Lost in the sauce: Outstanding Performances vs KC

[BillMafia716ix]

That Jordan Phillips sack was huge. It gave the offense a chance to win the game and we blew it.

[Low Positive]

A lot of guys had good games. The Bills were a play or two away AGAIN. 

[Charles Romes]

Phillips almost won us a championship with that play. 

[DapperCam]

1 hour ago, UKBillFan said:

Perhaps it says something that one guy not mentioned so far, as far as I can tell, is… Josh Allen.

I think he had a good game, but maybe not outstanding. He had three throws that were more impressive than anything Mahomes did all night, and in general I think the task in front of him was a lot more difficult. If you were to go through the tape, and go play-by-play Mahomes was largely throwing to wide open receivers around the line of scrimmage and when he chose to scramble the Bills had zero contain. He wasn't asked to rush in short yardage situations at all, while Allen ran into a wall like 6 times.

I think Allen had a better game than probably 90% of QBs have in that situation, but it's just the expectation at this point.

[Shamrock]

1 hour ago, JohnNord said:

The Phillips sack was absolutely huge.

 

I think this was the game where James Cook made a name for himself.   
 

Also I’d add in Matt Milano who made a tremendous open field sack on Mahomes which knocked them out of FG range.  That was also a huge play 

Though the qtr wasn’t kind to him. The overt facemask penalty and the terrible angle he took on Kelce were aghhh moments. 

[EmotionallyUnstable]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

Jordan Phillips has the potential to be really good. I guess for him he just needs to be supremely motivated. Sometimes he is and sometimes he isn't. But when he is, he makes some amazing plays.

 

I was against re-signing him, but he was definately worth it.

This man has a single skill and he does it well: fire off the ball and penetrate a gap with such uncontrolled force he either wastes himself and implodes like a supernova taking out those around him or makes a heck of a play at or behind the LOS.

 

In my opinion, he plays well in Buffalo because this is exactly what he is asked to do here. If you ever see him try to take on a block, it’s likely he is going to be 8 yards down field. 
 

Kudos to the big man. It is amazing that the most consequential play from our DL in this game came from a street level retread who wasn’t even on the team in September. 

[bills6969]

I thought Cole Bishop had a good game considering the circumstances. He almost had a pick on the pass to Worthy that really was incomplete but they ruled complete. Had some big hits on Hunt.

Edit: and had the most tackles on the team!

 

i think he’s going to be an elite safety for us. Looking forward to where he fits in next year with Rapp.  Does he slide over to FS in take Damar’s spot assuming we don’t resign him?

Edited yesterday at 03:15 AM by bills6969

[CincyBillsFan]

2 hours ago, Sojourner said:

Weird when you think about…

 

• the guy a lot wanted/willing to trade in Cook
• the guy a lot were laughing at before the season and not for his comedic antics
• the guy plenty wanted cut throughout and prior to the season

 

 

all put on some of the best games of their seasons the other night. 
 

Huge let down for Jimbo. What a dog he was. 

Extending Cook should be Bean's #1 off season priority.

 

 

[Mikie2times]

17 minutes ago, bills6969 said:

I thought Cole Bishop had a good game considering the circumstances. He almost had a pick on the pass to Worthy that really was incomplete but they ruled complete. Had some big hits on Hunt.

Edit: and had the most tackles on the team!

 

i think he’s going to be an elite safety for us. Looking forward to where he fits in next year with Rapp.  Does he slide over to FS in take Damar’s spot assuming we don’t resign him?

His open field tackle on Hunt in the first half was impressive. It was near the right sideline. Looked like Hunt was going to score and Bishop just made a great play on him. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s significantly better next year.

Edited yesterday at 03:29 AM by Mikie2times

[LABILLBACKER]

I think Bass went 13/13 on all his playoff kicks including 2 long ones. I hope he found that swing. Cook & Hollins must be extended.

Edited yesterday at 03:29 AM by LABILLBACKER

[DapperCam]

2 minutes ago, Mikie2times said:

His own open field tackle on Hunt in the first half was impressive. It was near the right sideline. Looked like Hunt was going to score and Bishop just made a great play on him. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s significantly better next year.

I think Safety in McDermott's scheme is hard to play. They are asked to do a lot. I have high hopes for Bishop.

[EmotionallyUnstable]

21 minutes ago, Mikie2times said:

His open field tackle on Hunt in the first half was impressive. It was near the right sideline. Looked like Hunt was going to score and Bishop just made a great play on him. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s significantly better next year.

Let’s hope. 
 

He needs to play to his weight. Hunt certainly returned the favor on his TD and big boyed him with a stiff arm into the ground on what should have been a clean tackle. 
 

As a 2nd rounder at a position that isn’t high priority, I think he’ll grow in a serviceable player. 

20 minutes ago, DapperCam said:

I think Safety in McDermott's scheme is hard to play. They are asked to do a lot. I have high hopes for Bishop.

I think this is true cognitively. 

[947]

I think Hollins is gonna be a Bill for the rest of his career. I could see him as a Legend of the Game someday.

[sven233]

2 hours ago, Old Coot said:

Interesting stat:

 

KC D played nickel and dime for 93% of the game. Is this typical for KC this year?

 

 

 

They have Chris Jones......  It's that simple.  The dude is their true MVP.  If he is not there single-handedly wrecking offenses, that team does not have the success that they do.  So yeah......he's the guy that allows them to sit back in nickel and dime defenses because he can control the offensive line almost by himself.

 

Quite honestly, a player like that guy is why our defensive philosophy fails.  McDermott wants nothing more to do the same thing the Chiefs do on defense, but he doesn't have anything close to a Chris Jones on defense.  He wrecks pass blocking and run blocking.  Having that guy out there makes all the difference in the world and he is the single biggest reason we haven't beaten that team in the playoffs yet.  If they don't have Jones, we probably win at least 2 of the 4 matchups we have had against them.  But he wrecks us ever time we play him.

[Punch]

I remember the feeling after the 2021 Divisional Round at Arrowhead that it was a shame the 2nd half performance would likely be lost to history. That hasn't really happened, but it's difficult to celebrate it the same way we would if they'd won the game.

 

I don't know what to make of all these ultimately fruitless albeit heroic efforts. James Cook's game should go down as an all-time great postseason performance, but I can't imagine ever wanting to watch it again.

 

Its such a sad, melancholy feeling. Like a funeral.

 

Go Bills.

[UKBillFan]

5 hours ago, DapperCam said:

I think he had a good game, but maybe not outstanding. He had three throws that were more impressive than anything Mahomes did all night, and in general I think the task in front of him was a lot more difficult. If you were to go through the tape, and go play-by-play Mahomes was largely throwing to wide open receivers around the line of scrimmage and when he chose to scramble the Bills had zero contain. He wasn't asked to rush in short yardage situations at all, while Allen ran into a wall like 6 times.

I think Allen had a better game than probably 90% of QBs have in that situation, but it's just the expectation at this point.

 

That's what I was thinking. Are we taking at risk of taking him for granted as he was clearly the Bills best player on the night?

[GunnerBill]

10 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

James Cook- Cook’s fourth-down run—WOW. I’m honestly struggling to remember a more clutch run in the last 30+ years of watching this team. The way he just defied gravity? Insane. People used to say he wasn’t that physical, but that run proved otherwise. Before the playoffs, I was thinking, “He’s just a running back, don’t extend those guys.” But after that performance? Yeah, you gotta give him a second contract. He’s been the second-best player on the offense, a legit difference-maker. Honestly, it blows my mind we didn’t see him more.

 

Mack Hollins—We brought him in on the cheap, and he delivered. The guy’s energy and attitude are contagious, and he stepped right into Gabe Davis' role, playing better than Davis in most regards. Hollins definitely earned his spot and should 100% be a Buffalo Bill moving forward. 

 

Tyler Bass—huge credit to him. Like many, I had my doubts about him coming off last year, but he shook that off and made some huge kicks, including a clutch 50+ yarder. He stepped up when it mattered, nailed all his extra points, and looks like he’s turned the corner. I love seeing a guy overcome adversity and show that mental toughness.

 

Mini shout out to Ed Oliver who from my view point gave everything he had in the postseason after arguably his worst regular season as a pro. Sort of the inverse of what we have seen from him historically. He seemed more motivated this postseason than any prior and I appreciated the tenacity.

 

Another mini shout out to Jordan Phillips. I'll be honest, I can't speak to his play this entire game with the intelligence I wish I could. I was watching a lot of things but the play he made late in the 4th quarter was one of the better ones this season. He just decimated the interior of the KC offense. Picked up a grown A$$ NFL offensive lineman and proceeded to throw him into Mahomes. Just an awesome play.

 

I feel like in a lot of regards the roster stepped up more this year than any year prior. They looked more hardened, more physical, and more determined which perhaps points to other elements as driver to why it didn't work out. We played with a ton of heart and these guys really stood out to me. Curious if you noticed any others or just shared a similar view as I did. 

 

Cook and Oliver were our two best players in this playoff run. That is beyond doubt. 

6 hours ago, bills6969 said:

I thought Cole Bishop had a good game considering the circumstances. He almost had a pick on the pass to Worthy that really was incomplete but they ruled complete. Had some big hits on Hunt.

Edit: and had the most tackles on the team!

 

i think he’s going to be an elite safety for us. Looking forward to where he fits in next year with Rapp.  Does he slide over to FS in take Damar’s spot assuming we don’t resign him?

 

Go watch the two big plays to JuJu. Both were simple routes that worked because of fundamental coverage mistakes by Bishop. He has got better as the season has gone on in the run game, he is trusting his eyes being more decisive and triggering downhill. But he still looks a liability out there in coverage to me. 

 

[CSBill]

9 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

Milano is a good addition here. Most people thought he was washed as late as the Wild Card round and then boom.

 

I know this is not the spirit of this thread, and many will disagree, but if you examine the tape, Milano did not have a good game.

 

Yes, he made an outstanding play on that sack of Mahomes. But one of the big reasons that Mahomes was able to consistently run around the edge when he needed a play and/or the Chiefs were able to run wide-open crossing patterns at will all night is that our Linebackers (and Milano is very much a part of this) were consistently out of position—getting lost in the crowd—and not there to make the plays they should be making. 

 

In general, our entire LB crew sucked, and Milano was an equal contributor to that suckiness. He was not the lone reason, but he was part of the problem.

 

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, CSBill said:

 

I know this is not the spirit of this thread, and many will disagree, but if you examine the tape, Milano did not have a good game.

 

Yes, he made an outstanding play on that sack of Mahomes. But one of the big reasons that Mahomes was able to consistently run around the edge when he needed a play and/or the Chiefs were able to run wide-open crossing patterns at will all night is that our Linebackers (and Milano is very much a part of this) were consistently out of position—getting lost in the crowd—and not there to make the plays they should be making. 

 

In general, our entire LB crew sucked, and Milano was an equal contributor to that suckiness. He was not the lone reason, but he was part of the problem.

 

I said it before the Chiefs game, Id play Dorian Williams over Taron Johnson for most of the game.  Dorian would spy Mahomes.  Dorian will be an excellent spy.  He has the speed and tenacity.  Going forward, playing running QBs, I want Dorian on the field, spying Mahomes, Lamar, etc

[Rocky Landing]

I appreciate this thread, especially in contrast to several other threads that are advocating for the Pegula's to blow the whole thing up.

 

It is in this light that I'm going to add to the list of outstanding performances the coaching staff that during a "soft-rebuild" year, that was flushing over $60M in dead cap, and started the season with the thinnest roster of the McDermott era (with the obvious exception of JA17), managed to bring us to within one score of the Super Bowl.

 

Anyone who doesn't think this team far exceeded expectations is wearing some heavy blinders.