A Few Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....

[Bill from NYC]

1) What a game by Byrd today!!! I noted last week how hard he is playing. It really would be cool to keep him next season. He will not be easy to replace.

 

2) One cannot say enough about how well the DT combo of Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus played. Kyle just made play after play and I have never seen Dareus look as good as he did in this game in terms of being in shape since college. He never looked winded from beginning to end and physically dominated the Jets, especially Geno Smith. Geno is going to be in a whole lot of pain tomorrow.

 

3) More on the secondary.....yes, Gilmore did scare me when he gave up the 33 yard reception in the first quarter. Actually, he looked like he was holding on the play as well. After that, he was just fine. Most of the little yardage gained against him was in garbage time. This was his best game of the season by far imo, and we need him to continue to progress.

 

4)Goodwin got great separation on that bomb on the 44 yard TD. That kid can truly fly, and he even was something of a possession receiver as well today. This with Woods and SJ on the bench.

 

5)Again, no complaints about the running backs today. It was obvious that Ryan was going to make EJ beat him today and his defense concentrated heavily on the run. Sorry Rex LOL!!!

 

6) Do you realize that no less than 9 Buffalo Bills caught a pass in this game?!

 

7) WAY too many penalties on special teams. Obviously it didn't matter today, but this can do a lot of damage.

 

8) I just wonder if you shouldn't feel,

less concern about the deep unreal.

The very first word is: "How do you do?"

The last: "Go home, your mama's callin' you."

 

9) Robey and Searcy were both excellent today. It is just so cool to see a UDFA play as well as Robey, and watch the 100% effort given by Searcy result in a pick six.

 

10) In the second quarter we appeared to get a bad spot. The team and/or the coaches appeared to freeze and instead of a challenge, they had to call a timeout. I don't know what Marrone was thinking. And look, I'm not trying to drag down the mood here. I am freaking pumped about this romp, but romps are few and far between and we just don't need mistakes like this. Am I off base here?

 

11) EJ, without his top receivers, stepped up to the challenge. The mere premise that we MIGHT have a good quarterback is thrilling! This and another good draft, and the Bills can go very far. VERY far.

 

12) Don't worry about Mario not registering a sack. He applied pressure and forced plays. And trust me, if our play up the middle stays even almost as good as today, Mario will have less people on him.

 

13) Kiko is not only highly skilled, he too gives 100% on every play. Twice he made great tackles after being on the ground. He instinctive, smart, and he hits. Wow, this kid is excellent!!!

 

14) Congrats people. We fans deserved a day like today.

 

15) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited November 17, 2013 by Bill from NYC

[MDH]

The most impressive thing about Kiko is how quickly he diagnoses plays. The guy reads screens, sees running lanes and fills gaps, reads the QBs eyes and adjusts his coverage, it's just mind boggling how a rookie looks so seasoned. Oh, and he has a motor that never stops and has solid tackling technique. How this guy didn't get drafted until round 2 is baffling.

Edited November 17, 2013 by MDH

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

With regards to #10, my initial thought was throw the flag, worst case is you lose a TO, but you're going to have to take a TO anyway. Thinking some more there is a difference as wost case ins't just losing a TO since you only get two challenges a game, so yes the TO situation would have been the same, but would have only had one challenge left. So after looking at it that way, I was OK with what they did in just taking a TO.

[Wayne Cubed]

Good stuff Bill.

 

About #10, spot reviews are rarely overturned. There just never enough evidence. And it's not just losing a TO, it's also losing a challenge. Which may be needed later. If he did challenge it and lose I assume most fans would haven given Marrone crap. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[oman128]

T J Graham finally a TD after 11 games.

 

I'm still not sold on him as a wide receiver for us.

[mannc]

Good stuff Bill.

 

About #10, spot reviews are rarely overturned. There just never enough evidence. And it's not just losing a TO, it's also losing a challenge. Which may be needed later. If he did challenge it and lose I assume most fans would haven given Marrone crap. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

It's a tough call. The other factor to consider is that even with the bad spot, it was still only 3d and less than 1, so your chances of converting are high even without a challenge. Probably best to save the challenge for when it is really needed. I had a much bigger problem with Marrone continuing to punt from inside the other team's 40 yard line. He was saved on one of those would-be punts when the Jests jumped offside and he decided to go for it on 4th and 1, but they should have been lined up to go for it from the outset.

Edited November 17, 2013 by mannc

[boyst]

1) What a game by Byrd today!!! I noted last week how hard he is playing. It really would be cool to keep him next season. He will not be easy to replace.

Tag him at the least, but I really don't like having to do that because it's just a harsh thing to do when the guy has been so giving and from all appearances a team player

 

2) One cannot say enough about how well the DT combo of Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus played. Kyle just made play after play and I have never seen Dareus look as good as he did in this game in terms of being in shape since college. He never looked winded from beginning to end and physically dominated the Jets, especially Geno Smith. Geno is going to be in a whole lot of pain tomorrow.

I've never been down on Dareus, and I never had any doubts on him. I did have some shreds about Kyle Williams earlier in the year when he just seemed to be a little bit soft on the push. I am glad I didn't give up on either, how impressive were they!

 

3) More on the secondary.....yes, Gilmore did scare me when he gave up the 33 yard reception in the first quarter. Actually, he looked like he was holding on the play as well. After that, he was just fine. Most of the little yardage gained against him was in garbage time. This was his best game of the season by far imo, and we need him to continue to progress.

This was Gilmore's 2nd full game? I am fine with the way he played.

 

4)Goodwin got great separation on that bomb on the 44 yard TD. That kid can truly fly, and he even was something of a possession receiver as well today. This with Woods and SJ on the bench.

I still want a big WR brought in.

 

5)Again, no complaints about the running backs today. It was obvious that Ryan was going to make EJ beat him today and his defense concentrated heavily on the run. Sorry Rex LOL!!!

Trade Spiller this offseason, get a 2nd. Let him go somewhere else and we will be just fine drafting a guy in the 4th to replace him.

 

6) Do you realize that no less than 9 Buffalo Bills caught a pass in this game?!

The routes EJ completed vs. Geno Smith were what WGR said was impressive. The out routes and posts were supposed to be something fantastic.

 

9) Robey and Searcy were both excellent today. It is just so cool to see a UDFA play as well as Robey, and watch the 100% effort given by Searcy result in a pick six.

As noted other places, I didn't watch the game and listened to the 2nd half on Sirus. I've thought all along about Robey and Searcy that they are the type of players other teams see in the playoffs and want to have on their team. The ones who come up with the huge play when the game is on the line. We don't think much of them because we are so close but these guys make a difference.

 

10) In the second quarter we appeared to get a bad spot. The team and/or the coaches appeared to freeze and instead of a challenge, they had to call a timeout. I don't know what Marrone was thinking. And look, I'm not trying to drag down the mood here. I am freaking pumped about this romp, but romps are few and far between and we just don't need mistakes like this. Am I off base here?

WGR went on about that several times. I cannot imagine why it wasn't a red flag situation.

 

11) EJ, without his top receivers, stepped up to the challenge. The mere premise that we MIGHT have a good quarterback is thrilling! This and another good draft, and the Bills can go very far. VERY far.

Wait until next week, or 3 weeks from now and we will be cursing every player in the draft.

 

12) Don't worry about Mario not registering a sack. He applied pressure and forced plays. And trust me, if our play up the middle stays even almost as good as today, Mario will have less people on him.

All season it has been nearly impossible to stop KWilliams speed and Dareus quickness up the middle. Mario may not get the numbers right now but next year, someone else will. Carrington could be that player, if he is back.

Bill, just want to say thank you. Win lose or draw, you are a major reason I come to this board after a game. After the last few losses the only reason I was spending time here Sunday was to just read your take and find something that didn't seem so bad.

 

The most impressive thing about Kiko is how quickly he diagnoses plays. The guy reads screens, sees running lanes and fills gaps, reads the QBs eyes and adjusts his coverage, it's just mind boggling how a rookie looks so seasoned. Oh, and he has a motor that never stops and has solid tackling technique. How this guy didn't get drafted until round 2 is baffling.

legal issues involving alcohol. twice in college. if you didn't know.

[Just in Atlanta]

The best part? It was fun to watch, especially after the gutless yawn fest last week. Pettine outwitted his master today big time. Total domination on D and we did what we had to on O, including some big-chunk plays.

 

Not worried either about the run. Was clear Ryan was not going to let us run, so we did what good teams do, take what give us and adapt. Was nice to see a couple bombs. Very nice actually.

 

My only complaint is our lack of dominance on ST returns. We haven't had a big return yet.

 

Whole buncha teams with four wins. If we continue this play, we could actually find ourselves doing what we haven't since 2005--fighting for a playoff spot in late December. I just looked at these AFC teams. We have a shot, and it's not a shot in the dark...assuming we build on this and don't regress.

[CSBill]

Unsung hero's today . . .

 

Doug Legursky - Wilkenson was never heard from

 

Also, Chris Carpenter … who was that other kicker at the beginning of the season?

 

Manny Lawson, got to love his effort

Edited November 17, 2013 by CSBill

[Dan]

...

 

5)Again, no complaints about the running backs today. It was obvious that Ryan was going to make EJ beat him today and his defense concentrated heavily on the run. Sorry Rex LOL!!!

 

6) Do you realize that no less than 9 Buffalo Bills caught a pass in this game?!

 

...

 

13) Kiko is not only highly skilled, he too gives 100% on every play. Twice he made great tackles after being on the ground. He instinctive, smart, and he hits. Wow, this kid is excellent!!!

 

14) Congrats people. We fans deserved a day like today.

 

15) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I noted in the Pre-Game thread, I thought EJ was the key to this game. He had to bounce back because you just knew the Jets were going to stop our running game. Turns out... EJ did! He was steady, consistent, safe with the ball, all while taking some good shots down field. He even hit on the deep, side line pass! You really can't ask for more from your QB than what EJ gave us today.

 

I'll also add that although we're still entirely too predicatable on offense, Hackett did a much better job of mixing the play calls up to keep the D guessing.

 

Oh and Kiko? The guy is an absolute beast. He was all over the field! It seemed every play he was somewhere near the ball carrier. It's rare to see any LB play as well as he did, let alone a rookie. Wow! just an impressive player.

 

Now, let's just hope to see them do this a little more consistently. But today was the type of game that gives us hope. Maybe these aren't the same old Bills, afterall.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

T J Graham finally a TD after 11 games.

 

I'm still not sold on him as a wide receiver for us.

 

I have to give credit on scoring a TD that made him look like a seasoned vet. I just don't think he's a guy that's useful between the hash marks or running a complex route tree.

[BaaadThingsMan]

Goodwin really stepped up today, the kid showed he's got more than just speed to his game!

Byrd really made a difference, he owned Smith today!

EJ may have read the article a couple days ago saying Jests had the advantage between the rookie QBs!

The D was stout all day!

It was a great win, happy day in Bills Country!

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Agree with most of the OP.

 

Would just add that I thought Hogan was pretty solid for us. I wonder how many snaps Easley got; I didn't notice him on a single offensive snap.

[Jkgobills]

Thanks Bill, always enjoy your post.

 

The Bills D line was great with disruptive pressure all day. Agree with you that Geno Smith is going be hurting tomorrow.

 

It was great to see the Bills Defense make a rookie QB look like a rookie QB. The d-line pressure and Byrd's play were a huge part of making that happen. Credit to the players, credit to the scheme.

 

Our rookie QB had his best showing of the year. Some encouraging things there. Hope he can keep it going and build on this performance. I have my doubts, but I keep rooting for him and as you said IF he is the answer at QB we are close to being a good team!

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

The best part? It was fun to watch, especially after the gutless yawn fest last week. Pettine outwitted his master today big time. Total domination on D and we did what we had to on O, including some big-chunk plays.

 

I agree. I was prepared for a snooze-fest, maybe 9-6 win if we got lucky. Instead, it was a really fun and entertaining game. Haven't had one of these in a long time!

[marauderswr80]

They let EJ play today!

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Unsung hero's today . . .

 

Doug Legursky - Wilkenson was never heard from

 

Also, Chris Carpenter … who was that other kicker at the beginning of the season?

 

Manny Lawson, got to love his effort

carpenter has been a rock he may provide very stiff competition next year. Plus The FO gets kudos for the trade for Hughes, signing of Lawson! finding Robey, Tuel and other UDFA . Add a tall stud WR and a stud TE and this team along with another LB like Kiko and this team is on its way

[BuffaloBill]

Fantastic way to go into the bye and get some time for guys with bumps and bruises to heal.

[Fixxxer]

My observations:

 

1) Goodwin, TJ and Hogan stepped up today, I was skeptic about us moving the ball but they kept the chains moving with some clutch catches, especially Goodwin and Hogan.

 

2) After a putrid game against the Steleers (and against legendary Lebeau I might add) EJ bounced back with an almost perfect game, he was decisive, accurate and hit passes many fans thought he couldn't.

 

3) Defensive line was dominant, Kyle was his usual self and Dareus is coming into his own.

 

4) we watched today the two finalists for DROY award. Both Richardson and Kiko are stars.

 

5) Frank Summers was not going to be denied, nice play call.

 

6) Lee Smith will never be a starter in this league, but boy he likes to get his hands dirty, he must be a nightmare to play against, he's always pushing and shoving even after the play is dead.

 

7) The big difference today was not giving the ball up and taking advantage of their turnovers.

 

8) Moats is quietly having a solid year.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!

[Trader]

'Lee Smith will never be a starter in this league, but boy he likes to get his hands dirty, he must be a nightmare to play against, he's always pushing and shoving even after the play is dead." Lee Smith is a penalty machine and he has hands of stone. He needs to be replaced or fed enough to become an OL.