Miscommunication on Kick Off

[Success]

I so hope none of this is true.  

 

If it is - we were NOT ready for a SB this year.  That stuff has to be tight at the end of a close game.

 

But I hope it's not.

 

[JDubya76]

I’d love to see Frazier get a chance as HC in Chicago. I want more draft picks.

[Billsfan1972]

27 minutes ago, Rew said:

 

Given McD's response on the kick and execution I wouldn't be surprised that he wanted to kick it differently.  It didn't look the like execution was Bass, hence it making sense that somewhere between McD and Bass was a communication problem.  The rest seems to be pure speculation.

How you have miscommunication there is unbelievable incompetence. 

[Alphadawg7]

40 minutes ago, njodogg said:

Apologize if this has been mentioned but wanted to share. 

 

I received a text message today from a buddy who is connected to plenty of Beat Writers and Pod Casters. He said his source said there was serious miscommunication on the kick off

 

" Mcd wanted to Squib. Message was never got to Bass. Farwell had them huddled and didn't tell him to Squib. Mcd and Frazier apparently got so flustered that players didn't know what to do on defense. The players wanted to run Quarters coverage. It was all botched. The phrase "most absolutely botched thing I've ever seen" from source. And Frazier wants out, wants Chicago job" 

 

He also heard that Farwell is "resigning"

I mean this makes sense to me based on what we saw and what’s been said by McD

[Logic]

For what it's worth, I find it highly, HIGHLY unlikely that McDermott and Frazier were "so flustered" after the kick that they couldn't coach straight.

You can say lots of things about McDermott and Frazier's performances in that moment -- and I have. But so flustered they couldn't call plays? Sounds like an absolute lie and flies in the face of everything we know or have ever seen from these guys.

[london_bills]

Mcdermott never mentioned miscommunication, he said execution. 

[BuffaloMatt]

Still gutted. But the kick off was not the issue. Defensive scheme on the next two plays was the death blow. The fact that #10 turns a five yard pass into a 19 yard gain- mind boggling. Then the next  play allows TE to run unmolested for 23 yards reception - utter atrocity. (Their names deliberately omitted). Madden rolled over in his grave muttering his famous "prevent defense" quote. He was right!

[djp14150]

43 minutes ago, njodogg said:

Apologize if this has been mentioned but wanted to share. 

 

I received a text message today from a buddy who is connected to plenty of Beat Writers and Pod Casters. He said his source said there was serious miscommunication on the kick off

 

" Mcd wanted to Squib. Message was never got to Bass. Farwell had them huddled and didn't tell him to Squib. Mcd and Frazier apparently got so flustered that players didn't know what to do on defense. The players wanted to run Quarters coverage. It was all botched. The phrase "most absolutely botched thing I've ever seen" from source. And Frazier wants out, wants Chicago job" 

 

He also heard that Farwell is "resigning"

Don’t buy it.

 

the team called TO after pkay set up.  There was no commas problem.

 

the squib KO could have been missed.

[LABILLBACKER]

43 minutes ago, njodogg said:

Apologize if this has been mentioned but wanted to share. 

 

I received a text message today from a buddy who is connected to plenty of Beat Writers and Pod Casters. He said his source said there was serious miscommunication on the kick off

 

" Mcd wanted to Squib. Message was never got to Bass. Farwell had them huddled and didn't tell him to Squib. Mcd and Frazier apparently got so flustered that players didn't know what to do on defense. The players wanted to run Quarters coverage. It was all botched. The phrase "most absolutely botched thing I've ever seen" from source. And Frazier wants out, wants Chicago job" 

 

He also heard that Farwell is "resigning"

You pretty much can't butcher 13 seconds more than that. Let Frazier and Farwell walk. We can do better. McD cannot ever have a blunder like this again. 

[Bleedbuffaloblue]

Absolutely don’t believe any of this disfunction garbage. Like was said above the kickoff was not the major problem. If you are leading with 13 seconds left and the opponent on their 25 yard line and you can’t hold that lead you don’t really deserve to win the game.

Sems to me the defensive strategy was more the problem than execution. Plus one needs to consider the QB and skilled players on the other side who were executing at an unbelievably high level.

[K-9]

I’m just glad the “beat writers” and “podcasters” hold themselves to a high standard of journalistic integrity. Every one of them. 😂

 

The quote in the OP reads like typical fan projections. 

[TheFunPolice]

It actually makes some sense given what we saw and what McDermott said. These types of "magical comebacks" don't happen without the other team screwing something up.

 

And we're just watching on TV. Can you imagine being on that sideline in that type of moment? The emotions, the energy, the noise! Allen throws that TD and that game is OVER! Bills players going nuts, Chiefs players on the bench looking like they know they're done. Chiefs fans heading for the exits. 

 

We take for granted that every single player is 100% dialed in and thinking through the ins and outs of a play when it seems like they just won the game. There are still NFL players that don't know games can end in ties, obviously not this one but just as an example. Not every player is an Ed Reed or Peyton Manning type. 

 

Yeah, there's 13 seconds but we JUST WON THE GAME BABY! Just a couple incomplete passes here and we're hosting the AFC Title Game! Sure, don't screw this up, like that's going to happen....

 

Keeping your cool and communicating the plan in an environment like that is probably not easy. All it takes is 1 thing in the chain of command/communication to break down. Guys need to focus like never before. 

 

There is NO WAY that I think McDermott would say "let Hill catch the ball wide open without a guy within 10 yards of him and run wild and we'll just tackle him whenever we catch up to him (if we do)." No freaking way.

 

 

[Norcalbillsfan]

1 minute ago, LABILLBACKER said:

You pretty much can't butcher 13 seconds more than that. Let Frazier and Farwell walk. We can do better. McD cannot ever have a blunder like this again. 

I dont understand miscommunication on a kickoff... there's absolutely no rush on a kickoff. McD is literally on the side lines, you walk over to bass, " Hey squib kick" or " put it out the back of the endzone, don't want a return " and the flustered thing is garbage. Frazier wants a hc job and he calls prevent D when the chiefs haven't hit you deep the entire night but been gashing you with underneath yac? He did that cuz hes flustered? No he made a decision in crunch time that cost the team.

[Billsfan1972]

In other thread.  Epic fail is miscommunication in the last 13 seconds.

 

Yes in another thread....  I had to go back and watch every kick (second half)......  

 

Bass was kicking into the endzone.  His approach was 7-8 yards.....

 

The 29-26 kick, same approach 7-8 yards, After the 75 yard TD, he actually did a 5-6 yard approach and in the end zone.   After HT, 5-6 yards and through the endzone.....  

 

You want me to check the other 2 too?????  

 

No chance he was told to kick it short!!!!!! 

[since79]

3 minutes ago, Norcalbillsfan said:

I dont understand miscommunication on a kickoff... there's absolutely no rush on a kickoff. McD is literally on the side lines, you walk over to bass, " Hey squib kick" or " put it out the back of the endzone, don't want a return " and the flustered thing is garbage. Frazier wants a hc job and he calls prevent D when the chiefs haven't hit you deep the entire night but been gashing you with underneath yac? He did that cuz hes flustered? No he made a decision in crunch time that cost the team.

Special teams coaches often are over emotional, not sure here but I could see one of these hyped up people not being present in the moment. Inexcusable as it is.

 

I think they had 10 or more plays of over 20 yards, all of them either runs to the second level or a short pass extended by our deep zone coverage.  On the tying drive they just did what they had been doing the whole game.

[BarleyNY]

15 minutes ago, london_bills said:

Mcdermott never mentioned miscommunication, he said execution. 

Only an idiot would willing admit to a situation as described above.  Poor execution by staff and team?  Sure.  We all saw that.  Failure to get a called play in followed by frustration and disarray?  No.  Even if true you can’t tell the world that.  It is so much worse.  You just have to learn from it an make sure it never happens again. 

[Matt_In_NH]

1 hour ago, njodogg said:

Mcd and Frazier apparently got so flustered that players didn't know what to do on defense

 

This is stupid

[Fan in Chicago]

1 hour ago, njodogg said:

Apologize if this has been mentioned but wanted to share. 

 

I received a text message today from a buddy who is connected to plenty of Beat Writers and Pod Casters. He said his source said there was serious miscommunication on the kick off

 

" Mcd wanted to Squib. Message was never got to Bass. Farwell had them huddled and didn't tell him to Squib. Mcd and Frazier apparently got so flustered that players didn't know what to do on defense. The players wanted to run Quarters coverage. It was all botched. The phrase "most absolutely botched thing I've ever seen" from source. And Frazier wants out, wants Chicago job" 

 

He also heard that Farwell is "resigning"

 

Sounds like speculation than "insider information"

 

Its entirely possible that Bass intended to kick it to the 5 or 10 yard line but misjudged it. Thinking about the physics involved and the precision of 10 yards, I can see how this could have happened. But yes, it can be marked as imperfect execution.

 

Still, the D allowing the march towards a FG is more inexcusable than the kickoff. Also, given the furious nature of the final 2 minutes of regulation, both D's must have been tired which Reid and Mahomes successfully exploited with a faster pace in OT. Yet the D still should contained their O to at least limit them to a FG and give Allen and the O another chance. 

 

We can blame the ST all we want but the more egregious errors were made by the D. 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Fan in Chicago

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

24 minutes ago, london_bills said:

Mcdermott never mentioned miscommunication, he said execution. 

Jiminy Christmas!  He's got it so turned around he's using the wrong words in his press conference!  

 

It's a pandemic of miscommunication if you ask me. 

[Shaw66]

38 minutes ago, mannc said:

So what’s your theory then?

Well, it's strictly theory, I have no real inside information.   But here's what I would guess ...

 

1.  McDermott's whole philosophy is that players are trained to do their jobs.  Everyone relies on everyone else to do his job.  He's going to trust his defense to perform when the time comes. 

 

2.  His defense should be able to keep KC from gaining 20 yards in 2 plays.  

 

3.  So, he's comfortable trust his defense to get the job done.

 

4.  Squib kicks are unpredictable, for BOTH teams.  If the kicker hits it wrong, maybe it gets recovered at 35.  His special teams may have practiced covering squib kicks, but they've probably never practiced a squib kick that bounces exactly like this particular kick bounces.   So, there's a measure of uncertainty there, and McDermott doesn't like uncertainty. 

 

5.  Reid is the master of the innovative, unsuspected gadget play.  It's a really good bet that Reid had a play for the squib kick. (you may recall that Tennessee had a play for squib kicks.  I think they called it Touchdown Throwback.)  If Reid had a play, you can be sure that the Bills had not practiced for it. 

 

6.  For all those reasons, McDermott probably figured that asking his defense to make one more stop was a better idea than asking his kickoff team to run an unpredictable play against a team that is going to a throw a weird wrinkle at you.