Game Day Thread Official Pats at Bills Playoff Pregame Discussion Thread

[GreenCow]

Great pic.

No snow is expected according to weather.com..?

Snows every day in Buffalo. Just depends on what time

 

[Sicilian]

I get that. However, we are all different. There are uber homer fans (that can be annoying). There are nervous nancies (annoying). Know-it-alls (blow hards). There are knowledgable fans that add value with every post (cream of the crop). There are characters like the capt. There are a few dumb af posters, trolls, funny dudes, sexy mods, you name it.

I think the best thing to do is use the ignore function (I don't) if you find someone that really makes your exp. here difficult. What I don't agree with is trying to cancel any poster for his style or opinions, unless they consistently break forum rules or are just here to troll.

 

[VrabelJr]

We're not close to a number 1 seeded team and fell to 6th which is exactly where this team should be. Every single team can look back at several games they should/could have won but didn't. We probably would have lost both games to Buffalo is not for 60mph winds, so you can look at it both ways.

Bottom line is we had a good season and have seen some encouraging things from Mac. We have a chance to win a playoff game which is all you can ask for at this point.

This is how I feel about this game. I'm not a chicken little by any means. I'm quite pleased with how this season has gone but unless our defense can magically revert back to their mid-season form (despite every team knowing we have massively exploitable flaws at LB) we don't have the kind of offense that can play a near perfect game yet. I'm certainly encouraged by the pieces we have in place though and Any Given Sunday and all that.

 

[VrabelJr]

He's talking about @Ian and it's completely on point.

 

[patsinthesnow]

They have to play Brown LT & Onwenu RT right? The upside of that line is too high to pass up in a playoff game you’re underdogs in rather than play Herron LT IMO.

 

[Rob0729]

I think Harris is better too, but this argument doesn't really hold water, given Harris has more carries than Singletary this year (202 to 188). Same YPC for both. What gives Harris the edge for me (besides the eye test), is that he's facing a LOT more loaded boxes than Singletary. Teams are scheming to stop the run first against the Pats. They're scheming to stop Allen passes first, Allen runs second, and then the rest is a distant third when they play the Bills.

That is because the Pats are more of a running team than the Bills. The Pats are more a run first offense while the Bills don't like to run. Doesn't change the fact that the Bills use Singletary almost exclusively as a runner while the Pats split the carries far more.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I get that. However, we are all different. There are uber homer fans (that can be annoying). There are nervous nancies (annoying). Know-it-alls (blow hards). There are knowledgable fans that add value with every post (cream of the crop). There are characters like the capt. There are a few dumb af posters, trolls, funny dudes, sexy mods, you name it.

I think the best thing to do is use the ignore function (I don't) if you find someone that really makes your exp. here difficult. What I don't agree with is trying to cancel any poster for his style or opinions, unless they consistently break forum rules or are just here to troll.

I don't put people on ignore but I will ignore or dismiss whatever I chose not to respond to.

Seeing how that particular poster insults other posters on a personal level- that is breaking forum rules.

 

[Ring 6]

This is a pick your poison type of situation, because the spy would likely have to be a guy like Dugger, as none of our linebackers really have the athleticism to consistently run with him. But taking Dugger out of coverage for too many snaps isn't ideal against a deep WR group.

Allen isn’t Jackson, his running is based more on size than quickness.
VanNoy would be a good spy and you would also create the opportunity to play him mostly in a spy role, and then cut him loose on a blitz when the offense thinks he is sticking at the line to spy.
Like everything else though a game plan is multi faceted, not just pick one thing to do all day long.

 

[Sicilian]

They have to play Brown LT & Onwenu RT right? The upside of that line is too high to pass up in a playoff game you’re underdogs in rather than play Herron LT IMO.

One thing that may get in the way of that is the short week. If Brown hasn't practiced at LT at all coming into this week, I don't know if they'll want to throw him out there for the first time on a limited practice week against a really good defensive front. In a perfect world you'd be able to just plug and play him over there, but OL is as much about continuity as it is talent, so we'll see which one they value more for this week.

 

[farn]

They have to play Brown LT & Onwenu RT right? The upside of that line is too high to pass up in a playoff game you’re underdogs in rather than play Herron LT IMO.

If you get the week of practice to slot in Brown at LT & O at RT is just makes so much sense. Having said that, I see Herron starting at LT. It’s just in line with BB’s decisions this season imo.

 

[Ring 6]

They have to play Brown LT & Onwenu RT right? The upside of that line is too high to pass up in a playoff game you’re underdogs in rather than play Herron LT IMO.

Or just put onwenu at LT.

 

[Ring 6]

If you get the week of practice to slot in Brown at LT & O at RT is just makes so much sense. Having said that, I see Herron starting at LT. It’s just in line with BB’s decisions this season imo.

This decision does not have the same parameters as any others though.

 

[jdlboot14]

The real issue on our defensive failures late in games is the inability to stop the run... and mostly QB's that run.
It's always 1 or 2 plays where the QB is pressured for about 4 seconds and no one gets to him, then he escapes for 10-20yds, and extends a 4th qtr drive that otherwise would have allowed us a chance to win. It happened in the NO, DAL, BUF x2, MIA losses.
I think this is the key to the game. If Allen rushes for more than 3 first downs, we lose.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The real issue on our defensive failures late in games is the inability to stop the run... and mostly QB's that run.
It's always 1 or 2 plays where the QB is pressured for about 4 seconds and no one gets to him, then he escapes for 10-20yds, and extends a 4th qtr drive that otherwise would have allowed us a chance to win. It happened in the NO, DAL, BUF x2, MIA losses.
I think this is the key to the game. If Allen rushes for more than 3 first downs, we lose.

My feeling as well. QB scrambles have killed us.

 

[TomPatriot]

My feeling as well. QB scrambles have killed us.

Lack of speed mostly.

 

[JackBauer]

They have to play Brown LT & Onwenu RT right? The upside of that line is too high to pass up in a playoff game you’re underdogs in rather than play Herron LT IMO.

Oh no, now you've gone and done it.

 

[farn]

This decision does not have the same parameters as any others though.

Understood. I legit don’t know the answer to this : but has Brown played any snaps at LT this season ? I don’t recall any. And if he did : it’s limited.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Lack of speed mostly.

Yep. The LB corps is in desperate need for an upgrade in speed. Main reason why Bill has Phillips and Dugger out there at the same time and why he picked up Jamie. Jamie isn't as nimble as he used to but he brings more mobility and quickness to the position than High and KVN as they have different strengths. Bentley is a serviaable, gap plugger/downhill LB. Smaller Brandon Spikes.

It's pretty clear BB sees it the same way. Signing McMillan. Drafting McGrone. Drafting a in the box hitter like Bledsoe.

 

[venecol]

He's talking about @Ian and it's completely on point.

@Ross12

 

[gitgronked82]

My gut says they go with Herron, but I REALLY hope it's Brown and Onwenu at tackle.
Given that Brown has played a season as a LT in our system, I'd hope it would be feasible enough to get him back to it in a week of prep. He did play next to Thuney rather than Karras, but I would just hope there's some way for us to get our best guys out there.