Andy Benoit: How Do the Bills Keep Pulling Off Upsets?

[26CornerBlitz]

How the Bills keep pulling off upsets

 

 

QUICKLY

Buffalo grabbed their second win of the season on Sunday, with a green rookie QB surrounded by the worst roster in football. How are they doing it?

 

By ANDY BENOIT October 08, 2018

 

At 2-3, no one is saying the Buffalo Bills deserve a parade. But the team that’s widely regarded as the NFL’s least talented—including by yours truly—has now beaten the Super Bowl-contending Vikings on the road and AFC South-leading Titans at home. Head coach Sean McDermott, just like he did as a first-time head coach last year, is making chicken salad in Buffalo. His recipe is worth examining.

 

Start by understanding Buffalo’s ingredients. Quarterback Josh Allen has mesmerizing arm strength and underrated athleticism. His accuracy is a work in progress. So is his field-reading, to a much greater degree. Allen does not yet understand how defensive fronts relate to potential pressure designs. He struggles to identify defensive looks that change after the snap. He sometimes predetermines downfield throws, which is to be expected given that he does not yet have a full grasp on how certain route concepts defeat specific coverages. This is not atypical of a rookie four starts into his career. We’ve seen equally raw but less gifted QBs go on to have nice careers. (McDermott tried to let Allen take the Patrick Mahomes path and learn from the bench, but Nathan Peterman wasn’t exactly Alex Smith.)

[SCBills]

Nice article, but I disagree with the Defense assessment.   He’s basically saying it’s scheme over talent.  I think scheme is big, but we also have some serious talent.  

 

He says we have no pass rush outside of Hughes. Well, Hughes is pretty dang good, and Murphy is starting to show signs of life after missing last year.   

 

He then compliments our DT’s.. Last time I checked, strong DT’s push the line back into the QB and disrupt/help edge rushers.  

 

Also goes on to say good things about all our linebackers.  

 

Calls Tre White our only good Corner, then talks about the great play of Taron Johnson (who’s balled out all year). 

 

Somehow leaves out that we have one of the best Safety tandems in the NFL. 

 

I agree with him that McDermott is a great defensive mind, but let’s no go overboard.. he’s got a lot to work with on that side of the ball. 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2018 by SCBills

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Chuck Wagon]

If you look at kicking around the league, Hauschka is a VERY underrated part of our success.  The Browns might be 5-0 and the Packers might be 4-1 with a kicker of his caliber.  

[26CornerBlitz]

5 minutes ago, Chuck Wagon said:

If you look at kicking around the league, Hauschka is a VERY underrated part of our success.  The Browns might be 5-0 and the Packers might be 4-1 with a kicker of his caliber.  

 

Good point.

 

 

[Chuck Wagon]

15 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

Good point.

 

 

 

 

A quality kicker, a coach who can actually manage a game and a QB who doesn't actively lose you the game is the difference between a 10/11 win season and a 5/6 win season.

[vorpma]

Great post and departure from the usual found on this board, even after a win!

[Big Turk]

47 minutes ago, Chuck Wagon said:

If you look at kicking around the league, Hauschka is a VERY underrated part of our success.  The Browns might be 5-0 and the Packers might be 4-1 with a kicker of his caliber.  

 

Yeah I was watching the Browns bonus coverage yesterday and then switched to watching it after they left and you just knew that kicker wasn't making that 55 yarder as time expired...he knuckleballed that kick through at the end of OT but it was not a great kick...kicking has gotten surprisingly bad this year all of a sudden

[CDogg20]

51 minutes ago, Chuck Wagon said:

If you look at kicking around the league, Hauschka is a VERY underrated part of our success.  The Browns might be 5-0 and the Packers might be 4-1 with a kicker of his caliber.  

Without Hauschka the drought would still be going on. That dude is one of my favorites 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

1 hour ago, SCBills said:

Nice article, but I disagree with the Defense assessment.   He’s basically saying it’s scheme over talent.  I think scheme is big, but we also have some serious talent.  

 

He says we have no pass rush outside of Hughes. Well, Hughes is pretty dang good, and Murphy is starting to show signs of life after missing last year.   

 

He then compliments our DT’s.. Last time I checked, strong DT’s push the line back into the QB and disrupt/help edge rushers.  

 

Also goes on to say good things about all our linebackers.  

 

Calls Tre White our only good Corner, then talks about the great play of Taron Johnson (who’s balled out all year). 

 

Somehow leaves out that we have one of the best Safety tandems in the NFL. 

 

I agree with him that McDermott is a great defensive mind, but let’s no go overboard.. he’s got a lot to work with on that side of the ball. 

 

 

That's news to the "fire everyone in the FO" crowd at TBD

[blacklabel]

Would ya look at that... saying that the coaching and scheme plays a big role in their success. And I agree with some others that have said it, the defense does have some talented guys. If the coaching can get these types of performances out of mostly JAG plays (at least on offense) I can't wait to see what they can do with some real talent.

[SCBills]

8 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

 

Yeah I was watching the Browns bonus coverage yesterday and then switched to watching it after they left and you just knew that kicker wasn't making that 55 yarder as time expired...he knuckleballed that kick through at the end of OT but it was not a great kick...kicking has gotten surprisingly bad this year all of a sudden

 

I actually laughed out loud when they showed the target zone for the Browns at the 26 yard line.  I thought it had to be a mistake.  

 

Then saw the kick.... was not a mistake.  

[NoHuddleKelly12]

10 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

 

Yeah I was watching the Browns bonus coverage yesterday and then switched to watching it after they left and you just knew that kicker wasn't making that 55 yarder as time expired...he knuckleballed that kick through at the end of OT but it was not a great kick...kicking has gotten surprisingly bad this year all of a sudden

Mason Crosby has been an institution in GB before yesterday, so that was the most surprising IMO. 80.3 FG % going into this 2018 season. 

[JMF2006]

57 minutes ago, Chuck Wagon said:

If you look at kicking around the league, Hauschka is a VERY underrated part of our success.  The Browns might be 5-0 and the Packers might be 4-1 with a kicker of his caliber.  

 

He could have been

.

He was a FA all they had to do was pay him.

 

Glad he chose to sign here.

[Big Turk]

3 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Mason Crosby has been an institution in GB before yesterday, so that was the most surprising IMO. 80.3 FG % going into this 2018 season. 

Yeah he has been pretty good...the crazy part is how short a leash a lot of kickers are on even when they HAVE been productive and good players throughout their careers...it would be like Aaron Rodgers having to worry about getting cut if he went out and threw 4 INTs and had a bad game. Obviously he is not quite Aaron Rodgers, but still...the guy has been good for a long time, it's not like he just forgot how to kick all of a sudden

Edited October 8, 2018 by matter2003

[NoHuddleKelly12]

4 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Yeah he has been pretty good...the crazy part is how short a leash a lot of kickers are on even when they HAVE been productive and good players throughout their careers...it would be like Aaron Rodgers having to worry about getting cut if he went out and threw 4 INTs and had a bad game. Obviously he is quite Aaron Rodgers, but still...the guy has been good for a long time, it's not like he just forgot how to kick all of a sudden

Good point. It may be because they are such afterthoughts during the course of a game, until the FG unit comes out on the field, and then suddenly it's a hyper focused spotlight of intensity with so much riding on just one swing of the leg with few do-overs, whereas the QB gets to toss over and over, so less pressure on each individual throw, to make up for any bad mistakes along the way (unless you're Peterman of course).

[KennyDavisEyes]

Bills D is talented. 14 straight quarters of darn good Defense now. We will be in most games because of it... especially at home.

 

The writer certainly nails McD’s scheme but to underestimate the talent is a mistake imo.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

Because they are evolving into a power defense and we have 1 great RB and 2 good ones. Allen is also making some amazing passes but is still sailing some way off target. I get the feeling like this team is so much more motivated to play the better teams. I feel like if we play at home in horrid weather conditions with our good defense and strong RB's that we have a chance to upset any team. Also add in that Bills fans in that stadium are loud, rabid and savage and you have a huge advantage in home games.

[The Bills Blog]

The Bills won yesterday not because of talent but because of the other four factors of winning, three of which are more important than talent: schemes, luck, passion, and environment.

[Heavy Kevi]

TEAM

 

Really, it's a manifestation of the old saying "greater than the sum of it's parts"

[jr1]

they worked hard in the wins but I think the Vikings and Titans were way overconfident going in

[TPS]

His most accurate description, "a lumbering offensive line..."

[teef]

from, "losing the team" to pulling off upsets.  what a crazy world we live in. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

24 minutes ago, Call_Of_Ktulu said:

Because they are evolving into a power defense and we have 1 great RB and 2 good ones. Allen is also making some amazing passes but is still sailing some way off target. I get the feeling like this team is so much more motivated to play the better teams. I feel like if we play at home in horrid weather conditions with our good defense and strong RB's that we have a chance to upset any team. Also add in that Bills fans in that stadium are loud, rabid and savage and you have a huge advantage in home games.

This opening schedule stretch with so many away games (5 of 7) against stiff competition is brutal. but if we get back to a home friendly 2nd half schedule having gone something like 3-4 which now is a real possibility, then you have to think they're playing ahead of expectations.

20 minutes ago, jr1 said:

they worked hard in the wins but I think the Vikings and Titans were way overconfident going in

Not saying there may not have been element of truth to this, but probably only a small portion. Titans certainly would have already seen Minnie game film to know to bring their A game, and Minnie had the advantages of playing at home in a dome, and their coach thinks it was all Buffalo's play that led to that outcome.

[unbillievable]

39 minutes ago, blacklabel said:

 If the coaching can get these types of performances out of mostly JAG plays (at least on offense) I can't wait to see what they can do with some real talent.

 

What is JAG?

 

[johnnychemo]

1 hour ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

That's your "culture over strategy" right there, and that's your strategy when you lack talent.

Imagine a more talented team playing with the same intensity this one does....

Edited October 8, 2018 by johnnychemo

[One Buffalo]

Yeah but I thought team culture doesn't matter... lets fire them all and start over...   Isn't that we we have been reading on here for the past week?

[blacklabel]

6 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

 

What is JAG?

 

 

It's a football term that means "Just Another Guy." It's a designation for players who can play and fill a role for you, but they aren't special and can be replaced/upgraded any time. Basically just means an average/below average player that can hold it down until the team finds a better option.

[Shaw66]

This a good article.  He disses Allen more than necessary - Allen reads the defense much better than he says.   Allen's actually played well.  I think he's well prepared for games.  His biggest problems are with accuracy on throws that require a little more touch than velocity and with timing with his receivers.   He and Benjamin were badly off on an early throw, and the timing was screwed up on the INT.  Benoit says Holmes should have come back for the ball, but I'm not so sure about that.   It may have been thrown too early, or Holmes should have looked quicker.  And the Bills receivers still have not adjusted to Allen's ball velocity.   

 

But Benoit's pretty much on about the team - winning despite being limited in talent.  As McBeane continue to upgrade talent, this team should go places. 

[unbillievable]

1 minute ago, blacklabel said:

 

It's a football term that means "Just Another Guy." It's a designation for players who can play and fill a role for you, but they aren't special and can be replaced/upgraded any time. Basically just means an average/below average player that can hold it down until the team finds a better option.

OIS. ISHK. IDCUOAGS.

 

2 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

This a good article.  He disses Allen more than necessary - Allen reads the defense much better than he says.   Allen's actually played well.  I think he's well prepared for games.  His biggest problems are with accuracy on throws that require a little more touch than velocity and with timing with his receivers.   He and Benjamin were badly off on an early throw, and the timing was screwed up on the INT.  Benoit says Holmes should have come back for the ball, but I'm not so sure about that.   It may have been thrown too early, or Holmes should have looked quicker.  And the Bills receivers still have not adjusted to Allen's ball velocity.   

 

But Benoit's pretty much on about the team - winning despite being limited in talent.  As McBeane continue to upgrade talent, this team should go places. 

 

Zay Jones seems to be the only one adjusting to Allen's fast balls.

[blacklabel]

7 minutes ago, johnnychemo said:

That's your "culture over strategy" right there, and that's your strategy when you lack talent.

Imagine a more talented team playing with the same intensity this one does....

 

I've lost count at home many times I've seen similar tweets already. Believe it or not, the media is paying attention to the Bills, it just doesn't make for flashy TV/radio/internet to focus on and talk about a team that's in a rebuild and is gonna have a bumpy ride this season. But I've seen several tweets like this. Another one said, "Sean McDermott is one of the best coaches at getting something from so little." 

 

And just like you said, can't wait to see what's possible once they add some real talent in a number of position groups. If they can get two not-so-super-talented rosters to play this well (with one making the playoffs) I can't wait to see what they can do with a more talented group.

 

It's coming together. Keep on trusting that process.

[Big Turk]

10 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

 

What is JAG?

 

"Just Another Guy"---basically saying the dude is replaceable by pretty much any average player

[Shaw66]

Just now, unbillievable said:

OIS. ISHK. IDCUOAGS.

 

 

Zay Jones seems to be the only one adjusting to Allen's fast balls.

Right.  Zay looked like a real NFL receiver.  

 

It took Elway's receivers a while to catch on.   You have to run crisp routes and get your head around fast, because the ball is on its way and it's an express, not a local.  

[Big Turk]

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

This a good article.  He disses Allen more than necessary - Allen reads the defense much better than he says.   Allen's actually played well.  I think he's well prepared for games.  His biggest problems are with accuracy on throws that require a little more touch than velocity and with timing with his receivers.   He and Benjamin were badly off on an early throw, and the timing was screwed up on the INT.  Benoit says Holmes should have come back for the ball, but I'm not so sure about that.   It may have been thrown too early, or Holmes should have looked quicker.  And the Bills receivers still have not adjusted to Allen's ball velocity.   

 

But Benoit's pretty much on about the team - winning despite being limited in talent.  As McBeane continue to upgrade talent, this team should go places. 

 

Allen also has issues with blitz recognition, especially from DB's and throwing hot.  

[Spiderweb]

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

This a good article.  He disses Allen more than necessary - Allen reads the defense much better than he says.   Allen's actually played well.  I think he's well prepared for games.  His biggest problems are with accuracy on throws that require a little more touch than velocity and with timing with his receivers.   He and Benjamin were badly off on an early throw, and the timing was screwed up on the INT.  Benoit says Holmes should have come back for the ball, but I'm not so sure about that.   It may have been thrown too early, or Holmes should have looked quicker.  And the Bills receivers still have not adjusted to Allen's ball velocity.   

 

But Benoit's pretty much on about the team - winning despite being limited in talent.  As McBeane continue to upgrade talent, this team should go places. 

When Holmes turned the ball was there a split second later. He looked like he wasn't ready for that so one may well agree the WRs aren't used to how quickly Allen's throws get to them. With that said, I really dislike Holmes as a receiver, period. He may have value on ST and he did make a few decent blocks in the running game but keep him out of the passing game.  

[blacklabel]

6 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

This a good article.  He disses Allen more than necessary - Allen reads the defense much better than he says.   Allen's actually played well.  I think he's well prepared for games.  His biggest problems are with accuracy on throws that require a little more touch than velocity and with timing with his receivers.   He and Benjamin were badly off on an early throw, and the timing was screwed up on the INT.  Benoit says Holmes should have come back for the ball, but I'm not so sure about that.   It may have been thrown too early, or Holmes should have looked quicker.  And the Bills receivers still have not adjusted to Allen's ball velocity.   

 

But Benoit's pretty much on about the team - winning despite being limited in talent.  As McBeane continue to upgrade talent, this team should go places. 

 

Adam Archuleta (I think?) did the color commentary for yesterday's game and said the same thing about Holmes that Benoit did. He said Holmes waited for the ball to come to him when he should've been working his way back toward the QB, especially since he had a defender closing in. 

 

And I agree there have been times where Allen zips it when he should've let off a little bit. I noticed at least two instances yesterday of where Zay had to correct where KB lined up. I saw an article of post that described KB's play/demeanor this season as "uninterested" and that's pretty accurate. Maybe he lost it, maybe he never had it, but the kid just doesn't look passionate about the sport. And he's in a contract year. Normally, players in his position wanna ball out in hopes they can land a nice deal. He doesn't seem to be interested in doing that. Or maybe the lack of chemistry with Allen is getting to him and that causes his effort to plummet, who knows, ya know? Either way, he just has not been good enough. I never like to ridicule or be overly harsh in criticism of players but honestly, KB strikes me as soft. I think I heard about that around the time he was drafted. Something like, "he may be 6'5" 245 but plays like a much smaller receiver." Not great, Bob. 

 

Team obviously needs WR help. I also think they may try to add a more talented TE. I think Clay is alright but I'm pretty sure his knees have kept him from being the player he knows he can be. And with the way his contract is structured, I can see them moving on from him after this season. And I bring up the TEs as well because Daboll uses them a lot in his offense. Can't wait to see what this team can do with upgrades on offense.

[Philo]

3 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Right.  Zay looked like a real NFL receiver.  

 

It took Elway's receivers a while to catch on.   You have to run crisp routes and get your head around fast, because the ball is on its way and it's an express, not a local.  

 

I agree with regard to Zay. He seems to be the only WR that has started to "click" with Allen so far. I look forward to watching them find better chemistry as the season goes on. 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[blacklabel]

7 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

 

Allen also has issues with blitz recognition, especially from DB's and throwing hot.  

 

This is where I think a guy like Derek Anderson can help a lot. There's no substitute for on field experience. Sure, Allen has had Culley and Daboll guiding him a long but I don't think either of those guys has ever taken a snap. Anderson has over 10 years in the league, has played in nearly 150 games and started a bunch as well. He's seen a lot and surely can help Allen out much the same way he helped out Cam.

[teef]

2 minutes ago, blacklabel said:

 

Adam Archuleta (I think?) did the color commentary for yesterday's game and said the same thing about Holmes that Benoit did. He said Holmes waited for the ball to come to him when he should've been working his way back toward the QB, especially since he had a defender closing in. 

 

And I agree there have been times where Allen zips it when he should've let off a little bit. I noticed at least two instances yesterday of where Zay had to correct where KB lined up. I saw an article of post that described KB's play/demeanor this season as "uninterested" and that's pretty accurate. Maybe he lost it, maybe he never had it, but the kid just doesn't look passionate about the sport. And he's in a contract year. Normally, players in his position wanna ball out in hopes they can land a nice deal. He doesn't seem to be interested in doing that. Or maybe the lack of chemistry with Allen is getting to him and that causes his effort to plummet, who knows, ya know? Either way, he just has not been good enough. I never like to ridicule or be overly harsh in criticism of players but honestly, KB strikes me as soft. I think I heard about that around the time he was drafted. Something like, "he may be 6'5" 245 but plays like a much smaller receiver." Not great, Bob. 

 

Team obviously needs WR help. I also think they may try to add a more talented TE. I think Clay is alright but I'm pretty sure his knees have kept him from being the player he knows he can be. And with the way his contract is structured, I can see them moving on from him after this season. And I bring up the TEs as well because Daboll uses them a lot in his offense. Can't wait to see what this team can do with upgrades on offense.

i saw a replay maybe once, but i'm not sure he even started to turn his head around until the ball was almost up on him.