Bills offense compared to 2020 by the numbers, and they may shock you.

[Billsfan1972]

8 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Exactly 

 

The goal is to be the best team in December and January... When it's high stakes football 

 

Lots of teams have been amazing in September and fluttered 

Well now it is December, let's see what happens..  BTW let's hope they are playing their very best February 13th.

[78thealltimegreat]

On 11/30/2021 at 6:25 PM, FireChans said:

So 2020 was a great offensive season by the Bills. Wonderful, exciting, electric, whatever you want to call it.

 

We can all agree the 2021 offense has its moments where it feels like a continuation of 2020 and moments where it feels like we are back in 2019. But what do the numbers say?

 

1. We are actually better at running the ball this year.

 

Last year, the Bills were 17th in attempts, 20th in yards, 15th in TD's and 20th in YPA.

 

This year, we are 17th in attempts, 11th in yards, 9th in TD's and 9th in YPA.

 

Some of this may be explained by Josh running a bit more (he's averaging 34 YPG compared to 28 last season, but on a similar number of attempts per game 6.4 to 6.3), but the fact remains, we are better at running.

 

2. We are worse through the air this year.

 

Last year, 11th in attempts, 3rd in TD's, 3rd in yards, 9th in INT's and 4th in NY/A

 

This year, 8th in attempts, 3rd in TD's, 7th in yards, 24th in INT's, and 10th in NY/A.

 

A lot of this is Josh, statistically. He is across the board less efficient and more TO prone compared to last season. Still playing great, still one of the best young QB's in the NFL, but not 2020 Josh.

 

3. On the whole, we are not much different than last year.

 

I have long held the belief that the best statistic to judge a unit to their peers is their "per drive" stats. Not as prone to confabulation due to the defense creating opportunities for the offense etc. 

 

Last year, Bills offense 2nd in score percentage, 15th in TO percentage, 5th in time of possession, 10th in plays per drive (an admittedly stat missing in utility due to scoring fast not being particularly bad), 4th in yards per drive, and 3rd in points per drive.

 

This year, Bills offense 2nd in score percentage, 12th in TO percentage, 14th in time of possession, 10th in plays per drive (an admittedly stat missing in utility due to scoring fast not being particularly bad), 4th in yards per drive, and 2nd in points per drive.

 

Outside of the huge difference in time per drive (which may be related to sheer number of possessions due to a great defense), we are still a very similar offense per drive. We score often, we are efficient, we get a lot of yards and we get a lot of points. Our TO% is actually better despite our INT number climbing, likely due to less fumbling overall.

 

Conclusions? Josh is just not as sharp as he was last year, but overall he is still playing great football and leading a great offense, an offense that by the numbers is just as good as the one last year.

 

The variance we are seeing from Josh is not really uncommon, even among the historically great. Last year, Aaron Rodgers threw for 48 TDs. This year, through 11 games, he has thrown for only 23, which will likely place him in the mid 30's as a season total trendwise. His passer rating is a full 17 points less this year compared to last year.

 

The great QB's have good years, and great years, and insane years. We aren't in an insane year for Josh. We are in a great year. And our offense continues to remain great.

One other big difference is Josh can’t tackle Derrick Henry or Jonathan Taylor or we’d have basically the same record as last year with one egg against the jags 

[FireChans]

On 11/30/2021 at 6:25 PM, FireChans said:

So 2020 was a great offensive season by the Bills. Wonderful, exciting, electric, whatever you want to call it.

 

We can all agree the 2021 offense has its moments where it feels like a continuation of 2020 and moments where it feels like we are back in 2019. But what do the numbers say?

 

1. We are actually better at running the ball this year.

 

Last year, the Bills were 17th in attempts, 20th in yards, 15th in TD's and 20th in YPA.

 

This year, we are 17th in attempts, 11th in yards, 9th in TD's and 9th in YPA.

 

Some of this may be explained by Josh running a bit more (he's averaging 34 YPG compared to 28 last season, but on a similar number of attempts per game 6.4 to 6.3), but the fact remains, we are better at running.

 

2. We are worse through the air this year.

 

Last year, 11th in attempts, 3rd in TD's, 3rd in yards, 9th in INT's and 4th in NY/A

 

This year, 8th in attempts, 3rd in TD's, 7th in yards, 24th in INT's, and 10th in NY/A.

 

A lot of this is Josh, statistically. He is across the board less efficient and more TO prone compared to last season. Still playing great, still one of the best young QB's in the NFL, but not 2020 Josh.

 

3. On the whole, we are not much different than last year.

 

I have long held the belief that the best statistic to judge a unit to their peers is their "per drive" stats. Not as prone to confabulation due to the defense creating opportunities for the offense etc. 

 

Last year, Bills offense 2nd in score percentage, 15th in TO percentage, 5th in time of possession, 10th in plays per drive (an admittedly stat missing in utility due to scoring fast not being particularly bad), 4th in yards per drive, and 3rd in points per drive.

 

This year, Bills offense 2nd in score percentage, 12th in TO percentage, 14th in time of possession, 10th in plays per drive (an admittedly stat missing in utility due to scoring fast not being particularly bad), 4th in yards per drive, and 2nd in points per drive.

 

Outside of the huge difference in time per drive (which may be related to sheer number of possessions due to a great defense), we are still a very similar offense per drive. We score often, we are efficient, we get a lot of yards and we get a lot of points. Our TO% is actually better despite our INT number climbing, likely due to less fumbling overall.

 

Conclusions? Josh is just not as sharp as he was last year, but overall he is still playing great football and leading a great offense, an offense that by the numbers is just as good as the one last year.

 

The variance we are seeing from Josh is not really uncommon, even among the historically great. Last year, Aaron Rodgers threw for 48 TDs. This year, through 11 games, he has thrown for only 23, which will likely place him in the mid 30's as a season total trendwise. His passer rating is a full 17 points less this year compared to last year.

 

The great QB's have good years, and great years, and insane years. We aren't in an insane year for Josh. We are in a great year. And our offense continues to remain great.

@Alphadawg7

 

Is it time to revisit this topic? 

 

Looks like our offense was better at running, worse at throwing, Josh wasn't as sharp on the year as he was in 2020.

 

I will take my flowers now.

[hondo in seattle]

On 11/30/2021 at 5:25 PM, FireChans said:

 

...

Conclusions? Josh is just not as sharp as he was last year, but overall he is still playing great football and leading a great offense, an offense that by the numbers is just as good as the one last year....

 

 

The numbers say Josh wasn't as sharp but my eyes tell me a different story.   Josh was mostly sharp when he had protection.  He was sometimes sharp even when the protection was poor.  

 

The OL just wasn't as good in passpro in 2021 as it was in 2020.

 

And I think you have to count the playoffs.  Josh played much better in the playoffs in 2021 than he did in 2020.  

 

I don't think Josh had an off year at all.  

[Ralonzo]

1 hour ago, FireChans said:

 

I will take my flowers now.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

18 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

The numbers say Josh wasn't as sharp but my eyes tell me a different story.   Josh was mostly sharp when he had protection.  He was sometimes sharp even when the protection was poor.  

 

The OL just wasn't as good in passpro in 2021 as it was in 2020.

 

And I think you have to count the playoffs.  Josh played much better in the playoffs in 2021 than he did in 2020.  

 

I don't think Josh had an off year at all.  

As for the season as a whole, he performed less well in every passing category in 2021 compared to 2020.  His YPA (my best measure of QB play after TD/INT ratio) was down 1.1 YPA.  His INTs were up by 50% and the highest of his career.  He fumbled less - 8 times losing 3 - and I recall at least one that was a RB issue credited to Allen.  

 

All that stated....

 

Josh playoff performance is the best QB play this franchise has ever seen.   

[Brand J]

Maybe this post would’ve held up better had Josh not had TWO Herculean games in the postseason, one of which qualified as an all time greatest performance in NFL history. You’re right, he’s not as sharp as last year, he’s sharper. 

[FireChans]

38 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

The numbers say Josh wasn't as sharp but my eyes tell me a different story.   Josh was mostly sharp when he had protection.  He was sometimes sharp even when the protection was poor.  

 

The OL just wasn't as good in passpro in 2021 as it was in 2020.

 

And I think you have to count the playoffs.  Josh played much better in the playoffs in 2021 than he did in 2020.  

 

I don't think Josh had an off year at all.  

Yeah he had a great playoff. An all time playoff. But he wasn’t as sharp in the regular season.

[JohnNord]

On 11/30/2021 at 6:25 PM, FireChans said:

Conclusions? Josh is just not as sharp as he was last year, but overall he is still playing great football and leading a great offense, an offense that by the numbers is just as good as the one last year.

There are a few factors that account for this.  The biggest is the type of 2 high shell defense the Bills were seeing most of the season.  Typically this treatment for QB’s that defenses respect through the air.  Josh saw a lot of man coverage last year and absolutely destroyed.  This year the coverage took away some of the deep shots we were used to seeing last season.   
 

It took the Bills nearly half a season to figure this out.  What compounded the issue was an underperforming OL - which Josh actually figured how to work around.  The other is a running game which didn’t threaten defenses for most of the season and slowed redzone production.  It was either ineffective or not utilized appropriately.  Once the Bills found their line combo, the run game improved and the overall offense was more efficient toward the end of the season.  
 

Numbers aside, I believe you can make the argument that Josh was actually better in 2021 given how much of the offense he accounted for.  He literally was the Bills entire offense 

[Alphadawg7]

2 hours ago, FireChans said:

@Alphadawg7

 

Is it time to revisit this topic? 

 

Looks like our offense was better at running, worse at throwing, Josh wasn't as sharp on the year as he was in 2020.

 

I will take my flowers now.

Still disagree.  Our OL was an issue until it was finally healthy and stabilized, especially when Bates entered the starting lineup.  
 

Down the stretch and playoffs this offense was definitely better. 
 

I’ll take the team that entered the playoffs THIS year over LAST years team 100% of the time.  And you know you would too if you’re being honest about it.  
 

[gordong]

the reality of playing in Buffalo ... weather weather weather..  2021 much worse

Edited February 10, 2022 by gordong

[Richard Noggin]

I don't really care about the numbers. 

 

What I saw down the stretch was consecutive, historically elite performances logged by #17 when it mattered most. We all watched him, beginning in the 2nd half in Tampa Bay, ascend to a new paradigm. It wasn't linear, this ascension, but it was unmistakable. What we saw in the playoffs was unprecedented. 

[BringBackFlutie]

1 hour ago, Richard Noggin said:

I don't really care about the numbers. 

 

What I saw down the stretch was consecutive, historically elite performances logged by #17 when it mattered most. We all watched him, beginning in the 2nd half in Tampa Bay, ascend to a new paradigm. It wasn't linear, this ascension, but it was unmistakable. What we saw in the playoffs was unprecedented. 

Yeah. Something clicked for him. Something big. 

 

...SSJ2?

[GunnerBill]

4 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

I’ll take the team that entered the playoffs THIS year over LAST years team 100% of the time.  And you know you would too if you’re being honest about it.  
 

 

I wouldn't have. Not before the playoffs. In hindsight now the two offensive performances affect that judgment but going into these playoffs I felt like the divisional round was our ceiling and said as much on here. 

[Nextmanup]

On 11/30/2021 at 7:01 PM, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

People think of last year and they only think of the glorious games. They expect that every game now.

Josh Allen's last 2 games of the year were spectacular.

And as I write here all the time, this board has a memory @ 1 game long...LOL

 

So yes, people think of our offense as being unstoppable and will expect it to be that way every game.

They have already forgotten that games like Jacksonville, Indy, and Tennessee happened. 

 

 

 

[Ayjent]

The line play was the biggest issue not Josh, and they finally got it straight at the end of the season.  The play calling was inconsistent as well, and the offense was clearly frustrated at times during the season.   The only bell cow on the team was Allen doing amazing things through the air with his legs. I thought that there was stubbornness in coaching that almost cost them the AFC East.  I think Daboll should be given credit for the success in developing Allen and good to great game plans from time to time, but it may be best for the long term health of Allen and the team to be moving on from him and get more balance and physicality to compliment the toughest mofo in the league. 

[Big Turk]

On 11/30/2021 at 6:25 PM, FireChans said:

So 2020 was a great offensive season by the Bills. Wonderful, exciting, electric, whatever you want to call it.

 

We can all agree the 2021 offense has its moments where it feels like a continuation of 2020 and moments where it feels like we are back in 2019. But what do the numbers say?

 

1. We are actually better at running the ball this year.

 

Last year, the Bills were 17th in attempts, 20th in yards, 15th in TD's and 20th in YPA.

 

This year, we are 17th in attempts, 11th in yards, 9th in TD's and 9th in YPA.

 

Some of this may be explained by Josh running a bit more (he's averaging 34 YPG compared to 28 last season, but on a similar number of attempts per game 6.4 to 6.3), but the fact remains, we are better at running.

 

2. We are worse through the air this year.

 

Last year, 11th in attempts, 3rd in TD's, 3rd in yards, 9th in INT's and 4th in NY/A

 

This year, 8th in attempts, 3rd in TD's, 7th in yards, 24th in INT's, and 10th in NY/A.

 

A lot of this is Josh, statistically. He is across the board less efficient and more TO prone compared to last season. Still playing great, still one of the best young QB's in the NFL, but not 2020 Josh.

 

3. On the whole, we are not much different than last year.

 

I have long held the belief that the best statistic to judge a unit to their peers is their "per drive" stats. Not as prone to confabulation due to the defense creating opportunities for the offense etc. 

 

Last year, Bills offense 2nd in score percentage, 15th in TO percentage, 5th in time of possession, 10th in plays per drive (an admittedly stat missing in utility due to scoring fast not being particularly bad), 4th in yards per drive, and 3rd in points per drive.

 

This year, Bills offense 2nd in score percentage, 12th in TO percentage, 14th in time of possession, 10th in plays per drive (an admittedly stat missing in utility due to scoring fast not being particularly bad), 4th in yards per drive, and 2nd in points per drive.

 

Outside of the huge difference in time per drive (which may be related to sheer number of possessions due to a great defense), we are still a very similar offense per drive. We score often, we are efficient, we get a lot of yards and we get a lot of points. Our TO% is actually better despite our INT number climbing, likely due to less fumbling overall.

 

Conclusions? Josh is just not as sharp as he was last year, but overall he is still playing great football and leading a great offense, an offense that by the numbers is just as good as the one last year.

 

The variance we are seeing from Josh is not really uncommon, even among the historically great. Last year, Aaron Rodgers threw for 48 TDs. This year, through 11 games, he has thrown for only 23, which will likely place him in the mid 30's as a season total trendwise. His passer rating is a full 17 points less this year compared to last year.

 

The great QB's have good years, and great years, and insane years. We aren't in an insane year for Josh. We are in a great year. And our offense continues to remain great.

 

The running numbers were likely given a huge boost during the last 5 or 6 games of the year where we were one of the best running teams in the NFL averaging over 165 YPG. The last 3 it was almost 200 YPG. This coincided with Bates coming in at guard and then making Singletary the lead back.

 

Most of the INTs came in the mid season lull and the Falcons game. 

 

Allen just turned it up in the playoffs to another level. Had the best passer rating in NFL playoff history this year posting an almost unheard of 149 combined for both games and now is the all time leader in QB rating in postseason history with a 106.7 passing Mahomes who is now second after the Bengals game.

 

That bodes really well...a player who takes his game up a notch in the playoffs when so many others wilt under the pressure 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Big Turk

[FireChans]

34 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

The running numbers were likely given a huge boost during the last 5 or 6 games of the year where we were one of the best running teams in the NFL averaging over 165 YPG. The last 3 it was almost 200 YPG. This coincided with Bates coming in at guard and then making Singletary the lead back.

 

Most of the INTs came in the mid season lull and the Falcons game. 

 

Allen just turned it up in the playoffs to another level. Had the best passer rating in NFL playoff history this year posting an almost unheard of 149 combined for both games and now is the all time leader in QB rating in postseason history with a 106.7 passing Mahomes who is now second after the Bengals game.

 

That bodes really well...a player who takes his game up a notch in the playoffs when so many others wilt under the pressure 

Mate, the numbers in the OP were from November. Same with the INTs

8 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Still disagree.  Our OL was an issue until it was finally healthy and stabilized, especially when Bates entered the starting lineup.  
 

Down the stretch and playoffs this offense was definitely better. 
 

I’ll take the team that entered the playoffs THIS year over LAST years team 100% of the time.  And you know you would too if you’re being honest about it.  
 

2021 offensive playoffs over 2020 offensive playoffs all day every day. But the 2020 offense in the regular season was just a little bit better than the 2021 offense. The numbers bear that out.

[FireChans]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I wouldn't have. Not before the playoffs. In hindsight now the two offensive performances affect that judgment but going into these playoffs I felt like the divisional round was our ceiling and said as much on here. 

Do folks not remember 3 picks vs Atlanta? Letting the Jets and Panthers hang around for 3 quarters? 
 

Josh was unreal in the postseason so I get it. But we were not firing on all cylinders heading into the postseason. Compared to 2020. Which many people IN THIS VERY THREAD brought up over and over again.

 

These jamokes were trying to fire Daboll at week 12 and now trying to pretend the 2021 offense was a powerhouse all year. You won’t memory hole me @Alphadawg7

Edited February 10, 2022 by FireChans

[Ayjent]

28 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

The running numbers were likely given a huge boost during the last 5 or 6 games of the year where we were one of the best running teams in the NFL averaging over 165 YPG. The last 3 it was almost 200 YPG. This coincided with Bates coming in at guard and then making Singletary the lead back.

 

Most of the INTs came in the mid season lull and the Falcons game. 

 

Allen just turned it up in the playoffs to another level. Had the best passer rating in NFL playoff history this year posting an almost unheard of 149 combined for both games and now is the all time leader in QB rating in postseason history with a 106.7 passing Mahomes who is now second after the Bengals game.

 

That bodes really well...a player who takes his game up a notch in the playoffs when so many others wilt under the pressure 

Allen is a clutch player that has been up to the bigger moments.  I know people have mixed feelings about Gabe Davis, but he really steps up his game in the playoffs as well.  The Bills need more players ready for those big moments, especially on D.  I think Spencer Brown is going to be another stud and is going to come into his own in the next year or two as one of the best tackles in the game.  He is athletic, huge, has a nastiness to him and is a perfect compliment to what should be an emerging identity for the Offense to be tough and very talented.  I would love to see them pick up an interior lineman in the draft, and the best defensive player available because they are going to start needing to feed the pipeline as players age out and/or get too expensive (DT, S, LB).  I'd also love to see them pick up a physical back like Dameon Pierce who may not have eye popping stats while at Florida, but is an absolute beast in his lower body, has good vision, and will likely see more success in the NFL.  He's also a good blocker, especially in the passing game and is a decent receiver.