Josh made the right call to go for the TD

[Success]

I am beyond tired of the national hand-wringing about that play.  It was THERE.  I've actually heard fans argue that what Allen SHOULD have done is to just keep picking up small chunks, and then score a TD with just a few seconds left on the clock.

 

As though you can script something like that perfectly.  Then there is a holding penalty, or sack, or turnover, or you just can't get in the endzone.  Allen saw Shakir wide open for 6, and he went for it.  And, as we all know, if Chris Jones gets there a half second later, that's a TD and we're likely up by 4.

 

I'm like, is that the best that you've got, Allen haters?  The guy plays a great game, should have had at least 100 more yards and another TD if his receivers could hang onto the ball - and you're saying "same ol' Allen" because he went for an OPEN TOUCHDOWN.

 

And I hope Mahomes throws 3 picks this week so we can all see the double-standard.  It won't be nearly as analyzed and dissected.

 

[Low Positive]

Exactly. If Chris Jones doesn't drive Dion into Josh then that is a TD. BTW, he still would have probably missed Diggs underneath for the same reason. The only criticism that I can muster here is that maybe Josh should have slid to his right a bit to get clear of the pressure, but that is really picking nits.

[Bob Jones]

No he didn’t. Especially because it didn't succeed.

Just now, Low Positive said:

Exactly. If Chris Jones doesn't drive Dion into Josh then that is a TD. BTW, he still would have probably missed Diggs underneath for the same reason. The only criticism that I can muster here is that maybe Josh should have slid to his right a bit to get clear of the pressure, but that is really picking nits.

Jus like the OP threw out bad things that MAY have happened had they played to run out the clock, I'll throw out that the catch still had to be made. Of course, there is ZERO guarantee of that.

[Governor]

7 minutes ago, Success said:

I am beyond tired of the national hand-wringing about that play.  It was THERE.  I've actually heard fans argue that what Allen SHOULD have done is to just keep picking up small chunks, and then score a TD with just a few seconds left on the clock.

 

As though you can script something like that perfectly.  Then there is a holding penalty, or sack, or turnover, or you just can't get in the endzone.  Allen saw Shakir wide open for 6, and he went for it.  And, as we all know, if Chris Jones gets there a half second later, that's a TD and we're likely up by 4.

 

I'm like, is that the best that you've got, Allen haters?  The guy plays a great game, should have had at least 100 more yards and another TD if his receivers could hang onto the ball - and you're saying "same ol' Allen" because he went for an OPEN TOUCHDOWN.

 

And I hope Mahomes throws 3 picks this week so we can all see the double-standard.  It won't be nearly as analyzed and dissected.

 

What fans and coaches expect from Josh is just absolutely insane. He’s supposed to kill an entire quarter of clock and instantly throw a TD when McD snaps his fingers, and every week.

[frostbitmic]

If Josh hit Shakir for the TD there, maybe the Chiefs would leave a minute on the clock after they retook the lead.

[Low Positive]

In retrospect, my least favorite play on that drive was the run up the middle to get to the two-minute warning. It felt like wasting a down when the BIlls didn't have downs to waste. 

[34-78-83]

2 minutes ago, Governor said:

What fans and coaches expect from Josh is just absolutely insane. He’s supposed to kill an entire quarter of clock and instantly throw a TD when McD snaps his fingers, and every week.

Its only fans... the coaches expected him to take the shot that he did if it was open, which it was.

[Bferra13]

1 minute ago, frostbitmic said:

If Josh hit Shakir for the TD there, maybe the Chiefs would leave a minute on the clock after they retook the lead.

This... in retrospect, it's not the right call to go for the td, but at the same time I get it. They needed to bleed the clock and score with no time left. The way our d was playing and down bodies it was our only shot besides kc leaving too much time on clock. But again, in the heat of the moment easier said than done.

[streetkings01]

It was the right play period! I keep seeing people say he should’ve took the check down to Diggs and kept the ball moving……the issue is it’s a 3 point game and all a FG does is tie the game…..the TD gives us a 4 point lead and forces KC to drive down the game for a TD. You cant treat a game tying drive the same as game winning drive. If the opportunity presents itself to score a touchdown to take the lead you have to take it whenever it presents itself regardless of the time on the clock. Josh took it and it didn’t work….move on.

Edited January 25 by streetkings01

[BullBuchanan]

lol, no it wasn't. Josh scores a TD there and we lose. Mahomes beat us with 13 seconds and a far stronger defense.  He would have had a 1:45 and a pile of timeouts. There would just be a different person to blame. The right play there was to wind the clock down as far as possible and get the TD with under 30 seconds or tie it with a FG as time expires

[BBFL]

Absolutely right IMO. That throw was on a rope if he’s not knocked backward. We’ve seen him make that throw countless times… none better than the one against Denver a few years back when he connected with Kumerow. 
 

That throw to Diggs is the one people should be focusing on. Would have put us at the 25 with around 8 minutes left. Not a lot of clock would have been used after that drive and barring KC milking at worst 6 minutes of the clock, we’d still have something to work with. 
 

Furthermore, let’s say we settled for a FG and missed there also the game wouldn’t have been over with one new set of downs. 
 

That weird TO on our first drive after the half was huge. Especially because we had a delay of game after an incompletion. I know we scored a touchdown so it becomes a little less of an issue but it certainly didn’t help at the end of the game there. 
 

That TO coupled with the incompletion to Diggs are bigger causes for us losing. Can’t hang anything on Josh. 
 

The passing number weren’t gaudy but he did everything right and played a pretty flawless game. Guys just didn’t execute for him. Concerning when one of them is our second highest paid guy on offense… and boy did he have a few that night. 

[BarleyNY]

Just now, Low Positive said:

Exactly. If Chris Jones doesn't drive Dion into Josh then that is a TD. BTW, he still would have probably missed Diggs underneath for the same reason. The only criticism that I can muster here is that maybe Josh should have slid to his right a bit to get clear of the pressure, but that is really picking nits.

Diggs was open earlier though. If Josh had gone to him he’d have gotten the ball off cleanly. I will very rarely complain about a player or coach being aggressive, but Diggs was the right throw for that reason. I like that Allen wants to go for the big throw, but that wasn't the time. 

 

The bleeding the clock argument is valid as it is a legitimate strategy in situations like this. Even if we would’ve had to settle for a FG, it would have been much shorter and there would have been a lot less time on the clock. Or we could’ve won outright with a TD. 

[Warcodered]

1 minute ago, BullBuchanan said:

lol, no it wasn't. Josh scores a TD there and we lose. Mahomes beat us with 13 seconds and a far stronger defense.  He would have had a 1:45 and a pile of timeouts. There would just be a different person to blame. The right play there was to wind the clock down as far as possible and get the TD with under 30 seconds or tie it with a FG as time expires

He did make the right call, he makes the other call there if he even could have and if any of a dozen other scenarios play out where we don't win and he's getting killed for not taking that throw. This is nothing but wishful thinking.

[Low Positive]

1 minute ago, BullBuchanan said:

lol, no it wasn't. Josh scores a TD there and we lose. Mahomes beat us with 13 seconds and a far stronger defense.  He would have had a 1:45 and a pile of timeouts. There would just be a different person to blame. The right play there was to wind the clock down as far as possible and get the TD with under 30 seconds or tie it with a FG as time expires

Again, hindsight being 20/20, the correct move might have been to run the ball to force KC to take their TOs. Then on 4th down, you could have run it down to just over a minute before kicking. 13 seconds was only possible because they had all three TOs. 

[Ramza86]

100% it was the right call. It was open and the confidence of the throw was there. 

He just got hit. What else can you do.

[beebe]

9 minutes ago, Success said:

I am beyond tired of the national hand-wringing about that play.  It was THERE.  I've actually heard fans argue that what Allen SHOULD have done is to just keep picking up small chunks, and then score a TD with just a few seconds left on the clock.

 

As though you can script something like that perfectly.  Then there is a holding penalty, or sack, or turnover, or you just can't get in the endzone.  Allen saw Shakir wide open for 6, and he went for it.  And, as we all know, if Chris Jones gets there a half second later, that's a TD and we're likely up by 4.

 

I'm like, is that the best that you've got, Allen haters?  The guy plays a great game, should have had at least 100 more yards and another TD if his receivers could hang onto the ball - and you're saying "same ol' Allen" because he went for an OPEN TOUCHDOWN.

 

And I hope Mahomes throws 3 picks this week so we can all see the double-standard.  It won't be nearly as analyzed and dissected.

 

 

There's more options for NFL media content than at any point in human history. So much smart content being written by data/analytics people. So many good NFL and team-specific podcasts that are smart and informed. So many great film breakdown guys. Yet the people on this forum become glued to ESPN, Nick Wright, etc, and repeat being outraged over media portrayal when they shove oversimplified narratives down your throat. 

 

Andy Reid has been a brilliant coach his entire NFL career and only in the last five years has he gotten his due credit (many now think he is better than Belichick, which would have gotten you laughed out of the room previously.) Mahomes has made six AFC championships in six years, yet was within a whisker of falling to 0-4 vs Joe Burrow in last year's AFC title game and had to hear about how he was the inferior QB because of it. 

 

Football is a team game consisting of 53 players, a dozen coaches and support staff, with so many moving pieces that influence the outcome - weather, luck, officiating, homefield, injuries, etc. These games are so routinely close it comes down to randomness as much as it does skill.

 

And yet we keep dumbing it down to the performance of a single player - always the quarterback.

 

It's stupid. 

[Governor]

3 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

Diggs was open earlier though. If Josh had gone to him he’d have gotten the ball off cleanly. I will very rarely complain about a player or coach being aggressive, but Diggs was the right throw for that reason. I like that Allen wants to go for the big throw, but that wasn't the time. 

 

The bleeding the clock argument is valid as it is a legitimate strategy in situations like this. Even if we would’ve had to settle for a FG, it would have been much shorter and there would have been a lot less time on the clock. Or we could’ve won outright with a TD. 

Diggs would have dropped it anyway. Josh was done looking his way.

[CincyBillsFan]

3 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

lol, no it wasn't. Josh scores a TD there and we lose. Mahomes beat us with 13 seconds and a far stronger defense.  He would have had a 1:45 and a pile of timeouts. There would just be a different person to blame. The right play there was to wind the clock down as far as possible and get the TD with under 30 seconds or tie it with a FG as time expires

If Bass makes that FG we lose but given that KC did falter a couple of times in the red zone I would have liked our chances with a 4 point lead and less then 2 minutes left.

 

The real problem is that Allen, while trailing by 3 late in a playoff game, had to not only worry about scoring the winning TD against one of the best D's in football but also was expected to manage the clock and run it down to almost nothing.  All because the Bills D, which has received the lions share of resources over the last 5 years, couldn't be expected to make the stop.  This is the root of the problem, not any perceived failings of Allen here.

 

 

 

[BullBuchanan]

1 minute ago, Warcodered said:

He did make the right call, he makes the other call there if he even could have and if any of a dozen other scenarios play out where we don't win and he's getting killed for not taking that throw. This is nothing but wishful thinking.

Only losers think and play like that. Put KC in our shoes and they run the clock down to nothing and win as football 101 strategy dictates you should. It's not like Josh doesn't have a career's worth of these mental mistakes already to look back on.

I know it would have been nice to say we had the lead and blame the defense when they couldn't hold. But we all should know based on how they played that they wouldn't hold. KC had one punt all game. The offense was our strength, like it or not. That's what you bet on.

3 minutes ago, Ramza86 said:

100% it was the right call. It was open and the confidence of the throw was there. 

He just got hit. What else can you do.

watch the play again. He didn't get hit until after the ball was gone.

1 minute ago, CincyBillsFan said:

If Bass makes that FG we lose but given that KC did falter a couple of times in the red zone I would have liked our chances with a 4 point lead and less then 2 minutes left.

 

The real problem is that Allen, while trailing by 3 late in a playoff game, had to not only worry about scoring the winning TD against one of the best D's in football but also was expected to manage the clock and run it down to almost nothing.  All because the Bills D, which has received the lions share of resources over the last 5 years, couldn't be expected to make the stop.  This is the root of the problem, not any perceived failings of Allen here.

 

 

 

That's an extremely common ask that any championship coach would ask of his QB. This isn't the 80s or even the 90s anymore. If you want to be called elite, you have to be able to score at will in the redzone.

[Brandon]

Yes,  it was the right decision.  Shakir was open. 

 

Sure,  in an ideal world,  they could run more clock and still score the TD to win.  In reality,  they may have never gotten the same opportunity to score a TD and Bass may still have missed the FG to tie.   And if that happened, the same people complaining about Josh throwing that pass to Shakir would be complaining that he DIDN'T throw that pass to Shakir.