Beck Water

So far, the Broncos aren’t playing as though they “got the memo” on how much they suck

I didn’t see what was happening to Russ when he threw that?

Obviously go to PM’s if you feel it’s more appropriate, but I wish you’d consider to stay here as I think others of us would like to learn it. I think there are some others who feel the same (and some who’ll be bored, but they can just scroll on by)

This. You, Sir, can be replaced by a steak-wrapped ukulele. Which I will play to the delight of our neighbor’s 145 lb Anatolian Shepherd. She has excellent musical taste.

I think to be competitive against the top teams, we need an infusion of talent at the trade deadline. So we’ll learn a lot about how the coaches and Beane see it, depending upon whether they make any moves, and which moves they make. Seriously? C’Mon Man, there are a good handful of “if only this one play were different” on both sides of the ball. Always are. Your contention was “Baker is going to have a day”. Good analysis here

And you’re not wrong to be nervous. Winning is far from certain. But this thread seems be certain we’re not winning.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OSulJ.00.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._O'Sullivan Late round draft pick of the Saints who hung on in NFL for 8 years Usually if a less-talented guy hangs in the NFL that long, it's because they know something

To be honest, I find it more relaxing to watch football on a Sunday when the Bills aren't playing.

This. As McDermott would say, "nothing is guaranteed, everything is earned". Every year some teams go on a tear early in the season and then fade (2020 Steelers, 11-0 finished 12-4 and got washed in the WC round). Other teams are up-and-down but solidify their play and make the playoffs or even win the Superbowl. In 2021, the Chiefs were 3-3 and then 3-4 at one point, before winning 8 and a row and ultimately losing to the Bengals in the conference championship, I think in part because "13 seconds" the previous week took everything they had. Does it look like a cakewalk, no it does not, but sometimes when things look like a cakewalk (Steelers) one needs to beware a House of Cards.

Aged well

I just popped in to post this link - JT O'Sullivan did another Youtube on Baker Mayfield in this game, which I found fascinating from the POV of what did and what didn't work, in the Bills defensive coverage. Check it out. And I'll see if I can find the pre-snap look, because I'm finding the discussion of the Tampa coverage on that deep throw to Shakir fascinating. Thanks fellas! Presnap Look on the play in question

Who should have picked up Shakir?

So that we could have 3 playoff wins out of 10 games and no conf. championships, in the 12 years since the Steelers lost the 2010 Superbowl? 10 of those years with Ben Roethlisberger and 8 where he was arguably a great to very good QB?

I think this is one of those plays where Allen was able to leverage the defense's awareness of his tendencies. Here's the routes in progress. You're thinking one of the linebackers should pick up Shakir, who in this photo is almost to the 30 yd line on the far hashes. Diggs is running the crosser, on the 45 yd line hashes. I don't know what to call the defense (where's @HoofHearted or @Buffalo716 to put me straight?), but it seems to me that the 4 defenders on or about the 30 yd line are some flavor of zone and 100% focused on Davis and Diggs, because 1) typically Shakir and Sherfield are just running clearing routes 2) Allen's tendencies are 100% to go to Diggs if he can, and Davis if he can't. I think the design of the defense here is to leave Shakir to the single deep safety, but maybe I'm wrong and the safety expects one of the backers to pick him up. This seems to me the sort of thing teams have been doing to choke off the middle of the field and take it away. I think the safety expects Shakir to continue upfield and not head for the far sideline and has an "awshit!" moment when he sees Shakir cut. I could be wrong of course. But the safety falls down and goes "boom", and Shakir (on the hashmarks near the 20) is so open that Allen just can't pass him up. What's actually pretty cool about this play design is when both Davis and Diggs extend their crossing routes vertically, Diggs has both his guys beat AND the guy who is supposed to be containing Cook takes off after Diggs. So Allen has many targets, and just takes the deepest (and most open)

Well, I disagree somewhat. Mahomes makes plenty of special plays and is a threat to burn teams with his legs at all times. But he's sensible about going down or going out of bounds, and he *will* discipline himself to take what the defense gives him. There's a balance to be struck. You need a QB who will go "be a mustang" sometimes and not just take what the defense gives him. But there's also a time and place for moving the chains and taking the checkdown, and not becoming overly predictable in extending the play and forcing the ball into tight coverage deep, at the cost of leading the league in interceptions.

So one thing most of these coaches have in common, is that they have won Superbowls. (Kyle Shanahan excepted, got to the Superbowl in 2019 and was beaten by the Chiefs). But I'd like to point out a couple of things here. 1. Andy Reid coached for 20 years with one (1) Superbowl loss in his 6th season to show for it. I believe it was in 2016 (12-4) after a 2nd consecutive playoff exit, Tony Dungy opined on national TV "the Chiefs may win a Superbowl, but not while Andy Reid is coaching them". So basically there was something like a 14 year stretch where the narrative on Reid was "he's a good regular season coach, but he can't win the big one". Just sayin' 2. Mike Tomlin won a Superbowl his 2nd season, went back to the Superbowl and lost to the Packers 2 years later, and hasn't been back in 12 years (and, he took over a team that was 2 years out from a Superbowl win and had an established Franchise QB). During that time, he had that QB in top performing shape for about 10-11 years. Is he a good coach, undoubtedly in my mind. But if he were coaching the Bills, don't you think the narrative would be "he's a good regular season coach but he can't win the big one"? Just sayin. 3. Sean McVay in his 7th season. Was hailed as a genius when he went to the Superbowl his 2nd year, then the narrative was "Bill Belicheck 'solved' him" as it took them 3 years to get back - in part because they kind of mortgaged their roster for a couple years after the loss, and arguably last year after the win. My take homes are 1) even geniuses have learning curves 2) it's not just the coach - possibly the GM has to be willing to sell out and go "all in" 4. Kyle Shanahan As mentioned, one Superbowl loss in 7 seasons, his 3rd year of coaching. He's held to have had bad luck with QB or "no QB" and done it without, but at some point, with all the talent they have on offense and their top-notch defense, isn't more expected? 5. John Harbaugh 16th year as a HC. Superbowl win, in his 5th season. See Shanahan. 6. Pete Carroll. 20 years as a HC. Has not been to a Superbowl or a Conference Championship in 9 years, since they lost to the Patriots on a 2nd-and-1 goal line interception where the play call was harshly second-guessed. Said to have created a monster in Russell Wilson by coddling him. I'm not saying these aren't good coaches, or that you wouldn't be right to take them over McDermott. I'm just pointing out that if we were looking at these guys with the same micrometer some of us use to measure McDermott, maybe we'd find them lacking, too. Andy Reid is a genius now-a-days, but there was a 14 year stretch when it was fashionable to bash him.

Actually and not to take away from Shakir, one reason he was so wide open was that the safety fell down.

Towards your point, I read somewhere that Davis had something like an 80% completion rate for on-target balls. (He's also been unable to haul in a couple of frustrating throws that hit him right in the hands in the end zone) The thing is, in real life when QBs are under pressure and WR are jammed and stuff, where WR differentiate themselves is, as you say, the ability to make contested catches when the DB gets his hand in there, the ability to adjust and haul in an off target ball, the ability to cut sharply and gain separation.

What does this mean?

Where are you getting this $17M a year? https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/dawson-knox-29132/ His AAV is $13M, and like most contracts it's back-loaded into the last couple years. Cap hit $6.43M this season. Which isn't chump change - it made him the 11th highest paid player on the team before the injuries, and #9 TE in AAV - but it's not ridiculous TE seem to get overpaid, and it's not far off where he was for receptions in 2021. He did everything the team asked of him in the 2020 off-season, including taking a huge step in improving his catch % and eliminating drops. I thought last year, he didn't take a further step in receiving yards primarily because of how Dorsey was using him - to chip and release in pass pro, then be a short option - but it may have been because he wasn't learning to out-maneuver his defender at the catch point and find the open spot in zone. Anyway, Knox took a big step back this season in catch % and drops - back toward his rookie or 2nd year, and I don't know if that's because he decided his hands were "cured" and he didn't need to keep up the hard work, or because he's out knocking the "B" out of "Buffalo" as many nights as he can and partying with the ladies. Maybe it's his wrist and surgery will fix it.

Kincaid, I believe, genuinely has elite hands and if he doesn't already, will shortly have elite route running. All the stuff I've seen from him - he's Soooooooo smooth. He's like a 6'4" ball Hoover, just vacuuming in any football that comes his way and rolling on down the rug. Shakir is in the " great game but I want to see more from you before I get too excited" category for me. (we have had players who had 1 or 2 great games, then vanished, remember?) Shakir had 50% catch last season, 10% drops. There's a reason he wasn't on the field for more snaps last season. Maybe he got thrown into the fire too fast after injuries and was overwhelmed, but his elite hands were not apparent. But, so far this season he's been steadily gaining snaps and his last two games have been great. Keep it up, Khalil!

Anyone who brings in Nick Wrong here ought to get paddled with his penis nose. He's 100% about the clicks. Don't give them to him. https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/1647648/nick-wright-may-be-the-biggest-moron-in-the-history-of-morons-and-that-may-not-do-justice-to-how-big-of-a-moron-he-is

Can’t argue with this Logic! In fact, when Poyer was “Out” one game, Rapp started and Hamlin was active (so that they had 2 safeties active) Minor nit, I’m not sure the Bills consider Hamlin a “pure free safety”. In fact if I’m not mistaken he took more of a strong safety role? Or at least sometimes played strong safety, when Hyde was out. But he *is* a pure safety at this point, while Lewis can play CB and nickel as well as safety.

So Greg Cosell had a bunch of interesting stuff to say about the impact of going up tempo on the opponent's defense and also about Kincaid and Shakir. https://www.buffalobills.com/video/one-bills-live

"That's what she said"?