A Few Thoughts about the Pats Game - Post yours as well

[Virgil]

If there's one benefit about adjusting the format of these "thoughts" in this new format, is that I don't feel the need to wait a day and let the emotions calm down.  Time to let it fly...

 

1 - Maye and Diggs - Credit where credit is due.  Diggs carved us up and Maye didn't make as many mistakes as Josh did.  Maye and Diggs sealed this game on the final drive with Maye eluding the Jones sack and Diggs getting the YAC.  It's tough for me to root for Diggs and his new "leader" mentality, because you know it's only a matter of time until he becomes the Diggs at the end of his Bills tenure.  It's also not great to see another QB develop in our division that will be around for a while. 

 

2 - Tre - I really hope Hairston is able to get on the field soon and be worthy of his 1st round status, because it's painful to watch Tre get abused out there.  I was hoping Strong would become another Benford, but his sudden IR stint and rumors about his neck have me worried.  Regardless, Tre gets lost out there too easily and opposing offenses are finding him.  This isn't to say that Benford has been lock down by any means, but Tre needs to get off the field.

 

3 - Brady - I understand having the occasional trick play or misdirection to keep the opposing defense honest, but they should not be in our scripted drives and we should not be seeing them as much as we are through five weeks.  We are maybe 50/50 successful with them and they've been drive killers as of late.  Also, why would you run a sweep with Knox of all people?  Just a terrible play call, execution, and a momentum killer early in the game.  I know we've been scoring 30 a game, but it really feels like our drive are all or nothing.  We need to get back to basics, let Josh and Jimbo Cook, and move adjust as needed.  We are playing way too cute.  Cook's rushing numbers in this game were abysmal, and I can't say that it's because the Pats defense shut him down.  

 

4 - Kincaid - If there's one bright spot on offense, it's been the emergence of Kincaid these past few weeks.  Not only has become a focus, but he's really shown some great route running and finding gaps in space.  Sadly, he's the only consistent pass catcher out there right now, minus maybe Shakir.  

 

5 - Coleman - After a terrible start to the game with a fumble and penalty, Coleman went right back to being our 50/50 jump ball guy.  I just don't understand how that's the only thing we seem to think he is good for.  Can Coleman not run actual scripted routes and get open on his own?  Whatever we were hearing in the preseason about a next step from Coleman seems to be greatly exaggerated.  Since the 4th quarter of the Ravens game, he's been the same disappearing act in this offense until it's time to throw up prayers.

 

6 - Josh - This was not a great game for him, and I'm not talking about the loss or stats.  Replays showed a lot of open guys for either check downs, or guys that got open after Josh bailed from the pocket too quickly.  I think the first quarter really got in Josh's head as you could see his body language on the sideline.  I think Josh starting getting impatient and became one dimension.  Roll to the right, look for someone to get open, or run with it.  I know Brady and those around him weren't doing him any favors, but he still needs to calm down.

 

7 - Milano - I would love to know what the actual status was of Milano's injury prior to this game, and if he was rushed back.  I would think not, missing four games, but to not even make it to halftime before leaving with another pectoral injury isn't a good look.  Either way, this has to be our last season relying on him as a starter.  I love Milano, I really do, but he's just not reliable out there anymore.  The defense was shell of itself once he left the game and we can't keep doing this year after year with him.

 

8 - McD - It's always tough for me to pin things on the head coach, because you don't know what the distribution of tasks are amongst the coaching staff.  However, penalties and how players get up for the game fall on the HC for me.  Granted, the refs were calling some pretty weak calls in the first half, but this is the 3rd straight game where the Bills just didn't have it going out the gate.  I don't doubt that we are getting the best effort from opposing teams, as you could see what this win meant to the Pats, but we are not coming out like a Super Bowl favorite, and it doesn't make any sense.  For that, it has to fall on McD.

 

9 - Groot - I really thought this was finally going to be his coming out game after the first drive, but then I never noticed him again.  Maybe the Pats made protection adjustments, but all of our pressure seemed to come up the middle or from blitzes in this game.  AJ did get a hand on a pass and Bosa got pressure a few times, but overall were ineffective.  I get that Oliver is hurt, but there is still no excuse for our DE's to be this ineffective with all the money and time we've invested there.

 

10 - 4-1 - While I'm not happy we lost, you had to know a loss was coming somewhere in this stretch with the way we've been playing.  I was hoping our slow starts and poor defense would have been a wake-up call sooner, but maybe we needed a loss to get going.  Who knows.  Either way, we are still in good shape, get defensive reinforcements after next week, and still have a relatively easy schedule.  It sucks to lose to the Pats and on a fun night with new uniforms (which will be forever tainted and a waste of money for a lot of fans), but all is fine.  The reality is, if this is the actual Bills team, as well as the team we saw for half against the Saints and Dolphins, then maybe we weren't the team we thought we were.

 

Go Bills!

[Roundybout]

I have a few thoughts but the main one is this:

 

 

Tre White is unplayable. He is atrocious. He’s beyond a liability, he cannot cover a pee-wee receiver. I hope to god that Hairston is starting soon because this is insanity. 
 

It says a lot about Beane that we have to resort to Tre. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Roundybout

[HappyDays]

I understand every team has flaws, there are maybe no powerhouses this year, certainly not in the AFC. What annoys me is that I think we could have been the powerhouse. I was not a fan of the team building strategy this offseason, at all. We spent almost all of our resources on McDermott's side of the ball and left the MVP with scraps. Surprise surprise, the defense looks the same as it did last year and a historically mistake-free offense is reverting to the mean. That was an easy outcome to predict and the people in charge didn't see it coming.

 

I still think we are just one legit outside WR away from being an offense that can steamroll teams. That to me was the best chance we had of being a powerhouse team. Score 35+ every single game. The goal this year is to be the #1 seed. Don't look now but the Colts have an easy peasy schedule the rest of the year while we have some tough opponents after the bye. They and the Lions look like the best teams in the NFL right now and it's not with dominant defense, it's with offenses that are steamrolling their opponents and running up the score. That's how you win a Super Bowl in the modern era. I'm worried that we blew it in the offseason and I have no reason to think McDermott and Beane are going to learn from their mistake.

 

They still have a chance to rectify it. If they trade for a CB at the deadline I'll know they haven't learned. They need to make a trade at the only position that will make a legit difference to the outcome of games. When Maye got out of the pocket tonight he had his guy working open. Diggs turned back the clock tonight. When Allen got out of the pocket he was holding holding holding the ball and nobody was separating. That is where the biggest room for improvement still exists on the roster and I really hope Beane can see it, his little WGR rant notwithstanding.

 

Edited 2 hours ago by HappyDays

[RobbRiddick]

You know how even when you're 40 you always revert to acting like a high schooler when you go to a school reunion? I think this is what happens to Josh whenever he's back in a stadium with Diggs. 

 

 

[Big Blitz]

We couldn’t cover ACL 12 months ago and 32 year old Diggs.  
 

We should be fine against London, Egbuka, Evans, Godwin, AJB, Smith, Nicco, Rice, and in a SB that might have Puka and Adams.  

[BillsFan130]

1. I actually thought Josh played pretty well. He had some bad moments including the INt, but hard to dominate when there's nothing on the ground and WRs can't get open 

 

2. Joe Brady was awful- Little better the 2nd half, but what the hell was that first half play calling?

 

3. Bills defence is still a problem. I actually pin most of this loss on the offence, but this defence just doesn't have it. Poor play calling, slow corners and inconsistent pass rushers

 

4. Penalties- Some bad calls by the refs, some undisciplined plays by the bills. It's been a problem back to back weeks

 

All in all- This team hasn't been good the first 5 weeks.

Josh bailed them out the first game, and we had a soft schedule the last few games.

Its time to start playing better in a hurry

[JaCrispy]

I don’t know how the Bills fix this defense- even in the offseason…

 

2 DE’s will be be free agents, so we will likely have to acquire a starter in FA or the draft…. 
 

DT Jones is a FA so we will need a staring 1T…

 

Milano is a FA so we will need a starting OLB…

 

On top of all that, we still need a #1 WR…

 

It literally feels like Groundhog Day, as this team keeps spinning its tires, and never improving…

 

No wonder Josh said it is no longer superbowl or bust, for him- but rather he said he’s just going out and trying to have fun playing…

 

 

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by JaCrispy

[wppete]

1. Trey White should not be playing on this team. Anyone else is a better option.

 

2. Bobby Babitch should be demoted and McDermott take over play calling . 

[Aussie Joe]

2 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

 

I think we a legit outside WR away from being an offense that can steamroll teams. That to me was the best chance we had of being a powerhouse team. Score 35+ every single game. The goal this year is to be the #1 seed. Don't look now but the Colts have an easy peasy schedule the rest of the year while we have some tough opponents after the bye. They and the Lions look like the best teams in the NFL right now and it's not with dominant defense, it's with offenses that are steamrolling their opponents and running up the score. That's how you win a Super Bowl in the modern era. I'm worried that we blew it in the offseason and I have no reason to think McDermott and Beane are going to learn from their mistake.

 

 

I’ll settle right now for the Colts in the AFCCG…home or away..

 

[Dick_Cheney]

1. We need a dominant WR. 

 

2. The defense has problems. Tre is brutal. The missed tackles are so, so brutal to watch happen every game. 

 

3. We need a dominant WR. 

 

4. Knox is a liability.

 

5. I think Josh is starting to feel the pressure that he has to do more to compensate for what the defense isn't doing. He also knows he doesn't have the weapons he truly needs. These two things feed into each other and then you get games like tonight. It's gotta ***** with his head to watch them give up those sideline snipes over and over and know that he's going to have to try to compensate somehow when he gets the ball. Tonight, he couldn't do it. 

[Allen2Moulds]

Lack of creativity on defense is killing us. Besides the one time we used Shaq as a spy, they just let Maye scramble to his right over and over. How about a corner blitz from that side, or do something to contain him. Babich right now doesn't seem to have enough answers.

Also, Tre White needs to get off the field and so does Rapp. Both are too slow and even when in position, they are unable to close on the ball. You need to either have size or speed. How do we manage to lack both?

Shaq right now is our best LB.

[TFBillsfan]

9 minutes ago, Roundybout said:

I have a few thoughts but the main one is this:

 

 

Tre White is unplayable. He is atrocious. He’s beyond a liability, he cannot cover a pee-wee receiver. I hope to god that Hairston is starting soon because this is insanity. 
 

It says a lot about Beane that we have to resort to Tre. 

Tre is getting a lot of heat and deservable so. But I thought our entire secondary was garbage tonight. 

[GoBills808]

Our September champions crown is safe at least

[0017]

It’s time to make that all in move that we’ve seen teams like the eagles and rams and Lakers make, give up a first or two and get a difference maker on offense or defense I really don’t care! Just push the chips in this year please!!! 
 

that’s it for my hissy fit!
On the bright side I thought the entire team played very hard and just lost a close one it happens, clean up the penalties and turnovers and were good! On to the next game! Go Bills! 

[ALLinALLEN]

you let diggs go for 146, 11 penalties, and turned it over 3 times...bad loss but were in for the long haul and this outcome has me zeroed worried for how well look post season. clean it TF up.

[BeastMaster]

I think that Diggs has a negative affect on Josh.

 

His two worst games the past two seasons have been this one and the Texans game

 

I think Josh feels some sort of pressure when he sees him on the opposing team and it brings out the worst version of Josh

[UConn James]

No matter how many draft picks or %age of the salary cap McD devotes to the DL, we never get pressure or actually get the sack, unless it's a coverage sack or in garbage time.

Might as well just sign cardboard cutouts.

[Dick_Cheney]

1 minute ago, 0017 said:

It’s time to make that all in move that we’ve seen teams like the eagles and rams and Lakers make, give up a first or two and get a difference maker on offense or defense I really don’t care! Just push the chips in this year please!!! 
 

that’s it for my hissy fit!
On the bright side I thought the entire team played very hard and just lost a close one it happens, clean up the penalties and turnovers and were good! On to the next game! Go Bills! 

 

I am also a believer in this. We absolutely need to sell the house and fix these gaps. We’re not going to be in a better position next year than we are right now, along with how the rest of the AFC is shaking out. 

 

I’ll be truly disgusted if we don’t end up making a few very high profile trades by the deadline. 

[zow2]

Stop playing such conservative football in the first half. That style of play is reserved for teams that play solid 3rd down defense and get off the field. Not for Buffalo with Allen.

[SCBills]

We have alot of issues. This team is 4-1 because we have Josh Allen and James Cook.  Thats about it. 
 

On the bright side, Kincaid truly looks like a top tier TE weapon.  
 

On the downside, currently..  DL issues, CB2 and Outside WR are fatal flaws, with LB a concern due to Milano being a guy we just cannot rely on. 
 

Maybe Oliver, Hoecht and Ogunjobi, along with development from Sanders and Walker stabilize the DL.  
 

Maybe Hairston comes back, but I’m not sure the team can count on that. 
 

Outside WR is a problem, has been a problem and under Beane might always be a problem.  They need to make a move before the deadline because this Offense will need to score and as currently constructed goes through lulls due to this issue. 
 

Flashing red lights/Terminal flaw.. Tre White can’t be our CB2.