Before I start a couple programming notes:
1. I hope Tua is OK and ready to play Sunday for you all.
2. I know some might attack me here that's fine, just my take on what I saw.
3. Reference the Bills offense and I will mention this a couple more times when I get into that looking at your defense, the Bills spent all day Saturday putting new plays into the offensive game plan. Not sure what prompted this, if it was the actual weather or something else the coaches saw on the tape while flying in, something made them make major additions to the game plan on Saturday though.
Fun Stat from the Game: Last Bills Shutout on the road was in 2016, Also in the AFCE and against the Jacoby Brissett led Patriots.
I will start with the guy that gets the most talk here, Tua - I don't think there is any difference in the game if he stays healthy, the only thing that stopped the free runners at the QB was the Bills stopping calling them those blitzes. They had a very DB blitz heavy scheme designed right into RPOs, this was something on tape, that Defense referenced multiple times in pressers, that the game plan was made for pressure schemes right into the RPOs. OK that is enough about Tua.
You Offense
I thought your OL was better than what I saw Sunday, maybe I was wrong, maybe Sunday was worse then normal but Man where they bad. And they were BAD as a collective group. But some specific plays that stand out to me; there where three plays where Star took on a Center, and BOTH OGs and didn't give up a yard, allowing everyone else handle the run. Your 4th downs the Bills DL was playing in the backfield. Every running play I saw the Bills DL (who I have not been happy with for awhile) reset the line 1 to 2 yards in the backfield. There was no Anchor in the interior, they got pushed around. Your LT - His hands here soft and very slow, when he did get them on the Bills rusher those hands were reset. I specifically remember this often with Epenesa, I watch him specifically in all my re-watches, as the Bills have told their fans this is a MUCH different player, he lost some weight, added power and is much more explosive then when he was a rookie, and I saw that, but I also saw his hand skills against your LT, and he ALWAYS won those hand fights getting Jacksons hands off him. Your RT, was HORRIBLE in the first half, decisions where bad, would pick the wrong man to block often and would let to many free runners, one being Epenesa to have a clean hit that put Tua out. Bills rush schemes where designed on the edge to combat the RPOs so because of this your OTs needed to play solid and smart. Second half seemed better on the RT, but also there was an adjustment to help with chipping with the TE, which takes Gesicki out of being a threat in the passing game if he is chipping or helping.
It looked very out of Sync, I am not sure if that is all on Tua leaving the game (while it could be as BUs do not get a lot of reps), but there is no flow in playcalls, nothing that builds on each other in a drive, looks very fragmented and calls made that make no sense with the flow of the game, I am not sure if this is the Co-OC thing, but I would really like to know more about the logistics of this, as Who is calling plays (both)? Can one OC say no to the other and have that authority? It is a little weird, the Bills have a passing game coordinator (Dorsey) will get more into that in the Defensive breakdown as I think it is important with what we are seeing with the Bills offense, But come Sunday, Daboll is in complete control of that offense and what plays are being called. I think that command structure is needed.
Your Defense
I underestimated how much better your DBs are this year compared to last, and really the change was replacing McCain. This defense will make many QBs struggle, there was very little eye candy from your defense presnap (like the ameba thing last year), but I think that was to the Defenses benefit, they are playing simple and allowing them to play fast. I would love to see it against a Bills offense firing on all cylinders in the passing game, but they (Bills) are not there yet I think there is still some learning pains going on here with Dorsey and Allen putting in the Passing game all week. And that is why I think there was new plays put into the game script on Saturday, I think Daboll said Ok I want these plays in as well, So while Allen hasn't really looked great yet I think some of that can go to this simple fact (as they were going to use this year to get Dorsey ready for installing offenses and the goal was to let him call plays in games this year as well to get him ready for next year under than anticipation that Daboll leaves for a HC spot. One play that was mentioned to have been put in Saturday was Singletarys TD Run. While I have a ton of praise for your back end, there is nothing in that front 7 that did anything to really press the Bills. I would give yourself some time with Phillips, I can see the talent there, I hope he can make the transition to this Hybrid OLB, not many can.
Coaching
I liked Flo Hire, but there is something to be said about ending the season with the playoffs on the line and getting drubbed by BUs then coming back in this year and playing uninspired football. All I read all week was how embarrassed Fins were in week 17 and look for Flo to have them ready. The Fins came out Flat and uninspired, and looked like they didn't want to be playing in that weather more than it looked like the Bills didn't want to play in that weather. That would be concerning for me, I am not saying it would have led to a win, But damn they looked like they didn't even want to play that game, that IS on coaching.
Fans
Thanks for the Home Game, I would guess at least 50/50 if not more it was loud on TV when Bills scored, and when they were on Defense.
Fire Away
