Bills chasm between Regular Season Success and Playoff Failure-Are there Football Strategy Problems?

[Chaos]

Just now, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

They’ve been outdated in the postseason by the Chiefs, Chiefs, Bengals and Chiefs. We haven’t been losing to the  likes of the Colts, Ravens, Pats,  Dolphins or Steelers. 

We lost to the Texans in the playoffs.  We made Deshaun Watson look so good, the stupid Browns paid him  a bazillion dollars. 

[PBF81]

25 minutes ago, Chaos said:

I am not sure what you mean to be obvious.  I think you mean "the problem is coaching, there is nothing that can be changed on the football field to solve the problem".  But I am not sure. 

 

Well, isn't "what happens on the football field" directly related to coaching?  

 

The answer to that is obvious.  Yet, there seems to be an illogical deliberate attempt to disconnect the two for purposes of discussion here, at TSW.  

 

Originally you said ... 

 

Quote

Are their any significant football strategic changes that could be made, that would result in playing better "Playoff Football"? If so what are those changes?

 

So let's take "13 Seconds."  

 

I'm not sure what else the offense courtesy of Allen & Davis could have done more than put up 422 Yards of offense and 36 points in regulation.  Right?  I'll take that every postseason game.  I mean 36 points is more than every other playoff team put up, with two exceptions, in 12 games out of 24 team scores this postseason.  That postseason it was more than everyone except us v. the Pats and KC in one game vs. the Steelers 20th ranked scoring D.  

 

So why'd we lose that game?  

 

Apart from the fact that our #1 ranked scoring D on the season allowed KC to post more points than it had in all but three regular season games, and against scoring defenses ranked 18th, 20th, and 26th, and only in the playoffs against the Steelers and their 20th ranked defense otherwise, isn't there another reason, not particularly related to on-the-field play, that was responsible?  

 

Seems so, but hey, what do I know.  

 

I also don't think that it's unfair to ask why in the playoffs in 2021 our #1 ranked D allowed over a TD more than the Chiefs had averaged all season; 

why in 2022 our 2nd ranked scoring D allowed more points to the Bengals than they had averaged all season, at home in Buffalo; 

or why our 4th ranked scoring D this season allowed the Chiefs over 5 points more than they had averaged all season, again, at home in Buffalo.  Two weeks ago even the overall stats were generally all but identical and where they weren't the favored us otherwise.  

 

It's nice that we can beat the hell out of teams that are bubble playoff teams to begin with, with even some of those games being much closer than they should have been.  

 

It's been different players every season to one extent or another.  Different OCs, and in one instance now a different DC.  

 

There's only been one constant.  

 

I get banned for mentioning it.  So I won't.  

 

 

Edited February 11 by PBF81

[jkeerie]

8 hours ago, DrBob806 said:

Yes, it's a factor. However, virtually every team has to battle the injury bug. The Ratbirds were probably the healthiest team of the 7 AFC teams, they couldn't get it done either.  

 

I just think the Bills are a step behind KC even when healthy. Funny thing is, I do think the Bills would beat the over rated 49ers today, that's what is so frustrating. 

 

 

Yes all teams battle the injury bug but not to the same extent.  It's one thing to play backups here and there but when you are down to 3rd and 4th string players playing multiple positions on one side of the ball that tilts the scales to the team not having to do that.  Beane thought he had good depth.  That depth was exhausted this year.   

[Toyo321]

It really does come down to coaching experience and the relationship between the HC, OC and the QB.  But lets include fate too.

 

Andy Reid has the edge in playoff experience and the offensive know how, his OC and McHomes make the most of what cards they are dealt in every single game.

 

We do not.

 

When you look at what we did wrong this year, bad losses to NE, Jets, Broncos, even the Jags.  This team could have won home field advantage through out the playoffs.  That one extra week of time off at the end of the season this year would have meant the world to this team on D to try and get healthy and not having all the injuries that were substained in the WC round. 

 

It is fate.  Until we can stack the deck in favor of us,  with better players on offense especially at WR.  We will be second place to KC and Cinci every year trying to get to the SB unless we fix the talent on the WR depth chart.  

 

Another sore subject is we are bad at spending money on players that are always too old and past the ROI on money being paid out these players. 

 

Soley Beane's fault there.  How you change a GM's bad money habits are beyond me.   

 

We need a new Emoji Giff of Von Miller vomitting.  I would use that Emoji on every post.  I hated the signing 2 yrs ago and way more now.

 

 

 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

8 hours ago, MJS said:

More regular season success than virtually every team EXCEPT Kansas City... And they are the ones that keep knocking the Bills out of the playoffs.

 

It's as simple as that. We are in the middle of a Chiefs dynasty and the Bills are really good, but not quite as good as them.

 

But they are close. The games are always close. They've shown they can hang with them. So, keep trying and one of these years they will.

This is def all true but I’d argue we’re better on paper than them nowadays so this doesn’t really disprove op either

 

I do think if we had one starting caliber lb we win pretty easily in the playoffs this year although I do understand the no excuses mentality…the offense was very impressive vs kc, kc just pulled off some quick scores picking on Klein all the way down the field 

Edited February 11 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Chaos]

24 minutes ago, jkeerie said:

Yes all teams battle the injury bug but not to the same extent.  It's one thing to play backups here and there but when you are down to 3rd and 4th string players playing multiple positions on one side of the ball that tilts the scales to the team not having to do that.  Beane thought he had good depth.  That depth was exhausted this year.   

In the game against the chiefs, we did not have Milano or his replacement Benard.  Douglass was actually as good or better than White.  Bills were quite healthy in their last game of the season. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

10 minutes ago, Chaos said:

In the game against the chiefs, we did not have Milano or his replacement Benard.  Douglass was actually as good or better than White.  Bills were quite healthy in their last game of the season. 

Aj klein canceling a family vacation to start at lb is not quite healthy lol. Not to mention you left out benford and no rapp when down a bunch of linebackers is huge.  Dodson played quite injured also

no gabe also which I normally wouldn’t even mention but he has made big plays against the chiefs in the past 
 

We were down to Klein and the chiefs picked on him all night.  I’m all for the no excuses mentality…we had our chances to win…but I don’t think there’s any chance we lose that game with one of Milano/bernard healthy. 

Edited February 12 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Chaos]

3 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

Aj klein canceling a family vacation to start at lb is not quite healthy lol. Not to mention you left out benford and no rapp when down a bunch of linebackers is huge.  Dodson played quite injured also

you seem to be in denial.  The Bills were not 100% healthy.  They started every player on offense who started the beginning of the season and most every player, save Milano on defense (with Douglas equalling white).  This was better than the Cheifs situation, or virtually any  other playoff team. 

Edited February 12 by Chaos

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

14 minutes ago, Chaos said:

you seem to be in denial.  The Bills were not 100% healthy.  They started every player on offense who started the beginning of the season and most every player, save Milano on defense (with Douglas equally white).  This was better than the Cheifs situation, or virtually any  other playoff team. 

I mean idk how I’m the one in denial when your statement about the defense is 100% provably false lol the chiefs were in a much better injury position entering the game than Buffalo and it is not even debatable 

 

missing a starting corner(benford…I’m not counting white)  and a few linebackers and a safety that could function as an extra linebacker is a ton of holes to exploit.  It’s honestly kind of wild we kept the game close with aj klein seeing significant time.  Chiefs straight up victimized him.  The mostly healthy offense bailed them out with a big top discrepancy…chiefs probably would’ve scored 50+ otherwise 

Edited February 12 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[FireChans]

1 hour ago, Chaos said:

We lost to the Texans in the playoffs.  We made Deshaun Watson look so good, the stupid Browns paid him  a bazillion dollars. 

Deshaun Watson was filthy in Houston long before that Bills game. Tell me you don’t watch the rest of the NFL without telling me.

[Jrb1979]

To me the biggest difference is the Bills outside of Allen don't have that next level of play that the playoff teams have. 

 

Coaching is big part of it too. The way the Bills defense and offense plays works well in the regular season due to playing against mostly average teams. When they play the best teams, they don't do well. 

[BarleyNY]

8 hours ago, Bermuda Triangle said:

I agree in general, but regarding the fake punt, didn't the Chiefs fumble through the end zone on the ensuing possession?

Crap. You’re right. I misremembered that. I thought they got a TD there. 

[FireChans]

1 hour ago, Chaos said:

you seem to be in denial.  The Bills were not 100% healthy.  They started every player on offense who started the beginning of the season and most every player, save Milano on defense (with Douglas equalling white).  This was better than the Cheifs situation, or virtually any  other playoff team. 

Bernard and Benford also didn’t play. This is just bad trolling.

[mannc]

Huge blunder not to challenge that spot.  Kelce def had the first down.

[Magox]

The Bills are right there.  No need to overanalyze, the Bills last two losses to the chiefs were coin flip games, could have gone either way.

 

Just keep surrounding Josh with talent and the Bills will eventually beat them and be on par with them.

[FireChans]

Shanahan another chasm between regular and postseason success, what’s wrong with their strategy?

[damj]

How can it not come down to coaching. McDermott is one of the best regular season coaches, but he doesn't make the difference in the playoffs, and might not ever be that coach. 

 

Time will tell, but it feels like we have Marty Schottenheimer

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

3 hours ago, Jrb1979 said:

To me the biggest difference is the Bills outside of Allen don't have that next level of play that the playoff teams have. 

 

Coaching is big part of it too. The way the Bills defense and offense plays works well in the regular season due to playing against mostly average teams. When they play the best teams, they don't do well. 

Bills have to play more man defense in the playoffs I think…the playoff officiating is a joke and you can do pretty much whatever you want in the secondary lol we just don’t take advantage as well 

[Big Turk]

The Chiefs have that Patriot like quality under Brady that when the games get close near the end they figure out ways to pull them out and be on the right side of them regularly, especially in the playoffs.

 

It's kind of sickening.

[Aussie Joe]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

The Chiefs have that Patriot like quality under Brady that when the games get close near the end they figure out ways to pull them out and be on the right side of them regularly, especially in the playoffs.

 

It's kind of sickening.

Like the Bills right?

 

Annoying year … third seed Chiefs rested their players Week 18 whilst the Billa are battling to get in to the playoffs…