THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Limited Excitement

[BadLandsMeanie]

Jesus loves me this I know,

Vontae Davis told me so  ☺️

 

 

He quit in the middle of the game. I never heard of that before. Best thing that happened to me in a month. God I enjoyed that. 

 

We dem boyz

Hol up, hol up

 

 

 

 

[Bill_with_it]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

“Limited Excitement”

 

The Bills stumbled to another loss in the first home game of their 2018 campaign.  It wasn’t as ugly as the loss to the Ravens a week ago, but it wasn’t a lot better, either.  The game wasn’t as close as the 31-20 score might suggest.

 

It was an odd day at New Era Field, not the usual home opener.  The excitement of the draft had ebbed by the start of training camp, and preseason games had left the fans scratching their heads.  The blow out loss at Baltimore crushed their spirit.  Sunday at New Era, there was very little of the typical opening day excitement.  There was hope – there’s always hope – but no excitement.  And it was hot, so the fans had wilted before the game began.

 

Still, the fans made noise, in the beginning.  The defense responded with a three and out on the Chargers’ opening drive, but after the Bills’ offense went three and out themselves, it began to look like Baltimore all over again.  Rivers was All-World, and it looked like the Bills defense was an open book to him.  He had no pressure, no trouble finding open receivers, and no trouble hitting them.  It wasn’t long before the fans got quiet.

 

It was somber where I sit.  For the past six years, I’ve sat behind a family with four tickets.  Opening day always was the father and his three fifty-something sons.  Dad went to his first Bills game in 1960 and bought these season tickets in 1985.  Families like those can be found all over the stadium.  Sunday, only one of the sons and his son were there; Dad had died in June, 82 years old and 58 years a Bills fan.  It was a sad day in our section, and the Bills did little to change the mood. 

 

The Bills woke up a bit in the second quarter, but their general futility and the heat drove many fans out of the stadium at half-time.  The Bills actually looked competitive in the third quarter.  They had some success on offense and, mercifully, on defense.  The score, if not the game, approached respectability, but fans continued to leave.  A skeleton crew was left to make noise in the fourth quarter as the Bills mustered a last-ditch effort to get back into the game. 

 

The fans wore the usual collection of vintage jerseys – Kelly, Smith, Reed, Fitzpatrick – with several 13s on display to honor Stevie’s return to New Era to wave the flag as the Bills took the field.  A few Edmunds 49 jerseys, and more than a few Josh Allen 17s. 

 

The rookies didn’t disappoint – they looked like rookies. 

 

Allen is, without question, the best QB the Bills have.   He showed that.  His throws are things of beauty – powerful sometimes, nice touch on swing passes, accurate throws off balance or on the run.  The guy is a great, great thrower. 

 

Turns out he’s also an excellent runner, and the Bills decided to put the League on notice.  The Bills ran the read option several times, and Allen wasn’t afraid to keep it.  He’s not going to earn a living toting the pigskin, but he’s going to keep defenses honest.

 

And he can scramble.   He can break tackles in the backfield, he can move around.  He can stay upright with a tackler on him. 

 

And still, Allen plays like a rookie.  He holds the ball too long.  He seems to lose concentration on some of his passes.  He throws an occasional fast ball when a little more air would help.

 

Oddly, I think his two interceptions were positive plays.  The first was a remarkable effort on Allen’s part to stay upright, looking downfield with a tackler hanging on him.  He waited, waited and finally saw the window he thought he could hit.  Turns out he couldn’t, but he’ll learn.  Great play.  The comparisons to Roethlisberger are easy to see.

 

The second INT happened in that part of the game where the QB needs to take chances to get his team back in it.  Allen saw the opportunity and took the chance.  He will learn from that throw, too.  He needs to take those chances to learn how to execute under game pressure.

 

18 for 33 and 245 yards with a TD and two okay INTs was a good outing for a rookie’s first start in the NFL.  Five sacks is not good.   A few sacks weren’t on him, but a couple should have been avoided.  One was the corner blitz that he should have seen and didn’t. 

 

The offensive line, of course, did Allen few favors.  And Daboll’s passing schemes are creating few open targets for Allen.

 

Edmunds continued to mix solid plays with late reads and misreads, getting caught in the wash on some running plays, being left flat-footed on many passing plays.  He’s on the field for virtually every play, and he should be learning, play after play.  In the meantime, QBs like Rivers will pick on him regularly. 

 

Most troubling about the Bills is their general disarray.  Marcus Murphy made key mistakes in the punting game, refusing to fair catch one ball, and lining up what looked like 60 yards from the line of scrimmage on another.  He ran up 15 yards and still only could short-hop the catch.  

 

Critical penalties, again. 

 

McDermott taking over defensive play calling.  That shouldn’t be necessary; he and Frazier should be on the same page by now.

 

Vontae Davis?  His disappearing act begs the question:  Do Beane and McDermott actually know what they’re doing?  They preach character and they couldn’t figure out Davis had nothing left in the tank?

 

Most courageous play of the game?  Taiwan Jones, hands down.  His recovery of Murphy’s fumble or muff or whatever that was, and his absolute refusal to go down as he tried to get the ball out of the end zone was awesome.  However, maybe I don’t know the rules, and maybe Jones didn’t either, because apparently there was no need to run the ball out, as the officials ruled that the play was a touchback. 

 

Runner up?  McCoy getting back on the field to see if he could go.  Bills desperately need McCoy on the field.  The guy is special, and a gamer, and Allen needs the help. 

 

If McDermott’s the coach his clippings say he is, this team will continue to improve and begin winning some games.  He has the quarterback to do it, but a lot of questions remain.

 

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.

Man you should write for the bills. More clarity, thought, and relevance in your article than anything from the bills pr in a while. Good honest piece.

[Commish]

ditto - outstanding summary

[Shaw66]

9 hours ago, VW82 said:

 

Yeah I think he's particularly raw with the pre-snap stuff, even for a rookie. Having Daboll in his ear to diagnose LOS might help short-term but Allen probably needs to learn by doing and making mistakes. It's a tough line to walk but he'll get better. 

 

Other than that, he just needs to work on his accuracy and consistency. Some of those throws were tough.

One of the throws I liked best was deep in the end zone to Holmes.  He was in trouble and had to throw it away but was able to make a thrown that gave Holmes a shot at a TD. That was beautiful.

[Foxx]

12 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I agree with this.  Just about the entire team is a mess, but I think Allen will just keep getting better.  

 

I'm watching Trubisky.  He has a full season on Allen, and he doesn't have Allen's poise.  

 

I don't know if McBeane are the guys to build a winner, but the Bills have their qb. 

sorry to hear about the 82 yr old patriarch, things like this are never easy.

 

i agree, Allen's poise exceeds that of a rook. let's hope it helps parlay the other aspects of his learning curve.

[Ayjent]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

One of the throws I liked best was deep in the end zone to Holmes.  He was in trouble and had to throw it away but was able to make a thrown that gave Holmes a shot at a TD. That was beautiful.

I thought his timing on the throws to the backs were nice for the most part, hitting them in stride so that they can maximize yardage and not require them to divert their attention to catch the ball longer than necessary.  That shows a lot of improvement from the college tape.  If he learns how to be a quick read and release passer he could be very good, but that’s going to be a hard task with the cast around him.  Maybe he develops chemistry with a receiver he can rely on and that starts this year. It would be nice if it were Jones, but that is something I’m going to be watching for. 

 

Not having McCoy is going to sting unless someone steps up, and we could very well see some bad games ahead from Allen, how he responds and learns is really the thing to watch. 

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, Ayjent said:

I thought his timing on the throws to the backs were nice for the most part, hitting them in stride so that they can maximize yardage and not require them to divert their attention to catch the ball longer than necessary.  That shows a lot of improvement from the college tape.  If he learns how to be a quick read and release passer he could be very good, but that’s going to be a hard task with the cast around him.  Maybe he develops chemistry with a receiver he can rely on and that starts this year. It would be nice if it were Jones, but that is something I’m going to be watching for. 

 

Not having McCoy is going to sting unless someone steps up, and we could very well see some bad games ahead from Allen, how he responds and learns is really the thing to watch. 

That's why I've complained about the pass patterns.  Pretty much every team gets guys open on slants and drags, but I didn't see much of that Sunday.  

 

Frankly, without McCoy, let Allen throw it 40 times. I think we will like the results. 

Edited September 18, 2018 by Shaw66

[Ayjent]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

That's why I've complained about the pass patterns.  Pretty much every team gets guys open on slants and drags, but I didn't see much of that Sunday.  

 

Frankly, without McCoy, let Allen throw it 40 times. I think we will like the results. 

I have to say that those short quick passes were bread and butter for Gailey with Fitz, and he and Stevie had good chemistry.  Fitz was a limited down the field passer when he was here in Gailey's offense so teams played tight and made Fitz try to beat them down the field.  However, challenging Allen to beat you deep may be a bad idea.   It would be a good idea to implement some of that quick passing into the Offense, butI'm not sure the Bills have anyone that is a good or even average route runner at the WR position.  Benjamin has shown he isn't going to fight for 50/50 passes, and he isn't going to get much separation either (not that it was his MO before he got here) so he is not really a dependable option.  But maybe they should at least attempt having those types of routes for Benjamin and let the big guy muscle for the ball.  Problem is throwing high over the middle so your big guy can get it is really dangerous if it gets deflected or goes through his hands.

[GoBills808]

Would just like to add: I think McCoy is about done. Agree w/ the rest, nice write up.

[row_33]

great review as always, Shaw!

 

 

[whatdrought]

Great review. Completely agree with your thoughts. 

 

One of the best things I have ever read about Tyrod Taylor was following the Patriots game (not sure which) when he threw a pretty dumb interception in the red-zone. Someone (and I cannot for the life of me remember who, so please take credit if it was anyone on here, or if you know who) spoke to the fact that TT had always played so safe that he hadn't ever learned how to take appropriate risks. There are risks that are good, and risks that are bad and because he never took any risks, he didn't have a framework for knowing the difference. 

That being said, I am excited for Allen to figure out the difference between a good risk and a bad risk, especially in a game like this. I don't mind interceptions from a rookie as long as he is using them as training material. 

[LABILLBACKER]

52 minutes ago, Ayjent said:

I have to say that those short quick passes were bread and butter for Gailey with Fitz, and he and Stevie had good chemistry.  Fitz was a limited down the field passer when he was here in Gailey's offense so teams played tight and made Fitz try to beat them down the field.  However, challenging Allen to beat you deep may be a bad idea.   It would be a good idea to implement some of that quick passing into the Offense, butI'm not sure the Bills have anyone that is a good or even average route runner at the WR position.  Benjamin has shown he isn't going to fight for 50/50 passes, and he isn't going to get much separation either (not that it was his MO before he got here) so he is not really a dependable option.  But maybe they should at least attempt having those types of routes for Benjamin and let the big guy muscle for the ball.  Problem is throwing high over the middle so your big guy can get it is really dangerous if it gets deflected or goes through his hands.

We're just overwhelmingly deficient at WR. Foster is probably our only deep threat and he barely made this team. KB has validated he's soft, lazy and unmotivated. Zay is still an unknown and probably will never be better than a #3 possession guy. Everyone else is garbage. I know we need 3-4 better olineman immediately,  but wr is right there next in line.

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, Ayjent said:

I have to say that those short quick passes were bread and butter for Gailey with Fitz, and he and Stevie had good chemistry.  Fitz was a limited down the field passer when he was here in Gailey's offense so teams played tight and made Fitz try to beat them down the field.  However, challenging Allen to beat you deep may be a bad idea.   It would be a good idea to implement some of that quick passing into the Offense, butI'm not sure the Bills have anyone that is a good or even average route runner at the WR position.  Benjamin has shown he isn't going to fight for 50/50 passes, and he isn't going to get much separation either (not that it was his MO before he got here) so he is not really a dependable option.  But maybe they should at least attempt having those types of routes for Benjamin and let the big guy muscle for the ball.  Problem is throwing high over the middle so your big guy can get it is really dangerous if it gets deflected or goes through his hands.

Well, because Allen can throw the medium deep ball so well, even with mediocre receivers, they should be able to force the  defender to back pedal for a step or two.  That should give them the opportunity to break off the down field route and get some separation.  If the defender continue to play the receivers tight off the line, then the 15 yard in or out routes should create separation. 

 

There are very few receivers who get open with one on one moves.  Most do it with scheme and sharp cuts, Chris Hogan being a good example.  There is no reason Jones can't get open if the Bills have a good scheme and he runs his routes as he should. 

[Ayjent]

10 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Well, because Allen can throw the medium deep ball so well, even with mediocre receivers, they should be able to force the  defender to back pedal for a step or two.  That should give them the opportunity to break off the down field route and get some separation.  If the defender continue to play the receivers tight off the line, then the 15 yard in or out routes should create separation. 

 

There are very few receivers who get open with one on one moves.  Most do it with scheme and sharp cuts, Chris Hogan being a good example.  There is no reason Jones can't get open if the Bills have a good scheme and he runs his routes as he should. 

The deep ball takes time and the OL isn't good enough to consistently give him time.  Allen can sometimes make time with his mobility and sometimes runs right into pressure.

 

As far as receivers go, the best route runner they have is supposed to be Zay Jones - but from what I've seen I don't see a creative receiver when it comes to moves to get open.  The scheme may be bad, but I don't get the all 22 to really see the way the plays develop beyond the limited TV angles.  I know receivers always have the advantage of knowing where they are going and some of the craftiest receivers set defenders up by doing something a couple of times to get the defender to anticipate and completely undress them, but those are great one on one players.  Play design is more dependable, but again it requires the players being on the same page and the protection holding up.  I think those things as of right now are not even close to as consistent as they need to be and you can point to the players at every position for that, not just one.

 

Zay Jones was supposed to be - a reliable receiver that could run all types of routes, make catches with coverage, and have great hands.  I haven't seen much of those attributes, but it would be good to.  The negatives on him were that he didn't do well with tight coverage off the line and he didn't get a lot of YAC.  I think a little chemistry between them would be ideal and could really change the trajectory of Jones' career and help the development of the team.  As bad as they made the roster, these are the coaching and player development things that can right a wrong to some degree - that's what I'm looking for as the season goes along.  Allen needs to have the chemistry built somewhere otherwise it's going to be a tougher year than it should be.  I think he's trying to target Benjamin, but I just don't think Benjamin plays as well as he is capable of - I don't know if that is effort, conditioning, or belief that this team is crap and he isn't going to waste an injury on it - whatever it is, it would be nice to see him step up.  We saw him come out against Carolina and dominate because he wanted it pretty bad - that's the type of attitude he's got to bring to every play and every game

Edited September 19, 2018 by Ayjent

[GreggTX]

I gotta disagree with you on Allen's game. Forget the numbers. He was extremely erratic with his accuracy. I still hold out hope for him, but that has to improve greatly or he will go the way of EJ. I think he's getting a free pass as well just on that part of his game.

 

On the other hand, I think you may have understated tne resurgence of the defense. That's my take anyway.

Edited September 19, 2018 by GreggTX