just give it to them

[kasper13]

Strange how the details of that game are still so vivid. I was at a now long ex-girlfriend's house watching that game. I was so pissed off, I threw an empty beer bottle at the TV. Practically tore the front door off the hinges and went out in the street screaming and swearing. I remember her actually being scared as to what I may do. I didn't calm down until well after the game and after numerous shots of vodka of all things. Probably the angriest I have ever been at anything ever.

[EndZoneCrew]

i have a scar on my arm from when my fist went through glass directly after this game.  so as much as i'd like to scold you for bringing up this memory, i have my own permanent reminder...

395626[/snapback]

 

no scar here but I think I set a world record for the longest distance on a beer bottle ( I proceeded to go outside and hurl Blue bottles into the wooded area near my apartment at school)....that game gave me the fuggin worst feeling in my stomach...total BS!

[ATBNG]

SI ran the article about the head of the refs, telling them that there was no pass interference and they had to do better.  I know someone mentioned Flutie above, but I also remember Andre Reed after the game saying he heard the refs discussion on the out of bounds pass and the refs were confering and confused and one of them said just give it to them.  I must be getting old because I thought Coates caught the touchdown.

 

That game wasn't as big as a post season afair, but it left me about as upset as losing one. Pretty depressing thread, maybe next someone will ask what wide-right means too..

395798[/snapback]

 

Coates did catch the touchdown after the Pats were granted first and goal on the Hail Mary interference call.

 

Three other points about this game:

 

1. The Patriots were favored by 3, so Phillips REALLY screwed anyone who bet on the Bills by not defending the point after and turning the game from a push into a loss. His walking off the field was one of the worst things I have ever seen in the NFL. I can't imagine a worse beat having bet on a game.

 

2. This game combined with the game the week prior (Monday night comeback win over Miami) was probably the epitome of Drew Bledsoe's popularity as a player in New England. He was playing with a pin in his finger and really gutting it out - he was finally showing his guts and heart and getting comparisons with other notable Boston athletes who had played their best while injured (Bird, Neely). If the refs had gotten it right and the Patriots had lost, would Bledsoe's rep have been diminished ever so slightly?

 

3. The Pats ended up staggering into the playoffs at 9-7 with Scott Zolak and getting trounced by the Jags. If they had lost the Bills game and ended up 8-8, might Kraft have ditched Carroll a year sooner...when Coach Belichick may not have been available? Or would he have pursued Belichick anyway (they supposedly forged a close relationship in 1996)?

 

This is why the NFL is so great - one game can have the most extraordinary ramifications years and years down the road.

[EndZoneCrew]

His walking off the field was one of the worst things I have ever seen in the NFL.

395906[/snapback]

 

no...I think he outdid himself when he said that both the Bills and Colts were virtually out of the playoffs back in 2000 for that Monday Night game.....of course the Colts won out and actually made the playoffs......good ole Gomer!

[sfladave]

For the first time in my life I have actually developed a migrane headache!

 

Wide right.

Give it to them.

the dallas stars NO GOAL.

 

Even though it doesn't involve the Bills let me throw in the forward shuffle....

 

Good times....

[JLO]

For the first time in my life I have actually developed a migrane headache!

 

Wide right.

Give it to them.

the dallas stars NO GOAL.

 

Even though it doesn't involve the Bills let me throw in the forward shuffle....

 

Good times....

395922[/snapback]

dont forget the hole-in-the net goal for the Flyers against the Sabres in the 2000 playoffs

[BRH]

dont forget the hole-in-the net goal for the Flyers against the Sabres in the 2000 playoffs

395930[/snapback]

Or Home Run Throw Forward.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

That game hurt more than any other heart-wrenching Bills game (wide-right, forward lateral, etc.)—probably because we lost not in any part due to the play on the field, but instead because of the clear injustice of the refs.

 

I remember driving 30 miles from my college in the boonies to watch that game in the nearest sportsbar. I also remember that prior to that last drive, Moulds had probably one of the best games I have ever seen from a Bills’ WR–a sweet one-handed grab in traffic, being covered by Ty Law, and racing 70+ yards for a TD. And then I remember my heart being ripped out.

 

But besides being ticked at the refs, I was ticked that we didn’t stop them on the one-yard line after the PI call. Everyone in the universe knew they were going to Coates—except Marlo Perry, I guess.

[The Avenger]

The box score from that game - week 13 of the 1998 season. The receiver in question was Jefferson - it was before Patten was on the team. Coates got the gift TD after the phantom PI call - all these years later and I still never see PI called in a hail Mary situation, particularly when the infraction was nowhere near the ball. The 2 point conversion was by Vinatieri - they lined up for the extra point but with no Bills on the field he just took the ball and ran it in.

 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 25, Buffalo Bills 21

 

 

1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH FINAL

--- --- --- --- -----

Buffalo 0 6 9 6 21

New England 0 14 3 8 25

Second Quarter

NE-Edwards 2 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri kick), 9:44.

NE-Cullors 12 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri kick), 4:37.

Buf-FG Christie 34, 2:21. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:16.

Buf-FG Christie 26, :00.

Third Quarter

Buf-Moulds 84 pass from Flutie (pass failed), 10:57.

NE-FG Vinatieri 44, 5:06. Drive: 11 plays, 34 yards, 5:51.

Buf-FG Christie 22, :50. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:16.

Fourth Quarter

Buf-Reed 4 pass from Flutie (pass failed), 6:14.

NE-Coates 1 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri run), :00.

 

Buf NE

--- ---

FIRST DOWNS 23 24

Rushing 7 4

Passing 11 16

Penalty 5 4

THIRD DOWN EFF 7-14 5-13

FOURTH DOWN EFF 0-0 2-2

TOTAL NET YARDS 428 259

Total Plays 71 61

Avg Gain 6.0 4.2

NET YARDS RUSHING 99 44

Rushes 31 14

Avg per rush 3.2 3.1

NET YARDS PASSING 329 215

Sacked-Yds lost 1-10 4-31

Gross-Yds passing 339 246

Completed-Att. 21-39 28-43

Had Intercepted 0 1

Yards-Pass Play 8.2 4.6

KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 5-0-0 4-0-0

PUNTS-Avg. 4-32.0 4-47.0

Punts blocked 0 0

FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0

TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 77 114

Punts Returns 3-6 1-30

Kickoffs Returns 4-71 5-84

Interceptions 1-0 0-0

PENALTIES-Yds 12-107 9-80

FUMBLES-Lost 1-0 1-0

TIME OF POSSESSION 34:01 25:59

 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Buffalo, A.Smith 21-58, Flutie 5-30, T.Thomas 3-5, Gash

1-4, Linton 1-2. New England, Edwards 13-40, Bledsoe 1-4.

PASSING-Buffalo, Flutie 21-39-0-339. New England, Bledsoe

28-43-1-246.

RECEIVING-Buffalo, Moulds 8-177, K.Williams 4-74, Reed 4-53,

Riemersma 2-17, T.Thomas 2-6, Early 1-12. New England, Coates

10-70, Glenn 8-104, Carter 3-24, Cullors 3-24, Jefferson 2-18,

Edwards 2-6.

PUNT RETURNS-Buffalo, K.Williams 3-6. New England, Canty 1-30.

KICKOFF RETURNS-Buffalo, K.Williams 4-71. New England, Cullors

4-75, Sullivan 1-9.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS-Buffalo, Cowart 7-1-0, Perry 6-4-0, Jones

4-1-0, Schulz 4-1-0, B.Smith 4-0-1, Rogers 3-3-0, Hansen 3-1-0,

Northern 3-0-0, Irvin 2-1-0, Greer 2-0-0, Simmons 2-0-1, T.Smith

2-0-0, Washington 1-2-1, Price 1-0-0, Wiley 1-0-1, Linton 1-0-0,

Smedley 0-1-0, Pike 0-1-0. New England, Eaton 9-4-0, Bruschi

5-5-0, Clay 5-3-0, Milloy 5-2-0, Law 5-0-0, Sullivan 4-1-0,

Whigham 3-3-0, Thomas 3-2-0, Israel 3-1-0, T.Jones 3-1-0, Spires

2-0-1, Stuckey 2-0-0, Slade 1-1-0, Canty 1-0-0, Carter 1-0-0,

Edwards 1-0-0, Jefferson 1-0-0, Moore 1-0-0.

INTERCEPTIONS-Buffalo, T.Smith 1-0. New England, None.

MISSED FIELD GOALS-Buffalo, Christie 35 (WL). New England,

Vinatieri 47 (WR).

OFFICIALS-Referee Walt Coleman , Ump Garth DeFelice, HL Paul

Weidner, LJ Dave Anderson, BJ Bob Lawing, SJ Tom McAuley, FJ Dick

Creed.

Time: 3:25. A-58,304. No-shows-1,988.

[Ramius]

The box score from that game - week 13 of the 1998 season. The receiver in question was Jefferson - it was before Patten was on the team. Coates got the gift TD after the phantom PI call - all these years later and I still never see PI called in a hail Mary situation, particularly when the infraction was nowhere near the ball. The 2 point conversion was by Vinatieri - they lined up for the extra point but with no Bills on the field he just took the ball and ran it in.

 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 25, Buffalo Bills 21

                  1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH  FINAL

                  --- --- --- ---  -----

Buffalo            0  6  9  6    21

New England        0  14  3  8    25

Second Quarter

      NE-Edwards 2 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri kick), 9:44.

      NE-Cullors 12 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri kick), 4:37.

      Buf-FG Christie 34, 2:21. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:16.

      Buf-FG Christie 26, :00.

Third Quarter

      Buf-Moulds 84 pass from Flutie (pass failed), 10:57.

      NE-FG Vinatieri 44, 5:06. Drive: 11 plays, 34 yards, 5:51.

      Buf-FG Christie 22, :50. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:16.

Fourth Quarter

      Buf-Reed 4 pass from Flutie (pass failed), 6:14.

      NE-Coates 1 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri run), :00.

 

                                  Buf      NE

                                    ---      ---

FIRST DOWNS              23        24

Rushing                        7        4

Passing                      11        16

Penalty                          5        4

THIRD DOWN EFF      7-14      5-13

FOURTH DOWN EFF      0-0      2-2

TOTAL NET YARDS      428      259

Total Plays                  71        61

Avg Gain                    6.0      4.2

NET YARDS RUSHING    99        44

Rushes                        31        14

Avg per rush                3.2      3.1

NET YARDS PASSING    329      215

Sacked-Yds lost          1-10      4-31

Gross-Yds passing      339      246

Completed-Att.        21-39    28-43

Had Intercepted            0        1

Yards-Pass Play          8.2      4.6

KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 5-0-0    4-0-0

PUNTS-Avg.            4-32.0    4-47.0

Punts blocked                0        0

FGs-PATs blocked        0-0      0-0

TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 77      114

Punts Returns                3-6      1-30

Kickoffs Returns          4-71      5-84

Interceptions                1-0      0-0

PENALTIES-Yds          12-107      9-80

FUMBLES-Lost                1-0      1-0

TIME OF POSSESSION    34:01    25:59

 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Buffalo, A.Smith 21-58, Flutie 5-30, T.Thomas 3-5, Gash

1-4, Linton 1-2. New England, Edwards 13-40, Bledsoe 1-4. 

PASSING-Buffalo, Flutie 21-39-0-339. New England, Bledsoe

28-43-1-246.

RECEIVING-Buffalo, Moulds 8-177, K.Williams 4-74, Reed 4-53,

Riemersma 2-17, T.Thomas 2-6, Early 1-12. New England, Coates

10-70, Glenn 8-104, Carter 3-24, Cullors 3-24, Jefferson 2-18,

Edwards 2-6.

PUNT RETURNS-Buffalo, K.Williams 3-6. New England, Canty 1-30.

KICKOFF RETURNS-Buffalo, K.Williams 4-71. New England, Cullors

4-75, Sullivan 1-9.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS-Buffalo, Cowart 7-1-0, Perry 6-4-0, Jones

4-1-0, Schulz 4-1-0, B.Smith 4-0-1, Rogers 3-3-0, Hansen 3-1-0,

Northern 3-0-0, Irvin 2-1-0, Greer 2-0-0, Simmons 2-0-1, T.Smith

2-0-0, Washington 1-2-1, Price 1-0-0, Wiley 1-0-1, Linton 1-0-0,

Smedley 0-1-0, Pike 0-1-0. New England, Eaton 9-4-0, Bruschi

5-5-0, Clay 5-3-0, Milloy 5-2-0, Law 5-0-0, Sullivan 4-1-0,

Whigham 3-3-0, Thomas 3-2-0, Israel 3-1-0, T.Jones 3-1-0, Spires

2-0-1, Stuckey 2-0-0, Slade 1-1-0, Canty 1-0-0, Carter 1-0-0,

Edwards 1-0-0, Jefferson 1-0-0, Moore 1-0-0. 

INTERCEPTIONS-Buffalo, T.Smith 1-0. New England, None.

MISSED FIELD GOALS-Buffalo, Christie 35 (WL). New England,

Vinatieri 47 (WR).

OFFICIALS-Referee Walt Coleman , Ump Garth DeFelice, HL Paul

Weidner, LJ Dave Anderson, BJ Bob Lawing, SJ Tom McAuley, FJ Dick

Creed.

Time: 3:25. A-58,304. No-shows-1,988.

396139[/snapback]

 

Man that game pissed me off...if i remember it was a 4pm start, because i was a senior in HS and went out on a date before the game...the date was bad, and the girl was a cold B word (cold enough to the point that i went out with her a handful more times)...then i come home not happy from that to watch this bullstojan take place...

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

Also dont forget...Vinny's phantom TD as well cost the Bills the division I believe,

395604[/snapback]

 

Was that the stupid 3-yard TD run from the 4, "We thought his helmet was the ball" touchdown?

 

As I recall, the Thanksgiving coin-toss Pittsburgh screw-job in Detroit fiasco was around the same time. All in all, not a great season for refs. The "just give it to them game" was the biggest pile of steaming dog feces I've ever seen from the NFL, though.

[BuffOrange]

1. The Patriots were favored by 3, so Phillips REALLY screwed anyone who bet on the Bills by not defending the point after and turning the game from a push into a loss. His walking off the field was one of the worst things I have ever seen in the NFL. I can't imagine a worse beat having bet on a game.

 

2. This game combined with the game the week prior (Monday night comeback win over Miami) was probably the epitome of Drew Bledsoe's popularity as a player in New England. He was playing with a pin in his finger and really gutting it out - he was finally showing his guts and heart and getting comparisons with other notable Boston athletes who had played their best while injured (Bird, Neely). If the refs had gotten it right and the Patriots had lost, would Bledsoe's rep have been diminished ever so slightly? 

395906[/snapback]

 

Well, NE didn't HAVE TO be pricks and run in the conversion. I'm glad our players walked off the field.

If I remember correctly even Jimmy Johnson criticized the officiating, and he obviously wasn't rooting for us.

Bledsoe still to this day, will not admit that game was given to him, which is kind of a joke.

Oh yeah, the fact that this game cost us a 4-0 playoff record against Miami REALLY burns me up - and the refs in that game weren't much better. We made a 3rd down stop when we were down 17-14, the Dolphins punter is walking on the field, and the latest phantom flag in NFL history appeared out of nowhere and gave them a new set of downs. They scored and went up by 10.

[ATBNG]

Well, NE didn't HAVE TO be pricks and run in the conversion.  I'm glad our players walked off the field. 

If I remember correctly even Jimmy Johnson criticized the officiating, and he obviously wasn't rooting for us. 

396218[/snapback]

 

They're not being pricks. Of course NE is going to run it in. No sane person would risk a one point kick when the opponent is granting you a free two points. Point differential is a playoff tiebreaker after all.

 

You can be glad the players walked off the field, but I'm pretty sure you didn't have a few quid on the Bills that day. The Bills were assuredly jobbed, but what Phillips did was ridiculously unprofessional.

[TheMadCap]

I thought for sure one of those Pats trolls would show up by now to call us all a bunch of sore losers, bitter, obsessed witht the past, etc.

 

 

Any I forgot?

[BuffOrange]

They're not being pricks. Of course NE is going to run it in. No sane person would risk a one point kick when the opponent is granting you a free two points. Point differential is a playoff tiebreaker after all.

 

Check out game #5 of that season at Indy. We had a 3-4 TD lead before putting our scrubs in, and we only won by 7. That cost us the tie-breaker. I don't think a tie-breaker had ever come down to that before. I assure you that's not what the Pats were thinking about.

 

You can be glad the players walked off the field, but I'm pretty sure you didn't have a few quid on the Bills that day. The Bills were assuredly jobbed, but what Phillips did was ridiculously unprofessional.

396254[/snapback]

 

No, I couldn't get my 'quid' down on time. Pretty selfish of Wade and myself that we weren't thinking from the gambler's perspective.

[EZC-Boston]

I was at that game and it was one of the most miserable experiences of my life. I vowed never to go back to Foxboro, but couldn't pass up the first game the Bills played at CMGI (that's what my ticket stub says) field...

[R. Rich]

I think Patten was the guy who was lying unconscious with a leg out of bounds in the 2001 game at Buffalo.  Buffalo recovered the ball, but it was overturned as the refs ruled Patten was touching the ball while out of bounds, thus making it a dead ball.  That was relatively controversial as well.

395629[/snapback]

 

 

And didn't Twain, in his first year as a Patriot, take the next play 30+ yeards to set up the game winning FG?

 

The last game I went to...it was nice because the tickets were cheap and I got to sit right in front of my in-laws (that season, last game was "Pick-a-seat" Sunday ).

395792[/snapback]

 

 

Hahaha!!! That was the game when Keion Carpenter blasted Patten, who then fumbled the ball. Of course it wasn't a fumble, because his head was already out of bounds.

 

Nice call.

[The Avenger]

Hahaha!!!  That was the game when Keion Carpenter blasted Patten, who then fumbled the ball.  Of course it wasn't a fumble, because his head was already out of bounds. 

 

Nice call.

396317[/snapback]

 

 

As I recall the official rules was (is?) that if the ball touches a player and any part of that player is out of bounds the ball is considered out of bounds. I'm not saying I agree with the rules and it seems really stupid in the case of David Patten, but that was (is) the rule.

 

NE also was saved by the official rule when Brady was sacked against the Raiders - the infamous "tuck rule". Again, stupid rule, but officially correct according to the rulebook.

 

I guess what bothers me most is that when it comes to simple rules like having to have 2 feet in bounds when making a catch or having to actually go past the first down marker to actually make a first down the refs seem to blow it but when there is some very obscure official rule that can save the Pats somehow the refs become rulebook scholars who know and enfore the most minute details - very troublesome. Have the Bills ever benefitted from a ref knowing an obscure rule that saved us from something that common sense should have been ruled against us?

[Ghost of BiB]

NE also was saved by the official rule when Brady was sacked against the Raiders - the infamous "tuck rule". Again, stupid rule, but officially correct according to the rulebook.

 

Did I mention Walt Coleman.........

[Ramius]

As I recall the official rules was (is?) that if the ball touches a player and any part of that player is out of bounds the ball is considered out of bounds. I'm not saying I agree with the rules and it seems really stupid in the case of David Patten, but that was (is) the rule.

 

NE also was saved by the official rule when Brady was sacked against the Raiders - the infamous "tuck rule". Again, stupid rule, but officially correct according to the rulebook.

 

I guess what bothers me most is that when it comes to simple rules like having to have 2 feet in bounds when making a catch or having to actually go past the first down marker to actually make a first down the refs seem to blow it but when there is some very obscure official rule that can save the Pats somehow the refs become rulebook scholars who know and enfore the most minute details - very troublesome. Have the Bills ever benefitted from a ref knowing an obscure rule that saved us from something that common sense should have been ruled against us?

396346[/snapback]

 

Ok, so the ball touched an unconscious patten who was ruled to have possession of it even tho he was drooling on himself in a prone position with his head on the sideline...but then, he was OB and thus became the first player to touch the ball after being out of bounds...so shouldnt this be a penalty on him?