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Astro-Notes: 8/6/17 Practice

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Astrobot

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Strike One: I waited in a 3/4-mile-long line just to get through security. They gave out 5,000 tickets and had 2 metal detector gates, the same as for the 2,000 weekday fans.

 

Strike Two: The Bills did stretching on the far field, where 100 fans got to see them, rather than in front of the full bleachers on Polisseni Field. There was very modest applause when the Bills came back from the 3rd field where they had done their stretching.

 

Strike Three: When the Bills did any situational drills or 11 on 11 drills, they went back to the third field.

 

Russ Brandon and the Public Relations staff, you're out.

 

..........

 

Despite this Public Relations SNAFU, we did learn some things. Watkins isn't 100%, Cordy's going through the positionals but taking it easy, The subwoofer at Training Camp is nearly as loud as my neighbor's, and Hauschka won't be getting any competition from Rehkow for first-string field goal kicker.

 

During positionals, which WERE on the Fans' Field and therefore visible:

  • Tyrod looks so agile going forward and backward in the pocket, the drill of the day. The QBs had to move back and forth, then pass to the asst coach. Peterman was 2nd-most agile, with Yates adding an extra step in there.
  • The WRs had to sidestep to the tackling dummy, then go around it, getting the throw almost immediately when they were on the other side. Brandon Reilly made a neat 1-handed catch. Other WRs were doing the exact mirror image of this drill, just turning counter-clockwise around the dummy. Lots of reps for everyone.
  • The OL were first doing 1 on 1 blocking. Nice to see Voytek get really low going into his block, and Groy impressing with how much push he ets. He's getting coached up by none other than Eric Wood. Cordy's there, but working off to the side with an asst coach.
  • TE's working with Boras, Logan Thomas getting some coaching up. All are being instructed in how to ouse their off hand to block more effectively. After that, they worked on 2-TE blocks, with the second TE splitting off to take on a second-level defender.
  • QBs are throwing to one WR each. Tyrod was throwing to Dez Lewis, Peterman threw to Daikiel shorts, and Yates had Brandon Reilly. I'd certainly have Shorts above Reilly and Lewis, so this is puzzling.

It's here that Watkins walks off with a trainer. He's NOT limping, but his body language is downward. He's followed by 3 coaches and 4 photographers, kind of like mosquitoes. He's gone about 10 minutes (never went to the training room via the asphalt driveway that I keep tabs on), and returns to some applause. Again, subdued distracted crowd with plenty of kids and band-wagoners.

 

Back to positionals.

  • The TEs are doing in routes. Clay double-catches his pass, O'Leary doesn't. Logan Thomas, out third, makes a sure catch. Croom's fourth and his catch is smooth with no change in stride. The pass to Saxton is high, but he goes up to get it. Later, they do a deeper post route, and the top threee have no problem, but Croom's pass was too far in front of him, and Saxton (Future Fry Cook) dropped his.
  • OL is doing some double-teaming with 3 OL on 2 defenders. They steer the defenders and sometimes one of the OL leaves the first block to make a second block.

Here's where the SNAFU begins.

 

The QBs, TEs, RB, WRs, and the OL all head to the third field. The fans are lik, "Whaaaa....?" There is nobody for the 5,000 fans to look at right now for about 9 minutes.

 

It is VERY possible they don't want people to see what they're doing in situational drill today, which (if you promise not to tell the other 31 teams) was a beat-the-clock drill including a play, running up to the line, lining up, spiking the ball, and getting the FG Team out there for Hauschka's try. The attempt was good. The 150 fans on that field applauded while the 4850 left in the normal practice field sat. Or texted. Or wondered. I'd be pissed if this was my only training camp. A guy I knew drove 4 hours to watch this disregard for fans trying to decide how many real games they want to see this year.

 

After each QB had been run through that Secret Session, about 8 minutes, the players returned to We the People. The Positional Drills resumed.

  • OL working 3 men (LT, LG, OC) on 3 linemen impersonating defenders, including a LB. Karim Barton looks like a player. I think he's 3rd string right now, but he has an NFL physique. Cordy isn't doing anything more than the bare minimum during this drill, but he's out there. Dion Dawkins is hitting with authority, probably harder than anyone else during this drill.
  • QBs fake the ball to a impersonating RB running in front of them, then passing left or right to an asst coach.

Just like that, The Team again abandons The People and goes back to the far field to do 11 on 11's. This is what fans come to see. Some people leave to go to the far field to join the 150. I stand up and have a somewhat-obstructed view, but here's what I saw:

  • They're playing what looks like Cover-1, but by the time the snap occurs, it can be Cover-2, Cover-3, even Cover-0. Kevon Seymour is getting some work back there.
  • Andre Holmes had the Catch of the Day from my vantage point.
  • Yates checks down more often, sometimes to a back (Banyard in this case, who seems to have pulled in front of Cedric O'Neal and J-Johnson for a possible 5th RB position, depending on what they do with the 2 FBs.
  • J-Williams takes off on a nice run, which is what you'd like to see from your #2 RB, but has the ball knocked out at the end, which you don't want to see if you're Rico Dennison.
  • I saw no work from Taiwan Jones today in anything other than KR, so that may be his saving grace. His career average per return is slightly higher than Tate's, with a similar number of returns.
  • The run defense is swarming, intent on takeaways. Peterman tries three straight hand-offs for little gain, and a fake handoff with a pass that didn't end well (a INT)
  • Yates' hand-off to J-Williams garnered some yards.

Meanwhile, on We The People's Field, we have Hauschka and the Punters passing the ball to each other.

 

When the players return, Tyrod leads an attack vs air that's reasonably entertaining to watch (better than punters). Watkins on a comeback route was pretty. They ran it with two TEs on the field with him, creating major match-up problems (against air). O'Leary catches a pass from Tyrod on a nice inside curl, and Shady gets a handoff. Tyrod's final piece was a nifty in-and-out route by Clay and a well-timed throw by Tyrod. Yates follows up with a toss and run by J-Williams, a pass out to Jeremy Butler (some chemistry there) with the other options being Logan Thomas, Zay Jones, and Walter Powell. Tate runs a long post and Yates delivers a snappy pass out to him, my other Catch of the Day. Seantrel Henderson is his LT. Voytek comes in to replace Henderson and Peterman hands off to Banyard. for not much. Croom is the TE in this group, with Cam Jefferson at RT. Peterman ran with WRs Streater, Dez LEwis, and Shorts, with Saxton the TE.

 

They gave each QB one play to run. Tyrod threw to O'LEary on the far sideline. Yates hit Zay JOnes on a nice drag route, and Peterman throws midfield to Jeremy Butler, but he double-handles the catch. This one-play-per-QB process goes one more round, and they go back to The Far Side, and 4850 fans are stuck watching the kickers again. Eleven on Eleven is going on over on the field we cannot see.

 

The sky is getting dark and threatening. Kind of like the Bills' Public Relations Department.

 

The comments on my way back to the shuttle buses that I overhear:

  • "We spent more time in line than seeing the players."
  • "I thought we would see more"
  • I liked it better when they were in Fredonia.
  • Kids are resilient. One 4-year-old said, "The weather was more funner." I think he was comparing it to the scorcher last year's Sunday practice was, but he could have been insightful and talking about the team.

--Astro

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Rocky Landing Veteran

Rocky Landing

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I believe that I read that Peterman, and Shorts had developed chemistry early. Perhaps that is why they has Shorts working out with Peterman, below Lewis, and Reilly?

 

At any rate, it would be nice if Lewis started to hit his potential.

 

Nice, also to hear that Holmes made some nice catches.

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dulles RFA

dulles

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  • Kids are resilient. One 4-year-old said, "The weather was more funner." I think he was comparing it to the scorcher last year's Sunday practice was, but he could have been insightful and talking about the team.

--Astro

 

Astro, you do a great job on these, but I never anticipated the humor. This took the notes to a whole new level, especially in light of the negative experience. Kudos.

I did not know it was possible to be a Bills bandwagon fan at this point lol

As long as the wagon is circling...

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Steptide All Pro

Steptide

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Great write up once again. I'll say honestly that it doesnt bother me that they kept switching fields. Yes, it stinks for fans, but we're talking about a 17 year drought. Training camp is free. It's rather boring in comparison to an actual bills game. I get that 11 on 11 is the best part, but at the end of the day, it's just practice

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Beast All Pro

Beast

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That does suck and, I admit, I would be pissed if I went but I also have to be honest.....

 

I really don't care if they decide to fly to the moon and stiff fans during training camp as long as they are ready come September 10th.

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Webster Guy Veteran

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That does suck and, I admit, I would be pissed if I went but I also have to be honest.....

 

I really don't care if they decide to fly to the moon and stiff fans during training camp as long as they are ready come September 10th.

I do. Its lousy form and the opposite message the Bills should be sending to their fans. My son is leaving for college in a few weeks and the last playoff game we had he was in diapers.

 

You treat loyalty with respect, and we're loyal fans. McDermott needs to learn this isn't Carolina.

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Mark Vader Hall of Famer

Mark Vader

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I do. Its lousy form and the opposite message the Bills should be sending to their fans. My son is leaving for college in a few weeks and the last playoff game we had he was in diapers.

 

You treat loyalty with respect, and we're loyal fans. McDermott needs to learn this isn't Carolina.

You think this was all McDermott's doing?

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BadLandsMeanie Veteran

BadLandsMeanie

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WHERE IS YOUR CAMP REPORT SIR

 

:)

I did one on a different board from Thursday's practice. But I couldn't see :P Same as Astro except I saw even less.

 

I will put it here if you guys want but there's not much football in there at all. And I rant some. And I make fun of McDermott. So it aint for fanboys thats for sure!

 

But I will post it if you want if I don't get punished if y'all don't like it. Just lemme know.

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Captain Hindsight Hall of Famer

Captain Hindsight

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Great write up once again. I'll say honestly that it doesnt bother me that they kept switching fields. Yes, it stinks for fans, but we're talking about a 17 year drought. Training camp is free. It's rather boring in comparison to an actual bills game. I get that 11 on 11 is the best part, but at the end of the day, it's just practice

It was pretty rough for them to do that. 5000 fans showed up and lined the street going into Fisher to get in. Most of us saw the kickers stretch the whole time.

 

This was my experience Sunday.

 

Waited in line, got through the metal detectors and got to the bleachers.

Went back towards the tents to grab some free sunglasses for my mom because she forgot her's.

Got into an argument with "Mark" one of the security guys for hire about the meaning of general admission. He told me that because I didnt give them my name when I left the bleachers, I could not go back up to my seat that 3 people were saving for me. (Mind you this is general admission practice) After arguing with him for 10 mins on his little power trip, he finally let me up. (My ticket rep will be hearing about this soon, as this is the second time this has happened this season)

 

Watched kickers pretend to kick for an hour before finally leaving

 

They weren't switching fields, they blatantly avoided the fans that sacrificed a Sunday to watch them at a ticket practice. And its not about me. Little kids, elderly folks come to these because they cant go to games go to these practices. It was rude and disrespectful to a city that has 1/3 of the season ticket holders. The note about the field being torn up, its BS because they practiced on that little field on Thursday too. So they haven't practiced on the main field since Wednesday? Spare me that BS Bills PR.

 

Sean better win, because he pissed off 5000 fans yesterday before his first preseason game

You think this was all McDermott's doing?

Yes

 

From some friends that work for Pegula Sports "He has a ton of power"

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BadLandsMeanie Veteran

BadLandsMeanie

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It was pretty rough for them to do that. 5000 fans showed up and lined the street going into Fisher to get in. Most of us saw the kickers stretch the whole time.

 

This was my experience Sunday.

 

Waited in line, got through the metal detectors and got to the bleachers.

Went back towards the tents to grab some free sunglasses for my mom because she forgot her's.

Got into an argument with "Mark" one of the security guys for hire about the meaning of general admission. He told me that because I didnt give them my name when I left the bleachers, I could not go back up to my seat that 3 people were saving for me. (Mind you this is general admission practice) After arguing with him for 10 mins on his little power trip, he finally let me up. (My ticket rep will be hearing about this soon, as this is the second time this has happened this season)

 

Watched kickers pretend to kick for an hour before finally leaving

 

They weren't switching fields, they blatantly avoided the fans that sacrificed a Sunday to watch them at a ticket practice. And its not about me. Little kids, elderly folks come to these because they cant go to games go to these practices. It was rude and disrespectful to a city that has 1/3 of the season ticket holders. The note about the field being torn up, its BS because they practiced on that little field on Thursday too. So they haven't practiced on the main field since Wednesday? Spare me that BS Bills PR.

 

Sean better win, because he pissed off 5000 fans yesterday before his first preseason game

Yes

 

From some friends that work for Pegula Sports "He has a ton of power"

Wow. What a rotten experience. And I had forgot about the elderly and little kids not being able to see games very easily.

 

I agree with what you say about it being disrespectful.

 

In my view, if McD wins a lot , this wont matter. If as is more likely, his record is average, he is paving the way to get fired a year or two earlier than he would have if he treated the fans like they are also important to the team.

 

We are watching him get fired here is what I think. Not now, not next year, but a couple years of this combined with a mediocre or worse record will have the fans ready for someone new.

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