A Few Thoughts about the Steelers Game - Community Edition

[Virgil]

When the Bills started to get more primetime attention for their games, I thought the people on this board complaining about them were just grumpy old men.  While this wasn't a primetime game, I am finally starting to feel the non-1pm start-time fatigue.  As dumb as it sounds, I have a certain rhythm to my day before a 1pm game and these 4p or later games just don't feel the same.  

 

Also, I feel like I should note that many of these thoughts are not going to reflect a 19 point victory on the road in a crucial conference game, as I still can't figure out if the results were more about the Bills being better or the Steelers being worse.  Forgive me. 

 

1 - Late Hit on Allen - There's so many things about this moment that stand out to me.  First off, how that wasn't called by the refs is beyond insane to me.  There is no question that Queen started his tackle well after Allen began his slide and usually the refs err on the side of caution.  Not sure what happened here, but it was as bad as missed flag as I've seen.  Beyond that, so many Bills after the game said that was the turning point for them and played with attitude afterwards.  WHY?  Why does it take that hit in the final two minutes of the first half to get you motivated?  My biggest issue this season has been how this team has not even shown up for their losses, and even some of their wins.  To me, this is either coaching or the players have lost faith in the McD message.  Either way, being outside the 1 seed and the AFC East leader apparently isn't enough motivation alone.  

 

2 - Obstacle Required? - Call me crazy, but do the Bills tend to play better when they have an obvious obstacle on the team, or if there's a focal point on the opposing defense they need to scheme around?  It seems to me that whenever the Bills are going up against a TJ Watt, Parsons, missing offensive lineman, etc, that they are able to devise a scheme that overall results in a win.  However, when it's just a "must win" or scheme against an overall good team, they can't get the same results.  Watt and our minted Tackles were talked about, but never came to be a factor in the outcome of the game.  Watt didn't get a sack, nor did anyone else, and the Bills ran the ball at will.  But why do they need that extra motivation to achieve that result?

 

3 - Vintage Gabe - Remember when we were ready to let Gabe walk because he consistently gave up on routes, or ran the wrong ones?  Maybe I'm wrong, but the Josh interception seemed to be a prime example of Gabe not following through on his slant route and then not fighting for the ball.  Outside of that, Gabe was fairly non-existent as were the other receivers.  I don't want to give Coleman his own slot, but he also looked disinterested in his routes again, but thankfully came away with a touchdown.

 

4 - Benford - Benford stated post-game that he was assigned to follow Metcalf all over the field, and overall shut him down.  I can't remember many games where McD allowed that kind of shadow coverage to happen, but I'm glad to see the flexibility and result.

 

5 - Brady - I can understand how the media and others might view Brady calling the same running play over and over again would be imposing of wills and daring the other team to adjust, but to me, it's infuriating.  Yes, it worked and we won.  But we also know that it can easily not work and Brady won't know how to get away from it.  This has been feedback against Brady all season and it's frustrating to see it continue.  Brady also confirmed again that he does not know how to incorporate wide receivers into his gameplay.

 

6 - AJ - I'm sorry, but McD should have pulled him off the field after that stupid Unsportsmanlike Penalty.  AJ, you are not good enough to be pulling crap like that.  It was pointless and extended a Steelers offensive drive that was all but dead. 

 

7 - Villian - Can we please get someone from the opposing team to fight with Josh at the beginning of every game?  Clearly the vomitting, McD, and playlist aren't working for Josh anymore and he needs something else to get him going.  Thank you Heyward.  

 

8 - Cook - I mean, what else can you say about the guy.  So glad we extended him as you can just see the difference he makes out there.  His vision, cuts, burst, and overall speed is such a game changer.  His recent receptions surge has also been a nice bonus.  Many Steelers players said in the post game that they knew Cook was good, but it was next level seeing him in person.  With the way Shakir and the receivers have been non-existent as of late, it's good to know Josh has other support.  

 

9 - Josh - I would literally give anything right now for Josh to have an open and honest conversation about what's going on in his mind right now.  Josh wasn't bad in this game.  You could see him get fired up after some good runs, make some good throws, and the fiery competitor shine through at times, but Josh still isn't quite Josh.  I have no idea why, but I really do believe he's as frustrated with the coordinators and effort around him as we are.  It's very unlike Josh to show his frustration towards teammates, but you saw it on some of the false starts and broken plays.  I know Josh wants to be a good captain, but I think that also means knowing when to call people out.  Granted, not the way that Rodgers did in his postgame, but somewhere in-between.

 

10 - Pass Rush - When you only give up 7 points off a turnover, it's hard to want to talk negative about the defense.  I do still think the Steelers being inept on offense made us look better than we were.  With all of that, I'm very worried about the Bengals coming into town next week with our lack of pass rush.  We haven't received a status update on Bosa's hamstring, but he seems to be the only one that can generate any pressure right now.  Bosa's hit on Rodgers was amazing in both the execution and timing.  Burrow, with all day to throw, is a scary thought.  We aren't the same Bills offense that can keep up with a high scoring offense, so next week it going to require some work.

 

Go Bills!!!

[stlbills13]

I think we played well yesterday but I also believe the Steelers being inept covered up a lot of the same issues we've been seeing. We definitely played better than we did against Miami or Houston but still not at the level needed IMO. 

[Virgil]

1 minute ago, stlbills13 said:

I think we played well yesterday but I also believe the Steelers being inept covered up a lot of the same issues we've been seeing. We definitely played better than we did against Miami or Houston but still not at the level needed IMO. 

I honestly wonder if we win that game if Queen doesn’t get that late hit on Josh and Bosa doesn’t get the strip sack. 
 

And why did it have to come to that?  We were slugs prior to those happening.  

[RoyBatty is alive]

Great write up as always, even sans the music lyrics.

 

I have to totally disagree about #5 and Brady.  Why would it frustrate you to see that same play working so successfully.  It is more an indictment against the mighty Mike Tomlin and his DC (no wonder they were chanting Fire Mike Tomlin, to steeler fans that had to be PAINFUL to watch)..  If you have a play the opponent cant stop, you do exactly what the Bills did, keep pounding it.  It was demoralizing to the Steelers and a hug bonus for our O Line (esp with both tackles out) to run the ball.

 

#9 and Josh.  I have been thinking the same thing all year.  He has seemingly been really hyper engaged or floundering and seemingly disengaged.  And I hope this thread doesn't dissolve into armchair marriage counselors second guessing his wife.

Edited 27 minutes ago by RoyBatty is alive

[TheWei44]

Everyone is of course free to say or write whatever they want, but your post is the fan's reaction equivalent of snagging defeat from the jaws of victory after a solid win.  Not perfect by any stretch, and it doesn't mean we're SB bound or even playoff bound necessarily, but your 1-10 take is way too "glass half empty"/pessimistic/negative/woe is me than warranted in my opinion.

[RoyBatty is alive]

6 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

I think we played well yesterday but I also believe the Steelers being inept covered up a lot of the same issues we've been seeing. We definitely played better than we did against Miami or Houston but still not at the level needed IMO. 

I can 't disagree with this at all.  It felt more like the Steelers lost the game more than the Bills won it.  Similar to the Bills-Patriots game this year, we lost it with turnovers more than being beat.

[Virgil]

1 minute ago, TheWei44 said:

Everyone is of course free to say or write whatever they want, but your post is the fan's reaction equivalent of snagging defeat from the jaws of victory after a solid win.  Not perfect by any stretch, and it doesn't mean we're SB bound or even playoff bound necessarily, but your 1-10 take is way too "glass half empty"/pessimistic/negative/woe is me than warranted in my opinion.

 

I don't disagree with any of this.  This season's missed expectations has definitely done a number on me.  To think that we could easily be in control of the 1 seed in a season where the Bengals, Ravens, and Chiefs aren't contenders has ruined me a bit.

[RoyBatty is alive]

5 minutes ago, Virgil said:

I honestly wonder if we win that game if Queen doesn’t get that late hit on Josh and Bosa doesn’t get the strip sack. 
 

And why did it have to come to that?  We were slugs prior to those happening.  

Exclude the two big plays of the game and almost every NFL game  you can turn a victory into a defeat.  We beat them on BOTH sides of the ball, our O Line, especially up the middle was outstanding and put a total damper on the Steelers and the highest paid defense in the NFL/

[wjag]

The only thing that really stood out to me is how old and slow Rodgers looks.  The Bills don't get to play against many statues at QB.

[TheWei44]

Just now, Virgil said:

 

I don't disagree with any of this.  This season's missed expectations has definitely done a number on me.  To think that we could easily be in control of the 1 seed in a season where the Bengals, Ravens, and Chiefs aren't contenders has ruined me a bit.

Totally understood - It's been a rollercoaster for sure.  And extremely frustrating at times!!  I'm here in Cincy and would much rather have Josh and be 8-4 than have Burrow and be 4-8 praying for a miracle!

[nuklz2594]

aaron kromer should be OC. 

[The Jokeman]

10 minutes ago, Virgil said:

I honestly wonder if we win that game if Queen doesn’t get that late hit on Josh and Bosa doesn’t get the strip sack. 
 

And why did it have to come to that?  We were slugs prior to those happening.  

The offense was slugs, the defense played a complete game last night. I have no complaints on their efforts at all. 

[WNYFAN1]

13 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

I think we played well yesterday but I also believe the Steelers being inept covered up a lot of the same issues we've been seeing. We definitely played better than we did against Miami or Houston but still not at the level needed IMO. 

Agreed. We were struggling in the first half. Then the steelers make some terrible mistakes at the start of the second half and we "run" away with it.

 

Every game isn't going to be like this. Take the W for sure, but don't deceive yourself into thinking that all of the problems have been solved.

 

And maybe I'm alone in this, but I'd like to think our 55 million dollar MVP QB doesn't need to get hit hard in order to be fired up to play well. I mean come on, isn't this guy a pro?

[HappyDays]

23 minutes ago, Virgil said:

Brady also confirmed again that he does not know how to incorporate wide receivers into his gameplay.

 

I've been critical of Brady when warranted but I can't expect him to make chicken salad out of this group. Even Shakir has suddenly stopped being able to make routine catches and elude defenders. With him playing at his ceiling it was debatable if we were #32 or #30. With him playing like this we are undeniably the worst in the league.

 

We need Kincaid back healthy because he's clearly the only pass catcher that Allen trusts right now. The rest of the year at least 50% of targets need to be distributed to the TEs and RBs. Probably 60% or more to be honest. Brady needs to pound Cook all game long even if it's not effective early. There are no cheat codes to hiding a league-worst WR group so we need to just focus on what we do well and live with that.

 

Edited 34 minutes ago by HappyDays

[oldmanfan]

19 minutes ago, Virgil said:

When the Bills started to get more primetime attention for their games, I thought the people on this board complaining about them were just grumpy old men.  While this wasn't a primetime game, I am finally starting to feel the non-1pm start-time fatigue.  As dumb as it sounds, I have a certain rhythm to my day before a 1pm game and these 4p or later games just don't feel the same.  

 

Also, I feel like I should note that many of these thoughts are not going to reflect a 19 point victory on the road in a crucial conference game, as I still can't figure out if the results were more about the Bills being better or the Steelers being worse.  Forgive me. 

 

1 - Late Hit on Allen - There's so many things about this moment that stand out to me.  First off, how that wasn't called by the refs is beyond insane to me.  There is no question that Queen started his tackle well after Allen began his slide and usually the refs err on the side of caution.  Not sure what happened here, but it was as bad as missed flag as I've seen.  Beyond that, so many Bills after the game said that was the turning point for them and played with attitude afterwards.  WHY?  Why does it take that hit in the final two minutes of the first half to get you motivated?  My biggest issue this season has been how this team has not even shown up for their losses, and even some of their wins.  To me, this is either coaching or the players have lost faith in the McD message.  Either way, being outside the 1 seed and the AFC East leader apparently isn't enough motivation alone.  

 

2 - Obstacle Required? - Call me crazy, but do the Bills tend to play better when they have an obvious obstacle on the team, or if there's a focal point on the opposing defense they need to scheme around?  It seems to me that whenever the Bills are going up against a TJ Watt, Parsons, missing offensive lineman, etc, that they are able to devise a scheme that overall results in a win.  However, when it's just a "must win" or scheme against an overall good team, they can't get the same results.  Watt and our minted Tackles were talked about, but never came to be a factor in the outcome of the game.  Watt didn't get a sack, nor did anyone else, and the Bills ran the ball at will.  But why do they need that extra motivation to achieve that result?

 

3 - Vintage Gabe - Remember when we were ready to let Gabe walk because he consistently gave up on routes, or ran the wrong ones?  Maybe I'm wrong, but the Josh interception seemed to be a prime example of Gabe not following through on his slant route and then not fighting for the ball.  Outside of that, Gabe was fairly non-existent as were the other receivers.  I don't want to give Coleman his own slot, but he also looked disinterested in his routes again, but thankfully came away with a touchdown.

 

4 - Benford - Benford stated post-game that he was assigned to follow Metcalf all over the field, and overall shut him down.  I can't remember many games where McD allowed that kind of shadow coverage to happen, but I'm glad to see the flexibility and result.

 

5 - Brady - I can understand how the media and others might view Brady calling the same running play over and over again would be imposing of wills and daring the other team to adjust, but to me, it's infuriating.  Yes, it worked and we won.  But we also know that it can easily not work and Brady won't know how to get away from it.  This has been feedback against Brady all season and it's frustrating to see it continue.  Brady also confirmed again that he does not know how to incorporate wide receivers into his gameplay.

 

6 - AJ - I'm sorry, but McD should have pulled him off the field after that stupid Unsportsmanlike Penalty.  AJ, you are not good enough to be pulling crap like that.  It was pointless and extended a Steelers offensive drive that was all but dead. 

 

7 - Villian - Can we please get someone from the opposing team to fight with Josh at the beginning of every game?  Clearly the vomitting, McD, and playlist aren't working for Josh anymore and he needs something else to get him going.  Thank you Heyward.  

 

8 - Cook - I mean, what else can you say about the guy.  So glad we extended him as you can just see the difference he makes out there.  His vision, cuts, burst, and overall speed is such a game changer.  His recent receptions surge has also been a nice bonus.  Many Steelers players said in the post game that they knew Cook was good, but it was next level seeing him in person.  With the way Shakir and the receivers have been non-existent as of late, it's good to know Josh has other support.  

 

9 - Josh - I would literally give anything right now for Josh to have an open and honest conversation about what's going on in his mind right now.  Josh wasn't bad in this game.  You could see him get fired up after some good runs, make some good throws, and the fiery competitor shine through at times, but Josh still isn't quite Josh.  I have no idea why, but I really do believe he's as frustrated with the coordinators and effort around him as we are.  It's very unlike Josh to show his frustration towards teammates, but you saw it on some of the false starts and broken plays.  I know Josh wants to be a good captain, but I think that also means knowing when to call people out.  Granted, not the way that Rodgers did in his postgame, but somewhere in-between.

 

10 - Pass Rush - When you only give up 7 points off a turnover, it's hard to want to talk negative about the defense.  I do still think the Steelers being inept on offense made us look better than we were.  With all of that, I'm very worried about the Bengals coming into town next week with our lack of pass rush.  We haven't received a status update on Bosa's hamstring, but he seems to be the only one that can generate any pressure right now.  Bosa's hit on Rodgers was amazing in both the execution and timing.  Burrow, with all day to throw, is a scary thought.  We aren't the same Bills offense that can keep up with a high scoring offense, so next week it going to require some work.

 

Go Bills!!!

Point # 5 is just silly IMHO.  Brady has not done well the past couple games but he was spot on yesterday.  He found a weakness in that the Steelers couldn’t handle the run and exploited it.

[The Jokeman]

5 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

I don't disagree with any of this.  This season's missed expectations has definitely done a number on me.  To think that we could easily be in control of the 1 seed in a season where the Bengals, Ravens, and Chiefs aren't contenders has ruined me a bit.

With all of the above likely not making the playoffs I suspect we might move up by season's end to either be the #2 seed or maybe at worse #5 or #6. Either way it wouldn't shock me to see us to hose one game at High Mark this offseason. That said with the field as it is, playing on the road might not be a bad way to find a way to get to the Super Bowl. 

[GoBills808]

1 minute ago, HappyDays said:

 

I've been critical of Brady when warranted but I can't expect him to make chicken salad out of this group. Even Shakir has suddenly stopped being able to make routine catches and elude defenders. With him playing at his ceiling it was debatable if we were #32 or #30. With him playing like this we are undeniably the worst in the league.

 

We need Kincaid back healthy because he's clearly the only pass catcher that Allen trusts right now. The rest of the year at least 50% of targets need to be distributed to the TEs and RBs. Brady needs to pound Cook all game long even if it's not effective early. There are no cheat codes to hiding a league-worst WR group so we need to just focus on what we do well and live with that.

imo shakir has been playing w an injury the whole season

 

he'll be better next year

[Figster]

20 minutes ago, Virgil said:

When the Bills started to get more primetime attention for their games, I thought the people on this board complaining about them were just grumpy old men.  While this wasn't a primetime game, I am finally starting to feel the non-1pm start-time fatigue.  As dumb as it sounds, I have a certain rhythm to my day before a 1pm game and these 4p or later games just don't feel the same.  

 

Also, I feel like I should note that many of these thoughts are not going to reflect a 19 point victory on the road in a crucial conference game, as I still can't figure out if the results were more about the Bills being better or the Steelers being worse.  Forgive me. 

 

1 - Late Hit on Allen - There's so many things about this moment that stand out to me.  First off, how that wasn't called by the refs is beyond insane to me.  There is no question that Queen started his tackle well after Allen began his slide and usually the refs err on the side of caution.  Not sure what happened here, but it was as bad as missed flag as I've seen.  Beyond that, so many Bills after the game said that was the turning point for them and played with attitude afterwards.  WHY?  Why does it take that hit in the final two minutes of the first half to get you motivated?  My biggest issue this season has been how this team has not even shown up for their losses, and even some of their wins.  To me, this is either coaching or the players have lost faith in the McD message.  Either way, being outside the 1 seed and the AFC East leader apparently isn't enough motivation alone.  

 

2 - Obstacle Required? - Call me crazy, but do the Bills tend to play better when they have an obvious obstacle on the team, or if there's a focal point on the opposing defense they need to scheme around?  It seems to me that whenever the Bills are going up against a TJ Watt, Parsons, missing offensive lineman, etc, that they are able to devise a scheme that overall results in a win.  However, when it's just a "must win" or scheme against an overall good team, they can't get the same results.  Watt and our minted Tackles were talked about, but never came to be a factor in the outcome of the game.  Watt didn't get a sack, nor did anyone else, and the Bills ran the ball at will.  But why do they need that extra motivation to achieve that result?

 

3 - Vintage Gabe - Remember when we were ready to let Gabe walk because he consistently gave up on routes, or ran the wrong ones?  Maybe I'm wrong, but the Josh interception seemed to be a prime example of Gabe not following through on his slant route and then not fighting for the ball.  Outside of that, Gabe was fairly non-existent as were the other receivers.  I don't want to give Coleman his own slot, but he also looked disinterested in his routes again, but thankfully came away with a touchdown.

 

4 - Benford - Benford stated post-game that he was assigned to follow Metcalf all over the field, and overall shut him down.  I can't remember many games where McD allowed that kind of shadow coverage to happen, but I'm glad to see the flexibility and result.

 

5 - Brady - I can understand how the media and others might view Brady calling the same running play over and over again would be imposing of wills and daring the other team to adjust, but to me, it's infuriating.  Yes, it worked and we won.  But we also know that it can easily not work and Brady won't know how to get away from it.  This has been feedback against Brady all season and it's frustrating to see it continue.  Brady also confirmed again that he does not know how to incorporate wide receivers into his gameplay.

 

6 - AJ - I'm sorry, but McD should have pulled him off the field after that stupid Unsportsmanlike Penalty.  AJ, you are not good enough to be pulling crap like that.  It was pointless and extended a Steelers offensive drive that was all but dead. 

 

7 - Villian - Can we please get someone from the opposing team to fight with Josh at the beginning of every game?  Clearly the vomitting, McD, and playlist aren't working for Josh anymore and he needs something else to get him going.  Thank you Heyward.  

 

8 - Cook - I mean, what else can you say about the guy.  So glad we extended him as you can just see the difference he makes out there.  His vision, cuts, burst, and overall speed is such a game changer.  His recent receptions surge has also been a nice bonus.  Many Steelers players said in the post game that they knew Cook was good, but it was next level seeing him in person.  With the way Shakir and the receivers have been non-existent as of late, it's good to know Josh has other support.  

 

9 - Josh - I would literally give anything right now for Josh to have an open and honest conversation about what's going on in his mind right now.  Josh wasn't bad in this game.  You could see him get fired up after some good runs, make some good throws, and the fiery competitor shine through at times, but Josh still isn't quite Josh.  I have no idea why, but I really do believe he's as frustrated with the coordinators and effort around him as we are.  It's very unlike Josh to show his frustration towards teammates, but you saw it on some of the false starts and broken plays.  I know Josh wants to be a good captain, but I think that also means knowing when to call people out.  Granted, not the way that Rodgers did in his postgame, but somewhere in-between.

 

10 - Pass Rush - When you only give up 7 points off a turnover, it's hard to want to talk negative about the defense.  I do still think the Steelers being inept on offense made us look better than we were.  With all of that, I'm very worried about the Bengals coming into town next week with our lack of pass rush.  We haven't received a status update on Bosa's hamstring, but he seems to be the only one that can generate any pressure right now.  Bosa's hit on Rodgers was amazing in both the execution and timing.  Burrow, with all day to throw, is a scary thought.  We aren't the same Bills offense that can keep up with a high scoring offense, so next week it going to require some work.

 

Go Bills!!!

The AJ BS really pissed me off, wtf, are you really that supid?

 

The running and catching skills of James Cook is our path to Superbowl in my humble opinion Virgil.

 

I Billieve...

[HappyDays]

1 minute ago, GoBills808 said:

imo shakir has been playing w an injury the whole season

 

he'll be better next year

 

That and he has a new baby at home. He's looked unfocused the past two games. I agree I'm not overly concerned about his play in the long term. I'd like to give him a game off to recover if we can help it. We probably need him against Cincy and NE but maybe the Cleveland week he can pop up on the injury report and give him a week to rehab.

[KCNC]

This team has to stop the turnovers.  Luckily yesterday they did not bite them too much.