A few thoughts about the chiefs game, in no particular order

[machine gun kelly]

6 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

To me, the key was #2 and it's the thing I'm most irritated about.  I understand McDermott's approach to "ride with the guys who got you there" as far as your WR corps goes, but EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of our WR corps was injured

 

John Brown had the knee injury that's plagued him all season

 

Diggs had the "oblique" injury

 

Davis injured his ankle last week against the Ravens

 

Beasley was playing with a freakin fractured fibula!!!!

 

 

 

I am NOT saying we would have won this game if Kenny Stills played in place of Davis, but our WRs were absolutely blanketed and Josh had nowhere to throw the football most of the game.  Heck, KC is a well coached team that probably knew our whole WR corps was injured... so why the hell wouldn't they play man to man press coverage and be overly physical? 

 

As for Allen, even his typical "WOW!!!" throws were partially "wow!!" because of tight coverage along with the usual degree of difficulty of the throw itself.  I honestly wanted him to scramble more because it was just so obvious our WRs weren't getting open.  I don't know that it necessarily would have made a difference, but who knows?  

 

I detest designed runs with Josh Allen, but I love when he scrambles because I think he's deadly.  I think that's actually been coached out of him maybe just a little too much.  There were some plays I thought he could have run for a good gain and then failed throwing it instead.

 

The truth is I'm like you... disappointed but not upset.  Kansas City is just clearly the better team right now and was clearly better prepared.  I actually think Buffalo might be the 2nd best team in the NFL this year, but unfortunately we play in the same conference as the best team.  I pray we aren't Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts to Tom Brady's New England Patriots in this rivalry for the next decade and a half.

Transplant, I always like you’re posts, and Virg, well you know.  As far as the injured WR’s maybe A healthy Stills and McKenzie could’ve helped somewhat, but we’ll never know.  I can’t refute just about anything you wrote Virg., and now for me as I’m not a hockey guy (I enjoy, but not like a rabid NFL fan so it’s onto movies and other fun things to do).

 

Ill miss these Monday morning posts, but my brother you did such a nice job all year as you’ve done in the past.  Between Yolo breaking things out in a millisecond, yours and Shaw’s rockpile review, and many others for their contributions, and most of all the humor from many guys (House, Gugs and Eball at times, Ridge of course and many many others), it helped all of us manage a COVID Social Issues year where so many of us were or have loved ones laid off.  
 

It was a challenging year, but you guys made it better so thank you.  

[CNYfan]

Good work Virgil.   

I think both the Colts and the Chiefs beat us at the line of scrimmage.  Their guys were constantly in the back field harassing Josh but we never came close to their guy.  Mahomes being much better than Rivers, at this point,  really capitalized and Josh struggled.

 

I don't like to be negative but Devin is just so slow to what holes were there, it caused me to pull my hair out.  The drop was a total disaster moment.

 

The season was great.  Just the best in forever and I hope we can get back next year.  I am convinced, however, that our AFC East is going to be much, much stronger next year.  Including the Patriots, whose defense is going to be very good.

 

I love the 1/11 thing and it is an important philosophy but I think we need one stud-difference maker on that front 7.  From somewhere, somehow we have to get big plays on the opposing QB.

 

I like Invisible Ed and I guess he does an ok job there in the middle of the line, but I also don't see AJ Epenesa as an impact player.   Both just OK rotation guys.

 

Beane is really going to have to be a master,  this year,  in roster construction.  So many big decisions and drafting later than we have in about 30 years 2020 is going to be a tough act to follow for our Buffalo Bills.

 

[ganesh]

6 hours ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

 

man i really thought this was their best shot ever. 

If we want long term success, we need to think about how to get over the hump next year.

[Al Czervik]

10 hours ago, Virgil said:

Take your best shot and if you lose, okay.  This didn't feel like our best shot and that's what's frustrating 

 

Was I upset?  No.  Disappointed?  Of course.

Totally feel the same way at the end of the game.  That drop felt so deflating...maybe in week 2 but that just can't happen in the conference finals...it felt like the beginning of the end, although we did hang around score-wise but just couldn't flip the script in the 2nd half.  

 

KC just felt like they were a better team having a better day.  Players, coaches, red zone, all of it.  That said I think our ceiling is much higher than what we showed that game and i'm excited for the future of this team.  

 

It was a fun year!  Winning the division and sweeping the AFCE, watching Josh arrive on the scene, knocking the dolphins out of playoff contention, nationally televised games (although I prefer Sunday 1pm game day beers any day)  and winning two playoff games!  

 

After all these years is a shame that fans didn't get the gratification of being at the stadium to take it all in, however we still got to experience the best Bills season in recent memory...and your write-ups are a big part of the home experience.

 

Thanks again for the efforts this year Virg!  All the best in 2021 and I look forward to the opening week thoughts in September!  

[colin]

10 hours ago, Virgil said:

snip

 

3 - Motor - When given the opportunity on the second biggest stage in the NFL, you hope your guys will step up and make the most of it.  Motor, unfortunately, did not in this game.  Motor's lack of burst and top end speed was apparent in this game and eventually got benched after an early drop in the wide open flat, which eventually led to a punt.  While he wasn't bad overall, he clearly wasn't going to be able to be the guy we could take advantage of to give us an edge.  The Chiefs were going to leave Motor alone for the most part, and he was unable to punish him.

 

snip

 

Go Bills!!!!

 

he wasn't bad overall, he was awful.  just terrible.  like, not make a roster bad.

 

he ran slow and into the wrong hole, just prior to the dropped screen pass he had a great avenue and got 3 yards out of it.

 

the dropped screen pass is the kind of play that an undrafted or 7th round guy gets cut from a team for in preseason.  

 

he's the 3rd or 4th best RB on the roster.

[Just in Atlanta]

Great analysis, as always.

 

Even my fiancé was asking if their DBs were “glued” to our receivers. Their coverage was insane.
 

I think this was a result of A) Alan not taking advantage of dump-off plays B) A poor offensive game plan in general and C) Two of our receivers being visibly hobbled.

 

This glue-like coverage is probably a direct result of the fact that they didn’t respect our power run game. And why should they? We haven’t run well all year. I honestly don’t know if it’s our line or running back but we need to fix it.

 

On defense, I agree with everything. Our lack of push and double coverage on Hill/Kelce was our downfall.

 

This team is special and our cap situation is better than the Chiefs. It’s been such a fun season, fellas.

 

 

[dave mcbride]

5 hours ago, GETTOTHE50 said:

 

yep, but i think most agree that it was the wrong decision

I thought FG was the right decision at the end of the first half (but not the second one). I had zero confidence the Bills would score on that fourth down at then end of the first half. They looked lost and confused in that sequence.

Edited January 27, 2021 by dave mcbride

[NoHuddleKelly12]

6 hours ago, ColeB said:

IIRC Harmon compounded that drop by stating after the game that it was the throw.  He didn’t take all the responsibility.

I don't know how anyone can look at this throw and say it's anything other than a receiver fail (at least from this angle)? Game on the line, playoffs, the yips appeared--or the bracing he was wearing interfered with his ability to catch. Either way, I don't see how Kelly can be faulted for this drop, even though I'm admittedly a biased Kelly homer. 

   

 

[Virgil]

9 hours ago, Gugny said:

@Virgil - hi.

 

#9 ... yes.

 

Thanks for a great season of your few thoughts.

 

Did you get that last pic?  We can take this offline.

 

Bye, Virg.

 

 

It’s framed in my bathroom 

[Billsfan1972]

11 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

To me, the key was #2 and it's the thing I'm most irritated about.  I understand McDermott's approach to "ride with the guys who got you there" as far as your WR corps goes, but EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of our WR corps was injured

 

John Brown had the knee injury that's plagued him all season

 

Diggs had the "oblique" injury

 

Davis injured his ankle last week against the Ravens

 

Beasley was playing with a freakin fractured fibula!!!!

 

 

 

I am NOT saying we would have won this game if Kenny Stills played in place of Davis, but our WRs were absolutely blanketed and Josh had nowhere to throw the football most of the game.  Heck, KC is a well coached team that probably knew our whole WR corps was injured... so why the hell wouldn't they play man to man press coverage and be overly physical? 

 

As for Allen, even his typical "WOW!!!" throws were partially "wow!!" because of tight coverage along with the usual degree of difficulty of the throw itself.  I honestly wanted him to scramble more because it was just so obvious our WRs weren't getting open.  I don't know that it necessarily would have made a difference, but who knows?  

 

I detest designed runs with Josh Allen, but I love when he scrambles because I think he's deadly.  I think that's actually been coached out of him maybe just a little too much.  There were some plays I thought he could have run for a good gain and then failed throwing it instead.

 

The truth is I'm like you... disappointed but not upset.  Kansas City is just clearly the better team right now and was clearly better prepared.  I actually think Buffalo might be the 2nd best team in the NFL this year, but unfortunately we play in the same conference as the best team.  I pray we aren't Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts to Tom Brady's New England Patriots in this rivalry for the next decade and a half.

I thought that too.... If the throw isn't there, don't force it & run.

 

Near the goalline both times I think he should have run, especially when one was a 2nd & 4.

 

He did I thought make some very good passes, but again when the Oline was embarrassed what chance did the Bills have?  I read that Allen was pressured 55% of his passes, the highest amount all year.

 

That is piss poor coaching & adjustments imo.

 

Better prepared (memories of Buf/NYG Superbowl).

[Billsfan1972]

11 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Except that's what KC did the first time, I believe?  He needed to take the checkdowns then.  He needed to take the checkdowns on Sunday.

So he didn't learn nor did the coaching? 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

4 minutes ago, Billsfan1972 said:

So he didn't learn nor did the coaching? 

 

Hard to say.  I'm not good enough to watch broadcast film and say what the progressions seem to be, and none of us know how he's being coached.  He may have taken from it an emphasis to get chunk plays and (as some here have said) score on every possession.

 

It is firmly engrained in Allen's DNA that he does not want to take the checkdown.  I'm sure he's swatting himself when he sees how open those were at times.

[Houston's #1 Bills Fan]

15 hours ago, Virgil said:

6 - Hill/Kelce - Tyreek was an absolute monster on the field and showed off why speed matters.  You had to tip your cap to him on the 70 yard slant route pass, where he juked out every single Bills player on the field.  Even when Tre was on him, Hill's speed was uncoverable and Mahomes had the time to wait for him to get open.  Kelce was more of a concern for me because we didn't seem to make any attempt to cover him in man.  By his seventh catch, I couldn't wrap my mind around why Milano or Poyer wasn't shadowing him or at least bumping him off the line.  To his credit, even Tre covered him a few times and couldn't slow him down.  When 70% of the offense runs through two players, you do have to question the defensive scheme a little. 

 

To me, this had the biggest impact in the game. I kept screaming, "How do you let their BEST player be wide open?!?!?" Easily the most frustrating thing in the game. The other items you listed are extremely relevant, but this was the one that drove me the most crazy!!

 

Even though Josh started out badly (the eyes: Deer in Headlights), I always felt that he still could pull it together. Late in the 4th, he finally started getting into a groove, but was that because the Chiefs were comfortably ahead or that Josh finally was feeling more at ease?? Either way, many factors went into this loss, but when you don't cover the best Tight End in the league, you're gonna loose. 

[Billsfan1972]

Allen made some insane passes during the game (like he does every game).  Sunday he forced throws, that was unusual.

 

The TD to Isaiah was an incredible pass.  

 

But as said the pressure he was under was relentless and that is on coaching/play calling & the Oline.....  

[NoHuddleKelly12]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Hard to say.  I'm not good enough to watch broadcast film and say what the progressions seem to be, and none of us know how he's being coached.  He may have taken from it an emphasis to get chunk plays and (as some here have said) score on every possession.

 

It is firmly engrained in Allen's DNA that he does not want to take the checkdown.  I'm sure he's swatting himself when he sees how open those were at times.

No doubt--but fundamentally I have to admit I still like that his default position is looking for the deeper play first, as the scarring from the Trent Edwards et al years runs deep. 

https://www.espn.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/4056/captain-checkdown-wont-go-deep-for-bills

[Virgil]

I have to say that I'm honesty impressed with how positive the comments have been in this thread about the game.  I was prepared for a lot worse

[Success]

2 minutes ago, Virgil said:

I have to say that I'm honesty impressed with how positive the comments have been in this thread about the game.  I was prepared for a lot worse

 

It's probably my rationalizing mechanism, but I have come to see the loss as almost necessary for building a long-term contender. 

 

All of the underlying concerns I had about the team were exposed on Sunday. Mainly, how one-dimensional we are.  While you can still win a championship like that, you generally need more luck to do so.  I'd rather go into the Super Bowl with more balance and just with a better overall team.

 

I think KC showed very starkly what the Bills need to work on.  I also think the way we lost will lead to more aggressive offseason moves and even more of a sense of purpose heading into next season, which could result in a more sustained and dominant run.