McDermott on 3rd and Goal

[QLBillsFan]

1 hour ago, T.E. said:

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

Bit harsh ? The team averages 31 points a game. Having said that, Brady was not very good in the second half. Each game is different. I suspect the Bills will run better vs KC opening up the pass game. The Ravens and Philly have the best and biggest rosters in the NFL. 

[Man with No Name]

im not sure if the spot was bad anymore. i went back and found the play on a highlight reel and from the left side the spot looked decent. would like to see the replay from the other side to watch in slow mo to verify. 

[Hsker4life]

13 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!

Disagree. He should have ran the tush push that: 

 

1. would have had a better chance to score, or

2. would have the ball inside the 1 worst 

[NewEra]

12 hours ago, Lieutenant Aldo Raine said:

Completely disagree because if the Ravens score the 2pt conversion and somehow win in overtime, we are going to go back to that play at what cost us.  We got lucky, plain and simple.  Instead of being up 31 to 19 and a two-score game, we left it at a one-score game.  That's the crap that got Dorsey canned - going shotgun on short yardage in critical moments.  You're putting the QB at a disadvantage at the 5/6 yard line.  

 

If you get stuffed by some circumstance, you still have the FG.  But more probable outcome is either TD or 4th and inches.

And if we went for it, didn’t get in the end zone and Baltimore went down and scored a td and we go home- we wouldve looked back at that play as to why we lost.  Goes both ways. 

 

I would’ve done 2 rush pushes in a row (not that shotgun run)- but I don’t have a problem with the call for a FG.  The way things turned out- even if Andrews catches the 2pt conversion- I think we would’ve won in regulation 

[Lieutenant Aldo Raine]

3 minutes ago, NewEra said:

And if we went for it, didn’t get in the end zone and Baltimore went down and scored a td and we go home- we wouldve looked back at that play as to why we lost.  Goes both ways. 

 

I would’ve done 2 rush pushes in a row (not that shotgun run)- but I don’t have a problem with the call for a FG.  The way things turned out- even if Andrews catches the 2pt conversion- I think we would’ve won in regulation 

 

Like I said, if you get stuffed on the first push, you still have the FG in your pocket.  At that moment, getting stuffed with Josh in the shotgun, the FG was the right call.  However, and I think we are kind of saying the same thing, putting Josh in Shotgun on 3rd down was the wrong call.  Sneak push it on 3rd down and assess from there.  

[NewEra]

1 minute ago, Lieutenant Aldo Raine said:

 

Like I said, if you get stuffed on the first push, you still have the FG in your pocket.  At that moment, getting stuffed with Josh in the shotgun, the FG was the right call.  However, and I think we are kind of saying the same thing, putting Josh in Shotgun on 3rd down was the wrong call.  Sneak push it on 3rd down and assess from there.  

Agreed

[msw2112]

4 hours 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! 

 

I'm as big a fan of Josh Allen as anyone, but I have noticed that throwing the fade to the corner of the end zone is not one of his strengths.  He doesn't get enough air under it and throws it kind of flat.  I do agree that the Bills should use this play more often, perhaps in blowout types of games to get better at it, but I wouldn't be keen on using it (at this point in time) on a critical play in a playoff game.

 

With the likes of Knox, Kincaid, and Coleman on the roster, it's a throw the Bills should definitely work on and have in their playbook in the future, but until I see it run successfully a couple of times in less-meaningful situations, I wouldn't use it.

[Billsatlastin2018]

15 hours ago, msw2112 said:

 

With the likes of Knox, Kincaid, and Coleman on the roster, it's a throw the Bills should definitely work on and have in their playbook in the future, but until I see it run successfully a couple of times in less-meaningful situations, I wouldn't use it.

With THREE Receivers of that size, let alone vertical jump, you  MUST, MUST, MUST have that play down cold!

[I'mBuff]

On 1/20/2025 at 1:56 AM, DapperCam said:

I'm pretty much fine with not doing a tush push because it was 3rd and a full 2. That's not a gimme, and if they were going to kick the FG for sure on 4th down I understand not using that play there.

I'm not sure I love the shotgun run for the same reason to not do the tush push. Ravens are in their goal line defense, and they are great against the run. Maybe spread them out a little bit. Maybe roll out. If they are all bunched up like that, don't run directly into it. Maybe that's a little bit on Allen, who I think is supposed to check in/out of plays based on the defense.

 If you are running Allen  put 4 or 5 receivers and spread them out. Shot gun formation so he can see where the hole develops. 

[MrEpsYtown]

Yeah, my only issue was the play call. It's the same formation and QB long trap they used when Josh scored earlier. I liked the empty QB dart run that got them down there and emptied the box. But McDermott 100% made the right call there to go up 8. He put the onus on Baltimore to be perfect on that next drive, and obviously, they weren't. But I was tossing and turning. Going up 8 was 100% the right call. 

 

That said, if we were playing KC, I am probably going for it there. 

[Charles Romes]

It was brutal to get the prior first down smack dab on the 10.0 yard line. If it was the 11 or 8 game is over. 

[Ralonzo]

 

22 hours ago, GolfandBills said:

Other than the tush push play the Bills goal line offense is pretty underwhelming 

 

Goal-line offense? If you have a play that works 95% of the time, is that a problem?

 

Do you mean 1st-&-goal? The Bills in the playoffs so far in that situation:

 

Denver:  FG, TD, FG

Ravens: TD, TD, TD, FG