Saffold said guys were "exhausted" this week and "out of gas"

[DrDawkinstein]

6 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

He did that yesterday on his TD run. Running out of gas is an excuse. The team was unprepared from the coaches down to the players. I can believe Saffold was out of gas, but he has been that way since week one.

 

He had no gas EXCEPT for that play, and it was noticeable that he was trying hard to manufacture some fire, like a hockey team sending out it's 4th line to start a fight.

[SectionC3]

24 minutes ago, boyst said:

A reference to keep in perspective that there are things going on in the lives of this team and organization which impact people daily.  They're human   

Totally agree.  

 

Look, we were flat yesterday, and that frankly is understandable.  We have some tweaks that we need to make.  But anyone who’s been paying attention could see a game like this one coming from a mile away.  You might know more about this than me, but I heard there was a coach (unnamed, to me) who collapsed in the building during the second NE as a result of the unique stress and difficulty of this season.  It’s been a lot.  Now it’s time to rest, get right, get the team right, and grind away again next year.  

[RyanC883]

21 minutes ago, BeastMaster said:

I get what your saying, and there is a degree of merit to it.

 

On the other hand, what is the reason for the game plan to be awful? The players seemed unprepared, and there also seemed to be no creativity when it came to scheming up their opponent. I saw one team coached to attack and be aggressive, while the other looked to be timid and on the defensive from the start.

 

You must also not dismiss this team's playoff failures under this regime. It must be factored in when having a discussion like this.

 

It's unfortunate because it's almost as if this team and coaching staff will get a pass due to this extraordinarily tough year, when there is enough data to conclude that changes need to be made. 

 

My stance is that despite the tragedy and craziness that a team does not ordinarily deal with, the coaching staff has proven over numerous playoff runs that they are not good enough, and may be regressing.

 

Don't let emotions override what we have concluded over multiple seasons and playoff appearances.

 

I would not give them a pass for anything.  The City of Buffalo had a mass shooting (tragic) and 2 blizzards (one moved a game--big deal, the other was more tragic).  These did not really impact the Bills.  Sorry, they don't get to be "emotional" about those and say it dragged on them all season.  Then Hamlin, he is recovering...should be positive energy.  Seems like excuses based off the tragedy experienced by others.  

[SectionC3]

Just now, RyanC883 said:

 

I would not give them a pass for anything.  The City of Buffalo had a mass shooting (tragic) and 2 blizzards (one moved a game--big deal, the other was more tragic).  These did not really impact the Bills.  Sorry, they don't get to be "emotional" about those and say it dragged on them all season.  Then Hamlin, he is recovering...should be positive energy.  Seems like excuses based off the tragedy experienced by others.  

Unless, of course, you’re the emotional crutch of the community like these guys are following Tops and crippling, deadly, back-to-back snowstorms.  Then deal with the Hamlin situation.  Enough was enough for them.  They’re tired, and it shows. 

[RyanC883]

Just now, SectionC3 said:

Unless, of course, you’re the emotional crutch of the community like these guys are following Tops and crippling, deadly, back-to-back snowstorms.  Then deal with the Hamlin situation.  Enough was enough for them.  They’re tired, and it shows. 

 

this is a ridiculous take.  They are not the emotional crutch of the community.  Were people coming to them for therapy?   To the extend they felt the community looked to them, they would have stepped up and played better, used it as motivation to give the City and Bills fans everywhere something better.  Staffold is just an excuse machine.  And really, this one is pathetic and insulting.  

[UKBillFan]

I think my concern is the mental exhaustion of the players will be used hide the weaknesses of the roster and the coaching team. Yes, the Bills suffered a lot out of their control this year but that does not excuse a horrific full strength O Line, a lack of wide receiever depth and no clear running game plus a horrific decline in play calling from week one to the Divisional round. That has nothing to do with the issues the Bills have suffered this year. It's underlying which needs to be sorted.

 

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

I think my concern is the mental exhaustion of the players will be used hide the weaknesses of the roster and the coaching team. Yes, the Bills suffered a lot out of their control this year but that does not excuse a horrific full strength O Line, a lack of wide receiever depth and no clear running game plus a horrific decline in play calling from week one to the Divisional round. That has nothing to do with the issues the Bills have suffered this year. It's underlying which needs to be sorted.

 

 

I dont think it will be used to hide the weaknesses in the roster. But you are probably right the coaching staff will (unfortunately) get a "pass" on this season, or even lauded for putting together a 13-3 season after so many injuries and issues.

[BCAS Baritone]

I do think there is something to the idea that Damar was actually a downer, not an upper for the team.  Players have to be constantly optimistic, even when you're down by 40 in the fourth quarter you've got to believe you can come back - and most of these guys actually do feel this way.  So with Damar, you're super optimistic - he's gonna be all right, he'll bounce right back and be the same guy he always was.  Now, a few weeks after the injury, he's an old man on oxygen.  Yes he's alive and thank the Lord for that.  But while we didn't get a disastrous ending with Damar, we're not going to get a happy ending either.  And when you also add in "that could of been me", it takes a mental toll.

 

A lot of people are expecting to see a few retirements this year, not necessarily all (or even any) from the Bills, due to what happened to Damar.  It has to weigh on you.

 

[BillsVet]

1 hour ago, SoCal Deek said:

This is going to sound really harsh but you do the same thing on a battlefield. You tell the remaining soldiers to keep moving, and do NOT look back at your fallen comrades. You move on together and take the next hill. Way, way, way too much wallowing went on…if you want to win a Super Bowl. They made their choice. 

 

Have to ask...have you ever been in a real two-way live fire exercise?  

[26TrapDraw]

4 hours ago, Einstein said:

Ouch.

 

“Guys were exhausted during the week and our coaches did the best they could try to modify the week . . . but there was just uncharacteristic things that were kind of happening . . . I have to kind of put that into effect and not as an excuse just this team has been fighting for so long and fighting through all of this adversity you almost run out of gas at some point,” Saffold said

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/23/rodger-saffold-on-bills-loss-you-almost-run-out-of-gas-at-some-point/

I don't want to hear that shyt!!! DO us all a favor and don't come out of the tunnel then. What a load of crap. The media is to blame they made this team a giant bag of soft puh-cs

[SydneyBillsFan]

If Subway ever decides to launch a new high-fat, low-energy sandwich with all the bad stuff like ham, baloney, salami, pepperoni, roast pork, bacon and then drench it in ranch and greasy cheese then I would propose that it should be called "the Saffold".

 

The finishing touch would be that instead of a napkin they give you a roll of toilet paper because they darn well know that it is going to give you the sh*ts!

[Thurman#1]

5 hours ago, Einstein said:

Ouch.

 

“Guys were exhausted during the week and our coaches did the best they could try to modify the week . . . but there was just uncharacteristic things that were kind of happening . . . I have to kind of put that into effect and not as an excuse just this team has been fighting for so long and fighting through all of this adversity you almost run out of gas at some point,” Saffold said

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/23/rodger-saffold-on-bills-loss-you-almost-run-out-of-gas-at-some-point/

 

 

Why would this be a surprise to anyone?

 

They talked about a lack of juice in the post-game presser, several of them.

 

More, it was there to see.

 

It wasn't all the problem, though. That's for sure. But it was part of it.

 

They just didn't match up well. Would've been quite different with Von, Hyde and Tre playing at his normal level, IMO. They're also a different and lesser front seven without DaQuan Jones. They really really missed him. But the Bengals were a tough team playing well, and they match up with us really well.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Thurman#1

[nedboy7]

2 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

I live in WNY and was here for the shootings and snowstorms, and guess what…I got up the next day and carried on.  Stop acting like the atomic bomb was dropped on OBD while they were all onsite. 

 

It's not like the dude stayed home hiding under his ***** bed and refused to play.  He showed up.  Didn't do well.  Did you do your best work this year?  If not you better check yourself for being weak. 

1 hour ago, BeefCurtns said:

I don't want to hear that shyt!!! DO us all a favor and don't come out of the tunnel then. What a load of crap. The media is to blame they made this team a giant bag of soft puh-cs

 

Says the self proclaimed beef curtain. 

[BADOLBILZ]

4 hours ago, NoSaint said:

 

ill say I think the Micah Hyde injury is a bit much to point at as an item on the list. Guys get hurt. He’s not Josh. You have to play through that. 
 

I am curious if VM would’ve flipped the script some. Real pressure changes everything. 
 

but I do generally agree that this team hit the floor instead of its ceiling the last month. Seasons have roller coasters and just a rough way for it to unfold from late November through yesterday. Blizzard-blizzard-national tragedy at your workplace is a really challenging run to keep at 110% every day. Not to excuse it but think that a let down game was almost destined. 

 

 

I can tell you even as a fan in the stadium I was gassed yesterday.    I'm not a young man prone to letting disappointment get me down so I caffeined up and still screamed my head off every play on D.   But I didn't want to.   That Damar incident took the wind out of the sails on this season for me.    This game is supposed to be a distraction and when every week at the stadium is another story about someone or some people who got f*cked up by a tragedy it's just not fun.    And it if ain't fun.........it's hard to get energized.    Having high expectations sometimes takes you out of the moment..........but having lived thru the 4 SB years and those hard climbs back up the mountain.........those were a piece of cake emotionally compared to this season.    

[Thurman#1]

1 hour ago, RyanC883 said:

 

this is a ridiculous take.  They are not the emotional crutch of the community.  Were people coming to them for therapy?   To the extend they felt the community looked to them, they would have stepped up and played better, used it as motivation to give the City and Bills fans everywhere something better.  Staffold is just an excuse machine.  And really, this one is pathetic and insulting.  

 

 

It really is not ridiculous at all. Nor pathetic. And certainly not insulting in any sense of the word, that's absolute nonsense.

 

You and I may not like it. But they're human. Humans aren't computers. They have bad days. Their emotions affect performance. They can't always perform as well as they'd like to. 

 

All of us, not just them. There isn't one of us hasn't had a bad day at an important time in our life.

 

Still plenty of reason for us to be frustrated. And them too.

 

 

[Gunsgoodtime]

1 hour ago, RocCityRoller said:

I'm sure this season was more mentally and physically taxing than others for so many reasons. I grant that, but it doesn't mask the issue that keeps showing up in the playoffs and against other physical teams in the regular season.

 

This team's season has ended in the playoffs by clearly losing in the trenches. Clark and Jones handed the Bills OL their butts in the AFC Championship game a few years back. The Bills DL had 'pressures' but couldn't get home against Mahomes. The Colts and Ravens also did very well in the trenches vs Buffalo in playoff games, but T Johnson, Gabe Davis and Josh Allen bailed those games out. Cincy and Miami wrecked our OL and DL this season.

 

As wide open and high flying as the game is, it is still won and lost in the trenches. if this was a one year anomaly I could give Saffold this reason.

 

It's not an anomaly, or a one game issue.

How do you fix it?  They obviously can't draft them

[Thurman#1]

2 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I can tell you even as a fan in the stadium I was gassed yesterday.    I'm not a young man prone to letting disappointment get me down so I caffeined up and still screamed my head off every play on D.   But I didn't want to.   That Damar incident took the wind out of the sails on this season for me.    This game is supposed to be a distraction and when every week at the stadium is another story about someone or some people who got f*cked up by a tragedy it's just not fun.    And it if ain't fun.........it's hard to get energized.    Having high expectations sometimes takes you out of the moment..........but having lived thru the 4 SB years and those hard climbs back up the mountain.........those were a piece of cake emotionally compared to this season.    

 

 

Yes. Good post.

[Motor26]

Too many soft players on the team. Can't wait to move on from that bum Saffold next season. 

[wppete]

They didn’t want to play yesterday that was sad to watch. 

[ColoradoBills]

11 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I can tell you even as a fan in the stadium I was gassed yesterday.    I'm not a young man prone to letting disappointment get me down so I caffeined up and still screamed my head off every play on D.   But I didn't want to.   That Damar incident took the wind out of the sails on this season for me.    This game is supposed to be a distraction and when every week at the stadium is another story about someone or some people who got f*cked up by a tragedy it's just not fun.    And it if ain't fun.........it's hard to get energized.    Having high expectations sometimes takes you out of the moment..........but having lived thru the 4 SB years and those hard climbs back up the mountain.........those were a piece of cake emotionally compared to this season.    

 

Thanks for your insight.

To tell the truth I (as a fan) was exhausted before the game yesterday even started.

It has been a rough year for all things Buffalo Bills.

 

Haven't read much of the threads today and probably will take a break from football for a while but reading some of the

responses in this thread makes me believe the fans form a perfect "bell curve" in emotions.  I guess I'm still somewhere

in the meaty part of that.