Archives for November 24, 2015

'Give Rex Ryan credit for his game plan. He had Brady frustrated in the first half. Cameras caught the quarterback shouting on the sideline and the third-down heat was making him uneasy. Players appear to be more comfortable in Ryan’s scheme. But that decision to punt on fourth and 2 at midfield in the fourth quarter? Odd.'

'This time there were two particular bungles in critical situations, both times the Patriots made Buffalo pay, and ultimately that was the difference in New England's 20-13 victory which stretched its season-long unbeaten streak to 10 games and dropped the Bills to 5-5.'

'It's a feather in the Bills' cap to hold down the NFL's highest-scoring offense, albeit one missing star receiver Julian Edelman. Tight end Rob Gronkowski caught just two passes. The Patriots couldn't run the ball a lick. But New England showed it may also have one of the better defenses in the league this year, and it showed in the second half when Buffalo's offense could manage just a field goal in its final six possessions. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor had a chance to lead the Bills to the tying touchdown in the final 1:51. But with no timeouts and no energy on his throws due to a damaged shoulder, time ran out on the Bills in Foxborough, where their record at Gillette Stadium fell to 1-13. Ryan is 4-11 all-time against Brady and Bill Belichick.'

'There was a point last year when the Bills season was in danger of blowing up and indeed, it blew up. Remember, the Bills were 5-3 at the midway point, but they faced two games in five days, the first against Kansas City, the second in Miami. The Bills lost them both, and it delivered a dagger deep into their playoff hopes. Well, we have arrived at that point in the 2015 season.'

'As usual, the Bills just weren't good enough to beat the Patriots. It's an old and tired storyline, but there were obvious situations in this game where the outcome could have gone Buffalo's way, but it went New England's because the Patriots always find a way, and the Bills don't. Maddening, but painfully true, and it's not changing any time soon with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady still functioning at such a high level.'

'"They cheated us," Bradham said. "They spotted the ball in the middle of the field and gave them all those yards and then blew the whistle. It's crazy, man. At least spot the ball where he caught it. That was just one of them things where they didn't give us no explanation. Fortunately we were able hold them to a field goal."'

'Give Ryan credit: His defensive game plan against Brady was solid. The Bills were in the game because of the pressure they were able to create against the best quarterback to ever play the game. Even so, Ryan's in-game clock management was questionable. The team had just one timeout late in the fourth quarter because a miscommunication caused Ryan to burn one. He also failed to go for it on fourth-and-2 near midfield when his team was down 10 with 10 minutes to play in the game. In close games, those small errors can make all the difference.'

'On New England's first drive of the game, Brady stepped to the line and ESPN's cameras clearly picked up the audio of him shouting "Rex Ryan" as his pre-snap audible. The play was a run up the middle.'

'Ryan needs to be a little more liberal in those situations. You're playing the Patriots. They have Tom Brady. You don't. Keep the ball and try to get the two yards. It could make a huge difference.'

'But if you want to slay a giant, you can’t keep shooting yourself in the foot.'

'“That’s an outstanding football team we played. They proved it again tonight,” said Ryan. “We just weren’t good enough. We’re not quite there. … It’s tough to match with them, personnel-wise. They did a great job. That’s a good football team. They deserved to win. We know right now we’ve got to find a way to get better – as players get better, as coaches get better. If we do, we’ll see if there’s a different outcome.”'

'Ryan is svelte now. But he is still a glutton for punishment at the hands of the Patriots. A coaching masochist, Ryan is now 4-11 against Brady and Belichick.'

'They are entertaining confrontations if you are two of three types of observers. They are fun if you have no dog in the hunt and they are fun, — but only once they’re finished — if you’re a Patriots fan. If you’re Rex Ryan, however, they are similar to a root canal. They’re not something you look forward to repeating.'

'"It's not back there with the Bruschis and all those guys," Ryan said. "They're playing the run extremely well and they're doing a great job in the back end. Usually it's a defense that really bends and doesn’t break. They're being much more aggressive this year."'

'Unfortunately, the Bills were themselves.'