THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Nightmare

[buffalostu2]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

I saw many teams that were ready for opening day.

We should have known the Bills wouldn't have been ready.   We had competitions at QB, C, and CB going right up to the week before the game.  Those were arguably the worst positional performances of the game too. 

 

Not enough time or reps to get ready.  Our worst fears were realized - we had three QBs (one in Oakland) all partially ready to play.  Center/O line were not together and CB turned into a debacle with Davis not even suiting up.  Poor process planning and execution to get ready for the opener.   

[dpberr]

NFL teams aren't ready for opening day?  Nonsense.

 

Teams like the Bucs, Bears, Browns, Ravens, Panthers, Patriots etc. came to play yesterday.  They looked pretty prepared to me.

 

The Patriots are always ready to play a game.  That's partly what makes them so dominant.  That team (coaches and players) shows up every Sunday.  

 

 

[stuvian]

I've never been more relieved to have missed a game. I went golfing. It was great. 

 

The emotional rollercoaster of being a Bills fan continues. Why is it that the Bills looked the least ready of all the NFL teams?

 

A few more weeks of this and it will confirm the feeling of a throwaway season. The Ravens are not this good. I just hope we aren't this bad. 

 

I feel sorry for Kyle and Lesean after games like this. Spending out their last years on a futile rebuild.

 

I'm going to the home opener. I'd like to see Allen. At least he can keep opponents honest with his legs and arm.

 

Tired of delayed gratification.

[Figster]

8 minutes ago, dpberr said:

NFL teams aren't ready for opening day?  Nonsense.

 

Teams like the Bucs, Bears, Browns, Ravens, Panthers, Patriots etc. came to play yesterday.  They looked pretty prepared to me.

 

The Patriots are always ready to play a game.  That's partly what makes them so dominant.  That team (coaches and players) shows up every Sunday.  

 

 

Mack was a one man wrecking crew

[BuffaloMatt]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

Nightmare

 

The Bills opened the 2018 NFL season losing 47-3 to the Baltimore Ravens.

 

The Bills were horrible.  In all three phases, pretty much the entire game.

 

In the NFL, no teams are ready for opening day.  They haven’t installed enough, they haven’t practiced enough.  Still, the games count, and the mantra in the NFL at this time of year is “find a way to win.”  You won’t have your best game; some things will work for you, some won’t.  Some things will work for your opponent, some won’t. 

 

At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.  Not for the Bills on Sunday.  Nothing worked. 

 

If I’m not at the game, and if it isn’t on local TV, I watch the Bills at my local sports bar.  I buy my wife lunch, we watch the Bills and other games.  My wife likes football but isn’t a Bills fan, except through me.  Nevertheless, I get a running commentary during the games.

 

Before the end of the first quarter against the Ravens, over a vegetable quesadilla, my wife was calling for a change at quarterback.  She knows good quarterbacking when she sees it, and she wasn’t seeing it.  It looked the same to me, over nachos. 

 

Quarterback?  One thing we learned in this debacle is that Josh Allen needs to start for the Bills.  Not because he was lights out against the Ravens; he wasn’t.  But if you’re going to have a QB on the field with limited experience, and the Bills are, a QB who just doesn’t get everything that’s going on on the field yet, and neither Peterman nor Allen does, then you may as well play the guy who can make plays.  Allen throws better, Allen has better pocket presence, Allen runs better.  The Bills have two incomplete quarterbacks; they need to play the guy who can win games despite his inexperience. 

 

The Bills game was on a screen beside the Patriots game.  My wife complained.  “It isn’t fair to put them side by side.  The Patriots do everything right; the Bills do nothing right.”   By the time she made the comment I was well into my second beer, but I was still smart enough not to argue with her.

 

One thing I noticed on side-by-side screens:  Kelvin Benjamin is not Gronk.  As a rookie, Benjamin had good hands.   He seemed to catch everything around him.  Either my memory is faulty or Benjamin forgot something.  He’s gotta catch balls with his hands, and he doesn’t, not enough.  At least not against the Ravens. 

 

Oh, and Robert Foster was as billed – stone hands. 

 

Brian Daboll’s debut as offensive coordinator was, well, maybe it’s best not to search for an adjective.  Daboll’s job is to send his team onto the field with something that will work.  Nothing worked.  Running backs had no holes.  Quarterbacks had time to throw, sometime, but rarely could find open receivers.  Yellow flags flew.

 

If you don’t have overwhelming talent, and the Bills certainly don’t, then you have to win with scheme.  There was no scheme visible. 

 

The offense was unprepared.  Nothing worked.

 

Nothing worked for the defense, either.  The Ravens don’t have the best receiver corps in the league, not by a long shot.  But those guys were open, wide open, all afternoon.  The Bills looked confused, all afternoon.  Joe Flacco had no trouble. 

 

Tremaine Edmunds?  Long way to go against the run.  He should get some kind of award for standing beside the pile, after the tackle, more than any player in the league.  For heaven’s sake, can’t the guy HIT someone?   He can run with receivers, but he can’t be a middle linebacker in the NFL if he isn’t going to stick someone once in a while.  He needs to watch Milano fly to the ball and stick his shoulder into guys.   Milano was one of the few bright spots for the Bills. 

 

“It looks like the Bills aren’t trying,” my wife said.  “It looks like they aren’t running fast,”   That hurt.  McDermott’s team is supposed to heart, and it there wasn’t much heart on display against the Ravens.  Get mad, please, and hit someone!

 

What now? 

 

My wife has a theory:  McDermott started Peterman so that when he switches to Allen, whatever Allen does, no one will want Peterman back.  All part of the process? 

 

It starts with Allen on the field. 

 

We’ve seen this before.  Last season we saw a team that was just as bad, for three weeks.  That team figured it out and played some good football down the stretch.  They need to figure it out again this year. 

 

Everything needs to be fixed.  Does McDermott have a process for that?

 

 

 

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.

Kudos to you and Mrs. Shaw 66. You both nailed it. 

58 minutes ago, Bandito said:

Will we win more than 2 games this season? 

Probably not. But as fans we are not going anywhere! Go Bills!

[nuklz2594]

my wife is a patriots girl. going on 30 years of marriage. she had all her pats gear on and i had my bills hat.  lunch was dismal at the pensacola ale house. tequila is now my favorite food group.

 

[Bring it]

Pretty fair assessment except maybe Edmunds but that has been pointed out! Your wife sounds great and I too have privately wondered about the theory she has. Only I was thinking it would take 2-3 games. It took just one half!!!

I have seen all I need to see. 

 

Josh Allen needs to start.

14 minutes ago, BuffaloMatt said:

Kudos to you and Mrs. Shaw 66. You both nailed it. 

Probably not. But as fans we are not going anywhere! Go Bills!

I saw enough yesterday to be convinced we will win more with Allen at Qb. Maybe not many, but more!

He might as grow by playing because I don’t see much that will intimidate this kid! 

[B-Large]

1. Name Allen starter, plan the offense to be simple- this team isn't winning much this season, so get Josh used to the speed of the game and begin to build up the basics he'll need for NFL success- run the ball, safe passes, kick and play field position. 

 

2. On defense, start doing small things right.  Get young guys who are projected to be here as you build playing time.

 

If I were the staff, I'd take a breath and realize that this team isn't going to win the division by any stretch, and from what I saw yesterday they probably won't compete for a WC either.  Think of this as a development year, think about protecting your new QBOTF and how you build around this kid for the next 2-3 years so you can actually compete.

 

 

[Bring it]

From what I saw they have to play Allen if Shady is going to see any daylight. I don’t agree with many here about the Ravens. They looked better than anticipated. I’m not saying this to just feel better. Flacco isn’t great but he has weapons this season and that defense will make life miserable for more than just us! Edmunds needs to watch Mosely play.

[rockpile]

Very good post. 

 

Yes, even if they only win two games or none, we will still be Bills fans.

 

I find survival as a Bills fan is to LOWER your expectations. 

 

I hope for more but I only expect the Bills to play 16 games this season. 

[1st&ten]

2 hours ago, Figster said:

No coach should want to ruin a players confidence or trade value IMO. The way this scenario might play out two players could become damaged goods before all is said and done in my humble opinion. The team itself is not ready for Allen, but Buffalo doesn't have another option.

 

If Beane pushed for the McCarron trade and the way he talked his pro's pro up it wouldn't surprise me,  I would be close to sending the beane head packing especially considering the neglected Oline when you knew a 1st round rookie was being drafted.

 

Gruden is laughing his ass off right about now.

 

Thanks OP for an enjoyable read as always, much appreciated.

 

 

I agree----I think it was a mistake to not carry 3 QB's with the Bills situation. McCarron might have had a rough preseason but he's not as bad as some posters made him out to be.

[Uncle Joe]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I'm fairly confident the problem is age and experience.   He has to have the experience to let himself go, to attack instantly as he sees the play develop.   It will come.   

 

You could have been talking about Allen here instead of Edmunds.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

Shaw you and I have been around the block for years on this. 

 

You seem to think that you can coach your way around this league and I've never believed you, or thought you were right about this. 

 

Before the season you had this to say about my review of the roster: "You call his generous. Yours is miserly."

 

 

And lo' and behold, yesterday the Bills, and the fans that ignore reality got what they deserved. Nate Peterman played like the mediocre, 5th round prospect that he is. McDermott coached like he always does - throwing dump off passes and trying to run 900 year old LeSean McCoy. Kicking Field Goals when your down by 40 points. 

 

From 2005-2017 this team had little to no drafting success. And yesterday was another jolting reminder that this current regime traded the few draft hits this team did have, leaving it dead in the water. We're band-aiding with Trent Murphy, Star L, Phillip Gaines, Matt Milano, Vlad Duccasse, while trying to ride the last of the Whaley guys - Clay, McCoy, Hughes.....

 

Our Coach thinks you can line up and run on first, run on second (all of Shotgun), dump off on 3rd down and win in this league. He's said it, he's coached it. Punt on 4th-1. That's McDermott. 

 

No amount of elite culture or hard work or tape watching or scheming is going to fix that.   

 

Here is the reality, McDermott = Jauron = Marrone. Ultra conservative coach sees a punt as improving field position. 

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, Jay_Fixit said:

1) Benjamin has never had “good” hands. It was one of his issues at Florida State.

 

Add his sloth like speed to the mix and we have an issue.

 

2) Edmunds

 

He didn’t play like he was a 7 year vet, because he isn’t. But he played well for the youngest LB in the NFL making his first ever start and made some good plays. Including a sack and a near interception.

 

If you’re picking on Edmunds from this game, you need to have another beer.

 

By Jay_Fixit.

Fair enough.  Maybe my expectations are too high.   

[LABILLBACKER]

Shaw they are who we thought they were. I expected more competative fire and instead we got a team content to be dominated. Edmunds is young, raw and gets a pass from me this year. Peterman on the other hand has to be released soon. Now Mickey D's challenge will be to keep Allen alive. 

[SoCal Deek]

Shaw, thanks for the comments about Edmunds.  I am really rooting for this kid but to me it looks like the Bills front office said, "Hey, there's this trend to have tall athletic safeties and hybrid players...let's try that with our MLB!"  It's not all that different from the modern NBA, in which the entire team is now 6'-6" tall.   Unfortunately, the NFL still requires the MLB to  stuff someone in the hole!  I'm hoping against hope that Edmunds puts on some weight!

[Shaw66]

22 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Shaw, thanks for the comments about Edmunds.  I am really rooting for this kid but to me it looks like the Bills front office said, "Hey, there's this trend to have tall athletic safeties and hybrid players...let's try that with our MLB!"  It's not all that different from the modern NBA, in which the entire team is now 6'-6" tall.   Unfortunately, the NFL still requires the MLB to  stuff someone in the hole!  I'm hoping against hope that Edmunds puts on some weight!

Thanks.  That's well put.  I was beginning to wonder if I was seeing things, with all the comments I got about my comments about him.

 

He isn't a hitter.  With time he should get better, but because he isn't a hitter he doesn't look like he'll ever be a great run stopper.  I'm not worried about it, because I agree with the comments that he will improve.  He'll put on some weight and he'll learn to read the plays better.    

[GoBills808]

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Thanks.  That's well put.  I was beginning to wonder if I was seeing things, with all the comments I got about my comments about him.

 

He isn't a hitter.  With time he should get better, but because he isn't a hitter he doesn't look like he'll ever be a great run stopper.  I'm not worried about it, because I agree with the comments that he will improve.  He'll put on some weight and he'll learn to read the plays better.    

Edmunds is going to be ok. He's athletically ahead of pretty much every other guy at that spot. Think prime Jamie Collins, not Urlacher. He's the prototype modern NFL MLB and once he puts on 15 lbs this offseason you're not going to be as worried that he doesn't fill the gap like Ray Lewis because his wingspan and speed is going to allow him to cover more ground in the passing game than Kuechly. I think he's going to be the best in the game, soon, for a long time.

[Billsatlastin2018]

1) "Kelvin Benjamin is not Gronk." BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ?

 

2) Your wife correctly evaluated everything.

 

3) See you in 2019. This one is done. 3-13 might be great for these talentless clowns!

[Shaw66]

1 minute ago, Billsatlastin2018 said:

3) See you in 2019. This one is done. 3-13 might be great for these talentless clowns!

I'm believing in the process and sticking with 7-9.   Get Allen in there and the Bills will have an above average offense by the end of the season.

 

What?  Did I just say that?   Yes.  

 

I looked at the video of all of Allen's throws.   He was better than I remembered.  Kerley, Jones, Holmes and Benjamin are more than good enough to craft an effective passing attack with Allen throwing.   As that happens, Shady will be himself.   This offense will be good.  Not great, but good.