Looks like the call to squib may not have made it to Bass

[Niagara Dude]

10 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Erik Turner states this very definitively, that a Squib was called, the ST unit was in the huddle, and Bass was warming up on the side and didn't get the call.

He says "the fact is...."

 

This is a HUGE scoop if Erik Turner does indeed have inside information to this regard, but journalists like @john wawrow aren't allowed to say stuff like that without 2 confirmed independent sources, so it would be of interest to know how Turner got this info.

 

The statement is at 7 minutes in for those who want to listen to what he says.  Start a bit back at 6:30 or so

 

 

 

I just don't see how other players are not talking to Bass on which side of the field he will be kicking it towards and if there is not a process in place to make sure Bass and special teams captain have had this discussIion that is a failure on the HC.

[Billl]

Some fans will gobble up any BS they’re fed.  There is zero chance this is true.  My God, 

people.

[Niagara Dude]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Boy said:

 

    McD talked about priding himself on preparation.

    How is their not an agreed upon signal from the ST coach, a fail safe for a noisy environment when it’s the most critical juncture of a game? 
    Bass looks at coach and affirms what the call is. I don’t blame this on a second year player out into the biggest situation of his young career. 
    100% on ST and Head coach.

For sure,  there should have been a system/process in place to make sure other players know where the kick is going towards.  Is it going to be a squid,  is it going to be a pop up?  

[SectionC3]

38 minutes ago, Livinginthepast said:

I find it really hard to believe that Bass is just in his own little world on the sideline and for the most important KO of  the season he doesnt think to ask, "what's the plan?" and confirm? and that the ST coach doesn't go to him and make sure he knows. Absolutely no way that happens.  Maybe Bass should explain, rather than it be a mystery.

Go to the games.  The specialists hang together.  Bass probably was by the propane heater/warming up at the time of the huddle.  ST should have grabbed him on the way out to tell him what to do.  

[TheFunPolice]

Well, something went wrong. On the kick, on the defense. 

 

NO WAY in the world did McD say "let's just let Hill and Kelce catch the ball and run 20 yards then tackle them guys!"

 

There is just no way. He's too good a coach. 

 

Kicking it deep isn't totally crazy, because you trust your D and they have to go 40 yards in 13 seconds. But a squib or a pooch put pressure on KC to decide.. do I try to be a hero and run this thing back, or just go down way back here?

 

We put ZERO pressure on them at any point in those 13 seconds. Everything was easy.

 

Touchback: no pressure

1st and 10: no defenders anywhere in sight and nobody covering their best player. 

2nd play: repeat of the first. 

 

NO WAY that was the plan. 

[Niagara Dude]

2 minutes ago, Billl said:

Some fans will gobble up any BS they’re fed.  There is zero chance this is true.  My God, 

people.

It's 100% cover up job for Sean's choke ,  there is zero chance that Bass & special teams captain do not have discussions prior to kicking off.  This is because the two plays that followed were indefensible and beyond stupid.  We have former players & former GM'S all over questioning what the hell the Bills coaching was doing on those two pass plays.

[frostbitmic]

How much time are you going to take off the clock on a squib kick, one second maybe. The clock doesn't start on a kickoff until the receiving team touches the ball, so if someone falls on it at the 30 it might take a second off the clock.

 

The problem was with the defense called.

[BuffaloRebound]

5 minutes ago, Billl said:

Some fans will gobble up any BS they’re fed.  There is zero chance this is true.  My God, 

people.

Agreed.  This is absurd.  This is like Allen going under center without a play being called.  Bass was definitely told something. More believable thing would be decision was changed after Bass was told to kick it long and the message didn’t get to Bass.  There’s no way Bass was told nothing.  

[Big Turk]

Inexcusable if true.

[Frostbite]

16 minutes ago, Niagara Dude said:

I find it hard to believe they do not discuss things before kicking off,  are to believe that during the season when Bass did those pop up kick offs that other players did not know. I am sure special teams captain and kicker are talking about which side he will be kicking it,  this non answer Sean offers is another way go covering for his conservative coaching.  Just admit you were worried about a possible second Music city miracle and this is why Bass took 7 yard sunup and blasted it through the end zone. 

I agree the coverage team knew when bass was going to kick short during the season and when he was going to kick it out. But, regardless of what was happening, they had to cover b/c of the chance it's actually shorter than planned or the returner takes it out, which is why it's not as important to convey the kick plan to the coverage team. Bass is really the only person that absolutely needed to know. I think they were worried Hill might be back there and wouldnt be able to stop him, hence the touchback. 

[RyanC883]

then call a TO.  McD should have seen where Bass lined up, or the ST coach, or another player.  

 

 

4 minutes ago, frostbitmic said:

How much time are you going to take off the clock on a squib kick, one second maybe. The clock doesn't start on a kickoff until the receiving team touches the ball, so if someone falls on it at the 30 it might take a second off the clock.

 

The problem was with the defense called.

 

both were problems, but agreed, the defensive play calling was even worse, with Kelse abusing Fraziers D, that was defending the sidelines against a team with 3 TO's.  Just laughable.  Bump the WR/TE (that eats clock) and cover everywhere.  Instead, he went into "super prevent".  

[Livinginthepast]

1 minute ago, SectionC3 said:

Go to the games.  The specialists hang together.  Bass probably was by the propane heater/warming up at the time of the huddle.  ST should have grabbed him on the way out to tell him what to do.  

Ive been to many games and you dont have to go to games to see that specialists are off to the side a lot practicing but Bass had just kicked a PAT, the first place he goes is to the sidelines and checks in with the coach about the upcoming KO. He simply ISNT off to the side staring at clouds getting zen at that moment.   Even if that doesnt happen it doesnt change anything about what I said in the post. If Bass doesnt think it necessary to confirm what the KO call is he must be either incredibly stupid or have an almost autistic detachment from reality. If the ST coach doesnt tell Bass what he is supposed to do and assumes he knows then HE must be the same. If McD makes the same mistake then same thing. It just beggars belief that any of it is true.

[Niagara Dude]

1 minute ago, BuffaloRebound said:

Agreed.  This is absurd.  This is like Allen going under center without a play being called.  Bass was definitely told something. More believable thing would be decision was changed after Bass was told to kick it long and the message didn’t get to Bass.  There’s no way Bass was told nothing.  

Coverup,  I would prefer Sean just saying they decided to just kick off and defend from 25.  The problem is,  they crapped the bed on the two following plays and the Chiefs had 3 sec left to kick FG.

 

So had they done some squid or pop up kick than Chiefs don't have time to make that second pass completion. You could have defended the way they did,  give up 19 yard and clock is down to maybe 3-4 secs rather then 8 secs.  That most likely would have meant either a Hail Mary pass or quick out and 60plus yard FG

[BuffaloRebound]

My theory is that the plan was to kick a touchback if Hill was back there or short if he wasn’t.  And the communication to Bass got screwed up in the chaos.  

[Reed83HOF]

30 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Erik Turner states this very definitively, that a Squib was called, the ST unit was in the huddle, and Bass was warming up on the side and didn't get the call.

He says "the fact is...."

 

This is a HUGE scoop if Erik Turner does indeed have inside information to this regard, but journalists like @john wawrow aren't allowed to say stuff like that without 2 confirmed independent sources, so it would be of interest to know how Turner got this info.

 

The statement is at 7 minutes in for those who want to listen to what he says.  Start a bit back at 6:30 or so

 

 

 

Turner has Isiah on the last couple weeks breaking down his plays. I'm not being a fan of, but it does seem like he has some connections within the team...

[TheFunPolice]

In all the mayhem something got messed up. 

 

These coaches are too smart and too good for what we saw to have been the plan. It was a joke. I'm more angry now than I was Sunday just thinking about it and watching it back.

 

It's like being up 3 in basketball and just collapsing your D back to the net and allowing the other team a wide open 3 point shot to tie and not even challenging them, just to avoid the 3+1 if you foul. 

 

Poyer and Hyde? Best safeties in the league? Let's put you guys 40 yards downfield so you can watch the play and have zero chance to win the game for us. 

 

It's so freaking stupid it's incredible. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by TheFunPolice

[st pete gogolak]

With all the discussions about the last 13 seconds, I'm finding out that there are a bunch of NFL rules I didn't have a clue about (being able to fair catch a kickoff, ref can call "intentional" defensive holding and make it a 15 yard penalty with no time run off the clock etc.).  What is the rule if it's kicked short - say to five or ten yard line and kick returner wants to gamble that it goes into the end zone?   It is an automatic touchback with no time left on the clock?  Does the kick returner have to at least cover the ball in the end zone and does a second or two run off the clock?  

[Niagara Dude]

4 minutes ago, Frostbite said:

I agree the coverage team knew when bass was going to kick short during the season and when he was going to kick it out. But, regardless of what was happening, they had to cover b/c of the chance it's actually shorter than planned or the returner takes it out, which is why it's not as important to convey the kick plan to the coverage team. Bass is really the only person that absolutely needed to know. I think they were worried Hill might be back there and wouldnt be able to stop him, hence the touchback. 

Right,  play it safe and defend from the 25.  Problem is they did not defend and made it way to easy for Chiefs to gobble up 44 yards in 10secs

[Billl]

3 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

Agreed.  This is absurd.  This is like Allen going under center without a play being called.  Bass was definitely told something. More believable thing would be decision was changed after Bass was told to kick it long and the message didn’t get to Bass.  There’s no way Bass was told nothing.  

I have no idea why people are so willing to believe that the coaching staff that has taken a moribund franchise and turned it into a perennial Super Bowl contender are a bunch of imbeciles.  Mistakes were made.  You don’t blow a lead with :13 on the clock otherwise, but to think the Special Teams coach is going “gee whiz I didn’t realize that it’s important to tell the Kicker the plan for the kickoff” is just a bizarre coping mechanism.  

[Reed83HOF]

28 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

If there was ever a time to call a second timeout, it was before that kick. I am pretty sure that they didn't cut to an ad after the Bills second TD. 

Without a doubt always need to make sure the right calls are mad and everyone knows what to do.

 

This is what wins in the playoffs and the SB and why as much as I despise bellicheck, he is great at. I have no doubt McD will never let this happen again, it was unfortunately a big gap that was missed by many people...