THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - “Get Aboard the Josh Allen Train”

[Shaw66]

The Bills beat the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, 24-21.  It was a big day for the Bills. 

 

The big story, as he’s been all season, is Josh Allen, but this was a team win in a team game, and I’ll get to Allen in a minute.   First, a few reactions to the game.

 

The game was an old-fashioned slug fest, with big hits, big plays and highs and lows.  The Bills took control early, the Jags fought back to tie the game at the half.  Then both teams slugged it out through the third quarter until the Jags finally put together a big punt return and a nice drive to take the lead, 20-14.  The Jags had made a statement, the question was whether the Bills had the heart to respond. 

 

Respond?  It was an epic response.  Bortles’ 30-yard touchdown throw was reviewed and ruled a completion at the one-yard line.  The close play on the completion (was it an interception by Wallace?), the players gathering around the receiver and defender wrestling for the ball at the goal line, and the fight that broke out between Fournette and Lawson all electrified the crowd and the Bills.  Most of the fans missed the next play, because they were watching Lawson and Fournette being escorted down their respective sidelines to the shared tunnel to the locker rooms.  It was raw instinct on display, and everything about Lawson screamed “you don’t want to mess with me!”  

 

Back on the field, the Bills stuffed Hyde for a one-yard loss, the Jags took a false start penalty, a touchdown pass was negated by holding, Bortles gained a yard on a near sack and lost 8 on a sack.  Fourth and goal from the 24, the Jags missed the field goal.  Allen to McKenzie, penalty on the Jags, Allen to Foster, penalty on the Jags, Allen up the middle for the touchdown!

 

It was a classic momentum shift – the Jags took control of a close game, came within a video review of scoring a touchdown, then came away with no points and gave up a 68-yard touchdown drive on three plays.  The Bills made plays and the Jags melted down.  There was more football to play, and the Jags certainly didn’t quit, but the Bills had taken over the game. 

 

It was the kind of sequence that keeps me going to the games.  Sitting in the stands with fellow Bills fans, watching things slipping away and then watching our team rise up as if yelling in unison “NOT IN OUR HOUSE!!!”  It’s a thrill you can’t anywhere else, unless you’re out drinking champagne with Shady McCoy at 3 a.m.

 

Cheap shot at Shady, I know, and he doesn’t deserve cheap shots.  The guy is a gamer.  His heart is on display every game.  If only he had the daylight the Jags gave Fournette and the others in the first half on Sunday.  The Bills run blocking was weak again, and the Bills defense had no answer to the Jags running game; no answer, that is, until halftime, when they regrouped and forced Bortles to start making plays.   It was the kind of adjustment good teams make. 

 

The Bills killed themselves with penalties.   It’s been a recurring theme this season, and it’s worrisome that McDermott has been unable to get more disciplined play out of his team. 

 

The Bills clearly wanted speed on the field against the Jags.  McKenzie and Thompson were out there a lot, and Benjamin was a role player. 

 

Edmunds is still a project.  He doesn’t look anything like the old-fashioned middle linebacker who stuffs the running back in the hole.  He’s usually in the wrong hole (which might be his assignment), or he’s chasing after the play watching someone else make the tackle.   Still, he’s making plays, in the run game and the passing game.  It was hard to see on the Stadium screen, and they showed the replay only once, but it looked like Edmunds got a finger on the pass that came off O’Shaughnessy’s hands into Poyer’s for what turned out to be the points that won the game.  Give Edmunds an off-season to decompress, put on a little muscle and digest all he’s learned, and he’s going to be special. 

 

Okay.  There was a lot to talk about in the game, but if we’re talking special, it’s time to talk about Josh Allen. 

 

I’ve been waiting for Allen’s return.  As McDermott continues with his process, the whole team (not just the quarterback) has to grow and improve, but no one is more important than Allen.  He’s the key to the future, and I wanted to see more of him.  Sunday, I saw everything I needed.  Allen IS the future.  And if the future isn’t now, it’s coming soon. 

 

I’m not not talking Allen’s running.  The guy showed again that he’s a serious threat as a running quarterback.  His cutback behind Bodine’s block on the touchdown run was running-back-intelligence on display.   His acceleration out of a potential tackle on the long scramble was breathtaking, for a quarterback.  But I’m not talking about his running, because running isn’t his future; throwing is. 

 

Allen had a GREAT day throwing.  Don’t look at his stats, don’t say, “well, his passer rating was only 90, he completed less than 50%, other than the bomb he didn’t do much.”  Forget all that.  Just go back and look at each called passing play. 

 

Start from the fact that the Jags have one of the best defenses in the league.  Football Outsiders has them at number 6, 7^th best in pass defense.  They’re 8^th in points per game, 5^th in yards per game.  They’re 5^th in opponent’s passer rating.  They are a good defense.

 

Then recognize that the pass protection was pretty bad for most of the day.  Allen scrambled a lot.  In fact, most of his big runs came on scrambles, but stay focused on the plays where he didn’t run.   Poor protection, but he never was sacked.  Why?  Because Allen always escaped the pressure and did something.  That alone is a big plus. 

 

So was Allen running scared, bailing out of the pocket at the first sign of pressure?  No.  First on the nice deep completion to Benjamin and then on the incredibly beautiful deep touchdown to Foster, he stood in the pocket, knowing the pressure was coming and he was going to get hit, and he delivered perfect throws.  He knew what he wanted, he knew he had just enough time to get it, he didn’t flinch and he delivered.  

 

But he was 8 for 19.  How can he be good if he was 8 for 19?  Well, how many bad throws did he make?  By my count, three:  He missed the first pass of the game, behind Jones coming across the middle, missed Foster in the flat in the third quarter, and mysteriously underthrew McKenzie in the right flat in the fourth quarter.  Three bad throws, one of them the first throw he’s made in live action for over a month. 

 

Three bad throws out of 11 incompletions.  Not great, and Allen will tell you he should have made each of those.  What about the other eight incompletions?  One was a hail Mary, at least two were throw-aways, one was a prayer of a deep ball to Benjamin on third and 26, one was an incredible scramble and throw for a first down that went through Croom’s hands on the right sideline, one was a nearly perfect throw to Thompson over the middle that he dropped after a good defensive play, one was a good throw where Thompson failed to settle in the open spot in the zone, one was miscommunication with Thompson on a sideline pattern to the left late in the game, where Allen was under intense pressure.  (Thompson and Allen have had only one week to practice together.) 

 

Allen made the right throw on eight of his 11 incompletions. 

 

And then there are the throws that didn’t count.  Completion to Logan Thomas for seven yards and a first down, penalty on Miller.  Completion to McKenzie for 16 yards and a first down, penalty on Bodine, completion to Ivory for four yards, penalty on Teller.  Deep sideline throw to Foster at the end of the half, intercepted by Ramsay but only because his illegal contact took Foster out of the play. 

 

Forget the statistics.  Just look at each drop back.  Multiple throws under pressure or on the run.  No sacks.  No interceptions.  Three bad throws.  A few throw-aways.  Everything else was on target and catchable.  Multiple completions called back for penalties.  Two superb throws that the receivers (Thompson and Croom) didn’t catch.

 

Did he fail to see some guys open?  I didn’t see them, but he probably did.  Should he have changed some plays at the line of scrimmage?  I didn’t see them, but he probably should have.  Those are the things that get better with experience.  What was on display yesterday was all we needed to see for now, and more:  Poise, accuracy, decision making, ball security, leadership.  All of it.  Oh, and one of the most beautiful deep balls you ever will see.   

 

Against the Jags, he showed that it’s time to get on board the Allen train.

 

 

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.

[bmur66]

Right on!

[WhoTom]

Nice objective assessment of Josh Allen. I agree that his arm is the future, but the fact that he can make plays with his legs, a la Aaron Rodgers, is great. However, I'd like to see less of that in situations where it's not necessary, like late in the 4th quarter, with a 7-point lead, in the red zone. No need to risk a QB running play - all they need to do is burn some clock, kick a FG, and put the game out of reach. Josh ran an option and got tackled in a way that even made the announcers wonder how he escaped injury.

 

There's a time and place to run such a play; that was neither.

 

 

[TPS]

I was at the game and said to my buddy--"it looks like the Bills have found their franchise QB."  With this D, the Bills need an offense that can score 24 ppg, and Allen can do that with the current group.  I don't see any reason why they can't run the table (yes, even in New England!), but in the modern NFL, that's a tough task.

 

 

[jkeerie]

Great assessment, Shaw!  The stats don't give Allen enough credit for the game he played.  When he ran in for that touchdown to take the lead, the first thought I had was how Mahomes on Monday night had a similar opportunity against the Rams...and slid at the 3 rather than diving for the end zone and trying to score. 

[Shaw66]

2 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

Nice objective assessment of Josh Allen. I agree that his arm is the future, but the fact that he can make plays with his legs, a la Aaron Rodgers, is great. However, I'd like to see less of that in situations where it's not necessary, like late in the 4th quarter, with a 7-point lead, in the red zone. No need to risk a QB running play - all they need to do is burn some clock, kick a FG, and put the game out of reach. Josh ran an option and got tackled in a way that even made the announcers wonder how he escaped injury.

 

There's a time and place to run such a play; that was neither.

 

 

You're right.  But the answer to that is spelled O-F-F-E-N-S-I-V-E  L-I-N-E.  As the offensive line gets better, two things will happen:  (1)  The running game will get better, so the Bills won't need to rely the quarterback to be the extra running threat in the backfield.  (2)  The protection will be better, so Allen won't be scrambling so much.   He's shown he's an excellent pocket passer, and once he has a more consistent pocket, he'll throw from it, not run.  

[Freddie's Dead]

I bought my Allen ticket after the Viqueens game.  Enjoyin' the ride.

[WhoTom]

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

You're right.  But the answer to that is spelled O-F-F-E-N-S-I-V-E  L-I-N-E.  As the offensive line gets better, two things will happen:  (1)  The running game will get better, so the Bills won't need to rely the quarterback to be the extra running threat in the backfield.  (2)  The protection will be better, so Allen won't be scrambling so much.   He's shown he's an excellent pocket passer, and once he has a more consistent pocket, he'll throw from it, not run.  

 

I agree, but in that situation, a RB up the gut for no gain is okay - they were already in FG range.

 

 

[RoyBatty is alive]

Excellent write up as always.

 

I was most encouraged by, as you say the three bad throws, only one imo was "pickable".  He didn't make incredibly ill advised throws while under pressure as he has done in some prior games. He played smart and he played aggressive.  Just like Jim Kelly, and the anti-Tyrod Taylor, he is not afraid to make a mistake.  He needs a lot of yards, he doesn't check it down, he goes for it.

 

My greatest concern is his running, his =injury list is starting to grow, he needs to get down on some of those runs.

[Shaw66]

1 minute ago, WhoTom said:

 

I agree, but in that situation, a RB up the gut for no gain is okay - they were already in FG range.

 

 

I agree, and thought so in the Stadium.  He took two hits he didn't need to take.   

I think McDermott isn't afraid of the injuries, and he was willing (through Daboll) to take the risk because he wanted the touchdown.  But I'm with you.  Run one of your backs into the line, hope you pop it, if you don't, kick it.   Hits on the QB add up.  

[vorpma]

31 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

The Bills beat the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, 24-21.  It was a big day for the Bills. 

 

The big story, as he’s been all season, is Josh Allen, but this was a team win in a team game, and I’ll get to Allen in a minute.   First, a few reactions to the game.

 

The game was an old-fashioned slug fest, with big hits, big plays and highs and lows.  The Bills took control early, the Jags fought back to tie the game at the half.  Then both teams slugged it out through the third quarter until the Jags finally put together a big punt return and a nice drive to take the lead, 20-14.  The Jags had made a statement, the question was whether the Bills had the heart to respond. 

 

Respond?  It was an epic response.  Bortles’ 30-yard touchdown throw was reviewed and ruled a completion at the one-yard line.  The close play on the completion (was it an interception by Wallace?), the players gathering around the receiver and defender wrestling for the ball at the goal line, and the fight that broke out between Fournette and Lawson all electrified the crowd and the Bills.  Most of the fans missed the next play, because they were watching Lawson and Fournette being escorted down their respective sidelines to the shared tunnel to the locker rooms.  It was raw instinct on display, and everything about Lawson screamed “you don’t want to mess with me!”  

 

Back on the field, the Bills stuffed Hyde for a one-yard loss, the Jags took a false start penalty, a touchdown pass was negated by holding, Bortles gained a yard on a near sack and lost 8 on a sack.  Fourth and goal from the 24, the Jags missed the field goal.  Allen to McKenzie, penalty on the Jags, Allen to Foster, penalty on the Jags, Allen up the middle for the touchdown!

 

It was a classic momentum shift – the Jags took control of a close game, came within a video review of scoring a touchdown, then came away with no points and gave up a 68-yard touchdown drive on three plays.  The Bills made plays and the Jags melted down.  There was more football to play, and the Jags certainly didn’t quit, but the Bills had taken over the game. 

 

It was the kind of sequence that keeps me going to the games.  Sitting in the stands with fellow Bills fans, watching things slipping away and then watching our team rise up as if yelling in unison “NOT IN OUR HOUSE!!!”  It’s a thrill you can’t anywhere else, unless you’re out drinking champagne with Shady McCoy at 3 a.m.

 

Cheap shot at Shady, I know, and he doesn’t deserve cheap shots.  The guy is a gamer.  His heart is on display every game.  If only he had the daylight the Jags gave Fournette and the others in the first half on Sunday.  The Bills run blocking was weak again, and the Bills defense had no answer to the Jags running game; no answer, that is, until halftime, when they regrouped and forced Bortles to start making plays.   It was the kind of adjustment good teams make. 

 

The Bills killed themselves with penalties.   It’s been a recurring theme this season, and it’s worrisome that McDermott has been unable to get more disciplined play out of his team. 

 

The Bills clearly wanted speed on the field against the Jags.  McKenzie and Thompson were out there a lot, and Benjamin was a role player. 

 

Edmunds is still a project.  He doesn’t look anything like the old-fashioned middle linebacker who stuffs the running back in the hole.  He’s usually in the wrong hole (which might be his assignment), or he’s chasing after the play watching someone else make the tackle.   Still, he’s making plays, in the run game and the passing game.  It was hard to see on the Stadium screen, and they showed the replay only once, but it looked like Edmunds got a finger on the pass that came off O’Shaughnessy’s hands into Poyer’s for what turned out to be the points that won the game.  Give Edmunds an off-season to decompress, put on a little muscle and digest all he’s learned, and he’s going to be special. 

 

Okay.  There was a lot to talk about in the game, but if we’re talking special, it’s time to talk about Josh Allen. 

 

I’ve been waiting for Allen’s return.  As McDermott continues with his process, the whole team (not just the quarterback) has to grow and improve, but no one is more important than Allen.  He’s the key to the future, and I wanted to see more of him.  Sunday, I saw everything I needed.  Allen IS the future.  And if the future isn’t now, it’s coming soon. 

 

I’m not not talking Allen’s running.  The guy showed again that he’s a serious threat as a running quarterback.  His cutback behind Bodine’s block on the touchdown run was running-back-intelligence on display.   His acceleration out of a potential tackle on the long scramble was breathtaking, for a quarterback.  But I’m not talking about his running, because running isn’t his future; throwing is. 

 

Allen had a GREAT day throwing.  Don’t look at his stats, don’t say, “well, his passer rating was only 90, he completed less than 50%, other than the bomb he didn’t do much.”  Forget all that.  Just go back and look at each called passing play. 

 

Start from the fact that the Jags have one of the best defenses in the league.  Football Outsiders has them at number 6, 7^th best in pass defense.  They’re 8^th in points per game, 5^th in yards per game.  They’re 5^th in opponent’s passer rating.  They are a good defense.

 

Then recognize that the pass protection was pretty bad for most of the day.  Allen scrambled a lot.  In fact, most of his big runs came on scrambles, but stay focused on the plays where he didn’t run.   Poor protection, but he never was sacked.  Why?  Because Allen always escaped the pressure and did something.  That alone is a big plus. 

 

So was Allen running scared, bailing out of the pocket at the first sign of pressure?  No.  First on the nice deep completion to Benjamin and then on the incredibly beautiful deep touchdown to Foster, he stood in the pocket, knowing the pressure was coming and he was going to get hit, and he delivered perfect throws.  He knew what he wanted, he knew he had just enough time to get it, he didn’t flinch and he delivered.  

 

But he was 8 for 19.  How can he be good if he was 8 for 19?  Well, how many bad throws did he make?  By my count, three:  He missed the first pass of the game, behind Jones coming across the middle, missed Foster in the flat in the third quarter, and mysteriously underthrew McKenzie in the right flat in the fourth quarter.  Three bad throws, one of them the first throw he’s made in live action for over a month. 

 

Three bad throws out of 11 incompletions.  Not great, and Allen will tell you he should have made each of those.  What about the other eight incompletions?  One was a hail Mary, at least two were throw-aways, one was a prayer of a deep ball to Benjamin on third and 26, one was an incredible scramble and throw for a first down that went through Croom’s hands on the right sideline, one was a nearly perfect throw to Thompson over the middle that he dropped after a good defensive play, one was a good throw where Thompson failed to settle in the open spot in the zone, one was miscommunication with Thompson on a sideline pattern to the left late in the game, where Allen was under intense pressure.  (Thompson and Allen have had only one week to practice together.) 

 

Allen made the right throw on eight of his 11 incompletions. 

 

And then there are the throws that didn’t count.  Completion to Logan Thomas for seven yards and a first down, penalty on Miller.  Completion to McKenzie for 16 yards and a first down, penalty on Bodine, completion to Ivory for four yards, penalty on Teller.  Deep sideline throw to Foster at the end of the half, intercepted by Ramsay but only because his illegal contact took Foster out of the play. 

 

Forget the statistics.  Just look at each drop back.  Multiple throws under pressure or on the run.  No sacks.  No interceptions.  Three bad throws.  A few throw-aways.  Everything else was on target and catchable.  Multiple completions called back for penalties.  Two superb throws that the receivers (Thompson and Croom) didn’t catch.

 

Did he fail to see some guys open?  I didn’t see them, but he probably did.  Should he have changed some plays at the line of scrimmage?  I didn’t see them, but he probably should have.  Those are the things that get better with experience.  What was on display yesterday was all we needed to see for now, and more:  Poise, accuracy, decision making, ball security, leadership.  All of it.  Oh, and one of the most beautiful deep balls you ever will see.   

 

Against the Jags, he showed that it’s time to get on board the Allen train.

 

 

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.

Great post!

[TheBeaneBandit]

 

[Success]

Great write up.  I’ve been onboard with Allen since “the hurdle.”  The guy just knows how to play football.

 

Our search - which began when Clinton was President - is over.

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

Thanks for the writeup!

 

Seriously, I think my draft plan for next year is this:

 

1st round: Best Available WR or OL

2nd round: Rinse and repeat

3rd round: What did I just say?

(You get the picture)

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

6 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I agree, and thought so in the Stadium.  He took two hits he didn't need to take.   

I think McDermott isn't afraid of the injuries, and he was willing (through Daboll) to take the risk because he wanted the touchdown.  But I'm with you.  Run one of your backs into the line, hope you pop it, if you don't, kick it.   Hits on the QB add up.  

Early on, JA had a couple of those rookie moments where he tried to extend plays by turning away from the line and moving backward. It appears he figured out that with few exceptions, that rarely works out well. Yesterday he seemed comfortable in the pocket, comfortable when running and 100% committed to winning the game. He also seems able to rally the team and while not a come from behind victory, the td after the missed field goal was huge. 

 

Good stuff. 

[billspro]

37 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

The Bills beat the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, 24-21.  It was a big day for the Bills. 

 

The big story, as he’s been all season, is Josh Allen, but this was a team win in a team game, and I’ll get to Allen in a minute.   First, a few reactions to the game.

 

The game was an old-fashioned slug fest, with big hits, big plays and highs and lows.  The Bills took control early, the Jags fought back to tie the game at the half.  Then both teams slugged it out through the third quarter until the Jags finally put together a big punt return and a nice drive to take the lead, 20-14.  The Jags had made a statement, the question was whether the Bills had the heart to respond. 

 

Respond?  It was an epic response.  Bortles’ 30-yard touchdown throw was reviewed and ruled a completion at the one-yard line.  The close play on the completion (was it an interception by Wallace?), the players gathering around the receiver and defender wrestling for the ball at the goal line, and the fight that broke out between Fournette and Lawson all electrified the crowd and the Bills.  Most of the fans missed the next play, because they were watching Lawson and Fournette being escorted down their respective sidelines to the shared tunnel to the locker rooms.  It was raw instinct on display, and everything about Lawson screamed “you don’t want to mess with me!”  

 

Back on the field, the Bills stuffed Hyde for a one-yard loss, the Jags took a false start penalty, a touchdown pass was negated by holding, Bortles gained a yard on a near sack and lost 8 on a sack.  Fourth and goal from the 24, the Jags missed the field goal.  Allen to McKenzie, penalty on the Jags, Allen to Foster, penalty on the Jags, Allen up the middle for the touchdown!

 

It was a classic momentum shift – the Jags took control of a close game, came within a video review of scoring a touchdown, then came away with no points and gave up a 68-yard touchdown drive on three plays.  The Bills made plays and the Jags melted down.  There was more football to play, and the Jags certainly didn’t quit, but the Bills had taken over the game. 

 

It was the kind of sequence that keeps me going to the games.  Sitting in the stands with fellow Bills fans, watching things slipping away and then watching our team rise up as if yelling in unison “NOT IN OUR HOUSE!!!”  It’s a thrill you can’t anywhere else, unless you’re out drinking champagne with Shady McCoy at 3 a.m.

 

Cheap shot at Shady, I know, and he doesn’t deserve cheap shots.  The guy is a gamer.  His heart is on display every game.  If only he had the daylight the Jags gave Fournette and the others in the first half on Sunday.  The Bills run blocking was weak again, and the Bills defense had no answer to the Jags running game; no answer, that is, until halftime, when they regrouped and forced Bortles to start making plays.   It was the kind of adjustment good teams make. 

 

The Bills killed themselves with penalties.   It’s been a recurring theme this season, and it’s worrisome that McDermott has been unable to get more disciplined play out of his team. 

 

The Bills clearly wanted speed on the field against the Jags.  McKenzie and Thompson were out there a lot, and Benjamin was a role player. 

 

Edmunds is still a project.  He doesn’t look anything like the old-fashioned middle linebacker who stuffs the running back in the hole.  He’s usually in the wrong hole (which might be his assignment), or he’s chasing after the play watching someone else make the tackle.   Still, he’s making plays, in the run game and the passing game.  It was hard to see on the Stadium screen, and they showed the replay only once, but it looked like Edmunds got a finger on the pass that came off O’Shaughnessy’s hands into Poyer’s for what turned out to be the points that won the game.  Give Edmunds an off-season to decompress, put on a little muscle and digest all he’s learned, and he’s going to be special. 

 

Okay.  There was a lot to talk about in the game, but if we’re talking special, it’s time to talk about Josh Allen. 

 

I’ve been waiting for Allen’s return.  As McDermott continues with his process, the whole team (not just the quarterback) has to grow and improve, but no one is more important than Allen.  He’s the key to the future, and I wanted to see more of him.  Sunday, I saw everything I needed.  Allen IS the future.  And if the future isn’t now, it’s coming soon. 

 

I’m not not talking Allen’s running.  The guy showed again that he’s a serious threat as a running quarterback.  His cutback behind Bodine’s block on the touchdown run was running-back-intelligence on display.   His acceleration out of a potential tackle on the long scramble was breathtaking, for a quarterback.  But I’m not talking about his running, because running isn’t his future; throwing is. 

 

Allen had a GREAT day throwing.  Don’t look at his stats, don’t say, “well, his passer rating was only 90, he completed less than 50%, other than the bomb he didn’t do much.”  Forget all that.  Just go back and look at each called passing play. 

 

Start from the fact that the Jags have one of the best defenses in the league.  Football Outsiders has them at number 6, 7^th best in pass defense.  They’re 8^th in points per game, 5^th in yards per game.  They’re 5^th in opponent’s passer rating.  They are a good defense.

 

Then recognize that the pass protection was pretty bad for most of the day.  Allen scrambled a lot.  In fact, most of his big runs came on scrambles, but stay focused on the plays where he didn’t run.   Poor protection, but he never was sacked.  Why?  Because Allen always escaped the pressure and did something.  That alone is a big plus. 

 

So was Allen running scared, bailing out of the pocket at the first sign of pressure?  No.  First on the nice deep completion to Benjamin and then on the incredibly beautiful deep touchdown to Foster, he stood in the pocket, knowing the pressure was coming and he was going to get hit, and he delivered perfect throws.  He knew what he wanted, he knew he had just enough time to get it, he didn’t flinch and he delivered.  

 

But he was 8 for 19.  How can he be good if he was 8 for 19?  Well, how many bad throws did he make?  By my count, three:  He missed the first pass of the game, behind Jones coming across the middle, missed Foster in the flat in the third quarter, and mysteriously underthrew McKenzie in the right flat in the fourth quarter.  Three bad throws, one of them the first throw he’s made in live action for over a month. 

 

Three bad throws out of 11 incompletions.  Not great, and Allen will tell you he should have made each of those.  What about the other eight incompletions?  One was a hail Mary, at least two were throw-aways, one was a prayer of a deep ball to Benjamin on third and 26, one was an incredible scramble and throw for a first down that went through Croom’s hands on the right sideline, one was a nearly perfect throw to Thompson over the middle that he dropped after a good defensive play, one was a good throw where Thompson failed to settle in the open spot in the zone, one was miscommunication with Thompson on a sideline pattern to the left late in the game, where Allen was under intense pressure.  (Thompson and Allen have had only one week to practice together.) 

 

Allen made the right throw on eight of his 11 incompletions. 

 

And then there are the throws that didn’t count.  Completion to Logan Thomas for seven yards and a first down, penalty on Miller.  Completion to McKenzie for 16 yards and a first down, penalty on Bodine, completion to Ivory for four yards, penalty on Teller.  Deep sideline throw to Foster at the end of the half, intercepted by Ramsay but only because his illegal contact took Foster out of the play. 

 

Forget the statistics.  Just look at each drop back.  Multiple throws under pressure or on the run.  No sacks.  No interceptions.  Three bad throws.  A few throw-aways.  Everything else was on target and catchable.  Multiple completions called back for penalties.  Two superb throws that the receivers (Thompson and Croom) didn’t catch.

 

Did he fail to see some guys open?  I didn’t see them, but he probably did.  Should he have changed some plays at the line of scrimmage?  I didn’t see them, but he probably should have.  Those are the things that get better with experience.  What was on display yesterday was all we needed to see for now, and more:  Poise, accuracy, decision making, ball security, leadership.  All of it.  Oh, and one of the most beautiful deep balls you ever will see.   

 

Against the Jags, he showed that it’s time to get on board the Allen train.

 

 

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.

 

These are always fun reads, especially after a win. The pass to Zay was tipped at the line so that contributed to the inaccuracy on that throw too. 

[Jerome007]

Excellent post. I agree fully and that's why I can't stand the "haters" that keep mouthing off that he is a bust, too inaccurate to ever be even average and blablabla. Even after a game like this. It's one thing to talk about weaknesses, and the probability are always high for all QBs that they will NOT reach Top 10 status, but damn those people are annoying. And they are supposed to be Bills fans! 

 

Before the season started, I expected a lot more passes overall from Allen and also a lot more PICKS and dumb rookie throws. Nope  And we got way more runs than expected to booth. After Mister Super-Conservative-But-Doesn't-Turn-The-Ball-Over Tyrod Taylor I expected something very different. In many ways, we got a more exciting version of TT with a lot more potential to become great. So many people forget he is a rookie, and a raw one too.  Exciting times. And his fun yet mega-competitive spirit is contagious. I've been a huge fan since day #1 and still am. 

[US Egg]

I don't hop on trains that are on unsteady rails.

  

Edited November 27, 2018 by I am the egg man

[Bring it]

Nice SHAW! Extremely accurate on all points!

 

Loved that a vet like Shady who usually speaks candidly says that Josh ain’t no “ chump”. Meaning he isn’t fake. He wants to win and will lay it all out there. It’s not necessarily what he is doing to other teams that has me excited! It’s what he is doing to this team!! They rally around this guy; they believe in him!

[Shaw66]

4 minutes ago, billspro said:

 

These are always fun reads, especially after a win. The pass to Zay was tipped at the line so that contributed to the inaccuracy on that throw too. 

I didn't see that.   Zay had the most important reception, on the onside kick.