THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Preseason is Over

[Shaw66]

The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

“Preseason is Over”

 

Memo to Buffalo Bills:  The preseason schedule is FOUR games, not SIX.

 

The Bills rolled over the Minnesota Vikings 27-6 on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.  Just like their 31-20 loss to the Chargers the week before, the Bills’ win wasn’t as close as the score.  Buffalo’s defense dominated the Vikings from start to finish, allowing only one garbage-time touchdown. 

 

The question, of course, is where has this defense been?  The Bills’ defense looked good at times last season and figured to be better this season.  Then the season opened in Baltimore, and “better” wasn’t the word that came to mind.  Nor did “not bad.”  Not even “there’s work to be done on the defense.”  The only words to be said were “what in the world is going on with the defense?”

 

The first half against the Chargers in Buffalo was no better.  The Chargers put up 28 quick points and the game was over.  The Bills’ defense played the Chargers tough in the second half, but it was hard to say whether that performance meant the defense finally had come alive or simply that the Chargers dialed the offense back and cruised to the win. 

 

Against the Vikings, there were no questions.  The Bills defense dominated the Vikings.  Period.  Coming into the game, the Vikings were seventh in the league in yards and ninth in points.  In the first half against the Bills, they were last and last.  And don’t believe the press, who immediately attributed the outcome to the Vikings being flat – that’s just the press refusing to believe last season, refusing to believe the Bills could be good.  The Bills dominated the Vikings.  Just ask Cousins.

 

What changed?  The Bills were stout against the run, as they’d been in the previous two games.  It was the pass defense that changed.  The pass rush woke up, especially Jerry Hughes, with a sack, a forced fumble, and several pressures. 

 

What changed?  The back seven stopped watching and started attacking.  The Vikings receivers were challenged all day, fighting for 50-50 balls and getting hit as the ball arrived.  The Bills had done their film study, and they were prepared.  They ran to the ball and they made tackles.

 

Mike Milano stood out, with an interception, a fumble recovery, a sack and some nice tackles. 

 

Tre White looked like an elite corner.

 

Tremaine Edmunds is learning.  On Sunday, he was IN plays, instead of AROUND plays.  He was there on Milano’s interception.  He made tackles in the open field.  He plugged holes and he defended well.  He wasn’t a force, not yet, but ten tackles is nothing to sneeze at.  If he continues to learn, he can be an important part of great defense.

 

On offense, there is only one story in 2018:  Josh Allen.  The media continue to follow the script:  Allen is raw, Allen is inaccurate, Allen is, is, well, Allen is a Buffalo Bill and can’t possibly be any good.  They should forget the script and watch the guy play.  He’s special, and he doesn’t play like a rookie.  (Except when he got sacked and fumbled.  OMG, kid, you can’t DO that!)  The highlights show Allen’s touchdown and his amazing hurdle of a tackler to get a big first down, but the real highlights are his pocket presence and his throws.  The guy can play.  Eventually, the rest of the country will catch on. 

 

Allen is doing it with a clearly substandard receiving corps.  Clay had one of his characteristic drops, Benjamin continued to disappoint, and Foster couldn’t haul in the best deep ball we’ve seen Allen throw.  Andre Holmes may be emerging as Allen’s go-to guy, and Jason Croom could become a weapon. 

 

What happened to the offensive line?  Nothing, or at least nothing much.  The offensive line simply isn’t as bad as so many people would like to think it is.  There simply isn’t that much difference, talent-wise, among all but the very best linemen in the league.  Most teams have a collection of linemen who are less than lights out, and the Bills are no different.  They will look bad at times, but if they’re properly coached, they will do their jobs well enough for the offense to make plays.  We saw it on Sunday.  And as Allen improves and the passing game opens up, the line play will get easier, and the running game will improve, too. 

 

Man, that was fun! 

 

I went to a wedding in Portland, Maine on Saturday and planned to watch the game at a sports bar someplace along the route back to Connecticut.  I awoke Sunday morning and remembered the Harp, the Bills Backer bar in Boston.  It was the first time I’d been there, but it won’t be the last.  Nothing like sitting in the shadow of the TD Boston Garden, in the heart of Patriots territory, in a sports bar filled with Bills fans, with 90% of the TVs tuned to the Bills game.  They have a DJ who plays great rock during the commercials and plays the entire “Shout” song after each score.  Everyone sings along.  What a great venue!   Thanks to the Bills Backers. 

 

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.

[TigerJ]

The light began to come on for the Bills in the second half last week.  Unfortunately it was too little, too late to undo the damage of the first half.  This week, we saw the necessary fire and discipline from the opening drive.  It's very encouraging.

[Shaw66]

 

4 minutes ago, TigerJ said:

The light began to come on for the Bills in the second half last week.  Unfortunately it was too little, too late to undo the damage of the first half.  This week, we saw the necessary fire and discipline from the opening drive.  It's very encouraging.

McDermott said they told everyone this week that they had to play with speed.   People talk about playing with a sense of urgency.  

 

Whatever it is, it WAS like the light had come come on.

[Buffalo Dude]

I got more texts from my non-Bills fan friends asking me what’s going on with my Bills.... I had no answer for them. 

 

It’s dissapointing our leading receiver today was our back-up running back. But very impressed that Allen looks good with such poor talent around him. 

 

We’re heading in the right direction. Slowly, but it’s happening. 

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

The highlights show Allen’s touchdown and his amazing hurdle of a tackler to get a big first down, but the real highlights are his pocket presence and his throws.  The guy can play. 

 

He's so much better than what I thought he would be pre-draft, especially this year. He's a defensive coordinator's nightmare. He can throw to any point on the field from anywhere. He can see the field. He can run. He can shake off sacks. At this point it's all mental for him. If he can master the nuances of an NFL offense he's going to be unstoppable on his good days.

[jpschwartz]

I think Bodine at center made a big difference. On one play he was out and replaced by Groy, who let pass a tackle that almost caused a fumble by Allen, maybe the worst play of the game on offense.

Edited September 24, 2018 by jpschwartz

[Happy]

With the offensive line today, I don't recall seeing any of them whiffing on blocks and laying on the ground.  Maybe the blocking scheme changed and they will not try to do what they failed at during the first two weeks.  Between that, and Leslie Frazier calling a great defensive game plan, I'm optimistic that maybe the coaches can and will be flexible in their schemes and give the Bills the best chance to win going forward; of course McD probably got in their ear about that.  Looking way forward, I just hope the Ravens and Chargers losses don't come back to bite us if the Bills play meaningful games in December.

[billspro]

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

He's so much better than what I thought he would be pre-draft, especially this year. He's a defensive coordinator's nightmare. He can throw to any point on the field from anywhere. He can see the field. He can run. He can shake off sacks. At this point it's all mental for him. If he can master the nuances of an NFL offense he's going to be unstoppable on his good days.

 

His pocket presence, leadership, and poise at the line presnap have been great. We haven’t had a QB with those traits in a long time. 

 

I think he just need more snaps at this point. He will continue to improve and he has the drive to be elite. I love how hard he is to tackle, similar to Big Ben for sure.

8 minutes ago, jpschwartz said:

I think Bodine at center made a big difference. On one play he was out and replaced by Groy, who let pass a tackle that almost caused a fumble by Allen, maybe the worse play of the game on offense.

 

Bodine was a very nice surprise today.

[berg1029]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

What changed?  The Bills were stout against the run, as they’d been in the previous two games.  It was the pass defense that changed.  The pass rush woke up, especially Jerry Hughes, with a sack, a forced fumble, and several pressures. 

 

Besides Allen's play, this was probably the most encouraging thing.  You can't get those turnovers without pressuring the QB.  They disrupted the rhythm of a VERY good quarterback in Cousins. 

 

I read a stat on ESPN that said that Jerry Hughes had 15 QB pressures today, which was the highest single game number for any player in the last 3 seasons.  Absolutely incredible, the guy was a monster out there and the primary reason the defense looked so good.  I think having Murphy back has helped shift some of the O-line's focus away from him, letting him just wreak havoc. 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

4 hours ago, Buffalo Dude said:

I got more texts from my non-Bills fan friends asking me what’s going on with my Bills.... I had no answer for them. 

 

It’s dissapointing our leading receiver today was our back-up running back. But very impressed that Allen looks good with such poor talent around him. 

 

We’re heading in the right direction. Slowly, but it’s happening. 

 

So what? He found the open guy and he hit 'em. 

 

Has anyone seen that show where Kirk Cousins schools the rookie QB's like Jon Gruden QB camp? Allen was one of the guests. I guess the student surpassed the teacher. What an awkward exchange at the end.

 

Here it is: 

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by ChronicAndKnuckles

[Buffalo Dude]

3 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

 

So what? He found the open guy and he hit 'em. 

 

 

Im not knocking Josh Allen. I’m knocking our WRs. 

[PlayoffsPlease]

8 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

He's so much better than what I thought he would be pre-draft, especially this year. He's a defensive coordinator's nightmare. He can throw to any point on the field from anywhere. He can see the field. He can run. He can shake off sacks. At this point it's all mental for him. If he can master the nuances of an NFL offense he's going to be unstoppable on his good days.

The bolded sentence is exactly correct.   All of that was on display during the preseason during the Brown's game.  I still can not grasp how the coaches concluded wasting any more first team reps on Peterman or McCarron was a good idea after that performance.  In addition to  from your bolded part is the poise Shaw66 mentions in the original post.  And while I don't think "rah-rah" makes much difference at the NFL level, Allen exhibits a type of competitive spirit that almost seems infectious. I expect him to be a very special player. 

[Shaw66]

9 hours ago, billspro said:

 

His pocket presence, leadership, and poise at the line presnap have been great. We haven’t had a QB with those traits in a long time. 

 

I think he just need more snaps at this point. He will continue to improve and he has the drive to be elite. I love how hard he is to tackle, similar to Big Ben for sure.

 

Bodine was a very nice surprise today.

I agree about Allen.  He has a lot learn, but he is certainly on his way. 

 

Did Bodine return to the game after he got hurt?

[TheElectricCompany]

I don't know what to make of this team, but as my wife said, who cares? A win is a win. 

 

[HappyDays]

Shaw read these quotes about Josh Allen's hurdle:

 

He has their respect.

[Bring it]

Allen has wowed me twice  with his athleticism since he has come to Buffalo! Yesterday it was his poise and confidence! He was comfortable out there and he just let it all out! The early lead helped! He managed the situations, found open receivers, extended plays and only made a couple of rookie mistakes that didn’t hurt the team. He led the team with his attitude and his play! He was, well, inspiring. To his teammates and to us! 

Im going to get to game this year. My job makes it tough. Can’t wait to see him in person!! He is special!

[Shaw66]

24 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

Shaw read these quotes about Josh Allen's hurdle:

 

He has their respect.

Last week I reluctantly got I to a few discussions defending the idea that the Bills aren't agents bad as people think.  I had two points:

 

First, the o line isn't as bad as people think. Most teams have problems there and the Bills talent is the same as most teams. This morning Peter King has data from pro football focus (I don't trust them, but broad trend data like this is a little more reliable) that shows that offensive line efficiency across the league is down substantially over the past five seasons.

 

Second, qb is the one position on the team that can improve the play of other players.  Allen looks like a keeper at qb, and we are seeing how he can make everyone else better.  And it isn't just huddling tacklers.  It's the whole package.  

[billspro]

1 minute ago, Shaw66 said:

Last week I reluctantly got I to a few discussions defending the idea that the Bills aren't agents bad as people think.  I had two points:

 

First, the o line isn't as bad as people think. Most teams have problems there and the Bills talent is the same as most teams. This morning Peter King has data from pro football focus (I don't trust them, but broad trend data like this is a little more reliable) that shows that offensive line efficiency across the league is down substantially over the past five seasons.

 

Second, qb is the one position on the team that can improve the play of other players.  Allen looks like a keeper at qb, and we are seeing how he can make everyone else better.  And it isn't just huddling tacklers.  It's the whole package.  

 

It was great to see the offense and defense rally around him. He seems to be a guy that elevates the play of his entire team.

[ctk232]

14 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

He's so much better than what I thought he would be pre-draft, especially this year. He's a defensive coordinator's nightmare. He can throw to any point on the field from anywhere. He can see the field. He can run. He can shake off sacks. At this point it's all mental for him. If he can master the nuances of an NFL offense he's going to be unstoppable on his good days.

It's true - having been at the game yesterday, I was actually able to notice a bit more than what the screen at home shows. Obviously no expert in the least, but one area I saw Allen take strides in (literally) was in blitz recognition and response. He still has a long way to go to get to the competent level of top QBs in the league, but the prime example of this was on the KB drop which very well could've been the second score of the game.

 

Pre-snap Allen picked up the down recognition and defensive formation threatening blitz. Whether or not he read the actual blitz package is beyond me, but he recognized the pressure off the right side, and threw a window to KB on the one-on-one slant which, for any other team, would have been a solid six points. But I was more impressed to see him take a quick drop, set his feet, step into the throw and deliver quick release a dead on ball to KB in the face of pressure. I don't mind when this kid scrambles and tries to make plays with his arm strength, but that play to me showed more future promise in this regard than most other passes that game.Albeit, certainly not the only great throw he made all day.

Edited September 24, 2018 by ctk232

[Logic]

To my eyes, the difference in Josh Allen between last week and this week was night and day. His mental processing was noticeably faster, and if he didn't see anything open, he took off and ran. His ability to be a threat running the ball, by the way, was highly underrated in the pre-draft process because everyone was so distracted by his arm and the accuracy debate. 

A lot of credit for this week's offensive success should go to Coach Daboll, too. He called a HECK of a game. There were a variety of screens, swing passes, and iso routes designed to simplify things for Allen and allow him to get the ball out quickly. My, what a difference it made!