So, is Elam playing this week?

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Or will he be another healthy scratch?

 

Better yet, why was he a healthy scratch last week? I'm not convinced Rhodes is the better option out there.

 

[Gugny]

Just now, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Or will he be another healthy scratch?

 

Better yet, why was he a healthy scratch last week? I'm not convinced Rhodes is the better option out there.

 

 

Gotta wait to see if Father McDermott lets him out of time out.

 

[BuffBillsForLife]

How far in the dog house could he possibly be that McD would rather watch Dane get torched?

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, BuffBillsForLife said:

How far in the dog house could he possibly be that McD would rather watch Dane get torched?

 

Who knows how the mysterious, soulless ginger mind works?

 

[mrags]

1 minute ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

 

Who knows how the mysterious, soulless ginger mind works?

 

This. 

[Victory Formation]

Just now, Gugny said:

 

Gotta wait to see if Father McDermott lets him out of time out.

 

McD has traditionally seemed to ease rookies in slowly over the course of the year and by the time it’s Playoff time, they’re ready for the postseason. I don’t think Elam is in the doghouse nor do I really feel that way about any rookie on the roster. McD brings the young players along slow.

[rusty shackleford]

4 minutes ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

 

Who knows how the mysterious, soulless ginger mind works?

 

Nah, he’s a Daywalker. 

[Gugny]

Just now, Victory Formation said:

McD has traditionally seemed to ease rookies in slowly over the course of the year and by the time it’s Playoff time, they’re ready for the postseason. I don’t think Elam is in the doghouse nor do I really feel that way about any rookie on the roster. McD brings the young players along slow.

 

Elam has been seeing the field pretty regularly all season and was benched last week.

 

I don't think this is the same situation as Shakir, about whom I agree with you .. that he's being eased in (WAY too slowly, in my opinion).

 

[Logic]

I saw on Twitter that the benching of Elam last week was likely due largely to gameplan.

The Bills played 80% zone against the Pats. That is definitely a strength of Rhodes and a weakness of Elam at the moment. That, combined with the fact that Elam doesn't play on special teams, and they wanted all hands on deck there against the dangerous Pats returner Marucs Jones, is likely what led to Elam being inactive.

If he continues to be inactive going forward, I'll start to be concerned. 

[LABILLBACKER]

16 minutes ago, Victory Formation said:

McD has traditionally seemed to ease rookies in slowly over the course of the year and by the time it’s Playoff time, they’re ready for the postseason. I don’t think Elam is in the doghouse nor do I really feel that way about any rookie on the roster. McD brings the young players along slow.

Too slow and sometimes unnecessary.  Stop coddling some of these guys and let them fly. The days of holding clipboards are over. Sink or swim.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

16 minutes ago, Logic said:

I saw on Twitter that the benching of Elam last week was likely due largely to gameplan.

The Bills played 80% zone against the Pats. That is definitely a strength of Rhodes and a weakness of Elam at the moment. That, combined with the fact that Elam doesn't play on special teams, and they wanted all hands on deck there against the dangerous Pats returner Marucs Jones, is likely what led to Elam being inactive.

If he continues to be inactive going forward, I'll start to be concerned. 

Makes sense.

 

 

[Matt_In_NH]

Check back Sunday at 11:30

[UConn James]

IIRC the commentators were speculating that it may have been something to do with avoiding Elam hitting the ‘rookie wall.’ The zone/man thing makes more sense, but maybe it was a combination of a number of factors. Elam will have had 18 days bw games so it’s a bit of a rest for his body that was only used to 10-12 games per season.

[FilthyBeast]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

I saw on Twitter that the benching of Elam last week was likely due largely to gameplan.

The Bills played 80% zone against the Pats. That is definitely a strength of Rhodes and a weakness of Elam at the moment. That, combined with the fact that Elam doesn't play on special teams, and they wanted all hands on deck there against the dangerous Pats returner Marucs Jones, is likely what led to Elam being inactive.

If he continues to be inactive going forward, I'll start to be concerned. 

 

Good to know we spent a 1st round pick on a DB that can only play in certain situations/schemes/gameplans/etc.

 

And people wonder why I question this GM and coaching staff so much....

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

I saw on Twitter that the benching of Elam last week was likely due largely to gameplan.

The Bills played 80% zone against the Pats. That is definitely a strength of Rhodes and a weakness of Elam at the moment. That, combined with the fact that Elam doesn't play on special teams, and they wanted all hands on deck there against the dangerous Pats returner Marucs Jones, is likely what led to Elam being inactive.

If he continues to be inactive going forward, I'll start to be concerned. 

I also think it had to do with the fact that Rhodes got a ton of reps in practice last week since Dane was out sick. He was prepped to start and play. When Dane recovered, i think they sort of “rewarded” the vet Rhodes, and Elam was the odd man out. 

[CorkScrewHill]

39 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

Good to know we spent a 1st round pick on a DB that can only play in certain situations/schemes/gameplans/etc.

 

And people wonder why I question this GM and coaching staff so much....

Good teams draft people with high ceilings and coach them up … they drafted Elam knowing there would be a transition. If we went with first year evaluations Baker Mayfield would be a star and Josh would be a bust.

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

The reasoning for him not playing last week was hilarious. This teams obsession with STs in this day and age is mind blowing. You’d think we’d actually be good at it

Edited December 10, 2022 by Brianmoorman4jesus

[JDHillFan]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Too slow and sometimes unnecessary.  Stop coddling some of these guys and let them fly. The days of holding clipboards are over. Sink or swim.

Bills would probably be 10-2 if only they played the rookies more. Idiots. 

[mannc]

2 hours ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Or will he be another healthy scratch?

 

Better yet, why was he a healthy scratch last week? I'm not convinced Rhodes is the better option out there.

 

Sorry, we still have not found out what we've got in Xavier Rhodes...

[Brand J]

Does anyone remember the last Bills first round pick that was a healthy scratch?

[The Wiz]

Just now, JayBaller10 said:

Does anyone remember the last Bills first round pick that was a healthy scratch?

Maybin is my guess.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

2 hours ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Or will he be another healthy scratch?

 

Better yet, why was he a healthy scratch last week? I'm not convinced Rhodes is the better option out there.

 

“We wanted to see what we had in Xavier Rhodes”

[Buffalo Junction]

35 minutes ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

The reasoning for him not playing last week was hilarious. This teams obsession with STs in this day and age id mind blowing. You’d think we’d actually be good at it

To be fair the only non garbage time TDs the Pat’s have scored the past few weeks have been by their return man. 

[nosejob]

1 hour ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

Good to know we spent a 1st round pick on a DB that can only play in certain situations/schemes/gameplans/etc.

 

And people wonder why I question this GM and coaching staff so much....

He was sick and had next to no practice time so Frazier thought it wise to take a look at Rhodes. I think there were multiple illnesses IIRC listening to OBL.

Edited December 10, 2022 by nosejob

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

30 minutes ago, Buffalo Junction said:

To be fair the only non garbage time TDs the Pat’s have scored the past few weeks have been by their return man. 

I was good with them starting Rhodes and we played well. I just didn’t understand the point of not dressing him. Elam has been good. Idgaf about Cam Lewis on ST. That ***** is for guys that can’t play real positions. And that’s definitely not true I was going to just glaze over it but…the week before the Pats offense actually played very well in a loss to Minnesota 

[The Wiz]

37 minutes ago, nosejob said:

He was sick and had next to no practice time so Frazier thought it wise to take a look at Rhodes. I think there were multiple illnesses IIRC listening to OBL.

They why didn't they say that instead of saying they wanted to look at Rhodes.

 

He wasn't even on the injury report for an illness was he?

 

Edit: just checked, wasn't on the report all week.

Edited December 10, 2022 by The Wiz

[nosejob]

5 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

They why didn't they say that instead of saying they wanted to look at Rhodes.

 

He wasn't even on the injury report for an illness was he?

 

Edit: just checked, wasn't on the report all week.

Well then I stand corrected.

[MasterStrategist]

38 minutes ago, nosejob said:

He was sick and had next to no practice time so Frazier thought it wise to take a look at Rhodes. I think there were multiple illnesses IIRC listening to OBL.

I think you're mistaken...

 

Frazier specifically said Dane was ill, and that's why Dane didn't get the start.

 

He said it was a "numbers" thing for Elam.  Basically a kind way of saying they'd rather have Rhodes active, instead of Elam.  

 

Rhodes definitely didn't impress, but difficult to judge performance against Mac Jones and that offense is horrible. 

 

Mike White and the Jets will be a bigger test, I'd much rather see an athletic Elam continue to learn on the job and get experience we will need come playoffs.  Rhodes looks old/slow and isn't going to help against better passing teams. 

[Don Otreply]

Arm chair HCs & GMs are so very clever,  telling folk what they would have done in the past. Thats some low hanging fruit right there,,,.

[Augie]

3 hours ago, Victory Formation said:

McD has traditionally seemed to ease rookies in slowly over the course of the year and by the time it’s Playoff time, they’re ready for the postseason. I don’t think Elam is in the doghouse nor do I really feel that way about any rookie on the roster. McD brings the young players along slow.

 

You don’t want the “Rookie Wall” coming on game one of the playoffs. It’s the opposite of a vets day off. I’m good here. 

[BADOLBILZ]

26 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

They why didn't they say that instead of saying they wanted to look at Rhodes.

 

He wasn't even on the injury report for an illness was he?

 

Edit: just checked, wasn't on the report all week.

 

 

Elam wasn't on the report but he had been injured in the Vikings game and missed the Cleveland game with that ankle injury and was limited to 21 snaps in the Detroit game.

[The Wiz]

24 minutes ago, nosejob said:

Well then I stand corrected.

Not trying to prove you wrong, if something else was said I didn't know about it. Just going off of that report and the comments from Mcd.

[The Wiz]

5 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Elam wasn't on the report but he had been injured in the Vikings game and missed the Cleveland game with that ankle injury and was limited to 21 snaps in the Detroit game.

And that's fine. But going from, out one game limited the next and then a healthy scratch and no injury designation all week didn't sounds like he was still hurting from the previous weeks.

[Big Turk]

4 hours ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Or will he be another healthy scratch?

 

Better yet, why was he a healthy scratch last week? I'm not convinced Rhodes is the better option out there.

 

 

Likely because they didn't like Elam's run support tackling and with Stephenson, they wanted to ensure they had better tacklers in there since their WRs were milk toast 

[JDubya76]

5 hours ago, Logic said:

I saw on Twitter that the benching of Elam last week was likely due largely to gameplan.

The Bills played 80% zone against the Pats. That is definitely a strength of Rhodes and a weakness of Elam at the moment. That, combined with the fact that Elam doesn't play on special teams, and they wanted all hands on deck there against the dangerous Pats returner Marucs Jones, is likely what led to Elam being inactive.

If he continues to be inactive going forward, I'll start to be concerned. 

I wonder if they think he’s gonna pick it up or if they are going to make a move in the off-season with him to find a different, zone specialist type CB thinking that he can’t be a scheme fit.
 

Personally I think he’s smart, fast and athletic enough to pick it up in time. No need to jump ship on him yet. He seems to be a student of the game. I have high hopes for him even though he has an apparent aversion to physicality. Ultimately I’m not at practice so I don’t see what he’s doing on a daily basis like the evaluators do so for us, it is what it is.
 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by JDubya76

[LeGOATski]

6 hours ago, JDubya76 said:

I wonder if they think he’s gonna pick it up or if they are going to make a move in the off-season with him to find a different, zone specialist type CB thinking that he can’t be a scheme fit.
 

Personally I think he’s smart, fast and athletic enough to pick it up in time. No need to jump ship on him yet. He seems to be a student of the game. I have high hopes for him even though he has an apparent aversion to physicality. Ultimately I’m not at practice so I don’t see what he’s doing on a daily basis like the evaluators do so for us, it is what it is.
 

 

Since when does Elam have an aversion to physicality?

[GunnerBill]

9 hours ago, The Wiz said:

Maybin is my guess.

 

EJ? I mean not as a rookie but he was a Bills 1st rounder that ended up a healthy scratch.

[Chandler#81]

9 hours ago, The Wiz said:

Maybin is my guess.

Good guess. I’ll go with Dr. 1 Sack.

[John from Riverside]

10 hours ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

Good to know we spent a 1st round pick on a DB that can only play in certain situations/schemes/gameplans/etc.

 

And people wonder why I question this GM and coaching staff so much....

And like clockwork we have this ridiculous post 

Are you questioning the gm and coaching staff because you don’t know what the heck you’re talking about you have a nine and three team sitting in front of you that is beating some of the top teams in the league this year

[bmur66]

Rookie rest break to avoid the rookie wall.