Wow, Watkins healthy and 3 targets......

[thebandit27]

 

Let's see been on IR for the last 8 weeks with a broken foot , 1st round pick & a huge weapon, 1st game back let's just throw him in & not pay any attention to how his injured foot might react let's just blow it out in his 1st game ...

 

Makes great sense !!

 

You're missing the point.

 

If he's healthy enough to be on the field for 25 snaps, then he's healthy enough to receive more than 4 targets.

 

If he's not healthy enough to absorb the impact of a tackle after a reception, then he shouldn't be out there. There's no gray area here.

[dave mcbride]

He only played 25 snaps... and was actually targeted 4 times due to the DPI. TT also only threw the ball 18 times. not surprised at all with the number of targets. I'm sure he's always open though which bodes well assuming TT decides to throw it in the coming weeks.

There were 25 pass plays, not 18. 5 ended up as sacks, and there were two substantial PIs (one involving Watkins and one involving Clay). I don't know who was the intended receiver on the sack plays or even if Watkins was in there. But if was the target on a sack play, Taylor may have held off on throwing it because he was double covered.

Edited November 28, 2016 by dave mcbride

[Utah John]

If you were Jacksonville and Watkins was on the field, you'd double team him every time. What other Bills receiver scares you? Without another viable threat, Watkins' impact is minimized.

 

This was the first game when all three of the Bills' elite players -- Watkins, Dareus, and McCoy -- were on the field at the same time. When they were all playing, before Dareus came out, they were all having game-changing impacts. This is the core of the team that the Bills management must keep together in the years ahead.

[TallskiWallski83]

So it's his first game back. He hasn't been able to run in over 8 weeks and his conditioning was poor. It was reported before the game he would be on a snap count. Lynn targeted him to jumpstart our crappy offense, he caught a huge bomb, drew a critical pass interference penalty and was a critical factor in us winning the game. Also, he did not suffer any setbacks and should be all systems go for the most important game of the season.

 

 

And you're unhappy with 3 catches for 80?!!!!

 

 

It could not have gone any better my friend

[BaaadThingsMan]

He's just getting back on the field. Give the man a chance to figure out if his foot is gonna withstand the pounding before you pile up the targets on him. They used him to get an advantage at the perfect time of the game IMO.

[The Big Cat]

OK....did he or did he not get the PI call on the pass?

 

I know you have a strong push because you dont want anyone to blame the D (and that appears to be happening.......21 fricken points and we have to come up with 28 to win) but jeez

 

He got the PI as a door prize for executing the play poorly.

 

I've never once said that the defense was beyond critique. I myself have critiqued the defense on many occasions. The reasons for the defense's non-dominance has been the point of contention, and my observations haven't changed since last year. What any of this has to do with TT's habit of being waaaay too late on throws, something which is abundantly clear to anyone watching Bills and non-Bills quarterbacks enough to know what good, rhythm, throw to a spot and throw your receiver open passing looks like, I have no idea.

 

 

You could see he was late in the replay. He needs to put the ball in Clay's hands right as he clears the 2nd level, not throw the ball when he clears it.

 

It's also not an isolated incident. TT doesn't throw the ball when a player is about to clear the defense, he waits until he's fully clear and by that time the safety is in play. It's one of his major flaws. He just can't pull the trigger until he actually sees the guy wide open. It's the same problem EJ had/has.

 

He can't throw guys open. Period. He simply doesn't do it. Fitzpatrick would be all-world with the weapons we have on this offense and with how much we rely on the run game. And don't tell me TT's ability to scramble sets him apart. It gets him back to zero. His scrambling ability almost compensates for his inability to execute the primary function of his job--to pass the football.

 

Gotta see the All 22 film before you criticize the qb's decisions on where to go with the ball.

 

Was nice to see #14 back out there. Very exciting! 80 yards is a great showing after being out 2 months.

 

Indeed. The All-22 will prove whether or not everyone who was at the stadium yesterday has been lying about receivers being open all over the field. Let's wait and find out, I guess.

[stony]

 

He got the PI as a door prize for executing the play poorly.

 

I've never once said that the defense was beyond critique. I myself have critiqued the defense on many occasions. The reasons for the defense's non-dominance has been the point of contention, and my observations haven't changed since last year. What any of this has to do with TT's habit of being waaaay too late on throws, something which is abundantly clear to anyone watching Bills and non-Bills quarterbacks enough to know what good, rhythm, throw to a spot and throw your receiver open passing looks like, I have no idea.

 

 

He can't throw guys open. Period. He simply doesn't do it. Fitzpatrick would be all-world with the weapons we have on this offense and with how much we rely on the run game. And don't tell me TT's ability to scramble sets him apart. It gets him back to zero. His scrambling ability almost compensates for his inability to execute the primary function of his job--to pass the football.

 

 

Indeed. The All-22 will prove whether or not everyone who was at the stadium yesterday has been lying about receivers being open all over the field. Let's wait and find out, I guess.

1) Yes. I think it's an unwillingness rather than inability, but either way it screws the offense.

 

2) Hyperbole?

[thebandit27]

So it's his first game back. He hasn't been able to run in over 8 weeks and his conditioning was poor. It was reported before the game he would be on a snap count. Lynn targeted him to jumpstart our crappy offense, he caught a huge bomb, drew a critical pass interference penalty and was a critical factor in us winning the game. Also, he did not suffer any setbacks and should be all systems go for the most important game of the season.

 

 

And you're unhappy with 3 catches for 80?!!!!

 

 

It could not have gone any better my friend

 

 

He's just getting back on the field. Give the man a chance to figure out if his foot is gonna withstand the pounding before you pile up the targets on him. They used him to get an advantage at the perfect time of the game IMO.

 

Again I say: if the guy is healthy enough to be on the field for 25 snaps, then he better be healthy enough to be targeted more than 4 times.

[The Big Cat]

1) Yes. I think it's an unwillingness rather than inability, but either way it screws the offense.

 

2) Hyperbole?

 

Honestly, no. Only twice in franchise history have QB's thrown for more yards in a season than Fitz did in 2011...when the second leading receiver was David Nelson.

 

Give Fitz Watkins, Clay, Woods and the cushion of our running attack and Shady out of the backfield and he'd push for 5 grand. Dude threw to a spot unlike anything we've seen since Kelly. It's what makes him so effective.

[BringBackOrton]

 

Honestly, no. Only twice in franchise history have QB's thrown for more yards in a season than Fitz did in 2011...when the second leading receiver was David Nelson.

 

Give Fitz Watkins, Clay, Woods and the cushion of our running attack and Shady out of the backfield and he'd push for 5 grand. Dude threw to a spot unlike anything we've seen since Kelly. It's what makes him so effective.

I think Fitz on this team would be the polar opposite offense. Much longer possessions with better 3rd downs, worse RZ and TO percentages. Hard to say if that would be an improvement or just a different kind of mediocre.

[Billsfan1972]

 

@Cover1Bills

Sammy drives up field then slightly turns route towards sideline & out of JR's peripheral. Makes Ramsey think fade, SW drives back to ball.

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/803249274897108992

 

That is such a simple playcall (back to back catches by SW), that it should be available 2-3X's/game minimum. Other teams do it over and over. That is why I don't get it.

[Big Gun]

Fitz blows.

 

As much as Tyrod struggles I would take him any day over Fitz.

Oh, Fitz definitely has his issues and they are major issues but as far as being a QB, he is better than TT. It's pretty simple, Fitz adjusts at the LOS pre snap and uses the whole field and TT doesn't.

[Billsfan1972]

Oh, Fitz definitely has his issues and they are major issues but as far as being a QB, he is better than TT. It's pretty simple, Fitz adjusts at the LOS pre snap and uses the whole field and TT doesn't.

That's what I don't get either. Does TT not adjust at the LOS? Is he on a short leash with the OC? I watch the Bills at the LOS and and I swear they've never audibled or used hand signals. The first 26 minutes Sunday Jacksonville knew the defense to call and the Bills refused to adjust.

[Maury Ballstein]

Fitz's brain on TT's body is the qb we need.

[26CornerBlitz]

Fitz's brain on TT's body is the qb we need.

 

Not so sure about that with as many bone headed decisions that I've seen Fitz make. BTW, did you know he went to Harvard?

[The Big Cat]

 

Not so sure about that with as many bone headed decisions that I've seen Fitz make. BTW, did you know he went to Harvard?

 

Harvard? Isn't that in the Ivy League?

 

Also: Fitz's bone headed decision was singular just frequent: My arm is strong enough to make that throw.

[klos63]

 

 

 

Again I say: if the guy is healthy enough to be on the field for 25 snaps, then he better be healthy enough to be targeted more than 4 times.

they should have thrown to him instead of handing off to McCoy on the first play of the 2nd half.

 

I haven't spend much time on TBD recently until last week, all i've read has been negative and in that time we are 2-0. jesus, come on.

[26CornerBlitz]

@buffalobills

"You're back, man!" Sammy Watkins chatted with @DeionSanders on playoff hopes and more after his return. #GoBills

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/803298928728817664

[thebandit27]

they should have thrown to him instead of handing off to McCoy on the first play of the 2nd half.

 

I haven't spend much time on TBD recently until last week, all i've read has been negative and in that time we are 2-0. jesus, come on.

 

You've picked an awful, awful target to try to make this point.

 

Pay attention to the discussion. I haven't once said that he should get the ball on every play, or that he should get the target on every pass, or anything that should even remotely hint at an assertion that should evoke such a response from a rational person.

 

What I've said repeatedly is that the guy was open far more often than he was targeted, and that it needs to change if the offense hopes to put up more than 160 passing yards per game. Case-in-point: the only 2 targets he received beyond 20 yards lead directly to TD scores. The other 2 TDs came on a big run by Shady and a big punt return by Tate.

 

The thread topic is Watkins and his utilization, so I'm on topic. If you don't like the topic, then either (a) don't click on it, or (b) take it up with the OP.

[Coach Tuesday]

 

Harvard? Isn't that in the Ivy League?

 

Also: Fitz's bone headed decision was singular just frequent: My arm is strong enough to make that throw.

 

Not exactly true. For an Ivy League-educated QB, Fitz also makes a stunning amount of bad decisions about where to throw in the first instance. (Also, I don't think the word "singular" means what you think it means.)