GunnerBill

Yep. That's what it look like to me. They decided we can't lose unless we give up a quick one over the top. And once you get into that mindset it is hard to swap out of it.

Who knows? I should say in all of the questionable coaching calls last night (and there worse some) I think the Bills got two big strategic calls right: 9:27 in the 4th punting and not trying to convert a 4th and 16 from our own 37. Which would have been a v low percentage play and if you don't get it game over. 00:46 in the 4th. Palmer has had the 30 odd yarder to get you to the 34 and in field goal range. You are going to need one first down to make sure the Ravens burn their time outs and the final play of the game is a FG try for the win. The best chance you have to get that is throwing on 1st down. Joe Brady dialled up the perfect play, in breaking route for Keon behind the safety who has crept up into the box to play the run.... and as you said we might have got lucky that Keon was tackled. The coaches will get some heat for some calls especially around the 2 point try calls and some of their strategy but in those two moments they got critical strategy calls right. And that shouldn't get lost in the shuffle either.

The Ravens fans are blaming coaching. Which is an eternal truism in the NFL. Fans overblame coaching and underblame talent. That is consistent across all fanbases.

While I am not here to tell you the defense was good, or that the playcalling on O was perfect (although I defend that a bit more - receiver separation outside was the main problem.... again) and there is a lot that needs work especially on defense where some of the problems are pretty deep set. However, the way these top teams play each other is not reflective of the rest of the season. I have said it with Bills - Chiefs for a few years and I think it is true of Bills - Ravens now too. They are going to play blow for blow style football games. They are going to come down to the end. I am not sure there is a ton of value in comparing what those teams do against each other to what they do against everyone else. They save their best punches for each other.

Some of those behind the line plays were checks not play calls. It is generally their check when they see a stacked line. But agree they didn't have success with it. The difference in the 4th Quarter was definitely the Ravens backing off their coverage outside to avoid giving up the quick hit. They thought, wrongly that wad their only way to lose.

I thought he was crap for three quarters. He had 17 yards by the end of the 3rd. But once the Ravens backed their corners off and gave him a bit of room to operate he was excellent. Had an amazing 4th quarter and made the plays the team needed him to make. I still worry about his separation when teams want to get up in face and play him tight. But he did look more decisive and confident that last year. That is a plus. Even if he can force teams to play tight man coverage on him that is a start because it starts to dictate things a bit to the defense and might help elsewhere.

I didn't ever feel like that game was a "turn it off" or "go home" game. When Josh got sacked and we were punting down 15 I confess I thought get him out of there but then the Bills forced a 3 and out and the Ravens bothed the punt recovery (how big does that look now?) And then you had to leave him in and from there the miracle happened. If that near INT had stood. Or if they down the ball at the 1 and force us 3 and out then it would have felt like go home time. But as it was there was always just a chance. And lo and behold.

I don't think it was the Bills playcalling that changed particularly. I think it was the Ravens defensive calls as much as anything. They backed their corners off 5 yards thinking the only way they could lose was giving up the big one over the top. And that gave Coleman and Palmer some room to work. Coleman had the strangest 100 yard game ever. I thought he was utter crap for 3 quarters.

Yep. I agree. I don't know that the coaching on defense helped.... but the biggest problem there is we have 4 or 5 guys starting out there tonight who are not NFL starting talents IMO. The technique and fundamentals all night were a mess from certain guys.

Yea while a lot of our flaws were on show tonight I believe that is the most talented team in the league we just played (either them or the Eagles) and the majority of other teams will not be good enough to exploit the weaknesses. I think they will have to add to the secondary at some point. But we will see.

Agree. Said it in the game thread. Bernard looked soooo slow. I am not fixated on negatives, don't be silly. But if you think the safeties were anything other than horrible tonight I have some fresh air to sell you.

And the Bills D forcing turnovers. That has gone on so long now that I think you can expect that to sustain. But there remains plenty to fix. Just easier to do it with a win under your belt.

The #1 seed is there for the Bills this year. They need to make sure they take this opportunity. Make the final game at Highmark the AFC Championship game (and hopefully a huge party).

And he hasn't always got the stats that his performances have deserved which for a lot of fans has stopped them really seeing his value. But with the exception of the first half of last season where for whatever reason he was underwhelming Ed has been great for 3 or 4 years now.

They are going to have to trade for a safety IMO. They have the worst safety play in the NFL. Two traffic cones would have been more use out there tonight.

Allen Oliver Prater That's it for me. There was more bad than good. Yet here we are.

Yep. After the sack of Josh down 15 with 7 and change left I was all for getting him out of harms way. Sometimes in life and in football if you can just hang around long enough.... As the poem goes "it's when things look worst that you must not quit." Credit the Bills they did not quit.

I didn't notice as many which may speak to some adjustments made at half time I don't know. But they confused themselves in that first half and he made a couple of really odd checks.

Oliver was awesome. Really this game was him and Josh. Sure Cook made a big play and Keon made a good catch of the deflection and Benford had a couple of nice plays. But this game came down to 91 and 17. They just refused to lose.

Yep. As soon as the Ravens went into prevent and the receivers had room to work Allen was unstoppable. Imagine if we gave him receivers who got open from the start of the game. How about that as an idea?

Wow. Miracle. Unbelievable. Out coached. Outplayed. But 91 and 17.

Just be careful we will have to run the FG unit out.

DO NOT SCORE

If Keon scored there I was after him. You gotta kill as much time as possible in these 3 plays.

Okay run the football with Ty. Cover it up and just bash into line.