NFL 2023

[The Buscher]

Much as the Bills deserved that loss, it must also be said that the underthrown DPI call might be ruining football more than any other single call or play.

On a lot of underthrown passes it’s nearly impossible for the defender to not go crashing into the receiver for the flag.  It’s pretty grotesque that it’s gotten to the point where “let’s just throw this and trust the refs to bail us out” is an actual strategy.

[gunnar hendershow]

49 minutes ago, Busch Wyatt said:

Much as the Bills deserved that loss, it must also be said that the underthrown DPI call might be ruining football more than any other single call or play.

On a lot of underthrown passes it’s nearly impossible for the defender to not go crashing into the receiver for the flag.  It’s pretty grotesque that it’s gotten to the point where “let’s just throw this and trust the refs to bail us out” is an actual strategy.

Yeah I don't want to overlegislate PI and defensive fouls, keep the holding calls that get called because the receiver runs a route through the DB forcing it always to at least look like holding or illegal contact. But the deliberate underthrow isn't in the spirit of PI in my mind. And once the WR passes the DB if he needs to cut back to get to the ball it can't be a penalty, only when he's trying to get past the DB going towards the end zone can it be a penalty.

I suspect this is something that does get brought up by the competition committee. It used to just be a Joe Flacco thing but now everyone seems to be doing.

[Lineker]

 

[gunnar hendershow]

They desperately needed to make that change but I can't envision it fixes the talent dropoff.

[Krabby]

Can someone explain to me how this is Ken Dorsey's fault? I mean, I don't care, but seems like this is someone taking the hit for a QB that just blew the game

Just looking at the stats the Bills are 11th in rushing yards, 2nd in Passing Completion, 5th in Passing Yards, 2nd in Total TDs (3rd in Receiving Touchdowns, 6th in Rushing Touchdowns), 7th in Yards Per Game, 2nd in Total Yards, 2nd in 3rd Down Conversion %

They have a +78 Point Margin on the back of scoring the 4th most points in the league

I get that turnovers are an issue, sure, but the turnovers versus Denver were:

1. James Cook being tackled and having the ball ripped from his arms when he had no leverage
2. Gabe Davis dropping a pass that hit him square in the hands - Allen had lots of time in the pocket and Davis was WIDE open
3. Josh Allen locking eyes with a Denver DB and throwing it right in his wheelhouse - he had plenty of time again
4. Josh Allen literally just dropping the ball onto the turf

How do you scheme differently to avoid these mistakes?

[Maxx]

12 hours ago, Maxx said:

That’s the sound of the Bills Super Bowl window being nailed shut.

Hey who put this wall up, didn’t there used to be a window here?

Yes, Josh Allen is having a pretty bad season, but they have given him literally nothing to work with since they brought in Diggs.  Gabe Davis is good for maybe two big games a season and then every other game he does absolutely nothing.  That’s his number 2 receiver.  James Cook seems like he’s turning into a decent RB, but he’s still not reliable.  Dalton Kincaid is a rookie TE and if a rookie TE is the best off-season offensive addition your team has made then they haven’t really added anything.

DeAndre Hopkins should have been in Buffalo.  Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers or hell even Jaylin Hyatt should have been in Buffalo.  Amari Cooper was available for cheap.  Get a second consistent receiver!

You can’t just ignore that massive, glaring need, and then also tell Josh Allen to run less.  That’s recipe for the exact kind of disaster they are seeing.

[Krabby]

3 minutes ago, Maxx said:

Hey who put this wall up, didn’t there used to be a window here?

Yes, Josh Allen is having a pretty bad season, but they have given him literally nothing to work with since they brought in Diggs.  Gabe Davis is good for maybe two big games a season and then every other game he does absolutely nothing.  That’s his number 2 receiver.  James Cook seems like he’s turning into a decent RB, but he’s still not reliable.  Dalton Kincaid is a rookie TE and if a rookie TE is the best off-season offensive addition your team has made then they haven’t really added anything.

DeAndre Hopkins should have been in Buffalo.  Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers or hell even Jaylin Hyatt should have been in Buffalo.  Amari Cooper was available for cheap.  Get a second consistent receiver!

You can’t just ignore that massive, glaring need, and then also tell Josh Allen to run less.  That’s recipe for the exact kind of disaster they are seeing.

Those seem like a HC or GM issue to me tho :?

[Meacon Keaton]

5 minutes ago, Krabby said:

Those seem like a HC or GM issue to me tho :?

They ain't gonna fire themselves!

[gunnar hendershow]

The issue is the GM but the GM isn't going to get fired for a midseason spark. That's where you change OC and hope your new guy has a Caldwell with Flacco esque run.

[Krabby]

1 hour ago, gunnar hendershow said:

The issue is the GM but the GM isn't going to get fired for a midseason spark. That's where you change OC and hope your new guy has a Caldwell with Flacco esque run.

I guess, and maybe Joe Brady unlocks another level for Allen or reigns in the turnovers - just ludicrous that they've pissed games down their legs so bad that the guy that gets fired is the OC whose offense has put up really, really good numbers

[RoHitman Reigns]

Jerry Jones has revealed that Leighton Vander Eschs season is over and his career is in question due to a neck injury. 

[LL!]

Fuck's sake. 

[Krabby]

Speaking of season ending injuries - Deshaun Watson is out for the rest of the year due to needing surgery on a fractured shoulder

[JasonM]

4 minutes ago, Krabby said:

Speaking of season ending injuries - Deshaun Watson is out for the rest of the year due to needing surgery on a fractured shoulder

At least there's one good thing coming out of the Ravens losing.

I know it's fucked up to wish injury on people, and I really shouldn't do it. But he shouldn't have raped about 20+ massage therapists, so it doesn't come close to evening out the karma.

Also the fucker's going to making bank whilst sitting at home (hopefully not sexually abusing the next massage therapist)

[The Buscher]

I don't want that asshole winning a ring and don't think Cleveland should get anything good for bringing him in but at least if their amazing defense leads to a surprise January run I'll be less mad than I would've been seeing scumbag Watson out there.

[Maxx]

I have irrational love for XFL legend PJ Walker, so its harder to root against the Browns when he's leading them.

[gunnar hendershow]

Honestly the fact he was hurt for that entire comeback makes the loss even worse.

[Krabby]

Charles McDonald of Four Verts (Yahoo!) on the Bills and Ken Dorsey

Quote

Ken Dorsey is a weak scapegoat for the Bills

The Bills’ postseason hopes took a hit this week with their last-second 24-22 loss at home to the Broncos. The AFC is loaded this year and even with Josh Allen as their quarterback, they sit at 5-5 through 10 games and currently hold the 10th seed in the AFC. That’s a major disappointment considering the Bills should have Super Bowl aspirations every year with Allen as their quarterback. To show their unhappines over their current situation, the Bills made a drastic move and fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on Tuesday — a completely ridiculous scapegoat and reactionary firing based on an embarrassing Monday night loss.

How the Bills lost this game is actually important context in regards to Dorsey’s firing. Allen threw an interception right into the hands of Broncos cornerback Fabian Moreau. Wide receiver Gabe Davis had a pass bounce off of his hands and into the hands of Justin Simmons. Allen just straight up dropped the ball trying to hand it off to running back James Cook on one play and Cook added in two more fumbles by himself, albeit one was on a 42-yard run (the longest Buffalo play of the day). The Bills were unreasonably aggressive at the end of the game and called back-to-back Cover 0 blitzes — they got a sack on the first one, but the second one resulted in a pass interference penalty that put the Broncos in game-winning field goal position. And of course, the Bills had 12 men on the field when the Broncos missed their first field goal attempt, which would have sealed the game for the Bills.

Those are all things that happened that are outside of Dorsey’s control, and it’s hard to believe that Dorsey would be out of a job if they simply had 11 people on the field for the first field goal attempt, which kicker Wil Lutz missed. Another baffling aspect of this is that the Bills offense has been damn good under Dorsey since former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll took the Giants’ head coaching job last season. According to RBSDM.com, Buffalo ranks second in expected points added per play (0.113) and first in success rate (49.9%) since the start of the 2022 season.

Even in a down year for the entire team, Buffalo ranks fourth in yards per drive (37.6), fourth in points per drive (2.6) and third in touchdowns per drive (0.33). They do rank 26th in turnovers per drive (0.16), but as the Bills showed on Monday night, sometimes there’s nothing that a coach can do to prevent turnovers from happening.

Buffalo is on the right track in terms of the idea that something needs to change here, but there’s nothing the Bills can do before the end of the season that’s going to greatly increase their chances of maximizing the offense — that was already happening with Dorsey calling the plays. It’s hard to be much better than the second-best offense in football in a league where Patrick Mahomes exists. Of course, the presence of Josh Allen makes calling an offense much easier, but it’s not like the Bills have been embarrassing underachievers on that side of the ball.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott must be feeling some pressure to make this move, because there isn’t really a strong understanding for it now. The Bills need to have a productive offseason because the depth of this roster has slowly been lost due to poor drafts, age and injuries. It’s on Brandon Beane to knock the 2024 offseason out of the park, but for the immediate timeline, this somehow became Dorsey’s problem. That ain’t right, man.

 

[Schlitzbrille]

5 hours ago, Krabby said:

Speaking of season ending injuries - Deshaun Watson is out for the rest of the year due to needing surgery on a fractured shoulder

[Lineker]

4 hours ago, Maxx said:

I have irrational love for XFL legend PJ Walker, so its harder to root against the Browns when he's leading them.

Walker isn't even the new starter!