Outcoached on both sides of the ball...and Edmunds sucked

[LABILLBACKER]

On 12/22/2019 at 10:21 AM, Ethan in Portland said:

There is just no sugar coating this loss. It is squarely on the coaches.

McD and Frazier have been so good the last month. But they choked and coached scared yesterday. Maybe they thought our front four could bring enough pressure.  Even if they did, by the second quarter it was obvious to everyone it wasn't working. Teams have beaten the Patriots by bringing pressure. Tom and that WR group are not to be feared. What is sad, is McD preaches learning from the past and getting better. He and Frazier are not when they face the most critical moments. This is entirely correctable.  

Edmunds was awful yesterday. I watched him almost exclusively on defense as the game wore on. Most of the run damage was straight at him.  Again the issue was recognition and angle to the ball. On the big screen play in the second half he is 8 yards down field trying to engage the linemen when he could have easily split between them and made a play on the runner. Awful instincts. Only two years and only 21 has been the excuse, but I'm starting to doubt he will ever be the star MLB he was drafted to be.

And on to Daboll.  He should be forced to watch the Patriots gameplan. Short passes and throwing to the running backs. Why is this such a hard concept? Or maybe he should be forced to watch SB XXV and see how Thurman almost beat Belichick single handed. Bills have Singletary (they should be using Yeldon too) and Beasley to do exaclty what Patriots did to them. Keep Hightower on the field by formation and then make him drop in coverage. I have no issue with the amount of run plays. A little more play action on first down would be nice. Josh did him no favors missing a few easy throws early but Daboll could have been better 

 

But rejoice, this is all fixable. They can get back to the fearless mode they played the last month.  And a playoff win on the road is still possible. 

It is all fixable yet we still have to live with stubborn decisions by our coaches. Keep running Gore out there when you have Yeldon fresh? Keep throwing jump balls to your smurf wrs? 4th & 1? Always call the old reliable qb sneak? It took them forever to release Peterman & Zay. And it takes them forever to see the obvious flaws in their coaching. 

Stubborn.........

[SoCal Deek]

2 hours ago, Chemical said:

Watching the DAL - PHI game yesterday I realized we are leaving even more possessions on the field than I thought. 

 

In both the BAL and second NE games we got the ball with around 5 minutes left. However, in both cases it was understood this would be our last chance to tie it up because we didn't have 3 timeouts. In both games we previously used  at least one of our second half timeouts while the clock was already stopped. While trailing in the second half of the 4th qtr the Bills occasionally run the ball. Dallas did not run once in this situation and after they went 4 and out, they had another chance to force Philly to punt. I don't see the same urgency with this offense in the second half. Dallas was also consistently snapping the ball with 20-25 seconds left on the play clock following a completion in bounds. Of course Dallas failed to force a punt, but they played the clock with common sense McDermott doesn't seem to have.

Coach McD mismanaged the time outs in BOTH halves on Saturday.  In the first half he saved a time out by not challenging the spot on 4th and 1. Which is more valuable? A timeout or a change of possession?  In the second half he wasted a timeout calling one when we had too many men on the field with the Patriots at our two yard line. Which is more valuable? Half the distance to the goal from the two yard line, or saving the timeout for when the Bills were going to need one on offense?  Both were the wrong decision!

[Pokebball]

1 minute ago, SoCal Deek said:

Coach McD mismanaged the time outs in BOTH halves on Saturday.  In the first half he saved a time out by not challenging the spot on 4th and 1. Which is more valuable? A timeout or a change of possession?  In the second half he wasted a timeout calling one when we had too many men on the field with the Patriots at our two yard line. Which is more valuable? Half the distance to the goal from the two yard line, or saving the timeout for when the Bills were going to need one on offense?  Both were the wrong decision!

Let me say this.  I like our coaching staff.  I think they're bright and make good adjustments.  However, they don't see things and make those adjustments soon enough.  It's like a series or two, too late.  The really good coaches make adjustments much earlier in games.  Your time out examples are probably part of that.  Those immediate, in-game, decisions aren't always good.  They get there.  Just not soon enough.

[SoCal Deek]

10 minutes ago, Pokebball said:

Let me say this.  I like our coaching staff.  I think they're bright and make good adjustments.  However, they don't see things and make those adjustments soon enough.  It's like a series or two, too late.  The really good coaches make adjustments much earlier in games.  Your time out examples are probably part of that.  Those immediate, in-game, decisions aren't always good.  They get there.  Just not soon enough.

Maybe, but in the case of Saturday, I think they were just two examples of the coaches being scared to death.  They simply have to get over their fear of the Patriots...and play and coach....FEARLESS!

[John from Riverside]

No moral victories......both pats games were right there for us to win this year.

 

We might get one more crack at them in the playoffs

[Johnny Hammersticks]

How is a thread that in the title declares that a Bills player “sucked” contributing positively to the community?  This is not a Jets message board.

[Pokebball]

After looking crappy for the last month, Brady and the Pat's offense looked pretty dang good against the Bills.  That's the part that hasn't set well with me.

 

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  This is exactly what the Pats did last year.  They're peaking yet again in mid December.

[4BillsintheBurgh]

On 12/22/2019 at 3:02 PM, Agent 91 said:

Definitely not an MLB which is fine. Alexander is gone soon. Edmunds can not disengage blocks.  Go back and watch the eagles games. Most of Howard's runs were right up his gap. It's frustrating. He is athletic but needs to not be in the muck 

Seems like a free safety in a DE body to me

[HardyBoy]

On 12/22/2019 at 1:40 PM, Wayne Arnold said:

 

He's the greatest NFL coach of all-time and he also happens to cheat. He also has the greatest quarterback in history at his disposal.

 

Those three things have resulted in the single-greatest run in the history of professional sports in the United States.

 

Brady brought his A game yesterday. When that happens this Patriots team is so difficult for anyone to beat - especially at home.

 

Was yesterday the first game you watched this season? They haven't successfully executed a screen in all of 2019.

 

Bill Russell's Celtics probably? 

 

11 championships in his 13 year career, including 8 straight.

Edited December 24, 2019 by HardyBoy

[Wayne Arnold]

34 minutes ago, HardyBoy said:

 

Bill Russell's Celtics probably? 

 

11 championships in his 13 year career, including 8 straight.

 

lmao there were 8 NBA teams back then. No free agency. Very little roster turnover.

 

Not even close.

[Orlando Tim]

11 hours ago, Wayne Arnold said:

 

I’m not going to get into it. A 20-consecutive-year span of excellence in a sport, era and league that begs for parity speaks for itself. If you’re going to get butt-hurt about it then that’s your problem.

I am not bothered by your thought- it is simply ignorant or extremely poorly explained. But why are you on this message board except to be a troll?

[BruceVilanch]

3rd year coach gets outcoached by the greatest coach in NFL history. 

[Dr.Sack]

Star & Zo missed tackling Burkhead in the go ahead TD run. Those are the kind of plays that get you replaced in the rotation. Imagine if we had TJ Watt over Zo. That is the difference on many of these outcomes. Zo was beat on both Patriots TDs. They abused the 36 year old grizzly veteran & made us pay. 

[Agent 91]

10 hours ago, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

Seems like a free safety in a DE body to me

That's about the  size of it

[CodeMonkey]

On 12/22/2019 at 1:30 PM, KD in CA said:

On defense, when Singletary has an effective first half. (7 rushes for 34), NE adjusts to stop him in the 2H (8 rushes for 12 yards), yet Bills don't adjust and continue to pound him for no gain series after series.

That may well sum up where the Bills need to improve the most this off season.

[noacls]

On 12/22/2019 at 1:34 PM, Socal-805 said:

 

 

I also started watching Edmunds exclusively in the 1st quarter - however was afraid to post anything as to get flamed.

 

He was almost always going the wrong way, moving away from the RB on his own and ending up out of the play entirely.  And then sometimes he was blocked 

and couldn't do anything.

 

Maybe he's not a MLB?

 

 

Milano had an awful game also

[HardyBoy]

21 hours ago, Wayne Arnold said:

 

lmao there were 8 NBA teams back then. No free agency. Very little roster turnover.

 

Not even close.

 

Damn your superior logic : )

[ganesh]

8 hours ago, CodeMonkey said:

That may well sum up where the Bills need to improve the most this off season.

So do we need a new RB or  more better run blocking OL?

[jethro_tull]

On 12/23/2019 at 2:54 PM, Pokebball said:

After looking crappy for the last month, Brady and the Pat's offense looked pretty dang good against the Bills.  That's the part that hasn't set well with me.

 

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  This is exactly what the Pats did last year.  They're peaking yet again in mid December.

Yes, the Patriots essentially used this game as a playoff type game / coming back out party.    They were motivated big time to show that the division still belongs to them.  

Not for much longer though.......

[Protocal69]

I wish we would draft a MLB in the draft and do something unconventional like have the drafted MLB and Edmunds be interchangeable based on the matchup. Against pass heavy attacks Edmunds looks like a ALLPRO and  vs a Run heavy attacks he looks like a bust. 
 

So vs run heavy attacks have Edmunds primary OLB and vs Pass Heavy attacks have Edmunds play MLB. 

[LSHMEAB]

On 12/24/2019 at 7:17 PM, ganesh said:

So do we need a new RB or  more better run blocking OL?

I'd say both. For all the FA OL acquisitions, they didn't add a "road grader." My hope is that Cody Ford can become that type of guard, but I have some lingering concerns based on his 17 reps of 225 at the combine. I'm sure he's going to have a full offseason of strength and conditioning, so that should help. He's a guard as far as I'm concerned. I've seen nothing to indicate he will ever be a quality NFL RT.

 

Whether it be Ford emerging or an acquisition, gotta get stronger up front. Despite Ford's play, the overall pass blocking has been "fine." Run blocking? Not so much. Morse is a nice cerebral center, but he ain't a mauler. Feliciano; nice player, high quality but also not a road grader. Spain; decent player in pass pro, but doesn't push the LOS at all.

 

Not quite sure how they put the puzzle together, but they need to find at least one player that pushes the LOS this offseason. 

 

Singletary has exceeded my expectations, but they definitely need some complimentary pieces at RB. DS is not really the type of ELITE back who can carry the load by himself. Maybe a tall task, but I'd like to see them add a speedy playmaking back as well as a "thumper." (Way too many football cliche's here.)

 

That being said, it would be tough for any back to get those 2-3 yards considering the line hasn't proven capable of moving the LOS.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 12/22/2019 at 1:03 PM, bobobonators said:

Eh. We lost by 1 score on the road vs a 12-3 team. 

 

A 12-3 team that has a defense giving up an average of between 12-13 ppg

Our 17 points aren't enough, but they need to be seen in that context

 

The play calling sequence which bothered me the most was 1st and 8 on the final drive.

We dial up a designed QB run.  In this circumstance vs this team, what a hideous play choice.
 

Why? First, because we'd run 3/5 on 1st down that drive and 2 were Josh.  Second, because as Joe B correctly pointed out, when Roberts comes in in such circs, it's usually to block.  So I think it was a play with several "tells" for Belicheck to sniff out - gonna be a run, probably designed QB run.

 

But most important, sending your QB on a designed run into a scrum of bodies isn't the best way to have him at his best for the next 3 plays.  Especially against the Patriots.  Anything they can do in those circs. that is hidden from the refs, they will do.  "Eagle Claw" in the ribs.  Fingers in the eyes.  Nut shot.  Step on the hands.  I'm sure all teams do this to some extent.  From what I've been told the Patriots have been making an art form of it since at least 2001.  Kurt Warner commented he didn't like that play because "you hate to see the QB exposed to injury like that"?  He would know, now wouldn't he?

We hadn't had a run game except Josh all 2nd half, so you've got a QB who's just been mauled up, and you want him to stand in and win the game in the next 3 downs with his arm.  What a GREAT idea, and when I say "great idea" I mean "could you have come up with a worse notion if you thought it up with both hands for a month?"

I am not a "let's tar and feather Daboll" person.  I think he does some great stuff!  But at times, his play calling baffles me.  That was one where I would have liked to jump through my TV screen and Smack Him Upside his Shiny Bald Haid

 

 

[LABILLBACKER]

On 12/22/2019 at 10:34 AM, Socal-805 said:

 

 

I also started watching Edmunds exclusively in the 1st quarter - however was afraid to post anything as to get flamed.

 

He was almost always going the wrong way, moving away from the RB on his own and ending up out of the play entirely.  And then sometimes he was blocked 

and couldn't do anything.

 

Maybe he's not a MLB?

 

 

Tremaine Edmunds is no more a MILB then Ford is a RT. But try telling that to our stubborn coaches.

[CodeMonkey]

On 12/24/2019 at 9:17 PM, ganesh said:

So do we need a new RB or  more better run blocking OL?

The most improvement needed, IMO, is in the coaching staff being able to make in game adjustments.