A few random thoughts about the Saints Game - Please share yours as well

[Virgil]

Just got home from the game, where I was smart enough to put sunscreen every where but my face.  Replays at the game were not great and I haven't had a chance to watch the game highlights . So, if there's anything in here that was obvious on TV, please let me know.  And again, please share you random thought as well.

 

1 - Defensive Line rotation - With the money we spent in FA, the draft picks we used in April, and the overall defensive focus discussed all season...how in the absolute ***** did we have Phillips, AJ, and Solomon out there together for the majority of the snaps on the game's opening drive?!  I know there's a process and rotation, but anything that results in those players out there together is an absolute failure.  I was losing my mind in the stands watching them get ran all over and getting zero pressure.

 

2 - Bosa - Was he ever asked to play contain on the outside in San Diego?  I'm not questioning his skill as a pass rusher by any means, as he was one of the few guys to get into the backfield, but he could not set the edge to save his life today.  It was comically bad.

 

3 - Walker - If there's one positive from this recent draft, and I know it's only game 4, it's how well Walker has looked.  Not only has he been solid against the run, but he was a disrupter at times in the pass.  With Jones getting up there in age, who also looked good today, I'm really excited for what Walker brings to this team.

 

4 - Kincaid - While that touchdown pass was a thing of beauty, both in route and Josh throwing Kincaid open, I really want to talk about the Shakir touchdown.  Yes, Shakir deserves a ton of credit for keeping his balance and taking it to the house.  But Kincaid made THREE huge blocks on that play that made it all possible.  Kincaid was solid in protection all game, but still ready to contribute to seal the game.

 

5 - Bishop - Again, only four games in, but it does seem to look like the lights are starting to turn on for him.  Watching his interception from the stands was a thing of beauty.  I don't know why I watched him on that play, but you could see him read the Saints from the snap.  He was all over that play.  He was solid over the top and made some nice plays in the box.  Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

 

6 - Dorian Williams - I would not want to be him come tape watching time.  He was out of position on quite a few plays and got juked out of his shorts by Rattler as a spy.  

 

7 - Cook - I don't know if I have formally apologized for thinking the Bills should have traded him in the off-season and just drafted an easy replacement in the draft.  I don't know why I thought that he as 1A to Davis, Johnson, and Gore as 1B.  Jimbo has earned every penny of his new contract and is night and day the best back on the field, if not a top 5 back in the league right now.  His cuts, speed, hands, and vision have been amazing.  So why did he not get the ball once on when we only needed two yards on a potentially game sealing drive.  Also, after he got the 8 yards on first down!

 

8 - 4th and short to Shakir - I know some people questioned this call on the post-game show, but from my vantage point, Van Demark clearly missed a block on that play which would have sprung him.  Again, if I missed something live, please tell me, but Van Demark did not have a great game and that was the exclamation mark to me (no pun intended).

 

9 - Josh 2nd quarter - Am I crazy or did Josh not complete a pass in the 2nd quarter?   I remember looking at the scoreboard and seeing that he threw for either 113 or 115 in the first quarter, and ended the half with 115. Regardless, 2 yards in the 2nd quarter...how is that even possible?  This offense either makes a 80 yard drive seem like a walk in the park, or they forget what a football looks like.  It's head scratching sometimes.  Even more so, that we still are averging more than 30 points a game.

 

10 - Coaching - I'm happy I got to see this game live, so I could see the entire field.  I'm quick to come down on the coaches, but I can't do that this game.  The play calls were correct, the players just didn't execute.  Poor tackling, out of position, not getting on and off the field fast enough.  I don't know that we played down to the Saints, as they are statistically not the terrible team their record indicates, but something was off about today.  I do wonder if Oliver, Milano, or Brown would have dressed if this were the Chiefs game.  

 

 

One more thing.  I'm pretty sure Josh Allen slept with the Umpire's wife.  This guy hated us.  Almost every head scratching flag was thrown by him.  There was one flag that he threw from 30 yards down field, with three other officials closer to the play.  You could even see the white hat looking confused when they huddled.  Maybe you all saw something I didn't, but there were multiple calls that the fans had zero idea what was going on.

 

 

Lastly, while we keep getting these ridiculous spreads to cover, the Bills are still winning these games by two scores and are most likely getting the best shot from their opponents.  The Bills are the Super Bowl for some of these teams and some are getting more desperate in their seasons.  I don't think that's something to take lightly.

 

Go Bills!

Edited September 29 by Virgil

[HappyDays]

13 minutes ago, Virgil said:

Bosa - Was he ever asked to play contain on the outside in San Diego?  I'm not questioning his skill as a pass rusher by any means, as he was one of the few guys to get into the backfield, but he could not set the edge to save his life today.  It was comically bad.

 

We didn't bring him here to play contain, we brought him here to rush the passer which he's done. Babich needs to be aware of his skill set and stop leaving him on an island. It was shocking the number of outside runs where Bosa was the only player in the way of Kamara picking up chunk yardage. That is just not putting him in any kind of position to succeed.

 

15 minutes ago, Virgil said:

8 - 4th and short to Shakir - I know some people questioned this call on the post-game show, but from my vantage point, Van Demark clearly missed a block on that play which would have sprung him.  Again, if I missed something live, please tell me, but Van Demark did not have a great game and that was the exclamation mark to me (no pun intended).

 

Yeah Van Demark missed his block. But you don't call that play unless you know the RT can execute the pull. Again this comes down to coaching putting their players in a position to succeed. And even if it was Spencer Brown I still would have hated that play call. That series featured three straight plays where neither Allen or Cook touched the ball. That's a gift to the opponent.

 

19 minutes ago, Virgil said:

Walker - If there's one positive from this recent draft, and I know it's only game 4, it's how well Walker has looked.  Not only has he been solid against the run, but he was a disrupter at times in the pass.  With Jones getting up there in age, who also looked good today, I'm really excited for what Walker brings to this team.

 

Sanders popped a bit today as well. Nothing that shows up on the stat sheet but he had a couple quick wins that impacted the play. He is definitely still figuring it out and is behind Walker in his development, but I'm glad they're letting him get the reps now and not pulling him for like Jordan Phillips. When Oliver comes back healthy I get pretty excited about what that group could look like. Hopefully Hoecht gives us some legit pass rush ability because that spot opposite of Bosa has been practically non-existent through 4 weeks.

[Mark Vader]

Terrel Bernard needs to blitz more. When he became the starter at MLB 2 years ago, he was very good as a blitzer, be it immediate or delayed.

Last year he did less and less of that, and we used him in coverage more. Which he has shown to be decent in coverage.

When Bernard blitzes, as he did today, he causes havoc in the backfield. 

The Bills need to use him this way more often.

[muppy]

Codrington a healthy scratch for this game surprised me.  

 

Cole Bishop with the play of his life OH MY was that clutch and a thing of beauty

 

Josh with the pump fake then run in for the touchdown  atta boy Josh. You'e the MAN 

 

who will be our punter next week?

 

a few of my own thoughts. Great write up Virgil

 

 

[muppy]

Quote

In the Buffalo Bills Week 4 game against the New Orleans Saints on September 28, 2025, the Bills had 11 accepted penalties for 55 yards. The Saints had four accepted penalties for 41 yards. 

I wasn't able to watch the game but in the GDT the consensus was there were some weak calls ..11  called against the Bills. I don't like that

[Dan Darragh]

Here's what's on my mind:

 

I never noticed that Cook has COOK III on the back of his jersey.  Maybe it's new, or maybe it's just because his hair obscures the name plate.

 

But we all know that James has an older brother, Dalvin, and it turns out that there's an even older brother.  So if James was the third son, how did he get the Dad's name?

[jlgarsh]

8 minutes ago, Dan Darragh said:

Here's what's on my mind:

 

I never noticed that Cook has COOK III on the back of his jersey.  Maybe it's new, or maybe it's just because his hair obscures the name plate.

 

But we all know that James has an older brother, Dalvin, and it turns out that there's an even older brother.  So if James was the third son, how did he get the Dad's name?

It’s more likely that his dad’s name is James Cook Jr…so he’s James Cook III

[Buffalo716]

13 minutes ago, Dan Darragh said:

Here's what's on my mind:

 

I never noticed that Cook has COOK III on the back of his jersey.  Maybe it's new, or maybe it's just because his hair obscures the name plate.

 

But we all know that James has an older brother, Dalvin, and it turns out that there's an even older brother.  So if James was the third son, how did he get the Dad's name?

Probably cuz the father is James Cook Jr 

 

And he just didn't name either of his first two kids James.. the third kid got the same name

Edited September 29 by Buffalo716

[Ray Stonada]

My random notes (I like this thread!):

 

Samuel in for Codrington: I like it, even if Samuel is not quite as good a returner, because it gives us a WR who can play rather than a DB who doesn't.

 

Cook accelerates like an electric car

 

Jimbo is actually a better short yardage back than Ray or Ty

 

Josh getting more angry when the Bills don't play well is a great sign, he's a true mature leader now in addition to the great dude he always has been

 

On the fourth and 1: Brady got cute, running a play with a WR running sideways to the penetrating D line. Put in an FB, 2 tight ends and 6 OL and let Cook find a yard or two.

 

 

 

[Rocky Landing]

1. This offense has scored on their first possession in all four games this season.
2. This defense needs to get better. I believe they will.
3. I do believe McD used the perceived weakness of the Saints as an opportunity to see where they were with Samuel, and how useful he might be going forward. And I wonder what their conclusions are? I don't see Samuel as a better returner than Codrington. The Saints have (apparently) been abysmal on special teams. As a one-game sample, it's hard to read too far into his numbers. And i'm not sure he offers anything more than Moore does as a WR. He had a nice third down conversion, and a third down miss. But McD/Beane may feel differently.
4. I thought Van Demark played admirably, and was fine in pass pro. I have faith in the depth of the O-line, but against a better defense, I think Brown would have been sorely missed, especially in the run game.
5. Ty Johnson had an incredible '24 season. He made incredible plays every game, especially receiving. What happened? Why has his production fallen so far off?
6. Cole Bishop is really developing into a quality starter. He's gotten better each game-- and I don't think it's just that we played a weaker opponent. I also continue to have faith in Rapp, recent struggles notwithstanding. I think they have the potential to develop into a special duo.
7. TJ Sanders looked decent. But to my eyes, Deone Walker looked better.
8. GO BILLS!

[Charles Romes]

Per the Bills radio play by play broadcast Cook had a shoe issue on the sideline when we couldn’t pick up the third and 2 in two plays and nearly blew the game. 

[Niagara Dude]

3 hours ago, Virgil said:

Just got home from the game, where I was smart enough to put sunscreen every where but my face.  Replays at the game were not great and I haven't had a chance to watch the game highlights . So, if there's anything in here that was obvious on TV, please let me know.  And again, please share you random thought as well.

 

1 - Defensive Line rotation - With the money we spent in FA, the draft picks we used in April, and the overall defensive focus discussed all season...how in the absolute ***** did we have Phillips, AJ, and Solomon out there together for the majority of the snaps on the game's opening drive?!  I know there's a process and rotation, but anything that results in those players out there together is an absolute failure.  I was losing my mind in the stands watching them get ran all over and getting zero pressure.

 

2 - Bosa - Was he ever asked to play contain on the outside in San Diego?  I'm not questioning his skill as a pass rusher by any means, as he was one of the few guys to get into the backfield, but he could not set the edge to save his life today.  It was comically bad.

 

3 - Walker - If there's one positive from this recent draft, and I know it's only game 4, it's how well Walker has looked.  Not only has he been solid against the run, but he was a disrupter at times in the pass.  With Jones getting up there in age, who also looked good today, I'm really excited for what Walker brings to this team.

 

4 - Kincaid - While that touchdown pass was a thing of beauty, both in route and Josh throwing Kincaid open, I really want to talk about the Shakir touchdown.  Yes, Shakir deserves a ton of credit for keeping his balance and taking it to the house.  But Kincaid made THREE huge blocks on that play that made it all possible.  Kincaid was solid in protection all game, but still ready to contribute to seal the game.

 

5 - Bishop - Again, only four games in, but it does seem to look like the lights are starting to turn on for him.  Watching his interception from the stands was a thing of beauty.  I don't know why I watched him on that play, but you could see him read the Saints from the snap.  He was all over that play.  He was solid over the top and made some nice plays in the box.  Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

 

6 - Dorian Williams - I would not want to be him come tape watching time.  He was out of position on quite a few plays and got juked out of his shorts by Rattler as a spy.  

 

7 - Cook - I don't know if I have formally apologized for thinking the Bills should have traded him in the off-season and just drafted an easy replacement in the draft.  I don't know why I thought that he as 1A to Davis, Johnson, and Gore as 1B.  Jimbo has earned every penny of his new contract and is night and day the best back on the field, if not a top 5 back in the league right now.  His cuts, speed, hands, and vision have been amazing.  So why did he not get the ball once on when we only needed two yards on a potentially game sealing drive.  Also, after he got the 8 yards on first down!

 

8 - 4th and short to Shakir - I know some people questioned this call on the post-game show, but from my vantage point, Van Demark clearly missed a block on that play which would have sprung him.  Again, if I missed something live, please tell me, but Van Demark did not have a great game and that was the exclamation mark to me (no pun intended).

 

9 - Josh 2nd quarter - Am I crazy or did Josh not complete a pass in the 2nd quarter?   I remember looking at the scoreboard and seeing that he threw for either 113 or 115 in the first quarter, and ended the half with 115. Regardless, 2 yards in the 2nd quarter...how is that even possible?  This offense either makes a 80 yard drive seem like a walk in the park, or they forget what a football looks like.  It's head scratching sometimes.  Even more so, that we still are averging more than 30 points a game.

 

10 - Coaching - I'm happy I got to see this game live, so I could see the entire field.  I'm quick to come down on the coaches, but I can't do that this game.  The play calls were correct, the players just didn't execute.  Poor tackling, out of position, not getting on and off the field fast enough.  I don't know that we played down to the Saints, as they are statistically not the terrible team their record indicates, but something was off about today.  I do wonder if Oliver, Milano, or Brown would have dressed if this were the Chiefs game.  

 

 

One more thing.  I'm pretty sure Josh Allen slept with the Umpire's wife.  This guy hated us.  Almost every head scratching flag was thrown by him.  There was one flag that he threw from 30 yards down field, with three other officials closer to the play.  You could even see the white hat looking confused when they huddled.  Maybe you all saw something I didn't, but there were multiple calls that the fans had zero idea what was going on.

 

 

Lastly, while we keep getting these ridiculous spreads to cover, the Bills are still winning these games by two scores and are most likely getting the best shot from their opponents.  The Bills are the Super Bowl for some of these teams and some are getting more desperate in their seasons.  I don't think that's something to take lightly.

 

Go Bills!

Walker needs to starting with Oliver when Oliver returns

[GunnerBill]

3 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

We didn't bring him here to play contain, we brought him here to rush the passer which he's done. Babich needs to be aware of his skill set and stop leaving him on an island. It was shocking the number of outside runs where Bosa was the only player in the way of Kamara picking up chunk yardage. That is just not putting him in any kind of position to succeed.

 

While I definitely agree with that.... there were a couple where it was just a terrible playcall, Bosa half assed it last night when he had to play the run. There is zero doubt in my mind. That is not good enough and he needs a rocket up his arse. Yes, we want him to rush the passer, yes, when Hoecht is back we might have a better option to play opposite Greg on some of those early downs and intermediate distance plays and allow Bosa to be more of a rush specialist.... but he has to play better too. 

37 minutes ago, Niagara Dude said:

Walker needs to starting with Oliver when Oliver returns

 

They are both 3 techs. 

[ganesh]

Fix the Run Defense

Get off the field on 3rd and Longs

Involve your 2nd and 3rd RBs in the game

Still waiting for a breakout game for Josh Palmer.

Where is Dawson Knox?

Where is Taylor Rapp?

Where is Groot ?

 

Edited September 29 by ganesh

[CSBill]

I got roasted in earlier weeks for criticizing Bosa, and I'm not proud to say I was correct—pass rusher = Yes! Stopping the run on the edge = Horrible (but why the surprise? This has been the case all season).

 

The replay showed Van Demark tripping on someone's foot just before he was to lay the block on that play. If he gets that block, Shakir gains a bunch of yards. It's a good play design, just not executed. 

 

Walker and Hawes have been the highlights of the '25 draft. 

[GunnerBill]

5 hours ago, Virgil said:

 

 

5 - Bishop - Again, only four games in, but it does seem to look like the lights are starting to turn on for him.  Watching his interception from the stands was a thing of beauty.  I don't know why I watched him on that play, but you could see him read the Saints from the snap.  He was all over that play.  He was solid over the top and made some nice plays in the box.  Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

 

6 - Dorian Williams - I would not want to be him come tape watching time.  He was out of position on quite a few plays and got juked out of his shorts by Rattler as a spy.  

 

 

Agree with these two. That was Bishop's best game of the year and the interception was incredible. Big for the Bills because Taylor Rapp has had a really rough start to the year and their safety play does concern me. But on the flipside my patience has just about expired with Dorian Williams. It's a shame because I liked that pick and he is a physical specimen who can run and hit but he loses too many reps between the ears. I am not saying cut him but this is not the guy who long term succeeds Matt Milano. The Bills will have to go back to well and try and draft that next spring (somewhere in the mid rounds ideally). 

[H2o]

1st quarter Josh was unstoppable. The Saints figured it out and started changing things up. The simulated and real pressures Brandon Staley dialed reminded me of what Spags does to us.

 

I think there are many of us who have taken Spencer Brown and his development for granted.  You could CLEARLY see he was missed yesterday. I hope he's not out for an extended period of time. 

 

Our defense continues to get gouged, guys are out of position on many plays, and the pass rush is nonexistent. We can't continue to survive like this. 

 

In the end, a win is a win. Still, it was most unimpressive and we easily could have taken the L. 

Edited September 29 by H2o

[GunnerBill]

43 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Fix the Run Defense

Get off the field on 3rd and Longs

Involve your 2nd and 3rd RBs in the game

Still waiting for a breakout game for Josh Palmer.

Where is Dawson Knox?

Where is Taylor Rapp?

Where is Groot ?

 

 

Definitely don't do that one. A Davis play is like waving the white flag. 

Just now, H2o said:

1st quarter Josh was unstoppable. The Saints figured it out and started changing things up. The simulated and real pressures Dennis Allen dialed reminded me of what Spags does to us.

 

I think there are many of us who have taken Spencer Brown and his development for granted.  You could CLEARLY see he was missed yesterday. I hope he's not out for an extended period of time. 

 

Our defense continues to get gouged, guys are out of position on many plays, and the pass rush is nonexistent. We can't continue to survive like this. 

 

In the end, a win is a win. Still, it was most unimpressive and we easily could have taken the L. 

 

Dennis Allen? He is the DC in Chicago. Brandon Staley is the defensive coordinator for the Saints. 

[ProcessTruster]

Bills look good to get through the AFC this year.   I am looking at the Eagles game as the real test.   See ya in December.  

[Lost]

4 minutes ago, ProcessTruster said:

Josh Allen & James Cook look good to get through the AFC this year.   I am looking at the Eagles game as the real test.   See ya in December.  

 

Fixed it for you.   Our two stars aside, this is still the same old Cardiac Bills we've had through the years.   We barely know if we're going to make it through each game.