Sullivan: Bills' McDermott choked away Super Bowl-caliber season

[oldmanfan]

2 hours ago, Buffalo Boy said:

    Allen’s prime doesn’t last another 8 years if they keep beating the snot out of him! There are only so many hits a QB can take and there are only so many hits a RB can take. Josh is being subjected to both.

They are not beating the snot out of him.  He is a very big guy and he will learn to slide more as he gets older.

[uticaclub]

2 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

Have you looked at Brady?  Rogers?  Quit being clueless and so emotional.

They dont take the hits Josh takes. 

[oldmanfan]

2 hours ago, VaMilBill said:

Does Allen last a whole 15 years? When his mobility starts to go he loses his game, I fear. I don’t think he will have as long as a career as some of us think. I say maybe 8 more effective years unless he alters his game to be more of a pocket passer and less of a running threat 

No way.   He is one of the best throwers of the ball right now and will only get better with time.  And with time he'll run less and/or slide more.

[Marvlevydraftdaygenius]

39 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Is Jerry right? Or just channeling people's frustrations? Because that's been his recipe his entire career. Pressing buttons. 

We cannot go back to the Ralph days and everything is great and no coaches lose there jobs.

[Heitz]

5 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Next season the Bills will probably split their close games...have more injuries...finish around 10-7 or 11-6, make the playoffs and who knows.

 

Or not?  Who the heck knows what happens next year?  Maybe they come out pissed off over how this season ends and run the table.  We don't even know who the staff or all the players will be yet, I mean...

 

 

I'd also remind everyone that well yeah, the Super Bowl door was wide the F open, that doesn't guarantee a victory. I sure as heck would have like to see what it means, but some are acting like - we lost this game and therefore our guaranteed SB victory.

[Mr. WEO]

McD isn't a football tactician.  This was clear before Sunday, but it became tragically so in this game.  He's not a smart guy on game day.  This will always be a problem.

 

 

Jerry should get some Valtrex for the oral herpes and some teeth whitener for that head shot though.

[thewookie1]

Did McD and the coaches choke, yes.

 

But that was all Reid was known for until his time with Mahomes. A coach can learn and adjust; McD has grown over time himself. I do hope McD takes the blame, after all he shouldn’t be fired for this and it would give further credence to his 1 out of 11 mantra. In this case the plus coaches area screwed up while trying to prevent Mahomes from going down the field. 
 

For all we know the defense just wasn’t sure how to cover Hill + Kelce in this unusual situation. It’s not exactly a common situation to have the opposing team have 3 TOs and two of the best targets in the game.

I have tried to figure out what the best plan for the defense would of been and end up slightly concerned regardless. If you run a traditional defense you run the risk of them going over the top with either of their major targets. If you rush less than 4, Mahomes likely has more time to wait and thus throw a longer pass. It honestly felt as if the Bills were hoping KC would kill their own clock by waiting for a long pass or by throwing multiple short ones. 
 

My suggestion would of been to rush 3 with  Rousseau, Oliver, and either Hughes or Phillips. Have 8 guys in coverage with 6 DBs and 2 LBs. Have Edmunds and Milano line up at the line against Kelce and Hill and bump them off the snap. Don’t hold since that isn’t allowed anymore but just give them a thump. After that have the other 6 DBs play a protective umbrella with the LBs “covering” the two big targets. The bump should kill 1 second more. By keeping an LB following the two main targets you are looking for more sure tacklers but also to merely force Mahomes to put a little more air under the pass. Essentially do everything you can to keep them throwing shortish but while trying to make them waste time by preventing “Go” routes. Hell, use Hill’s running ability against them by trying to give an illusion of space so he runs around a little.

[Mr. WEO]

Just now, Heitz said:

 

Or not?  Who the heck knows what happens next year?  Maybe they come out pissed off over how this season ends and run the table.  We don't even know who the staff or all the players will be yet, I mean...

 

 

I'd also remind everyone that well yeah, the Super Bowl door was wide the F open, that doesn't guarantee a victory. I sure as heck would have like to see what it means, but some are acting like - we lost this game and therefore our guaranteed SB victory.

 

Wasn't that supposed to be the case this year after last season's KC loss?

[All_Pro_Bills]

1 minute ago, zow2 said:

Next season the Bills will probably split their close games...have more injuries...finish around 10-7 or 11-6,   make the playoffs and who knows..  The killer this year was they did the hard part.  They came back and beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead...er, except for 13 seconds.  That game was won.  Only the Bills staff could somehow scheme us to a loss.

 

Every season starts at 0-0 but the Bills offense is the real deal and with Allen running the offense for the foreseeable future they are in good shape.  While I worry about losing Daboll I also expect his work here developing Allen and defining an offense for him to run is finished.  Still a couple upgrades in the OL and a bruising power back to supplement Singletary is needed.  From a play calling standpoint really dialing back the designed QB runs will keep Allen healthy.  And he needs to start protecting himself going forward.

 

The defense is an illusion against play off caliber teams.  If we lost Frazier to a HC opportunity I would certainly wish him well but also welcome his exit.  And while some might disagree I think a good deal of their success is related to the high-powered nature of the offense.  Upgrades are needed at all three levels and I hope all the "old guys" on the defensive line are let go this off season.  We need play makers.  We need some cap space to do that but the good news is success will attract free agents that would have in the past just brushed off the idea of signing with the Bills.  What to do with Edmunds, a hot topic on the board, is a big question going into the off season. 

[Heitz]

2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

Wasn't that supposed to be the case this year after last season's KC loss?

 

Exactly.  Which just proves, we don't know what's going to happen the following season...

[PromoTheRobot]

7 minutes ago, Marvlevydraftdaygenius said:

We cannot go back to the Ralph days and everything is great and no coaches lose there jobs.

 

I never said that. I simply refuse to patronize that button pusher because I know his m.o. There are more knowledgeable writers. There's a reason Jerry Sullivan is at the Niagara Gazette and not the Athletic.

 

And as for coaches losing jobs, you do that when you want to make an upgrade, not to appease a fan base.

Edited January 25, 2022 by PromoTheRobot

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

Have you looked at Brady?  Rogers?  Quit being clueless and so emotional.

Allen will need to transform himself like Elway did if he is to last into his late 30s. He did a little of that this season saving his running for the playoffs.  

[Real McClappy]

50 minutes ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

I’d say the majority of fans are slow playing it here. Acting like it’s a given that we will be back several times. I’m not sure where that silliness comes from. All your window does is shrink rapidly once you pay the QB. You have to cash in on one of these soon because you never know when you aren’t going back. I’m sick about Sunday because I’m not the guy that just “knows” we will be back. You have to enjoy the ride each time because it could be it at any time. We of all fan bases should understand that. Keep pissing away these chances and all of a sudden you wake up and you are the Phillip Rivers Chargers. We should have won the super bowl this year. That’s not something you get to say to often.

 

50 minutes ago, Freddie's Dead said:

Choke is the proper term.  There's simply no other word for the Bills defensive alignment.  When you add the fact that the Bills called a TIMEOUT BEFORE BOTH OF THE CHEFS PLAYS, the defensive calls become even more inexcusable.  Any one of us here would have understood that the sidelines were meaningless since the Chefs had three timeouts.  And don't you change after you give up 19 yards to Hill on the first pass?  It's not like you had time pressure, YOU CALLED A TIME OUT, presumably to talk it over, discuss the possibilities.  When I factor in the timeouts, the defensive alignment is even more inexplicable.  Travis Kelce outcoached both McD and Frazier.  Congratulations, well done.

Both posts above are 100% spot on. 

 

2 days later and my heart is still torn apart. I don't see the pain going away either until the new season starts at this rate. When KC wins the AFC next Sunday it will be a hard kick in the nuts all over again too.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

18 minutes ago, Fan boy '92 said:

Week 5 was was nice n all, but when the chips are down, how confident are you that McDermott will out coach the other guy?

 

I feel McDermott as a head coach embraces the "growth mindset" and "continuous improvement" he preaches and will never stop grinding until he does.

I see big improvement in how McD coaches from 2019 to now.

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, Real McNasty said:

 

Both posts above are 100% spot on. 

 

2 days later and my heart is still torn apart. I don't see the pain going away either until the new season starts at this rate. When KC wins the AFC next Sunday it will be a hard kick in the nuts all over again too.

 

What's worse? Losing a close one to the Super Bowl champs or a team that loses to the Bengals? I want the Chiefs to win it all now.

[BuffaloBillsGospel]

It doesn't matter what scheme you have for your defense, the players have to make the plays, simple as that! They were even if us as fans didn't believe it, the stats all season long were "We are the #1 ranked pass defense", all this money to Poyer/Hyde.... Where were they? Milano played like crap all game long, Why didn't he show up? We can blame the coaches and there is definitely blame there but at the end of the day anyone of those defenders need to blanket Kelce (Milano left him open 19 yards down field), cover Tyreek Hill like a blanket. I don't understand why it's almost 100 % on the coaching staff as far as blame goes. Make 2 friggin stops and you're onto the Bengals, should have been easy for the #1 pass defense!

[Coffeesforclosers]

I can't say that Frazier and McD were equal to the moment, so I can't disagree with the column in a meaningful way.

 

Here's a challenge for you McD.  Learn from Josh. Lots of managers talk about a growth mindset...until their subordinates have something useful to teach them.

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

10 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I never said that. I simply refuse to patronize that button pusher because I know his m.o. There are more knowledgeable writers. There's a reason Jerry Sullivan is at the Niagara Gazette and not the Athletic.

 

And as for coaches losing jobs, you do that when you want to make an upgrade, not to appease a fan base.

 

 

Anyone at the Athletic writing something contrary to what Sullivan just published?  What are the "more knowledgeable writers" writing?

[Buffalo_Stampede]

McDermott was asked today about the final 13 seconds and he said he wishes the execution was different.

 

I don't think he would say that if the players did what they were supposed to do. Someone messed up.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Buffalo_Stampede

[Niagara Dude]

4 hours ago, QCity said:

Even Jerry is throwing a tantrum. I know, I know, you're not going to click on it (you will). 

 

Sullivan: Bills' McDermott choked away Super Bowl-caliber season

Jerry is right,  Sean and Frazier choked this game away.  Even a high school coach would never allow the straight free releases off the line with zero resistance.  Had we had a more competent HC this team is playing in the AFC title game.  There is no defending the poor decisions made at the end of that game with 13 secs left.  Only people doing that are also crying about losing the coin toss & OT rules.  9 out of 10 HC'S / coordinators finish off that game.  When you watch the replays of those two long pass plays and its hard to question if we're not at a huge disadvatange with the coaching on this team. Just another thing outsiders can laugh at.  

 

I feel the worse for Josh Allen because pundits are saying how Mahomes is still the top guy and the fact is Allen played better but the team that wins gets the coverage.  

 

 

As for the kick off,  if you watched Bass this season when he is trying to place kick it and cover inside the 20 he takes almost no run up to the ball. For that kick- off Bass took a run up and put it way through the end zone,  so I doubt he was told to squid or place kick it and just ignored his HC. It seems more probable that Sean decided to play it safe and avoid another Music city miracle.

 

End of the day there is not one person who can defend the type of defence they decided to employ on those final two passes with 13 secs left.  When you look at where they had players positioned it is a freaking joke and you have to question what the hell were they thinking.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Niagara Dude