What coaching call did you dislike during the Chargers game?

[Mark Vader]

running a draw play out of the shotgun on 3rd and 1. Absolutely idiotic.

This was the worst call of the game and it also killed the Bills chances of a comeback.

 

The defense was awful yesterday, but they had only given up 20 points and the Bills offense was on the move.

 

Why did they line up in a shot gun on 3rd & 1 and send Spiller up the middle? All the different formations and players they could have used in a situation like that, and that was their best option?

 

Yes, the following 4th down play was bad, with Manuel missing a wide open Mike Williams, but they never should have been in that situation.

 

What was Hackett thinking? More importantly, why did Marrone go along with it?

 

I was starting to think that Hackett was getting better after the Miami game, but he took a big step back yesterday.

[Deranged Rhino]

I didn't like Saint Doug's choice in headwear.

[Mango]

There were some play calls reminiscent of last year. The line is having difficulty, and anytime we want to get the ball down field, we are just running go routes, and sometimes 3 at once. I noticed sometime in the 3rd or 4th, it's 3rd and mid distance, nobody underneath, and there wasn't a receiver out of their break by the time the pressure go there. EJ did not play well yesterday when given time, but Hackett and the OL magnified it. It seems like against Miami, when this staff is confident they call real NFL plays, when they get behind the 8 ball, they revert back to vanilla. Also at the end of the first half, 24 seconds and 2 timeouts. I know unlikely to score, but Christ, can we line up maybe 4 or 5 wide and make a go rather than a TE 2WR set. The offense needs to spread the field in a hurry pre-snap or the OL, EJ, and teh RB's are going to have a miserable season.

[1B4IDie]

4th and 6 at the 47(?) and they took the holding during the return instead of the offsides which would have made it 4th and 1.

 

4 or 5 plays later, San Diego was at the 45. Good call guys.

Exactly.

That really pissed me off.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

My least favorite play of the game was on 3rd down, and one. Hackett calls for a Spiller run up the middle.

 

Here is the issue with that play: I think Fred was supposed to run it, but he pulled himself out because he got his bell rung on the prior play. Add to that that Pears got pushed 3 yards into the backfield, and I am not sure this is a playcalling problem, as opposed to a bad execution problem.

[Mango]

Here is the issue with that play: I think Fred was supposed to run it, but he pulled himself out because he got his bell rung on the prior play. Add to that that Pears got pushed 3 yards into the backfield, and I am not sure this is a playcalling problem, as opposed to a bad execution problem.

 

Sub in Boobie then, not Spiller. Not getting the right personnel on the field, then running plays without that personnel out there, for the sake of running it is precisely the issue with Hackett. Yes players need to execute their assignments/roles, this isn't a get out jail free card for pairs, but Hackett backed himself into a corner statistically before the ball was even snapped. Same with getting Spiller the ball in space, we are not putting our players into positions of strength, or success. That said, yesterday was a team loss.

[BuffOrange]

How about consistently sending Spiller to the middle of the line and getting nothing.

 

As someone who hates discussing playcalling, I don't need to see that on 1st down ever again.

Does EJ have the green light to check out of that or not?

[2003Contenders]

I agree with those citing the 3rd and 1 followed by the 4th down play. That whole sequence was a colossal mess:

 

When it was 3rd and a short 1, Marrone should have made it clear THEN whether or not this was 4-down territory. Perhaps better play-selection would have been in order. How about a play-action pass on 3rd and short -- followed by a QB sneak or Summers/Dixon run if the 3rd down play was unsuccessful. Running CJ in that situation had to be the most bone-headed call imaginable. It created a 4th and 4 situation -- which we all knew EJ was not going to convert.

[QCity]

I don't want to use the "W" word, but the vanilla defense started to give me flashbacks. Parts of the first half of the Chicago game did too, but I dismissed them as a bad dream.