Is it time to be concerned about a lack of 4th Q heroics?

[Mat68]

1 hour ago, dave mcbride said:

Or the fact that Diggs was wide open for a TD at the goal line after he smoked Jackson and the ball sailed way over his head? Diggs would absolutely have caught a decent pass there. Don't get me wrong - Allen is great. But the crunch time play this year has been subpar. The sacks he takes, the wrong decisions, etc. -- they have added up. He has five games left to rectify things for this team, so all hope isn't lost. My larger point is that it's OK to hold Allen to account even if there are a lot of bad things happening around him. He's been paid a quarter of a billion dollars and he's a physical freak. He needs to rise above.

I dont think we can blame Allen for the accuracy of his passing when the other team wouldn’t pass at all in the elements.  They didnt want to go 3 and out on those drives.  

[Another Fan]

1 hour ago, dave mcbride said:

There are always tons of close games in the NFL. Great QBs make plays to win games all of the time. He hasn't done that this season.

Agree.  
 

He’s been solid, but for 252 million fans have a right to expect a lot imo 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Another Fan

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Josh had Bease WIDE OPEN for at least the 1st down, if not a touchdown, on that last play. He chose to play Hero Ball, again, and forced a bad pass to Davis.

 

Until he learns to take what they give him, we're going to have issues.

 

On him as well. Entire right side of the field was open, and instead of bouncing it outside which every RB should want to do, he cut it back into an awaiting defender.

 

There are definitely coaching and game plan issues, but player execution has been horrible as well.

 

Posters throw the term "hero ball" around way too much on these boards. That 4th down play was the opposite of hero ball. 

 

"Hero ball" would have been Allen trying to dodge the unblocked blitzer on his own, scrambling around, and then heaving up a prayer or trying to run for it on his own. 

 

In the face of an all out blitz Allen stood his ground in the pocket and threw it a fraction of a second before being sacked. He made a mistake in who he threw it too (or maybe the wind took it), but that's not hero ball at all. 

 

[FireChans]

1 hour ago, dave mcbride said:

There are always tons of close games in the NFL. Great QBs make plays to win games all of the time. He hasn't done that this season.

This is basically it. I don’t expect to win every close ugly game. But we haven’t won a single one. There’s a lot of issues on offense and on defense, but when we had two red zone possessions at the end, I thought we would win. I still expect to win if it happens again. And we aren’t winning them. 
 

Josh earned that expectation last year. He was clutch. He is not this year. Still plays great, still a huge part of the reason we are even alive in these games. But he hasn’t delivered on the magic.

Edited December 7, 2021 by FireChans

[dorquemada]

2 minutes ago, Another Fan said:

Agree.  
 

He’s been solid, but for 252 million fans have a right to expect a lot imo 

 

Like an OC that is aware you are allowed to run the ball in today's NFL

[zow2]

To answer the OP question,  Yes- I am concerned.  Getting into the red zone against the wind twice late means nothing to me.  I expected them to get into the red zone.  Should have scored TD's or at least one.  It was yet another failure in a close game (which we've become lousy at winning any of them).  I blame the offense more for this loss.

[Brandon]

3 minutes ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

 

 

In the face of an all out blitz Allen stood his ground in the pocket and threw it a fraction of a second before being sacked. He made a mistake in who he threw it too (or maybe the wind took it), but that's not hero ball at all. 

 

 

Watching that play again several times,  Davis was just as open as Beasley was,  and in order to hit Beasley,  he'd have to throw right through the blitzer that was bearing down on him. 

 

Given that,  the decision to go to Davis was likely the correct one and in normal weather conditions,  I think it's a TD probably 8 times out 10.   Unfortunately,  in these conditions, either the wind caught it or Allen otherwise threw an inaccurate pass.  But I can't fault the decision at all. 

[DrDawkinstein]

6 minutes ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

 

Posters throw the term "hero ball" around way too much on these boards. That 4th down play was the opposite of hero ball. 

 

"Hero ball" would have been Allen trying to dodge the unblocked blitzer on his own, scrambling around, and then heaving up a prayer or trying to run for it on his own. 

 

In the face of an all out blitz Allen stood his ground in the pocket and threw it a fraction of a second before being sacked. He made a mistake in who he threw it too (or maybe the wind took it), but that's not hero ball at all. 

 

 

Nah. Hero Ball is far more subtle.

 

Hero Ball is going for unnecessary shots instead of taking what is there and living to fight another day (or set of downs).

 

Hero Ball is on 2nd and 9 forcing a low percentage deep ball to Sanders which leads to 3rd and 9, instead of the open guy underneath for 5-7 yards and a much more manageable 3rd and short. Which he has done multiple times in multiple games.

 

And Hero Ball is taking a shot at the end zone when all you needed was a 1st down.

 

There was no need to be locked in on Davis who he knew was running a route to the end zone, and missing a blatantly open Bease because he wouldnt even look his way.

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

10 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Nah. Hero Ball is far more subtle.

 

Hero Ball is going for unnecessary shots instead of taking what is there and living to fight another day (or set of downs).

 

Hero Ball is on 2nd and 9 forcing a low percentage deep ball to Sanders which leads to 3rd and 9, instead of the open guy underneath for 5-7 yards and a much more manageable 3rd and short. Which he has done multiple times in multiple games.

 

And Hero Ball is taking a shot at the end zone when all you needed was a 1st down.

 

There was no need to be locked in on Davis who he knew was running a route to the end zone, and missing a blatantly open Bease because he wouldnt even look his way.

 

I will agree that Josh has played hero ball, at times, this year. I also agree that it has put us in bad positions and potentially cost us games.

 

The 4th down play last night, in a vacuum, is about the farthest thing you can get from hero ball. It was 4th and 14 from the 18 yard line and the Patriots brought an all out blitz. Targeting the end zone vs going for a 1st down would have about the same chance of success (pretty slim). Beasley was not wide open when Allen was forced into making a decision on where to throw the ball. 

 

 

 

[JoshAllin]

What these non comeback games all boils down to is OL. Tenn game OL got blown up and Allen rarely doesn't covert the sneaks. Jags game OL sacked out of field goal range. NE no time to make throws at the end

Edited December 7, 2021 by motorj