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Tim Graham at The Athletic suggests shaking things up and demoting Daboll this week


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Didn't see it posted:

https://theathletic.com/2825259/2021/09/14/is-it-too-soon-to-worry-about-the-bills-offense/

Is it too soon to worry about the Bills offense? A Week 2 change could provide a spark

 

 

But a slightly bigger snapshot of Daboll’s offense shows a trend to monitor, and with head coach Sean McDermott’s established history of temporarily revoking play-calling duties in hopes of a spark, one might wonder if it’s time for passing-game coordinator Ken Dorsey to get a shot to see what he can do.

 

No, this is not a plea to fire Daboll just as McDermott’s decision to confiscate defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier’s play card wasn’t permanent in 2018.

 

McDermott chose to do that in Week 2, by the way, six quarters into the season right after Frazier’s defense dragged the Bills — kicking and screaming — into the playoffs to break a 17-year drought.

 

...

 

Going back just to last postseason, against the type of opponents by which Buffalo will be measured, the offense has struggled to find the end zone. McDermott also expressed disappointment in Daboll’s game plans back then.

 

The Bills averaged 3.6 offensive TDs a game last year and scored three of them in their playoff opener, a 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

 

Since then, the Bills offense has scored four touchdowns over three games. One was enough to beat the Baltimore Ravens in the second round, but McDermott was displeased with Daboll’s approach. The Bills ran three times in the first half, tying an NFL record for fewest attempts in the first half of a playoff game. Only one of those runs was designed and didn’t happen until three minutes before halftime; one was an Allen kneeldown to end the half.

 

...

 

Daboll deployed four- or five-receiver formations on 35 snaps, but the Bills averaged 3.4 yards on them.

 

...

 

After failing to convert two fourth downs all last year, Buffalo misfired on two of its three attempts Sunday. They happened on the Bills’ first two second-half possessions.

 

...

 

More egregious was a fourth-and-1 call from Pittsburgh’s 41 with 13:42 left in the game. Allen threw a backward pass to Breida, whom cornerback Cameron Sutton summarily annihilated for a 7-yard loss.

 

“That is something that we anticipated,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of the play. “They got in that formation a bunch, four or five times in the preseason. We figured the next phase of it would be to fake it to the fullback and flip that ball out to them.”

 

Pittsburgh’s defense played zone coverage 75.9 percent of the time Sunday, extending a trend that has given Buffalo problems.

 

...

 

Allen took much punishment. In addition to designed runs and his customary scrambles, he absorbed three sacks and eight quarterback hits (he endured only two games in 2020 with at least that many) despite using play action just 18.4 percent of the time in an effort to get the ball out of Allen’s hands early. Allen fumbled twice.

 

...

 

McDermott swiped Frazier’s play card six quarters into 2018, during halftime of a loss to the Chargers, right about the time cornerback Vontae Davis simply left the stadium and retired.

 

Like a hockey coach hopes to spark his team with a goalie change, the move worked.

 

The Bills had been outscored 75-9 at that point. The defense responded with three-and-outs on the Chargers’ next three possessions and allowed only a field goal.

 

A week later, McDermott reinstated Frazier’s oversight against the Minnesota Vikings, the team Frazier used to lead. The Bills were 16.5-point underdogs on the road yet dominated, forcing three turnovers and recording four sacks in a 27-6 laugher.

 

McDermott gave Frazier the game ball.

 

...

 

Dorsey shouldn’t be a threat to Daboll. Increased collaboration can be healthy and provide a spark.

 

If Daboll ever lands a head coaching gig, then getting Dorsey some live reps would be beneficial for the future.

Edited by transplantbillsfan
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9 minutes ago, transplantbillsfan said:

Didn't see it posted:

https://theathletic.com/2825259/2021/09/14/is-it-too-soon-to-worry-about-the-bills-offense/

Is it too soon to worry about the Bills offense? A Week 2 change could provide a spark

 

 

But a slightly bigger snapshot of Daboll’s offense shows a trend to monitor, and with head coach Sean McDermott’s established history of temporarily revoking play-calling duties in hopes of a spark, one might wonder if it’s time for passing-game coordinator Ken Dorsey to get a shot to see what he can do.

 

No, this is not a plea to fire Daboll just as McDermott’s decision to confiscate defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier’s play card wasn’t permanent in 2018.

 

McDermott chose to do that in Week 2, by the way, six quarters into the season right after Frazier’s defense dragged the Bills — kicking and screaming — into the playoffs to break a 17-year drought.

 

...

 

Going back just to last postseason, against the type of opponents by which Buffalo will be measured, the offense has struggled to find the end zone. McDermott also expressed disappointment in Daboll’s game plans back then.

 

The Bills averaged 3.6 offensive TDs a game last year and scored three of them in their playoff opener, a 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

 

Since then, the Bills offense has scored four touchdowns over three games. One was enough to beat the Baltimore Ravens in the second round, but McDermott was displeased with Daboll’s approach. The Bills ran three times in the first half, tying an NFL record for fewest attempts in the first half of a playoff game. Only one of those runs was designed and didn’t happen until three minutes before halftime; one was an Allen kneeldown to end the half.

 

...

 

Daboll deployed four- or five-receiver formations on 35 snaps, but the Bills averaged 3.4 yards on them.

 

...

 

After failing to convert two fourth downs all last year, Buffalo misfired on two of its three attempts Sunday. They happened on the Bills’ first two second-half possessions.

 

...

 

More egregious was a fourth-and-1 call from Pittsburgh’s 41 with 13:42 left in the game. Allen threw a backward pass to Breida, whom cornerback Cameron Sutton summarily annihilated for a 7-yard loss.

 

“That is something that we anticipated,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of the play. “They got in that formation a bunch, four or five times in the preseason. We figured the next phase of it would be to fake it to the fullback and flip that ball out to them.”

 

Pittsburgh’s defense played zone coverage 75.9 percent of the time Sunday, extending a trend that has given Buffalo problems.

 

...

 

Allen took much punishment. In addition to designed runs and his customary scrambles, he absorbed three sacks and eight quarterback hits (he endured only two games in 2020 with at least that many) despite using play action just 18.4 percent of the time in an effort to get the ball out of Allen’s hands early. Allen fumbled twice.

 

...

 

McDermott swiped Frazier’s play card six quarters into 2018, during halftime of a loss to the Chargers, right about the time cornerback Vontae Davis simply left the stadium and retired.

 

Like a hockey coach hopes to spark his team with a goalie change, the move worked.

 

The Bills had been outscored 75-9 at that point. The defense responded with three-and-outs on the Chargers’ next three possessions and allowed only a field goal.

 

A week later, McDermott reinstated Frazier’s oversight against the Minnesota Vikings, the team Frazier used to lead. The Bills were 16.5-point underdogs on the road yet dominated, forcing three turnovers and recording four sacks in a 27-6 laugher.

 

McDermott gave Frazier the game ball.

 

...

 

Dorsey shouldn’t be a threat to Daboll. Increased collaboration can be healthy and provide a spark.

 

If Daboll ever lands a head coaching gig, then getting Dorsey some live reps would be beneficial for the future.


I would say that’s more than a fair use quotation of the article.

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1 minute ago, SDS said:


I would say that’s more than a fair use quotation of the article.

 

It's far less than half the article... that's the criteria, right?  I can cut more if need be.

 

Or are you saying something else and I'm completely misunderstanding the implication I've used too many direct quotes from an article with a paywall?

Edited by transplantbillsfan
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