Only pre-season, but playoffs???

[NoSaint]

The only reason these are even called games and scores and records kept is so the owners can sell tickets. It's a glorified practice.

 

Seeing how Cordy reacted to a player like orakpo, or if graham could beat a jam, or fitz keeps his footwork with live bullets flying counts way more than anything on the scoreboard.

 

In September we know the measurement of success - the scoreboard. Tonight the coaches might sleep well even if the fans don't having seen a guy make the right read, have the right technique, etc.... Even if the play by normal standards failed.

[JinWPB]

On a positive note: Chandler looked all pro,SJ is SJ, T.J. will be good, Roosevelts a good player, hope we keep him, Hagan was ok, nobody else seemed to get separation..Prince and Brooks looked ok in coverage, D-line will be strong,White was running well but can't pick up the blitz ,LT Young looked ok as backup, Mckillop was covering alot of space .VY should be the wildcat QB. Either keep B.Smith as rec. or move him.

Nobody got hurt+++

Refs were calling false starts on heavy breathing.

Fitz's side line interview/ puffyeyes, looked like he'd been partying at home.or..we still should look for the next QB.I'm sure he will get better but comparing to RG3 you can see the diff in talent. We'll see, alot of his misses could have been on wrong routes but I doubt it.He was ducking for cover alot though.

OL needs to work on it,way behind but Skins 1st D is pretty good.

DB,s will be tested alot.Hope McGee can come back.

 

And it is preseason...no need ot take a hit now and potentially get hurt

 

Should tell that to Brady his oline almost got him killed tonite.

[OCinBuffalo]

The goal is not winning, it's about testing guys in situations. A poor showing can be a great learning experience for coach and player. I'd rather they try what they aren't good at now.

If there ever was a "test guys in situations" game I have ever seen, especially in person, it was this game.

 

Defense:

 

First off WTF? Why didn't Kelvin Sheppard start the game a Mik? Scott McKillop was in there for the 1st 2 series. I thought Sheppard was held out....then he came in for the next 3. McKillop was OK on the run, but he was burned hard core 2 times on some of the down field coverage.

 

Example 1: I, and I assume others who have a marginal understanding of what is happening in games, knew that they were going to throw to the TE in the 1st qtr(the one big play) They also had 3 WRs(or 2WR/2TE) in the game--> Instead of bringing in Bryan Scott and playing our nickel look, we stayed with our anti-run team, and let Morrison try to cover that TE down the field. He was close, but not close enough. Look, I don't claim to have the greatest football knowledge, but I KNEW that play was going where it was, and I have a hard time believing Chan/Wanny didn't. If it's a real game, they at least call time and get Scott on the field, if not send him on the blitz.

 

Example 2: When they did finally get Scott on the field..."surprise"...it was against the Skins obviously intentional set of run plays. So then we got to see what happens when the nickle plays against the run.

 

Example 3: We blitzed 1 time that I can remember, and it was a delayed/run blitz (Barnett) that was nullified by a sweep going the other way.

 

So, we basically had the wrong alingment/package in for the entire time the 1s and 2s were in there. It was like hitting the wrong button in Madden....over and over. It's too much of a coincidence, and too many instances of it, for me to believe it wasn't intentional. IF I was a coach, I would want to know things like "what will the damage be if I call the wrong defense and/or what exactly can our anti-pass, 3rd and 8 D do against a HB sweep?". This seems to be the most likely explanation, as I have a hard time believing that Wanny sees pro-style offense/I formation personnel running onto the field....and says...."lets bring in the nickel package". But that's what he did, over and over.

 

Offense:

 

We ran the ball...after the 1s were long gone...in the 2nd quarter. I just got home, and didn't see the stats, but I am fairly certain we didn't give Fred/CJ a single hand off. When we did start running it, we were getting large chunks of yards...but then, seemingly on cue, they started throwing again.

 

Then, also as if on cue, there was that riduculous "run it in the red zone series". Until we need a 1st down...and we get a penalty instead...so we go back to running it again. Try and tel me that wasn't intentional. The 17 year old kid behind me knew it was a run call, hell everybody knew, and yet they kept doing it??? Yeah, that was "beat the man in front of you even though he knows the play".

 

The only reasonable answer to this seems to be exactly: put people in disadvantaged situations and see what happens.

I don't have a clue how good Graham will be, but you have to stop listening to Tasker. That throw was at his knees and he didn't have time to react to it. (at least that's what I saw)

I saw that play right in front of me. Graham needs to lean to find the ball and make a play on it, regardless of the rout. But also, that ball was severly underthrown.

 

There was another instance where the ball was in the air, underthrown, and he kept running the rout instead of coming back and making a play on the ball.

 

You can't trust a guy that is going to go full robot, and only hit a spot on the field, regardless of where the ball is. Scott Chandler, with his "despite your being right on my hip, I will catch it over your head anyway" is what Graham needs to do.

 

For now, it's realistic to expect that we just want to see Grahm run the correct rout, and we have to hope that making adjustments to the ball will come.

[eball]

First and foremost -- that was an ugly game and difficult to watch.

 

Now then...does anyone believe the Bills, in a regular season game, will come out in a 5-wide set and go no-huddle with not a single running play for the first 15 plays of the game? I don't. It seems this was all about "winging it" and it wasn't pretty.

 

They were clearly out of sync; much like the audio/video on the Preseason Live iPad app. The Skins' D line abused the Bills' front. Fitz was not good, although Stevie and Chandler appear to be in regular season form.

 

Saw a couple of plays out of Graham and Easley. Did Hagan even suit up? Tashard Choice was miserable.

 

Backup QB is a problem. Thigpen was brutal, and VY was horribly inaccurate (but used his legs to make a couple of plays). I would have liked to see one more possession for Brad Smith but the D couldn't get the ball back.

 

Moorman was fantastic. Aside from the third drive, the defense was stout. But that third drive brought back memories of last year -- gashed by runs and wide open receivers. Loved the pick by Brooks; very athletic play. #46 (I think) made a very nice breakup on a deep seam route in the 2nd half also; great awareness.

 

My "conclusions" after this affair? I have none. I didn't watch as carefully as I'd like, particularly in the 1st half since I was grilling and the iPad app was sporadic.

 

Onward and upward.

[The Wiz]

Now I remember why I don't normally come on here right after games.

After a preseason loss is the best time to come here.

[Just in Atlanta]

Not worried at all about the skill positions on offense--this was just a glorified practice. I might be a little...concerned...about our O line, however. They were dominated.

 

Also have to disagree with some of the posters about our defense. Our first and second team secondary was solid. I didn't see any penetration from the D line though. Kinda expected RG3 to be runnin for his life. I know I know, preseason...

 

Hope next game there will be a simple, diverse gameplan--not 100 percent spread--and some D line dominance.

[Just in Atlanta]

On another note...is it just me or does VY look like he's playing sandlot football? Guy seems like he just wants to draw some routes in the turf and run on every other down.

 

Still seems like he's the clear cut No. 2. At least he's a gamer. He'll make a bunch of crap plays then dazzle you with a big one. Thigpen...meh.