Bills turn weakness into strength - 4th in NFL in YAC through 5 weeks(UPDATE: 7th by PFR stats)

[Big Turk]

Only behind the Packers, Chargers and Eagles, and the difference isn't much...only 28 yards from 1st place.

 

Also massive improvement in YAC/Completion.  Bills were dead last at 4.2 YAC/Completion last year and now are 11th at 5.3 YAC/completion.

 

Even more impressive because the Bills are 5th highest in Completed Air Yards/Completion at 4.6 which was up from 4.1 last year.  

 

Dorsey has added some new wrinkles to the offense allowing the Bills receivers to run after they catch the ball much more effectively.

 

Stefon Diggs is tied for 11th in YAC yards with 173, leading the Bills. Surprisingly Davis only has 88 YAC yards.

 

Allen needs to get it together and stop throwing the ball so far causing the Bills receivers to lose YAC due to having less yards to run.  🤣

 

EDIT:  

 

Important to note there is some disparity in YAC yards between NBC stats and other sites...Bills are ranked 7th(still good) at Pro-Football-Reference with 721 yards.  

 

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Big Turk

[BillsShredder83]

Winder how much that 98yder skewed things. Maybe not all that much. I've def noticed it with Diggs, less of those comebacks that bring him out of bounds

 

Def more screens. Aside from those two I've seen improvements, but it hasn't seemed like the lights witch on level of change, that this stat indicates.

[Big Turk]

Just now, BillsShredder83 said:

Winder how much that 98yder skewed things. Maybe not all that much. I've def noticed it with Diggs, less of those comebacks that bring him out of bounds

 

Def more screens. Aside from those two I've seen improvements, but it hasn't seemed like the lights witch on level of change, that this stat indicates.

 

Not much...Davis only has 88 YAC Yards on the year.

[Royale with Cheese]

On 9/26/2022 at 9:50 PM, ScottLaw said:

I’ve been touting this since the off-season…. Never  liked their approach/borderline negligence to the offense… And then trolled the past two weeks by the likes of @eballand @Royale with Cheese….. They still can’t run the ball, receivers still struggle to get separation and YAC, and now Tanner Gentry may get some meaningful snaps and Bobby Hart is set to start next week.😅

 

Just crossing my fingers Josh gets through the season with all the heavy lifting and is still performing at a high level come playoff time. 

 

[BillsShredder83]

1 minute ago, Big Turk said:

 

Not much...Davis only has 88 YAC Yards on the year.

Hard to have more when every catch goes for 6 lol

[Big Turk]

1 minute ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Hard to have more when every catch goes for 6 lol

 

That's what I said...Allen needs to stop ruining these guys YAC numbers by throwing the ball in the air so damn far! 🤣

[gobills404]

5 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Winder how much that 98yder skewed things.

Gabe got 55 YAC on that play, so they would still be 8th without it. And if you got rid of every teams biggest YAC play (which I’m not gonna go find out), they’d probably move back up a few spots.

[Buffalo Boy]

   Being incredibly picky, I have noticed on the shallow crossers, Josh still tends to lead the receivers too much and put too much zip on the ball.

    While I enjoy the heck out of the aesthetics of watching receivers and tight ends attack the ball and hand catch they are ending up on the ground because the ball doesn’t allow them to continue with a comfortable stride.

[Brand J]

Just now, Buffalo Boy said:

   Being incredibly picky, I have noticed on the shallow crossers, Josh still tends to lead the receivers too much and put too much zip on the ball.

    While I enjoy the heck out of the aesthetics of watching receivers and tight ends attack the ball and hand catch they are ending up on the ground because the ball doesn’t allow them to continue with a comfortable stride.

On this point, Morris had a fantastic grab last game. He’s only going to improve the more he plays and the more confident he gets. Looks like a find.

 

What makes these numbers all the more impressive is when you consider Josh and the starting offense likely has had 2.5 less quarters of work than everyone else. 

[2003Contenders]

Some of this I would also attribute to the "Beasley Factor". For as sure-handed as Beasley was, he always seem to hit the ground immediately after catching the ball, which is certainly played a role in this low numbers last year versus this year.

Edited October 12, 2022 by 2003Contenders

[Mango]

Honest question, what were we before the Pittsburgh game? Davis is last week alone has got to be like 20% of our YAC

[TheBrownBear]

Josh is throwing more dump offs to the RBs.  That's almost always where the majority of YAC yardage comes from for every team.  That's also why Josh is now throwing for more yards and we are punting less.  This part of the game finally clicked for him at the end of last year (remember how he started the Pats playoff game with dumpoffs to Motor?) and it's continued on through the start of this season.

[boater]

Allen's stated self-improvement project this off-season was to improve YAC.

 

Well, he delivered.

[Sestak4ever]

Once Shakir becomes more involved our YAC will increase.

[Mango]

11 minutes ago, 2003Contenders said:

Some of this I would also attribute to the "Beasley Factor". For as sure-handed as Beasley was, he always seem to hit the ground immediately after catching the ball, which is certainly played a role in this low numbers last year versus this year.

 

Beasley certainly had some issues last year. But Daboll used to love the curl and comeback routes which doesn't help. Diggs is also our leading receiver and isn't a particularly huge threat for YAC either. 

[Big Turk]

10 minutes ago, Mango said:

Honest question, what were we before the Pittsburgh game? Davis is last week alone has got to be like 20% of our YAC

 

Bills got 207 YAC yards in that game according to Pro-Football-Reference advanced receiving metrics.  It was actually 26.5% of our total YAC yards, but since we have only played 5 games, that isn't really outside of what I would consider normal variance. If all 5 games were equal, it would be exactly 20%.

 

8 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

Josh is throwing more dump offs to the RBs.  That's almost always where the majority of YAC yardage comes from for every team.  That's also why Josh is now throwing for more yards and we are punting less.  This part of the game finally clicked for him at the end of last year (remember how he started the Pats playoff game with dumpoffs to Motor?) and it's continued on through the start of this season.

 

It has helped for sure, but that doesn't explain all of it.  Diggs leads the Bills in YAC yards, Motor is 2nd.  RB YAC yards only accounts for 207 of the total, and that includes Gilliam and Cook when they were lined up as WR's in the Miami game in the 4th quarter. 

 

The majority has come from our WR's. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Big Turk

[Big Turk]

Pro-Football-reference version where the Bills are 7th:

 

[Logic]

Great post, thanks!

[Motorin']

37 minutes ago, Buffalo Boy said:

   Being incredibly picky, I have noticed on the shallow crossers, Josh still tends to lead the receivers too much and put too much zip on the ball.

    While I enjoy the heck out of the aesthetics of watching receivers and tight ends attack the ball and hand catch they are ending up on the ground because the ball doesn’t allow them to continue with a comfortable stride.

 

The thing about those throws is they have the potential of being undercut for the INT if they're thrown behind the receiver. Like in the Rams game, or they Arizona game where the other corner peeled off and snatched it.  

[Artful Dodger]

21 minutes ago, boater said:

Allen's stated self-improvement project this off-season was to improve YAC.

 

Well, he delivered.

 

This is the pattern with Allen. Every year, he looks back on the previous season, figures out what he can do better, and works with Jordan Palmer to improve it.

 

Based on his performance so far this season, in the next off season he's going to struggle to find out stuff to fix. 

[34-78-83]

Hoping to see the improvement stick for the season!

[DCofNC]

This is definitely a product of just taking what’s there. We almost NEVER saw Diggs or any WR for that matter, get a quick screen pass outside.  With soft coverage constantly, flipping it out to him has been like a free 7 yards, might as well take it.   Also, not hating on him, but Beasley was absolutely awful for the YAC yards, Captain catch and dive killed YAC stats.   As defenses adjust to that quick flip more, I suspect you will see the YAC start to fall off a little, but if Cook or CMC start getting the ball on short throws and making something happen, it might come back up.

[Buffalo Boy]

18 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

The thing about those throws is they have the potential of being undercut for the INT if they're thrown behind the receiver. Like in the Rams game, or they Arizona game where the other corner peeled off and snatched it.  

   I understand your point but that was a slightly deeper pass. We are talking the “Wes Welker” special.

    Allen has admitted his need to clean it up in the past. I am admittedly being picky but it’s a touch pass that needs  to be thrown just so to allow YAC. It is not JA’s strong suit.

[H2o]

Some of this is Allen, as he stated he was working on ball placement so his WR's could get YAC during the offseason. Some of it is on Dorsey and how he has changed some things schematically within the offense. Some of it is on the guys catching the ball. Both Beasley and Sanders were not big YAC guys and tended to go down rather quickly after a reception. This year McKenzie, Crowder, and Shakir have all shown better than those two. Gabe has also made the most of his opportunities. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by H2o

[Big Turk]

24 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

This is definitely a product of just taking what’s there. We almost NEVER saw Diggs or any WR for that matter, get a quick screen pass outside.  With soft coverage constantly, flipping it out to him has been like a free 7 yards, might as well take it.   Also, not hating on him, but Beasley was absolutely awful for the YAC yards, Captain catch and dive killed YAC stats.   As defenses adjust to that quick flip more, I suspect you will see the YAC start to fall off a little, but if Cook or CMC start getting the ball on short throws and making something happen, it might come back up.

 

I don't agree with this.  I can post numerous examples of Allen doing the "Gold Rip/Whip" audible at the line when John Brown was here which was basically a step back screen that usually resulted in long yardage...I remember specifically at least 2 examples...one on which he scored against the Fins from like 30 yards out and another maybe 40 yard one where he got tackled inside the 5.  

 

I know it happened fairly frequently because I was always yelling at them to change the audible because you'd hear "Gold Rip" from Allen and sure enough it always was a screen...happened a LOT during the COVID year where there was no fan noise and you could hear things very clearly in terms of audibles and LOS calls.

 

Also, the TD to Diggs in the Baltimore playoff game was a 4 or 5 yard screen pass.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Big Turk

[RocCityRoller]

Run defense is also much improved. The swap outs on DL have helped a lot.

 

Buffalo has allowed the 2nd fewest rush yards, and 3rd fewest YPC against.

KC is third in rush yards against (4.1 ypc).

 

Good to see YAC and run defense have been addressed and we are seeing good improvement!

[Royale with Cheese]

3 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Outside of last game this is a product of Josh checking it down more. 

 

Stefon Diggs is just outside the top 10 in YAC yards.  Outside the top 10 by 3 yards.

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, JayBaller10 said:

Morris had a fantastic grab last game. He’s only going to improve the more he plays and the more confident he gets. Looks like a find.

 

 

 

 

Let's hope so with Quintin Morris, but unfortunately the highlighted is not even close to always being the case.   The Bills haven't had much juice at TE for the past 60 years or so.......and not had ANY luck with later picks and UDFA's at that position in decades.........but it's fairly common for young TE's to show some skills in other organizations and then disappear.   Due to injury or otherwise.

 

We are more familiar with the Robert Foster WR types who could only improve the more he played until he played and got worse.

 

Morris will have to prove he's consistent at getting open and catching the ball.........he's flashed a little in preseason and in the last game but 6'2" TE's don't usually make much of an impact.

[Big Turk]

31 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Outside of last game this is a product of Josh checking it down more. 

 

Somewhat but that doesn't explain all of it.  There are very few routes this year that I have seen that feature receivers at a dead stop or turned and facing Allen on curl routes where they are basically hit immediately after catching the ball. Seem to be a lot more routes where the receivers are moving and Allen can hit them in stride.