Buffalo Rumblings - All of our coverage: Buffalo Bills begin Josh Allen era welcoming Los Angeles ChargersBuffalo Bills news, notes, discussions, opinions and analysis. 24/7/365 since 4/7/2007.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48063/buffalorumblings_fave.png2018-10-04T10:00:02-04:00http://www.buffalorumblings.com/rss/stream/176185092018-10-04T10:00:02-04:002018-10-04T10:00:02-04:00All-22 analysis: Buffalo Bills fullback Patrick DiMarco
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<figcaption>Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We take a look at how the Buffalo Bills have utilized team captain Patrick DiMarco</p> <p id="rPzMSC">If you’ve been following the weekly snap counts you may have noticed an odd trend. The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> are hardly putting fullback <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> on the field on offense. His high-water mark so far this season came against the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> when he logged 12 offensive snaps. All told, he’s seen the field a mere 25 times through four games. Let’s review 40% of his playing time and see what the Bills have been up to at the fullback position.</p>
<h4 id="iHM95t">Play 1</h4>
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<p id="wgtIzh">Here <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> is doing some typical fullback work. DiMarco and <span>LeSean McCoy</span> go to opposite sides of Nathan Peterman. As DiMarco sets up one lane, Vlad Ducasse pulls to make another. Shady has to quickly choose which lane to go with after the play starts. He chose...poorly. <span>McCoy</span> tries to cut back but it’s too late and actually collides with DiMarco. This was his entire game on offense against the Ravens.</p>
<h4 id="4Y1qrU">Play 2</h4>
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<p id="cRkoWH">As you’ll see, the Bills haven’t been shy about letting DiMarco run a route from the fullback spot. Quite often he finds a soft spot. This is however the only time a quarterback has decided to actually throw it to him. <span>Josh Allen</span> and DiMarco are out of sync. DiMarco looks inside for the ball and has to come back and make a diving grab to the outside. There’s almost zero yards-after-catch as a result. </p>
<h4 id="CyXp5y">Play 3</h4>
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<p id="oABFYt">Near the end zones the Bills are more likely to bring DiMarco in, whether it’s scoring position or backed up on the wrong side of the field. DiMarco is likely looking to block in case <span>Allen</span> decides to scramble on this play. He does look back in good position to make a catch however. A flick of the wrist and this might have been a touchdown (don’t worry, see the next play). </p>
<h4 id="nsP0ro">Play 4</h4>
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<p id="Ha7WYk">DiMarco was made the second-highest paid fullback in the league by Buffalo for a reason. He’s a good fullback. The ability to stop his man at the line clears just enough room for <span>Chris Ivory</span> to punch the ball in for a touchdown. DiMarco has been used often in short yardage situations. If there’s a <span>Josh Allen</span> quarterback sneak, there’ll be DiMarco—slamming into <span>Allen</span> to push him forward a bit more. The Bills haven’t had much in the way of short-yardage situations so far this year and it’s likely DiMarco sees more playing time if the Bills start seeing more third-and-short. </p>
<h4 id="Bn3rRp">Play 5</h4>
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<p id="rhXAiU">There’s been a few of these too. DiMarco isn’t a downgrade at the receiver position, but arguably he may have been more effective blocking this running play from the fullback spot. </p>
<h4 id="G1EYy9">Play 6</h4>
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<p id="amO93c">There haven’t been too many plays where <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> has been asked to help in pass protection. This snap and another chip or two and one actual blocking assignment have been it. DiMarco hasn’t been the only back mostly absent from this role either. The Bills have been reluctant to have any of their backs help <span>Josh Allen</span> out by blocking. </p>
<h4 id="xjOxWl">Play 7</h4>
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<p id="A6OztV">It’s unfortunate that Allen can’t get the ball to the wide open DiMarco on this play as there’s a decent chance to move the sticks. This play was set up well by Brian Daboll. They used a similar formation including motion from DiMarco twice earlier in this game against the Vikings. The first time was a lead block for <span>Ivory</span> on a running play. The second was right before this play on what also appeared to be a run (Allen fumbled so we’ll never know for sure). DiMarco sells the block as if it’s the same play call. The defense bites and he’s wide open. </p>
<h4 id="AghgMQ">Play 8</h4>
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<p id="OVjg9o">Despite DiMarco’s above average speed and agility for a fullback he’s been rarely used to block to the outside. He does his job well, and perhaps some more of this could help jump-start the Bills’ offense. </p>
<h4 id="HFWPY3">Play 9</h4>
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<p id="FC8aPN">There’s a lot to like about Patrick DiMarco but he’s hardly perfect. He doesn’t get enough of the block and the lane he’s there to clear shuts fast (though it’s not completely his fault). </p>
<h4 id="k85lMR">Play 10</h4>
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<p id="Yo9HAZ">As they say, “always end on a high note.” DiMarco’s low snap counts don’t seem to be the result of poor play. His success here leads to a few more yards. </p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/10/4/17931154/all-22-analysis-buffalo-bills-fullback-patrick-dimarco-josh-allen-lesean-mccoySkarekrow2018-09-20T08:45:02-04:002018-09-20T08:45:02-04:00Film analysis: Bills defense a work in progress
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<figcaption>Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Philip Rivers put on a clinic against Buffalo’s defense.</p> <p id="ji3eZB">For six quarters of the season, the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> defense looked like an FCS program invited to open the season against Ohio State. They were a movable object facing an unstoppable force. Eventually, the team tightened up and turned a 28-3 blowout into a 31-20 respectable loss. How did the defense fall behind the curve against the <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a>, and did they return to form?</p>
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<figcaption>Points above expected on passing plays (yellow) and running plays (gray) by the Los Angeles Chargers</figcaption>
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<p id="EJ6885">The above graph illustrates the “points above expected” for each play run by the Chargers on Sunday. Effectively, it asks: Given the down-and-distance and the current spot on the field, did the Chargers accomplish what they should have? In the first half, the team went above and beyond on pretty much every single play. You can see where the second half began, around play 32, and the Chargers suddenly stopped having that success.</p>
<div id="x675H7"><div data-anthem-component="table:1866222"></div></div>
<p id="mwDvoG">A big reason why that was is that the Bills finally managed to put the Chargers behind schedule on offense. As long as a team gains an average of 3-4 yards per play, every play, they’ll advance the chains and be able to make use of their full playbook. If a pass falls incomplete or a runner is tackled for a loss, their options become limited. On 31 plays in the first half, the Chargers were practically perfect. Helped by <span>Philip Rivers’s</span> nearly completing every pass, they only ran three plays “behind schedule”. The Bills defense played 26 snaps in the second half, but doubled the number of “behind schedule” plays they forced.</p>
<p id="KSFhZr">Before we dive into some specific plays I thought were worthy of breaking down, here were my general observations from the defensive film:</p>
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<li id="EqNNEr">
<span>Philip Rivers</span> was as effective a field general as you’ll see. He clinically diagnosed the weak points in Buffalo’s defense, and made lightning-quick decisions under duress. You can tell he’s in his 15th year of professional quarterbacking.</li>
<li id="ev8scf">The Chargers almost entirely avoided Tre’Davious White. White spent some of the day directly paired with <span>Keenan Allen</span>, but Allen was mostly targeted in the slot when he had more favorable matchups.</li>
<li id="Kz0M8h">Due to extenuating circumstances, the Bills were forced to play more heavy-duty looks than they’d probably like. <span>Tremaine Edmunds</span> played every snap, and <span>Matt Milano</span> and <span>Ramon Humber</span> combined for 100 percent. <span>Lorenzo Alexander</span> played 32/57 snaps, and <span>Rafael Bush</span> came in as “Big Nickel” for 68 percent of snaps. The Chargers took advantage of this with agile players like <span>Austin Ekeler</span> and <span>Keenan Allen</span>.</li>
<li id="4ei1te">The Bills attacked with more blitzes and stunts in the second half, the defensive line won one-on-one matchups, and they made <span>Rivers</span> uncomfortable. When they started putting the Chargers behind schedule, they earned some breathing room (though it helped that the Chargers took their foot off the pedal a bit).</li>
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<h2 id="rCqOA1">Play 1</h2>
<p id="WPynpg"><span>Austin Ekeler</span> runs for 22 yards on this counter play. The Bills start in a two-high safety look, but rotate into Cover-3 at the snap. Ekeler finds an open lane and runs through the second level of the defense.</p>
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<p id="5qKDtl">In the GIF I call out <span>Rafael Bush</span>’s movement as signaling man coverage. After talking with Cover-1’s Erik Turner, I want to clarify that he isn’t so much in man coverage as he is helping the linebackers adjust as the strength of the formation shifts from left to right. The point being, the linebackers key their gaps based on the players on the line of scrimmage, using the tight end to identify the strong side of blocking, and when the tight end crosses they need to reassign their gaps.</p>
<p id="CGabal">The tight end pulls across the formation at the snap. This removes a gap on the defensive left side, and creates one on the defensive right side. <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/8/21/17763490/video-analysis-how-the-cleveland-browns-ran-through-buffalo-bills-defense-all-22-matt-milano">Remember the tackle pull</a> from the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a> preseason match--up? It’s a similar situation here. Bush, <span>Tremaine Edmunds</span>, and <span>Matt Milano</span> all should be bumping one gap over after the ball is snapped. <span>Milano</span> and Edmunds both dive forward into the gaps ahead of them (because <span>Star Lotulelei</span> has opened up clear lanes by taking on a double team), and Bush stays home on the left side, despite no action that way. <span>Jordan Poyer</span> is left alone against a tight end and a running back, and Ekeler finds room to run.</p>
<h2 id="4eFgZf">Play 2</h2>
<p id="jnPsc0">The Chargers took advantage of Buffalo’s rookie linebacker on multiple occasions Sunday. He was asked to do a lot, especially with the team in a lot of base personnel packages, and while his athleticism was apparent, he continued to fall victim to misdirection.</p>
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<p id="8kCwY0">On this touchdown throw, Edmunds is covering <span>Melvin Gordon</span> out of the backfield. Rivers does a great job using his eyes to manipulate the rookie, who drops to the middle of the field. <span>Gordon</span> crisply cuts to the right and Rivers finds him for six.</p>
<h2 id="yKYaw8">Play 3</h2>
<p id="SBYNRM">I wanted to highlight this play because it shows some great fundamental concepts that you’ll want to know as a fan watching the game. The Chargers line up with two receivers left, one right, and a tight end on the right side of the line. The Bills come out with two deep safeties, suggesting a Cover-2 look.</p>
<p id="NIik9Z">However, if you look at the slot receiver, you can see that this is a disguise. Any time you see a safety aligned directly over a receiver like this, with another defender in apparent man coverage close to the line of scrimmage, it’s a tell that there’s a blitz coming from that defender. Sure enough, the Chargers begin a dummy count and the Bills begin to move, showing that blitz.</p>
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<p id="2m2kOh">Rivers makes an adjustment against that blitz—another example of how brilliant he was deciphering Buffalo’s calls. He knows that the safety on the offensive right side is going to drop to the deep middle, and that he has a tight end to tie up the linebacker on that side. That leaves one defender and one blocker in the vicinity of the right flat, and he’s going to call a swing pass to that vacant space.</p>
<p id="zljtaf"><span>Lorenzo Alexander</span> understands that Rivers knows about the blitz. He’s expecting a quick throw, watches the quarterback’s eyes, and swats the pass into the air. Instead of a big gain, it’s nearly an interception.</p>
<h2 id="HJZMlv">Play 4</h2>
<p id="naGgRO">After Rivers narrowly avoided sacks for most of the day, nimbly throwing shovel passes and quick crossers, the Bills finally had some success in the second half. Here’s the first sack of the day.</p>
<p id="sSdKXs">The Bills line up in a pass-rushing personnel package, with two defensive ends, one defensive tackle, and OLB <span>Lorenzo Alexander</span> replacing the other defensive tackle. They’re going to try a stunt in the middle, something both Alexander and <span>Kyle Williams</span> are well-acquainted with.</p>
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<p id="i7Fywx">Rivers has two outlet options, with <span>Tyrell </span><span>Williams</span> to your left and his running back to your right. Pre-snap, he chooses the right side of the field to work. <span>Williams</span> is going to chip and release, which will assist the tackle with pass protection. It’s something the Bills use a lot in their offense.</p>
<p id="8is2aD"><span>Trent Murphy</span> sees <span>Williams</span> approaching and wallops him, hoping to buy time for his teammates. <span>Kyle Williams</span> starts to come free up the middle, but <span>Jerry Hughes</span> also wins around the edge and arrives first. Rivers wanted to throw to <span>Tyrell Williams</span>, but takes the sack because the receiver was jammed.</p>
<h2 id="4txVUU">A work in progress</h2>
<p id="q05t6X"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/17/17868966/sean-mcdermott-buffalo-bills-adjustments-on-the-fly-change-defensive-play-calling-process-josh-allen">Brian Galliford’s column</a> alluded to the changes Buffalo’s coaching staff will bring out week-to-week this season. Last year’s defense wasn’t especially dominant, but succeeded in the red zone and won the turnover battle. This year’s defense is a living, breathing, growing pain. Linebackers Milano and Edmunds have oodles of athletic ability but need to be more comfortable processing what they see. <span>Tre’Davious White</span> has done a bang-up job handling his coverage assignments, but he’s only one man. The defensive line shows flashes, and improved in the running game, but hasn’t gelled into a pass rushing force yet.</p>
<p id="pFL5VB">If the Bills defense continues to under-perform in the weeks ahead, and you want an answer, it’s probably something along the lines of “it’s not ready.” With time and health, they’ll continue to improve, but for now we’ll keep highlighting teaching tape in our analysis. We’re in transition.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/20/17878258/buffalo-bills-film-analysis-defense-versus-the-los-angeles-chargers-all-22-tremaine-edmundsDan Lavoie2018-09-20T08:00:03-04:002018-09-20T08:00:03-04:00Notes from the o-line: Bills vs Chargers
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<figcaption>Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Our weekly series continues with offensive-line analysis from Sunday’s game against the Chargers</p> <p id="MRFCPy">The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> fell to the <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a> 31-20 in Week 2. As to be expected with a team in transition, there were some good and bad things that happened Sunday. Below, I walk us through each drive of the first half and a couple plays into the third quarter. My time was limited, but I was able to glean a few determinations about the line, which I discuss at the end.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="va6zsR">
<h2 id="5gnUl4"><strong>Drive One (0-0)</strong></h2>
<p id="cvf91Q"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 ( </strong><span><strong>LeSean McCoy</strong></span><strong> rush for no gain)</strong></p>
<p id="Nxhh9x">What ruined this play was <span>Kelvin Benjamin</span> not being fast enough to engage the DB who was filling the hole. The DB had cheated inside when <span>Zay Jones</span> ran a reverse-action and immediately read run. <span>Jordan Mills</span> moved into space and engaged a linebacker. <span>John Miller</span> got a straight-ahead block on a defensive end and maintained it. Groy completely whiffed on the defensive tackle and fell over, becoming the guy on the ground for a Three Stooges-type pushing-over of an unsuspecting victim (<span>Miller</span>’s guy). That created a nice pile, which effectively cut off backside pursuit. <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> took on a linebacker in the hole. The only guy who had a chance to stop <span>McCoy</span> before he got at least 3 or 5 yards was the defensive back who <span>Benjamin</span> couldn’t catch. To his credit, <span>Benjamin</span> didn’t hold or block the guy in the back. <span>Vladimir Ducasse</span> didn’t block anyone, just followed guys into the Groy pile and <span>Dion Dawkins</span> sealed a guy towards <span>McCoy</span> in order to give <span>Jones</span> a clean shot at an end-around if he had the ball.</p>
<p id="PWi0BD"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (McCoy rush for 3 yards)</strong></p>
<p id="mD1STc">Groy pulled right with <span>Ducasse</span> left to pick up the defensive tackle who was following Groy. <span>Ducasse</span> kept the defensive tackle engaged while Groy bee-lined for a linebacker at the second level and tried to chop out his legs. It didn’t work, but it did slow the guy down. <span>Dawkins</span> sprinted to the second level and got a hand on a linebacker who he pushed downfield and across the formation. <span>Miller</span> pulled to lead the play and also couldn’t take down a defender with a cut block. <span>Mills</span> sealed off a defensive end to the left of the play. <span>Charles Clay</span> engaged a linebacker and stuck with him as he moved laterally but his man got in on the tackle.</p>
<p id="7VFPMa"><strong>3</strong><sup><strong>rd</strong></sup><strong> and 7 (sack)</strong></p>
<p id="svt5K6">The <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Chargers</a> sent three with a fourth coming on a slightly delayed rush. <span>Miller</span> was slow to recognize it and wasn’t fast enough to stop helping Groy and Ducasse to get in front of the rusher. <span>Josh Allen</span> was forced to step up into the pocket. Dawkins was pushed back but it wasn’t until <span>Allen</span> moved past Dawkins that Dawkins’ defender was able to slide to his right and get Allen. Allen’s only possible option was McCoy who was about 13 yards from the sticks with a pair of defenders in his way.</p>
<h2 id="PP2jg9"><strong>Drive Synopsis</strong></h2>
<p id="wSv5w8">While it was Dawkins’ guy who got the sack, it was Miller’s guy who made it happen.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="EAE6Zv">
<h2 id="fXtfPn"><strong>Drive Two (0-7)</strong></h2>
<p id="h4zLiy"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (6-yard completion to McCoy)</strong></p>
<p id="QAvyl2">Allen took a quick look to his left and then threw a swing pass to McCoy, who may have been his primary target all along as no one was anywhere near McCoy. Dawkins was beaten around the corner and Mills was being walked back to Allen. Ducasse gave up hardly any ground at all. McCoy caught the ball at the 20 and the nearest defender was 10 yards away.</p>
<p id="rM8Zoe"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 4 (sack)</strong></p>
<p id="2CZM42">Allen turned his back to the line and faked a hand-off to McCoy. Before he could even turn around he was buried. <span>Logan Thomas</span> wasn’t nearly fast enough to block the defensive back who was coming on the blitz. I remember the announcer blaming Allen for not recognizing it, but the defensive back had followed <span>Thomas</span> across the formation. Meanwhile, a second defender moved inside between Mills and Miller and both engaged him. Better communication and it’s possible Mills would have left the guy for Miller to block and instead turned to his right to pick up the blitzing defensive back—though the line was blocking as if it was a run.</p>
<p id="3w6sDi"><strong>3</strong><sup><strong>rd</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (incomplete pass)</strong></p>
<p id="xAsHYE">San Diego sent another defensive back blitz but the ball was out long before the guy got close to Allen. Dawkins took his guy behind Allen and the rest of the line held up. Allen decided where the ball was going and got it out before Benjamin had gone 5 yards—but it wasn’t an accurate pass. He could have gone to <span>Clay</span> in the right flat but <span>Clay</span> probably doesn’t get the first down anyway.</p>
<h2 id="G1zfDc"><strong>Drive Synopsis:</strong></h2>
<p id="B1IskN">This drive was killed by the lack of efficient communication regarding blocking assignments on second down.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="8Lc7nI">
<h2 id="1b0G8y"><strong>Drive Three (0-14)</strong></h2>
<p id="nN36Dg"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (9-yard completion to McCoy)</strong></p>
<p id="pO4grC">Allen took a quick look downfield and threw to McCoy in the left flat with the nearest defender 10 yards away. Shady almost won the foot race to the sticks. It was an easy-money play and the line did fine.</p>
<p id="hkRz7j"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 1 (Allen scramble for 3 yards)</strong></p>
<p id="D7nujQ">Hey! A first-half first down! Progress? For the second time the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Bills</a> were ahead of the chains. Allen faked to McCoy and then faked to <span>Jones</span> on a reverse before setting up to throw. He had Clay on a slant to the left open for around a ten-yard gain—maybe more if Benjamin was capable of blocking the defensive back covering him. Allen hitched as though to throw deep to a well-covered receiver, but he pulled it down and got happy feet. Mills was on an island and his defender was getting around him and into the pocket, so Allen went around Mills the other way and ran for the first down.</p>
<p id="NHrrwD"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (McCoy rush for 5 yards)</strong></p>
<p id="k9d4h1">The Bills ran it into a nine-man box and still got five yards. Groy snapped and turned right to try to seal the defensive tackle away from McCoy. Miller tried to seal a linebacker as well, but only managed to push him well into the backfield and away from the play. Mills set up to block a linebacker in space but his man just ran around him and Mills’s weird attempt at hand fighting. Ducasse and Dawkins took on a defensive end with Ducasse disengaging and getting a piece of a linebacker at the second level. Two tight ends and a wide receiver blocked defenders on the left side of the line and that is where McCoy ran, more or less behind a <span>Thomas</span> block.</p>
<p id="M2fCZF"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 5 (11-yard “completion” to </strong><span><strong>Robert Foster</strong></span><strong>)</strong></p>
<p id="9b6Fcc">Again the Bills were ahead of the chains and broke out a nifty play against a loaded box. Allen kind of played volleyball with the snap and <span>Foster</span> was around the edge of the line before anyone realized what was happening. Foster left an unblocked defensive back flat-footed and scrambling to catch up. All but <span>Marshall Newhouse</span> blocked to the left. <span>Newhouse</span> went downfield to engage a defensive back and took out his legs, the first successful cut block I’d seen. <span>Clay</span> had a great block, flinging his body into a defender to allow Foster around the corner. Benjamin got enough of a defensive back to keep him out of the play. Credit Newhouse and Clay on this one.</p>
<p id="v6NbsN"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (incomplete pass)</strong></p>
<p id="JjUhse">McCoy stayed in to block and sold out to pick up a guy Dawkins had let zip past him. A free rusher came from Buffalo’s right as Ducasse’s guy got past him. Allen rolled right and threw on the run behind Jason Croom. The play was blocked as a run to the left, with a linebacker being unblocked in hopes that he would chase McCoy—that didn’t happen. Dawkins and Ducasse didn’t do well, but it was the play design that failed—the linebacker who was supposed to be unblocked didn’t fall for the play fake.</p>
<p id="34ksVJ"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (McCoy rush for 18 yards; called back for holding by Mills)</strong></p>
<p id="mPPFMo">Buffalo ran into another loaded box while behind the chains. McCoy bounced outside for a long run. He probably would have made the corner without Mills holding, but hold Mills did. At the snap he locked onto 54 with his hands on 54’s shoulders. He was thrown off but re-engaged this time on top of 54’s shoulder pads. As McCoy came around, the defender tried to separate but couldn’t. Miller went upfield and locked onto 44, taking him out of the play. Groy didn’t do any particular good and Ducasse was beaten fairly quickly, while Dawkins stood up his man.</p>
<p id="7M0boG"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 20 (incomplete pass)</strong></p>
<p id="MnklPm">Buffalo isn’t built for this but it still could have worked if Allen hadn’t overthrown <span>Marcus Murphy</span>, who had about 20 yards of green in front of him before a defender could get there. The line held up as <span>Murphy</span> started his run across the field, but Dawkins and Ducasse couldn’t handle a pretty simple twist and Allen had to move off his spot. Even so, what a bad miss by Allen.</p>
<p id="LRzj0W"><strong>3</strong><sup><strong>rd</strong></sup><strong> and 20 (incomplete pass)</strong></p>
<p id="g3kwet">The Chargers sent six and the Bills had a back in to block. Clay leaked out, giving Allen four targets. He had Benjamin one-on-one on the left and glanced that way before looking to the middle. At that point, the pocket collapsed on him, pretty much from all sides. It was Murphy’s guy who got home as Allen was throwing. Happily, one of the Chargers was flagged for taunting.</p>
<p id="Z7K7hz"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (21-yard completion to Clay)</strong></p>
<p id="AcKcMM">The line gave Allen all kinds of time to scan the field. He had time to set his feet and look at his options.</p>
<p id="XlXKoO"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (McCoy rush for no gain)</strong></p>
<p id="ZmSCIS">The Bills ran into another nine-man box. Ducasse and Dawkins both tried to cut guys and failed. Groy ran a circle and somehow found no one to hit. Miller and Mills each sealed off a defender. Jones was faking a reverse, Croom had to put down the guy Dawkins didn’t cut, and Clay was on the backside of the play. That pretty much expended all the blockers and there were still three defenders ready for McCoy. Maybe the Bills ought to work on cut blocking.</p>
<p id="BvGQ77"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (sack)</strong></p>
<p id="WnKkBB">The Chargers rushed four and Allen had Clay to the right for a quick five yards but was looking left at Benjamin or McCoy. He realized Benjamin was too well-covered and drifted right, away from pressure he felt from Mills’ man—that put him in the crosshairs of Dawkins’s guy. Allen had about three to four seconds before he started to move but couldn’t come off his left to see Clay to the right.</p>
<p id="PwAnzI"><strong>3</strong><sup><strong>rd</strong></sup><strong> and 21 (8-yard completion to McCoy)</strong></p>
<p id="LSpdhl">Allen never looked anywhere else. Mills failed at a cut block but everything else went okay. The receivers started blocking as soon as they caught up to the defensive backs, making it a screen pass all the way.</p>
<p id="O6Owxh"><strong>4</strong><sup><strong>th</strong></sup><strong> and 13 (43-yard field goal by </strong><span><strong>Stephen Hauschka</strong></span><strong>)</strong></p>
<h2 id="rb8god"><strong>Drive Synopsis</strong></h2>
<p id="mcMtiI">This field goal brought to you by Allen. He’s not yet trusted to change the play call when the box is loaded and stayed too long on his preferred target on second down.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="fyxEiK">
<h2 id="BNlE48"><strong>Drive Four (3-21)</strong></h2>
<p id="A5sQeA"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (6-yard completion to Jones)</strong></p>
<p id="Wl2zWN">The line did a nice job, but Allen failed to recognize he had a wide receiver right down the middle against just the safety. All he had to do was throw the ball down the right hashes beyond the 50-yard line and the safety would’ve had to either make a great play or interfere with the receiver. He went short to Jones, staying ahead of the chains.</p>
<p id="xLOKMO"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 4 (Murphy rush for 2 yards)</strong></p>
<p id="257EQk">Murphy missed the hole and plunged into the first gap he saw. Groy again didn’t really block anyone. Ducasse and Dawkins took defenders to the left, as did Mills. Miller sealed the backside of the play and it was between Mills and Miller that Murphy should have run. Maybe Murphy didn’t because Miller didn’t cut his man.</p>
<p id="2VXElx"><strong>3</strong><sup><strong>rd</strong></sup><strong> and 2 (Murphy rush for -1 yard)</strong></p>
<p id="H6JVSf">The Bills spread the Chargers out and Allen faked as though he was running with the ball. Dawkins drifted upfield and right, eventually locking onto a defensive back. Ducasse crashed down the line to the right, pushing a linebacker through the wash. Groy dodged a defender who was cutting across Miller’s face, and meandered right until falling down all on his own. Miller could have been called for holding as he had his arm around the neck of the guy Groy sidestepped…and the guy still got in on the tackle for a loss. Mills did a reasonable job of standing up his defender.</p>
<h2 id="5bLNkD"><strong>Drive Synopsis</strong></h2>
<p id="GGmpiF">This drive failed when Groy and Miller didn’t work together. Miller was trying to move right as the defender in front of him moved left. That suggests Groy should have picked him up since Groy was to Miller’s left. That preseason tinkering with the offensive line had a cost.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="CPrGHG">
<h2 id="wct3lK"><strong>Drive Five (3-28)</strong></h2>
<p id="RKHIiq"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (incomplete pass)</strong></p>
<p id="fZ6h43"> The Bills sent four wide receivers on vertical routes, with McCoy leaking out as the pass rush went by him. The linebackers had retreated ten yards when the play started, but came forward when they saw McCoy clear the wash. This left Jones alone with the free safety who was about 15 yards from him in a hole in the zone, while Clay was covered the whole way—but also by one defensive back. A throw to Jones as the linebackers moved towards McCoy would have gotten him the ball with one man to beat. The line did well on the play. Mills and Miller double-teamed the defensive end, but Mills came off of him to pick up a linebacker on a slightly delayed rush. Ducasse and Groy took on the defensive tackle, but Ducasse kept his head on a swivel and disengaged when he saw Dawkins losing leverage to the defensive end.</p>
<p id="k87WUD"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (57-yard pass to Jones)</strong></p>
<p id="MJtCVP">Allen looked at McCoy but then turned his head back to the right. Jones came open almost at the same time as the safety was moving up to help with either of the two deep-crossing routes. A throw to Jones right then was a touchdown. As his head came around, the defensive back on Benjamin realized Jones wasn’t covered and peeled off to try to get in front of him. Allen saw Jones and reset before delivering. A ball in front of Jones still would have been a touchdown as the defensive back was two yards behind and didn’t have the angle. The ball was underthrown and a second defensive back was able to catch the play and drop Jones. Groy, Ducasse and Dawkins sandwiched two defenders between the three of them with Miller and Mills going one-on-one with two other defenders. There wasn’t a reason for Allen to have moved off his spot before throwing to Jones—no defender was within two yards of him and none were free. His movement actually got one of the defenders free from the sandwich as the linemen weren’t expecting to block towards the sideline.</p>
<p id="Pq8E72"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (incomplete pass)</strong></p>
<p id="uzJvBa">At least Allen went for the end zone. He was pressured and moved right, which meant <span>Andre Holmes</span> was the only game in town. He came close to the completion while on the run. Dawkins was walked back to Allen. Groy and Miller were blocking a defensive lineman when Miller saw that Mills was losing to his man and tried to help. He was a little late and the defender managed to slip in between them. This put Allen on the run and dictated his lone receiving option, a difficult throw to the corner to a guy running all-out towards the boundary.</p>
<p id="0Xd5DU"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (false start Dawkins)</strong></p>
<p id="SQqJTL"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 15 (8-yard completion to Clay)</strong></p>
<p id="dtKd93">After a Dawkins false start, the line held up and no one was near Allen as he threw. His options on the play: Benjamin for five yards, a low-percentage shot to the corner, two receivers running towards three defenders and Clay. Allen chose well.</p>
<p id="uHQUHs"><strong>3</strong><sup><strong>rd</strong></sup><strong> and 7 (sack)</strong></p>
<p id="DtjnaT">Allen hit his back foot and had a defender on him. Conventional wisdom says to throw to that side but both receivers had a defender within two or three yards, and neither was getting the first down. Had Allen read the left linebacker, he would have seen that he had Jones to the right on a short out with another receiver going vertical against just one defender as the coverage linebacker reacted to Clay. A pass to Jones was the best bet for getting the first down, but the ball would have had to come out before Jones looked back to Allen. Whether it was on Allen or Groy to change the protection, someone failed to account for the linebacker who got the sack. They only sent four guys, so Miller had nothing to do. Ducasse and Dawkins teamed up on a defensive lineman, with Dawkins eyeing him the entire way. Had Allen read the blitzing linebacker, there was no one between him and the line to gain. The rush left a gaping hole he could have exploited.</p>
<p id="baN59O"><strong>4</strong><sup><strong>th</strong></sup><strong> and 15 (40-yard field goal by </strong><span><strong>Stephen Hauschka</strong></span><strong>)</strong></p>
<h2 id="GWNsDs"><strong>Drive Synopsis</strong></h2>
<p id="QHhD20">Allen has to recognize the free linebacker even if Groy was calling the protections. A quick flip to Jones and the Bills keep the ball with three more shots at the end zone. The Dawkins false start hurt.</p>
<p id="y5z0rV"><strong>(Halftime)</strong></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="HJXiIe">
<h2 id="sNQdxE"><strong>Drive Six (6-28)</strong></h2>
<p id="wY9xuQ"><strong>1</strong><sup><strong>st</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (McCoy rush for no gain)</strong></p>
<p id="QHLEWq"><strong>2</strong><sup><strong>nd</strong></sup><strong> and 10 (McCoy rush for 27 yards)</strong></p>
<p id="IK0Obw">I’m out of time but want to do McCoy’s long run. The Chargers had seven in the box, thinking pass since the Bills were behind the chains. Dawkins never caught anyone to block him. Ducasse rode a defensive lineman to the right, and kept with him until McCoy was past. Groy locked up a linebacker at the second level, while Miller sealed a defensive lineman to the left and away from McCoy’s run lane. Mills hit a linebacker and drove him back and, more importantly, kept him from moving into McCoy’s lane. Clay and Thomas doubled a defender and rode him downfield, while keeping him from spinning free. As McCoy passed by, Thomas disengaged and blocked a defensive back who was responsible for outside contain. The result was a hole the size of the yardage numbers. It was a beautifully executed play. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="gfnxjz">
<h2 id="dKCRuS"><strong>A couple of final thoughts</strong></h2>
<p id="C4cISB">Allen is limiting the offense. Duh. He’s a rookie. Not only is he making mistakes on who to throw the ball to, he isn’t yet trusted to change bad play calls. The Bills ran into eight- and nine-man fronts several times in the first half, presumably because he’s been told to run the play that is called. Allen is allowed a little freedom on read options and run-pass options, but not to outright change the play. His inaccuracy is showing—the throw to Jones should have been a touchdown and instead it was well short of him, and that required Jones to wait on it. Murphy could have converted a 2<sup>nd</sup> and 20 if Allen could have gotten him the pass.</p>
<p id="QAKW9X">The line is doing better than most seem to think. That said, communication is a real issue. Not settling on a starting line earlier in camp/preseason is hurting as the players are still trying to figure out who is doing what on any given pass play. They do better on run plays where their assignments are dictated than they do in free-flowing pass protection. This should improve somewhat as the weeks roll by.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/20/17878252/notes-from-the-offensive-line-buffalo-bills-vs-los-angeles-chargers-josh-allen-all-22-analysisRon From NM2018-09-20T07:00:03-04:002018-09-20T07:00:03-04:00Bills Links, 9/20: Josh Allen meets with the media
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<img alt="NFL: Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kYGug4i_PHGDmkPu1TviCLtxzqk=/0x0:4370x2913/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61474445/usa_today_11263236.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The rookie QB talked about his first NFL start on Wednesday</p> <p id="40epSG"><span>Josh Allen</span> spent some time with the media on Wednesday afternoon, answering questions about his first start with the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a>. The video is available below, along with <span>LeSean McCoy</span>’s press conference, courtesy of <a href="http://BuffaloBills.com">BuffaloBills.com</a>. Today’s links also include updates on Vlad Ducasse, <span>Vontae Davis</span>, <span>Shaq Lawson</span>,and much more. Check back with Buffalo Rumblings for all of the latest updates heading into Sunday’s game against the Minnesota <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Vikings</a>.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="gCu5ei">
<p id="wNn9VH"><a href="https://www.buffalobills.com/video/josh-allen-whatever-helps-us-win-football-games">Josh Allen: “Whatever Helps Us Win Football Games” - BuffaloBills.com</a><br>Quarterback <span>Josh Allen</span> addressed the media after practice on Wednesday. Topics include slow starts on offense, his first road game as a starter, and what he learned from last game.</p>
<p id="ISSGqm"><a href="https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/ledyard-allen-right-where-i-expected-he-would-be">Ledyard: "[Allen] is right where I expected he would be" | WGR 550 SportsRadio</a><br>The Senior <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a> Analyst joined Schopp & the Bulldog Wednesday afternoon.</p>
<p id="BWEBMZ"><a href="https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/davis-i-do-not-belong-field-anymore">Davis: "I do not belong on that field anymore" | WGR 550 SportsRadio</a><br>The recently retired cornerback sat down with "The Undefeated" on Wednesday.</p>
<p id="BXnSFL"><a href="https://www.buffalobills.com/video/lesean-mccoy-fight-hard">LeSean McCoy: "They're A Tough Group" - BuffaloBills.com</a><br>Running Back <span>LeSean McCoy</span> addressed the media after practice Wednesday. Topics include his health, the Vikings’ defense, and playing on Sunday.</p>
<p id="GtnGKV"><a href="https://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/index.ssf/2018/09/vlad_ducasse_graded_best_pass_protector_in_nfl_through_first_2_weeks_credits_tea.html#incart_river_index">Vlad Ducasse graded best pass protecting guard in NFL through first 2 weeks; credits teammates | NewYorkUpstate.com</a><br>Vikings coach Mike Zimmer says it takes time for offensive line to build cohesion.</p>
<p id="MX93Df"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641776&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F532391%2F2018%2F09%2F19%2Fbills-film-room-where-the-defense-goes-from-here-after-a-tale-of-two-halves%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buffalorumblings.com%2F2018%2F9%2F20%2F17880760%2Fbuffalo-bills-links-9-20-josh-allen-meets-with-the-media-lesean-mccoy-vontae-davis" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bills film room: Where the defense goes from here after a tale of two halves – The Athletic</a><br>The Bills’ defense was breaking down everywhere in the first half against the <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Chargers</a>. Then Sean McDermott took over. (Subscription required.)</p>
<p id="4uzS2E"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641776&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F532881%2F2018%2F09%2F19%2Fbills-week-3-notebook-lesean-mccoy-case-takes-a-new-turn-and-other-questions-that-need-answers%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buffalorumblings.com%2F2018%2F9%2F20%2F17880760%2Fbuffalo-bills-links-9-20-josh-allen-meets-with-the-media-lesean-mccoy-vontae-davis" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bills Week 3 notebook: LeSean McCoy case takes a new turn and other questions that need answers – The Athletic</a><br>LeSean McCoy denied new allegations Tuesday that he hurt his son, after the mother of his child filed an affidavit in the Delicia Cordon lawsuit. (Subscription required.)</p>
<p id="m8nDXx"><strong>Featured on Buffalo Rumblings</strong></p>
<p id="nFooFr"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/19/17879036/sean-mcdermott-expresses-support-for-lesean-mccoy-domestic-violence-roger-goodell-legal-child-abuse">Sean McDermott expresses support for LeSean McCoy in wake of latest child abuse allegations - Buffalo Rumblings</a><br>"Nothing has changed" regarding Shady’s status, according to the head coach.</p>
<p id="ACL0Gl"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/19/17878900/buffalo-bills-injury-update-shaq-lawson-not-practicing-wednesday-kyle-williams-lesean-mccoy">Buffalo Bills injury update: Shaq Lawson not practicing Wednesday; Lorenzo Alexander, Kyle Williams take rest day - Buffalo Rumblings</a><br><span>Lorenzo Alexander</span> and <span>Kyle Williams</span> take veteran rest days, as well</p>
<p id="30twtR"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/19/17873874/all-22-analysis-buffalo-bills-defensive-tackle-star-lotulelei-run-stopping-double-teams-swim-move">All-22 analysis: Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei taking on double teams, not statistics - Buffalo Rumblings</a><br>With <span>Star Lotulelei</span> finally seeing a starter’s amount of reps, let’s check in and see how he’s doing</p>
<p id="pAzkxA"></p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/20/17880760/buffalo-bills-links-9-20-josh-allen-meets-with-the-media-lesean-mccoy-vontae-davisAnthony Marino2018-09-19T09:30:02-04:002018-09-19T09:30:02-04:00Penalties don’t hinder Bills, Chargers despite Jones helmet-less shot
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<img alt="NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AtEF92UZbdy1u-OAVZaBtYba7A8=/288x0:4883x3063/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61460925/usa_today_11271739.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>While it felt like the refs spent an eternity discussing flags on Sunday, the volume was surprisingly low.</p> <p id="YwhFkg">If you watched the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> host the <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a> you likely felt that the game was bogged down by tons of penalties. Surprisingly, both teams performed quite well in the yellow flag department. An inexperienced crew likely helped slow things down, but... Well let’s get to the charts. </p>
<h3 id="MstTRG">Standard and Advanced Metrics</h3>
<h4 id="qkYOYP">Penalty Counts</h4>
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<p id="CpTWLM">The league average dipped about 0.7 flags per team in Week two which is actually pretty wild. Even with that major dip overall, both the Bills and Chargers outperformed the average in number of flags assessed (left bars). </p>
<p id="98zXWB">True count (right bars) includes declined and offset. Buffalo’s one declined flag still keeps them under the NFL average. The Chargers stay at six with no declined or offset. Based on count alone, both teams actually had a good day. The whole point of this series is based on the idea that penalties aren’t all alike though, so let’s turn to yardage measures to see if maybe it was worse than the counts suggested. </p>
<p id="tyhd5M">Yards</p>
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</figure>
<p id="lJ8eCE">For assessed yards, both teams are comfortably below league average. Buffalo was called for half the yards the average team NFL team has been so far this season. The suggestion is some pretty minor penalties. Much the same could be said of the Chargers. </p>
<p id="S9A9bc">True yards includes those negated due to penalty. Between both teams only ONE penalty the entire game negated positive yards. Sadly it was on the Bills’ side of the ledger. An 18-yard <span>LeSean McCoy</span> run was called back as a result of holding from <span>Jordan Mills</span>. Again, the data suggests this was a very tame contest when it came to flags. </p>
<h3 id="HQW48Q">Penalty Harm</h3>
<h4 id="3bsRqK">Los Angeles Chargers</h4>
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<p id="kfG5nc">Going to my signature stat of penalty harm, the trend only continues. Three of the six penalties (delay of game, false start and neutral zone infraction) were “boo-boos.” All three were yardage only and the standard five. In total, the Chargers only had 7.5 Harm. Anything under ten should be considered a good day for flags. </p>
<p id="F8N1nn"><span>Uchenna Nwosu</span>’s unnecessary roughness likely should have been considered egregious enough for an ejection, but as far as harm it was yardage only thanks to occurring during a punt return. </p>
<p id="OXHVxN"><span>Melvin Ingram</span>’s horse collar tackle on <span>Josh Allen</span> was assessed for zero yards and impacted zero yards as Buffalo had the ball at the Chargers’ one yard line. The Bills did get one free down though, which explains the 1.0 Harm rating. </p>
<p id="Nb0iyZ">The most severe penalty of the game came from <span>Desmond King</span>s’ unsportsmanlike conduct call. In addition to the 15 yards, the Bills received two free downs (from third down to first). At 3.5 Harm, it’s our featured penalty of the week for the Bills’ opponent. </p>
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<p id="JePlze">There was no way I was going to immortalize the shot <span>Taiwan Jones</span> took, so let’s discuss this one instead. From a yardage standpoint this was assessed the same as the hit on <span>Jones</span>. This play however also added the aforementioned free downs. By any measure, this insidious action on the part of <span>Desmond King</span> was punished more harshly than the roughness call that left <span>Jones</span> bruised and bleeding. </p>
<h4 id="eSxMRq">Buffalo Bills</h4>
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<p id="u8u9GX">This...needs explaining. The 18-yard run wiped out by <span>Mills</span> was the only significant penalty called on the Bills all game. By negating a first down and 18 yards, it landed at 3.8 Harm. The Bills total Harm came out to be 5.9 which is very good. Essentially, penalties were a nearly insignificant part of their game. Let’s discuss. </p>
<p id="i524UF"><span>Logan Thomas</span>’ holding call was the assessed yards only. It occurred on special teams and couldn’t negate yards or down easily. <span>Jerry Hughes</span>’ offside call was the assessed yardage only. The same applies to <span>Dion Dawkins</span> and the false start. <span>Dawkins</span>’ holding call was declined when the Chargers decided an incomplete pass on 3rd and 9 was a better outcome for them. </p>
<p id="ruekgT"><span>Jordan Mills</span>’ false start came when the Bills were backed up on their own three-yard line. Assessed officially as one yard, it didn’t drastically alter the already $#&**# field position very much. Similarly, having too many men on the field when the Chargers were at the Buffalo one-yard line didn’t really help Los Angeles out all that much. So to some extent, the Bills didn’t have bad results from penalties because they had already put themselves in such a bad position. That’s sure to make you feel better. </p>
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<p id="Y71ZOG">This is the result of a defensive end living on the razor’s edge. Is <span>Hughes</span> offside? Yeah, but by about 0.1 seconds. It’s really hard to find too much at fault with this penalty as timing the snap up is a high reward venture when done well. And <span>Hughes</span> does it well more often than not. </p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/19/17873862/penalty-recap-los-angeles-chargers-vs-buffalo-bills-taiwan-jones-no-helmet-hit-jordan-mills-holdingSkarekrow2018-09-19T08:30:00-04:002018-09-19T08:30:00-04:00Analysis: Lotulelei contributing, but not on the stat sheet
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<figcaption>Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With Star Lotulelei finally seeing a starter’s amount of reps, let’s check in and see how he’s doing</p> <p id="B496gd">One of the bigger signings during the offseason was the acquisition of former <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> defensive tackle <span>Star Lotulelei</span>. The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> often struggled with stopping the run in 2017, a problem that wasn’t helped when they traded Marcell Dareus. Lotulelei was signed to occupy offensive linemen so the rest of the team could make plays. Now that the snap counts suggest he’s fully healthy from a back injury, let’s take a look at how he played against the Los Angeles <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Chargers</a>. </p>
<h4 id="wiavR8">Play 1</h4>
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<p id="l9hHyU">We start off illustrating the importance of <span>Star Lotulelei</span> occupying blocks. With a fairly standard play on both sides of the ball, the Bills’ four-man front will be up against five blockers. Lotulelei consistently occupying the double-team creates a more consistent one-on-one situation for the rest of the defensive line, often creating an advantage. The Chargers initially attempt to block <span>Kyle Williams</span> with two linemen and <span>Jerry Hughes</span> comes screaming in. Credit Phillip Rivers with an incredible throw. This was nearly a huge play by the defense. Lotulelei’s ability to cut off such a large section of the field while occupying two lineman was a big reason why. </p>
<h4 id="UMkADo">Play 2</h4>
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<p id="SHNn8G">Lotulelei can be inconsistent against single opponents. This time Star is able to turn his man’s shoulders and hips, creating a leverage advantage if he needs it. When Lotulelei sees <span>Melvin Gordon</span> jump back inside, the earlier win allows a clean swim to get back to the play. It’s a shame Gordon didn’t have the ball.</p>
<h4 id="vY2KKm">Play 3</h4>
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<p id="dCtzUk">Lotulelei takes up two men again, which serves to shrink the overall size of the forms they're able to protect. As shown above, this opens up large lanes to the sides of Star. Tremaine Edmunds and <span>Lorenzo Alexander</span> have a clear view of the play in front of them and can step into lanes.</p>
<h4 id="nVNvBl">Play 4</h4>
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<p id="SPTdoD">It’s not all good news. Lotulelei commits to an incredibly fast swim move which the center picks up on. Star swims over empty space and gets taken out by the guard. As hinted at above, Lotulelei was weaker playing against single opponents, getting less push and failing to collapse the pocket as well as he did on double teams. </p>
<h4 id="RGfMI6">Play 5</h4>
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<p id="d0r96a">Let’s end on a high note. The second pause on this play shows how taking up two offensive lineman can create a gigantic wall that forces a runner to go around. Because the center is occupied by Lotulelei, <span>Jerry Hughes</span> can race in and make the tackle for a loss. </p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/19/17873874/all-22-analysis-buffalo-bills-defensive-tackle-star-lotulelei-run-stopping-double-teams-swim-moveSkarekrow2018-09-19T07:00:03-04:002018-09-19T07:00:03-04:00Bills Links, 9/22: New allegations raised against McCoy
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<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Additional allegations of abuse raised against McCoy</p> <p id="AZgk3j">It has been a troubling stretch for <span>LeSean McCoy</span>, as additional allegations brought against the running back for the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a>. The latest was filed by the mother of McCoy’s son. The story is available below from the <em>The Buffalo News</em>, with the latest updates that include a response from McCoy. </p>
<p id="eqK9rZ">Today’s edition of the Bills Links also includes updates on <span>Tremaine Edmunds</span>, <span>Robert Foster</span>, <span>Josh Allen</span>, and much more.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="vW9yPF">
<p id="QWM3YE"><a href="https://buffalonews.com/2018/09/18/mother-of-lesean-mccoys-6-year-old-son-adds-voice-to-ongoing-court-case/">Mother of LeSean McCoy’s 6-year-old son adds voice to ongoing court case – The Buffalo News</a><br>"The mother of <span>LeSean McCoy</span>s 6-year-old son in a new court document Tuesday cast new light on an allegation made by a former girlfriend of the Bills running back."</p>
<p id="6vhT8s"><a href="https://www.wkbw.com/sports/bills/joe-b-buffalo-bills-all-22-review-week-2-vs-los-angeles-chargers">Joe B: Buffalo Bills All-22 Review - Week 2 vs. Los Angeles Chargers - </a><a href="http://WKBW.com">WKBW.com</a><br>The Buffalo Bills are 0-2 to start the season, but was the coaches film as bad as it was in Week One?</p>
<p id="Yr9L0Q"><a href="https://buffalonews.com/2018/09/18/tremaine-tracker-how-chargers-took-advantage-of-edmunds-in-pass-coverage/">Tremaine Tracker: How Chargers took advantage of Edmunds in pass coverage – The Buffalo News</a><br>The Chargers made sure they stressed <span>Tremaine Edmunds</span> while he sank into zone and when asked to cover man-to-man. (Subscription required.)</p>
<p id="yvcDj5"><a href="https://www.buffalobills.com/audio/obl-9-18-robert-foster-on-improving-in-the-bills-offense-peter-king-on-josh-alle">OBL 9/18: Robert Foster on improving in the Bills offense - BuffaloBills.com</a><br>The team discussed the quickest ways for the Bills defense to get better. Bills WR Robert Foster talked about the home opener against the Chargers, continuing working with OC Brian Daboll and who he looks up to on the team.</p>
<p id="GPfMPQ"><a href="https://www.cover1.net/tremaine-edmunds-buffalo-bills-nfl-chargers/">Tremaine Edmunds learning on the fly as Buffalo Bills defense falters - Cover 1</a><br>Buffalo Bills rookie linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has been inconsistent through his first two games of his NFL career. In the Bills' Week 2 loss vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, <span>Philip Rivers</span> attacked him, but the young defender is focusing on the positives from the humbling experience.</p>
<p id="u7dLHv"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641776&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F531712%2F2018%2F09%2F18%2Fwood-its-so-hard-for-me-to-fathom-that-anyone-would-quit-on-their-teammates-like-vontae-davis-did%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buffalorumblings.com%2F2018%2F9%2F19%2F17876314%2Fbuffalo-bills-links-9-22-new-allegations-raised-against-lesean-mccoy-child-abuse-son" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Wood: It’s so hard for me to fathom that anyone would quit on their teammates like Vontae Davis did – The Athletic</a><br><span>Eric Wood</span>, who was forced to retire after last season with a neck injury, doesn't think he could look <span>Vontae Davis</span> in the eye after what he did to the Bills on Sunday. (Subscription required.)</p>
<p id="OVwm1R"><strong>Featured on Buffalo Rumblings</strong></p>
<p id="eIRm0J"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/18/17876342/lesean-mccoy-accused-of-child-abuse-again-this-time-by-mother-of-his-child">LeSean McCoy accused of child abuse, this time by mother of his child - Buffalo Rumblings </a>There are more accusations with pictures accusing LeSean McCoy of child abuse.</p>
<p id="xmG1BL"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/18/17873360/buffalo-bills-fantasy-football-josh-allen-kelvin-benjamin-chris-ivory-waiver-wire-lesean-mccoy-injur">Buffalo Bills fantasy football recap: Josh Allen leads the way, Chris Ivory a solid handcuff - Buffalo Rumblings</a><br>The rookie quarterback is Buffalo’s top scorer through two weeks</p>
<p id="W2BYtZ"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/18/17873830/buffalo-bills-los-angeles-chargers-buffalo-rumblings-podcast-recapping-josh-allen-debut-week-2">Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers: Opinions on Josh Allen’s first start, the lackluster defense, and more - Buffalo Rumblings</a><br>Two weeks into the 2018 NFL season, and the Buffalo Bills (0-2) appear to be a flawed team on offense, with a defense that has (for the most part) struggled to keep opposing offenses off the field.</p>
<p id="ZRyBTU"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/18/17875246/week-3-nfl-power-rankings-buffalo-bills-los-angeles-chargers-nfl-2019-nfl-draft">Week 3 NFL power rankings keep Buffalo Bills in the basement - Buffalo Rumblings</a><br>The Bills are still firmly in the back seat.</p>
<p id="hSomqo"></p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/19/17876314/buffalo-bills-links-9-22-new-allegations-raised-against-lesean-mccoy-child-abuse-sonAnthony Marino2018-09-18T16:00:02-04:002018-09-18T16:00:02-04:00Vontae Davis quits on Bills, tarnishes legacy
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<figcaption>Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The talented cornerback erased years of quality play on the field by abandoning his teammates.</p> <p id="JkQUUV"><span>Vontae Davis</span> spent 10 years building his football legacy, earning two <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-pro-bowl">Pro Bowl</a> honors and finishing as the league’s second-best cornerback in 2014, according to <em>Pro Football Focus</em>. Whatever sort of legacy he created during his first 10 years in the league was forever tarnished and destroyed with one cowardly gesture Sunday afternoon. </p>
<p id="hELDJr">As the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> (0-2) returned to New Era Field for the second half of their home opener, a 31-20 setback to the <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a>, they did it with <span>Davis</span>, one of Buffalo’s starting cornerbacks, conspicuously absent from the lineup. </p>
<p id="pqpdy0">I’ve been watching sports all my life, and in the three-plus decades of watching sports, I’ve never seen anything like the stunt Davis pulled Sunday. </p>
<p id="jn5KqN">Head coach Sean McDermott told members of the media that Davis removed himself from the game, but was not dealing with an injury at halftime. </p>
<p id="0H4j9q">Starting linebacker <span>Lorenzo Alexander</span>, a leader in the locker room who never appears to quit on a play, much less an entire second half of a game, informed the media that he was told at the start of the half that Davis quit and retired during intermission. </p>
<p id="SIkiT8"><span>Alexander</span> described Davis’ vanishing act as “completely disrespectful.” <span>Alexander</span> went on to say, “I don’t have anything to say about Vontae, I’m going to give him a little bit more respect than he showed us today as far as quitting on us in the middle of the game.”</p>
<p id="rPLm1E">That’s being kind to Davis, and certainly better treatment than he deserves after quitting on his team. </p>
<p id="vhMKM4">When the Bills traveled to Baltimore to open the season against the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a> in Week 1, Davis was a healthy scratch, a befuddling move for a player expected to start opposite talented cornerback Tre’Davious White. </p>
<p id="VV5LzC">Management has to take some of the blame for this fiasco as general manager Brandon Beane and company opted to let a good, injury-prone corner back in E.J. Gaines walk in favor of signing Davis. </p>
<p id="9T7YlQ">Davis, who signed a one-year deal during the offseason, was brought in to shore up Buffalo’s secondary. His Buffalo career got off to a slow start and Davis failed to stand out during limited preseason action. </p>
<p id="lHCeoM">Instead of serving as a mentor to White and the rest of Buffalo’s young secondary, Davis showed his immaturity. With Buffalo in dire straits at cornerback thanks to injuries to <span>Phillip Gaines</span> and <span>Taron Johnson</span>, instead of answering the bell and providing outstanding play, Davis took the easy way out, opting to take his ball and head for home at halftime. </p>
<p id="RWF4u7">“This isn’t how I pictured retiring from the NFL,” Davis later said in a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnzd_k9lxrx/?hl=en&taken-by=vontaedavis">statement posted on his Instagram account</a>. “But today on the field, reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn’t be out there anymore.”</p>
<p id="tSHXEJ">Pro football is a physically (and mentally) demanding sport that requires complete concentration. Football players put their bodies through all sorts of physically-demanding activities to get ready for game day. </p>
<p id="yhMQrj">You cannot tell me that Davis’s decision to hang ‘em up was spur of the moment. While his teammates were busting their humps preparing to face one of the league’s top offenses in Philip Rivers, his head wasn’t in the game, and certainly wasn’t with his teammates. He was thinking of himself, first and foremost. </p>
<p id="zSjLxK">In all likelihood, Davis has known (or at least has contemplated) retirement for some time, and he should have talked to his coaches about his predicament. Instead, he showed up to New Era Field on Sunday, with his teammates and coaches counting on him, and he exited stage right while nobody was watching. </p>
<p id="MEAAWL">Davis walked out on his teammates who depend on him, and didn’t even have the decency to explain himself to his teammates, face-to-face. Instead, he relied on an Instagram post to justify why he walked away. </p>
<p id="8KJyEO">I say good riddance. </p>
<p id="CSesEZ">The Bills were expected to have a stellar secondary with White, Davis, and safeties <span>Micah Hyde</span> and Jordan Poyer. After Davis’ vanishing act, Buffalo finds its defense reeling after allowing 78 points through two games, and thin at cornerback. </p>
<p id="PSbFFL">But even if Davis, the former Pro Bowler, could have found his rhythm and helped the Bills’ secondary, Buffalo is a better team without Davis. Even if it means taking a step or two backwards this year, it is far better for the Bills to play with guys who want to be on the field, compared to talented cowards who don’t have the heart to play when the going is difficult.</p>
<p id="C1WPdx">As the newest member of the Bill Collectors, fans were excited to see Davis add to his career totals of 22 interceptions, 395 tackles, and 106 passes defensed during nine years with the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> and <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a>. </p>
<p id="27hum3">Instead, Davis made one lousy tackle and displayed All-Pro elusive skills in bailing on his teammates and his coaches at halftime of the home opener. </p>
<p id="FO70At">People don’t respect quitters, and for this, Davis’ legacy has forever been tarnished. </p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2018/9/18/17874962/vontae-davis-quits-on-buffalo-bills-tarnishes-his-football-legacy-forever-2018John Boccacino