Popular Post Shaw66 Posted November 29, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) As the 2019 season has progressed, one question has puzzled football fans around the country and Bills fans in particular: Are the Bills actually a good football team, or have they simply been playing a schedule full of cupcake opponents? Okay, I guess that’s two questions. We now know the answer: The Buffalo Bills are a good football team. The Cowboys hosted the Bills in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game. It was a big game for both teams. The Cowboys needed a win to get to 7-5 and to solidify their lead in the NFC East, their only road to the playoffs. They were coming off a discouraging road loss in to the Patriots and with questions swirling again about Jason Garrett’s job security. They needed a win to secure the season and maybe save their coach. The Bills had been plagued all season long by the question. Yes, their defensive numbers were superb, but their opponents were more or less horrible. Yes, Josh Allen had had several good games in recent weeks, but not eye-popping. At 8-3, the Bills were closing in on a wild-card spot in the playoffs, but if they were to go to 8-4, that position would be less secure, with dates against the Ravens and the Patriots in the next three weeks. The game in Dallas was an opportunity to answer the question: on the road against a quality opponent in a meaningful came with the nation watching. The Bills were playing America’s team in America’s game – Thanksgiving football. Question answered. By the time we’d finished Thanksgiving dinner, taken a first pass at cleaning up the wreckage in the kitchen and said goodbye to some guests, the game had begun. When I tuned in, the Cowboys were in the red zone, about to take a 7-0 lead. In the next few minutes I had several distinct feelings: First, I had the usual Bills-fan dread, that I was watching my team at the very beginning of an ugly blow-out loss, one more embarrassment heaped on the franchise after decades of embarrassments. That passed pretty quickly. I’ve gotten used to the fact that the Bills play good football but often come out of the gate slowly, getting a feel for the game before they get into a rhythm. Their fourth quarters are better than their first quarters. Second, everything felt odd about the experience. I was watching the Bills sitting at home instead of in a sports bar, where I usually have to go for road games. Why? Because this game was televised nationally, at least figuratively if not technically in prime time. I’m completely accustomed to watching the Bills on some regional broadcast with no-name announcers and with more or less no one around the country watching. So what where those lovely blue and white uniforms doing on TV on Thanksgiving afternoon? Third, by the second quarter, it occurred to me that I was watching the same team do the same things against the Cowboys that they’d done on Sunday against the Broncos and the Sunday before that against the Dolphins. Dominate? No, not exactly. Just keep playing, making plays, staying in position, making tackles, showing some new looks. The Bills essentially were saying to the Cowboys what they’ve said to every opponent except the Eagles this season: “We’re here, we’re playing football, and we’re not going away. Beat us if you can.” The Cowboys have, statistically speaking, one of the best offenses in the league – first in yards per game and now 8th in points per game. Still, following the Cowboys’ opening touchdown drive, it felt like the Bills were in control. One Cowboy drive after another stalled as the Bills took the ball away, forced the Cowboys to punt or made the stop on fourth down. The Bills made the Cowboys look ineffective, despite the fact that the Cowboys were piling up 426 yards and 32 first downs. The Bills made the Cowboys look not much different than the Broncos or the Dolphins. And the entire country was watching. The Cowboys come at you with two of the best skill players in the league, Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper. By the end of the game, they were after-thoughts. The Cowboys more or less abandoned their running game, so Elliott didn’t have a chance to pound away at the Bills. Cooper had some catches for some yards, but he looked and felt like just another receiver out there. Their number three star, Dak Prescott, was exposed. He was asked to throw a lot, and he put up some numbers, but he, too, was neutralized by the Bills defense. He turned the ball over twice, and time after time or third or fourth down he couldn’t find a way to help his team. Josh Allen, on the other hand, showed the country what excellent quarterbacking is all about. Even more so than against Denver’s solid defense the week before, Allen was in complete control of his team, managing the huddle, calmly directing the team at the line scrimmage, almost always correctly choosing to hang in the pocket or scramble, understanding where his receivers were and delivering beautifully thrown passes for completions. He kept the chains moving, so that five of nine possessions resulted in points and a sixth ended with a missed field goal. As excellent as his passing was, it was Allen’s running game that made his day truly outstanding. His 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter seemed almost ordinary, we’ve seen it so often, but it’s anything but ordinary. Getting yards in the red zone is always difficult, and Allen’s running adds a dimension that few offenses have. When most teams go five-wide, they have no legitimate rushing option; the Bills do. Allen’s speed and elusiveness demands that defenses account for him as well as all the receivers and other backs on the field, and if they don’t, he regularly takes advantage. His TD was a great play. Even more remarkable, of course, was his three-yard run on fourth and one in the second quarter. It was a critical time in the game. The Bills had gotten a touchdown to tie the game, then took the ball from the Cowboys on the Lotulelei interception but failed to get points on the turnover. Then Oliver forced the Prescott fumble, so the Bills had another chance to take the lead of a turnover. Here they were, 4th and 1 and faced with settling for another field goal attempt, meaning they would have gotten, at best, a total of three points out of two successive takeaways. Sean McDermott left the offense on the field and Brian Daboll decided to attack on the ground again. I’m not proud. I’ll admit it: The instant Allen dropped the snap, I thought “typical Bills’ failure to execute on a critical play.” Then somehow Allen pulled the ball out of the pile and plowed into all that muscle, and I thought “nice hustle, kid, but there’s no saving this play.” Then Allen lunged, stumbled and fell out of the pack for a three-yard gain and the first. It was every bit as good as, maybe better than, his leap over Anthony Barr against the Vikings last year. Talk about putting the team on your back and willing them to victory! It was the play of the game. And then, in a piece of absolutely brilliant play calling, knowing that the Cowboys were reeling from Allen’s fantastic run, Brian Daboll called the perfect play: John Brown’s pass to Singletary off the reverse. The Cowboys were digging deep to make a play, and Daboll offered them, in their eagerness, an opportunity over-commit. They did, and the Bills, these new Bills who execute instead of stumbling when opportunity arises, executed. Hauschka missed the extra point, but somehow it felt like the game was over. The Cowboys put together a nice drive to end the half but missed the field goal. When the Bills scored twice to open the third quarter, it didn’t just feel like the game was over; it was over. A few shout outs: 1. Milano does it week after week. Excellent open field tackles, blanket coverage on backs and tight ends. 2. The new-look defensive scheme utilizing an array of blitz packages is getting the job done in the QB pressure department. The blitz doesn’t always get home, but it generates a lot of pressure and some instantaneous indecision for the offense. 3. Really nice for Beasley to get 100 yards and a TD in Dallas. That wasn’t a team objective going into the game, but how perfect was that? 4. I already talked about Allen, but really, it’s breath-taking how well he throws the ball. He’s consistently accurate now, with really nice touch. The throw for Beasley’s TD was outstanding. I don’t remember when or who caught it, but the throw when Allen scrambled to the right sideline and found his receiver also on the sideline was spectacular. Beautifully thrown footballs, play after play. 5. The entire pass defense was brilliant. White had Cooper most of the time, but not always. I like that strategy, because it means the offense has to assume it’s going to be White and then they have to adjust at the line of scrimmage. Maybe I’m just imagining it, but it seemed to me that Prescott wasn’t throwing over the middle much. I suspect teams have become wary about making plays over the middle because Edmunds, Hyde and Poyer are waiting for the receivers. 6. It takes more than highlight-reel plays, but there’s no denying the impact that Lawson and Oliver are having. 7. The Bills again stayed committed to the running game, and it does keep the defenses honest. Once again, Singletary showed that he can hurt the defense any time he touches the ball, and the Bills don’t let the defense forget it. 8. McDermott preaches “complementary football.” All three phases, etc. Another aspect of complementary football, it seems, is that no one needs to be great, because everyone contributes. Brown’s block on Allen’s TD run, Lotulelei’s finger on the Cowboys’ field goal try, players on the offensive line and in the defensive backfield talking to each other pre-snap. It’s 53 guys doing this together, not a team dependent on a half-dozen guys. Number 9, number 9, number 9. Let’s rock New Era Field and see if the Ravens can handle it. 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. Edited November 29, 2019 by Shaw66 29 19 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerJ Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 I agree that the Bills are a good football team. However, I think they were beneficiaries of a schedule that was overloaded with weak teams early in the schedule. Their offense was not particularly good in September. They had nine new starters and Josh Allen was still, for all intents and purposes a rookie. They had some talent, but they were not yet a cohesive, quality offense. They won a lot of games because they did have a solid defense and because they had a weak schedule. What that allowed them to do was to pile up enough wins to be a playoff contender while their offense was developing. Fast forward to November: Buffalo's completely overhauled offensive line has learned to play together. Josh Allen is making few mistakes and acting like a veteran. He has chemistry with John Brown and Cole Beasley and the offense is starting to get solid contributions from Devin Singletary, and to a lesser extent Dawson Knox and Robert Foster. In essence, they have grown into their record. ESPN gives them a 95% chance of making the playoffs. I think they have a reasonable chance of making it out of wild card weekend still alive. After that, we'll see. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBillsFanSince1973 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) good stuff OP, I do believe a lot of questions are being answered and it is very cool to witness this teams growth week to week. the "number 9" at the end caught my attention and immediately thought of the white album. Edited November 29, 2019 by DaBillsFanSince1973 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Funny thing about that trick play according to Josh, if it was zone defense he wasn't supposed to run it. It was Zone. Josh says that part was "cut off in the communication" from Daboll. At 6:38 in video https://www.buffalobills.com/news/what-we-learned-about-josh-allen-s-special-performance-on-the-national-stage 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haslett_Stomp Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Thanks Shaw for another great synopsis of the game. You captured the thoughts and feelings of this Bills fan perfectly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 1 minute ago, TigerJ said: I agree that the Bills are a good football team. However, I think they were beneficiaries of a schedule that was overloaded with weak teams early in the schedule. Their offense was not particularly good in September. They had nine new starters and Josh Allen was still, for all intents and purposes a rookie. They had some talent, but they were not yet a cohesive, quality offense. They won a lot of games because they did have a solid defense and because they had a weak schedule. What that allowed them to do was to pile up enough wins to be a playoff contender while their offense was developing. Fast forward to November: Buffalo's completely overhauled offensive line has learned to play together. Josh Allen is making few mistakes and acting like a veteran. He has chemistry with John Brown and Cole Beasley and the offense is starting to get solid contributions from Devin Singletary, and to a lesser extent Dawson Knox and Robert Foster. In essence, they have grown into their record. ESPN gives them a 95% chance of making the playoffs. I think they have a reasonable chance of making it out of wild card weekend still alive. After that, we'll see. That's a nice description of the season. I agree with it. But you completely miss the point. Every team is trying to figure out who they are and how to win in September and October. That's the reality. For twenty years we've watched the BIlls look the same at the end of November as they looked on October 1. They never grew, they never developed, and as a result they were reliably crappy in December. This is different. This team has grown just as you say - that's what good teams do. They grow. They figure out how to play together. They find ways they can rely on to win games. That is exactly what we saw yesterday. This is a good team. Great? I doubt it. But good, most definitely. Belichick could see it and said it in September. He certainly can see it now. Maybe the Ravens will roll over the Bills next week, but if they do, it will be because they prepared well and played well. Everyone knows now that the Bills won't stop playing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedbuffaloblue Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) Excellent post as usual Shaw. 10 days to prepare and get psyched for the Ravens coming to town ?. If they all keep getting better every day/week as they preach they are going to be a very tough out the rest of the way. Go Bills!! Edited November 29, 2019 by Bleedbuffaloblue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Egg Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 28 minutes ago, Shaw66 said: As excellent as his passing was, it was Allen’s running game that made his day truly outstanding. His 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter seemed almost ordinary, we’ve seen it so often, but it’s anything but ordinary. Amen to that. Allen is so fun to watch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numark3 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Who is hill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Great report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyDays Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 The Oliver sack, leading to the 4th and 1 conversion, leading to the incredible trick play was the best sequence I've seen from the Bills in a long time. One game changing play after another. I knew the Cowboys wouldn't be able to recover. If a phantom flag hadn't been thrown on J Phillips, the defense would have had turnovers on 3 consecutive drives. Really incredible in-game adjustments from the coaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 4 minutes ago, Crayola64 said: Who is hill? Did I say something about hill? Where, I'll fix it. 2 minutes ago, HappyDays said: The Oliver sack, leading to the 4th and 1 conversion, leading to the incredible trick play was the best sequence I've seen from the Bills in a long time. One game changing play after another. I knew the Cowboys wouldn't be able to recover. If a phantom flag hadn't been thrown on J Phillips, the defense would have had turnovers on 3 consecutive drives. Really incredible in-game adjustments from the coaches. All true. It really was a weak call on Phillips. There is no doubt that the teams with the reputation get the calls. Compare the Phillips call to the hit on Allen when he slid. Ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 5 minutes ago, Shaw66 said: Did I say something about hill? Where, I'll fix it. Point 6. Lawson and Hill... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyDays Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 3 minutes ago, Shaw66 said: All true. It really was a weak call on Phillips. There is no doubt that the teams with the reputation get the calls. Compare the Phillips call to the hit on Allen when he slid. Ridiculous. I've seen a lot of crap officiating over the years but it's never been as blatantly home cooked as it was yesterday. I had a feeling the NFL would try to make it up to Dallas after the phantom tripping calls last week. This is partly why yesterday's win felt so special to me. We didn't just take down the Cowboys, we took down the entire NFL, not to mention all the people that said our record was a mirage. Only lifelong Bills fans can understand what this win means. 5 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 1 minute ago, Brit said: Point 6. Lawson and Hill... ? Thanks. Oliver. Brain fart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Toll Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 If Bills beat the Ravens and Patriots, then are they a great team? I’m not conceding either game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 1 minute ago, Troll Toll said: If Bills beat the Ravens and Patriots, then are they a great team? I’m not conceding either game. Yes, and I'm not conceding either game, either. The Ravens will have to earn it. And the Patriots are struggling, despite their record. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroke 17 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) Second, everything felt odd about the experience. I was watching the Bills sitting at home instead of in a sports bar, where I usually have to go for road games. Why? Because this game was televised nationally, at least figuratively if not technically in prime time. I’m completely accustomed to watching the Bills on some regional broadcast with no-name announcers and with more or less no one around the country watching. So what where those lovely blue and white uniforms doing on TV on Thanksgiving afternoon? Ah Shaw,as a PA Bills fan I feel your pain. Sundays at the Stadium are great but the watching of the away games with On Direct TV for $300 more is something only Bills fans can appreciate. I watch alone, nobody to cheer with, nobody to complain with, nobody to discuss the game with after its over. Nobody sees the game or the Bills but us. I bowl on Mondays and its all Steelers talk all the time, until yesterdays game it has just been the about Bills and their easy schedule and whatever the national media says. (mostly Bulls##t) GO BILLS! Edited November 29, 2019 by Stroke 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthebuff Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 The Bills ARE a good team and it seems that with the growing into a good team from even a few weeks ago to now that they are peaking. Back in the day (early 90s) nobody would want to come into Buffalo to play us on our turf and we were proud of that. Now we're heading into a tough December with 2 games at home ( Ravens at Jets) and another two on the road (NE and Pitt) in hostile environments with weather challenges of their own. I really hope that against the elite of the AFC - Baltimore and the Patriots - that we come away with at least one win. This did answer the question for many of us and (not that I care one iota) the national media talking heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 36 minutes ago, HappyDays said: I've seen a lot of crap officiating over the years but it's never been as blatantly home cooked as it was yesterday. I had a feeling the NFL would try to make it up to Dallas after the phantom tripping calls last week. This is partly why yesterday's win felt so special to me. We didn't just take down the Cowboys, we took down the entire NFL, not to mention all the people that said our record was a mirage. Only lifelong Bills fans can understand what this win means. Well said, after those first 3 bogus penalties and the reversed int. I said to myself they're flat out not going to allow us to win. We beat the refs and the #1 offense in the NFL. And all on NATIONAL TV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Otreply Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 You are correct, it was the play of the game, Go Bills!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddo Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Like the point from Tiger about the schedule helping us in our development. I also think your counterpoint has merit Shaw. As always, it's probably somewhere between the two. Allen showed just how good he might become yesterday. While he's pretty obviously one of those guys who has 'competitor' running through their DNA, he is starting to know when to use that to the teams best advantage. The D-line appears to be all getting on the same page, and operating at the sort of level last seen under Schwartz. McDermott and Fraziers mixture of blitzes and stunts, is creating regular pressure. Lawson is particularly starting to bloom. The Secondary was spot on with the 'bend but don't break' play, and rarely actually gave easy yards, even then. I'll take the occasional poor punt, for more of the 58 yarders that pinned the Cowgirls back to their own 10, and switched field position, after Allen had made the spectacular throw to Beasley from the Endzone. With the exception of Hauschka, pretty much a complete team performance. There may also be some excuse for him, as the Cowgirls kicker, muffed a couple also. I do believe this team is currently a good team. When you can beat who is in front of you, and the zebras, enough said. I feel we are about to find out just how good over the next few weeks. I'm cautiously optimistic that we can gain another couple of wins, at least. For all we have some tough games coming up, whoever we play will also be viewing those games as tough, for them. I don't necessarily know why, but I like the Ravens matchup. We seem to play them pretty hard historically. Home field could be important. An error free Allen, could well give the Patriots a serious run for their money, and we've already shown we can beat the team that's in front of us, and the zebras, yesterday. The Steelers will be hard, but with QB issues, we can, and should, get past them. The Jest have improved, and will be another harder game than it looked like it was going to be earlier in the season, but with home field advantage, we again should come through. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 45 minutes ago, HappyDays said: I've seen a lot of crap officiating over the years but it's never been as blatantly home cooked as it was yesterday. I had a feeling the NFL would try to make it up to Dallas after the phantom tripping calls last week. This is partly why yesterday's win felt so special to me. We didn't just take down the Cowboys, we took down the entire NFL, not to mention all the people that said our record was a mirage. Only lifelong Bills fans can understand what this win means. One of the very best football games I've ever seen, in terms of entertainment, was the Monday night loss to the Cowboys. Incredible game. And it was going to be a signature win. Finally, when the signature win happens, it's the Cowboys again, on national tv again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCBongo Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Thanks Shaw and happy thanksgiving! This win and this season feels different. We have a coach and GM on the same page with the same vision. This vision has not been obvious over the past 2 seasons to the fan base all the time; we were told to "trust the process". Over the past 3 games it is all beginning to make season. This team reminds me of 1988, and while they are not running away with the East, we are seeing the beginning of something good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starrymessenger Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 I think first half strength of schedule benefitted the Bills a lot, more especially Allen and the offence in general (including Daboll). The takeaway though is not, as most in the national media concluded, that the Bills are therefore pretenders. On the contrary it gave them the opportunity, well used, to improve against lesser competition so that they could be competitive against better teams now. Call me crazy but I rate them at or very near even money with the Pats at this time. They actually outplayed them earlier this year except that Allen had a horrendous game with lots of TOs. He has cleaned up his ball security and has otherwise improved his game a lot. He is a very different QB now than he was then. He's a better QB than today's Tom Brady IMO. Bills will seriously challenge for the division title next year. They could very well be favoured. Im more interested in seeing how they make out against Lamar and the Ravens because, at least in my mind, the question is whether the power run game continues to be their kryptonite. If McD and Frazier have figured out how to scheme for that the Bills will be a very dangerous team in the playoffs. On O things are coming together. Their talent at all positions except at QB is acceptable by NFL standards, but not more than that. Thing is they are hugely talented at the all important position and that by itself can raise the level considerably. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatdrought Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Shaw66 said: Hauschka missed the extra point, but somehow it felt like the game was over. This is an understanding fact, but it definitely is accurate... It did feel over there. I was still nervous due to years of Bills being billsy, but that felt like the big sleep for the Boys... 1 hour ago, TigerJ said: I agree that the Bills are a good football team. However, I think they were beneficiaries of a schedule that was overloaded with weak teams early in the schedule. Their offense was not particularly good in September. They had nine new starters and Josh Allen was still, for all intents and purposes a rookie. They had some talent, but they were not yet a cohesive, quality offense. They won a lot of games because they did have a solid defense and because they had a weak schedule. What that allowed them to do was to pile up enough wins to be a playoff contender while their offense was developing. Fast forward to November: Buffalo's completely overhauled offensive line has learned to play together. Josh Allen is making few mistakes and acting like a veteran. He has chemistry with John Brown and Cole Beasley and the offense is starting to get solid contributions from Devin Singletary, and to a lesser extent Dawson Knox and Robert Foster. In essence, they have grown into their record. ESPN gives them a 95% chance of making the playoffs. I think they have a reasonable chance of making it out of wild card weekend still alive. After that, we'll see. This is a good post. The beauty of complimentary football is that you can bail each other out. Now Josh is ready to unleash hell and the Defense gets to reap the rewards of their hard work early this season. They're peaking at the very best time. Edited November 29, 2019 by whatdrought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsgoodtime Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 46 minutes ago, Shaw66 said: One of the very best football games I've ever seen, in terms of entertainment, was the Monday night loss to the Cowboys. Incredible game. And it was going to be a signature win. Finally, when the signature win happens, it's the Cowboys again, on national tv again. That MNF cloud has hung over my head ever since that game, yes, it was a great game, unless you were a Bill's fan. I left a whole party of people in my house that night and went straight to bed in shock after the game, people were quiet in my house, mostly all cowboy fans, they could see my pain. I simply said...goodnight everyone, and walked straight to the bedroom. I feel like that cloud was removed for me yesterday, I can finally move on from it. What a Happy Thanksgiving. Great post btw, always enjoy them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTBill Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Like you - that instant the snap was muffed, I went right to the sad-sack Bill's feelings... Then watched in awe as Allen pulled it out of the pile - and finally broke free to get the first down. What this game did for me was reminiscent of a different '60s song than Revolution #9.... "I'm a Billiever" This isn't the teams of futility we languished on over the past 20 years. Even when we were 'winning' - it was always enmeshed with failure. If this team struggles during the rest of the season, I still feel like I can finally turn the page on doubt that they have the wherewithal to pull through. Gone is the misery of watching success turn to defeat in prime time games - or just flat out getting destroyed. For me, this game marked a turning point. I was not expecting a win this week. I was sure all of the heat piled on to the Cowboys and the short week where we had to travel were all going to create a loss. The first drive did nothing to assuage that feeling as we watched Dallas cut through our defense to put up 7. I was sure the largesse of Allen's first big show was going to shake him. I was wrong. Allen never seemed to lose his composure at all. He did what great leaders do, made the people around him better. I'm not worried about this receiving corps. Allen is learning how to use them - and was able to use his legs not to always run (which he still did effectively) but also to find the open route. Go Bills. (And I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought about this yesterday - but Pancho was there.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddyjj Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 4 hours ago, Shaw66 said: Number 9, number 9, number 9. Thanks for another great summary and Beatles reference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBills808 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 For me personally yesterday and really the whole season has always been all about Allen. His growth this year has been startling...he's clearly figuring things out. He looks composed, in command, his guys are running through walls for him, and he's only going to get better. That's what yesterday solidified for me even though I've been saying it all year- they struck gold w/Allen and now the sky really is the limit going forward. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formerly Allan in MD Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 "Hands to the face." Only the referee was blinded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timekills17 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 3 hours ago, Shaw66 said: One of the very best football games I've ever seen, in terms of entertainment, was the Monday night loss to the Cowboys. Incredible game. And it was going to be a signature win. Finally, when the signature win happens, it's the Cowboys again, on national tv again. I was deployed when that MNF game aired. I remember being in a state of euphoric shock that the Bills managed to take the ball away so many times and were going to win. All while actually getting to watch instead of waiting and hoping AFN would air a replay or at best portions of the game. A huge game on MNF. Then - they lost. Fast forward 12 years, and I'm deployed (again), the Bills are playing the Cowboys in Dallas (again) on a nationally televised game (again). They're winning, and have a couple amazing turn-overs that are helping (again). Dear God, please don't let everything be the same this time. God is great. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring it Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 I’m not sure what a “signature win” really is but yesterday’s game will help this team infinitely more than just in the win column. They now know or at least should know what level they need to play at to compete with the elite. Not saying that Dallas is elite, although they have some elite players. But the Bills out executed the Cowboys! They know how a team needs to play to be elite because they did it! I know sounds corny but it’s like riding a bike. You haven’t done it until you actually do and of course you don’t forget! There will still be bumps in the road. More to learn and mistakes to make but yesterday this team took a giant step toward being a perennial contender; a force. This took place with many of the players but no one more key to this franchises future than Josh Allen!! That great throw down the sideline on the run was to Foster. How about Allen’s throw on the run from our end zone to Beasley?? They were beautiful!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsatlastin2018 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Eerie, similar responses Shaw! Recap. I have been a Bills’ fan, since leaving the Packers bandwagon about the early 1970s. As a Canadian, shortly thereafter gapping the CFL. My logical progression was acquiring at least two sets of Season Tickets in the early 80s and then gapping them, as I unwittingly chose Strike Years! ?? Nonetheless, I persisted, still attending single games and then re-entering Season Ticket status with a large, like minded Bills’ fan posse for the commencement of the Glory Years’ run in 1988. Saw them live beat the Oilers on a cold, sunlit day in January, 1989 and then freeze to the Bungles. Saw Ronnie Friggin’ Harmon drop that immortal Pass against the Brownies in a bar... buuuuuut, at the same time, saw the emergence of the wildly ahead of its time- K Gun! Followed by 4 unbelievable years, where we all thought the Bills could win every game! Forward to yesterday, where I felt transported at Q1 7-0, back to my XXVII seat in Pasadena, watching these bloody Cowgirls run wild- embarrassing the Bills! Oh noooo... not again! And now yesterday, because I had seen those 4 years of Glory, riddled with Canton members, I felt I knew Bills’ EXCELLENCE! So, like yourself, I thought the Bills were... Good only, based on the Division 3 stiffs they were beating. And don’t get me wrong! NO other Bills’ team was able to do so, this Millennium. We knew the D was very good! And, oh my, did they lead the charge again yesterday, reducing + 400 yards of O, into mush! Blitzing, attacking, walling off- wonderful. And then, there’s the QB... again a work in the evaluation progress. We know his weakness- the long ball. But gradually, before yesterday, his growing strengths have come to the fore. First- I call them Darts. This wonderful ability to, both in the pocket & most impressively on the run, fire these touch strikes to all manner of Receivers! Second- The BEST, most elusive Running QB this side of Jackson & Wilson! VERY threatening to the D. Third- The Brady success play! Finally, the Bills have a mobile, 6’ 5” beast of a QB and have figured out... you run to the line on 3rd./4th. & 1 and power ahead immediately! No navel gazing, no hand wringing TOs. Simply get up there and DO IT! Fourth- Leadership. Every, highly successfully QB needs it and Allen has it in Spades. NO, that 4th. Down Fumble First Down was not David Tyree. But, it took yuuuuge heads up smarts & bustamontes to do ALL the right things! The type of things, your young team rallies behind & supports you 1000% in your decision making in the future. Fifth- Minimizing Bad Decisions! And today? Oh, the Bills have become a VERY Good team! Not elite. Not yet. But on the Road to the Playoffs and First Round W. I would not relish the job of the elite Ravens arriving in Buffalo next weekend! Cold, snow, sleet, rain and 75,000 out of their mind fanatics, making for a miserable day! Deficiencies? * Clearly, the eedgit Kicker. * NO elite WRs, but ones that can catch balls finally (say goodnight to the Zays & Josh... Reed stiffs of yesteryear) And for me, ooooooh... the sweet, sweet sound of Schadenfreude over America’s most hated team on its’ most important yearly day, in its gaudy House! The Ghosts of the Past have been exorcised! BONUS ROUND! Like you and so many Bills’ fans, this was a literal Home game, where we Canadians laid on the Thanksgiving Bird for our family and its combo Yankee- Canuck components, some of whom had never, before experienced one! ???????? Which means, I did not attend my local Pub, where an absolutely obnoxious Get off my lawn, Cowgirls’ curmudgeon-fan resides and has ruled the roost, because of his longevity. He loves to rub it in and in fact, went from TO to big D, to attend this Thanksgiving Day Classic in person. ? Oooooooooh, how many hours are left until Sunday????? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 1 hour ago, Bring it said: I’m not sure what a “signature win” really is but yesterday’s game will help this team infinitely more than just in the win column. They now know or at least should know what level they need to play at to compete with the elite. Not saying that Dallas is elite, although they have some elite players. But the Bills out executed the Cowboys! They know how a team needs to play to be elite because they did it! I know sounds corny but it’s like riding a bike. You haven’t done it until you actually do and of course you don’t forget! There will still be bumps in the road. More to learn and mistakes to make but yesterday this team took a giant step toward being a perennial contender; a force. This took place with many of the players but no one more key to this franchises future than Josh Allen!! That great throw down the sideline on the run was to Foster. How about Allen’s throw on the run from our end zone to Beasley?? They were beautiful!! Foster, thanks. And yes, the throw from the end zone, too. But they all were good. I mean, the guy looked like one of the greats, like Brees or Brady throwing 10 straight completions, including third down completion after third down completion. He's putting it all together, and he's not done, not by a long shot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeGOATski Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 36 minutes ago, Shaw66 said: Foster, thanks. And yes, the throw from the end zone, too. But they all were good. I mean, the guy looked like one of the greats, like Brees or Brady throwing 10 straight completions, including third down completion after third down completion. He's putting it all together, and he's not done, not by a long shot. His throws on the run were pin-point accurate. Like Rodgers throwing on the run. It was super-impressive. I had non-Bills fans watching with me who hadn't really seen Allen play and they were commenting on that. People are taking notice of this kid. He's a star. He reminds me of a mix between Favre and Rodgers. Biggest competitor on the field, but super calm and collected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GETTOTHE50 Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 this team was built to play in the late fall and winter. more so than the ravens or patriots. the toughness and grit along the lines are going to plow us through these last months here. its going to be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 31 minutes ago, LeGOATski said: His throws on the run were pin-point accurate. Like Rodgers throwing on the run. It was super-impressive. I had non-Bills fans watching with me who hadn't really seen Allen play and they were commenting on that. People are taking notice of this kid. He's a star. He reminds me of a mix between Favre and Rodgers. Biggest competitor on the field, but super calm and collected. Part Favre, part Rodgers. If he gets to free agency, will the Bills be bidding against the Packers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreggTX Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 For the life of me, I can't see why the Cowboys pass so much. I guess everyone feels like they have to abandon the run (except Greg Roman) because that's how the "21st century offense" works. That's stupid. They have 3 guys at or near all-pro level on their OL and arguably one of the top 3 RB's in the NFL. They should be running the ball a LOT more, even if they are behind by a score or 2 in the 3rd Q. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat68 Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 9 hours ago, HappyDays said: The Oliver sack, leading to the 4th and 1 conversion, leading to the incredible trick play was the best sequence I've seen from the Bills in a long time. One game changing play after another. I knew the Cowboys wouldn't be able to recover. If a phantom flag hadn't been thrown on J Phillips, the defense would have had turnovers on 3 consecutive drives. Really incredible in-game adjustments from the coaches. That was a terrible call too. His hand was on the top of his shoulder pads in the neck area. I felt the crew was Dallas leaning. The refs imo kept the game from becoming a blow out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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