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

[Shaw66]

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.

Think is, if Homes had come back for the ball, it would have been on him even quicker.  As it was, he wasn't ready to catch it when arrive.   He had to be looking earlier.  Bottom line, timing was off just a bit.  

 

Timing and location were off on the early out pattern to Benjamin.   And I agree completely about Benjamin's body language.  I said last week he looks like he's afraid to get hit.   This week he looked bored.   He doesn't seem to be doing anything at full speed, and given that he isn't a speedster to begin with, going at full speed is pretty damn important for him.  Something not right with him, and unless something changes fast, I can't see how he will be in Buffalo next year.   He might not even be in the league.  

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

So far the recipe has been just like last years. Clutch kicking, defense playing well and winning the turnover battle. The defense didn't always play well last year as we know and so far this year they already had a couple of stinkers but they've been great since those games. Hopefully it keeps up. Offense so far is worst than last years but the defense might actually be much improved this year which could lead to 6 or even 8 wins which would be very surprising.

[blacklabel]

5 minutes ago, teef said:

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. 

 

I may have to take another look but from the couple times I saw it, yeah the ball came up on him fast but he had time to get his hands up and locate the ball in the air, just didn't complete the catch. I'm sure Holmes blames himself as well. He's an NFL WR, he knows he needs to come down with that.

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Think is, if Homes had come back for the ball, it would have been on him even quicker.  As it was, he wasn't ready to catch it when arrive.   He had to be looking earlier.  Bottom line, timing was off just a bit.  

 

Timing and location were off on the early out pattern to Benjamin.   And I agree completely about Benjamin's body language.  I said last week he looks like he's afraid to get hit.   This week he looked bored.   He doesn't seem to be doing anything at full speed, and given that he isn't a speedster to begin with, going at full speed is pretty damn important for him.  Something not right with him, and unless something changes fast, I can't see how he will be in Buffalo next year.   He might not even be in the league.  

 

I agree with you. Especially on KB. Like I said, I dunno if the guy lost his passion for the game or just never had it but he really looks like he just doesn't care. Maybe there are things going on behind the scenes we aren't aware of, that's always possible. Maybe he has an undisclosed injury, who knows. He alligator-armed that one throw against Green Bay which he got lit up for doing and other times the effort just doesn't seem to be there at all. If it keeps up like this, I can see them moving him for a late round pick at the trade deadline. If he plays out the year here with the same attitude and performances, they won't retain him. I dunno if he'd be out of the league completely. There are plenty WR-needy teams that'll believe they can get something out of him simply for his size alone (in fact, I'm pretty sure his size at this point is the only thing keeping him around) but they aren't going to pay a whole lot.

[mannc]

2 hours 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.  

If Carpenter is our kicker last year, the drought is still alive.   Successful NFL teams have good kickers.

[dubs]

It’s nice to see an article that has a more balanced and rational take on the Bills. 

 

Jpsredemption is currently driving to Andy Benoit’s house in diapers to confront him. 

 

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Lurker]

34 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

He doesn't seem to be doing anything at full speed

 

Yep.   I kept saying that yesterday every time they showed an isolation shot of him.   It looks like's he's running in quicksand.     

 

Bad hands, slow feet (and situation recognition) are killing his chances of being re-signed...  

 

 

6 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

 

That only works if the other team isn't ready for it.    And it cuts down the field so much that there's no "Option B" if the primary receiver is covered.

 

It may work as an element of surprise, but NFL defenses are too good to make a living at it...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2018 by Lurker

[26CornerBlitz]

3 minutes ago, Lurker said:

Yep.   I kept saying that yesterday every time they showed an isolation shot of him.   It looks like's he's running in quicksand.     

 

Bad hands, slow feet (and situation recognition) are killing his chances of being re-signed...  

 

That only works if the other team isn't ready for it.    And it cuts down the field so much that there's no "Option B" if the primary receiver is covered.

 

It may work as an element of surprise, but NFL defenses are too good to make a living at it...

 

We know it's not sustainable for them to live on from week to week, so they'll have to vary the game plan to continue beating defenses. 

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

Decent article, even though theres a few things we can nitpick. But the general theme being presented isn't exactly news to us. It's basically the same mantra for the Bills' success last season. The staff gets the most out the players, and they play hard, especially so on defense. They overacheive. That doesn't mean that there's absolutely no talent on the team, but as a whole, it's one of the least talented (and probably inexperienced) teams in the league. 

 

The staff does a lot deserve credit. The scheme is designed a certain way, amd players are brought in that maybe aren't the most talented, but are well suited to execute with the scheme. Young players seem to progress a bit faster than expected (Milano, Edmunds, Johnson, for example), and perceived "average" players like Poyer, Hyde, EJ Gaines etc. step in and play above that level. It's not by coincidence.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Drunken Pygmy Goat

[dave mcbride]

43 minutes ago, teef said:

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. 

To be fair to Holmes, it was a great play by Jackson. Defenders are capable of making great plays too. All in all, I'd say it was a good throw by Allen, a decent-enough effort by Holmes (he was where he was supposed to be and would have caught it if not for the defender), and an elite play by a very talented first-round corner in his second season. 

[teef]

6 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

To be fair to Holmes, it was a great play by Jackson. Defenders are capable of making great plays too. All in all, I'd say it was a good throw by Allen, a decent-enough effort by Holmes (he was where he was supposed to be and would have caught it if not for the defender), and an elite play by a very talented first-round corner in his second season. 

i wasn't sure if he got a hand in there or what.  

[oldmanfan]

7 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

To be fair to Holmes, it was a great play by Jackson. Defenders are capable of making great plays too. All in all, I'd say it was a good throw by Allen, a decent-enough effort by Holmes (he was where he was supposed to be and would have caught it if not for the defender), and an elite play by a very talented first-round corner in his second season. 

Good point.  DB made a very good play there.  But if Holmes takes one step towards the ball it's complete.

[dave mcbride]

6 minutes ago, teef said:

i wasn't sure if he got a hand in there or what.  

He did get a hand in. It was a great play.

[ganesh]

2 hours ago, Chuck Wagon said:

 

 

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.

Brady, Vinaterri, Hoodie

 

[blacklabel]

1 hour ago, unbillievable said:

OIS. ISHK. IDCUOAGS.

 

Um...gazuntite?

[Nihilarian]

1 hour ago, jr1 said:

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

Notice which assistant coaches on the Bills staff got game balls after those wins?

[MDH]

33 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

To be fair to Holmes, it was a great play by Jackson. Defenders are capable of making great plays too. All in all, I'd say it was a good throw by Allen, a decent-enough effort by Holmes (he was where he was supposed to be and would have caught it if not for the defender), and an elite play by a very talented first-round corner in his second season. 

 

The ball placement wasn’t great. You don’t want that ball high as it makes the defender’s job easier. Put it in the WRs belly/chest and it’s harder to get a hand in the ball.

 

So it was a combination of multiple things, ball placement, Holmes not being aggressive enough and a good play by the CB.

 

I’d put most of the blame on Holmes though, if he comes back for the ball it makes the other two thing immaterial.

[Nihilarian]

1 hour 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.

Man, I was so freaking excited when I saw that Beane had traded for KB!  and "disinterested" seems to be an appropriate word to describe his behavior on the field recently.

 

Hard to imagine a player with that much talent, that big a target, not shiving a git about doing his job. Where is "the culture" with this player? It's like he would rather be anywhere but "here" on gameday. I saw him attempting to block a much smaller DB with his arms and he actually got in the way of Chris Ivory's run.

 

Can the Bills hire Ex Steeler Hines Ward to instill some passion, teach him how to block, teach him how to go after that ball like DeAndre Hopkins? What a waste. 

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, mannc said:

If Carpenter is our kicker last year, the drought is still alive.   Successful NFL teams have good kickers.

Funny how quickly we forget...nobody thought that when he drilled that 57 yard game winner in Detroit in Orton's first start...

[ctk232]

3 hours 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. 

 

 

It's not as far off as you might think, in all honesty.

 

We don't have much of an edge rusher beyond Hughes - and while Hughes has been having an outstanding year thus far, we need Murphy to start showing up a bit more in that regard. Murphy's been solid, but far from another bookend pinning the edge.

 

I like our DT's - especially now with Jordan Phillips, what a presence he made yesterday. I hope this play continues because with Star being the quintessential one tech eating double teams, JPhillips is the penetration into the backfield style that can disrupt so many passing plays and assist Hughes on the edge. Let's hope this continues as the rotation in the middle is starting to take form, even if this is Kyle's last year.

 

LB's are young, talented, and hungry. Milano may never develop to be the premiere OLB/Will backer in the league, but the kid performs and plays his role well. Edmunds is already starting to show growth and understanding of the game, albeit not without mistakes, but nothing beyond typical and leaving us with hope for the backing corps of the future. Maybe adding in some depth here wouldn't hurt.

 

Taron's balled out all year but he's far from being called the DB2 next to Tre. He's also still learning and has tremendous upside, but he still finds himself in the wrong place at times in the coverage, and misses some assignments, but nothing detrimental compared to the draft pick used to get him. So far only positive progress has unfolded, but he's still far from being our top DB2. I like him in the nickel role for now.

 

When healthy, we have one of the strongest safety tandems in the league, but they haven't been enough to anchor the secondary when we've needed it at times. We all want the ideal which is a tandem that just dominates opposing QB's and becomes the twice yearly nightmare for Brady...but for now we have a strong tandem. Just haven't seen it become the dominant factor of our secondary just yet, but we're getting there.

 

I think McDermott had a tremendous roster of talent in Carolina to work with, and will have similar talent here as well. He's one of the better defensive minds in the league at present, but I only wonder how much influence he does have over the Defense compared to Leslie.

 

Our defense is still a ways from being top in the league, but it's on the right track. We have played well when we've also been able to benefit from crazy turnover differentials, and the ball bouncing our way. That won't happen every game, and our offense won't always be able to stay on the field for now. Still needs time, but this Defense isn't anything to write home about just yet.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2018 by ctk232