The Turning Point In the Monday Night game For Me

[Buffalo_Stampede]

The Chiefs game he had another bad play where he ran backwards and took a negative play. Josh use to make these mistakes multiple times a game. He's really worked to limit these mistakes. It's actually been great to see his development here. Trust me he knows what he should have done instead of taking the sack. He'll grow from that.

[JohnNord]

8 minutes ago, NewEra said:

It was a big drive.  I don’t think there was ever a “turning point”.  The game tied the record for most lead changes on a mnf game and the ended with a GW goal line stop.  They played tough and had a great game plan on O.  
 

Josh didn’t take what the defense was giving him on that drive and we paid the price

It wouldn’t have mattered if the defense make ONE stop.

[Nihilarian]

12 hours ago, Best Williams Available said:

People say this as though stats going into the game matter. In the game, they kept 2 safeties deep the whole game to protect their CBs, it’s not like they were on islands. Going deep 3x in a row was dumb considering this, when all game Beas, the RBs, and TEs were open 5-15 yards downfield. You keep taking that until they stop you.

  That's the NE playbook all day long. Simply move the chains till the red zone and punch it in. 

 

Going deep against that defense is sorta exactly what Buffalo did to KC in taking away their deep game and making them work the short stuff...they had a tough time with that! The thing is...the Bills are so geared player wise to do just that. 

 

Who got greedy...?

[NewEra]

23 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

It wouldn’t have mattered if the defense make ONE stop.

It wouldn’t have mattered if the Bills converted a 4th down.  It wouldn’t have mattered if Josh didn’t throw a pick.  It wouldn’t have mattered if andre smith didn’t hold.  It wouldn’t have mattered if josh would’ve seen the wide open WRs we had running open in the end zone on a few plays.  It wouldn’t have mattered if Frazier wouldn’t have been so horribly out coached.  
 

There are so many “what if’s” in every game.  We could point out several instances in every game in which “we would’ve won if”.  

[GunnerBill]

39 minutes ago, Estro said:

That sack was a killer, especially because he held the ball for slmost 5 seconds. That sack was all on him.

 

Yea I think in fairness to Josh that play was a called shot play, but he had time to come off of it and find his outlets for positive yardage before the rush got there. 

[galept]

1 hour ago, Greg S said:

I don't think their is one particular moment when this game was lost. It was a combination of things.

 

Defense...couldn't get a big stop as the Titans scored on every drive in the 2nd half.

Offense....poor night in the red zone. Settling for FG's instead of getting TD's

Penalties....wiped out TD's

 

Agreed on all counts. Very frustrating game to watch. We made that offense look better than it is. On top of that the pace was all over the place and watching two touchdown plays get flagged was infuriating, as was the lack of red zone production, as was our inability to gain a few inches on the final 4th down. Right call though. It reminds me of when Bruce Arians did it in Arizona, and he was quoted afterwards saying "I play to win". Hell yeah.

 

I'm looking forward to the Tampa Bay game to see how well we'll match up against another playoff team after we've had some time to work on things.

Edited October 20, 2021 by galept

[Greg S]

1 minute ago, galept said:

 

Agreed on all counts. Very frustrating game to watch. We made that office look better than it is. On top of that the pace was all over the place and watching two touchdown plays get flagged was infuriating, as was the lack of red zone production, as was our inability to gain a few inches on the final 4th down. Right call though. It reminds me of when Bruce Arians did it in Arizona, and he was quoted afterwards saying "I play to win". Hell yeah.

 

I'm looking forward to the Tampa Bay game to see how well we'll match up against another playoff team after we've had some time to work on things.

 

Agreed on all counts. Very frustrating game to watch. We made that office look better than it is. On top of that the pace was all over the place and watching two touchdown plays get flagged was infuriating, as was the lack of red zone production, as was our inability to gain a few inches on the final 4th down. Right call though. It reminds me of when Bruce Arians did it in Arizona, and he was quoted afterwards saying "I play to win". Hell yeah.

 

I'm looking forward to the Tampa Bay game to see how well we'll match up against another playoff team after we've had some time to work on things.

 

Agreed on all counts. Very frustrating game to watch. We made that office look better than it is. On top of that the pace was all over the place and watching two touchdown plays get flagged was infuriating, as was the lack of red zone production, as was our inability to gain a few inches on the final 4th down. Right call though. It reminds me of when Bruce Arians did it in Arizona, and he was quoted afterwards saying "I play to win". Hell yeah.

 

I'm looking forward to the Tampa Bay game to see how well we'll match up against another playoff team after we've had some time to work on things.

 

I would have kicked the FG and taken my chances in OT. But since they went for it I would have had Allen roll out with the option to pass or run. TEN knew what was coming and I just don't trust the OL to get a good push for Allen to make a play.

[MJS]

They really, really needed a sustained drive there. They should have grinded out first downs, not thrown the ball deep unless they had it open. I agree.

[galept]

1 minute ago, Greg S said:

 

I would have kicked the FG and taken my chances in OT. But since they went for it I would have had Allen roll out with the option to pass or run. TEN knew what was coming and I just don't trust the OL to get a good push for Allen to make a play.

 

I have no idea why my post copied itself three times, but I edited it. Sorry about that.

 

It's one of those plays where most of the time you get those inches. I personally trust that better than our chances in overtime. But I also wouldn't mind the play you described.

[TC in St. Louis]

That drive was definitely a turning point.  Josh blew it.  But he returned to the bench, looked at the replays, and adjusted for the final drive.  He'll learn from this.  

 

The sneak failed.  I'd do the same thing next time.  

[st pete gogolak]

13 hours ago, CincyBillsFan said:

The turning point for me was after we took a 6 - 0 lead and seemed to be gaining control of the game the D gave up a 76 yard run up the gut after the KO.  In one stroke the Titans were revitalized, Frazier's defensive game plan crumbled and the play action pass became credible. That one run set up the Titans offense for the rest of the game.  IMO it turned what should have been a workmanlike 2 score Bills win into a track meet that we barley lost.

 

 

 

Bingo.  Lot's of turning points but THE turning point was the 74 yard run.  Titans were hanging on by a thread at that point.  After the run you knew it was going to be a dog fight no matter what.

[falgobofu]

This game took me back to the AFC Championships, we could not convert in the red zone. FG after FG does not win games against good teams. This IS and will continue to be the problem until Dabol shows he can improve on the play calling. Just like the first KC TD in the championships I felt the nagging feeling that this game might be lost. Yes the defense needs to get a stop in the 2nd half but our offense needs to score in the redone. The sky has not fallen, we will be motivated and have an elite QB. Super Bowl is the goal not a week 6 win.

[Einstein]

13 hours ago, quinnearlysghost88 said:

They had three backup DBs out there. It’s a good strategy. Try to get another DPI or hit someone deep. We’ve been doing it all year. I can’t fault them for taking shots against a majorly inferior secondary. 

 

Hoping for DPI is never a good strategy. It’s buying a lotto ticket and hoping it cashes. Allen made poor decisions on that drive.

 

On 1st down, Allen missed an open Sanders that was a 1st down. He also missed an open Sweeney that would have been gotten close to the sticks. 

 

 

And then on 2nd and 17, instead of dumping off to Singletary for an easy 10 yards (setting up a 3rd and 7 or so), he threw it into double coverage and was almost intercepted.

 

 

 

[WhoTom]

The turning point for me was the failed 4th down attempt on the last drive. Prior to that, I was reasonably confident that we could still get a win.

 

That's a nice feeling, even though it's occasionally squashed.

 

[HardyBoy]

49 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

  That's the NE playbook all day long. Simply move the chains till the red zone and punch it in. 

 

Going deep against that defense is sorta exactly what Buffalo did to KC in taking away their deep game and making them work the short stuff...they had a tough time with that! The thing is...the Bills are so geared player wise to do just that. 

 

Who got greedy...?

 

To be fair they were 2-5 in the red zone. Wondering if they felt their best chance to score was a deep shot.

 

Also, I'm wondering if they felt that a 7 point lead with a fg there and punting deep with a 4 point lead were largely the same thing.

 

A bit counter intuitive, but you gotta think Tenn goes for two if they score a td down by 7. No reason to think Henry is not gaining two yards.

 

If you have a team down by 7 planning to go for two if they score...they are going to bleed the clock, especially with a rb like Henry. If they are down by four, two fgs can still win you the game easily, you just need to go quick in case that's what needs to happen. With a 7 point deficit it's touchdown all the way and you don't leave any time for your opponent to score on you again.

 

That's what ended up happening basically, the titans scored too quickly, but they had to because the two fg option had to be left on the table and there is only so much clock you can kill once you get in the red zone.

[298Woody]

14 hours ago, wagne591 said:

To me the turning point in the game was in the forth quarter after the Titans kicked a FG which made the score BUF 31 TENN 27. At that point the Bills were in control and poor play calling and decisions by Allen were our heal.  The Bills got the ball and after a first down to Diggs it set up a 1st and 10 at the Bills 37 yard line with 8:59 left on the game clock.  Now at this point in the game with a 4 point lead a FG drive would have worked but a TD would have put it away. Instead what do the Bills do.  On first down Allen was trying to go deep but instead gets sacks for a 7 yard loss (he did have Sweeney wide open to his right side which probably would have been a 6 to 8 yard gain on 1st down instead it was 2nd and 17). On second down with 8:38 left in the game Allen goes deep again and throws into double coverage for Sanders in the middle of the field luckily it feel incomplete. On 3rd and 17 with 8:14 left on the clock we had to go deep and Allen threw it out of bounds to Jake.  At that point we still had the lead but it felt to me like we loss the game.  Unlike our drive last week against the Chiefs in a similar situation we had a great time consuming drive to win the game. 

 

I don't know how we could have corrected that..and I am not mad at Josh...I love that dude...he is must see TV when he is playing.  And I like what McDermott called at the end of the game by not going for the FG and putting it on the line but the Bills had three time outs going into the start of that drive.  I don't know who manages the TO's and I hope JA has some say in when they can take some after surveying the field but at that point maybe a TO could have been useful to clear the head and make sure everyone was on the right page first downs move the ball down field.  The Titans weren't going to let us beat them deep and the underneath stuff was there that drive and I don't know why the Bills were trying to beat them with a long ball when the short passes with about 6 first downs moving down the field would have even taken the winds out of their sails also.  Sorry for the long write up.   

 

You summed it up perfectly. I felt the exact same way watching.

 

[Gordio]

That drive your talking about when he took the sack on first down, man he had sweeney right open on the right flat, I think he gains at least 10 yards there before even getting touched.  Horrible decision by Josh, but it happens.  The other play that sticks out to me was early, I think it was their second drive when they were in goal to goal situation and he missed sanders on the back of the endzone and dumped it off to the rb instead.  That one hurt as thta would of been an easy td.  Can't miss plays like that in a game like this.

[Mr. WEO]

!st drive.  1st and goal from the 10, 4th and goal from the 3.  FG.

 

Bills with top O and top D.  No one expecting a shootout from the Titans and their D is not good coming into the game, passing game terrible.

 

So you go for it.  You miss?--it's still 0-0 midway through the 1st.

[ngbills]

15 hours ago, wagne591 said:

To me the turning point in the game was in the forth quarter after the Titans kicked a FG which made the score BUF 31 TENN 27. At that point the Bills were in control and poor play calling and decisions by Allen were our heal.  The Bills got the ball and after a first down to Diggs it set up a 1st and 10 at the Bills 37 yard line with 8:59 left on the game clock.  Now at this point in the game with a 4 point lead a FG drive would have worked but a TD would have put it away. Instead what do the Bills do.  On first down Allen was trying to go deep but instead gets sacks for a 7 yard loss (he did have Sweeney wide open to his right side which probably would have been a 6 to 8 yard gain on 1st down instead it was 2nd and 17). On second down with 8:38 left in the game Allen goes deep again and throws into double coverage for Sanders in the middle of the field luckily it feel incomplete. On 3rd and 17 with 8:14 left on the clock we had to go deep and Allen threw it out of bounds to Jake.  At that point we still had the lead but it felt to me like we loss the game.  Unlike our drive last week against the Chiefs in a similar situation we had a great time consuming drive to win the game. 

 

I don't know how we could have corrected that..and I am not mad at Josh...I love that dude...he is must see TV when he is playing.  And I like what McDermott called at the end of the game by not going for the FG and putting it on the line but the Bills had three time outs going into the start of that drive.  I don't know who manages the TO's and I hope JA has some say in when they can take some after surveying the field but at that point maybe a TO could have been useful to clear the head and make sure everyone was on the right page first downs move the ball down field.  The Titans weren't going to let us beat them deep and the underneath stuff was there that drive and I don't know why the Bills were trying to beat them with a long ball when the short passes with about 6 first downs moving down the field would have even taken the winds out of their sails also.  Sorry for the long write up.   

Yes, this drive was a not the ultimate killer but led to it. Bills needed to at least put up three and take some clock. 

[Eastport bills]

2 hours ago, NewEra said:

It was a big drive.  I don’t think there was ever a “turning point”.  The game tied the record for most lead changes on a mnf game and the ended with a GW goal line stop.  They played tough and had a great game plan on O.  
 

Josh didn’t take what the defense was giving him on that drive and we paid the price

I agree wholeheartedly but that O-line breakdown at the 37, broke the rhythm of that series. He was able to make great completions all game before getting hit. Every great QB has a series like that. It wasn't a turning pt. because he was about to stick it in their ear, driving the field, before that last play.