Colts May Have Been Exactly What the Bills Needed

[theRalph]

The effect of Hail Murray on the Bills is undebatable. It led to Buffalo amassing double-digit wins through the end of the regular season. But winning multiple NFL games in one-sided fashion also has an effect. The lack of serious adversity faced by the Bills in the last six regular season seems in part due to how that loss fueled them to play at historic levels.

 

But I think that dose was wearing off somewhat and the gritty win versus a very good Colts team, as Coach McDermott put it, may have been just what the Bills needed to refill their "let's crush every opponent" tank. Coach has stressed in the past that adversity is good. If Hail-Murray is any indication, this Bills team should look rather hungry and intense Saturday 8:15P.

 

Fun fact: Who was the last team to win a playoff game when the opponent gained more than 440 yards and never turned the ball over? The New York Jets, who defeated the Oakland Raiders on their way to winning Super Bowl III.

 

 

[Gugny]

They stole the game from the Colts.  Reich coached himself out of winning the game.  The Bills got away with one and I, too, feel that it will prove to be a good experience for them and that will be the last subpar performance we see from them in this year's post season.

[Frat-Train]

I expect to see McD make some big changes Saturday against the Ravens.  I think we match up really well against their offense.  My game plan is get ahead of these guys early and play off the line and contain.  Just like we TRIED to do against the Chiefs, save for the “lead” part.  

[DC Greg]

I agree that it was good for them to face adversity. Honestly, I think they were a little too amped up at times, especially early in the game. The team seemed to settle in as things went on for the most part. I'm hoping they are calm and confident coming out on Saturday. They just need to stay loose and do what they've done all year!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I have had that thought myself - winning a bit too easy can make a team start "eating the cheese" and feeling itself too much, no matter what the coach says.

"Steel sharpens Steel", as McDermott likes to say.

 

 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Just now, DC Greg said:

I agree that it was good for them to face adversity. Honestly, I think they were a little too amped up at times, especially early in the game. The team seemed to settle in as things went on for the most part. I'm hoping they are calm and confident coming out on Saturday. They just need to stay loose and do what they've done all year!

 

Defense was brutal in the 4th quarter til the final stop.  Gotta maintain that juice for the full 60.

[DC Greg]

5 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

Defense was brutal in the 4th quarter til the final stop.  Gotta maintain that juice for the full 60.

 

Yeah, that's true. They went to sleep a bit after getting up 14. That happened several times early in the year when the offense built a big lead in the first half, too. Haven't seen it in awhile. Hopefully that was the wakeup call they needed. 

[Drew21PA]

Im expecting a more disciplined defense and keeping Lamar in check this week.  

 

Hoping Ravens gave it their all to beat a bully last week and MAYBE overlook the Bills and come out as we think they will - behind the bills the entire game and Lamar has to be a QB....and that will prove to be dreadful for the Ravens.

 

That is my hope anyways.

[K-9]

11 minutes ago, Gugny said:

They stole the game from the Colts.  Reich coached himself out of winning the game.  The Bills got away with one and I, too, feel that it will prove to be a good experience for them and that will be the last subpar performance we see from them in this year's post season.

I don’t know if “stole” is the right word since we scored 27 points in less than 26 minutes. Josh and Co. took full advantage of the limited opportunities they had. And that’s on the Colts. 

[dollars 2 donuts]

18 minutes ago, Gugny said:

They stole the game from the Colts.  Reich coached himself out of winning the game.  The Bills got away with one and I, too, feel that it will prove to be a good experience for them and that will be the last subpar performance we see from them in this year's post season.

 

 

I can agree with some of your sentiment, Gugny, but I can't agree with "stealing a game" wherein they never trailed during an entire half of football...especially when it is the second half and they had a 2 td lead at one time. 

 

..and it is not like the refs also did the Bills "a solid" to ensure the victory.

Edited January 11, 2021 by dollars 2 donuts

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

2 minutes ago, DC Greg said:

 

Yeah, that's true. They went to sleep a bit after getting up 14. That happened several times early in the year when the offense built a big lead in the first half, too. Haven't seen it in awhile. Hopefully that was the wakeup call they needed. 

 

Miscommunication on the TD, 3 big runs totaling like 80 yards across 2 TD drives.  Can't happen.

[Kwai San]

4 minutes ago, Drew21PA said:

Im expecting a more disciplined defense and keeping Lamar in check this week.  

 

Hoping Ravens gave it their all to beat a bully last week and MAYBE overlook the Bills and come out as we think they will - behind the bills the entire game and Lamar has to be a QB....and that will prove to be dreadful for the Ravens.

 

That is my hope anyways.

 

No way they are "looking past" the Bills.  Not in the playoffs.  Next week isn't an option - it is THIS week.  Harbough knows that, the team will too.

 

Go BILLS!

[BillsPride12]

I think the Colts game was more playing against a pretty solid team that presented us with some matchup problems instead of the Bills needing a wakeup call or going into the game taking them too lightly.  

[US Egg]

In a perfect world last game ends differently.

 

Nothing about NFL games is close to that.

 

The slate's clean for the game Saturday.

 

Go Bills !

[GunnerBill]

18 minutes ago, Gugny said:

They stole the game from the Colts.  Reich coached himself out of winning the game.  The Bills got away with one and I, too, feel that it will prove to be a good experience for them and that will be the last subpar performance we see from them in this year's post season.

 

I think Reich's press conference after the game reminded me why I don't love Head Coaches calling plays. He basically explained away the bad 3rd down call at the 1, the decision to go for the 4th and the failed 2 point conversion as being "calls I really liked". Basically in that moment he was play caller rather than Head Coach. Rather than taking a strategic decision about how to manage the game his head was in his call sheet. I have always been a guy who would rather his Head Coach manage his team and manage the game than have his head in a call sheet. Playcallers will always find a "call I like" if they look at their call sheet. Even if the right decision is to kick or doe something else.

[dollars 2 donuts]

14 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

Defense was brutal in the 4th quarter til the final stop.  Gotta maintain that juice for the full 60.

 

 

So spot on, deneveu. 👍

 

I've said it a million times, "when you are stepping on a snake's neck you bash its head in", which is the opposite of saying, "when you are stepping on a snake's neck with a two TD lead you let the snake have back to back TD drives of less than 3 minutes each."

 

Nobody ever uses that second saying.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

I think Reich's press conference after the game reminded me why I don't love Head Coaches calling plays. He basically explained away the bad 3rd down call at the 1, the decision to go for the 4th and the failed 2 point conversion as being "calls I really liked". Basically in that moment he was play caller rather than Head Coach. Rather than taking a strategic decision about how to manage the game his head was in his call sheet. I have always been a guy who would rather his Head Coach manage his team and manage the game than have his head in a call sheet. Playcallers will always find a "call I like" if they look at their call sheet. Even if the right decision is to kick or doe something else.

 

Yep - and the playcalling HC might not listen to the coordinator saying - maybe we don't run a weird outside run at the goalline here, just do the brisset play we've been doing all year.  I think it works both ways, daboll sends in a call and McD can probably say - i think we sneak it in etc.

 

Just now, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

So spot on, deneveu. 👍

 

I've said it a million times, "when you are stepping on a snake's neck you bash its head in", which is the opposite of saying, "when you are stepping on a snake's neck with a two TD lead you let the snake have back to back TD drives of less than 3 minutes each."

 

Nobody ever uses that second saying.

 

We got into soft zone and prevent, and they just ran it.  

[Don Otreply]

Nothing like a wake up call to remind you that you aren’t all that and a bag of chips to get your head back on straight,  our guy will have learned from this and will be sharper going forward. 
 

Go Bills!!!

[QLBillsFan]

Humble hungry is the McBeane way. Media was pumping Bills for weeks. Good to hear a few question this team. They were virtually flawless for 4-5 weeks. Got a win playing average. Looking for best effort this week against tough out. 

Edited January 11, 2021 by QLBillsFan

[Royale with Cheese]

Its crazy to me that our offense wasn’t clicking for many parts of the game but we still put up 27.