I'm posting this here so that I don't have to reply to a hundred posters in a hundred threads. Although I've stated how both the Bills and Jets will look great one week, terrible the next, and wouldn't be surprised to see a blowout on either side this game, there were some things that did surprise me. 1.) Coaching For the first time in 3 years, I was angry with Chan Gailey, and this actually started before the game even started. (a) TJ Graham Inactive: once I saw this guy on the inactive list I was shocked. The guy is raw, but if there was any week I felt he could make an impact, it would be against the Jets, and here's why. Against the Jets, you can't count on much production from your #1 and #2 wide receivers IMO. You just can't. You have to run the ball well and utilize your slot receivers, tight ends, and backs out of the backfield. Your #1 and #2 receivers supplement the rest of your offense, not the other way around. We got TJ because of his blazing speed. I thought for sure he would cause problems in the slot for the Jets, and even if he doesnt make plays, throwing deep a couple of times should make a team think twice about keeping everyone in the box. Add in the very real possibility that Stevie Johnson with his injury might not be able to finish the game, and this was a head scratcher for me. (b) Pass Rush: I posted this in the game day thread, but when the game started I watched our d-line. I started with Mario on Howard. It just looked to me like he wasn't giving an effort. I couldn't figure out what was going on, and then I saw the rest of the d-linemen doing the same thing. All 4 of them would come off the ball and then kind of just mirror the o-linemen. Then I realized it could have been a coaching move to try and stop the run first. Sure enough, Gailey said in his press conference that was the strategy, and they didnt start to really rush until the 4the quarter with the backups in (Kelsay, Carrington, etc.). What a stupid way to play the game, IMO. I understand the Jets pass offense has been terrible and their run game very good, but what team/coach that expects to win would ever just concede on one phase to stop another? You worry about the run game by scheming and practicing, you dont take away from the pass rush. The Bills did stop the run, but when any QB has the time to just sit back in a nice comfortable pocket (even a QB as shitty as Sanchez) they're going to find the open receivers. What a dumb move by our coaching staff. (c) Stubbornness in Play Calling on Offense: the third and final reason I think Gailey helped lose us this game was the game plan on offense. We're not the Saints or Packers. You are not good enough to just sit back in 3 and 4 WR sets in the shotgun and run your regular offense against the Jets and expect it to work. You have to run the ball. You have to use playaction. You have to use screens. You have to use your slot receivers and tight ends. You have to get positive yardage on first down. You can't just stand back there with an average QB and a defense that is very confusing and expect to light them up. It was just stupid by Gailey IMO. Kudos to Rex Ryan and the Jets coaching staff. Gailey got outcoached badly. 2.) Some Jets Players (a) Stephen Hill: I know the guy is raw, but he's a load to bring down. Some times when he would catch a pass and people were trying to bring him down I thought it was a tight end. He ran a lot of routs across the middle like a tight end would, and he was very successful. I liked what I saw from Hill. (b) Jeff Cumberland: I know he wont show up much on the stat sheet yesterday and I dont even think he had many catches, but that guy has talent and can play. I've only seen on here that he is just a blocker, and that's what I envisioned him as, but he's got talent in the receiving game. I've never been a fan of Keller, he's basically a one trick pony, but if Cumberland plays every game like he did yesterday, he's a complete tight end. (c) Players I Expected to Hear their Name called, but didnt: Where was Coples, Ellis, Maybin, Harris, Thomas and Keller? The Jets got good performances from some unheralded guys instead like Wilson, Cumberland, Kerley, Hill, etc. 3.) My Thoughts on the Bills (a) Fitzpatrick: The Bills will only go as far as their QB. I put this on Chan Gailey. The situation is very similar to the Jets with Sanchez. With both of these QB's, you cannot make them the focus of the offense. They are average QB's that have limitations that will become exposed the more they are throwing the ball. The only difference is, Rex has not been in denial about and adjusted accordingly. You dont pass the ball like they're Drew Brees, you go to the running game and supplement it with a passing attack. Gailey has yet to realize this, and wants to continue to put Fitzpatrick in a bad position by going to a spread offense with him throwing the ball nearly every play. If we keep our offense revolving around the decisions of Fitz, its going to be a long year. If we smarten up and use him like he's supposed to be used, he can be a good QB. (b) Schedule and Season: this game was tough to lose because of how bad the schedule is early on this season. Our next 4 games have Kansas City (IMO a top team), New England, and San Francisco. We could easily start the year 1-4 or 1-5 before we start getting to the winnable games. However, I do still think we can make a wild card spot provided Gailey gets his head out of his ass. The Bills blewout a team on opening day last year and look where it got them. I'm not panicking, its a long season. I still think we will split with the Jets. But if we're going to do it, there needs to be some changes. I expect a 1-4 or 1-5 record to start, and finish the season around 8-8 to 9-7. I enjoyed posting on here during the offseason before the matchup. I'll check in every now and then during the season, probably make a post here or there, and I'll be back for the last week against the Jets.
So let me get this straight. On all those 3rd and longs, the Bills D line was playing the run and that was why there was no pressure on Sanchez??? I watched the first half of the game on TV this morning and that is a complete crock of shit.
He did what he had to do to win the game. I'm more dissapointed in Wanny's strategy on the defense. We ran man coverage all game, I don't remember seeing any cover 3's or zone schemes for that matter. We relied on our front 4 to much to generate a pass rush (kind of hard to do when you give up a big lead early) Sanchez seems to pick apart man defense better then he does zones. We had no safety help on those passes to Stephen Hill.
Fitzpatrick is a weak-armed gunslinger. Every time he heaves a pass it looks like he has to rear back and put his entire body into the motion just to get any zip on it. RG3 seems to throw darts with a flick of the wrist.
I went to the game and kept expecting throughout to see Grahm get put in, especially in garbage time after the start of the second half. Very dissapointing he was inactive. Any reason for that? Fitz is really starting to worry me. He doesn't trust the receivers and timing routes like a starting QB should, but instead waits for the receiver to get open and then trys to bullet in the throw. Thats how Cro and Kyle Wilson got their picks. He also missed Chandler a few times DEEP because he was staring down Stevie. We have got to find a way to feature Chandler in the offense more. Other then that, our line looked great. Spiller has shown how explosive and patient he has become as a starter. What a great dilemna Chan has on who to keep fresh for the 4th quarters? I'd like to see both Freddy and Spiller get 15 touches a game one way or another. Not worried about the pass rush just yet, it's hard to generate one when you spot a big lead early. Plus there definitely were some holds that were not called on Mario.
I dunno who ever labeled Cumberland as just a blocker. IMO he's Keller with a larger frame and way more potnetial to develop as a balanced TE. Kellers pass catching ability is underrated cause he can't block but the guy remains a mismatch. If cumberland can develop as a balanced TE no reason we don't keep him and keller and run alot of ace formation. Stephen hill is a steal. Im not the only one who's been on his bandwaggon. People overreacted cause he's got inconsistent hands. He's as advertised a physical freak who can make circus catches but is inconsistent coming from the georgia tech system. You have to give credit to sanchez aside from his bone headed brett favre shuffle pass it was the best I've seen him look in a regular season game. Not locking onto wrs, pump faking, and throwing absolute darts
I got the whole Mario Williams thing in the offseason, but was kind of scratching my head when everyone got excited over Mark Anderson. He's had two really good seasons (2006 and 2011) but he isn't a game-changer. The 10 sacks were nice last year, but the guy isn't an every-down player. Situational pass rusher at best, at this point in his career.
I appreciate the OP, but while you do give credit to the Jets a few times, it seems more like a conceited list of excuses/reasons why the Bills lost and why they can be better. That's fine, but on a Jets forum I would expect a Bills fan to be slightly more humbled after a loss like that. And honestly, while at times the comparison of Sanchez and Fitz may have been warranted, after that game it absolutely is not. Sanchez played very well and was making tough throws, he did more than just "what he had to" last game. That being said I respect the fact that you showed up around here after the loss instead of disappearing, as I've seen you post a lot lately before the game. I'll be interested to see how the Bills turn out this year. There are still a lot of questions about how a team really is going to look after week 1; it's often hard to know if you just beat/lost to a good team or a bad team until the season develops.
He'll do well in those situations, but like I said earlier, I just didn't understand why that was mentioned alongside the acquisition of Williams. Week one's not even technically over yet, the Bills could still make some noise. Fitzpatrick's got to reel it in though.
You're only starting to get worried about Fitzpatrick now? How many weeks of last season did you watch?
