The Athletic: "How the Bills rallied behind Robert Foster..." (subscription required)

[transplantbillsfan]

https://theathletic.com/1125198/2019/08/08/how-the-bills-rallied-behind-robert-foster-when-he-nearly-threw-it-all-away/

It was supposed to be an unremarkable game, a joust between the 2-7 Bills and the 3-6 Jets in Week 10. The teams were on a combined seven-game losing streak and both starting backup quarterbacks.

 

MetLife Stadium had no way of knowing how vital one play — the first play — would be to one young player.

 

Bills rookie wide receiver Robert Foster lined up two yards behind the line of scrimmage, at the 23-yard line opposite Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson. It was the Bills’ first offensive play of the game and Foster’s first in nearly a month.

 

Hidden in Foster’s stance was nearly a month-and-a-half of frustration mixed with three weeks worth of unbridled motivation. His already lightning-fast speed was super-charged by raw emotion.

 

Johnson didn’t stand a chance.

...

“He got the message,” said head coach Sean McDermott. “Not early enough, but he got it eventually which, basically, saved his first year.”

...

“(He was) a little bit comfortable because he had Daboll at ‘Bama, so they had the relationship. He thought he knew the offense,” fullback Patrick DiMarco said. “Sometimes young guys now think they have it figured out until they get here.”

...

 

The Texans game was also significant because Josh Allen went down with an elbow injury that would keep him out for a month. The next week of practice was all-hands-on-deck to get Derek Anderson, who had been with the team for all of eight days, up to speed to start on Sunday.

 

After practice that Wednesday, the entire offense worked together to run through the playbook on the field. Every player, from running back LeSean McCoy on down, stayed and worked. They all came together in a huddle at the end of the exercise.

Well, most of them.

 

Foster removed himself from the field several minutes before they were done and adjourned to the locker room. He’s known around the organization as a humble person and is liked by his teammates. Something was amiss with the young receiver.

 

A day later, the Bills released Foster and called up wide receiver Cam Phillips from the practice squad.

...

It was around that time that Bills players attempted to get through to him.

 

“Shady (McCoy) pulled me aside. Dion Dawkins pulled me aside. Star (Lotulelei),” Foster recalled. “A lot of them was just talking to me, man. Basically, they told me I didn’t do anything, you know what I mean, for me to contribute to the team and to make the best of the opportunities.”

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Take note shady dislikers. 

 

Leadership. 

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

4 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

Take note shady dislikers. 

 

Leadership. 

 

Leadership is great. 900 yards for $10 million isn’t. 

[JohnBonhamRocks]

I’m missing the part where they rallied behind him.

[ColoradoBills]

6 minutes ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

Leadership is great. 900 yards for $10 million isn’t. 

 

How many yards is needed before he is worth it?

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

1 minute ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

How many yards is needed before he is worth it?

 

1250 on the ground 8-10 Rushing TD’s

 

350 receiving with another 3-5 TD’s

 

if he can do that at 31 in the last year of his contract, I’ll be happy

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

3 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

How many yards is needed before he is worth it?

For some people 2000 yards wouldn't be enough.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

6 minutes ago, JohnBonhamRocks said:

I’m missing the part where they rallied behind him.

 

they left him on the bubble?  

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

3 minutes ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

For some people 2000 yards wouldn't be enough.

 

I don’t think this is true. I think any of us would be thrilled with seeing a Bills RB getting 2000 yards from scrimmage.

[ColoradoBills]

9 minutes ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

1250 on the ground 8-10 Rushing TD’s

 

350 receiving with another 3-5 TD’s

 

if he can do that at 31 in the last year of his contract, I’ll be happy

 

That's a lot of yards and TDs for a 31 year old RB on the last year of a contract.

I'd be ecstatic for a year like that.  Hope it happens.

[Alphadawg7]

Great post and story on Foster and y'all are arguing about McCoy lmao

[ColoradoBills]

1 minute ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Great post and story on Foster and y'all are arguing about McCoy lmao

 

My humble apologies.........but for the record we were not arguing.

[Doc]

53 minutes ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

1250 on the ground 8-10 Rushing TD’s

 

350 receiving with another 3-5 TD’s

 

if he can do that at 31 in the last year of his contract, I’ll be happy

 

He was averaging over 100 yards of offense per game prior to last season when the OL went to hell.

[dickleyjones]

1 hour ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

Leadership is great. 900 yards for $10 million isn’t. 

that depends.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

11 minutes ago, dickleyjones said:

that depends.

 

On what?

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

1 hour ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

I don’t think this is true. I think any of us would be thrilled with seeing a Bills RB getting 2000 yards from scrimmage.

Oh yes, but I can immediately hear the cries of "he'll never do that again" or "he used up all his gas"

 

Granted, I am not the biggest fan of overpaying a running back on the wrong side of 30, and I suspect that Beane isn't going to overpay to keep Shady. I think that, all things being equal, he would prefer to go back to Philly so I have a sneaking suspicion that this is the last year of Shady being in a Bills uniform.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

18 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

He was averaging over 100 yards of offense per game prior to last season when the OL went to hell.

 

Ok.

 

That was two seasons ago, and there are 6 RB’s on the roster right now. Any of them can produce at the level that McCoy did last year; and none of them come with a $10 million tag. 

[Doc]

39 minutes ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

Ok.

 

That was two seasons ago, and there are 6 RB’s on the roster right now. Any of them can produce at the level that McCoy did last year; and none of them come with a $10 million tag. 

 

A RB is only as good as his OL.  We'll see how he fares this year.

 

And even with the down year last year, he's averaged 90 yards of offense per game.  I'd say that he's been worth the $8M/year he's made.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Doc

[kenny3000]

1 hour ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

Leadership is great. 900 yards for $10 million isn’t. 

 

 

Last time that I checked it wasn't your bank account.  We've got the cap room.  Wth?  

[dickleyjones]

8 minutes ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

On what?

many factors. for example, if his leadership is the reason a guy rises to be a star, worth it. not saying that is the case, just that it's not as simple as "too few yards for too much money"

[atlbillsfan1975]

That’s exactly what you want to hear guys like Shady are doing. It would be great for Dawkins to have a bounce back year and be solid. Dawkins is a young guy who wants to lead. Rookies will relate to younger leaders even more. To a 22 year old 31 is ancient. 

 

Lets see how Foster weathers the adversity this season. 

[transplantbillsfan]

2 hours ago, JohnBonhamRocks said:

I’m missing the part where they rallied behind him.

 

Did you read the whole article?

 

I just posted snippets.  Can't post the whole article per CoC, otherwise I would.

[joemac1114]

If you're watching 13 in Rochester, you will miss it, it's on Channel 8

[transplantbillsfan]

1 hour ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

That’s exactly what you want to hear guys like Shady are doing. It would be great for Dawkins to have a bounce back year and be solid. Dawkins is a young guy who wants to lead. Rookies will relate to younger leaders even more. To a 22 year old 31 is ancient. 

 

Lets see how Foster weathers the adversity this season. 

 

Yep.  Feels like the team is lighting a fire under his butt again this offseason.  Hope he doesn't need too much of it.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

2 hours ago, dickleyjones said:

many factors. for example, if his leadership is the reason a guy rises to be a star, worth it. not saying that is the case, just that it's not as simple as "too few yards for too much money"

 

Foster isn’t even running with the first team in camp, and he’s a rising star??

 

and yes, it’s exactly that simple in the NFL. 

 

“I’ll be bagging groceries” still applies to the game today. 

[JohnBonhamRocks]

55 minutes ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

Did you read the whole article?

 

I just posted snippets.  Can't post the whole article per CoC, otherwise I would.

 

Admittedly, no. I confess to taking the easy jokey way out and throw myself to the mercy of the board. 

[dickleyjones]

28 minutes ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

Foster isn’t even running with the first team in camp, and he’s a rising star??

 

and yes, it’s exactly that simple in the NFL. 

 

“I’ll be bagging groceries” still applies to the game today. 

clearly did not read my response. and no, it is not that simple, and you have nothing to back it up. well done!

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

...by most camp accounts, Robert has regressed while Ray-Ray has progressed......what happened with last year's wake up call?........

[Punching Bag]

4 hours ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

I don’t think this is true. I think any of us would be thrilled with seeing a Bills RB getting 2000 yards from scrimmage.

 

There are a lot of closet JEST AND P*tys fans on this board.  On other boards they would be thrown off already but here MODs feed and water then like pets or mindless people in comas.

[Mr. WEO]

3 hours ago, Doc said:

 

A RB is only as good as his OL.  We'll see how he fares this year.

 

And even with the down year last year, he's averaged 90 yards of offense per game.  I'd say that he's been worth the $8M/year he's made.

 

He was a better bargain in his last 2 years in Philly (113 ypg at 5.6 million) than any year in Buffalo.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

54 minutes ago, dickleyjones said:

clearly did not read my response. and no, it is not that simple, and you have nothing to back it up. well done!

 

Oh right, you said “if”.

[formerlyofCtown]

16 hours ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

 

Leadership is great. 900 yards for $10 million isn’t. 

Yup and Shady probably said 10 mil to play behind that garbage Oline.  Not worth it.

11 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

There are a lot of closet JEST AND P*tys fans on this board.  On other boards they would be thrown off already but here MODs feed and water then like pets or mindless people in comas.

We have compassion on those who are intellectualy handicapped on this board.

[Chandler#81]

12 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

There are a lot of closet JEST AND P*tys fans on this board.  On other boards they would be thrown off already but here MODs feed and water then like pets or mindless people in comas.

 

We do. You’ve been our 5 year pet project, our House Cat, if you will. We’re so proud of the blossom you’ve become.?

[SDS]

17 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

There are a lot of closet JEST AND P*tys fans on this board.  On other boards they would be thrown off already but here MODs feed and water then like pets or mindless people in comas.

 

Odd. I let you re-register despite your removal years ago. Seems a bit ungrateful if you ask me.