If blaming 1 player for the safety, it would be...

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

Willis McGahee.

 

First, I do not think one player is at fault for multiple breakdowns which start with some questionable play calling in this danger zone in a tight game on the road. I goes from there to some blocking failures against a blitzing Bucs D which smelled blood, some inaccurate passing by JP and losing the field position battle here so more than one player is actually to blame.

 

Second, who of importance cares who I blame anyway so like the rest of us fans this is simply my rant.

 

However, WM bears some special attention which I have not seen or hear mentioned to this point because of two incredibly ineffective efforts on his part at blitz pick-up.

 

TC called a pass on 1st down from the 1 yard line or so (a questionable call which if it works TC is brilliant but it didn't so in hindsight he did the wrong thing). A TB DL player rushed and the OL only delayed him a little (either a player whiffed for the most part or even worse the plan was to chip him a bit which was done either inadvetently or by plan) and the RB (WM I presime but I couldn't make out the number neither effectively engaged the rusher preventing a leap or simply cut him down. This rusher stuck his hands up an tipped the JP pass which fortunately fell to the ground rather than being intercepted.

 

The second missed blitz pick-up was when the an entire side of the TB D came in on the rush on 3rd down and JP neither picked up the blitz and threw to a hot receiver or threw it away immediately, but WM simply whiffed on an effort to stop the rusher and JP was forced out of the back of the endzone for a safety.

 

While no one can be singled out for the blame since multiple players and the coaches all were to blame for some failure. I think WM gets special note for likely failing to do his job two times.

 

Like most rookies he needs some work on blitz pick-up so we have no choice really but to play him and hope his failings are not as fatal as yesterday.

 

If even an eggplant like Travis Henry can learn and improve on blitz pick-up (he was never great at it, but early in his career he was so bad that his miss led to a sack of none other than Doug Flutie who had come into replace RJ after one of his many injuries, but he did improve this facet of his game such that it was not an issue of complaint against him by even those who hated Henry until late in his career when some folks were simply shopping for reasons why he should be cut rather than simply wait and trade him for value as TD did.

 

These same posters foolishly tried to claim that the Bills improved as soon as WM took the field and WM being great at blitz pick-up while TH sucked was a big part of the reason why.

 

The facts seem to be that yes the Bills improved big time but actually it took several games for WM to gain full confidence in the knee and once he did we improved in significant part because of his outside speed, his powerful stiff arm and him simply being a better runner than TH. WM being good at blitz pick-up had little to do with it and we saw on the plays that led to the safety this young player still needs a lot of work in this facet of his game.

[Buftex]

I noticed Willis' subpar blocking on a few occaisions today. Does this now mean that we should have traded McGahee, and held on to Travis Henry? Should we start a lame poll, who is the worse blocker? Willis or Travis....

[Rat-boy]

I noticed Willis' subpar blocking on  a few occaisions today.  Does this now mean that we should have traded McGahee, and held on to Travis Henry?  Should we start a lame poll, who is the worse blocker?  Willis or Travis....

445862[/snapback]

 

Clearly it means the Balls' braintrusts are morons and that retaining Willis was a piss-poor choice. After all, all difficult personnel decisions SHOULD be based on knee-jerk reactions. Willis has absolutely no upside whatsoever and will NEVER learn how to pick up blitzes better.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Is my memory off?

 

What is it with Tampa and safeties with the Bills?

 

The Bills have been on the receiving end more while in Tampa.

 

I am pretty sure I remember there was a Bruce Smith safey years ago at the "Big Sombraro" during the regular season in the early '90's.

 

Then there was one obvioulsy during SB XXV.

 

I think the Bills got another one last time they were in Tampa? Not sure???

 

Now at Raymond James Stadium... Except the Bucs bagged one.

 

Anyway you slice... The Bills come up on the losing end of the game .

 

Who was the poster that suggested prior to the game that there was gonna be a safety?

 

He/she was on the right tack!

 

[Mickey]

Willis McGahee.

 

First, I do not think one player is at fault for multiple breakdowns which start with some questionable play calling in this danger zone in a tight game on the road.  I goes from there to some blocking failures against a blitzing Bucs D which smelled blood, some inaccurate passing by JP and losing the field position battle here so more than one player is actually to blame.

 

Second, who of importance cares who I blame anyway so like the rest of us fans this is simply my rant.

 

However, WM bears some special attention which I have not seen or hear mentioned to this point because of two incredibly ineffective efforts on his part at blitz pick-up.

 

TC called a pass on 1st down from the 1 yard line or so (a questionable call which if it works TC is brilliant but it didn't so in hindsight he did the wrong thing).  A TB DL player rushed and the OL only delayed him a little (either a player whiffed for the most part or even worse the plan was to chip him a bit which was done either inadvetently or by plan) and the RB (WM I presime but I couldn't make out the number neither effectively engaged the rusher preventing a leap or simply cut him down.  This rusher stuck his hands up an tipped the JP pass which fortunately fell to the ground rather than being intercepted.

 

The second missed blitz pick-up was when the an entire side of the TB D came in on the rush on 3rd down and JP neither picked up the blitz and threw to a hot receiver or threw it away immediately, but WM simply whiffed on an effort to stop the rusher and JP was forced out of the back of the endzone for a safety.

 

While no one can be singled out for the blame since multiple players and the coaches all were to blame for some failure. I think WM gets special note for likely failing to do his job two times.

 

Like most rookies he needs some work on blitz pick-up so we have no choice really but to play him and hope his failings are not as fatal as yesterday.

 

If even an eggplant like Travis Henry can learn and improve on blitz pick-up (he was never great at it, but early in his career he was so bad that his miss led to a sack of none other than Doug Flutie who had come into replace RJ after one of his many injuries, but he did improve this facet of his game such that it was not an issue of complaint against him by even those who hated Henry until late in his career when some folks were simply shopping for reasons why he should be cut rather than simply wait and trade him for value as TD did.

 

These same posters foolishly tried to claim that the Bills improved as soon as WM took the field and WM being great at blitz pick-up while TH sucked was a big part of the reason why.

 

The facts seem to be that yes the Bills improved big time but actually it took several games for WM to gain full confidence in the knee and once he did we improved in significant part because of his outside speed, his powerful stiff arm and him simply being a better runner than TH. WM being good at blitz pick-up had little to do with it and we saw on the plays that led to the safety this young player still needs a lot of work in this facet of his game.

445858[/snapback]

You hit the nail on the head, Willis totally blew his block resulting in JP being surrounded. You could tell by the direction JP initially tried to go that he was reading an anticipated block by Willis and when he fanned on it, JP was toast. JP stepped forward and to his left putting Willis between him and the blitzer but when Willis blocked nothing but air, JP's move put him right in the blitzers sights.

 

Yeeeech.

[KRT88]

why does anyone have to be blamed?

 

The young QB made a mistake. The coaches made a mistake calling the play and but Tampa set it up through a great punt, and improving their own field position.

 

Also, what is going on with Moorman? His punting stinks this year! He killed the team, losing valuable field position.

[VABills]

FFS watch the play again. Willis did block and picked up the inside rusher. Shelton went into a pattern, leaving the other rusher unblocked. If anything on that play, Shelton should have recognized and picked up the other blitzer. Not Mcgahee. While Mcgahee did whiff on a a couple block and lot get clean blocks he sure the hell at least chip on every guy he was supposed to have. Rewatch the game. I have now seen it twice.

 

And anyone saying we should have kept Henry over Willis is on some major Koolaid.

[Greybeard]

Willis McGahee.

 

First, I do not think one player is at fault for multiple breakdowns which start with some questionable play calling in this danger zone in a tight game on the road.  I goes from there to some blocking failures against a blitzing Bucs D which smelled blood, some inaccurate passing by JP and losing the field position battle here so more than one player is actually to blame.

 

Second, who of importance cares who I blame anyway so like the rest of us fans this is simply my rant.

 

However, WM bears some special attention which I have not seen or hear mentioned to this point because of two incredibly ineffective efforts on his part at blitz pick-up.

 

TC called a pass on 1st down from the 1 yard line or so (a questionable call which if it works TC is brilliant but it didn't so in hindsight he did the wrong thing).  A TB DL player rushed and the OL only delayed him a little (either a player whiffed for the most part or even worse the plan was to chip him a bit which was done either inadvetently or by plan) and the RB (WM I presime but I couldn't make out the number neither effectively engaged the rusher preventing a leap or simply cut him down.  This rusher stuck his hands up an tipped the JP pass which fortunately fell to the ground rather than being intercepted.

 

The second missed blitz pick-up was when the an entire side of the TB D came in on the rush on 3rd down and JP neither picked up the blitz and threw to a hot receiver or threw it away immediately, but WM simply whiffed on an effort to stop the rusher and JP was forced out of the back of the endzone for a safety.

 

While no one can be singled out for the blame since multiple players and the coaches all were to blame for some failure. I think WM gets special note for likely failing to do his job two times.

 

Like most rookies he needs some work on blitz pick-up so we have no choice really but to play him and hope his failings are not as fatal as yesterday.

 

If even an eggplant like Travis Henry can learn and improve on blitz pick-up (he was never great at it, but early in his career he was so bad that his miss led to a sack of none other than Doug Flutie who had come into replace RJ after one of his many injuries, but he did improve this facet of his game such that it was not an issue of complaint against him by even those who hated Henry until late in his career when some folks were simply shopping for reasons why he should be cut rather than simply wait and trade him for value as TD did.

 

These same posters foolishly tried to claim that the Bills improved as soon as WM took the field and WM being great at blitz pick-up while TH sucked was a big part of the reason why.

 

The facts seem to be that yes the Bills improved big time but actually it took several games for WM to gain full confidence in the knee and once he did we improved in significant part because of his outside speed, his powerful stiff arm and him simply being a better runner than TH. WM being good at blitz pick-up had little to do with it and we saw on the plays that led to the safety this young player still needs a lot of work in this facet of his game.

445858[/snapback]

 

I went back and looked at the play in question. JP clearly points to one of the DB's before the snap, I am assuming he yells to someone to pick him up. WM goes to take him but the guy dodges inside and only gets chipped. If this was the only guy blitzing , the play still may have worked but another DB from further outside was also blitzing. There was also a LB blitzing who mearly got chipped but barely to the outside by I think Williams. As they blitzed on the same side JP was rolling to, it didn't leave him with much room. It was the second DB and the LB that made the play.

 

It was either a bad offensive play call or a great defensive play call.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Also, what is going on with Moorman?  His punting stinks this year!  He killed the team, losing valuable field position.

445887[/snapback]

 

 

I think he may be injured. His leg just doesn't look like it has the oomph it had last year.

[Simon]

he was never great at it, but early in his career he was so bad that his miss led to a sack of none other than Doug Flutie who had come into replace RJ after one of his many injuries, but he did improve this facet of his game such that it was not an issue of complaint against him by even those who hated Henry until late in his career when some folks were simply shopping for reasons why he should be cut rather than simply wait and trade him for value as TD did.

I'd say that this is flirting with the line of revisionist history.

Yes, Henry was a poor blocker in the early part of his career and yes, he did improve much as a blocker over his first couple years. But then he definitely regressed at the end of his tenure with the Bills, falling to a similar level of ineptitude that he had displayed upon his arrival. And there were several people that called him on it well before it was obvious that the Bills would be forced to trade him.

[Kaz]

You want to blame someone? How about Mike Mularkey.

 

You think he might want to simplify the offense just a tad when you're third and long with your ass to your own endzone? The WR wide to the left of the formation - I don't recall who it was - was being give a solid 7-8 yards of separation by the DB. How bout instead of sending everyone on 15 yard pattern downfield when TB is obviously going to blitz, you call for a wideout screen, ie put the ball in the hands of a playmaker and not depend on JP to make a big throw or play. Take what the defense is giving you for crying out loud! I mean, you have a young QB looking like a deer in headlights...help him out PLEASE!

 

I dunno, the entire gameplan on O just seemed out of sorts. I give TB a lot of credit to doing what they set out to do (ie take away Willis; make JP beat you), but our play-calling was for the birds. Too much downfield stuff which takes much too long to develop when you've got three guys in your face consistently.

 

I was having 1997 flashbacks yesterday

 

ps...to be fair, I suppose I should have said Clements instead of MM...but, I ultimately blame the head coach about stuff like this...it's his staff

[BRH]

I think he may be injured. His leg just doesn't look like it has the oomph it had last year.

445962[/snapback]

His leg has plenty of oomph (see the 59 yarder he had in the first quarter). He just doesn't have the touch he used to have; he has been sailing kicks into the end zone and then when he visibly tried to take something off, he ended up with a 14-yarder.

[BRH]

Rewatch the game.  I have now seen it twice. 

445939[/snapback]

I'll take a pass. Once was enough.

[VABills]

I'll take a pass.  Once was enough. 

446026[/snapback]

You're right. But I just could not believe how bad it was.

 

It really is pretty bad.

[Nervous Guy]

You're right.  But I just could not believe how bad it was. 

 

It really is pretty bad.   

446030[/snapback]

indeed...I went golfing after the game...that was pretty bad too...

[rockpile]

FFS watch the play again.  Willis did block and picked up the inside rusher.  Shelton went into a pattern, leaving the other rusher unblocked.  If anything on that play, Shelton should have recognized and picked up the other blitzer.  Not Mcgahee.  While Mcgahee did whiff on a a couple block and lot get clean blocks he sure the hell at least chip on every guy he was supposed to have.  Rewatch the game.  I have now seen it twice. 

 

And anyone saying we should have kept Henry over Willis is on some major Koolaid.

445939[/snapback]

Shelton's blocking has been suspect in general, as a lead blocker for WM rushing and for protecting the QB.

 

How could you watch it twice, ONCE made me ill.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

FFS watch the play again.  Willis did block and picked up the inside rusher.  Shelton went into a pattern, leaving the other rusher unblocked.  If anything on that play, Shelton should have recognized and picked up the other blitzer.  Not Mcgahee.  While Mcgahee did whiff on a a couple block and lot get clean blocks he sure the hell at least chip on every guy he was supposed to have.  Rewatch the game.  I have now seen it twice. 

 

And anyone saying we should have kept Henry over Willis is on some major Koolaid.

445939[/snapback]

 

I'll take another look tonight (I should have built up the stomach for it by then). I certsinly was judging the blitz pick-up pretty harshly on the safety after the RB (again I assume it was Willis on 1st and 10)did not do the pick-up effectively on the first pass play and the pass was blocked by a rusher he should have engaged or cut down so the pass could not be blocked.

 

I'll look again at the 3rd play byt could you see the number of the offending RB on the first pass play in this series and do you agree that this RB totally failed in his job to engage the rusher giving him an opportunity to block this pass?

[nick in* england]

I think he may be injured. His leg just doesn't look like it has the oomph it had last year.

445962[/snapback]

i think he's probably still adjucting to Schneck, and he's not bee that bad anyway... He's shanked 2 punts so far, the rest have boomed for 6 yards...

 

He's not an issue

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I'd say that this is flirting with the line of revisionist history.

Yes, Henry was a poor blocker in the early part of his career and yes, he did improve much as a blocker over his first couple years. But then he definitely regressed at the end of his tenure with the Bills, falling to a similar level of ineptitude that he had displayed upon his arrival. And there were several people that called him on it well before it was obvious that the Bills would be forced to trade him.

445975[/snapback]

 

It certsinly was quite clear that Henry had been a weenie and given up on being a performer and this was reflected in both is running production and blitz pick-up production in the first 4-5 games of last season. He needed to be gotten out of here big time and thank gosh that TD resisted the whines of those who said we should cut this "cancer" and instead got some draft value for him. Clayton and others were even deriding him for not taking a second day pick and felt he would get an even worse deal because of his greed, but they were simply wrong.

 

The other thing that was flat out wrong here (and was the reason I even mentioned Henry in my orginal post) is that folks seem so neurotically intent on indicting him as never having had any blitz pick-up ability (the incorrect revision is rather than him always being bad at pick-ups he was bad, got better and then wnen he wiimped out he got bad again).

 

The piece which was wrong was that they also declared WM great at blitz pick-up when he is a very good runner who still needs some pick-up work. Given the choice I take the good running, but as we fans have no real choice I actually want both.

[BuffOrange]

Interesting....if I had to blame 1 guy I'd blame the guy who ran backwards 5 steps and went out of bounds.

 

These same posters foolishly tried to claim that the Bills improved as soon as WM took the field and WM being great at blitz pick-up while TH sucked was a big part of the reason why.

445858[/snapback]

 

This I agree with. "Bledsoe getting sacked was all TH's fault"