Bills Unforgettable loses and the kicker connection

[Returntoglory]

I find it rather astounding that four of the most heartbreaking losses, probably the top four over the years for our Buffalo Bills, have centered around kickers and/or kickoffs.

Superbowl XXV- Wide Right, Norwood Kick.
Miracle City Miracle- Forward lateral on kickoff.
13 Seconds- Bad Kickoff resulting in tying FG taking game to OT with KC winning.
Bass missed FG- Bass missed kick that would have put us into OT (most likely) against KC.

Are we snakebitten when it comes to kickers?

Do we minimize the value of a good kicker?

[Don Otreply]

All those things are forgettable, 

[Returntoglory]

2 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

All those things are forgettable, 

Really?

[stevestojan]

13 seconds could have been kicked better sure. But the butter soft defense - especially over the middle - is what cost us, not the kick.  It’s the same reason few, if any, are blaming Bass for this latest loss. Pathetically, we all knew the defense stood zero point zero percent chance of stopping Mahomes from getting into FG range. Bass makes that kick and it just delays the inevitable. And that is embarrassing. We literally need to score with 00:00 on the clock to ensure a win against KC in the playoffs. That’s sad. 

[Returntoglory]

3 minutes ago, stevestojan said:

13 seconds could have been kicked better sure. But the butter soft defense - especially over the middle - is what cost us, not the kick.  It’s the same reason few, if any, are blaming Bass for this latest loss. Pathetically, we all knew the defense stood zero point zero percent chance of stopping Mahomes from getting into FG range. Bass makes that kick and it just delays the inevitable. And that is embarrassing. We literally need to score with 00:00 on the clock to ensure a win against KC in the playoffs. That’s sad. 

My point with 13 seconds is with the type of kick that was administered. All though no one has come out publicly in regards to the 13 seconds kick, the decision to kick the ball into the end zone with 13 seconds remaining rather than squib the ball was fatal. The kicker blew it and by all inside accounts, forgot that a squib was asked for. Had there been a squib, then more time would have been run off the clock. 

As far as the latest loss goes, I'm not blaming Bass for the loss, I am however holding him accountable for the missed field goal that prevented us from going into OT.

 

[TheBrownBear]

I'd say Special Teams generally - either our unforced errors or the opposing team doing something extraordinary or at least statistically unlikely (like Elliott hitting a 60 yarder in the rain to send the Eagles game to OT).  Besides those playoff games, some others that come to mind are the MNF loss to Dallas in the mid-00s, OT losses to the Jets due to returns in 2001 and 2023, and the season opening loss to the Pats in '09 when McKelvin fumbled away the game late in the 4th. 

[K D]

One thing I noticed is that the final 2 teams in the AFC were likely the 2 best kickers in the conference. The Bills have a low end kicker on an otherwise top team. Instead of drafting guys in round 7 that won't make the team, how about we get a top kicker and punter? Unfortunately they are an essential part of the game for better or worse. I'd be ok with getting rid of kicking completely but that's just me. In the meantime, our special teams need to be addressed 

Edited January 31 by KDIGGZ

[Dancing Fool]

30 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

Really?

With enough liquor, ANYTHING can be forgotten.

 

It may not be easy, but it may be the best option for such circumstances.

[All_Pro_Bills]

9 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

My point with 13 seconds is with the type of kick that was administered. All though no one has come out publicly in regards to the 13 seconds kick, the decision to kick the ball into the end zone with 13 seconds remaining rather than squib the ball was fatal. The kicker blew it and by all inside accounts, forgot that a squib was asked for. Had there been a squib, then more time would have been run off the clock. 

As far as the latest loss goes, I'm not blaming Bass for the loss, I am however holding him accountable for the missed field goal that prevented us from going into OT.

 

I'm never going to buy the excuse that Bass "forgot" what he was supposed to do.  It was the absolute only task he needed to perform and his mind suddenly went blank.  If he squibed the kick and they ran it back to the Bills 30 leaving 5 seconds on the clock we'd have been told he was supposed to kick it into the end zone.  The defense blew it. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

8 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

One thing I noticed is that all of the teams in the final 4 had very good kickers. The Bills have a low end kicker on an otherwise top team. Instead of drafting guys in round 7 that won't make the team, how about we get a top kicker and punter? Unfortunately they are an essential part of the game for better or worse. I'd be ok with getting rid of kicking completely but that's just me. In the meantime, our special teams need to be addressed 

How are you figuring Badgely and Moody are any better than Bass?  Career FG suggests otherwise, although maybe you’re using a different metric.

[Don Otreply]

38 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

Really?

Yup, no use lingering in the past, especially when it sucked, 😂

[HOUSE]

This is interesting.  Did you know every Sabres loss was caused by some goalie that missed a puck ?

[JoPoy88]

45 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

I find it rather astounding that four of the most heartbreaking losses, probably the top four over the years for our Buffalo Bills, have centered around kickers and/or kickoffs.

Superbowl XXV- Wide Right, Norwood Kick.
Miracle City Miracle- Forward lateral on kickoff.
13 Seconds- Bad Kickoff resulting in tying FG taking game to OT with KC winning.
Bass missed FG- Bass missed kick that would have put us into OT (most likely) against KC.

Are we snakebitten when it comes to kickers?

Do we minimize the value of a good kicker?

The kickoff in 13 seconds was a contributor to that loss but not the proximate cause. That was the horrible defense and defensive calls after it.

 

A Bass make there most certainly does not “likely” get us to overtime and I can’t even understand why you would suggest that, other than it fits your flimsy narrative. Mahomes had way more than enough time to drive right back down in FG range or score a TD.

 

 

[Warcodered]

Only two of those were our Kicker the others you had find some way to connect it to them.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

27 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

My point with 13 seconds is with the type of kick that was administered. All though no one has come out publicly in regards to the 13 seconds kick, the decision to kick the ball into the end zone with 13 seconds remaining rather than squib the ball was fatal. The kicker blew it and by all inside accounts, forgot that a squib was asked for. Had there been a squib, then more time would have been run off the clock. 

As far as the latest loss goes, I'm not blaming Bass for the loss, I am however holding him accountable for the missed field goal that prevented us from going into OT.

 

 

I don't hate the kickoff - but i do hate that we gave them a ton of space with timeouts.

 

Don't rush the passer, hold the pass catchers.  Don't tackle them but hold them out of their breaks.  Mahomes will probably throw (and make that whiney mahomes face) and you give up 5 yards and like 5 seconds.  Now there's 8 seconds.  Now you can play 4 deep zones 5 underneath zones, rush 2.  They're going to want to run 2 plays here so the linemen are really just there to spy and follow anyone out of the backfield.  The longer he holds the ball the less likely they are to get 2 plays.  You have 9 to cover 5, and if they don't get down you have numbers in a fumblerooski.  

[Eastport bills]

The thing Polian did correctly,was replace a mentally devastated kicker immediately. Hopefully Beane and Co realize Bass, as great a kid as he is, may be shot. You cannot allow a kicker to compromise a good team’s accomplishments. It’s demoralizing.

[Beast]

5 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

The thing Polian did correctly,was replace a mentally devastated kicker immediately. Hopefully Beane and Co realize Bass, as great a kid as he is, may be shot. You cannot allow a kicker to compromise a good team’s accomplishments. It’s demoralizing.

Actually, no Polian didn’t.

 

Norwood returned and kicked another season for the Bills.

[VaMilBill]

1 hour ago, Returntoglory said:

I find it rather astounding that four of the most heartbreaking losses, probably the top four over the years for our Buffalo Bills, have centered around kickers and/or kickoffs.

Superbowl XXV- Wide Right, Norwood Kick.
Miracle City Miracle- Forward lateral on kickoff.
13 Seconds- Bad Kickoff resulting in tying FG taking game to OT with KC winning.
Bass missed FG- Bass missed kick that would have put us into OT (most likely) against KC.

Are we snakebitten when it comes to kickers?

Do we minimize the value of a good kicker?

Obviously not nearly as big as these, but the game Lindell missed on a wide right against Cleveland (I think it was probably 2008) was a pretty brutal way to lose that game as well. 

17 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

The kickoff in 13 seconds was a contributor to that loss but not the proximate cause. That was the horrible defense and defensive calls after it.

 

A Bass make there most certainly does not “likely” get us to overtime and I can’t even understand why you would suggest that, other than it fits your flimsy narrative. Mahomes had way more than enough time to drive right back down in FG range or score a TD.

 

 

Agree. That was just plain stupidity from a strategy standpoint and players not thinking and acting on their own realizing the strategy is stupid. 
 

That loss is still so frustrating today. Unbillievable 

[RoyBatty is alive]

1 hour ago, Don Otreply said:

All those things are forgettable, 

not to me they arent

[Eastport bills]

8 minutes ago, Beast said:

Actually, no Polian didn’t.

 

Norwood returned and kicked another season for the Bills.

Bill tried to replace Norwood by bringing in the Giants kicker Nittmo,but he lost the competition for the 1991 season.Then he replaced him with Christie for the 92 season.