The RB situations

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Trap, it really does not matter that much on player size with the kind of zone block Marrone is running -- more of a variation of between the tackle run game with a moving double team (e.g. double on a DL, then onto the LB just as the RB step into the hole) to create some day light in tight area. In Gailey's system 3 years ago, they have mobile guards pulling into space for screens etc. Completely different set of skill. Ever noticed that our screen games are more of a TEs and wide receivers screens under Marrone?

The stunts are hard to defend, especially early in the season. Coaches and supporting staff spending tons of men hours and computer time to find opposing teams tendencies, personal grouping, lineup positions, still guys like Rex Ryan, Pettine can disguise them well. The best way to keep defense honest is the ability to run the ball. Stunts almost always go unbalanced leaving some area totally undefended. The Bills got caught in a few runs yesterday. Someone told me once that the main reason for 3rd and 3 or under conversion rate is so much better in his opinion is mostly the limitation on defensive scheme under those circumstances.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

If Marrone is so STUPID he refuses to play Mike Williams against the Jets, I could see the Bills losing that game.

Don't know the fixation on Mike Williams. There are strong whispers circulating the league that Williams could not run as well as he did in the past. Watch the games thus far, he's not getting the kind separation as he used to at Tampa. I don't know you can count on him winning the jump ball all the time.

[bdutton]

Hogan is going great in his place. Seems to me that Hogan has earned the spot. Maybe Michele should shut his trap and play special teams and contribute somehow.

[better days]

Hogan is going great in his place. Seems to me that Hogan has earned the spot. Maybe Michele should shut his trap and play special teams and contribute somehow.

Mike did play special teams & was in at WR a little & contributed blocking even though he never saw a ball his way.

Hogan had a nice catch but also dropped a ball he should have caught.

[bdutton]

Mike did play special teams & was in at WR a little & contributed blocking even though he never saw a ball his way.

Hogan had a nice catch but also dropped a ball he should have caught.

Hogan has 22 catches for 245 yards in 3 games.
Michelle has 8 catches for 142 yards (one long TD for 80 yards) in 6 games.

Take away the long td and he's down to 62 yards on 7 catches.

Maybe that production was due to EJ being unable to get the ball to him. Still... I like what Hogan has done. I loved him in preseason and felt he was a great 3rd receiver in the slot.

[better days]

Hogan has 22 catches for 245 yards in 3 games.
Michelle has 8 catches for 142 yards (one long TD for 80 yards) in 6 games.

Take away the long td and he's down to 62 yards on 7 catches.

Maybe that production was due to EJ being unable to get the ball to him. Still... I like what Hogan has done. I loved him in preseason and felt he was a great 3rd receiver in the slot.

I like what Hogan has done for the most part myself, but a receiver can only catch the balls thrown to him.

And I HATE when people say "TAKE AWAY" that is a STUPID argument.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

I'm not seeing too many threads with content worth responding to. Not much substance today. Not "Goats/Balls" threads, no post-game reviews, etc.

Was going to start one, but I'm just not in a fun-loving mood today whereby I feel like wading through 20 inane posts calling me a troll and other names. I'll be up for that at some point though, don't throw the towel in.

My take:

Not a good game despite the outcome. When we allow a team like the Vikes to run over us like McKinnon, a 3rd-round rookie RB whose had one good game against a very bad run D, to averaged 5.4 against what many here call the best rushing D in the league, which is about to become exposed as something else imo, then it's not good.

When we can't even put up more than 10 point through 59 minutes of play against the Vikes, it's not good. We're still averaging fewer points than were were with Manuel at the helm. I don't care of two of Orton's fingers are broken, that shouldn't be tough. I'm desperately looking for reasons as to why our passing production has gone from averaging 198 yards to 272 yards, with the same RBs and OL, and our total yards have gone from averaging 321 to 351, we are averaging fewer points.

Offensively once again it was two players, Spiller with his once-every-fourth-game big run, naturally short of a TD in his home-run ability, and Watkins posting what's becoming an every third game type of performance with none of the other WRs doing much (aka "his turn this week") and as great a game it was by him, but other than that our offense did **** against a team against which we should have had no difficulty whatsoever in racking up yards or points. Once again we got the yards, 373, but red zone production was **** and we couldn't put up more than 10 points on the first 293 yards.

I don't see how anyone can possibly be encouraged by that looking forward to our remaining games, four of which are almost guaranteed losses.

We're not playing well on either side right now. We should have put Minnesota away by the half. I thought that I was being pessimistic in my 23-13 prediction in allowing Minnesota over 10 points for the third time this season and other than against two terrible defenses in Atlanta and St. Louis, and I thought that I was being pessimistic in predicting only 23 points for us against an equally bad defense, but we nearly lost the dam game.

Meanwhile, the Jets finally seem to be coming together and they have 10 days rest as we prepare to go to NY to face them. You optimistic after yesterdays performance? Ryan vs. Marrone? LOL And let's forget the whole Spiller and Jackson are out thing. All that's been shoved down my and other critics' throats here is how deep our RB group is and how Brown is the heir to Jackson. I disagree, just sayin'.

Miami's looking much better too. I can very easily see us dropping 6 of the next 7 with a home win maybe against either the Jets or Cleveland, but Cleveland is clearly playing better than we are.

Those are my thoughts.

Well there's the piss for my bowl of cheerios, but its running a bit late for today.

You know you have been a negative nancy all friggen year, and honestly I find your opinion regarding football to be extremely useless. Lets talk future losses. Well I look at our next five games, and I agree with you wholly, I see us going anywhere from 1-4 to 5-0, and my assumption now is that we will go 3-2. Jets in New Jersey is always an adventure, but well they are 1-6 for a reason. However, I think we at least split the series. The Chiefs, well they did beat San Diego but I think that this team is better than the Chiefs in Ralph Wilson stadium and we are certainly better with Orton at QB than Tuelbag. That's a game I like. The Fish, that's a challenge but I think we can win that. The Jets at home, I think we can win that. The Browns, well it depends on how they come to play. They play like last Sunday we win easily. If not we lose. So anyways, that's a very good chance of going 3-2 over the next five games which puts us at 7-5 for the year and if a number of things fall into line I think we can go 9-7 this year and with a miracle or two that's post seasonable. As for our remaining games, I see only Denver and New England as pud games where we might as well not even bother taking the field. The others, however, are winnable as long as we get over our penchant for killing good drives with stupid turnovers, something which has cost us two of the past five games and almost cost us Sunday too. So guess what negative Nancy, we go 7-2 over the last 9 weeks that is 11-5.

I'm not saying we will do that but if we do that, I will quite enjoy hearing you say we shouldn't even bother playing in the post season. If we win the wildcard, I get to hear you say we won't win the divisional and so on. Oh and Fletchy baby, please tell me that you're a San Fransisco Giants fan and that the Royals shouldn't even bother coming out of the club house on Tuesday. Please

[gebobs]

1 yard, 1 yard, 1 yard, 9 yards: 4 yard average.

Check that math.