Divisional Playoff round: Ravens at Bills on Saturday Night Football

[YoloinOhio]

 

 

[Penfield45]

2 minutes ago, stevewin said:

Would love to see Williams brought up as well - a bruising change of pace option for selected plays, also some RB depth if one of the other guys go down.   For protection, just make sure Singletary/Yeldon are out there on passing down.  Question is who would he replace (wish the NFL would add a few more payers to the game day roster limit - reward deep teams and teams that have good specialists on their roster for STs etc.) 

I think Williams needs to be activated in case the weather severely limits our pass game and we need a plan B. 

[RichRiderBills]

12 minutes ago, Juice_32 said:

 

 

I re-watched the last Ravens v Browns game and LJ was slipping all over in that one. He also had 124 yards rushing so...

 

Yeah, but that is not a snow storm on the level we are talking about. I thought the field was just odd there and he had trouble finding the right cleats. Was it even raining?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

47 minutes ago, AllDayLJ said:

The Jags game was a weird one. They couldn't stop a thing, we were railroading them, but the rushing stats don't really show that. Lamar didn't get much. If I remember correctly, LJ was also pulled with about 8 or 9 minutes left and Tyler Huntley led the last two drives.

 

The Browns game there was just zero defense being played. It was an anomaly. We almost never get into shootouts like that. It just felt like both offenses were doing as they pleased. Wild game but it really screwed with our defensive statistics for the season.

 

The only thing that makes me feel good about the game that doesn't reflect on a quick glance at the season box scores is our health. Yes, our franchise LT is out and our backup (but heavily used) TE is out, but our defense is very healthy for the first time all year. You really saw that last game against the Titans and that's very encouraging if you're a Ravens fan.

 

Thanks for the gouge.  Just looking at the box score I'm wondering if there were a lot of short passes that went for big YAC?   Yeah, Huntley had some playing time, saw that on the box score.

 

What's up with Judon's illness? Edit: just saw he practiced today

 

I don't know what to make of the Bills defense.  All season, they show up one game and go on vacation the next.  If you scan down our schedule and game results, it'll jump out at you - 200 yds given up one week, 454 the next.  Though in fairness, in the biggest yardage given up games, the opponent was typically playing from behind and we were softening up (sometimes too soft, like the Rams game where we let them come back).  We gave up big yards vs. Miami but we were leading them 28-7 or something at the half.

 

Similar thing for our O-line - one week they're getting pushed around, the next week they're doing the pushing.

 

I guess we'll just have to see which of our (Bills) teams takes the field on Sunday.

 

16 minutes ago, RichRiderBills said:

 

Yeah, but that is not a snow storm on the level we are talking about. I thought the field was just odd there and he had trouble finding the right cleats. Was it even raining?

 

I don't think it was raining, but I think it was pretty high humidity and as the air cooled the moisture settled out on the field, like dew.

[Figster]

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Pokebball said:

Was it his bum shoulder or the weather?

 

Take your pick.  Add in "neither he played badly" to the opinions. 

 

IMO when your QB is wearing a linebacker brace and is missing in a way another professional QB links to the injury he visibly suffered, that's the most probable cause.  However, Allen was struggling to make himself take the checkdowns during that time period.

[LeGOATski]

13 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

 

Not me.  I have been hoping for years they would build a dome.  Home field advantage due to weather is hogwash.  Allen has the talent within him and around him.  Why hope to slow it down with god aweful weather.

Two of the best QBs ever, Rodgers and Brady, played in "bad weather" open fields. 

 

Elite guys are going to do their thing. Football is meant to be played outdoors.

 

On the other hand, a multipurpose stadium with a closable roof is the way to go for business reasons.

[starrymessenger]

What worries me about this game is the fear that our receiving corps is not healthy, specifically Beas and Brown and possibly McKenzie. Based on what I think I saw of Beas and Smoke against Indy, they are both significantly limited by injury. Bills strong suit is the passing game but Allen cant do it all by himself and unless its firing on all cylinders against a well balanced #2 rated overall D, thats a huge problem IMO. Could wind up seeing some hero ball antics from Josh as he tries to compensate. 

On the positive side, I do expect a much better effort from the D than we saw last Saturday. They are better than that.

[YoloinOhio]

 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[CincyBillsFan]

44 minutes ago, starrymessenger said:

What worries me about this game is the fear that our receiving corps is not healthy, specifically Beas and Brown and possibly McKenzie. Based on what I think I saw of Beas and Smoke against Indy, they are both significantly limited by injury. Bills strong suit is the passing game but Allen cant do it all by himself and unless its firing on all cylinders against a well balanced #2 rated overall D, thats a huge problem IMO. Could wind up seeing some hero ball antics from Josh as he tries to compensate. 

On the positive side, I do expect a much better effort from the D than we saw last Saturday. They are better than that.

 

This worries me to.  We need the RB's & TE's to step up big time or our offense is at risk of becoming one dimensional.

 

Think about the insane quality of those Allen throws and Gabes/Diggs catches.  You can't expect to get that every game if those throws are off by an inch here or there those plays aren't made.  And without those plays we lose to the Colts. 

 

We need Knox to get catches and put up yards (say 6 - 80 yards) and we need a RB to make a guy miss on a short pass and gain 25 yards.  Other teams routinely get that type of production out of their RB's & TE's in the passing game.  We don't and I worry that this lack of production is the achilles heel of our offense.

 

 

 

 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[CincyBillsFan]

3 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

We didn't play well against in that stretch and weather wasn't the reason.  We struggled against the Titans, Pats and Jets in that time and all had good weather.

 

The weather wasn't bad against the Steelers.  If it was, Big Ben wouldn't have throw it 37 times and Allen wouldn't have thrown it 43 times.

 

But did the Bills & Allen actually struggle against the Jets?  Sure it was our worst red zone game but it was our 2nd game against a division foe which are often odd:

 

*  We didn't punt in that game and had only one TO. Nine times we drove into FG range and converted 6 FG's. 

 

*  Allen had over 300 yards passing and should have had at least 2 TD's to go along with that.  One had Kroft falling down and the other was an inexplicable illegal lineup penalty that no can see on replay.

 

For that stretch of games Allen's injury certainly played a role and we were also in the process of adjusting from the free wheeling offense on display through the first 4 games to the new way in which defenses were playing us.  That we came out of that stretch and fired the offense back up to where it was through the first month of the season was impressive and encouraging that we can keep it going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[starrymessenger]

5 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

 

This worries me to.  We need the RB's & TE's to step up big time or our offense is at risk of becoming one dimensional.

 

Think about the insane quality of those Allen throws and Gabes/Diggs catches.  You can't expect to get that every game if those throws are off by an inch here or there those plays aren't made.  And without those plays we lose to the Colts. 

 

We need Knox to get catches and put up yards (say 6 - 80 yards) and we need a RB to make a guy miss on a short pass and gain 25 yards.  Other teams routinely get that type of production out of their RB's & TE's in the passing game.  We don't and I worry that this lack of production is the achilles heel of our offense.

 

 

 

 

Yeah as you say the margin on many of our big plays is sometimes razor thin. Thats why they are so productive but they occur pretty much at at the limit of what the players are capable of. Take that edge away because the guys are banged up and the O will be much less explosive. If you need Knox and the running game to pick up the slack you are in fallback mode and not going with your best. Of course that doesnt mean that they dont step up but still.

I see that Diggs too is limited. Prolly doesnt mean much but I’m not sure hes 100% either. 

[Royale with Cheese]

7 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

 

But did the Bills & Allen actually struggle against the Jets?  Sure it was our worst red zone game but it was our 2nd game against a division foe which are often odd:

 

*  We didn't punt in that game and had only one TO. Nine times we drove into FG range and converted 6 FG's. 

 

*  Allen had over 300 yards passing and should have had at least 2 TD's to go along with that.  One had Kroft falling down and the other was an inexplicable illegal lineup penalty that no can see on replay.

 

For that stretch of games Allen's injury certainly played a role and we were also in the process of adjusting from the free wheeling offense on display through the first 4 games to the new way in which defenses were playing us.  That we came out of that stretch and fired the offense back up to where it was through the first month of the season was impressive and encouraging that we can keep it going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the level our offense is at for 2020, I think the Jets game was a struggle.  We did move the ball but not having one TD in 6 redzone attempts...that's a struggle IMO.

 

If this was the 2017 Bills, I wouldn't have said struggle.  

[CincyBillsFan]

6 minutes ago, starrymessenger said:

Yeah as you say the margin on many of our big plays is sometimes razor thin. Thats why they are so productive but they occur pretty much at at the limit of what the players are capable of. Take that edge away because the guys are banged up and the O will be much less explosive. If you need Knox and the running game to pick up the slack you are in fallback mode and not going with your best. Of course that doesnt mean that they dont step up but still.

I see that Diggs too is limited. Prolly doesnt mean much but I’m not sure hes 100% either. 

 

Diggs was limited last week and he did fine.  At this point there's no reason to risk a foot or leg injury with the WR's during practice so you go easy.

 

My frustration with the TE's & RB's beyond their inability to be productive in the passing game, is that with the focus opposing teams have to put on our WR's they should be making some big plays.  The biggest TE play of the kind I'm talking about this year was the Smith catch against NE.  Allen routinely hits our RB's in space with quick throws and almost every time they get brought down by the first tackler. 

 

I've  been expecting a breakout game by Knox & Singletery in the passing game every week.  Saturday night would be a great time for it to happen.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2021 by CincyBillsFan

[Penfield45]

Don’t see a lot of ppl talk about the fact that the ravens run game is much better and more dynamic this year than it was last season. 
 

 

[Dr.Mantis_Toboggan]

What I don’t get is people acting like the snow isn’t an advantage when one QB has played in Wyoming and now Buffalo vs the other guy who hasn’t played a snap in snow and is from South Florida?

 

One QB has the velocity to cut through the elements and still pass effectively through inclement weather, and when runs, runs with a much more downhill style...

 

the other QB is a mediocre passer at best, and his running game relies on pure foot speed and quick cuts.

 

In what way does snow not benefit this Bills team?  It makes Baltimore even more one dimensional and I can’t wait for Lamar to try and run and juke on slippery unforgiving turf.

Edited January 14, 2021 by Dr.Mantis_Toboggan

[YoloinOhio]