ESPN Grantland on Chan's bad decisions yesterday

[1B4IDie]

Pass play - sack, run , run

Are you referring to this drive When the Bills were up and in the Cards Territory with 3 mins left?

 

Buffalo Bills at 5:54 BUF ARI DRIVE TOTALS: BUF 16, ARI 13, 5 plays, 38 yards, 2:47 elapsed 1st and 10 at BUF 41 R.Fitzpatrick pass incomplete short left to St.Johnson. 2nd and 10 at BUF 41 (Shotgun) R.Fitzpatrick pass short left to F.Jackson pushed ob at ARZ 47 for 12 yards (P.Lenon). ARZ-K.Rhodes was injured during the play. His return is Questionable. 1st and 10 at ARI 47 F.Jackson up the middle to ARZ 40 for 7 yards (P.Lenon). 2nd and 3 at ARI 40 F.Jackson right tackle to ARZ 37 for 3 yards (D.Washington). 1st and 10 at ARI 37 F.Jackson up the middle to ARZ 36 for 1 yard (D.Dockett). 2nd and 9 at ARI 36 Direct snap to B.Smith. B.Smith pass deep middle intended for D.Jones INTERCEPTED by P.Peterson at ARZ 0. P.Peterson to ARZ 15 for 15 yards (E.Pears).

 

Or this Drive after the game was tied?

 

Buffalo Bills at 1:09 BUF ARI DRIVE TOTALS: BUF 16, ARI 16, 3 plays, 3 yards, 0:12 elapsed 1st and 10 at BUF 20 (Shotgun) R.Fitzpatrick sacked at BUF 14 for -6 yards (O.Schofield). Timeout #1 by ARZ at 01:05. 2nd and 16 at BUF 14 (Shotgun) F.Jackson up the middle to BUF 16 for 2 yards (C.Campbell). Timeout #2 by ARZ at 01:01. 3rd and 14 at BUF 16 F.Jackson up the middle to BUF 23 for 7 yards (D.Washington). Timeout #3 by ARZ at 00:57. 4th and 7 at BUF 23 (Punt formation) S.Powell punts 30 yards to ARZ 47, Center-G.Sanborn, out of bounds.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/playbyplay?gameId=321014022&period=4

 

I think the Brad Smith pass was undebatably the big problem with Chan's play calling.

[jkrules]

I would like to know, what pattern was Donald Jones running on the play we had an interception. It was 3rd and 7, please don't tell me he is running a fly pattern!

 

Every receiver on that play should have been running short routes to get the first down. Had DJ ran a stop route, which is what I am betting Fitz expected, we have a completion. I believe this was a mistake by Donald Jones but Fitz would never throw him under the bus.

[jonramz]

I would like to know, what pattern was Donald Jones running on the play we had an interception. It was 3rd and 7, please don't tell me he is running a fly pattern!

 

Every receiver on that play should have been running short routes to get the first down. Had DJ ran a stop route, which is what I am betting Fitz expected, we have a completion. I believe this was a mistake by Donald Jones but Fitz would never throw him under the bus.

 

I am almost positive that the pass was intended for SJ on the out route, and Fitz made a bad throw b/c of the linemen in his face

[BuffOrange]

Sometimes I don't know what's worse - our defense, or these incredibly lame "hindsight" accusations.

 

Sorry if the coach made a dumb move that happened to not work, but ya know what? When he makes a dumb move that does work, the slightest criticism is attacked by the kool-aid pack of wolves with the invariable "you're an idiot, we won, some Bills fans are never happy" posts. Make up your mind. Is it ever ok to call out a coaching decision or not, and if so when - does the game have to end in a tie?

 

Kicking that FG was dumb, though probably less dumb than last year's Oakland game - kicking a FG on 4th&1 down 14-0. I suppose saying that was a good call because we won by 3 isn't hindsight at all? Indeed, Chan had a crystal ball that Donald Jones would make a clutch 4th down catch in traffic and then bat down a game-losing interception on the last drive so that we wouldn't lose by 4 points.

Edited October 23, 2012 by BuffOrange

[DefenseWinzChampionshipz]

How about Wannstedt comes down to the playing field instead of sitting up in the booth all cozy? Get a REAL feel for your players man!

[first_and_ten]

The INT was on Fitz. He checked to that play when he saw the coverage. That's not to say that Gailey hadn't called a different pass play and it would have worked out any better. The bigger issue is not being able to punt the ball from reasonable field position and having confidence in your defense to get a stop.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Yet he doesn't go for it on a fourth and one from the twelve when the Titans couldn't stop the run game and the defense was a sieve. He knew when they were down 21-14 that our defense couldn't stop them, yet he goes conservative at that time. That's four points he ceded to an equally inept defense.

 

What baffles me is how Chan swings from ultra-conservative one minute to riverboat gambler the next. Don't go for 2 or go for it on 4th down, but definitely have your sub-par QB throw a lot when you need to burn the clock at the end of the game. After all they aren't expecting you to do that. (Actually they are.)

 

PTR

 

Because he has to show everyone that his decision to go all in with Fitz was the right decision. Unfortunately for him, he's only proving that it was a horrible decision.

[K-9]

I am almost positive that the pass was intended for SJ on the out route, and Fitz made a bad throw b/c of the linemen in his face

 

Me too. I'm convinced that was the call in the huddle and when Fitz saw the coverage, he checked to Jones, thinking it was zone coverage. He was fooled by the safety cheating to Jones' side which made him believe that the CB would come off of Jones. Instead that corner stayed with him. I think it was actually a blown coverage by the Titans. SJ was wide open on that play.

 

C'est la vie.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[K-9]

I would like to know, what pattern was Donald Jones running on the play we had an interception. It was 3rd and 7, please don't tell me he is running a fly pattern!

 

Every receiver on that play should have been running short routes to get the first down. Had DJ ran a stop route, which is what I am betting Fitz expected, we have a completion. I believe this was a mistake by Donald Jones but Fitz would never throw him under the bus.

 

It was a go route from what I could see and I don't think the mistake lies with Jones. Fitz saw a coverage he liked and checked to Jones pre-snap. Fitz was fooled by both the safety cheating towards Jones which convinced him the CB would just stay in his zone and Fitz would be able to get the ball to Jones before the safety could get there. And Stevie ended up being wide open on the play.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[NoSaint]

 

 

Yet he doesn't go for it on a fourth and one from the twelve when the Titans couldn't stop the run game and the defense was a sieve. He knew when they were down 21-14 that our defense couldn't stop them, yet he goes conservative at that time. That's four points he ceded to an equally inept defense.

 

 

 

Because he has to show everyone that his decision to go all in with Fitz was the right decision. Unfortunately for him, he's only proving that it was a horrible decision.

 

so roughly, what your saying is our offense consistently comes up small in big situations, but we should put them in more of them?

[Direhard Fan]

This is pretty simple. Go for 2 and make it your tie. Need a field goal to win. Go for two and not make it your down 2. Need a field goal to win. It just didn't seem that hard of a call. What about were running the ball all day against a terrible defense and it's 4th and 1 and we kick a field goal. Show no confidence in the O line. Were 3 and 3 and need a win. Go for it. Chan makes terrible calls. Sorry- I'm to old to cry and I still am.

[Dopey]

It wasn't forth down.

 

I'm glad he brought up the 4th and 1 field goal as well.

 

CJ Spiller was getting 6+ yards per carry. What does a FG give you in a TD battle? A loss.

 

 

Where did you hear he checked to a Pass play.

They were set up spread, it looked like a pass play was called.

I never read anything that says Fitz audible to a pass play?

 

TJ Graham was wide open.

 

 

I just watched the play again. Your stop watch is broken.

He has well over 2 seconds, which is enough in the NFL.

http://www.nfl.com/g...ights&tab=recap

Wow, you guys are timing Fitz now?!?!? You have too much time on your hands. Get to work.

[dave mcbride]

committing to run on 3rd and 8 to eat clock would have been a truly horrible decision given how much time was left. I had no faith that the Bills could stop a final Tennessee drive (they didn't, of course), and they needed a first down. A run on 3rd and 8 almost never gets you a first down. They had to pass because it was far more likely to get them a first. In fact, Graham was open and the play was there. Again, running and failing would still have given Tennessee plenty of time. They scored with over a minute left, after all.

[Billsrhody]

committing to run on 3rd and 8 to eat clock would have been a truly horrible decision given how much time was left. I had no faith that the Bills could stop a final Tennessee drive (they didn't, of course), and they needed a first down. A run on 3rd and 8 almost never gets you a first down. They had to pass because it was far more likely to get them a first. In fact, Graham was open and the play was there. Again, running and failing would still have given Tennessee plenty of time. They scored with over a minute left, after all.

 

Why wouldn't they run a screen or a draw? Something that had very low risk and still had the potential to get the first down? Then they could have punted and pinned Tennessee deep. That would have been a better plan wouldnt it have?

[K-9]

committing to run on 3rd and 8 to eat clock would have been a truly horrible decision given how much time was left. I had no faith that the Bills could stop a final Tennessee drive (they didn't, of course), and they needed a first down. A run on 3rd and 8 almost never gets you a first down. They had to pass because it was far more likely to get them a first. In fact, Graham was open and the play was there. Again, running and failing would still have given Tennessee plenty of time. They scored with over a minute left, after all.

 

Good points, all. And Stevie was wide open as well. While every QB wants every INT back, this one was particularly painful because he had two other options wide open.

 

GO BILLS!!!