McDermott on 3rd and Goal

[Big Turk]

9 hours ago, Buffalo03 said:

On 3rd and goal, you try a tush push. That would have been our best shot

 

Try it twice...if the first one doesn't get it you are inside the one for the second one.

 

It brought back memories of the Lions game earlier where we were in perfect position for it but inexplicably tried something else 

Edited Monday at 02:43 PM by Big Turk

[sunshynman]

17 minutes ago, BuffaloBaumer said:

Am I completely misremembering this? I thought it was 3rd and 1 at the 2 yard line? Was it 3rd and goal????

It was 3rd and goal.

[Doc]

You do the Shnowplow on 3rd and 2 and if you don't get it kick the FG on 4th.

[msw2112]

I would have liked to see Allen roll out, having the option to tuck it and run, or throw it if there's an open receiver.  If he ends up throwing it out of the back of the end zone because the run is contained, or nobody is open, fine.  I'd also have been fine with the snowplow on 3rd and FG on 4th if it was not successful.  The play they called gave the middle of the defense time to get established, which ultimately allowed them to make the stop.  The offense has the advantage on the snowplow, because then know the snap count and the defense doesn't, so they have the chance to get lower and create some push first.  Going shotgun gives the defense just a little bit of time to prepare/adjust, which they did.

 

Regardless of the what happened on 3rd down, the FG on 4th down was absolutely the correct call.  If the Bills went for it and didn't make it, they would likely have lost the game on the Baltimore TD.  Going up 8, Baltimore not only had to score a TD (which was highly likely), but also had to convert the 2 point try, and that was a 50-50 proposition.  Even if they made the 2, it's still tied and the Bills may have one more chance with timeouts and only needed a FG to win, or worst-case, OT.  

 

Back to 3rd down, I can understand the hesitation to throw the ball, because in pressure situation when it's cold/wet/snowy, guys sometimes drop the ball - even easy ones....

[RenoNVBillsfan]

I have been wondering why more red zone attempts to Coleman aren’t attempted? We all saw how athletic of a jumper the guy is, particularly in the Jets game vs quality DBs. Throw it up to him more often to see if he can make a play! 

[shrader]

2 hours ago, Einstein said:

I was talking about the eye in the sky.

Something Buffalo has zero control over. 

[RyanC883]

11 hours ago, NORWOODS FOOT said:

Upon further reflection, I think McDermott showed some growth and made a great situational call to run Josh from the shotgun on 3rd and Goal at the end of the game. Here’s why:

 

1) 4th Down was going to be a FG attempt no matter what because you go up +8 there and not give the ball back to an offense that was having success only up +5.

 

2) Don’t pass: you have 3 possible outcomes (TD, incompletion, interception) and 2/3 are bad because either the clock stops or there is a turnover. 
 

3) Tush Push was unlikely to get us 2 whole yards.

 

4) Keep the ball in Josh’s hands and give him the chance to catch the Ravens off guard and look for a hole. 
 

My only qualm is that MAYBE he should have challenged the spot. 
 

But other than that I feel like McDermott made the best possible call in a critical moment, and that looks like growth to me. 
 

I have lamented on this message board a number of times that the Bills are always “good but not great”, especially McDermott. But seeing him make what I think was the best call tonight in a pressure cooker gives me a bit of hope that he is growing. 
 

Can’t wait to test that hypothesis with two more games!

 

Go Bills!

 

I didn't mind the call, but would say that another option with a shotgun pass is you can spread the D wide with your WRs, and it also gives Allen the option to find a hole and run.  

 

I did like the FG call.  Make Lamar play a perfect series.  I hated the prevent D.  

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

11 hours ago, NORWOODS FOOT said:

Upon further reflection, I think McDermott showed some growth and made a great situational call to run Josh from the shotgun on 3rd and Goal at the end of the game. Here’s why:

 

1) 4th Down was going to be a FG attempt no matter what because you go up +8 there and not give the ball back to an offense that was having success only up +5.

 

2) Don’t pass: you have 3 possible outcomes (TD, incompletion, interception) and 2/3 are bad because either the clock stops or there is a turnover. 
 

3) Tush Push was unlikely to get us 2 whole yards.

 

4) Keep the ball in Josh’s hands and give him the chance to catch the Ravens off guard and look for a hole. 
 

My only qualm is that MAYBE he should have challenged the spot. 
 

But other than that I feel like McDermott made the best possible call in a critical moment, and that looks like growth to me. 
 

I have lamented on this message board a number of times that the Bills are always “good but not great”, especially McDermott. But seeing him make what I think was the best call tonight in a pressure cooker gives me a bit of hope that he is growing. 
 

Can’t wait to test that hypothesis with two more games!

 

Go Bills!

Tush Push unlikely to get us 2 yards ? Seems like they get over 5 yards every time. It was a stupid sequence. Let’s just be happy we escaped w/ a win and that Brady learned something. If the Bills are less than 5 yards away from the end zone and have 2 plays available, it should be a sneak every time. I don’t recall the Bills ever getting stopped on a QB sneak. Even with penetration, Josh is always able to break through on pure determination alone. And a game as important as this you know he would’ve been able to get it done. No point in moving the ball even further back from the LOS. I’ll go to my grave w my opinion 

[QLBillsFan]

11 hours ago, NORWOODS FOOT said:

Yes, the primo move was a (successful) challenge and a tush push.  

Agree on all. Josh push on 3rd no way he doesn’t get it on 2 tries. If he was short on the first one you do it again and put the game away. Worst case if stopped twice the Ravens need to go 99 1/2 … also as nobody mentioned the Bills had 1:33 left to go had the 2 pointer been made. 2 Josh push plays is an 80% chance to get 2 yards. 

[T.E.]

8 minutes ago, RenoNVBillsfan said:

I have been wondering why more red zone attempts to Coleman aren’t attempted? We all saw how athletic of a jumper the guy is, particularly in the Jets game vs quality DBs. Throw it up to him more often to see if he can make a play! 

The coaching staff is pretty clueless about how to use anyone in the passing game, and that includes Allen.

[Drew21PA]

Would have liked a roll out option to joshes right - bootleg sort of thing - fake handoff then if something is there great if not - get back to the two or score with your legs 

[TD716]

Coaching almost killed us again, Schno plow 3x times to put the game away. Also why call a timeout from the 2 yard line? Take the delay penalty and have field goal attempt from the 7. Save the timeout. If andrews caught the two point Buffalo would have needed the timeout

[Einstein]

30 minutes ago, shrader said:

Something Buffalo has zero control over. 

No one said they did. Are you just here to argue?

[buffalostu2]

12 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

We should've challenged the spot. The ball was on the 1 when Josh's knee first touches on the slide. It was one of many inaccurate spots by these guessing refs.

...and if you are calling a timeout anyway, challenge the spot and it serves at the timeout

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 hour ago, QLBillsFan said:

Agree on all. Josh push on 3rd no way he doesn’t get it on 2 tries. If he was short on the first one you do it again and put the game away. Worst case if stopped twice the Ravens need to go 99 1/2 … also as nobody mentioned the Bills had 1:33 left to go had the 2 pointer been made. 2 Josh push plays is an 80% chance to get 2 yards. 

If that second tush push got stopped it’s a sure loss imo..the third down call still sucked assuming Josh just didn’t go rogue but I think the ‘worst case scenario’ is getting downplayed a bit 

[buffalostu2]

This was the safest and best call?  Did you not see Josh about to chest pass the ball back to Cook when he was stopped at the line? 

 

If he tosses the ball to Cook it could have been the play that sunk the season and would have been talked about FOREVER.  

 

It was obvious Josh did not believe in the call and was going to try to do something spectacular to overcome it.

 

[Low Positive]

1 hour ago, Drew21PA said:

Would have liked a roll out option to joshes right - bootleg sort of thing - fake handoff then if something is there great if not - get back to the two or score with your legs 

The Ravens were doing a good job containing Josh in the pocket. I can't remember a single rollout to the right, which usually happens multiple times per drive.

[Success]

Did anyone else think that was a terrible spot from the ref?

 

I thought it should have been closer to the 1.

 

[QLBillsFan]

9 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

If that second tush push got stopped it’s a sure loss imo..the third down call still sucked assuming Josh just didn’t go rogue but I think the ‘worst case scenario’ is getting downplayed a bit 

Bad spot but I think they make 2 yards in two tries.. bad call on 3rd down but again if stopped a 99 1/2 drive is far more challenging than what was a 67 yard drive after the FG.. extremely difficult in the end zone to throw. But we can agree to disagree. Go Bills 😎

[Juice_32]

12 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

We should've challenged the spot. The ball was on the 1 when Josh's knee first touches on the slide. It was one of many inaccurate spots by these guessing refs.

Agree, they shorted us a yard there and in that situation a yard is huge. 2 cracks at it from the 1 and that's 7 on the board.