Close losses...

[The Dean]

This year and the last few years, we always lament close losses that should have been wins. Often times, counting them as moral victories and the what not.

 

But what about yesterday's close win that really should have been a loss?

 

 

I disagree. I think the Bills were clearly the better team and controlled the game for 3+ quarters.

[CardinalScotts]

you can always "get lucky" but to win consistently you have to build, believe, and learn how to win. But I do subscribe to willing yourself to wins especially the good teams. Might not play great but find a way- Patriots are a classic example as is Pittsburgh over the last decade. You don't always look good, but for a team that is rebuilding there is a process starting with showing up each week, compete then take step two then three.

[Fan in San Diego]

In some cases, you may be right. But the four attempts were LONG ones -- 61, 53, 48, 48. At least one of those 48 yard kicks was into the wind as well - can't remember about the second one. Those are very difficult kicks to make. If they missed a few 30-40 yarders, you might have a point.

 

Yes, the 61 and 53 yarders were insane to attempt and should have been punts instead. The 48 yarders, one was into the wind and one with the wind. The one into the wind should have been a punt as well. The only makeable one was the last one and his confidence was shot by then.

I think the coach must have been testing Carpenter to see what his limits are.

 

The jets game yesterday, they would punt on 40+ yard field goal distances.

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

Are you saying he is a jerk or not? Equivocating only adds to confusion. Just go ahead and make a clear declaration of Jerkitude and be done with it.

 

 

Goodness gracious.... Well John, I would say his statement was jerky. I cannot look into his soul, so will not say he is a jerk.

 

You on the other hand....

 

 

I'm hoping we get another couple victories that we aren't supposed to get to close the season out.

 

On that last point we can all agree... and raise a glass!

 

Yes, the 61 and 53 yarders were insane to attempt and should have been punts instead. The 48 yarders, one was into the wind and one with the wind. The one into the wind should have been a punt as well. The only makeable one was the last one and his confidence was shot by then.

I think the coach must have been testing Carpenter to see what his limits are.

 

The jets game yesterday, they would punt on 40+ yard field goal distances.

 

 

That is an excellent point about coaching. Having the kicker try three mega-field goals early in the game was a big coaching risk, and it could indeed be that the blows to the kicker's confidence then came back to haunt them in the end.

[Dorkington]

I'm just going to change my name to Jerkington

Edited December 20, 2010 by Dorkington

[Chandemonium]

There is one thing that no one ever mentions in these should have won or should have lost conversations that is worth considering. It is impossible to say that we would have lost if he made those field goals, because it is impossible to know how a different outcome of a single play would have affected the rest of the game. Consider that of the 4 field goal attempts, one was as time expired in the first half and the Bills punted on the ensuing drive on the other three. Suppose one of the field goals other than the one at halftime was made, the Bills might have got a TD instead of punting on the next drive, which would in effect put the bills four points up as a result of the field goal. It is only on the somewhat rare occasion that the game is decided on the final play, or a play like the Steve Johnson drop in the Pittsburgh game that would have been the final play, that you can say that a single play won or lost the game, and even then if any of the preceding plays turned out differently, the entire game may have as well.

Edited December 20, 2010 by Chandemonium

[Sabre Bill]

yeah! What he said! :unsure:

 

 

:beer:

[Red]

They have learned how to win? Jauron usually won 7 games. We have won four.....

 

You don't understand my point.

 

These Bills always- whether is was under Jauron, Mularkey, or Williams- could string together some nice 7-9 and 8-8 seasons, but could never get past those records.

 

The common thread in all of these regimes was the oft-used "we just don't know how to finish", or "we need to learn how to win."

 

They would always find a way to fumble the ball, not stop the opposing offense on a crucial 3rd down, throw an INT, or mismanage the game. On paper, and from the players' perspectives, we were always "a highly talented team" that "just couldn't finish" and "didn't know how to win."

 

Nobody knew what the problem was.

 

Looking at this year's squad, coaching staff, and front office, EVEN THOUGH OUR RECORD MAY NOT INDICATE IT, is much-improved over any squad from the past decade.

 

They had to bottom out, in order to learn how to pick themselves up and build themselves into a team to be respected. The News had a quote from Eric Wood before the game yesterday. Something to the effect that The Dolphins were playing for their playoff lives, we're playing for to be respected. That lit a fire for the Bills yesterday, and the results showed the same.

 

Could the Bills use a talent infusion at several key positions? Ofcourse. But gone is the uncertainty as to why the Bills could always lose important games for the past decade. A nucleus of players and a TEAM is finally being built, after all of these years.

 

So, while the record does not indicate it...these Bills are learning how to win.

 

Besides, we're 1 whistle from beating New England. 1 drop from beating Pittsburgh (2 leading teams in the AFC right now). Went to OT against Baltimore and KC. Those games, if you watched them, could have gone either way with the Bills having an identity and deserving to have won in all of them. Turn those into 'W's' and our record is actually 8-6. Heck, that Miami game should have gone our way, too.

 

The only games this year where we had no business even being on the field were the Packers, Vikings, and Jets.

 

So, while the record may not indicate it...I'd say we are much better and learning how to win.

Edited December 20, 2010 by Red

[nucci]

This year and the last few years, we always lament close losses that should have been wins. Often times, counting them as moral victories and the what not.

 

But what about yesterday's close win that really should have been a loss? Do we celebrate in the streets and believe we are really close to a successful team? Or do we keep a level head and realize our 4 wins have been far from impressive (against bad teams, and/or being handed a victory) and realize we have a LONG way to go?

 

I love that we won yesterday... but when a kicker goes 0-4 and we win by three points... I have a hard time believing we actually deserve the victory.

 

...

 

Eitherway...

 

Fitzbeard has some damned balls.

Why should it have been a loss? Because their kicker missed FGs? Didn't know they are not allowed to miss.