Gutless Call to Punt

[oldmanfan]

Just now, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

...."gutless" is undeservedly over the top.........McD is a rook HC learning the ropes as the big picture game day manager".......I'm certain not ONE seasoned HC would or could EVER make such a questionable call....they're infallible models of consistency in personnel, game & clock management....mistake(s) in their world are unheard of....thank God they're not "under review" of the stoic TBD pundits.....

I would have gone for it, but have discussed why I think he did what he did in several other posts today.  His thought process proved correct in the end.  Next time maybe not.  And such are management decisions in any field of endeavor under the sun.

[Beast]

2 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

...."gutless" is undeservedly over the top.........McD is a rook HC learning the ropes as the big picture game day manager".......I'm certain not ONE seasoned HC would or could EVER make such a questionable call....they're infallible models of consistency in personnel, game & clock management....mistake(s) in their world are unheard of....thank God they're not "under review" of the stoic TBD pundits.....

 

Yeah, the attacks are out of hand. A lot of people seem to be taking great pleasure in this and my opinion is it has a lot more to do with players being traded that they own the jersey of than the actual decision.

2 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

I would have gone for it, but have discussed why I think he did what he did in several other posts today.  His thought process proved correct in the end.  Next time maybe not.  And such are management decisions in any field of endeavor under the sun.

 

Agreed.

 

I wasn’t happy when they punted but there are many decisions each and every Sunday I don’t care for. 

[Bob in STL]

3 hours ago, billsfan11 said:

A tie would have crushed them. You honestly think the bills are going to go to New England and win? Tie that game yesterday and lose to the Pats and your season is done

 

If we are still alive by the Pats* game in New England then YES.  I think we can have a shot. 

 

First things first, we have to beat Miami at home next week. 

[BillsFan130]

2 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

 

If we are still alive by the Pats* game in New England then YES.  I think we can have a shot. 

 

First things first, we have to beat Miami at home next week. 

Win at New England? In December..?. Based on the past 17 years what makes you even think the bills are going to keep it within two touchdowns?

[Bob in STL]

1 hour ago, Domdab99 said:

this is what's wrong with America. Old, white men who think they're right and refusing the facts right in front of them.  

 

^   Worst post of the thread.  Even with you laughing face. 

 

You know more about coaching football than McDermott AND you what's wrong with America.  Wow!

3 minutes ago, billsfan11 said:

Win at New England? In December..?. Based on the past 17 years what makes you even think the bills are going to keep it within two touchdowns?

 

I would not bet on winning, I know it's a longshot,  but I think it can happen.  I want to see how this team responds against Miami first.   How will they prepare?  Who plays QB ? 

 

Maybe this team comes together and finishes 9-7 and squeaks in?  Maybe they get to 10-6?  

 

I have seen strange things happen in sports all the time.  The Miami game and the play of the QB in that game will tell us a lot but realistically I know our chances are not good.  

[ExiledInIllinois]

1 hour ago, joesixpack said:

 

I'd add a like to that, but I'm out for the day.

 

 

 

I'll help you out Brutha... Just added a like! A friend in need is a friend indeed.  A buddy that can spare a dime for a fella down on his luck!

 

Who'd a thunk.

Edited December 11, 2017 by ExiledInIllinois

[BillsFan130]

19 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

 

^   Worst post of the thread.  Even with you laughing face. 

 

You know more about coaching football than McDermott AND you what's wrong with America.  Wow!

 

I would not bet on winning, I know it's a longshot,  but I think it can happen.  I want to see how this team responds against Miami first.   How will they prepare?  Who plays QB ? 

 

Maybe this team comes together and finishes 9-7 and squeaks in?  Maybe they get to 10-6?  

 

I have seen strange things happen in sports all the time.  The Miami game and the play of the QB in that game will tell us a lot but realistically I know our chances are not good.  

Love the optimism Buddy but they are going to get whacked by the Patriots

[mannc]

36 minutes ago, billsfan11 said:

Win at New England? In December..?. Based on the past 17 years what makes you even think the bills are going to keep it within two touchdowns?

It's possible.  We have actually tended to play the Pats tougher in NE than in Buffalo over the past 10 years or so.  Maybe Foxboro will be hit with a freak snowstorm that will equalize things like it did yesterday for the Colts, maybe Belichick will rest some key guys, having already wrapped up a first round bye... 

[Beast]

46 minutes ago, billsfan11 said:

Win at New England? In December..?. Based on the past 17 years what makes you even think the bills are going to keep it within two touchdowns?

 

Maybe because the Bills rarely lose in blowout fashion at New England?

[What a Tuel]

On ‎12‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 4:30 PM, TheTruthHurts said:

Ok. Be angry all you want. The Bills could have been stuffed on 4th, who knows.

 

It was likely they would get the ball back with the conditions .

 

That's why the call was so dumb. When you punt, you forego a chance to keep the ball in order to have your defense make a stand. Cool, I get it. But if you don't make the 4th and 1, your defense still has an opportunity to make a stand. They were on the 41 yard line and the conditions were awful for moving the ball.

 

Its just silly to not even try. 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2017 by What a Tuel

[transplantbillsfan]

God this thread is just nuts, apparently.

 

McDermott's doing a great job in Buffalo.  He's really turned the culture around and the players really seem to respond to him and they seem to be playing for each other.

 

But this was just a bad decision that worked out for him in the end.

 

This is a 3rd string QB playing the position who comes into the 2nd half and only attempts 3 passes with 2 incompletions and 1 intercepted.

 

And then, to begin OT with it being absolutely necessary that you win if you want to keep your playoff hopes alive, you get a little drive together with some offensive creativity, finally.  Joe Webb runs for 25 yards and a couple 1st downs and the team has gained 33 yards and eaten up nearly 6 minutes off the clock in a 10 minute OT.  Then you send your punt team out and the entire stadium erupts with boos... and rightfully so.

 

So you call a timeout to "make sure everyone is okay" with the decision. 

 

And then you still send out the punting team with only 1 out of 2 timeouts left and 4 minutes on the clock.  Luckily Webb throws a nice deep ball to Thompson who makes a clutch catch and then Shady further bails him out with the walk-off TD.

 

 

It was a piss poor decision that worked out in the end.  But just because I  was running really late this morning and sprinted out the door and drove 20 MPH over the speed limit the whole way to work and didn't get pulled over and actually made it to work on time doesn't mean that it was a good decision on my part and that I won't get pulled over if I make a habit of doing that on a consistent bases.

 

This overly conservative decision-making seems to be a consistent thing for McDermott, and it was compounded by wasting a precious timeout.

 

Glad it worked out.  And I like McDermott as a coach.  But I hate this aspect of his coaching philosophy.

 

 

 

And another note, this is a small thing that I was thinking of while I watched the game.  We were on the 21 yard with a 3rd and 4 after Shady just lost 3 yards on 2nd down.  Then the Colts call a timeout.

 

Was anyone else thinking the Bills players (and staff... like the Colts ) should have sent the kicking team out on the field and used all that time during the timeout to clear out the snow the way the Colts did for Vinateri in order to kick what would have been a game winning 38 yard FG?

 

Obviously we scored on the next play.  Shady's just amazing.  But I think with a "next score wins" situation like that where you could win with a FG and knowing the kicking conditions and that we would have had to kick it on the very next play if Shady doesn't score or get a first down, the smartest move would have been to use all that time the Colts just gave you with their timeout to go and clear out as much snow for Haushka to kick a very makeable 38 yard FG.  Hell, we should have sent all our waterboys and staffers out there to do it just like the Colts did.  Or an actual snowplow like the Pats did against the Raiders way back when.  And why not?  The Colts gave us the time 

 

But it all worked out in the end.  Glad it did.  That doesn't mean we can't criticize some decisions that were questionable at best (the punt) and reaching the point of absurd (the timeout) by McDermott.

[BillsFan130]

15 minutes ago, Binghamton Beast said:

 

Maybe because the Bills rarely lose in blowout fashion at New England?

The odds makers will agree with me. Spread will be over 10 points

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, transplantbillsfan said:

God this thread is just nuts, apparently.

 

McDermott's doing a great job in Buffalo.  He's really turned the culture around and the players really seem to respond to him and they seem to be playing for each other.

 

But this was just a bad decision that worked out for him in the end.

 

This is a 3rd string QB playing the position who comes into the 2nd half and only attempts 3 passes with 2 incompletions and 1 intercepted.

 

And then, to begin OT with it being absolutely necessary that you win if you want to keep your playoff hopes alive, you get a little drive together with some offensive creativity, finally.  Joe Webb runs for 25 yards and a couple 1st downs and the team has gained 33 yards and eaten up nearly 6 minutes off the clock in a 10 minute OT.  Then you send your punt team out and the entire stadium erupts with boos... and rightfully so.

 

So you call a timeout to "make sure everyone is okay" with the decision. 

 

And then you still send out the punting team with only 1 out of 2 timeouts left and 4 minutes on the clock.  Luckily Webb throws a nice deep ball to Thompson who makes a clutch catch and then Shady further bails him out with the walk-off TD.

 

 

It was a piss poor decision that worked out in the end.  But just because I  was running really late this morning and sprinted out the door and drove 20 MPH over the speed limit the whole way to work and didn't get pulled over and actually made it to work on time doesn't mean that it was a good decision on my part and that I won't get pulled over if I make a habit of doing that on a consistent bases.

 

This overly conservative decision-making seems to be a consistent thing for McDermott, and it was compounded by wasting a precious timeout.

 

Glad it worked out.  And I like McDermott as a coach.  But I hate this aspect of his coaching philosophy.

 

 

 

And another note, this is a small thing that I was thinking of while I watched the game.  We were on the 21 yard with a 3rd and 4 after Shady just lost 3 yards on 2nd down.  Then the Colts call a timeout.

 

Was anyone else thinking the Bills players (and staff... like the Colts ) should have sent the kicking team out on the field and used all that time during the timeout to clear out the snow the way the Colts did for Vinateri in order to kick what would have been a game winning 38 yard FG?

 

Obviously we scored on the next play.  Shady's just amazing.  But I think with a "next score wins" situation like that where you could win with a FG and knowing the kicking conditions and that we would have had to kick it on the very next play if Shady doesn't score or get a first down, the smartest move would have been to use all that time the Colts just gave you with their timeout to go and clear out as much snow for Haushka to kick a very makeable 38 yard FG.  Hell, we should have sent all our waterboys and staffers out there to do it just like the Colts did.  Or an actual snowplow like the Pats did against the Raiders way back when.  And why not?  The Colts gave us the time 

 

But it all worked out in the end.  Glad it did.  That doesn't mean we can't criticize some decisions that were questionable at best (the punt) and reaching the point of absurd (the timeout) by McDermott.

Try doing that in the snowstorm.  Most of the time you crash.

 

McD punting=leaving 1 hour early for work.

 

Great decision-making.

[artmalibu]

This topic is old already.  Most say go for it, I would.

 

But what gets me mad is the waste of the timeout.  If you going to try and pin them and get the ball back, fine but to waste a timeout to talk about it is awful

[BillsFan130]

1 minute ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Try doing that in the snowstorm.  Most of the time you crash.

 

McD punting=leaving 1 hour early for work.

 

Great decision-making.

Do you still think it's a great decision even though he pretty much admitted that he thought a tie was a descent thing? Translation. He didn't punt because he thought it gave them the best chance to win

[transplantbillsfan]

1 minute ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Try doing that in the snowstorm.  Most of the time you crash.

 

McD punting=leaving 1 hour early for work.

 

Great decision-making.

 

Easy to say because it worked out this time.

 

I'm guessing these 31 pages involve people essentially just saying "it worked so it was the right decision."

 

 

Sorry, but the OP was right with the word gutless.  Although, the way McDermott talked in his presser about seeming to be essentially fine with a tie, despite the fact that a tie would pretty damn near eliminate us from any playoff hope, too, maybe the appropriate word is "clueless."

 

And there is absolutely no defending the use of that timeout.

 

 

I just hope the guy learns on the job well and doesn't keep making some of these dumb mistakes he's gotten away with.

 

[reddogblitz]

What if you were in a game and you had the football with 16 seconds left and no timeouts.  It's 3rd down on the opponents 1 yard line down by 3.  What do you do?  Kick a FG to take it to OT or try a QB sneak?  If you don't get the sneak, you lose.  What do you do?  What do stats tell us to do?

 

The guy that went for the QB sneak now has the Super Bowl trophy named after him.  Considered to be one of the greatest calls in NFL history.  

 

Coaching decisions work like this: If it works, you're a coaching genius.  If not, you're a dumbass.

Edited December 11, 2017 by reddogblitz

[oldmanfan]

3 minutes ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

Easy to say because it worked out this time.

 

I'm guessing these 31 pages involve people essentially just saying "it worked so it was the right decision."

 

 

Sorry, but the OP was right with the word gutless.  Although, the way McDermott talked in his presser about seeming to be essentially fine with a tie, despite the fact that a tie would pretty damn near eliminate us from any playoff hope, too, maybe the appropriate word is "clueless."

 

And there is absolutely no defending the use of that timeout.

 

 

I just hope the guy learns on the job well and doesn't keep making some of these dumb mistakes he's gotten away with.

 

It actually took guts to give the ball up and rely on yourD at that point.  You can disagree with the decision but calling it gutless is dumb.

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

It actually took guts to give the ball up and rely on yourD at that point.  You can disagree with the decision but calling it gutless is dumb.

Exactly!

 

The key to enlightenment is non-attachment! 

[transplantbillsfan]

5 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

It actually took guts to give the ball up and rely on yourD at that point.  You can disagree with the decision but calling it gutless is dumb.

 

Okay... then he wasn't gutless, he was just clueless wasting that timeout and then acknowledging today that he was practically playing for the tie.

 

So the thread title should be changed from "Gutless call to punt" to "Clueless call to punt... especially after wasting that timeout"

 

 

But I guess that thread title would be too long

 

Edited December 11, 2017 by transplantbillsfan