A Few Thoughts about the Lions Game, in no particular order

[Virgil]

2 minutes ago, Max Fischer said:

 

You don’t seem to understand football. 

 

Can I just take a second to let you know how much I love your screen name and avatar.  You should switch up the pic every once in a while though.  The bloody nose while holding flowers, him on his go-kart....

[Bad Things]

I've been wondering for a long time... what is it that the crowd chants/sings during Bills kickoffs?

 

Oh, and they really need to stop with these stupid Red Colour Rush uniforms. 

[NickelCity]

11 hours ago, Virgil said:

4 - You'll see one day when you move out it just sort of happens one day and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I don't know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place.

 

Well dang that's sad, Virge. 

[Hellcamino]

47 minutes ago, Bad Things said:

I've been wondering for a long time... what is it that the crowd chants/sings during Bills kickoffs?

 

Oh, and they really need to stop with these stupid Red Colour Rush uniforms. 

I believe thats the White Stripes song 7 Nation Army.  I hear this at almost all the games around the league every Sunday. Not sure how it started.

[Doc Brown]

1 hour ago, Bad Things said:

Oh, and they really need to stop with these stupid Red Colour Rush uniforms. 

They'd look better with white pants.  They should only use them from now on when snow is in the forecast because they looked great last year.  

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 hour ago, Bad Things said:

I've been wondering for a long time... what is it that the crowd chants/sings during Bills kickoffs?

 

Oh, and they really need to stop with these stupid Red Colour Rush uniforms. 

 

White stripes seven nation army 

[CSBill]

8 hours ago, Virgil said:

Dear lord baby Jesus, please don’t let this turn into another Allen accuracy fight.  

 

Too late

[NoHuddleKelly12]

14 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

O-line looked it's best yet.  Allen had lots of time often.  

 

They have to draft a feature back this off season.  McCoy couldn't be more done...

The time that Allen had on the deep TD to Foster to let that route develop first is what struck me this week, as opposed to the bomb against the Jags where we all wondered how on earth that happened with 3 guys collapsing the pocket on him in no time flat...progress by the line!

[Punching Bag]

15 hours ago, Virgil said:

Screw the better draft pick, I want these guys to show what they can win and build the young guys up going into next season.

 

I agree. You can get earlier better draft picks but I am sure seeing team wins is better at attracting FAs.

[OrtonHearsaWho]

15 hours ago, PearlHowardman said:

 

You would be wasting your time.  Josh Allen has a pass accuracy problem.  

 

 

Yup!

 

 

Just go away already dude.

[Nihilarian]

20 hours ago, Virgil said:

10 - Allen - I'm going to say that this might have been one of Allen's better games this season.  The rushing stats weren't there and he still made his weekly rookie mistake, but I liked how he adapted, his accuracy, and how overall he looked like a pocket quarterback this week.  For the ugly, he still struggles to throw the ball away when scrambling out of the pocket and almost threw two interceptions.  Someone needs to sit in a room and make him watch tape of those throws on repeat for a few days until he gets it.  In the first half, he took a sack that knocked them out of field goal range because he broke outside of the pocket vs stepping up into it.  It's worked in previous weeks, but not today.  

 

Now, for the positive.  I really think this was his most accurate week.  He had a few throws that required some extra effort by the receivers, but nothing that was un-catchable.  I think Thompson will tell you he should have got his deep ball as would a few other guys.  The Lions weren't going to let Allen break any big plays and it didn't really slow Allen down at all.  Like every other week, he didn't look frazzled and just went with it.  His deep ball to Foster was beautiful and he did what he needed to do to win the game.  His hard count to get an off-sides on the last drive was well played as well.   Overall, just a really good day for him.  

 

I think what we saw was the Lions defense was more intent on keeping a spy on Allen to keep him contained with his running. Then they wanted him to attempt to throw more probably because of his history of lousy completion percentage. What Allen did was burn them again and again when they gave him time to throw. This keep Allen contained philosophy by the Lions played right into Daboll's mid to deep passing scheme as it gave Allen time to make those deeper throws. 

 

Allen's completion percentage was only 50% in this game but part of that might be because Zay Jones had 6 targets and caught one pass. Clay was targeted once and didn't catch it. Deonte Thompson was targeted twice and caught nothing... 

 

OTOH, Robert Foster went five targets, four catches and that one non catch was on a deep pass that was flagged for pass interference. 

 

 I'm not so concerned about the draft when this FO is finding guys like Robert Foster as an undrafted free agent...forget the two firsts for Sammy when this kid catches most everything thrown his way.

[Shaw66]

21 hours ago, Virgil said:

Another meaningless December home game in Buffalo where most of us are in evaluation mode as we plan for the next season.  An injured Matt Stafford and much improved defense who's playing the math game every week to stay alive.  Let's see who shows up....

 

1 - Rushing Attack - I'm sure I'll get proven wrong here by google, but it feels like we try to run the ball more without McCoy.  With him and Ivory out, we seemed to trust these young guys to run more and it paid off on many plays.  I saw more broken tackles and players burst out the pile than I have most of the season.  The rushing game wasn't dominant or a huge factor, but it existed and contributed to 2nd and 4/6 quite a bit in the beginning.  My question is, why?  When we are down to our 3rd and 4th RB, why are we featuring our rushing game more than when our top two guys are healthy?  Is it a testament to the decline of Shady?  I'm not sure.  But I know that we saw better production today in bursts and it's something I hope to see them replicate.

 

2 - Decker - I don't call out a player on opposing teams very often and again, PFF or someone will probably prove me wrong with a grade, but this guy mauled us today.  There were a few plays where I thought he was holding Hughes (the norm), but overall I saw him putting guys on his back more than a few times.  They lined him up as eligible on a toss play and he took out 3 Bills by himself.  He also did a good job of misdirecting pass rushers to create rushing lanes to the inside.  Again, not normal for me to talk about the opposing team, let alone a LT, but credit where credit is due.

 

3 - Pass Rush - I understand that each team creates a game plan each week based upon the opponent.  But how we decided to stack the box and rush Stafford this week after not touching Darnold once last week is something I will never understand.  Now, credit to Stafford for getting rid of the ball multiple times while getting his and negating the pass rush.  Seriously, the guy deserves and Iron Man award for some of the plays he pulled off.  Our defense got there more often than not, but he beat them by a fraction of a second.  Either way, it was good to see the defense show those and create a couple of interception opportunities, I just don't know where it was last week.

 

4 - You'll see one day when you move out it just sort of happens one day and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I don't know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place.

 

5 - Lions Defense against Allen - I was wondering how long it would take for opposing defenses to run some plays to negate Allen's rushing attack.  The answer came today as the Lions ran a few schemes.  For starters, the defensive line pinched the middle of the field when we ran the spread formation, not allowing Allen to break up the middle for a gain.  On most pass plays, the Lions kept a spy on Allen, usually LB Jarrad Davis who helped prevent Allen from taking off.  Credit to Allen for breaking the spy on his TD run, but he was overall forced to pass the ball, which he seemed fine doing as well.

 

6 - Daboll play calling - Like our pass rush this week vs last week, I found myself frustrated with our offensive play calling this week.  Not the plays we ran so much as when we ran them.  There a few plays on 3rd and 5+ where we were in the middle 20 yards of the field where we took deep shots.  I'm happy for the deep shots, but you're a first down or two from being in field goal range.  You have the soft zone catches that have worked the past few weeks, keep at them at that part of the field.  Keep the offense on the field.  And don't get me wrong, some of them were close to paying off.  I was very against Daboll getting hired and wanted him gone by week 8.  I've change my tune on that and think he's done a great job since then.  I haven't changed my mind on that.  But the rushing attack and play selection timing on deep shots was frustrating at times.  Also, maybe they were going to motion him back to block. But DiMarco was out wide a few times.  Kudos for the 4th and short to seal the game, although I'm sure McDermott gets some credit there.

 

7 - Tre White - When is  a player having a bad game and when is the opposing player just making a great play?  Regardless of where you stand on it, opposing teams have picked on Tre the past few weeks and gotten away with it.  Guys aren't wide open, but they are finding a way to make a play over him each week.  What stands out to me is that he's playing the receiver, not the ball.  I know that's what you are taught to do, but his head never seems to be turned back to see what he's playing for.  Today wasn't any different and he resorted to PI on some plays.  He's still a great defender and one of the best on our team, but it's strange to see this production against him.

 

8 - Foster - Do we have our #2 receiver yet?  100 yard receivers are rare for us and he's put back to back to back games together.  Not only that, but his ability to track the ball in the air, find the first down marker on 3rd against the zone, and pure speed with hands.  I don't care about his college stats or preseason anymore, the kid is getting it done.  He may not win any jump balls, but the kid has done more than enough for me the past few weeks and I'm good with him as a starter next season.

 

9 - Poyer - Talk about a guy who single-handedly shut down an opposing teams drive.  The Lions second to last drive was a highlight reel for Poyer as he blew up a run play in the backfield and then had a great open field tackle on 3rd down.  Guy is an unsung hero most weeks and finds ways to make plays.  He doesn't have the interceptions that got him attention like last year, but he still puts a solid effort out there each week and was a contributor today.  I could easily call out Lorax here as well, but Poyer gets the nod for that drive.

 

10 - Allen - I'm going to say that this might have been one of Allen's better games this season.  The rushing stats weren't there and he still made his weekly rookie mistake, but I liked how he adapted, his accuracy, and how overall he looked like a pocket quarterback this week.  For the ugly, he still struggles to throw the ball away when scrambling out of the pocket and almost threw two interceptions.  Someone needs to sit in a room and make him watch tape of those throws on repeat for a few days until he gets it.  In the first half, he took a sack that knocked them out of field goal range because he broke outside of the pocket vs stepping up into it.  It's worked in previous weeks, but not today.  

 

Now, for the positive.  I really think this was his most accurate week.  He had a few throws that required some extra effort by the receivers, but nothing that was un-catchable.  I think Thompson will tell you he should have got his deep ball as would a few other guys.  The Lions weren't going to let Allen break any big plays and it didn't really slow Allen down at all.  Like every other week, he didn't look frazzled and just went with it.  His deep ball to Foster was beautiful and he did what he needed to do to win the game.  His hard count to get an off-sides on the last drive was well played as well.   Overall, just a really good day for him.  

 

Bonus Thoughts

• Nice to have a game end in under 3 hours.  Penalties also down from previous weeks.  Coincidence?
• Special Teams were a non-factor and the Lions missed a FG.  Even the announcers made a comment before getting cut off that the Bills had special teams play go in their favor for once.
• For a meaningless game in December, props to the fans who did show up.  It sounded loud at times
• Another week, another game where Clay does absolutely nothing.  Croom showed him up on that last catch too.
• Screw the better draft pick, I want these guys to show what they can win and build the young guys up going into next season.

 

Go Bills!

As always, Virg, this is really good, insightful stuff.  A couple comments. 

 

Rushing?  It was all about the line opening holes.  McCoy hasn't seen running room like that any time this season.  And since the run game was getting five or six on first down, it meant that the Bills could stick with the run game, rather than going to the pass because it's 2nd and nine.  

 

I think you're too hard on Daboll.   I think there's a lot of learning going on all over the team, including McDermott and Daboll.  They're both relatively inexperienced at the job, just like Allen is.  The offense keeps opening up, week after week.   They ran that nifty little inside handoff to Ray-Ray that was a nice wrinkle.  Plus, he has a rookie QB.   

 

I think he's doing just fine, and I think you'll see the offense take some big strides next season.  

 

I'm not troubled by White at all.   I guess I don't think of him as a flawless shut-down corner.   Those are few and far between.   Everyone gets beat sometimes on those slants and square ins.   He was in great position on some of the completions against him and just was outfought for the ball by big strong guys.   

 

You're right about Poyer.  I wrote about Alexander, you picked Poyer.   

 

There's nothing wrong with Clay that turning the football clock back five years wouldn't fix.   Tight end play has evolved in the league, and it's evolved away from guys with Clay's size and skill set.  Croom is the opposite extreme, but because he's more in line with where tight end play has gone, he's proving to be more useful.  

[Virgil]

23 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

As always, Virg, this is really good, insightful stuff.  A couple comments. 

 

Rushing?  It was all about the line opening holes.  McCoy hasn't seen running room like that any time this season.  And since the run game was getting five or six on first down, it meant that the Bills could stick with the run game, rather than going to the pass because it's 2nd and nine.  

 

It’s both to me.  I think the line created better holds at times, but I also think the young guys made plays that Shady hasn’t this season 

 

23 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

 

I think you're too hard on Daboll.   I think there's a lot of learning going on all over the team, including McDermott and Daboll.  They're both relatively inexperienced at the job, just like Allen is.  The offense keeps opening up, week after week.   They ran that nifty little inside handoff to Ray-Ray that was a nice wrinkle.  Plus, he has a rookie QB.   

 

I think he's doing just fine, and I think you'll see the offense take some big strides next season.  

 

I'm not troubled by White at all.   I guess I don't think of him as a flawless shut-down corner.   Those are few and far between.   Everyone gets beat sometimes on those slants and square ins.   He was in great position on some of the completions against him and just was outfought for the ball by big strong guys.   

 

I’m not worried about him at all. If anything, I expect a bounce back game.  He got picked on his first few games and then really turned it on as a rookie.  I’m just acknowledging how he’s had some bad looks the past few weeks. 

 

23 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

 

You're right about Poyer.  I wrote about Alexander, you picked Poyer.   

 

There's nothing wrong with Clay that turning the football clock back five years wouldn't fix.   Tight end play has evolved in the league, and it's evolved away from guys with Clay's size and skill set.  Croom is the opposite extreme, but because he's more in line with where tight end play has gone, he's proving to be more useful.  

 

[iinii]

12 hours ago, Max Fischer said:

 

You don’t seem to understand football. 

You don’t seem to understand math

[CodeMonkey]

22 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I agree the game/crown sounded loud. I ran to the store to pick up a few things and in the car on the radio, it sounded like a full house.

 

Attendance: 59,110.  Not bad for December and no playoffs.