Uncanny "Game of the Year" Losses for Bills Every Year Since 2020

[Livinginthepast]

3 hours ago, 2003Contenders said:

The Bills have been on the losing end of what could arguably be called the "game of the year" (regular season) each of the last 5 seasons, and the similarities are uncanny.

All 5 games:

   -- Came against NFC teams.

  -- Josh played lights out in all 5 games.

  --  All of the games were decided by a single score

   -- All games essentially ended on the final possession. Indeed, 3 of those 5 games went into overtime.

 

Let's look back....

 

2020 Week 10: the infamous "Hail Murray" game. Josh passed for 284 yards and 2 TDs. He also rushed for 38 yards AND CAUGHT a 12-yards TD pass.

 

2021 Week 14: the overtime loss to the Tom Brady-led Bucs. After a slow start, the offense explodes in the 2nd half overcoming a 3-TD deficit. Josh passed for 308 yards and 2 TDs and tacked on 109 rushing yards along with a rushing TD.

 

2022 Week 10: the overtime loss to the Vikings thanks largely to insane catch made by J. Jefferson on a 4th-and-a-mile conversion. That was inexplicably followed by a fumbled exchange between Morse and Josh in the endzone, which the Vikings recovered. Josh was still able to tie the game with mere seconds left -- but ultimately lost in overtime. He passed for 330 yards and rushed for 84 in that game.

 

2023 Week 12: this was another overtime loss that was set up at the end of regulation where Elliott made good on a 60-yard field goal in the driving rain. Josh passed for 339 yards and 2 TDs, and added 81 yards rushing in that game.

 

2024 Week 14... Well, we all know about this one against the Rams.

 

All of them exciting games that unfortunately went the wrong way. Josh racked up 400+ total yards in 4 of those 5 games -- and caught a TD pass in the other.

 

Now, here is the GOOD news. In years 2020-2023 those games would all serve as the Bills final loss of the regular season, as the team would go undefeated the rest of the way! Here's hoping that this latest misstep follows suit!

Oddly enough this was the first thing I thought of at the end of that game. We lost another epic "game of the year" which neutral fans or Bills haters will rave about. Every season we just find a way to lose these games whether its a coaching blunder, a bonehead play by otherwise great players or just some bad fortune, we cant get it done in these contests. Looking at some of the other comments on here yes other teams lose in these heartbreaking ways as well but with the same frequency? The Bills dont just stick a knife in your heart, they turn it it as well!

[billsfan714]

41 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Honestly Bill's fans are the most emotional people I've ever been around 

 

This place after a loss is sad and unbearable 

 

Do you guys remember how bad it was in 2008-13

 

Five straight last place AFC East finishes

 

Do you remember winning 4 conference championships and going to 4 superbowls.

 

I find the people just happy to make the playoffs and puffing their chest out for winning the post Brady/inept Jets/mediocre Dolphins Division championship insufferable.    The standards/goals are higher now.

[Buffalo716]

2 minutes ago, billsfan714 said:

 

Do you remember winning 4 conference championships and going to 4 superbowls.

 

I find the people just happy to make the playoffs and puffing their chest out for winning the post Brady/inept Jets/mediocre Dolphins Division championship insufferable.    The standards/goals are higher now.

There's zero Bills fans who don't want to win a super bowl lol

 

Fans on internet boards complaining about the best coach in team we've had here in 20 years is pathetic ... Let alone the coach who changed the culture at one Bills drive... We were inept in the laughing stock for close to 20 years and McDermott changed the culture

 

I'm sorry but it is ...

 

Sean McDermott is better than a lot of coaches who have one super bowls and the game on Sunday doesn't mean we can't 

 

It's overreaction

Edited December 10 by Buffalo716

[juno999]

I would replace uncanny with the word inexplicable.

[US Egg]

5 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Sean McDermott is better than a lot of coaches who have one super bowls

Wouldn’t be my opening statement in McD’s defense, but that’s me.

[Buffalo716]

Just now, US Egg said:

Wouldn’t be my opening statement in McD’s defense, but that’s me.

I'm not even defending him I'm literally saying the people who are overreacting to the game are emotional 

 

He is a top coach in the NFL and better than some super bowl winners 

 

This place literally goes from loving him to hating him from one game .. when we have the division locked up week 11

[billsfan714]

8 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

There's zero Bills fans who don't want to win a super bowl lol

 

Fans on internet boards complaining about the best coach in team we've had here in 20 years is pathetic ... Let alone the coach who changed the culture at one Bills drive... We were inept in the laughing stock for close to 20 years and McDermott changed the culture

 

I'm sorry but it is ...

 

Sean McDermott is better than a lot of coaches who have one super bowls and the game on Sunday doesn't mean we can't 

 

It's overreaction

Again, being a better coach than Mike Mularkey, DickJauron, Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone and Rex Ryan, not a high bar, and these coaches never had a franchise QB.  The best QB in those years was probably a year of Bledsoe.

 

I think Colin Cowherd made a good analogy.   Mark Jackson, turned the Golden State Warriors into a 50 win team and the playoffs after years of failure.  It took Steve Kerr to take them to another level.   The Warriors' front office said the team was better than when Jackson arrived but felt a different coach was needed to win an NBA championship, and they were right.

[rajinka]

3 hours ago, DeltaDigital said:

do any other franchises lose games like the bills? truly it's just insane. 

this list reads like a horror show

Nope. In fact the rest of the league is undefeated.  We're now in last place with 3 losses and 1 game from being eliminated from post season

[MPL]

By definition of the word, these losses are not uncanny. This is how the Bills lose. Now, that Ravens game earlier in the year? That was uncanny. 

[Buffalo716]

10 minutes ago, billsfan714 said:

Again, being a better coach than Mike Mularkey, DickJauron, Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone and Rex Ryan, not a high bar, and these coaches never had a franchise QB.  The best QB in those years was probably a year of Bledsoe.

 

I think Colin Cowherd made a good analogy.   Mark Jackson, turned the Golden State Warriors into a 50 win team and the playoffs after years of failure.  It took Steve Kerr to take them to another level.   The Warriors' front office said the team was better than when Jackson arrived but felt a different coach was needed to win an NBA championship, and they were right.

He's better than Mike McCarthy and he's absolutely on the same level as harbaugh in Baltimore and Mike Tomlin 

 

Probably better than harbaugh ... I'm not worried when we play Pittsburgh or Baltimore and I don't think we're going to get out coached ... Did harbaugh beat McDermott in the playoffs?

 

He's absolutely in the second tier of coaches with harbaugh and Tomlin etc

 

If harbaugh didn't have 1 magical super bowl run... He's not even held in that upper stratosphere of coaches

 

Edited December 11 by Buffalo716

[nedboy7]

Maybe going back in time to the drought era when you knew what was coming is more preferable to certain fans.  I for one am loving the past 4 years. 

We played like ***** (JA not included since he is a unicorn)  and lost by 2 to a team who had its best game of the year holding on to playoff hopes.  Yes McD made some dumb choices and it seems our DL might not be good enough to win it all this year.  Whatever.  Im over it.  Looking forward to Sunday. 

[zow2]

Ugh, so do we have any comparable uncanny wins?!

[JohnNord]

4 hours ago, 2003Contenders said:

The Bills have been on the losing end of what could arguably be called the "game of the year" (regular season) each of the last 5 seasons, and the similarities are uncanny.

All 5 games:

   -- Came against NFC teams.

  -- Josh played lights out in all 5 games.

  --  All of the games were decided by a single score

   -- All games essentially ended on the final possession. Indeed, 3 of those 5 games went into overtime.

 

Let's look back....

 

2020 Week 10: the infamous "Hail Murray" game. Josh passed for 284 yards and 2 TDs. He also rushed for 38 yards AND CAUGHT a 12-yards TD pass.

 

2021 Week 14: the overtime loss to the Tom Brady-led Bucs. After a slow start, the offense explodes in the 2nd half overcoming a 3-TD deficit. Josh passed for 308 yards and 2 TDs and tacked on 109 rushing yards along with a rushing TD.

 

2022 Week 10: the overtime loss to the Vikings thanks largely to insane catch made by J. Jefferson on a 4th-and-a-mile conversion. That was inexplicably followed by a fumbled exchange between Morse and Josh in the endzone, which the Vikings recovered. Josh was still able to tie the game with mere seconds left -- but ultimately lost in overtime. He passed for 330 yards and rushed for 84 in that game.

 

2023 Week 12: this was another overtime loss that was set up at the end of regulation where Elliott made good on a 60-yard field goal in the driving rain. Josh passed for 339 yards and 2 TDs, and added 81 yards rushing in that game.

 

2024 Week 14... Well, we all know about this one against the Rams.

 

All of them exciting games that unfortunately went the wrong way. Josh racked up 400+ total yards in 4 of those 5 games -- and caught a TD pass in the other.

 

Now, here is the GOOD news. In years 2020-2023 those games would all serve as the Bills final loss of the regular season, as the team would go undefeated the rest of the way! Here's hoping that this latest misstep follows suit!

These were all good games… but I don’t think when the average NFL fans looks back they regard any of these of these choices as the game of the year.  

[JohnNord]

3 hours ago, skibum said:

I don't see how a non-conference game against a 6-6 team when you have a playoff spot locked down qualifies as a 'game of the year'. 

Fans always had been exaggerating the fallout from the 2 point loss to an NFC road opponent.  The Bills are fighting for home field… I get it.  But KC could very well end up 16-1.

 

IMO the worst thing for the Bills would be to coast to easy wins the rest of the reason.  I’m glad they’ll be playing Detroit right after the loss to the Rams.  Both teams are a similar offense that the Bills have trouble with.  Seeing them again should help.  The defense probably can’t play it any worse

 

 

[philholbroo]

How many of these games are white on blue uniforms? 

[LABILLBACKER]

4 hours ago, billsfan714 said:

Again, being a better coach than Mike Mularkey, DickJauron, Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone and Rex Ryan, not a high bar, and these coaches never had a franchise QB.  The best QB in those years was probably a year of Bledsoe.

 

I think Colin Cowherd made a good analogy.   Mark Jackson, turned the Golden State Warriors into a 50 win team and the playoffs after years of failure.  It took Steve Kerr to take them to another level.   The Warriors' front office said the team was better than when Jackson arrived but felt a different coach was needed to win an NBA championship, and they were right.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one that saw this analogy by Cowherd this morning. Mark Jackson had Warrior players like Curry & Klay but failed to do anything with them. Kerr comes in and championships start.  We desperately need a smarter game day coach and McDermott isn't it.  All this fluff about culture & process doesn't translate to split second decisions late in games that Sean is clearly incapable of making.  

[Mikie2times]

4 hours ago, billsfan714 said:

 

Do you remember winning 4 conference championships and going to 4 superbowls.

 

I find the people just happy to make the playoffs and puffing their chest out for winning the post Brady/inept Jets/mediocre Dolphins Division championship insufferable.    The standards/goals are higher now.

Right? How I could you top the Kelly years as far as success without actually winning it. It’s one of the greatest non championship runs in the history of the 4 major US sports. Wild Card wins just don’t really scream success to me like they do to so many others on here. 

4 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

There's zero Bills fans who don't want to win a super bowl lol

 

Fans on internet boards complaining about the best coach in team we've had here in 20 years is pathetic ... Let alone the coach who changed the culture at one Bills drive... We were inept in the laughing stock for close to 20 years and McDermott changed the culture

 

I'm sorry but it is ...

 

Sean McDermott is better than a lot of coaches who have one super bowls and the game on Sunday doesn't mean we can't 

 

It's overreaction

Said in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. We have a hall of fame QB. Most the drought era coaches would win a wild card game and this sorry division 

 

Edited December 11 by Mikie2times

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

Bucs and eagles games on that list were utter screw jobs that I don’t think I’ll ever get over lol Diggs got straight up tackled in the end zone while the game winning td throw was in the air against the Bucs 

Edited December 11 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Harold Jackson]

Raiders went to 5 conference championships in a row before beating Vikings in SB.

 

 

Edited December 11 by Harold Jackson

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

5 hours ago, billsfan714 said:

 

Do you remember winning 4 conference championships and going to 4 superbowls.

 

I find the people just happy to make the playoffs and puffing their chest out for winning the post Brady/inept Jets/mediocre Dolphins Division championship insufferable.    The standards/goals are higher now.

I like how the bills lose credit for the mediocre/pretty good dolphins being in their division yet the only think keeping the dolphins stuck in the pretty good category is the bills beating them twice basically every year 🤣

 

nobody is happy with just making the playoffs…this team has been right there with the best team in the conference in the playoffs more often than not and beating them in the regular season pretty often.  I’m sure some people think that luck will change and some don’t.  If we were making the playoffs and getting blown out by cincy every year nobody would be happy lol 

Edited December 11 by Generic_Bills_Fan