CincyBillsFan

Not when Watt is in there and only being single blocked, or not blocked at all. And for the record, the Texans offense is pretty weak when Fuller is out.

Bingo! Allen was trying to do to much because he was asked to do almost everything. His production was amazing today. This is what McD should have harped on. Pointing out a crazy lateral that had NO IMPACT ON THE GAME was bizzare and frankly showed that McD was clueless about what happened in the game. And this is both surprising & disturbing to me. I just watched TN beat the evil empire 14 - 13. This is how a lot of playoffs games go. Remember last years Super Bowl that NE won 13 - 3? IMO the defense lost the game today. We know our offense is a work in progress. They had only one TO and that only resulted in 3 points. Our D allowed the Texans to execute three 70+ yard drives late in the 3rd quarter, the 4th quarter & in OT to beat the Bills. Had the D stopped just one of the two 2 point conversion trys we win the game with that last second FG.

You're 100% right. There are a lot of NFL teams with TE's or WR's who make that catch. The problem was the scheme of having #42 going deep. It's like earlier in the year when we had to watch #20 & #42 split out wide! Yea that's the ticket. I can just see the DC sweating bullets about who going to cover such athletic & fast play makers!

The biggest takeaway from the Pats loss is that the Buffalo Bills streak of making four straight Super Bowls remains safe. It's a record that will never be beaten. Another takeaway is that you can win games 14 - 13. Our 19 points today would have beaten BOTH TN & NE. So anyone who doesn't think the Bills defense doesn't own today's loss didn't watch this game or last years Super Bowl won by NE 13 - 3. In the playoffs this is how games often go. Hell remember how we beat the Broncos 10 - 7 in the AFC championship game en-route to our 2nd Super Bowl.

I disagree. You do this in private NOT public. My goodness there were so many screw ups in this game calling out the QB shows me that McD didn't see the game that the rest of us saw. And what players do you believe were thinking the same thing? I hope it wasn't anyone on the O-line or defense. I do agree that Allen can handle this. I mean he handled the incompetent way McD handled him as a rookie. You know not declaring him the starter so he doesn't get reps with the 1st team in training camp & preseason. You know like putting all your eggs in the Peterman basket and then throwing Allen to the wolves in week 2 when Peterman breaks all the eggs. And don't get me started on having a rookie QB but not having a veteran QB to show him the ropes. So yea, Allen will get over this. But it's disappointing that McD handled it this way. This is not the "process" I've seen him talking about. Today was as classic a TEAM loss as any Bills loss this year. That's how McD should have described it.

Gee late in the 4th quarter and Titans only up 14 - 13. You know it would have been alright to have won today's game 16 - 11. Or had we stopped one of those 2 point conversions win the game 19 - 17.

Shame on coach McD. Just when I was thinking he was the guy he goes and throws Allen under the bus in a game where there was more then enough blame to go around. McD should have just SHUT THE FRACK UP. What was this moron thinking!?! First, while the lateral was a bit crazy, watch the replay and had Knox stayed put and caught it it would have been a HUGE positive play. As it was that play IN NO WAY IMPACTED the outcome of the game. If McD wants to throw folks under the bus how about: * Taking a shot at the 3 guys who could not get a block on #41 in OT on Allen's QB sweep. And unlike the lateral that screw-up cost us the game. If they get a block on #41 Allen runs for10 - 20 yards and we're on the doorstep of winning this game. * Or McD could have commented on a defense that played great for a half and half of a quarter then crapped the bed when it counted. They gave up 75 & 80 yard TD drives in the last 16 minutes of the game. Had the D stopped just one of the 2 point conversions that last Bill's FG would have been the winning FG. * Or how about McD wait to watch the film and let us know what he thinks about leaving JJ Watt unblocked or single blocked for the 4th quarter and in OT? I'm deeply disappointed that McD made these comments. This can really mess up a kids head. They are not only unfair but the game film will show they're flat out wrong. I thought this "process" thing they brag about would result in the players & coaches circling the wagons. Instead McD is throwing Allen under the bus. Incredible. Let's not forget that McD screwed up Allen's rookie year about as badly as a coach could. Now he does this crap? This is disturbing on a number of levels and makes me doubt whether McD is the guy.

That's a good question. But again if they block that QB sweep properly Allen likely takes the ball into FG range.

No he didn't. It may not have been pretty but he led them to the 25 yard line before the offense imploded ( a run to Gore that LOST 3 yards - really?) and then without TO's drove them to the 29 for the game tying FG. Guys having a deer in the headlights look don't lead those two drives. Did Allen get a bit rattled at the end - yes. But that is on the O-line which picked a very bad point in the game to start playing badly. In OT Allen was moving the Bills into FG range to win the game. First he converted two 3rd down plays with outstanding throws and then on a play in which he should have gained 10 - 20 yards a complete miss of a block allowed a Texan defender to put a wicked hit on Allen. I don't know what you were watching but Allen took a nasty shot to the head on that play. After that he seemed a bit wobbly. But if the Bills make that block we win the game.

I disagree. Allen needs more help plain & simple. The lack of a go to big play guy is killing the Bills on Offense. And the occasional lapses by the O-line caused a lot more problems for the O today then any lack of awareness by Allen. I mean between devastating holding penalties; leaving Watt UNBLOCKED and missing a routine block on an Allen sweep that would sprung have him for a 20 yard gain is more of a problem then Allen's so called lack of situational awareness. Allen made a lot of BIG PLAYS in the 4th quarter & in OT. Sure he made mistakes but he overcame them with even bigger plays. The same can't be said about WR's dropping passes and TE's/O-linemen missing blocks and getting penalized.

What a load of BS. The sacks were a direct result of an O-line that was struggling to protect Allen. As for the lateral did you watch the replay? There was NO ONE in front of Knox. If he is heads up on that play he catches the pitch and rumbles for 20 yards down the sideline and gets out of bounds at the end. That could have been a huge play. Was it risky? Sure but IMO it was our unwillingness to take risks in the 4th quarter that cost us the game. And on those jail breaks masquerading as O-line blocking did you look out into the secondary? If you had you would have noticed that on almost every one of those plays NO ONE was open down field.

What utter BS. They saw an up & coming young talent who can make some amazing plays but still has things he must work on.

I don't care if folks think I'm making excuses but the officials were terrible in that game. How many times did the Texans get called for holding? Zero by my count. And do other folks remember the 3rd down play in the 4th quarter where Watt pressured Allen into throwing an incomplete pass but well after Allen threw the pass he was hit hard IN THE LEGS by a Texan defender. That is roughing the passer every time yet no call there! I have reached a point where I despise NFL officials. They're low life scum bags who are ruining a great game. Today was no exception. Oh and what about when the refs stopped play on an illegal procedure but the Texan still hit Allen hard in the back? Again that should have been roughing the passer. Pegula needs to make the officials go through HELL this week. he needs to pursue every possible angle to draw attention to how piss poor these guys are. There is simply NO consistency as to what constitutes a penalty in the NFL.

It's worse then short sighted it's damn stupid. Allen overall played well showing signs of brilliance. How do three guys miss #41 on that sweep run by Allen in OT? How does an NFL WR drop a perfectly placed TD pass at the end of the 1st half that would have put us up 17 - 0? And how is Watt unblocked and/or single blocked multiple times in the 2nd half and in OT? If anything I'm even more bullish on Allen after this game. We need upgrading on offense. It's that simple.

I am so frustrated at this loss. But starting in OT here are the plays that lost us the game: * On the Allen sweep, we had THREE guys out in front and NOT ONE OF THEM could get a hit on #41 who gave Allen a vicious helmet to helmet tackle. If just one of these guys had got that block Allen gains at least 10 yards and we're on our way to the winning FG. That was an inexcusable miss by the 3 guys lead blocking on that play. * On 3rd & 18 in OT an elite defense does not allow a check down pass to gain the first down. It's one thing if Watson made a great throw and the WR made a great catch past the sticks but come on. That play was an example of the game killing conservatism of coach McD. He has to get past that next year or coaching is the problem. On that play the D was playing to conservative and the result was a lost playoff game. * Later in the Texans drive with a 2nd & 9 and two guys hit Watson YOU MUST MAKE THE TACKLE. Why didn't Milano wrap him up? It would been 3rd & 17. The FACT is that for as well as the D played in the first two and a half quarters they played terrible in the 2nd half of the 3rd quarter, the 4th quarter and OT. Remember had the D stopped JUST ONE of the 2 pt conversions our last FG would have been the WINNING FG.

I agree but if you look at the first 2 years Farve was at GB, which were his 2nd & 3rd years in the NFL: 2nd year in the NFL/1st in GB Farve threw for a little over 3000 yards and had 18 TD passes & 13 INT's in 13 games started. 3rd year in the NFL/2nd year in GB Farve threw for a little over 3000 yards and had 19 TD passes & 24 INT's in 16 games started! GB had a 9 - 7 record. You know that Holmgren and Company had to be deeply frustrated by Farves play this season. It wasn't until Farves 4th year in the NFL and 3rd at GB that he exploded into superstardom.

To me it's obvious that Allen is not where they would like him to be YET. I wouldn't expect Allen to be there yet in only his 2nd year and given the circumstances of his development as a QB. At the risk of reading to much into things, I actually see this as the Bill's coaches knowing that Allen is close to making a major jump in performance. They see him in practice every day and they look at the film. They know that he's on the verge of a breakout and they're anxious for him to get there. I bet that if you could go back and be a fly on the wall during Brett Farve's 2nd & 3rd year in Green bay his coaches would sound a lot like Daboll & McD. They could see they had a budding superstar in the making and were impatient for him to take the leap.

I'll never understand why some posters are surprised to see that there are a lot of Bills "homers" posting on Two BILLS Drive! And for the record there's nothing wrong with the folks on this board being Bills homers. Seems like the natural thing to be. Next thing we'll see are complaints about all the damn Bills fans at New Era field on Sunday's!

This looks to me like a no nonsense coach that knows what motivates his QB. Allen seems like the type of player who wants brutal honesty about his play at all times and uses that feedback to improve. I bet Jordan Palmer was mercilessly harsh on Allen's mechanics and instead of getting pissed and resisting the advise Allen embraced it. Daboll was also being very honest about how big of a step up in energy & pace a playoff game is. Allen hasn't experienced this and Daboll is going to make sure he understands that. If you listen to Allen's comments on Daboll it's clear he holds his offensive coordinator is very high regard.

I vehemently disagree! Didn't you see when Allen simultaneously snagged not ONE, not TWO but THREE cups of Gatorade for the WR's? Huge effort involving both Allen's football intellect AND physical gifts! Seriously though I agree with those that gave Allen a solid B. The most important thing was that Allen showed clear improvement and he did. He's nailed ALL of the intangibles IMO (Leadership, hard work, willingness to learn, being the "face" of the team) and has improved the most on those parts of his game where he struggled the most last year. Regardless of what happens in Houston I see Allen progressing into an elite level QB over the next 2 years.

Great post. Also it's flat out wrong for people to claim that "Tyrod took the bills to the playoffs" in 2017. The Bills backed in. It took a miracle Cincinnati effort in the last game to get the Bills into the playoffs. Then the following week Tyrod led the Bills to one of the weakest offensive showings I've ever seen in a modern NFL playoff game. Now this season you can say that "Allen took the Bills to the playoffs" or that the Defense "took the Bills to the playoffs" or that it was a total Team Effort that took the Bills to the playoffs. But wherever you give credit, this year the Bills EARNED their way into the playoffs.

We saw it and all thought it was very cool. We also noticed that he was standing up watching the O play and was very engaged. In one sense it was a little thing yet in another sense it was huge.

Yea right. This scenario is about as likely as a team falling behind 35 - 3 and coming back to win the game. Wait, never mind.

This game reminded me of about 50 Bills games from over the last 20 years. The only difference was that in those games it was our starters losing! As others have said there's not a lot you can take away from what amounted to a final preseason game for the Bills. But here are a few observations: * Folks are overreacting about Barkley. No game plan and back-ups all over the field can do that to a QB. Throw in a cold rain and why would anyone be surprised he struggled? With that being said, last season Allen did more with less and hopefully today will end any talk about Allen not being #1 & Barkley not being #2. * I thought our back-up defensive players did well. Some good hustle & hard nosed play gives me confidence that the next man up is real with our defensive personnel. * Duke & Sweeney played very well and these guys should be given a long hard look during the off season as possible starters/key substitutes. I get the argument that right now Foster has more value because of his ST play and should be activated over Duke. But it's hard to ignore the 100 yard receiving game Duke put up today. We might get real lucky here folks -- real lucky. * While on the subject of Sweeney, he started right back up where he left off during preseason. He gets open and catches the ball. With an off season of conditioning and working on his blocking he and Knox may be a very solid 1/2 punch at TE next season. They're both rookies and we should see a big jump in their play from this year to next. * If we could get "lucky" with Duke as the big bodied WR and Knox/Sweeney as the TE's Bean & McD could concentrate on RB & OL in the off season. That would be huge. * If I was a Jets fan I would be having some concern over Darnold right now. I thought he played poorly today against our backups. The difference between him and Allen seems to have widened. While the stat sheet will only show one INT today he should have had 2 - 3 more. He missed a wide open receiver in the end zone and his pocket awareness seemed poor. Given the recent Jet's "run" today was their Super Bowl and playing against our back-ups Darnold should have shined. Instead he seemed close to seeing "ghosts" on the field again.

Seems pretty obvious to me that BOTH teams made out on the trade. Not everything is zero sum. KC got a potential generational talent at QB. And in 2017 was there a team better prepared to develop such a talent then the Chiefs? A roster loaded with high end offensive talent; one of the finest offensive coaches in the NFL and an unselfish veteran QB willing to take Mahomes under his wing. Even better the Chiefs did not have to start Mahomes right away and had the luxury to sit him for almost the entire 2017 to allow him to observe & grow. Had Mahomes gone to the salary CAP deficient Bills in 2017 he would have floundered. Even today, Mahomes would not be putting up the numbers in Buffalo that he is in KC. A defensive minded coach and a lack of true game breakers would have seen to that. On the Bills side they got a true shutdown corner. Maybe the best in the NFL. And while the jury may still be out on Allen he's closing the gap with Mahomes and appears more likely then not to be the Bills franchise QB for the next decade. When he reaches that level, probably by next year, then yes the Bills will have made out just as well as the Chiefs in that trade.