12/15/24 Week 15 Bills @ Lions Game Post Game Thread

[finn]

31 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I too was glad. But I was glad because it would have resulted in a Billsy 108 yard return for a pick-6.

I wanted them to try a 68-yard field goal (or was it longer?). Bass has the leg. But maybe the chance of it being blocked is too high. 

[Logic]

This is insane

 

 

[mannc]

9 minutes ago, wjag said:

Rewatching the first onside kick, it was this close to going for a TD the other way.  If Hollins doesn't get it, Detroit was going to get it on the run.

Hollins has been a great addition to this team…guy just does everything right…I have a feeling he’s going to make a huge play to win a playoff game for us.

[DrDawkinstein]

5 minutes ago, Nineforty said:

It seems like you are neglecting the catalyst for why this hapens so often in sports. 

 

The team that is down is usually altering their gameplan in real time. 

 

The defense knows this or anticipates this. 

 

I'm not tho.  Sure, the Lions had to abandon the run, but our pressure/man scheme was just as successful against their passing game because we were getting to Goff before anyone could get open and before he could get the ball out. Even with the backups playing in our backfield.

 

The shift to soft zone was just the usual "playing not to lose", trying to prevent a big play and a quick score, but it was that exact soft zone that let them move right down the field in 5 plays and 1min 50sec and score a TD.

 

[Gregg]

It would be nice if this game gets replayed on the NFL network tomorrow night. So far nothing has been posted.

[Patrick Duffy]

9 minutes ago, Logic said:

This is insane

 

 

 

Yeah we are witnessing something truly incredible here. And I'm enjoying the hell out of it

[finn]

4 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

I thought Elam played pretty well, especially for someone without a lot of meaningful reps. Good to see. I expect they will give Douglas at least another week on that knee so Elam should get more burn vs pats. 

He's the player whose play I'm most interested in hearing about once the All-22s come out. The stakes are high: If he did in fact play "pretty well," despite so few reps this season, that bodes well for not just the rest of the season but next year as well. Douglas' play hasn't been very good (I recall he's allowing a high catch percentage and high QB rating targeting him), and it would be great if a young, athletic, up-and-coming Elam were ready to step in opposite the excellent Benford. Still a mystery why McDermott scowls whenever Elam's name comes up. 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

15 hours ago, JohninMinn. said:

OUR DEFENSE IS UNSUSTAINABLE.

All you can do at this point is manage injuries and get as healthy as you can before the Playoffs. 

 

26 days to January 11th - the start of Wildcard Weekend

 

- Milano groin - injured on the long catch and run to St. Brown, he jumped up into the air and landed 

 

- Cole Bishop cramps

 

- Dorian Williams elbow - looked hyperextended maybe, did come back into the game late

 

- Hamlin back and ribs

 

- Rapp with shoulder and neck - he's physical and gets beaten up

 

- Douglas knee - indications that it is an MCL sprain

 

 

On offense - 

 

- Spencer Brown - looked like a stinger to me, but then being evaluated for a head injury 

 

- Curtis Samuel - hurt on that 1-yard pass at the goal line. I think Samuel on the injury report is going to a constant for his entire career here. He came back into the game. 

 

Edited Monday at 04:14 PM by Straight Hucklebuck

[Logic]

 

[JGMcD2]

1 hour ago, ProcessImproverMan said:

Accusations of the Bills doing it need proof. Lions have played dirty all year and we saw it last night. Branch punching our players. Campbell cheap shotting Allen's head well after he had slid and given himself up. The fingers in the scrum flow from the same attitude. A trashy cheap shot thug style of football pushed by Campbell. I've watched a lot of Bills and Commanders games this year and don't hear reports of dirty ***** in piles with their fingers, deliberately punching players, cheap shotting heads and pushing a culture that encourages such style of play 

 

I played football for years. No body was doing that dirty ***** (finger games in the piles, punching, etc) on the teams I played for. If anything like that happened, my coach would have benched us and chewed us out. Same with friends of mine who played for other school teams and town teams. 

This is hysterical. What football were you playing? 

 

Let’s go back 15 years, check this article out…

 

“It’s a loose football,” Seattle defensive tackle Craig Terrill said. “It’s the most valuable thing in the NFL. So you go after it.” It’s not like trying to find a needle in a haystack so much as it’s trying to endure reaching into a haystack full of needles. What happens in a football pile isn’t exactly dinner-table conversation. “You’ve got eye-poking,” defensive back Kennard Cox said. “You’ve got mouth-grabbing. You’ve got hand-bending. Anything to get the ball.”

 

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/when-nfl-players-dive-for-a-loose-ball-what-happens-in-the-pile-stays-in-the-pile/

 

Not good enough, alright, I’ll go back to check with Fred Smerlas who played football for the Bills in the 80s and in the NFL into the 90s

 

Inside the pile, you kept your eyes closed, like a feeding shark, to guard against knifing hands that were trying to maim and blind, yank and punch scrotums, and dislocate fingers. The football changed hands often and ruthlessly. Late-comers dove into the jumble with their helmets first, heat-seeking missiles looking to break or dislodge anything in their way — the ball, even teeth. You couldn’t even trust your own teammates because in the heat of the scrum, it was often impossible to determine friend from foe.

 

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2019/12/12/21005035/fumble-pile-violence-nfl-stories

 

I’m going back DECADES for you, just to cover all bases. 

[Joe Ferguson]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1117558156555340?mibextid=9drbnH

[Drew21PA]

Boy was I wrong about this one

 

sooooo glad too

huge win!!!!

[finn]

9 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

It's pretty much over. Josh could finish with 3 ho-hum games and still easily win MVP.  Couldn't happen to a nicer guy and long overdue. 

To those who have paid more attention than I have: How does Allen's season compare to those of players who have won the MVP in the past? 

[Nineforty]

21 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I'm not tho.  Sure, the Lions had to abandon the run, but our pressure/man scheme was just as successful against their passing game because we were getting to Goff before anyone could get open and before he could get the ball out. Even with the backups playing in our backfield.

 

The shift to soft zone was just the usual "playing not to lose", trying to prevent a big play and a quick score, but it was that exact soft zone that let them move right down the field in 5 plays and 1min 50sec and score a TD.

 

I mean, we all see it. It happens to every team. Every coach. It has been happening for decades. 

 

I do not think it is a McD or Bills issue. 

[SCBills]

9 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

All you can do at this point is manage injuries and get as healthy as you can before the Playoffs. 

 

26 days to January 11th - the start of Wildcard Weekend

 

- Milano groin - injured on the long catch and run to St. Brown, he jumped up into the air and landed 

 

- Cole Bishop cramps

 

- Dorian Williams elbow - looked hyperextended maybe, did come back into the game late

 

- Hamlin back and ribs

 

- Rapp with shoulder and neck - he's physical and gets beaten up

 

- Douglas knee - indications that it is an MCL sprain

 

 

On offense - 

 

- Spencer Brown - looked like a stinger to me, but then being evaluated for a head injury 

 

 

Get this Defense to the Playoffs healthy and let's go.  

 

McDermott and our Defensive postseason letdowns have plagued this team for years, but with Josh Allen and our Offense, just get there healthy and put it on McDermott/Babich to make sure this Defense comes out ready to go.   No excuses this year.  Every year they've been able to point to major injuries to key guys and/or the volume of injuries.   It's time to see them step up and perform with a healthy unit.   

[DrDawkinstein]

1 minute ago, finn said:

To those who have paid more attention than I have: How does Allen's season compare to those of players who have won the MVP in the past? 

 

He's setting/breaking (multiple) records every week. It's the best season the MVP voters have probably ever seen.

 

Tedy Bruschi is an MVP voter and said as much this morning. Bruschi and Rex spent the morning talking about how Josh is playing better than prime Brady and prime Manning.

 

 

[mbowman14]

A hidden part of the game that hasn't been mentioned much is how well the Bills caught the ball.  Josh was slightly inaccurate on a few throws and the hands were unreal and need their kudos: (Ty Johnson sliding catch on 1st drive, Ty Johnson 4th down fingertip grab, Dawson Knox 1-hander, Ray Davis TD, Keon Coleman smoothly adjusting to deep ball over his other shoulder, Curtis Samuel diving 1 yard gain on Goal line out route - all off the top of my head).  I love the way this team is catching the ball.

[finn]

3 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

Get this Defense to the Playoffs healthy and let's go.  

 

McDermott and our Defensive postseason letdowns have plagued this team for years, but with Josh Allen and our Offense, just get there healthy and put it on McDermott/Babich to make sure this Defense comes out ready to go.   No excuses this year.  Every year they've been able to point to major injuries to key guys and/or the volume of injuries.   It's time to see them step up and perform with a healthy unit.   

Might be a long shot, but as I recall, non-playoff teams start shedding veteran players with big salary caps in the final weeks of the season, giving these players a chance to sign with a contender once they clear waivers. Would love to see a behemoth one-technique tackle to spell DeQuan.

[mbowman14]

2 hours ago, wjag said:

This is probably an unlikely take.

 

I was glad they didn't throw the hail mary at the end of the half.  It was likely to be intercepted and I didn't want that to mar Josh's MVP season.  

I thought about this at the time, and it is the only logical reason not to throw the hail mary.  If that really is the concern, let Trubisky throw it.  You have to take a shot there for a lucky bounce or DPI.  The play to Shakir had no chance whatsoever and it wasted a small opportunity at points.

 

I would also look at the Hook and Ladder play Detroit ran.  That is the perfect play for the next to last play of the half when the Bills needed 5-10 yards for a FG and the Lions took away the short sideline since Buffalo had 0 TOs.  Something like that from Kincaid to Shakir flying across the field to then get out of bounds.  Curious to see if it is added for playoff time.

[CaseyatBat]

56 minutes ago, wjag said:

Rewatching the first onside kick, it was this close to going for a TD the other way.  If Hollins doesn't get it, Detroit was going to get it on the run.

 

thats not possible. you cannot advance an onside kick recovery