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A Few Thoughts About the Chargers Game, in no particular order


Virgil

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The refs......oh the freaking refs.  My wife said when was the last time you saw a head ref with a beard? this was right after the PI on Diggs....he doesn't even look professional she said.  From there on out I saw an unprofessional ref.  She was spot on.  That crew struggled.

 

Nice write up Virg, I had no idea Gugs and you are related!

 

Go BILLS!!

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I think on the question about the offense the plan had to change quickly. I mentioned in the week from watching the Chargers that the deep ball is there against them. It has been in most games they play but they are happy to tease you by leaving it open because they want you taking deep drops to give their edge rushers a shot to make a play. 

 

I think the Bills were trying to take advantage of the deep ball in their plan. But after the first drive with the big PI the next couple of drives brought sacks and they switched to a concerted effort to run aggression beaters. The Chargers ends play the run on the way to the Quarterback so there was an emphasis on using run plays that took advantage of that with the plays where Josh moved the pocket before executing the hand off, the zone reads and then in the pass game the screens and the double pass. It was really well done because it definitely backed the rush off a bit. The Chargers only had one sack in the 2nd half. 

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Great OP as always @Virgil

 

It seems like Bass has finetuned the mechanics as bit more in recent weeks and Bojo has done a better job holding as well. He has been money and the kicks have been end-over-end splitting the uprights instead of the fading, drifting kicks we saw earlier in the year.

 

I'm a Daboll fan, but I thought we ran the ball too much on 2nd-and-long especially in the first half and it killed some drives. The analytics would say that's about the worst play to call in those situations. 

 

The TEs were fairly quiet in this game, but what a TD by Knox to score the game's first points. Not an easy catch as the throw was high and he had to get the feet down. Hopefully that will boost his confidence and he can turn his season around. 

 

Lastly, not relevant to the Chargers game, but who's excited to hopefully get Milano back this week? And not a moment too soon as the 49ers running game is still the strength of their team. This defense looks like they are finally in good form and Milano should help to limit some of the big run plays SF is known for. 

 

8-3 baby, Go Bills!

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43 minutes ago, Kwai San said:

The refs......oh the freaking refs.  My wife said when was the last time you saw a head ref with a beard? this was right after the PI on Diggs....he doesn't even look professional she said.  From there on out I saw an unprofessional ref.  She was spot on.  That crew struggled.

 

Nice write up Virg, I had no idea Gugs and you are related!

 

Go BILLS!!

Since when does a beard make someone unprofessional? It's 2020...

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1 hour ago, ClemsonBills said:

Since when does a beard make someone unprofessional? It's 2020...

 

Seriously since when did you NEVER EVER see a ref with a beard.  I haven't.  Not knocking your beard or anyone else's just never ever saw a ref with a beard.  At least none that I remembered.......and yeah it is 2020....all things weird have happened this year - ALL things weird.

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23 minutes ago, Kwai San said:

 

Seriously since when did you NEVER EVER see a ref with a beard.  I haven't.  Not knocking your beard or anyone else's just never ever saw a ref with a beard.  At least none that I remembered.......and yeah it is 202....all things weird have happened this year - ALL things weird.

 

Yea 202. Time went backwards.  :D

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11 hours ago, Virgil said:

I'm going to be really upfront and say that my brain capacity for this game and thoughts are not 100%.  I pulled an all-nighter for work and slept about 3 hours before kickoff, didn't take notes, and then slept again right after.  With that, I apologize for any blatant misses.

 

1 - Incomplete Games - If there's been one over-arching concern for most fans and the players this season, it's our inability to play 4 full quarters of NFL football.  Typically, we fall asleep in the 3rd quarter, but maybe the bye week has us practice transitioning to the 4th.  In an almost comically bad game of "Who wants to lose it more", the Bills coughed up multiple turnovers in the 4th quarter, with one being an inexcusable interception by Allen.  Fortunately, the Chargers were up to the task and gave the ball right back a few times and going for the 1st when a FG was right there for the taking to make it a one score game.  The refs even got in on the action with some really questionable calls.  This was a game where you have to be thankful we were playing a Chargers team who is still figuring out how to win, or else this could have been another heart breaker.  We are also really lucky we were up by 10 at the end, as defending the hail mary was something Frazier deemed irrelevant somehow after last games loss.

 

2 - Rushing attack - I want to take a moment and assume full responsibility for the Motor's fumble.  After having a couple of strong runs that broke the second level, I was in the process of thinking how great it is he doesn't seem to fumble anymore when....whammo.  That aside, Motor got stronger as the game went on and had one of his better games this season.  But while Motor had the most good runs, Moss had the run of the season in this game.  Moss split the left side of the line, got lost in the trenches, and then somehow emerged with a solid burst.  From there, he put the jets and the moves on for a really great rush.  If we can figure out how to maintain the 4th quarter rushing game, then we will be in much better shape closing out this season.

 

3 - Bosa - It was hard to watch this kid destroy his blocks and not wonder "what if" he were on the Bills.  His disruptive play was almost unfair to our unsuspecting innocent line and he was a terror on Josh too.  We can talk about win rates all we want, but Bosa was the kind of difference everyone wants on their team, and it was obvious all game.  For the offensive line, who had a rough day at times, you just have to tip your cap to the defensive line effort and move on.

 

4 - You keep me up just one more night, I can't sleep here no more.

Little Ben clock says quarter to eight; You kept me up 'till four.

I gotta get down, I gotta get down, Or I can't work there no more.

 

5 - Tre - While I understand that mixing up zone and man defense, and disguising your looks is important, I will always struggle not having Tre shadow the opposing team's #1 receiver.  I thought Tre did a great job when covering Keenan and he only saw success once we transitioned to zone.  Keenan made a few catches, but Tre didn't make them easy.  Of course, the play of the game, which brought the 4th quarter back in order, was the Tre pick.  Interceptions feel a little too rare on this team, and sometimes you need your money guys to make plays, so it was nice to see Tre get that done today.  Solid overall game

 

6 - Receivers - I'm curious to know if the game plan was setup this way, or if the Chargers just took them away from us, but our receivers were never really involved in the game during the first half.  Granted, if you want to count the PI as a passing gain, there was those yards, but there was little else.  Daboll clearly made Diggs a focus coming out of the half, but with Beasley also quiet, Davis ended up being the best receiver on the field.  He did a great job selling the block on the Beasley TD and made a great high-point catch on the deep ball from Josh.  But overall, really pedestrian day for the receivers and passing game today. 

 

7 - Klein - It looks as though Frazier finally figured out how to use Klein, and his skill set is showing because of it. Klein looks so much faster on the field and had a great open field pursuit and tackle on a toss play.  He was solid when rushing the QB and again, just looks a lot more comfortable out there.  When Milano comes back, I like the idea of a LB rotation that puts him on the field in situations that take advantage of his abilities.  I'm still not sold on him in coverage, but I think that's why he struggled to start the season.  Either way, in this new high-pressure defense we are running, Klein is earning that paycheck.

 

8 - Oliver - This might be the first week I've called Oliver out in a positive light.  I would have to see the PF replay again, but I didn't see what the flag was for on first glance.  Oliver was a true disruptor today and was shedding blocks consistently.  He made Herbert have to re-adjust his feed quite a few times and contributed to some negative plays.  I don't know the Chargers track record for their offensive line, but Oliver coming on strong down the stretch would also be a big win for us.

 

9 - McD - Our coach is now 4-0 when coming off the bye, and you could see the team was ready from the start.  The way this team's scheme has evolved throughout the season on offense and defense continues to impress me and I think McD's flexibility and giving autonomy to his coaches really goes a long way.  We've won 8 games in a variety of different ways and this one was no different.  Statistics on offense weren't great, but we still put up 27 points and our defense did well enough to never make the game feel uncomfortable, and more-so responded when the offense tried to give it away.  I'm very curious about a non-challenge though.  Mike William caught a 4th down pass on the sideline and appeared to come down on the ball.  I didn't see if the ball moved, as the camera replay was blocked by players, but I was really surprised that didn't get more attention.  Anyone else have thoughts on that?

 

10 - Beane - Follow me down this rabbit hole please :-).  They were showing highlights of Allen vs Hubert in college, where Oregon just destroyed Wyoming.  Then they were showing completion percentage stats and talking about Allen's development.  Long story short, I don't know of many other GM's and Coaching Staff who've taken a project like Allen who has very little college success and accuracy issues, found the raw talent AND were able to develop it, into the evolving product we have on the field today wearing 17.  It really is an impressive story that rarely works out.  I look at the Bears, who went through so many high pick QB's and still can't figure it out, or think about our last 20 years, and I'm really thankful and appreciative for how all of this played out.  Now if only Allen would stop throwing balls off his back foot into double coverage...I kid....a little...

 

 

Again, sorry for the quality of this one as I'm still not fully awake.  Thank you all for reading and I will see you next week at some time and some place against the Niners.

 

8-3!!!!

 

Go Bills!!!!!

My favorite Monday posts every week. Thanks Virgil

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10 hours ago, Virgil said:

10 - Beane - Follow me down this rabbit hole please :-).  They were showing highlights of Allen vs Hubert in college, where Oregon just destroyed Wyoming.  Then they were showing completion percentage stats and talking about Allen's development.  Long story short, I don't know of many other GM's and Coaching Staff who've taken a project like Allen who has very little college success and accuracy issues, found the raw talent AND were able to develop it, into the evolving product we have on the field today wearing 17.  It really is an impressive story that rarely works out.  I look at the Bears, who went through so many high pick QB's and still can't figure it out, or think about our last 20 years, and I'm really thankful and appreciative for how all of this played out.  Now if only Allen would stop throwing balls off his back foot into double coverage...I kid....a little...

 

Go Bills!!!!!

For the first time in many years I did extensive research on each QB in the 2018 draft knowing the Bills would draft one of them. The answer after looking into each in depth was clear as glass. Josh was head and shoulders above any of the rest and not just physically.

 

The number one knock on Allen were his accuracy issues. If you look at what he was doing to improve in that area by working with Jordan Palmer pre draft. Allen knew his mechanics, footwork were a mess in college. 

 

Troy Aikman at the combine stated he had never seen a QB throw that far, 85-90 yards in the air. 

 

Work ethic Allen grew up on his parents farm so he was no stranger to hard work. What would you rather do, play football or work in the fields? 

 

Brains? Tom Brady scored a 33 on the wonderlic. Josh Allen scored a 37. The top score is a 50 and system analyst, chemist, electrical engineers usually score in the low 30's. Anyway, when asked by then draft analyst for the NFL network Mike Mayock who asked about a certain play in college against a particular team Allen could recall the entire process. (Mayock is now the GM of the Raiders)

 

Intangibles: Allen played at Wyoming in the wind, snow and cold. You know, like Buffalo weather. 

The kid played with mostly nobodies and basically carried his team to a bowl game each season. His final season at Wyoming every player that had touched the ball on offense was gone so he carried that team to a bowl game with a bunch of rookies. The kid had heart and a burning desire to win, easy to see. BTW, Brett Favre was his hero.  

 

Josh was very raw and only played two seasons at Wyoming and although he was there for three seasons he didn't start his first season. Allen broke his collarbone so he was a medical redshirt his first season 

 

Can anyone name the last time a Wyoming QB was drafted into the NFL?  Like three and all very late round picks, like 6th, 7th, 16th. 

 

To get to the college level Allen was a scrawny kid at 6'3'' 180lbs that no big school wanted. He spent his first two college seasons at a junior college. After those two Allen grew to 6'5'' 210lbs with a big arm and had thought he would be flooded with offers of scholarships. Wrong, no school wanted him. Allen sent out almost 2000 emails with his resume only to have only two school make offers, Wyoming and Eastern Michigan and Michigan rescinded its offer once they found out Allen had spoken with Wyoming. 

 

Allen's head coach at Wyoming (Craig Bohl) would gloat that nobody can cover this kid because with that arm there is no safe place on the entire field. In practice Allen would change the run play to a deep throw for a TD and his coach would ask what the heck are ya doing? Allen would smile and respond that Favre only throws TDs.

 

 

 

 

 

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If ya watched that video and liked it. He is another. What gets me is why the other teams looking for a QB didn't go after Allen. 

 

Cleveland*

NY Giants

NY Jets

Browns again

Broncos 

Colts all passed on Allen. Trent Dilfer talks accuracy and compares Allen to the likes of John Elway and Brett Favre. 

 

 

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57 minutes ago, Back the Blue said:

I agree 100% with #5.  If the Bills can’t figure out a way to have their superstar CB shadow the opposing teams #1 WR(or if he is not capable of doing it), maybe they shouldn’t have backed up the Brinks truck for him.  

 

Allen and Davante Adams are guys who will line up in the slot a lot and in bunch sets off the LOS.  I don't like playing my top corner in the slot (where he isn't comfortable), in a situation where you can't press.  White gave up some plays in this one, but he was basically in 1x1 coverage the entire game, meaning some combination of hyde/poyer/johnson/Edmunds were following allen around and making herbert second guess.  

 

I don't know that you can do the same thing against a QB like rodgers with adams, as I'm sure he's better at diagnosing the coverage he's seeing.

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51 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

For the first time in many years I did extensive research on each QB in the 2018 draft knowing the Bills would draft one of them. The answer after looking into each in depth was clear as glass. Josh was head and shoulders above any of the rest and not just physically.

 

The number one knock on Allen were his accuracy issues. If you look at what he was doing to improve in that area by working with Jordan Palmer pre draft. Allen knew his mechanics, footwork were a mess in college. 

 

Troy Aikman at the combine stated he had never seen a QB throw that far, 85-90 yards in the air. 

 

Work ethic Allen grew up on his parents farm so he was no stranger to hard work. What would you rather do, play football or work in the fields? 

 

Brains? Tom Brady scored a 33 on the wonderlic. Josh Allen scored a 37. The top score is a 50 and system analyst, chemist, electrical engineers usually score in the low 30's. Anyway, when asked by then draft analyst for the NFL network Mike Mayock who asked about a certain play in college against a particular team Allen could recall the entire process. (Mayock is now the GM of the Raiders)

 

Intangibles: Allen played at Wyoming in the wind, snow and cold. You know, like Buffalo weather. 

The kid played with mostly nobodies and basically carried his team to a bowl game each season. His final season at Wyoming every player that had touched the ball on offense was gone so he carried that team to a bowl game with a bunch of rookies. The kid had heart and a burning desire to win, easy to see. BTW, Brett Favre was his hero.  

 

Josh was very raw and only played two seasons at Wyoming and although he was there for three seasons he didn't start his first season. Allen broke his collarbone so he was a medical redshirt his first season 

 

Can anyone name the last time a Wyoming QB was drafted into the NFL?  Like three and all very late round picks, like 6th, 7th, 16th. 

 

To get to the college level Allen was a scrawny kid at 6'3'' 180lbs that no big school wanted. He spent his first two college seasons at a junior college. After those two Allen grew to 6'5'' 210lbs with a big arm and had thought he would be flooded with offers of scholarships. Wrong, no school wanted him. Allen sent out almost 2000 emails with his resume only to have only two school make offers, Wyoming and Eastern Michigan and Michigan rescinded its offer once they found out Allen had spoken with Wyoming. 

 

Allen's head coach at Wyoming (Craig Bohl) would gloat that nobody can cover this kid because with that arm there is no safe place on the entire field. In practice Allen would change the run play to a deep throw for a TD and his coach would ask what the heck are ya doing? Allen would smile and respond that Favre only throws TDs.

 

 

 

 

 

Mayock knew there he was something special, thank God the Browns and Jets didnt.  Its been awesome to watch him mature and play with heart out there. Funny to read about his crazy audibles and reference to Farvre.  Hes alot younger than me and, I dont remember Farvre in his prime that well.  Dude stays in the filmroom!

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12 hours ago, Virgil said:

Mike William caught a 4th down pass on the sideline and appeared to come down on the ball.  I didn't see if the ball moved, as the camera replay was blocked by players, but I was really surprised that didn't get more attention.  Anyone else have thoughts on that?

 

Noted at the time on GDT, looked to me like the ground may have helped secure the catch.

 

The one that bugged me was the Guyton push-off OPI on the first Hail Mary. Bills accepted the penalty and then they completed Hail Mary 2, but Guyton didn't appear to secure the catch to the ground even more than Williams. It would have needed to be a booth review but if they had overturned the catch, Bills decline the OPI and the game is over right there. Dunno why they didn't at least review.

 

Oh right. NFL refs have devolved year-over-year since forever...

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11 hours ago, JY422 said:

This was the worst of a series of bad officiating issues in this game. McD couldn’t challenge because it was under 2mins. The booth ABSOLUTELY should have buzzed down. It was NOT a catch. Had the replay booth done it’s job there would have been no Hail Mary. 
uterly ridiculous 

The first HM (wiped out by OPI) looked like a drop, too.  Officiating was bad yesterday.  Too involved in the game.  

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11 hours ago, Jerome007 said:

I'm a total Josh fan boy but he deserved his. I still love the attitude anyway.

 

But Moss, WTH did he do? 

 

He taunted a Charger using the Force.

 

Probably the Dark Side of the Force.

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2 hours ago, Kwai San said:

The refs......oh the freaking refs.  My wife said when was the last time you saw a head ref with a beard? this was right after the PI on Diggs....he doesn't even look professional she said.  From there on out I saw an unprofessional ref.  She was spot on.  That crew struggled.

 

Nice write up Virg, I had no idea Gugs and you are related!

 

Go BILLS!!

 

Whoa whoa whoa...since when is a beard unprofessional? That's some outdated thinking right there. 

 

The ref and his crew were definitely awful, but I must take umbrage at the prescriptive and close-minded beard theory of professionalism. Dragging a razor across one's face does not have any bearing on diligence and integrity.

 

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

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11 hours ago, Penfield45 said:

I think McD's schemes on defense are great at times, but I think he doesn't have the players to fully execute them .

 

We need more top end talent on defense. right now he is doing his best with a mix of journeymen players and young guys. Beane really did him no favors this past offseason. White and Milano are the 2 most talented guys on that defense, with Hughes coming behind. Hyde has had a disappointing season and is aging quick. 

McD should learn to scheme for what he has. They poured money into the Dline to get rotational players who can play multiple positions, and it's not great. Oliver is playing out of position a bunch, but they have a top end safety tandem, top 5 corner, highly drafted MLB and DT, so maybe it's not the talent. They are so passive in coverage and the Dline doesn't get home, good coaches adjust. 

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