1/19/25 Division Round Playoff Post Game Thread Bills vs. Ravens

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

5 minutes ago, Fan in Chicago said:

This should go in the "Random talking head said something about the Bills" thread. 😃

 

I can’t believe people even watch these shows anymore. I don’t think I have watched a talking head segment on ESPN or NFLN in like 5 years. Vapid blabbering. 

[Dillenger4]

Oh baby - what a win! Bills looked great! That was a tough, very tough game vs a top team and we won! It isn't always pretty but good teams find a way in the playoffs. Can't wait for the KC game. Gonna be a good game but I think The Bills win!

[YoloinOhio]

6 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

Three turnovers?  You don’t win in the playoffs with three turnovers. 

0 punts lol… they didn’t punt bc they turned the ball over. 💀

[Einstein's Dog]

1 hour ago, Shortchaz said:

I mean, EVERYTHING went the bills way and they barely won. I don’t know which team is better, but the ravens probably have a better roster. 

Can we (at least the Bills fans) stop with the "barely won" narrative.   Yes, the final score looks like a close 2 point win, but lets not forget the Bills were killing the clock with 1:30 left in the game. 

 

If points had been needed, the end of game script would have been significantly different.  It certainly seems possible that Josh and the Bills could go 45 yards for the win.

[finn]

1 hour ago, Shortchaz said:

I mean, EVERYTHING went the bills way and they barely won. I don’t know which team is better, but the ravens probably have a better roster. 

I don't agree with this take. The Bills forced those turnovers, and they didn't just happen. And the score was as close as it was in part because of the situation, like McDermott going for three points because they were already five points up, and the offense running the clock down because they were in the lead. The Bills had this game under control from the middle of the second quarter on. They played smart, smash-mouth football and won. The Bills are the better team, QED. 

[Gregg]

9 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

I'm watching the various national talking heads.

 

Collin Cowherd is now telling everyone that Buffalo has a good offensive line and better than anyone realizes.

 

These guys don't watch anything but qb's and obsess over the drama.  

 

Can't wait to listen to mike francesser after.  He was convinced the ravens were just too tough for the little Bills from Buffalo.

 

seriously, it's amazing people still do not realize the bills are a big phyiscal offense that runs the ball to win.

 

 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eagles-outlast-rams-bills-capitalize-on-ravens-mistakes/id1615588712?i=1000684638565

[finn]

7 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

One extra note on this point.

 

My wife isn't a big football fan but she watches when she likes certain players. She loved Peyton Manning so she was a Colts and then Broncos fan. She likes Henry a lot so she watches his games and she'll watch the Bills games to know my mood when I'm coming home since I watch elsewhere.

 

Unprompted, my wife said our D was awesome against the Ravens except for that last drive and that's why we won. I said the national narrative would be that the Ravens lost it. She insisted that Lamar didn't stand a chance because of what our D was doing.

Smart wife. Tell her she should apply for a job at ESPN. 

[Boatdrinks]

14 minutes ago, Cash said:

Eh, I don’t think that’s fair accounting.
-Lamar’s INT was unforced for sure, but his fumble was under huge duress. Yes he dropped the ball but that probably doesn’t happen without a Bill spinning him around. 
-Textbook DPI was missed on a Shakir crosser on 3rd down. Hand around the waist, turned the receiver and slowed him down; no call. 

-Oliver was held very clearly at least twice that was uncalled (to be fair, one of them was on a sack and we would’ve declined it). 

-Broadcast replayed a textbook helmet to helmet shot on Allen by Humphrey that wasn’t called. 
 

I'm sure there’s more (both for and against us), and I don’t have the inclination to go through and total everything up. Bottom line is that we won the game, and we “deserved” to win just as much as any winner in any close game. 
 

GO BILLS!

This^ The Bills didn’t turn the ball over and they took advantage of their opponents miscues. That sounds kind of familiar - like a certain team in the AFC West? The Bills did what they needed to win and found a way. The right team won the game and are moving on. 

[zow2]

I was screaming at the TV last night at Rasul looking very non-physical and not engaged enough.  Then he made the onsides kick recovery and I was screaming how much i love him...  the playoff emotions, Lol.

[Shortchaz]

4 minutes ago, finn said:

I don't agree with this take. The Bills forced those turnovers, and they didn't just happen. And the score was as close as it was in part because of the situation, like McDermott going for three points because they were already five points up, and the offense running the clock down because they were in the lead. The Bills had this game under control from the middle of the second quarter on. They played smart, smash-mouth football and won. The Bills are the better team, QED. 

 

6 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

Can we (at least the Bills fans) stop with the "barely won" narrative.   Yes, the final score looks like a close 2 point win, but lets not forget the Bills were killing the clock with 1:30 left in the game. 

 

If points had been needed, the end of game script would have been significantly different.  It certainly seems possible that Josh and the Bills could go 45 yards for the win.

So this was a dominant win? The bills might have dominated the first half, but this was a close hard fought game. The bills kicked two field goals in the second half, one was from 51. 

 

I guess I just don’t see the issue with saying we barely won. we won, and it was a close game 🤷‍♂️

[Boatdrinks]

13 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

 

I can’t believe people even watch these shows anymore. I don’t think I have watched a talking head segment on ESPN or NFLN in like 5 years. Vapid blabbering. 

What once was great sports banter has turned into pure garbage. Unwatchable imo. I used to hold that network in high regard (ESPN)so it’s regrettable.

[Big Turk]

3 minutes ago, zow2 said:

I was screaming at the TV last night at Rasul looking very non-physical and not engaged enough.  Then he made the onsides kick recovery and I was screaming how much i love him...  the playoff emotions, Lol.

 

Someone tweeted after the game it must have been really hard to get that ball and he tweeted back that he played shortstop since he was 6 years old and it was easy work like fielding a short hop 😂😂

[Logic]

Amidst the jubilation of the victory, the celebration beers, and all the smack talking I was doing to Ravens fans on Twitter, I didn't post here last night. My thoughts:

- Peter Schrager said it best this morning: For once, the catastrophic failure in a key moment happened to the OTHER team. For once, a "name game" happened to the OTHER team. The Mark Andrews Game. For once, it was the OTHER team that had untimely drops, turnovers, and errors that ultimately cost them the game. That, more than almost anything else, feels like the lasting takeaway to me. I haven't seen it often. Maybe never. Hell of a time for a first.

- The Broncos and Ravens both boasted elite rushing defenses heading into their matchups with Buffalo. The Bills gave BOTH of these run defenses their worst performance of their season, and did it in the PLAYOFFS. 

- I just honestly never imagined a day where the Bills defense and running game would lead the way to victory in a playoff game, while Josh Allen mostly looked like Clark Kent. Does anyone honestly think the Bills would've won last night's game with the rushing offense of years past? No way. If anyone's looking for a reason why this Bills team is different than Bills teams past under Josh Allen, it's the run game. It's the ability to lean on something OTHER than Superman Josh.

- I think the Bills defense needed every single one of the players it had at its disposal last night. If any of Milano, Bernard, Johnson, Benford, whomever...wasn't out there on that field last night, I'm not sure they win. Defensive health, along with the run game, are the big, glaring differences this year.

 

- Josh did what he needed to do, when he needed to do it. Not one of his best games ever statistically, but it doesn't matter. He played well. His clean game with no turnovers -- while Lamar committed two -- is a big reason for the Bills victory.

 

- Speaking of Lamar: I must be taking crazy pills this morning, seeing so many people (particularly on social media) say that the loss isn't on Lamar, that he played well, etc. Newsflash: You commit two turnovers in a playoff game, and you're losing much more often than you're winning. One of his two turnovers led to 7 Bills points, in a game the Bills won by 2. So miss me with the "it's not on Lamar" stuff. It's not ALL on Lamar, but he ABSOLUTELY shoulders some blame. Anyone wanna guess how the media would be treating Josh Allen this morning if HE had committed two turnovers and lost? Exactly.

- I know we all had the same feeling as that 4th quarter was winding down: The opposing team needed 8 points to tie it up, and all that stood between them and doing so was a Sean McDermott defense in the playoffs. We've all seen this movie before, and it doesn't end well. And if it had gotten to overtime? Well, that movie usually doesn't end will for the McDermott Bills, either. But to reiterate my first point: For once, the fates smiled upon the BILLS rather than the other team. The rarest of the rare. 

 

Call it what you want. Call it the Bills "escaping" with a win --  they did. Call it the Bills doing ENOUGH to win -- they did. Call it the fickle football gods, just for once, casting good fortune upon the Bills -- they did. Whatever you choose to call it, the outcome is the same: The Buffalo Bills are headed to the AFC Championship Game.

GO BILLS!!!

Edited 12 hours ago by Logic

[fergie's ire]

1 hour ago, Coach Tuesday said:

I don’t think Brady was competent last night but you can’t be critical of the head coach in a game where they only commit one - ONE - penalty and zero turnovers.

Correction.  They only had one penalty called on them.  They didn't commit any.

[PromoTheRobot]

A lot of salty tears flowing on the national TV shows this morning. 

[muppy]

29 minutes ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

I knew it was coming, but all the morning shows have spent more time talking about how great Lamar Jackson is than how the Bills won

my reaction?

 

One big fat shoulder shrug 

 

talk is cheap show ME the scoreboard and Mr MVP's stat sheet from yesterday? ***** please.

[mbowman14]

I thought the tone for the 2nd half was set with the very first play call (toss to Cook).  Harbaugh's halftime interview said exactly what you'd have expected (they needed to stop the run).  Buffalo surely knew that as well and that first play was the perfect opportunity to run play-action and get things started aggressively.  The Bills should have looked at scoring a TD on that drive as game over.  It would have forced the Ravens to largely abandon the run.  I am not sure if the decision to be so conservative was on Brady or was influenced by McD.  It was very strange because Brady has been excellent this year and McD has proven to really trust Josh and has drifted away from his conservative nature.  Thankfully they prevailed and hopefully a lesson was learned.  As Romo started pointing out repeatedly later in the half, if you go down, go down firing your bullets with 17.  Have to enjoy a win like that over a team as tough as the Ravens, but need to play to win and give our best player the chance to lead the team.  

[Sestak4ever]

Even if Andrews hangs on to the two point conversion I think, with 1 1/2 minutes left, that Josh would have marched us down the field for the winning score, be it a field goal or a touchdown. Go Bills!! 🏈

[YoloinOhio]

15 minutes ago, zow2 said:

I was screaming at the TV last night at Rasul looking very non-physical and not engaged enough.  Then he made the onsides kick recovery and I was screaming how much i love him...  the playoff emotions, Lol.

A very underrated play in the outcome of the game. Tucker executed it to perfection and Douglas had to have seen his life flashing before his eyes as the ball was coming toward him. 

[stevewin]

1 hour ago, Ralonzo said:

Away we go on the morning shows to see what narrative is coalescing:

 

ESPN: Highlight package shows the Tre DPI.

Damien Woody "Baltimore is the better team"

Louis Riddick "Baltimore's Achilles Heel is themselves"

Dan Orlovsky "I'm not making this about Baltimore... Buffalo's QB stopped worrying so much about stats. Buffalo has figured out how to play their very best when it's needed"

Louis Riddick "Joe Brady called a perfect game"

Greenberg "I have no idea how Baltimore lost that game"

Alex Smith "If they play 10 times, Baltimore is winning 8 of them"

Greenberg "The Ravens were the best team in the AFC last year and the best team in the AFC this year"

 

So, Baltimore choked and low-key implying the refs helped. Pretty much Orlovsky on an island saying Buffalo earned it by playing the right way, and Allen has evolved into "an elite decision maker, playing smart but not careful, agressive but not reckless"

Pretty sure one of them also said Lamar was the best player on the field. 

 

It's obvious the pro Lamar-MVP talking heads are going to push the narrative Lamar played great and it wasn't his fault to cover their takes.  Still waiting for all the ones who said "whoever wins this game is the MVP" - I'm sure they'll be walking that back now.

 

And now every show will be plastering Allen 0-3 in playoffs against Mahomes - and NEVER say "but Josh played great and it wasn't his fault"

Edited 12 hours ago by stevewin