The Bills Offensive Dilemma

[Pasaluki]

After the game against the New England Patriots, The Bills now face a vexing dilemma. New England proved they were the tougher and more physical team, but Buffalo definitely has more talented players. 

 

Should they do everything they can to get the run game going or should they double down on passing?

 

The conventional wisdom is to be more balanced, after all the team was just dominated physically.

But the Bills lack in areas of run blocking, and the running backs struggle.

 

At the same time the team has unusual depth at wide receiver Josh Allen is young and certainly strong enough to throw as many times as is needed. In addition it's hard to imagine running Zach Moss into a very rugged Buccanneers Dline with Vita Vea in the middle. 

 

The Bills have tried to go pass dominant and have had a checkered success rate. Weather is a factor and running successfully chews up the clock and lets the defense rest. 

 

The Bills gameplan against the Buccanneers will be very interesting. Will the Bills learn the right lesson or the wrong lesson from the Patriots game?

 

 

Edited December 11, 2021 by Pasaluki

[Capco]

Balance is key over the length of the season. When the defense doesn’t know what to expect your offense has an advantage.

 

You can also be a pass-happy offense but you MUST be a physically dominant team as well.
 

This is football. The stronger, faster, and tougher team usually wins. Coaching only goes so far to cover up weaknesses, and it can’t cover up a lack of physicality.

Edited December 11, 2021 by Capco

[Motorin']

Josh needs to be under center much more. The play action pass works a million times better under center than in shotgun. 

 

Plus we run the ball better under center when we throw it from under center. Because when we're in shotgun 90% of the time, the D knows it's going to be a run when under center. Whereas when we throw it enough from under center, the run can surprise them. 

Edited December 11, 2021 by Motorin'

[US Egg]

All these years I thought it was Patulski.

[Capco]

27 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

All these years I thought it was Patulski.

Don’t bring Walt into this.

[Nextmanup]

Throw the ball!   Be true to who we are.

 

If they start trying to build a run game now, we will be in trouble.

 

 

[maryland-bills-fan]

7 hours ago, Pasaluki said:

After the game against the New England Patriots, The Bills now face a vexing dilemma. New England proved they were the tougher and more physical team, but Buffalo definitely has more talented players. 

 

Should they do everything they can to get the run game going or should they double down on passing?

 

The conventional wisdom is to be more balanced, after all the team was just dominated physically.

But the Bills lack in areas of run blocking, and the running backs struggle.

 

At the same time the team has unusual depth at wide receiver Josh Allen is young and certainly strong enough to throw as many times as is needed. In addition it's hard to imagine running Zach Moss into a very rugged Buccanneers Dline with Vita Vea in the middle. 

 

The Bills have tried to go pass dominant and have had a checkered success rate. Weather is a factor and running successfully chews up the clock and lets the defense rest. 

 

The Bills gameplan against the Buccanneers will be very interesting. Will the Bills learn the right lesson or the wrong lesson from the Patriots game?

 

 

Well, I think that it is as simple as the following.  The Bills DO NOT have a counter against two deep safeties and a stout pass rush. (by 4 with a good defensive line or by sending a 5th rusher, who can come from any direction).   The usual counter is to use a running back to rush into the space where that 5th pass rusher or missing safety is NOT.  You need an O-line who can hold a block or screen off the DL AND a running back who can burst through the line with speed and get past the remaining LB.  We don't have that, so they can get in Allen's face quickly and take away the short pass with the speed rush and the long pass by the extra DB. We do not have the players for the best response to that style of defense.

[Buffaloman]

it really doesn't matter what the Bills do offensively. The problem now is that defenses will give little regard to our running game and tee off the pass rush on every play until we hurt them with run (not likely to happen). So Josh will be under much pressure on every single play. Either he will have to get rid of the ball in two or three seconds (not likely to happen) or the pressure will be too much and we will see Josh running all over the field until he gets hurt. Then good luck Mitch!

[NewEra]

Call the right plays at the right moments.  
 

the run game won’t be “fixed” this year, but we can use is complimentary to the pass game.  If we just pass every play, josh will probably get hurt.

[Nextmanup]

5 hours ago, Buffaloman said:

it really doesn't matter what the Bills do offensively. The problem now is that defenses will give little regard to our running game and tee off the pass rush on every play until we hurt them with run (not likely to happen). So Josh will be under much pressure on every single play. Either he will have to get rid of the ball in two or three seconds (not likely to happen) or the pressure will be too much and we will see Josh running all over the field until he gets hurt. Then good luck Mitch!

It's not a big deal to dump the ball off or hit a guy coming out of the backfield.  There are plenty of ways to make that pressure back off...if we get good coaching and the team executes! 

 

Josh will have to have an excellent game and he will need to find receivers quickly--something he struggles with from game to game.

 

 

[Dablitzkrieg]

The Bills should never run again

[JaCrispy]

13 hours ago, Pasaluki said:

After the game against the New England Patriots, The Bills now face a vexing dilemma. New England proved they were the tougher and more physical team, but Buffalo definitely has more talented players. 

 

Should they do everything they can to get the run game going or should they double down on passing?

 

The conventional wisdom is to be more balanced, after all the team was just dominated physically.

But the Bills lack in areas of run blocking, and the running backs struggle.

 

At the same time the team has unusual depth at wide receiver Josh Allen is young and certainly strong enough to throw as many times as is needed. In addition it's hard to imagine running Zach Moss into a very rugged Buccanneers Dline with Vita Vea in the middle. 

 

The Bills have tried to go pass dominant and have had a checkered success rate. Weather is a factor and running successfully chews up the clock and lets the defense rest. 

 

The Bills gameplan against the Buccanneers will be very interesting. Will the Bills learn the right lesson or the wrong lesson from the Patriots game?

 

 

This season they should pass more because that’s what they are built for...

 

However, this offseason they should build a more physical team to have more success running when other teams shut down the pass...

[RyanC883]

well, this year pass more.  but going forward, balance.  

[Nextmanup]

Just now, RyanC883 said:

well, this year pass more.  but going forward, balance.  

We were just as imbalance last year and had damned near the best offense in the entire NFL.

 

We don't need balance; we need much more consistency and greater lethality from our passing attack.

 

One immediate way to improve it is to make significant changes on the OL, and give Josh more time and better protection.

 

An improved OL = improved Josh Allen, and he is, by far, the most important individual on the team.

 

 

[JohnNord]

13 hours ago, Pasaluki said:

After the game against the New England Patriots, The Bills now face a vexing dilemma. New England proved they were the tougher and more physical team, but Buffalo definitely has more talented players. 

 

Should they do everything they can to get the run game going or should they double down on passing?

 

The conventional wisdom is to be more balanced, after all the team was just dominated physically.

But the Bills lack in areas of run blocking, and the running backs struggle.

 

At the same time the team has unusual depth at wide receiver Josh Allen is young and certainly strong enough to throw as many times as is needed. In addition it's hard to imagine running Zach Moss into a very rugged Buccanneers Dline with Vita Vea in the middle. 

 

The Bills have tried to go pass dominant and have had a checkered success rate. Weather is a factor and running successfully chews up the clock and lets the defense rest. 

 

The Bills gameplan against the Buccanneers will be very interesting. Will the Bills learn the right lesson or the wrong lesson from the Patriots game?

 

 

I think McDermott knows the running game is shite.  He was asked if the Bills could fix it, and he admitted that it was tough at this point in the season but that they would try.  It doesn’t sound like someone who is about to double down.  
 

I think the plan from here on out is to pass the football.  But again, look what happened earlier this season when they tried that…I don’t think it’s any guarantee

[Utah John]

6 hours ago, Buffaloman said:

it really doesn't matter what the Bills do offensively. The problem now is that defenses will give little regard to our running game and tee off the pass rush on every play until we hurt them with run (not likely to happen). So Josh will be under much pressure on every single play. Either he will have to get rid of the ball in two or three seconds (not likely to happen) or the pressure will be too much and we will see Josh running all over the field until he gets hurt. Then good luck Mitch!

There are other solutions to a defense attacking recklessly.  For example, screen passes.  The only screens the Bills run are those bubble screens to WRs.  They don't work anymore because the other teams see them coming.  Other teams use screen passes to RBs or TEs and have considerable success.  You want to slow down the other team's pass rush?  Make them pay for it.

[folz]

Get Gabe Davis on the field!

 

At this point, it is pointless to force a run game that isn't there. Let the passing game open up the run game.

 

I'm jut shooting off the cuff here, with very little in-depth knowledge of the Xs and Os. But I say go more 5-wide. Teams are putting a top on the offense, so spread them out wide. Run a short-to-intermediate passing game with your best players on the field. Beasley and Davis need more snaps, more playing time.

 

I do wonder if the addition of Sanders (as good as he is) didn't disrupt things a bit in the WR corps. Beasley is a beast and Davis was poised to break-out this year, yet Sanders has the most snaps of any pass catcher on the team.

 

Season snap counts:

Sanders 611

Diggs 603

Knox 502

Beasley 477

Davis 286

 

Sanders should have come in to fill a WR3 or WR4 role, not be a WR1b to Diggs. Get your best players on the field. To me that starts with Diggs, Beasley, and Davis. It should be Sanders, Knox, and/or the backs rotating in and out. Play some no TE, play some empty backfield. Spread teams out laterally in the 5- to 15-yard area and just keep moving the chains. Eventually the deep shots and running game should open up as teams won't be able to just stack the box and cover over top.

 

No team should be able to cover Diggs, Beasley, Davis, Sanders, and Knox/RB out of the backfield on short routes, if Josh is getting the ball out quickly. Maybe Daboll and Josh are just looking for too many chunk plays in the passing game, but they aren't there because of how we are being defended. I say spread them out wide rather than deep.

 

I'm sure that is all an oversimplification of things, but I do feel like the answer for a while has been take what the defense is giving you, rather than trying to be stubborn about who you think you are. Get back to basics. Put your best players on the field and take what the defense is giving you. 

 

[reddogblitz]

Hit 'em heavy with the pass.  I like balance but its not what we're good at now.  Its too late to change that.  We are what we are.

 

As my Dad's friend used to give us this advice: "Do what you do do well."

[LeGOATski]

If we're going to oversimplify it....

 

Pass.

 

The answer is with their best players (QB & receivers), not their worst players (RBs & OL)

[Augie]

9 hours ago, NewEra said:

Call the right plays at the right moments.  
 

the run game won’t be “fixed” this year, but we can use is complimentary to the pass game.  If we just pass every play, josh will probably get hurt.

 

I voted as to the big picture, not as in tomorrow. Being inherently challenged makes the play calling more difficult and critical, but there needs to be some amount of balance. We know what we need to fix for next year, but right now we just need to find a way.