Maybe it was just a bad day

[B-Large]

2 hours ago, Success said:

I've gotta agree that it would have helped to get beat by Cincy on MNF.

 

They had so many games they eeked out in the 2nd half of the season - but I think that gave them a feeling like "we'll always figure it out by the end of the game."

 

They just had no urgency this past Sunday. 

 

 

They thought they could drag out the tired act we've seen since Green Bay against a experienced playoff team and still win.  They we're wrong.

 

Its a pointless exercise, but if Tua was healthy I think we would have been out in the WC round.

 

Why cant we play sticky coverage?

 

Why can't we block a 3 man rush?

 

Why was our game plan "let Josh Allen carry the bag"

 

Why we're guys "gassed" in front of an absolutely rabid fan base at home, when they claim is was SB or bust?

 

Why can't Gabe Davis catch?

 

Why does McDermott clap his hands so much?

 

 

ugh, that's enough.... 

 

[Malazan]

1 hour ago, Success said:

 

With motivation, I don't think there was any doubt that they took the league's "neutral field" thing, and pre-sales for tickets, to heart, and used that.  And I do think the Bills were emotionally tired from everything that happened.

 

Fans will probably debate that last part for years, and some will say that these guys are pros and need to move past certain things.  But it's been a crazy month, and they're human. I wish they could have not let it affect them, but it clearly did.

 

Ok.. how about why those same problems existed before this game for much of the year? They lost to Zach Wilson after a bye week. Were they tired then?

[Success]

1 minute ago, Malazan said:

Ok.. how about why those same problems existed before this game for much of the year? They lost to Zach Wilson after a bye week. Were they tired then?

 

I don't put a lot on that. It's rare that teams don't have stinkers at points in the season, even great teams.  I remember a Pats SB team getting crushed by Miami in the debut game for the "wildcat." New league darlings Cincy also laid an egg against Cleveland this past season.

 

[GunnerBill]

The OP is getting some hate but without doubt this was the Bills worst day. They had a clunker. It happens. You hope it happens week 6 when it doesn't matter. 

 

That doesn't mean there are not legitinate grounds for criticism of scheme, coaching, team building, execution in big moments...  but some of it is just the Bills had a bad day. They played their worst game at the worst time. 

[Low Positive]

14 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

The OP is getting some hate but without doubt this was the Bills worst day. They had a clunker. It happens. You hope it happens week 6 when it doesn't matter. 

 

That doesn't mean there are not legitinate grounds for criticism of scheme, coaching, team building, execution in big moments...  but some of it is just the Bills had a bad day. They played their worst game at the worst time. 

I have watched at least parts of every Bengals game this year, and the first quarter on 1/2 and that last game was BY FAR the best that they have played. It might just be a bad matchup, but I also think that they were extra motivated to play the Bills for a number of reasons. 

[blacklabel]

Yep. They're human beings who went through a lot of extra this season. The injury bug decimated them, I think every starter on defense missed at least one game. Josh had the elbow. Diggs was beat up all year and barely practiced. Nobody's 100% obviously but they dealt with a lot there. Oh, and one of their guys dropped dead on the field. 

 

They also had a screwy schedule. Yeah it's nice for them to be featured somewhere else besides the Sunday 1 PM timeslot but they were constantly having to adjust their game prep from week to week. Then you throw in the blizzards, losing a home game, three games in twelve days, leaving early for Chicago, etc. All that stuff takes a toll. 

 

It all seemed to catch up to them at the worst possible time and that was last Sunday. They seemed like they'd been running on fumes since the Hamlin situation and on Sunday the needle fell right on E. 

 

That said, there seems to be anywhere between one and up to five games a season in the McDermott Era where they look completely unprepared or rattled or flat or soft or whatever. Back in '17 they got shmacked by the Saints. '18 was the mulligan where they suffered several blowouts but it was the necessary growing pains season. 2019 they were real flat in a blowout loss to the Eagles. Then they secure a playoff spot in Week 14 and then lost their next two, limped into the Wild Card round and blew a lead in the loss to the Texans. 

 

2020 and beyond have seen instances of the same thing but now they've been able to battle through that and pull out some victories. 2021 had the crappy Jags game, the blowout loss to the friggin' Colts, etc. 2022 they had a stinker against the Jets. All teams endure these slumps and stuff but it's kinda odd because they'll be on fire a couple weeks in a row and then they follow-up with a big fat dump on the 50 in some random game. I dunno, sometimes it feels like McDermott doesn't quite bring the energy. I think the players like him and there's a healthy level of respect there but I'm not sure if I get the sense that he really connects with his players. Who knows tho.

 

All they can do is keep chipping away. Stay the course, definitely make some adjustments, address areas of need, all that good stuff. I'd like them to say adios to Frazier but we'll see. 

 

At the end of the day it's just a game. On the grand scale of all things it's pretty insignificant. 

[Maine-iac]

People talk like this defense can just lose Jones, Miller, Hyde, Hamlin and in game White and Poyer and still play the same defense we see with everyone healthy.

Edited January 25, 2023 by Maine-iac

[Malazan]

1 hour ago, Success said:

I don't put a lot on that. It's rare that teams don't have stinkers at points in the season, even great teams.  I remember a Pats SB team getting crushed by Miami in the debut game for the "wildcat." New league darlings Cincy also laid an egg against Cleveland this past season.

 

Ahh, So the same problems that existed all season long were just one stinker after another until the final bad day. Gotcha. 

[nedboy7]

I find the narrative that we have 3 good players. (JA, SD, MM) completely absurd.  Shows how unrealistic people are in their expectations.  

[DrPJax]

22 hours ago, Success said:

I mean, that happens in football, right?  

 

Teams come out flat.  They do get emotionally drained after emotional situations.  I think Hines may have covered for some of that in the season finale, but you could see it in the Miami playoff game, too.  They were kind of running on fumes at the end.

 

You can say these are pros, and that's not an excuse, and I can't really argue that.  But it simply is what it is, and some of the players have come out & stated it. I don't think that makes them a "softer" team than most.  Just human.

 

Based on the discussions here, we went from feeling like we were on top of the league most of the season, to feeling like we're all of a sudden miles behind Cincy.  I don't buy that.  Cincy was better that day - more prepared, more motivated, more fresh mentally.  But it was just a bad day.  They're not 27-10 better than the Bills.  And maybe that hype will die down a bit if they lose next week or in the SB.  We're still an elite team in the NFL, with an elite QB, and can get right back at it in September.

 

      It was not just a bad day. The coaching on both sides of the ball had issues from mid season on.  Please , as a good fan , quality poster, go look at cover 1 ‘s breakdown of the d and O in the video about you are what your last game is.  It’s an 11/2 hour expert film breakdown of the coaching issues that are plaguing this team , and the defense has in particular been responsible for the majority of the playoff losses.  It’s not a bad day when you see the results of a horrible coaching philosophy and how Cincy dismantled the defense  easily. 
 

      This is on frazie4 and Mcd complicating the reads so much more in the playoffs that players can’t play fast and it showed tendencies that had been going on for se real games that the bengals planned for and easily exploited with a predominantly back up o line.  Also , injuries added to the demise as players ( poyer , Phillips ) for example were playing with one arm and your best defensive player outside of Milano , Daquan jones was absent and thr running game was exploited , but you will learn how it was exploited over several games.  Don’t ignore the fact the Fins almost beat this team with a third string qb ; that is almost unprecedented and it foreshadowed the following loss. Burrows predicted they would dominate this d , and they d based on superb coaching by them , but a worn out , poorly , over complicated scheme that Mcd/ Frazier keep going to in the playoffs and cover 1 shows how absurd these mistakes were.  
 

       losing predominantly the playoffs ( mcds 4-5 record) , is not a bad day , it is a true trend and if you want to keep believing things in games like this happen by chance , then you are doing yourself a disservice continuing to watch and not really grasping the true issues that will continue to keep this team from a Super Bowl appearance unless changes , at least on the defensive side / scheme occur.  It shows why you can be misled by relying on things like dvoa.  13 seconds and this loss happened because of defensive breakdowns that were very similar. Please , it’s free on YouTube.  It’s an excellent watch for you football IQ , and it can give you insight into how this team can progress, or how it might just continue accepting the status quo.  It might help you gage how much time and emotional commitment you are willing to invest based on those decisions. Please , don’t just take my word , get insight and education from guys who have passion , knowledge, and don’t deal with myths or lack of reason.   Revisit this after you watch that breakdown , and then let me know if you think it was “ just a bad day”, it is a trend and scheme dependent result. Best wishes. ( the offensive side is another issue ; it has to be addressed as well but we have a franchise qb , so 90% of the job is in place and just needs fine tuning). 

[Southern_Bills]

22 hours ago, Success said:

I mean, that happens in football, right?  

 

Teams come out flat.  They do get emotionally drained after emotional situations.  I think Hines may have covered for some of that in the season finale, but you could see it in the Miami playoff game, too.  They were kind of running on fumes at the end.

 

You can say these are pros, and that's not an excuse, and I can't really argue that.  But it simply is what it is, and some of the players have come out & stated it. I don't think that makes them a "softer" team than most.  Just human.

 

Based on the discussions here, we went from feeling like we were on top of the league most of the season, to feeling like we're all of a sudden miles behind Cincy.  I don't buy that.  Cincy was better that day - more prepared, more motivated, more fresh mentally.  But it was just a bad day.  They're not 27-10 better than the Bills.  And maybe that hype will die down a bit if they lose next week or in the SB.  We're still an elite team in the NFL, with an elite QB, and can get right back at it in September.

 

 

Yeah, bad day for the coaches and their gameplan. Can't make me believe the entire 53 man roster was "prepared" and they looked like that.

 

 

[billsbackto81]

OUTCOACHED AND OUTCLASSED

 

Its that simple....

 

No team should come in your house which is considered to be one of the more dominant home field advantages in the league down 3 OL starters and do what they did.

 

Totally embarrassing and Frazier needs to go after last year and now that display of ineptitude Sunday.

Especially after Baltimore gives you the blueprint on how to slow Cincy the previous week. Too stubborn to change with the evolution of today's NFL offenses.

[Maine-iac]

11 minutes ago, billsbackto81 said:

OUTCOACHED AND OUTCLASSED

 

Its that simple....

 

No team should come in your house which is considered to be one of the more dominant home field advantages in the league down 3 OL starters and do what they did.

 

Totally embarrassing and Frazier needs to go after last year and now that display of ineptitude Sunday.

Especially after Baltimore gives you the blueprint on how to slow Cincy the previous week. Too stubborn to change with the evolution of today's NFL offenses.

How about we take away Hubbard, Hill, and Bates then Bell and Hilton and see if we don't score a few more points.

[Radar]

Yes, it was a bad day. I could see it coming for weeks though. Our defense has always been a question mark for me and please don't throw out stats. They're soft and fold at critical times. This is not just this year either. Our offensive line? Maybe one of the worst. Basically a top five quarterback and receiver, not hard to defense against when that's your offense. Coaching average to slightly above if being generous. Drafting? Very average other than hitting on Josh Allen( not taking anything away from that.)

Edited January 25, 2023 by Radar

[Jrb1979]

16 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

How about we take away Hubbard, Hill, and Bates then Bell and Hilton and see if we don't score a few more points.

Sure but Baltimore managed to stay in the game with a backup QB and was able to run the ball effectively. 

[Georgia Bill]

5 hours ago, DrBob806 said:

So to me Cincy is/was a bad matchup. Philly or the 49ers would have done another 27-10 ish thing to the Bills in the Super Bowl. 

 

The Bills aren't a physical team. It is what it is.

I agree that had we somehow continued in the tourney, based on what we saw not only in the Cinci game but the latter part of the season, we would have gotten beat in the Super Bowl.  And I'll take some heat for saying this but losing in the Super Bowl would have been far worse.  The stigma of "the Bills can't win a Super Bowl", super chokers, etc., would have been tough to overcome in any follow up trips.  Better to get stronger and smarter before we hit that first Super Bowl for this team - it HAS to be a win.  

[SoMAn]

22 hours ago, Bills!Win! said:

Here is a thought that nobody has brought up. The Bills were facing the team they played when Damar collapsed. Anyone think that may have messed with their heads? 

Yes, I’ve had that thought. They were 20 days away from a traumatic event in which they witnessed their brother being resuscitated on the playing field. Standing along side them were a team with tiger stripes against orange helmets.,  

It’s been reported that many of the Bills players were still experiencing  psychological repercussions, and here they were, looking across the field at those same striped helmets. A lot of these players are still very young. What they saw in that first bengals game may have been the worst thing some had witnessed. 
Playing against the same team may well have had an effect, consciously or subconsciously. 
 

Edited January 26, 2023 by SoMAn

[Maine-iac]

11 minutes ago, Jrb1979 said:

Sure but Baltimore managed to stay in the game with a backup QB and was able to run the ball effectively. 

Then maybe we should have tried running the ball more.  I've been saying that all year long.  Probably would have been harder to rush 3 lineman and blitz a db if we were running the ball.   That said Bengals scored 24 on Baltimore with a healthy defense.  Put any two of our injured starters on the field and I bet the score is much different.  

[Low Positive]

10 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

Then maybe we should have tried running the ball more.  I've been saying that all year long.  Probably would have been harder to rush 3 lineman and blitz a db if we were running the ball.   That said Bengals scored 24 on Baltimore with a healthy defense.  Put any two of our injured starters on the field and I bet the score is much different.  

Hard to run the ball when we were down 14-0 after only 3 Bills offensive plays. 

[Donuts and Doritos]

Davis 54.2% catch percentage

McKenzie 64.6% catch percentage

We had to bring back Beasley & Brown a month ago at Josh's request bc the Offense was not clicking. They barely survived Miami twice, had to rely on 2 run backs by Hines to beat NE, & frankly struggled to beat anyone not named the Chicago Bears in the second half of the season. This was NOT a 1 bad game issue, contrary to what Beane said in his presser. This team was not a legit contender for a while & finally the warts were put on full display. Question is what are they going to do to fix it. Beane's press conference does not instill confidence that they're going to do much of anything bc, ya know it to as just 1 bad game & all. As Richard Pryor once said: "who ya gonna believe, me or your lieing eyes?"

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by Donuts and Doritos