Anyone else more low-key about this loss than you thought you'd be?

[technobot]

Strangely enough, yes. They played hard, we had our chances at the end of the game, and just couldn’t close. Lots of little things added up.

 

There was no blame for the refs, and luck broke our way when we really needed it (Chiefs’ fumble in the end zone and Allen’s fumble we recovered stand out). Even with our depleted defense, the Chiefs were also losing important players as the game went on. 
 

We just couldn’t close at the end. Whether it was Bass’ miss, Allen missing Shakir or Diggs dropping Allen’s bomb (which was thrown well enough IMO) or any of a hundred little things before that, we were so close but just couldn’t quite get there.

 

It was a surprising season considering the despair at 6-6 and the thousands of little things we missed or did wrong to get there but they surprised me at did what I had written off as impossible so there’s that.

 

I’ll leave the analysis and criticism for the rest of you who are doing a good job and articulate what I feel is wrong. But for a guy who was really down on McDermott, I felt for him in the post game presser. No NFL head coach is genuine facing the media and especially Sean who keeps things generic. But he was sincere, he owned everything and between him and Allen, they wore the pain on their sleeves so to speak. He was surprisingly indulgent and just went with the questions.

 

Better luck next year, we’ve been here awhile now and it still beats being permanently assigned to Sunday @ 1PM because none of our games matter. At least that’s how I feel.

[Rocbillsfan1]

I told all my friends before the game it felt like the Bills were playing with house money. After going 6-6 I thought they were done and they fought back hard but had way too many key injuries to overcome and they were still a dion Dawkins better block from allowing Josh Allen to throw a dart to go up 4 late. Previous years it seemed like coaching was much more of a problem and they were seriously underperforming. This year it seemed like they overachieved and just missed some opportunities that were there. Tough but I expect good things for next year. 

[Your Brown Eye]

It's a weird acceptance feeling of "maybe we will never beat the Chiefs in the playoffs". Maybe our only viable path ever to the SB will be one where we do not have to face KC.

 

If you cannot beat this Chiefs team, at home in our hostile environment, and let's face it this was our SB, then I do not know when it will happen. I did not think they would go into Baltimore next week and win, I thought every ounce of energy and emotion would be spent to ensure we slayed this dragon (a Mahomes led Chiefs in the playoffs).

 

 

[msw2112]

9 hours ago, Success said:

Maybe a weird post - but I was both excited about this game, and dreading it.  I was excited because winning would have been euphoria - but I expected losing to be completely devastating.  As it always has been for me.

 

I'm actually shocked that I'm in decent spirits right now.  It's nothing like previous losses in high-stakes games.  I usually can't sleep, but I think I'll sleep fine tonight.

 

Trying to figure it out.  Do I just expect this kind of stuff now?  Just curious if anyone else has a similar thing going on....

 

 

I'm bothered and disappointed, but not devastated.  It's not like 13 seconds, which ripped my heart out and I was depressed for about 2 weeks.  I think it's because I (we?) objectively knew that the Bills were not the best team this season.  I didn't see this team beating Baltimore or San Francisco.  I do think they could have beaten the Chiefs, but it was a 50-50 game going in and whoever won the game was going to do so by a slim margin.  The 13 seconds year, we literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and I think that Bills team was the best team at the time and would have gone on to win the Super Bowl.  This team wasn't going to do that.

 

I should add that the injuries on defense were the biggest part of my feeling that the Bills were not the best team.  If Milano was healthy, I don't think Kelce has the game he had.  Then you take out Bernard, and others, and it was obvious that the Chiefs were going to be difficult to stop.  I said before the game that the offense needed to be near-perfect and put up 35 points to win.  I still think that holds true.  If the Chiefs were not in kneel-down mode on the last series, I think they would have scored a TD, which would have given them 34 points, so 35 would have been needed to win.  (Even if the Bills had scored a TD on their last drive, getting them to 31, I think the Chiefs would have scored to take a 34-31 lead, and 35 would have been needed).

 

But hey, if the Queen had balls, she'd be the King.  There are lots of ifs, ands, or buts, but the Bills lost and it's time to move on.

Edited January 22 by msw2112

[teef]

i'm in the group that feels fatigue.  i've seen this movie far too many times before.

[BeastMaster]

2 hours ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

It’s all in perspective to me after a challenging year in my IRL life. Takes more than skill to win the SB. Politics and luck are more of a factor than anyone will ever admit. I’m not angry we are out, I’m on to the next phase of my favorite hobby, the offseason. 
 

Allen isn’t any less elite, this team isn’t any less fun to watch. They’ll be in contention again next season. 

They may be in "contention" meaning in the playoffs, but they aren't truly contenders...they are PRETENDERS

 

 

[Kevbeau]

5 minutes ago, teef said:

i'm in the group that feels fatigue.  i've seen this movie far too many times before.

Agreed….I’ve seen this movie and the boat always sinks at the end.

[VaMilBill]

I feel really disappointed. But I’m not mad because A) the refs didn’t screw us. I thought it was a well called game outside that one DPI on Williams B) there wasn’t one player or decision by coaches that absolutely torpedoed us. 
 

We just got beat. Our best player didn’t make a play when we needed it most. And it sucks, but I’d rather it be because Josh didn’t make the play instead of some fluky play or something like 13 seconds. 

[Niagara Dude]

I just feel sick because it was another missed opportunity and pressure will mount even more in the playoffs next year about getting over the hump and beating the Chiefs.  Missed opportunity because Burrow got hurt and the Chiefs had their weakest offences in years,  those things will change next year and other teams will get stronger while the Bills face huge salary cap challenges

 

I pray to be wrong but McDermott seems like the new Marvin Lewis who also had so many great regular seasons and would then lose in the playoffs.  

[Kwai San]

I feel the same as the OP.  There is no way in hell the Bills were waltzing into Baltimore and winning there.

 

A positive from the game yesterday for me were that Von actually looked a wee bit like himself there.  He chased down Pat, he made tackles at or 1yd past the LOS.  All in all, that was a nice sight.  Sucks for Allen that this is the was it ended yet again.  Plenty of blame to go all around.  People calling for McD's head are forgetting the job he did the past 6 weeks with the D just melting away.  It was inevitable that they were going to break.  They were bending for 6 straight weeks......

 

As a fan since 1985, yesterdays loss was not all that bad.  Yeah it sucks for sure but so did losing SB#1, SB#2, SB#3, and SB#4.  SB#1 the most of all.  Yesterdays loss?  Well stuff happens when you are playing Klein against Kelce.  As one poster previously said it is amazing the Chefs didn't pick at that more often.  The D tank was empty and running on fumes.  Can't beat Mahomes/Reid/Kelce with a paper tiger.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

10 hours ago, Big Turk said:

Iritated we didn't beat the Chiefs, but who are we kidding...this D would have gotten carved up like Swiss Cheese against the Ravens next week anyway with the injuries and guys playing well under 100%. Wouldn't be surprised if Dodson, Douglas and Benford all need surgery in the offseason. Douglas looked about as bad as you could possibly look in this game.  Clearly was playing at maybe 75% max.  Was absolutely terrible.  Should have been benched for Elam.  He was killing us out there.

I feel like the Bills matchup much better with the Ravens, but you could be right 

[RunTheBall]

Going into the game, I really thought we were going to win. 

 

After KC’s opening drive of the 2nd half, I knew we were done barring some miracle which never happens for the Bills. Our defense had ZERO answers. Reid/Mahomes did a masterful job of targeting our weaknesses due to injury. McD didn’t adjust soon enough to Kelce/Rice and our D line was a no show. Game over.

 

Thankfully, I got called in to do an emergency case after that drive so I didn’t have to experience the inevitable collapse except via my phone blowing up with distraught friends/family venting haha. It was almost a relief, I’m emotionally drained after this year. 

 

We are on to Cincinnati!

 

[Daniel from az]

I am a huge  fan   since the beginning of AFL as a kid. The enthusiasm never wanes but a season is a long distance race and knew they had to be much more healthy going in  than they were....not an excuse...just realities of a violent  game. I love the BILLS but was prepared

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

I usually don’t speak to anyone for like an entire day after a bad loss. I’m so much more normal then I usually am. I knew we were done as soon as I saw the flow of the game. Any time this team is on skates defensively and you just know we have zero shot to make a legit stop…we just eventually won’t score and we are dead. Same movie 20x. The Texans playoff loss was the projection of exactly what this is always going to be. If another team has a good QB and they can score with us…we are dead. Either we turn a team over a ton or we get out early and throttle you. There’s no back and fourth, make a big stop and then win. It’s kill a team…turn them over a bunch, outclass a lesser opponent or lose. That’s what it is. If the other team has a capable QB, we won’t stop them.

Edited January 22 by Brianmoorman4jesus

[Figster]

Slowly sinking in for me. As much aggravated as disappointed. The fake punt reeked of desperation IMO. Kelce beats us.

 

WR position needs upgrade. D Hop and 1st rounder would float my boat.

 

Diggs can go...

[In Summary]

I'm pretty low key right now.  Watching four straight super bowl losses has an effect on you.  

[TampaBillsJunkie]

I was very pissed off with the loss and it still stings, but it wasn't unexpected. 50 years of this sh*t has my heart calloused to big game defeats. The Bills always find a way to lose, be it injuries, bad games by their star players, coaching gaffes, a bad bounce of the ball or defeat at the hand of some bad officiating. We've seen it all and this year we were even introduced to a couple of new ways to f'k up a win. 

The gut wrenching emotion is now replaced with disappointment.  I'm not sure how we improve the roster next year, but at least it's fun watching a competitive playoff team vs a cellar dwelling loser with a top 5 pick.

[Hebert19]

We had no chance with this D vs ravens so I'm good with it knowing we weren't making superbowl. 

[TampaBillsJunkie]

49 minutes ago, Figster said:

Kelce beats us.

 

Kelce beat Klein and Willams and Poyer once. Oh, did that suck. One more shot of Taylor Swift and my television was going out the window.

[hondo in seattle]

Dr. David Chao, former team doctor for the Chargers, observes that in the playoffs, the team with the most significant injuries usually loses.  We had the more significant injuries.  I went into the game expecting to lose, though I hoped for an unlikely victory.  

 

The halftime lead and the play of Josh and the OL fueled that hope.  

 

And then it all fell apart.  

 

Despite expecting a loss, I was not low-key about the defeat.  Losing sucks.  

 

But that was yesterday.  Today, I'm a Stoic about it.  No use being emotional about things I can't control.