Recipe to Winning Titles

[NastyNateSoldiers]

Pressure makes diamonds that's a quote Mcd likes to use at times. I believe he uses it in reference to team building and competition but there's much more to it. The Chiefs are the newest example of this and they know and have the recipe. 

 

I hate to say it the Chiefs are just better then everyone else they have the mentality the physicality and the strategy the Bills are lacking. They pressure u at nearly every level even when they punt they can't lose. Townsend was backed up multiple times last night and threw out the playoffs only to boot the ball 70yds in the air and flip the field position. 

 

Mentality - The Chiefs play every down like it's the last and don't let up every inch on that field is a physical fight some might think that fumble on the punt return was luck but they created that luck by not letting up not taking that play for granted they create there luck every step of the way. From Sneed punching out the ball from Zay Flowers hands at the goal line to Chris Jones getting timely pressures and sacks to even there no name role players making huge contributions they all have that mentality that there going to make the plays when they need it most. This is also something that many other Superbowl winners shared from the Pats to the Steelers to the Seahawks over the last 20 or so years. 

 

Strategy - Andy Reid and Spags will probably go down as the best Coaching combo in the history of the game or at least in the discussion as one of them. The defense that Spags imploys is a Superbowl ingredient no doubt about it. From the Pats, Steelers, Broncos , Ravens and many more over the last 20yrs many championships were won with this strategy a man to man hybrid defense with hands on Wrs

How many teams do we have to watch win Superbowls till we implement this strategy?

 

The Pats were masters at this and KC ain't to far behind in that regard as there corners and safeties are constantly redirecting Wrs routes by holding clutching grabbing pushing using arm locks at times and by doing this it gives there Dline more time to get pressure it's brilliant and many teams haven't caught on to this yet. I like to call it a net positive they know they will be called for it here and there but overall the refs will let it pass way more times then they call it.

 

Offensively Andy Reid is a Bill Walsh tree West coast offense protege and over the yrs he's tinkered with that offense and has mastered his abilities to call the right plays for the defenses that there seeing it absolutely helps him that he has a general like Mahomes leading his offense that can make plays off script when it's necessary. Otherwise they have answers for nearly every defense u can throw at them. Last night was even more scary because Mahomes actually looked like Brady dissecting the defense and making it look real easy with pitch and catch plays. He looked like a master game manager and used his legs when it mattered most. Nothing to shiny about that just pitch and catch knowing were the weakness in the zones were.  Remember Wilks is a Mcd protege. I wasn't shocked to see the 49ers secondary back up in OT on that 2nd and 14 I felt like I was watching a classic Mcd meltdown defense right in front of my eyes. 

 

Physicality - The Chiefs are built for a brawl from the oline to the running backs to the special teams and defense there team size is massive. There really not that fast as a team overall but they wear down there opponents all game long using there physical advantages. Not only are they physically imposing but they also play like it. Last night's game kind of reminded me of a heavyweight boxing match in which we saw the Chiefs cruise threw the first half while the 49ers looked like they emptied the tank. The Chiefs definitely imposed there will on the 49ers in 2nd half and in OT and took over the game. This all comes from whatever Andy Reid is doing to keep his team in top shape and from experience in big games knowing how to pace themselves. Got to give credit where it's due the Chiefs are built for Success. 

 

To finalize there seems to be a common denominator when it comes to winning titles in the NFL and other sports as well. Most of the teams that have won in this era are very similar in schemes and concepts and in physical and mental prowess. I believe the Bills are on the path offensively to having such advantages. We seen us morph into a more balanced offense in the last several weeks of the yr and hopefully this off-season Brady can add a few weapons for Josh and implement more schemes to get Wrs open and to open up a even more devastating running game that can flourish towards the end of the year. Defensively I believe we are pretty far off schematically from the formula I stated above because we run more of a zone defense although there's been some success with that scheme in winning titles the teams that won had devastating pass rushes that can get home using only 4 rushers the Colts, Buccaneers (2004), Giants & Rams (2000) had those devastating pass rushes and we are far from having one . With that being said there's way more man to man defenses that have won and they didn't need the top notch talent on the Dline to get it done either.  With all that being said obviously there's other factors that come into play in winning a Superbowl but I wanted with this post to be more about the philosophy and not the positions of the players that help win a title because there's all kinds of examples of teams winning with all kinds of different strengths positionally. I would argue that other then QB a team just needs another 2-3 difference makers to win it all and it really doesn't matter what position they play. 

[since79]

This is a good analysis of where we lack.  Reid and Spags know the recipe for playoff success.  

Physical line play, tight coverage and putting your best players on the field on D. Unpredictability on offense and key players showing up when needed. Throughout the season they play playoff brand defense. Maybe at a less elevated level but the style is the basis of their approach.  When the playoffs come around they don't have to change, they just elevate their intensity.  Playing a  smaller volume of D line, during the year, you may see fatigue at times but by they end of the year, they can play with no drop off when fatigued.

 

The mental aspect of the game is part of how your have been conditioned all year.  I think our large rotation on d line can hurt us. You learn to dig deeper and find energy reserves you never knew existed.  Your mental preparation will compose you when needed. For the best players the game is in slow motion, they refuse to lose and have played the game mentally over and over.  John Wooden's success as a coach was to practice at a speed faster than the game. Be quick but don't hurry.  Mental preparation allows for quickness, hurrying creates mistakes and sloppiness.  Some coaches just prepare their players better.  In the playoffs in a tight game you might hurry limiting your success.  If you watch Mahomes, the game is not fast enough for him.  When a successful play is needed he fidgets with his fingers asking for the next one quicker.  Once he has the call he becomes focused on execution.  Is that an example of the player demanding a certain execution from the coach.  Don't make me wait for your call, be prepared and get it in.  Reid's experience gives him the ability to quickly process the situation and the call.  This experience and Mahomes' demeanor blend to their success.

 

Too often McD will say "I thought we had a good week of practice and the mental preparation was there" only to fail.  It's in the systematic foundation that exist where the failure lies.  To get over the hump we need to reconsider our approach to the regular season as it prepares you for the playoffs.  The Bills have been in the most one score games win or lose over the last several years. Stop playing to keep it close, let your players play outside their comfort zone, coach outside your comfort zone or adapt as needed to gain success.

 

We are close but something needs to change.

 

[Chaos]

The Chiefs lost the turnover battle in yesterday's super bowl.  That was the 14th game in a row, where the chiefs lost the turnover battle, and the chiefs still won the game. 

 

The Bills head coach leans on "its hard to win when you lose the turnover battle", as a reason for losing games. 

McDermott's statement is probably true.  Here's the rub:

 

It would appear the Chiefs have won 14 games in a row, "where it was hard to win".  I think there is a mental toughness exhibited by winning games that are hard to win, that the Chiefs have and the Bills do not seem too.

 

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, NastyNateSoldiers said:

Pressure makes diamonds that's a quote Mcd likes to use at times. I believe he uses it in reference to team building and competition but there's much more to it. The Chiefs are the newest example of this and they know and have the recipe. 

 

I hate to say it the Chiefs are just better then everyone else they have the mentality the physicality and the strategy the Bills are lacking. They pressure u at nearly every level even when they punt they can't lose. Townsend was backed up multiple times last night and threw out the playoffs only to boot the ball 70yds in the air and flip the field position. 

 

Mentality - The Chiefs play every down like it's the last and don't let up every inch on that field is a physical fight some might think that fumble on the punt return was luck but they created that luck by not letting up not taking that play for granted they create there luck every step of the way. From Sneed punching out the ball from Zay Flowers hands at the goal line to Chris Jones getting timely pressures and sacks to even there no name role players making huge contributions they all have that mentality that there going to make the plays when they need it most. This is also something that many other Superbowl winners shared from the Pats to the Steelers to the Seahawks over the last 20 or so years. 

 

Strategy - Andy Reid and Spags will probably go down as the best Coaching combo in the history of the game or at least in the discussion as one of them. The defense that Spags imploys is a Superbowl ingredient no doubt about it. From the Pats, Steelers, Broncos , Ravens and many more over the last 20yrs many championships were won with this strategy a man to man hybrid defense with hands on Wrs

How many teams do we have to watch win Superbowls till we implement this strategy?

 

The Pats were masters at this and KC ain't to far behind in that regard as there corners and safeties are constantly redirecting Wrs routes by holding clutching grabbing pushing using arm locks at times and by doing this it gives there Dline more time to get pressure it's brilliant and many teams haven't caught on to this yet. I like to call it a net positive they know they will be called for it here and there but overall the refs will let it pass way more times then they call it.

 

Offensively Andy Reid is a Bill Walsh tree West coast offense protege and over the yrs he's tinkered with that offense and has mastered his abilities to call the right plays for the defenses that there seeing it absolutely helps him that he has a general like Mahomes leading his offense that can make plays off script when it's necessary. Otherwise they have answers for nearly every defense u can throw at them. Last night was even more scary because Mahomes actually looked like Brady dissecting the defense and making it look real easy with pitch and catch plays. He looked like a master game manager and used his legs when it mattered most. Nothing to shiny about that just pitch and catch knowing were the weakness in the zones were.  Remember Wilks is a Mcd protege. I wasn't shocked to see the 49ers secondary back up in OT on that 2nd and 14 I felt like I was watching a classic Mcd meltdown defense right in front of my eyes. 

 

Physicality - The Chiefs are built for a brawl from the oline to the running backs to the special teams and defense there team size is massive. There really not that fast as a team overall but they wear down there opponents all game long using there physical advantages. Not only are they physically imposing but they also play like it. Last night's game kind of reminded me of a heavyweight boxing match in which we saw the Chiefs cruise threw the first half while the 49ers looked like they emptied the tank. The Chiefs definitely imposed there will on the 49ers in 2nd half and in OT and took over the game. This all comes from whatever Andy Reid is doing to keep his team in top shape and from experience in big games knowing how to pace themselves. Got to give credit where it's due the Chiefs are built for Success. 

 

To finalize there seems to be a common denominator when it comes to winning titles in the NFL and other sports as well. Most of the teams that have won in this era are very similar in schemes and concepts and in physical and mental prowess. I believe the Bills are on the path offensively to having such advantages. We seen us morph into a more balanced offense in the last several weeks of the yr and hopefully this off-season Brady can add a few weapons for Josh and implement more schemes to get Wrs open and to open up a even more devastating running game that can flourish towards the end of the year. Defensively I believe we are pretty far off schematically from the formula I stated above because we run more of a zone defense although there's been some success with that scheme in winning titles the teams that won had devastating pass rushes that can get home using only 4 rushers the Colts, Buccaneers (2004), Giants & Rams (2000) had those devastating pass rushes and we are far from having one . With that being said there's way more man to man defenses that have won and they didn't need the top notch talent on the Dline to get it done either.  With all that being said obviously there's other factors that come into play in winning a Superbowl but I wanted with this post to be more about the philosophy and not the positions of the players that help win a title because there's all kinds of examples of teams winning with all kinds of different strengths positionally. I would argue that other then QB a team just needs another 2-3 difference makers to win it all and it really doesn't matter what position they play. 

 

Seattle's defense was schematically very similar to ours and one of the most defensively dominant Superbowls of all time. 

 

I don't think it has anything to do with running the wrong scheme. It is just about talent and execution.

[Shortchaz]

6 minutes ago, Chaos said:

The Chiefs lost the turnover battle in yesterday's super bowl.  That was the 14th game in a row, where the chiefs lost the turnover battle, and the chiefs still won the game. 

 

The Bills head coach leans on "its hard to win when you lose the turnover battle", as a reason for losing games. 

McDermott's statement is probably true.  Here's the rub:

 

It would appear the Chiefs have won 14 games in a row, "where it was hard to win".  I think there is a mental toughness exhibited by winning games that are hard to win, that the Chiefs have and the Bills do not seem too.

 

Each team had 2 turnovers yesterday 

[julian]

3 minutes ago, Chaos said:

The Chiefs lost the turnover battle in yesterday's super bowl.  That was the 14th game in a row, where the chiefs lost the turnover battle, and the chiefs still won the game. 

 

The Bills head coach leans on "its hard to win when you lose the turnover battle", as a reason for losing games. 

McDermott's statement is probably true.  Here's the rub:

 

It would appear the Chiefs have won 14 games in a row, "where it was hard to win".  I think there is a mental toughness exhibited by winning games that are hard to win, that the Chiefs have and the Bills do not seem too.

 

I don’t buy all the mental voodoo and toughness and just having the ability in crunch time, KC has a top 5 DC OC/HC QB TE OL DT CBx2 K And that’s why they are what they are.. winners

 

[Chaos]

Just now, Shortchaz said:

Each team had 2 turnovers yesterday 

Thank you. change the numbers in your head in my previous post to 13.

[NastyNateSoldiers]

5 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Seattle's defense was schematically very similar to ours and one of the most defensively dominant Superbowls of all time. 

 

I don't think it has anything to do with running the wrong scheme. It is just about talent and execution.

Yes they were the difference is they played a ton more man to man then we do and we're much much more physical them us as well. Remember they played that clutch and grab style in the secondary that year they lead the league in penalties. 

[NastyNateSoldiers]

1 hour ago, since79 said:

This is a good analysis of where we lack.  Reid and Spags know the recipe for playoff success.  

Physical line play, tight coverage and putting your best players on the field on D. Unpredictability on offense and key players showing up when needed. Throughout the season they play playoff brand defense. Maybe at a less elevated level but the style is the basis of their approach.  When the playoffs come around they don't have to change, they just elevate their intensity.  Playing a  smaller volume of D line, during the year, you may see fatigue at times but by they end of the year, they can play with no drop off when fatigued.

 

The mental aspect of the game is part of how your have been conditioned all year.  I think our large rotation on d line can hurt us. You learn to dig deeper and find energy reserves you never knew existed.  Your mental preparation will compose you when needed. For the best players the game is in slow motion, they refuse to lose and have played the game mentally over and over.  John Wooden's success as a coach was to practice at a speed faster than the game. Be quick but don't hurry.  Mental preparation allows for quickness, hurrying creates mistakes and sloppiness.  Some coaches just prepare their players better.  In the playoffs in a tight game you might hurry limiting your success.  If you watch Mahomes, the game is not fast enough for him.  When a successful play is needed he fidgets with his fingers asking for the next one quicker.  Once he has the call he becomes focused on execution.  Is that an example of the player demanding a certain execution from the coach.  Don't make me wait for your call, be prepared and get it in.  Reid's experience gives him the ability to quickly process the situation and the call.  This experience and Mahomes' demeanor blend to their success.

 

Too often McD will say "I thought we had a good week of practice and the mental preparation was there" only to fail.  It's in the systematic foundation that exist where the failure lies.  To get over the hump we need to reconsider our approach to the regular season as it prepares you for the playoffs.  The Bills have been in the most one score games win or lose over the last several years. Stop playing to keep it close, let your players play outside their comfort zone, coach outside your comfort zone or adapt as needed to gain success.

 

We are close but something needs to change.

 

It also won't hurt to implement some of these schemes teams are using that are very successful during the playoffs. At the same time they need to have players that can play those roles instead of cookie cutter scheme types. Mcd is definitely married to his schemes and won't back away from them no matter how bad they get cooked in meaningful games. As much I hope Babich changes some of our philosophies on defense it just seems like he's an extension of Mcd and his schemes and will operate the status quo. 

[GunnerBill]

25 minutes ago, NastyNateSoldiers said:

Yes they were the difference is they played a ton more man to man then we do and we're much much more physical them us as well. Remember they played that clutch and grab style in the secondary that year they lead the league in penalties. 

 

They did not play a ton more man than us. They were overwhelmingly a zone coverage team. They held and committed a lot of PI. Do I think they were more physical than us? Yea probably but they were not a press man team. They played zone with DB with length and two safeties that had corner like coverage skills. It was extremely similar to the scheme here. 

 

EDIT: what I will say is there is an argument that the cover 3 / cover 1 scheme peaked in the last decade - Seattle x2, Carolina, Atlanta all made Superbowls and were regular playoff teams. The Jags ran it in that great year they had where they made the conference Championship game. Even the Bills are more hybrid now than they were. Although having said that the Eagles ran it in 2022 and were a lot worse when they transitioned away in 2023.

Edited February 12 by GunnerBill

[NastyNateSoldiers]

24 minutes ago, julian said:

I don’t buy all the mental voodoo and toughness and just having the ability in crunch time, KC has a top 5 DC OC/HC QB TE OL DT CBx2 K And that’s why they are what they are.. winners

 

Are the Chiefs the most talented team in the league? I doubt anyone would say that but when u add the combination of talent and winning philosophies u get these results more times then not. 

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, NastyNateSoldiers said:

Are the Chiefs the most talented team in the league? I doubt anyone would say that but when u add the combination of talent and winning philosophies u get these results more times then not. 

 

I think they have one of the highest ratios of elite level players, yes (as are the 9ers). And that elite guys and JAGs model is more proven than trying to be good everywhere IMO. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

I also think there’s a snowball effect for the Chiefs.  The fact that they’ve already won adds confidence to their ability to do it again, while taking some pressure off at the same time.  Since trading Tyreek, one could say they’ve been playing with house money, yet they keep winning.  Meanwhile, teams like the Bills tighten up in some of these clutch moments, because they want it SO bad and have a fear of failure in the back of their minds.  Even last night, it’s like even if Mahomes loses, he still has two SBs already, which takes pressure off of him to have to win another.  Which I think actually helps him non-chalantly lead his team to victory in OT.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

15 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

They did not play a ton more man than us. They were overwhelmingly a zone coverage team. They held and committed a lot of PI. Do I think they were more physical than us? Yea probably but they were not a press man team. They played zone with DB with length and two safeties that had corner like coverage skills. It was extremely similar to the scheme here. 

 

EDIT: what I will say is there is an argument that the cover 3 / cover 1 scheme peaked in the last decade - Seattle x2, Carolina, Atlanta all made Superbowls and were regular playoff teams. The Jags ran it in that great year they had where they made the conference Championship game. Even the Bills are more hybrid now than they were. Although having said that the Eagles ran it in 2022 and were a lot worse when they transitioned away in 2023.

I think we were on the right track and the von injury killed us.  Need an absolute freak pass rusher that can beat olinemen that are getting away with super obvious holds cuz they weren’t calling diddly in the playoffs 😂

if you can’t pressure mahomes with 4 it’s a big time uphill battle 

 

We don’t really have that pass rushing game changer in the front 7…bunch of good players but nobody a level above that.  Doesn’t feel like a coverage scheme issue to me

[jkeerie]

5 minutes ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

I also think there’s a snowball effect for the Chiefs.  The fact that they’ve already won adds confidence to their ability to do it again, while taking some pressure off at the same time.  Since trading Tyreek, one could say they’ve been playing with house money, yet they keep winning.  Meanwhile, teams like the Bills tighten up in some of these clutch moments, because they want it SO bad and have a fear of failure in the back of their minds.  Even last night, it’s like even if Mahomes loses, he still has two SBs already, which takes pressure off of him to have to win another.  Which I think actually helps him non-chalantly lead his team to victory in OT.

I also think with older players they press more knowing that the seasons for them to win a championship are fewer.  Younger players play looser.  They know they have more longevity in their careers.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

13 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I think they have one of the highest ratios of elite level players, yes (as are the 9ers). And that elite guys and JAGs model is more proven than trying to be good everywhere IMO. 

Their jags showed up big in a few of those playoff games…don’t think they would’ve won it all if their jags played like jags.  Mvs made a couple huge plays against the bills and ravens then almost cost them in the Super Bowl running backwards 10 yards after a catch haha 

 

that was the big difference in bills chiefs to me…mvs made that great highly contested catch and diggs dropped a virtually wide open bomb in an extremely tight game.  The guy getting paid to make clutch difficult plays couldn’t catch a routine ball and the jag reeled in a difficult catch 

Edited February 12 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

Their jags showed up big in a few of those playoff games…don’t think they would’ve won it all if their jags played like jags.  Mvs made a couple huge plays against the bills and ravens then almost cost them in the Super Bowl running backwards 10 yards after a catch haha 

 

that was the big difference in bills chiefs to me…mvs made that great highly contested catch and diggs dropped a virtually wide open bomb in an extremely tight game.  The guy getting paid to make clutch difficult plays couldn’t catch a routine ball and the jag reeled in a difficult catch 

 

Yea MVS made a huge play at the end vs Baltimore too. He is a JAG but played well in those two playoff games. 

[Zerovoltz]

The Bills are already 4th best odds to win SB next year.  I think when you are close and you havn't made it yet, there is a tendency to overanalyze everything.  

 

You have Josh Allen and a talented roster.  

 

I'd compare the current Bills team VS the Chiefs similar to the 70's Steelers and Raiders.  The Raiders were close...and the imaculate reception got them ...kind of similar to 13 seconds.  Finally the Raiders broke through in the middle of Pittsburgs run whe the Steelers made it to the AFCCG with both their 1 and 2 RB's injured and unable to play. The Raiders won and went on to win the super bowl.  The Steelers would go on to win 2 more in that decade and then Raiders would win a couple in the early 80's.  

 

I don't think every little thing about what the Raiders were doing needed to come into question and be nit picked to death.  They were on the right track to building a team capable of winning a title, but so were the Steelers.  Winning titles is hard and often you have to play against and overcome another really good team......even as your roster is good, your team is good, your coaching is good.  

 

I think the Bills are right there, they just simply haven't gotten over the hump...no amount of analysis etc is going to solve a problem you really don't have.  When the time comes around again, the Bills will have to beat some good teams to win a title, even as the Bills ARE a good team that other teams have to overcome to win.

[GASabresIUFan]

The only real recipe is staying healthy if you have good talent.

 

The Bills had the talent, but couldn't stay healthy - Lost Milano and White for the year, Jones for most of the year, and then lost 7 starters on defense during W18 and the WC game.  Hard to win a Super Bowl with that much talent out or playing with significant injuries.  

[BBFL]

You forgot to add a pinch of luck on top of that recipe…