ROCKPILE REVIEW - Still Growing

[Shaw66]

The Bills beat the Chargers on Sunday, 27-17, improving to 8-3 and staying a game ahead of the Dolphins and three games ahead of the Patriots.  After a promising start to the game, the Bills finished ugly.  For many fans, the operative word is ‘ugly.”  For the Bills, the operative word is “finished.”

 

With a 24-6 lead, the Bills had an opportunity to coast to an unusual easy victory.  Instead, in a scene familiar to Bills fans this season, the Bills gave up a touchdown, went four and out and then turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions.  Throw in a series of bad penalties and the second successful hail Mary in two games, and the game turned ugly and uncomfortably close.  Forget that, or at least don’t obsess over it.

 

The Bills are a Sean McDermott team, and Sean McDermott teams finish.  He builds his teams to finish.  He trains them to finish.  He expects them to finish.  Against the Chargers, the Bills finished.  They closed the game with an interception by Tre’Davious White, a short drive (including a couple of penalties), a clutch Bass field goal, and excellent bend-don’t-break prevent defense (including the 4^th and 27 hail Mary short of the end zone).  On the final play of the game, the Bills stuffed a quarterback sneak, beating the spread.  The Bills finished. 

 

The Chargers are one of the better 3-8 teams you’ll see.  Justin Herbert has been having a lights-our rookie season at quarterback, and they have a credible defense.   Against the Bills, both were no-go, more or less.  The Bills harrassed and confused Herbert all game, and the Bills defensive backfield offered him few big throwing windows.  Many of Herbert’s completions were close or contested catches.  He finished the game with a passer rating of 76.  In other words, the Bills pretty much stopped him.  And by the way, the Chargers have a decent run game, but the Bills stuffed that, too.

 

The Charger defense did okay trying to stop the Bills, but there simply was no way they could hold the Bills under 20.  The Bills attacked relentlessly with their running game, and in the second half they began having more success.  Singletary and Moss shared the load, each taking advantage of occasional seams to move the chains. 

 

Allen was efficient, when he wasn’t playing like a rookie.  He mishandled a snap and lost the fumble, he made a foolish desperation throw under pressure for an interception, and he avoided near-disaster on a couple of other low-reward high-risk plays.   He hasn’t learned that sometimes the right play is to take your lumps, even if it means you’ll punt.   Unless you’re in the final minute, there’s always another play.  Still, Allen was in control, made several good throws and managed the game.

 

A few observations:

 

1.  The Bills need to play under control.  Poyer’s unnecessary roughness, Oliver’s roughing the passer, Allen’s unsportsmanlike conduct all hurt the team.  There’s a difference between playing with an attitude and playing stupid.  One of the problems with playing stupid is that the team develops a reputation with the officials.  When the officials think your style is chippy, in-your-face, over-the-edge, you get calls like the taunting call on Moss – an obviously bad call except for the fact that Bills had spent the previous 20 minutes showing off their poor sportsmanship.  It’s been aing problem with Poyer all season, and now he seems to be infect other players.  The Bills need the officials to be on their side and not looking for flags to throw against them.

 

2.  Stephon Diggs didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet, but that’s because they don’t keep stats about penalties drawn.  The first-half pass interference that set up the Bills’ first touchdown was created by Diggs and Allen’s arm.  Every bit as good as a completion.  Through the second half, Diggs’s deep threat left him available to Allen repeatedly for easy five- to seven-yard gains.

 

3.  Tremaine Edmunds continues to makes plays.  He’s tackling more solidly, he’s getting off blocks, and he’s beginning to regain his form as an elite pass defender.  He’s in on a lot of plays, and he’s around even more. He looks a lot better than six weeks ago.

 

4.  AJ Klein, too. 

 

5.  I watched the game with my adult daughter, a good athlete but she’s never watched much football.  She’s a Bills fan, but she probably can name only two Bills players other than Allen.  When Lee Smith caught that three-yarder, she said “Who’s that?  Do the Bills actually give that guy the ball?”  Even my daughter could see that Smith is about as unlikely a tight end as you’ll see in the 2020 NFL. 

 

6.  Seems to me the Bills would have done better to pay a little attention to Joey Bosa. 

 

7.  Allen should have left the pocket more often.  He got in trouble and sacked on a couple of occasions when he should have sensed that it was time to go.

 

For many years during the drought, Bills fans asked that their team just play one meaningful game in December.  Bills fans lived to see the Bills name and logo listed under “In the Hunt” when networks showed the playoff possibilities.  We knew it was a matter of days or a week or two before the Bills fell off the list, but expectations were low.  Just be in the hunt a week or two in December.

 

Now, the Bills are looking at five meaningful games in December and January.    

 

The Bills are building for the playoffs.  You can see it in the defensive backfield.  Hyde, Poyer, White, and Wallace are getting stingier by the week.  Edmunds and Taron Johnson are part of it.  You can see it in the run defense - not dominant, but week after week the Bills seem to be plugging the leaks.  You can see it in the defensive aggressiveness and disguises.  The defense is getting tougher to handle. 

 

The run game is becoming more productive.  Allen’s in control, except when he isn’t.

 

The special teams are excellent, except when Bojorquez isn’t. 

 

This is the time Bills fans asked for: Meaningful games in December.  We have a lot be thankful for.

 

 

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.

 

 

[Beast]

2 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

 

 

 

The Bills are a Sean McDermott team, and Sean McDermott teams finish. 

 

 

Cliche.
 

They did this week.

 

They didn’t in Arizona.

[Warcodered]

I mean on the mishandled snap is any of this on the fact that Morse hasn't been starting for a little while.

[wvbillsfan]

The point on the defensive secondary can’t be understated. They are all starting to come around 

 

They are starting to look healthy and make plays. What a turnaround by Taron Johnson- that’s the guy we saw last year. 
Same can be said for Edmunds and Tre

[y2zipper]

2 minutes ago, wvbillsfan said:

The point on the defensive secondary can’t be understated. They are all starting to come around 

 

They are starting to look healthy and make plays. What a turnaround by Taron Johnson- that’s the guy we saw last year. 
Same can be said for Edmunds and Tre

 

This is the first time since opening day we've seen the fully operational Bills secondary and it showed. The defense largely hasn't been healthy this year and is getting there.

[Mojo44]

Great OP. One other thing I would add is the absence of Brown. That’s probably why it seems like we couldn’t take the lid off their secondary. I hope this does not continue to be a liability going forward for the next three games.

[Bray Wyatt]

I believe Allen’s arm was hit on his int

[Paul Costa]

Nice summary Shaw. Many of us old timers are enjoying a positive season. There’s a fine line in the NFL. In the year of COVID-19 it really is one week at a time. Enjoy the win everyone. Next week isn’t promised. 😀

[GETTOTHE50]

this was your best review this season. your finals thoughts after point 7 was a good way to wrap things up, or atleast start to for the time being

[Hebert19]

48 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Tremaine Edmunds continues to makes plays.  He’s tackling more solidly, he’s getting off blocks, and he’s beginning to regain his form as an elite pass defender.  He’s in on a lot of plays, and he’s around even more. He looks a lot better than six weeks ago.

Him.  Oliver and even tre are starting to find their groove

[ganesh]

52 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

 

 

This is the time Bills fans asked for: Meaningful games in December.  We have a lot be thankful for.

 

Best quote of the day.  It is a great way to start December....by being Thankful.  Go Bills.

[ILBillsfan]

Protection vs Bosa was mind boggling to me as I did not understand why they were not using the RB to chip him or a TE on the chips as well.  Then following that up with WR's and TE's used to block Bosa on some of those run plays was head scratching to me

[Shaw66]

16 minutes ago, Bray Wyatt said:

I believe Allen’s arm was hit on his int

Multiple body parts were hit.  I suppose if his arm hadn't been hit, maybe it would have been a highlight reel play, with Diggs making the catch going to the sideline.  Maybe we'd be pointing to that play as more Allen magic.

 

That's not what I saw.  I saw a QB in serious trouble, a QB who was supposed to be thinking that the only thing worse than a sack would be an INT.  Take the loss and move.  White's INT bailed him out.  

 

Want a sign of how bad it was?  When the Bills got the ball back, Daboll called five straight running plays.  The message to Allen?  If we can't trust you with the ball, we're taking the ball out of your hands. 

[Beach]

man, Bojo can boom some but it doesnt make him a good punter

[ClemsonBills]

8 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Multiple body parts were hit.  I suppose if his arm hadn't been hit, maybe it would have been a highlight reel play, with Diggs making the catch going to the sideline.  Maybe we'd be pointing to that play as more Allen magic.

 

That's not what I saw.  I saw a QB in serious trouble, a QB who was supposed to be thinking that the only thing worse than a sack would be an INT.  Take the loss and move.  White's INT bailed him out.  

 

Want a sign of how bad it was?  When the Bills got the ball back, Daboll called five straight running plays.  The message to Allen?  If we can't trust you with the ball, we're taking the ball out of your hands. 

I mean they were trying to chew clock there as well... but I get it

[Don Otreply]

Any time we win by two scores and double digits is good in my eyes, even when it gets ugly, and it did get messy ugly, but we prevailed, and that is what counts, two seasons ago we lose this game, we are a team that doesn’t quit, and that gives us the ability to win games like this.

 

Go Bills!!!

[Shaw66]

4 minutes ago, ClemsonBills said:

I mean they were trying to chew clock there as well... but I get it

Yeah, I know.  But if you watched the Chiefs today, they had absolutely no fear letting Mahomes when they were trying to run clock.  By that point in the game, Allen had made enough questionable plays that I didn't want to see him throwing any more.  

[MiltonWaddams]

Key improvements that I think we can all agree upon in this game:

DB’s

LB with Klein and Edmunds making numerous key plays

Running Backs. Singletary’s fumble was bad. But, we saw some great runs from both he and Moss and, on a day when the passing offence was sub-par, they were needed and came through. 
The progression of a very high-calibre kicker. Bass is not in the Tucker and Butker conversation...yet. But, I sense it coming.

[Bray Wyatt]

20 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Multiple body parts were hit.  I suppose if his arm hadn't been hit, maybe it would have been a highlight reel play, with Diggs making the catch going to the sideline.  Maybe we'd be pointing to that play as more Allen magic.

 

That's not what I saw.  I saw a QB in serious trouble, a QB who was supposed to be thinking that the only thing worse than a sack would be an INT.  Take the loss and move.  White's INT bailed him out.  

 

Want a sign of how bad it was?  When the Bills got the ball back, Daboll called five straight running plays.  The message to Allen?  If we can't trust you with the ball, we're taking the ball out of your hands. 

i don’t think the play was foolish or desperate, plays like that happen though out the game. It’s an inherent risk of calling a pass play. 
 

Was there some where else for him to go with the ball? I’d have to look at it again, but I didn’t think it was a hero ball type play which is what I inferred was the point you were making by calling it foolish and desperate 

[Shaw66]

5 minutes ago, MiltonWaddams said:

The progression of a very high-calibre kicker. Bass is not in the Tucker and Butker conversation...yet. But, I sense it coming.

I agree about Bass.  I thought the opening kickoff was a good sign.  Bills had decided they could eat up the Chargers on kick coverage, so they called the directional kicker to corner.  Bass executed, the Bills got a good stop.  Then the penalty force the Bills to kick off again.  Kickoff team had just sprinted the length of the field, so they told Bass to kick it out of the end zone.  He did that (with the wind).  

 

The kick at the end of the game seemed routine for him.   Just like the three fifty yard+ jobs two weeks ago.  All good signs.  

Just now, Bray Wyatt said:

i don’t think the play was foolish or desperate, plays like that happen though out the game. It’s an inherent risk of calling a pass play. 
 

Was there some where else for him to go with the ball? I’d have to look at it again, but I didn’t think it was a hero ball type play which is what I inferred was the point you were making by calling it foolish and desperate 

Maybe I'll have to look for a replay.  It looked very much like hero ball to me.