yards, and 25-5 when they rush for over 100 yards.

 

The running game does REALLY matter to our success, if nothing else in painting a statistical picture of what we have seen. If you can run on us we are most likely involved in a competitive game. If we abandon the run or can't run, we most likely are involved in a competitive game. In all likelihood both of these things are probably occurring at the same time. By these standards we will be involved in enough very competitive games that we have a ceiling over our head. Yes, we rank 7th in rushing yards per attempt this year and yes, our defense is the best it's ever been this year, but that should scare you even more as we have allowed two 200+ rushing efforts against us this year. Last year it was the same. Like Josh Allen and the offense, our defensive success can be hard to evaluate at times. What we do to teams when we are ahead makes it difficult to evaluate how good we are in situations when the game is competitive. We destroy teams when we know the pass is coming. So I like our 7th rating in rushing yards per attempt this year, but I'm certainly not going to become disillusioned into thinking we have a high caliber rush defense. Too many brutal thrashings have occurred in the last 3 years for me to ever consider that to be true. Almost as if we are watching an option team against us.   

 

In Sum

I don't want to depend on Josh Allen having an MVP season for us to have a chance. He is still growing and I can't imagine what he could look like with some competency out of his RB driven run game. I also don't feel we can depend on our defense to hold up against teams that are good in the run game. It rarely does. Yes, KC won a Super Bowl but they're largely a soft team by my estimation and most certainly an outlier of SB champions. Very few teams that are poor on either side against the rush have ever won a Super Bowl. Most have some degree of balance or at least respect the notion of balance. A lot of the pieces are already in place for this team. I'm curious what we do after the season is over. Does Beane and McDermott stay with Daboll which makes our offensive direction unlikely to change? Do we look at some OL that are not pass centered and go after some mass in the middle? This is a potential Super Bowl team. The talent level is very high, but we are certainly capable of screwing that up if the vision isn't correct.

 

I would like to see more balanced football.   

[Poyer and Hyde snap at Jerry Sullivan]

7 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

McDermott was exactly right in his presser. He pointed out that despite the run defense struggles the Pats scored 14 points. The real issue is we were 1 for 4 in the red zone. Which has been a serious problem for us all year. We needed one TD drive that wasn't gifted to us by muffed punt.

I agree completely and noticed the same pattern, but I also notice the pattern of us getting absolutely shredded on the ground. This defense is built for pass only football on both sides of the ball. At some point our leadership needs to see that balance in this game matters.    

[Poyer and Hyde snap at Jerry Sullivan]

1 minute ago, RoscoeParrish said:

Hyde and Poyer are safeties and we’re thrown into the box to stop the run.  I distinctly remember both missing multiple tackles resulting in long rushes tonight.  Hyde was last line of defense on the long TD run and whiffed.  Deserved to be called out just like the entire defense. 

Probably best to build a defense that doesn't require more than the allotted number of players on the field to be in the box to stop what is known to be coming. I don't blame Poyer or Hyde for that or the heart of the Bills defense.  

[Poyer and Hyde snap at Jerry Sullivan]

People are pissed and I get it, but please don't defend this question. This defense isn't failing to stop the run because of effort. We have no interior mass. We are built as a pass defense only. Poyer and Hyde have been studs for us for awhile and always leave everything on the field. It was a classless look at me question trying to get the goat of two guys minutes removed from a devastating loss. If anybody should be asked that question it should have been the HC or the GM for the way this team is built. Not a couple DB's.