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

[TheBrownBear]

We were a top-3 offense last year.  I think Daboll deserves a little bit of time to get this back on track.  And even if you're looking at a four game trend, consider that Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Indianapolis were the #1, 2 and 3 ranked defenses (yards per play) in the AFC last year.

[Mango]

I think a lot went right for the Bills last year and it isn’t wild to think we may see some regression to the mean. This team could be closer to 12-5 than 13-3 or the almost14-2 if not for a wild final play by Arizona 

 

I think the board regularly over rates Daboll. He’s not terrible, and Tom Graham’s article is knee jerk at best. But the hype last year was just that, hype. 
 

I expect to see Allen be significantly better than 2019, but think it’s very likely he does not string together some of the performances he did last year. 
 

Long and short, fans came out over hyped this year AND Allen/Daboll laid an egg week one. We are now dealing with the emotional aftermath. 

[Nuncha]

30 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.

One bad week and the wheels are off the bus?  C'mon man!

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Next week's column:

 

"Bills should consider bringing Trubisky as QB 'Closer.'"

 

[mushypeaches]

The great teams of the 90's also laid these turdburgers a couple of times per year too, often early on in seasons where they were also probably a little too hyped up and/or overconfident.  This week will be a great mental test against a divisional opponent.  Hopefully a dose of humility will be the cure that we need along with a more rational game plan from Daboll

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

Sounds like Tim is really slipping into Jerry’s shoes here. 

[gotme365]

Does Daboll need to dial up more runs? Probably. But at the end of the day It’s simple. The o line needs to block better and the Kid needs to get rid of the ball faster. That’s it. 

[Patrick Duffy]

Wonder how many clicks he got for this nonsense lol

[RoyBatty is alive]

33 minutes ago, SDS said:

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

Somebody actually read it beyond the, imo, misleading title.

[nedboy7]

41 minutes ago, Buffalo619 said:

That would be a huge overreaction.  Tim Graham is an idiot for even suggesting this. 

 

Kinda like this board all week. 

[RobbRiddick]

Absolutely nuts. Is this how impatient some people are now? How about KC taking play calls away from Reid after the SB. How about my wife divorcing me after I made one single mistake and slept with her sister?

 

 

[london_bills]

Ridiculous. 

[JESSEFEFFER]

The question is provocative but the results they got based on formation are facts.  They chose to do more of something they were worse at in that game and less of something they were better at.  My own bias is that I do not like 4-5 wides as the base of an offense.  That goes back to the days of the run and shoot and watching it fail in some spectacular ways.  I am ok with the designed QB runs because standing still in the pocket is a riskier thing to do and has produced some of the worst QB injuries we have seen. 

 

His best argument is that this is not a 1 game trend but 3 going back to last year.  Have another good game against the Dolphins and this goes away.

[RyanC883]

35 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

We were a top-3 offense last year.  I think Daboll deserves a little bit of time to get this back on track.  And even if you're looking at a four game trend, consider that Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Indianapolis were the #1, 2 and 3 ranked defenses (yards per play) in the AFC last year.

 

what was Kc?  It just got ran over 2 games in a row now.  

[RoyBatty is alive]

Just now, JESSEFEFFER said:

The question is provocative but the results they got based on formation are facts.  They chose to do more of something they were worse at in that game and less of something they were better at.  My own bias is that I do not like 4-5 wides as the base of an offense.  That goes back to the days of the run and shoot and watching it fail in some spectacular ways.  I am ok with the designed QB runs because standing still in the pocket is a riskier thing to do and has produced some of the worst QB injuries we have seen. 

 

His best argument is that this is not a 1 game trend but 3 going back to last year.  Have another good game against the Dolphins and this goes away.

 

 

All were  playoff teams last year, what do people expect, dominance as in many of our other games?.

[RyanC883]

17 minutes ago, gotme365 said:

Does Daboll need to dial up more runs? Probably. But at the end of the day It’s simple. The o line needs to block better and the Kid needs to get rid of the ball faster. That’s it. 

 

well, the blocking and ability to get rid of the ball faster are closely tied to the play-calling. 

[Sherlock Holmes]

1 hour 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.

Why would he be a head coach then?

[DJB]

This is why I dont pay cash for the Athletic. 

[Sherlock Holmes]

11 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

Absolutely nuts. Is this how impatient some people are now? How about KC taking play calls away from Reid after the SB. How about my wife divorcing me after I made one single mistake and slept with her sister?

 

 

It's been one drive fire McD and McBeane and get new owners in here ASAP!!!!

[london_bills]

I feel like the o line coach will be the first person under fire if it continues as was Sunday