Game week thread - Bengals at Bills (flexed to 1pm ET)

[Kelly to Allen]

I'm really hoping Greg Rousseau completely wrecks this game. He's capable of doing it but man that would be huge. Burrow gets the ball out quick tho 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

1 minute ago, Kelly to Allen said:

I'm really hoping Greg Rousseau completely wrecks this game. He's capable of doing it but man that would be huge. Burrow gets the ball out quick tho 

Man, hope you are right, but I am not seeing it. This dude is turning into Shaq 2.0– good edge setter. I haven’t seen any sort of explosive rushes out of him. 

[stlbills13]

I think we have better CB's to match up with them now. But worried this is a game where Tre gets burned. Hope our staff is ready to turn to Max early and often.

 

Really the key will be on offense. We have to feed Cook but they need to be ready to adjust when Cincy starts stacking the box like Miami did. Hopefully Kincaid is healthy and can play because our best offensive games have involved heavy doses of him. Would also like to see Cooks featured a little more. 

 

When my kids visited Santa on Monday, he asked what their dad wants for Christmas. I told him I want the Bills to stop running the screen to Shakir. Time for Santa to show up. 

[nosejob]

1 hour ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

172 yards on the ground was cincys 2nd highest total of the year.  Buffalo also had more penalties and lost in time of possession by about 8 minutes. 

 

Fact is dorsey was gone midway through the next season because he would fall into bad pass heavy habits.  Frazier was literally fired for this game plan. 

 

As for their defense bottling up buffalo - 

Reader gone

Bates gone

Pratt gone

Wilson gone

Hilton gone

Hubbard gone

Hendrickson out

 

Hasn't been that long but teams change pretty quickly in the NFL. 

Thanks for this. I was thinking about this. Maybe Josh, Gabe, Cooks, Shavers and Palmer? can stretch them out right out the gate and put some points up quick.......

then feed them some rock.

[Kelly to Allen]

2 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Man, hope you are right, but I am not seeing it. This dude is turning into Shaq 2.0– good edge setter. I haven’t seen any sort of explosive rushes out of him. 

 

He was absolutely dominant vs KC. Please big Greg we need you buddy!!!

 

 

[boater]

Cincinnati may have a poor record (due to missing Burrow for two months), but if they win out--they could win the division. They will be motivated for this game.

 

Which of the bipolar Bills will show up? The one that trounces the competition like the Steelers game? Or the one that folds like a cheap lawn chair?

 

Bills run game is >> Bengals run D, maybe significantly so

Bills passing game will be anemic due to injuries

Josh will be average, but will not cause any turnovers (his December record is exemplary)

Joe Brady was effective last week, and will be again this week.

 

Bengals run game is not great but they face a porous Bills D

Joe Burrow will have an average day in poor weather against a slightly improved Bflo secondary.

Zac Taylor is no Andy Reid. (that may be a bad analogy, Reid may be average--but elevated by Mahomes)

 

Only because it's a home game, do I think the Bills will eek out a narrow victory. Burrows win streak against the Bills will come to an end.

 

[WNYFAN1]

17 minutes ago, boater said:

Cincinnati may have a poor record (due to missing Burrow for two months), but if they win out--they could win the division. They will be motivated for this game.

 

Which of the bipolar Bills will show up? The one that trounces the competition like the Steelers game? Or the one that folds like a cheap lawn chair?

 

Bills run game is >> Bengals run D, maybe significantly so

Bills passing game will be anemic due to injuries

Josh will be average, but will not cause any turnovers (his December record is exemplary)

Joe Brady was effective last week, and will be again this week.

 

Bengals run game is not great but they face a porous Bills D

Joe Burrow will have an average day in poor weather against a slightly improved Bflo secondary.

Zac Taylor is no Andy Reid. (that may be a bad analogy, Reid may be average--but elevated by Mahomes)

 

Only because it's a home game, do I think the Bills will eek out a narrow victory. Burrows win streak against the Bills will come to an end.

 

"Josh will be average, but will not cause any turnovers (his December record is exemplary)"

 

Well, here's to hoping but that would be a change from his pattern this season.

[Livinginthepast]

40 minutes ago, boater said:

Cincinnati may have a poor record (due to missing Burrow for two months), but if they win out--they could win the division. They will be motivated for this game.

 

Which of the bipolar Bills will show up? The one that trounces the competition like the Steelers game? Or the one that folds like a cheap lawn chair?

 

Bills run game is >> Bengals run D, maybe significantly so

Bills passing game will be anemic due to injuries

Josh will be average, but will not cause any turnovers (his December record is exemplary)

Joe Brady was effective last week, and will be again this week.

 

Bengals run game is not great but they face a porous Bills D

Joe Burrow will have an average day in poor weather against a slightly improved Bflo secondary.

Zac Taylor is no Andy Reid. (that may be a bad analogy, Reid may be average--but elevated by Mahomes)

 

Only because it's a home game, do I think the Bills will eek out a narrow victory. Burrows win streak against the Bills will come to an end.

 

I'm terrified that Burrow will be carving our defense with quick passes just like he did in the previous 3 games vs us. Our soft zone will not get close to these receivers and we wont get to him in time with our pass rush. In addition to your point, when we lost to Burrow in the playoffs, the weather wasnt the best in Buffalo and the field was icy but it was Burrow and the Bengals that excelled and we looked completely unprepared for the conditions (in addition to the Bengals).

[HappyDays]

47 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

Really the key will be on offense. We have to feed Cook but they need to be ready to adjust when Cincy starts stacking the box like Miami did.

 

IMO our problem against Miami wasn't that they stacked the box, it's that it was one of the only games all year where our blockers were losing their 1v1s. I think we came into the game a bit lazy thinking we could cruise to an easy win, and weren't prepared for a Miami team that was ready for a dogfight. I welcome stacked boxes honestly. If Cook finds a crease and gets through the box that's where you see those 40+ yard TD runs. Cincy has a bad front 7 so I expect us to win our 1v1s. I'm not expecting Kincaid or Palmer to play so this will need to be another Pittsburgh type game plan.

[Sierra Foothills]

10 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

Again, the most encouraging development in the Steelers game were the contributions made by Ray Davis and Ty Johnson.

 

It gives one hope that we won't run James Cook into the ground before the playoffs even begin.

 

10 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Cook doesn’t take many big shots.  He doesn’t have much wear.  Ideally we control the clock, keep Burrow off the field.  Get up early and then you can use Davis and Johnson more.  
If the Bengals are keeping up, got to keep Cook on the field.

 

Yes, he has to play enough to help ensure victory.

 

In 16 games last year, Cook had a total of 239 touches (14.93/game).

 

In 12 games this year, he has a total of 258 touches (21.5/game).

 

By its nature playing football means you're one play away from a catastrophic injury. Handling the ball 7 more times each game exposes him to that no matter how well he protects himself and avoids big shots.

 

Furthermore, wear and tear doesn't only mean taking shots. Every run is a combination of explosive movements and endurance exertion. Usage leads to fatigue. Fatigue leads to injury.

 

The less we can use Cook and still win, the better.

 

Edited 56 minutes ago by Sierra Foothills

[bills742]

 

 

Edited 40 minutes ago by bills742

[MikePJ76]

Mcdermott just said AJ is fine and will play.

 

sounds like no kincaid or palmer.  Which is amazing to me but no one cares.

[HappyDays]

Epenesa being able to play is big. That gives us at least a modicum of pass rush opposite of Rousseau.

[bills742]

1 minute ago, MikePJ76 said:

Mcdermott just said AJ is fine and will play.

 

sounds like no kincaid or palmer.  Which is amazing to me but no one cares.

I still have hope that Kincaid can go. Even though he has a knee brace, he's been in a regular (non-red) jersey during practice. 

[MikePJ76]

3 minutes ago, bills742 said:

I still have hope that Kincaid can go. Even though he has a knee brace, he's been in a regular (non-red) jersey during practice. 

sean explained how as he was working through his hamstring rehab he re-injured or it caused the knee which was bothering him in the summer to bother him again.  then he said he would be limited in practice today.

 

I can't see anyway he plays in a potential snow game with a slipper surface.  

[Chandler#81]

This guy may be good..🤔

 

[Warriorspikes51]

6 minutes ago, MikePJ76 said:

sean explained how as he was working through his hamstring rehab he re-injured or it caused the knee which was bothering him in the summer to bother him again.  then he said he would be limited in practice today.

 

I can't see anyway he plays in a potential snow game with a slipper surface.  

 

this kind of stuff is starting to happen way too much.  What is the training staff doing???

[Einstein]

Did Palmer get reinjured or is this still the lingering original?

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

2 hours ago, finn said:

Of all these, I'm most glad Reader is gone, along with Anarumo. Both of them had our number. Without having to face them, I don't see why the Bills wouldn't plan another Pittsburgh job. I mean, the Bengals are giving up 160 ydg rushing, the worst in the league. It's not brain science, especially with the incentive to keep an explosive offense off the field. (Imagine Allen throwing to Chase and Higgins instead of the cast of Gilligan's Island. Now THAT would be an explosive offensive.)

 

The hard part will be to keep the run game going if Burrows quickly scores TDs on every possession. What a weird game that would be: lightning drive/plodding drive, lightning drive/plodding drive. 

 

BEANE! Couldn't you have found Allen even ONE wide receiver? 

 

I wish we did add more at WR, I'll make that clear. But I think there HAS to be balance to win championships in the NFL. Even looking back at the kelly bills, when another team was able to run the ball it screws everything up.  Fewer possessions and more of a sense of urgency because of the lack of possession time. I don't think that means we need to run the ball constantly, I just mean I don't want to build a team around 2 WRs and 1QB if that makes any sense?

 

To your 2nd point about what if burrow carves buffalo up? The entire offense would need to play amazing to win in that scenario. If Buffalo puts close to 200 on the ground against you, even incompletions or penalties, or sacks can become game killing plays because a running team squeezes the clock. We'll see how it plays out! I think on the road it's difficult to just say we're going to dictate, not to mention very different personnel on both sides - namely hopefully less playing time for dane Jackson and kaiir elam. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

Still can’t believe cincy didn’t trade Hendrickson in the offseason …what a mess.  Surprised it’s lookin like he’s not making his return against us with how our luck has been 😂

7 minutes ago, Einstein said:

Did Palmer get reinjured or is this still the lingering original?

Still original I’m pretty sure…I think he’s got a high ankle sprain from that allegedly not but sure looked like one to me hip drop tackle in the falcons game lol. And those injuries are notoriously nagging