THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Can’t Win Without Offense

[Shaw66]

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

Can’t Win Without Offense

 

The Bills played their first playoff game in 17 years on Sunday and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 10-3.  It wasn’t the outcome any Bills fans wanted, but it wasn’t really surprising.   The same team that somehow made it to the playoffs showed up in Jacksonville, struggled to move the football and score points, and lost. 

 

The oft-quoted phrase is “moral victories are for losers.”   Yes, the Bills lost, but I’ll take the moral victory that was the 2017 season.   It was, all things considered, about as good a season as anyone could hope for.   New head coach survives his rookie season, establishes his relationship with his players, teaches his system, cleans out the high-priced players that don’t fit, wins nine games, goes to the playoffs.   Ask any Bills fan on July 1, 2017 if he’d settle for that and the answer would have been “Hell, yeah!” 

 

So the Bills lost in the first round of the playoffs, but the season was a win. 

 

I like what I’ve been seeing.   I really like the discipline the team plays with.   Everyone knows his assignment and does it.  The defense, particularly, is disciplined.   Everyone is in position, each makes tackles, and from time to time one or another has an opportunity to make a big play.  They just look good. 

 

The offense, of course, isn’t so good, but the offensive players are disciplined, too.   They go where they’re supposed to go, and they do their best to make plays.  They aren’t effective, but they look like they‘re executing what they’ve been taught.

 

The team is focused.   They play with emotion.  They are prepared for whatever the game gives them.  

 

Next season, the Bills will add talent on both sides of the ball.   They have the five picks in the first three rounds, and they likely will add some free agents.  They will be players Beane thinks fit McDermott’s program, and McDermott showed this season that he can get players up to speed pretty quickly.  Next man up doesn’t mean that the quality of play falls off. 

 

So I’m taking the moral victory and celebrating the season.

 

It’s not so easy to celebrate the game.  But there’s a lot to talk about:

 

1.  The Bills simply failed to make the plays that were there to be made.    Deonte Thompson drops an easy completion. Thompson holds on McCoy’s long run. Clay steps out of bounds.  Didn’t look like coaching.  Looked like execution.  Better players will execute better. 

 

2.  Taylor looked like a QB who needs to be replaced.  He should be avoiding those sacks, but he consistently misjudges those situations.  Escape earlier, throw it away, find a receiver and deliver the ball.  Do something better than taking the sack.

 

After the game Bortles said it was really difficult throwing in that wind.  Maybe that explains some of Taylor’s troubles.  All I know is that the Saints and Panthers looked a LOT different, with Newton and Brees firing the ball all over the field, on the money, into tight windows.  And, by the way, receivers kept catching them.  Taylor wasn’t  throwing balls like that, and the ones he threw, his receivers weren’t catching.  Can’t win ball games without a passing game, and the Bills need to find one. 

 

Taylor made a lot of good plays.  Just not enough.  Too many games, not enough plays.

 

Taylor took a brutal hit to the ground on a clean play.   I hope he’s okay. 

 

3.   For the last time in the 2017, a nod to LeSean McCoy.  The dude can carry the ball, and I love that about him, but it’s his heart that makes him special.   The guy flat out wants it.   I don’t see Bills medical reports, but last week it sure looked like McCoy was down for the season.  His pride, his commitment to his teammates, something brought him back for one more game.  Some broadcaster said  McCoy has more goals, and one of those is to finish his career in Buffalo.  I hope so, and I hope he gets to more playoff games.   Guy like that deserves it. 

 

4. The Bills defense showed up.  For sure.   Shut down one of the best running games in the league.   They gave up a lot of rushing yards, but more than half of the yards were Bortles scrambles.   They forced Bortles to throw, and he couldn’t do that.   

 

In some ways, the difference in the game was that Jacksonville was better prepared to stop Taylor scrambling than Buffalo was prepared to stop Bortles. 

 

5.  Lorenzo Alexander made some big plays.  Tackle on the goal line was spectacular.

 

6.  Okay.  Speaking of the goal line, I usually defend play calling, but come on, man!  First and goal from the one, a team that prides itself on running the ball, and the Bills throw it?  Pound it, once any way. 

 

7.  Kelvin Benjamin hasn’t looked anything like the guy I saw a couple of years ago.   I hope that with surgery and some work with the Bills’ starting QB next season he proves to be what he once was.

 

8.  Peterman didn’t look like next season’s starter.  He was in trouble from the start.  If he has a future, he needs time to learn and develop.  He’ll be better next season, but how much better remains to be seen.

 

9.  Replay officials looked at the Jacksonville TD for about one tenth as long as they looked at Benjamin’s TD a couple of weeks ago.   Koyack briefly juggled the ball before he secured it, and in the instant he juggled it, his foot may have come off the ground.  Somehow, the standards for reviewing TDs have changed in the last two weeks.  Still, if you can’t score a TD, you don’t deserve to win.

 

10.  The Bills lost, but they went down fighting.   They earned respect this season and Sunday afternoon.   And they will build on it.

 

Movin’ on.   A few weeks to decompress, then free agency, then the draft.  A lot of work to be done at One Bills Drive, and if the men and women there know what they’re doing, there’s going to be more respect in the coming years.  

 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

[Ennjay]

Nice wrap-up.  I guess I agree with everything you said.

 

That pass call on first and goal from the 1 made me think of Kevin Gilbride.  Did anyone else have a bad-days flashback?

 

 

[Shaw66]

I forgot to mention the review of the INT.  Horrible. 

 

I assume what has happened is that the league has now gone back to what the replay rule says - unless there is clear error the call stands.  

 

By the standard they've applied for the past couple of years, that ball was incomplete. 

[frostbitmic]

As far as #9 goes there was a big difference between the two plays....

 

1. The play Koyack made today was against the Bills

2. The play Benjamin made two weeks ago was against the patriots

 

That is all that really needs to be said.

[BadLandsMeanie]

Nice write up Shaw.

 

I am cautiously hopeful. I think McD got a lot out of the players we have. I think that the way the team melded together so quickly, and breaking the drought after parting ways with so many decent players who weren't a fit, combined with the heartwarming fan support, just has to carry over into a  very positive team culture next year. And I think if this doesn't do it, then there is no such thing as team morale making a difference.

 

Personally I thought Peterman was put into an impossible situation and I myself read nothing at all long term into how it turned out. On the pick he trew it too slow but the receiver could have come up for it and he could also have stripped it away. He didn't help very much.

 

The new regime certainly seems to know what they are doing picking up players. My only reservation is that Beane actually wasn't here for almost all of that. I just hope he is on board and doesn't mess things up.

 

I am more worried about Tyrod's neck than his head. Hope I am wrong about that.

 

Something I liked when it happened and I think might help us out this year: Last year McD took Terry P around to look at QB draft prospects. I think he was practicing and I think that experience gained might help us some this year.

 

Back to the fans. The fans have actually captured the attention of the entire league. The thing with Dalton and Boyd, best thing ever. I loved that. The meeting the team at the airport in zero degrees on New Years eve. Thousands travelling to Jacksonville for the game. The team came up short but the Bills Fans are hands down champs this year. Bill Cowher broke a table on TV today!

 

It was a good year. A very good year. And yeah we lost but it was a decent contest and we pick a little higher and I don't have to watch teh Patriots demolish us next week, which was the only thing that was going to happen. So it hurts a little but it was a softer blow it seems to me.

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2018 by BadLandsMeanie

[LABILLBACKER]

23 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I forgot to mention the review of the INT.  Horrible. 

 

I assume what has happened is that the league has now gone back to what the replay rule says - unless there is clear error the call stands.  

 

By the standard they've applied for the past couple of years, that ball was incomplete. 

Does Riveron have some grudge? Jags td not even reviewed? Int sure looked like the ground helped pin it back in Jalen's hands? Zay PI completely ignored. Yet Romo made good and sure the entire world knew Clay went out of bounds. TT, Dennison and our offense ruined the day. But there is a very great deal to be optimistic about next year. Thx for the consistently good write ups all year Shaw. Next season TT will be gone, Peterman will improve and we'll have another qb from the draft to develop.

Edited January 8, 2018 by LABILLBACKER

[Happy]

Shaw, you rightfully criticize Tyrod, who had a terrible game.  I do think you let Dennison off the hook in this loss.  Why did we stop running the ball in the second half?  We had their DLine sucking wind in the second quarter, but we let up on that and favored the pass more in the second half.  Not sure why that was; continue what was successful until Jax proved that they could stop it, which they didn't.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

The D showed up but dropping 3 picks really hurt.

 

 

[billspro]

It should be an exciting offseason. 

 

That play Alexander made on the goal line was amazing. One of our best plays of the season imo. 

[GETTOTHE50]

3 hours ago, billspro said:

It should be an exciting offseason. 

 

That play Alexander made on the goal line was amazing. One of our best plays of the season imo. 

 

That was a mans play. 

 

Only a real man could do what Lonzo did.

 

absolutely incredible 

[eball]

It was painful to see the plays out there yesterday that Tyrod didn't make.

 

It was also painful to see those Bortles runs but the D deserved a W.  You hold the home team to 10 pts. in a playoff game, you should win.

[Shaw66]

9 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

As far as #9 goes there was a big difference between the two plays....

 

1. The play Koyack made today was against the Bills

2. The play Benjamin made two weeks ago was against the patriots

 

That is all that really needs to be said.

It's hard not believe that this is true. 

[Helpmenow]

Thompson makes a great catch in the snow and then drops a pass yesterday in his bread basket. Wow

[Shaw66]

11 hours ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

The D showed up but dropping 3 picks really hurt.

 

 

Hardly drops. All three would have been very good catches for wide outs 

[BadLandsMeanie]

11 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

The knock on Petermans somewhat weak arm was on full display on that interception. 

 

As I said in another thread it's a shame what has happened to the Bills offense. It was a good unit the past couple years. Enter Dennison who's offense consists of trying to methodically inch its way down the field for 15 to 20 play drives. No wonder we don't score any points.

 

Tyrod had a bad game as well. Drops didn't help. O'Leary had a big drop. As did Thompson. Still Tyrod missed quite a few receivers. 

 

Im interested to see what they do at the QB position. More interested to see what happens at OC. Dennison blows! 

You make good points. Peterman for example certainly didn't gun that ball in there. Losman for example could have thrown that thing at the speed of sound. But his trouble was it might not have been on target.

 

The only thing I am sure of is I hope Tyrod isn't our starter next year.

 

I am not that great at second guessing play calling. Also when I was watching game film earlier in the year, I saw plenty of offensive plays that worked just perfectly, except one Bills player or another would screw it up. So on Dennison I am content to let McD make that decision and I will go with whatever decision he makes.

 

[buffalobloodfloridahome]

This team thrives on turnovers and we didn't get one therefore we lost. We had opportunities and dropped them. The offense was moving better in the first half and then completely disappeared after half time per usual. Balls were dropped by the WR's but how many were overthrown or poorly thrown Tyrod's terrible accuracy was in full display even the catches we made most looked awkward or the player had to go backward to get it. 

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, buffalobloodfloridahome said:

This team thrives on turnovers and we didn't get one therefore we lost. We had opportunities and dropped them. The offense was moving better in the first half and then completely disappeared after half time per usual. Balls were dropped by the WR's but how many were overthrown or poorly thrown Tyrod's terrible accuracy was in full display even the catches we made most looked awkward or the player had to go backward to get it. 

I didn't think Taylor played badly.  One INT which wasn't his fault.  A LOT of throwaways that brought his completion percentage down. The Thompson drop and Clay out of bounds.  Taylor's problem isn't that he's bad; his problem is that for two years running he hasn't been good enough.  

[Buffalo Barbarian]

5 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Hardly drops. All three would have been very good catches for wide outs 

 

It them in the hands, those are drops

 

 

[Shaw66]

30 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

 

It them in the hands, those are drops

 

 

That's the test for wide outs, not DBs.   No drop is surprising for a DB. 

 

It's much harder as a DB, because he's almost always finding the ball later than the receiver.   So he has to react.   Plus, DB's bodies are often out of position  when the ball arrives.  

 

Those all were tough catches.   Gaines's first was nearly impossible - almost completely out of his reach.   Second one he could have caught but it really would have been a nice catch.  Third Anderson injured his shoulder on - maybe could have caught it but the mere fact that he injured himself trying to get there tells you it wasn't an easy catch.  

 

Can't plan on turnovers.   Need to score points.  Any kind of decent offense yesterday and the Bills win.  Jacksonville AVERAGED 26 points and 365 yards per game this year.  Playing in Jacksonville, the Bills held them to 10 points and 230 yards.   That's 16 points and 135 yards below their averages.   Offense has to win that game for you.  

[Spiderweb]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I didn't think Taylor played badly.  One INT which wasn't his fault.  A LOT of throwaways that brought his completion percentage down. The Thompson drop and Clay out of bounds.  Taylor's problem isn't that he's bad; his problem is that for two years running he hasn't been good enough.  

Yes, he did play badly, yet there is some truth to the rest. Clay is simply too mistake or drop prone. Happens repetitively. Thompson is mediocre at best. Can make some plays but has displayed alligator arms and has also dropped too many. Dead on with that Taylor just isn't good enough.