‘Allen was under siege for most of the game against Tampa and absorbed three sacks and 11 quarterback hits.’
Archives for December 13, 2021
Observations: Valiant comeback effort falls short as Bills’ defense can’t stop Bucs in OT
‘Execute is a word that Edmunds used over and over again in his postgame press conference. That’s something the Bills were unable to consistently do, allowing Brady to go 31 of 46 for 363 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Additionally, Bucs running back Leonard Fournette piled up 113 yards on 19 carries, including a 47-yard touchdown in the first quarter.’
After no running back carries in first half, Bills adjust but come up short
‘Their 130 rushing yards in the second half and overtime was more than their total in nine other games. A huge part of that was quarterback Josh Allen, but also just having any carries by running backs at all.’
Bills Q&A: What wild loss in Tampa says about the Bills’ mojo, playoffs, offense
‘This was not a moral victory in any way, but you have to respect the way the Bills pulled together after a miserable first half.’
Plays that shaped the game: Mixup on final play foils Bills’ defensive turnaround
‘It had to be a coverage mix-up by the Bills’ defense. Perriman caught the ball 10 yards downfield with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds two steps behind and chasing. Perriman runs the 40-yard dash in 4.26 seconds, one of the fastest pre-draft times in the past 20 years. There was no way Edmunds was catching him.’
Quarter by quarter: Bills’ wild comeback falls short in OT
‘Buffalo was unable to do anything with their opening drive of the second half. The Bills attempted a fake punt, which was quite unsuccessful. Running back Matt Breida lost three yards on the play.’
Report Card: Coaching not to lose, rare poor pass defense cost Bills against Bucs
‘The secondary failed the first true test without Tre’Davious White.’
Another Voice: Downtown stadium is a once-in-century opportunity
‘We have been victimized by shortsighted site planners in the past. UB was built in Amherst. The Bills stadium was built in Orchard Park. I am sure the current consultants believe we don’t have the juice to get a new stadium done in downtown. They totally underestimate the combined power of our New York State governor, Kathy Hochul, our very senior state senator, Tim Kennedy, our State Assembly majority leader, Crystal Peoples-Stokes, and County Executive Mark Poloncarz. Together they add up to a powerhouse lineup we haven’t had in a century.’
Maiorana: Bills rally to force OT was magnificent but Tom Brady tortures them again
‘But maybe, just maybe, they can build off what happened in the fourth quarter Sunday night and win three, maybe even all four, of their remaining games. Will that be good enough for a playoff berth? It’s awfully tough to know right now, but make no mistake, the Bills are not in a great spot at 7-6 in the jumbled AFC.’
Bills report card: Josh Allen nearly pulled off heroic win and season hinges on his injury
‘Brady toyed with the Bills in the first half as he was 19 of 26 for 211 yards and a TD, and then after a sluggish second half where he couldn’t get much of anything going, he stepped up in the biggest moment of the game and completed all four of his overtime passes, the last the 58-yard TD strike to Perriman.’
Bills’ 2nd half rally could be season-saver
‘Had Buffalo lost 38-10, the season, in effect, would be over. But that second half proved what this team can be and, despite the loss, Buffalo, is still hanging onto that seventh and last AFC wild card spot.’
Brady pads his record book against Buffalo
‘Tom Brady’s game-winning touchdown pass, a 58-yarder to Breshad Perriman, was the 700th of his illustrious career. It was also his 33rd victory over the Bills (32 of them with the Patriots), an NFL record against one team. He had already broken Drew Brees’ record for both career completions and passing yards.’
Bills’ Josh Allen in walking boot after Bucs game; How serious is it?
‘“Honestly, I’m not quite sure (how serious it is),” Allen said. “I guess we’ll do some more tests on it tomorrow. But I finished the game on it, so I don’t think it’s gonna be a big deal.”’
Bills’ Sean McDermott defends decision to punt down 14 in 3rd quarter vs. Bucs
‘“I liked how we were playing by that point,” he said. “Made some good adjustments at halftime, and the defense had two stops leading into there, three total if you go back to the end of the first half. So anyway, at the end of the day, I want to put them in position. And I think we were in position at the end there to win it.”’
Bucs coach critical of how Bills use Josh Allen as runner
‘“He’s more like Cam Newton, but with a bigger and stronger arm,” Arians said. “We talked about the designed quarterback runs are tough. I wouldn’t put my quarterback in that much of harm’s way because he did get nicked up a little bit. But they did a heck of a job with it.”’
Vet ref calls foul on Stefon Diggs no-call late in Bills and Buccaneers game
‘The officials missing the play was bad enough, but they would double-down on questionable decisions in overtime when Levi Wallace would get flagged for pass interference against Mike Evans.’
Bills’ second half vs. Buccaneers proves they can hang with anyone (Encouraged/worried)
‘If that second half unit shows up against the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets, Buffalo has a great chance to end the season at 4-0 and enter the playoffs on a hot streak.’
Josh Allen leads Buffalo back in superhuman effort vs. Bucs; Bills fall short in OT (Week 14 report card)
‘Despite having Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison and drafting defensive ends high in the past two drafts, DT Eli Ankou was the only player who could take Brady down on Sunday from the defensive line. Let that sink in.’
Five takeaways: Bills comeback falls short in OT loss to Brady, Buccaneers
‘As they did in a loss to New England last week, the Bills lacked discipline and physicality in defeat, as a poor effort in the trenches, penalties, questionable coaching decisions and missed opportunities told the story in a second consecutive defeat. Allen was sacked three times in the loss, while Buffalo committed seven penalties and abandoned the running game entirely in the first half before igniting it during a more productive second half offensively.’
Sullivan: High marks for Bills’ Allen; McDermott, Beane not so much
‘That’s easy to say, but what about the guys who wandered around like drunken elves before halftime? Coming in, they led the league in total defense at 272 yards per game. The Bucs had 303 yards of offense in the first half alone. They had 18 first downs.’
Hobbling Allen leads Bills all the way back only to fall in OT to Brady’s Bucs
‘It was a story of three games, really. The first half, in which the Bucs rolled to a 24-3 lead over a Bills team that alternated between being overwhelmed and disorganized.’
Monday’s Tampa Bay Coverage
Bucs win in overtime on Tom Brady’s 58-yard TD pass (Tampa Bay Times)
Bucs made things interesting. They would have preferred convincing. (Tampa Bay Times)
After this game, the Super Bowl should be Tampa Bay’s to lose (Tampa Bay Times)
Tom Brady’s early mobility precedes his 11th-hour moxie (Tampa Bay Times)
Young Tom Brady vs. Old Tom Brady: Game 13 comparison (Tampa Bay Times)
Photo gallery (Tampa Bay Times)
Tom Brady breaks Drew Brees’ record for career completions (USA Today)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady overtakes Drew Brees for NFL pass completions record, throws 700th touchdown (ESPN)
Buccaneers’ Tom Brady breaks Drew Brees’ NFL record for career completions (CBS Sports)
Tom Brady Passes Drew Brees for All-Time Completions Record (SI)
Bucs’ Tom Brady sets another NFL record vs. Bills (Fox News)
Bucs dramatic win over Buffalo Bills (WTVT-TV)
Bucs Stun Bills With Walk-Off Thriller (Buccaneers.com)
Rapid Reaction: Buccaneers 33, Bills 27 (Buccaneers.com)
Top Three Takeaways from Bills vs. Buccaneers (Buccaneers.com)
Tom Brady Collects Another All-Time NFL Record (Buccaneers.com)
What’s Next: Bucs Host Saints in Prime Time with Division Title on the Line (Buccaneers.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Buccaneers.com)
Photo gallery 2 (Buccaneers.com)
Photo gallery 1 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 2 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Tom Brady’s 700th TD Pass Lifts Bucs Over Bills 33-27 In OT
‘In his first game against the Bills since moving to Tampa Bay in 2020, Brady threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also scored on a quarterback sneak set up by the 7,143rd completion of an unmatched 22-year career that includes seven Super Bowl titles.’
Allen Has Big Game In Bills’ 33-27 Overtime Loss To Bucs
‘A Bills victory looked like a hopeless cause at the half with Buffalo trailing 24-3. Then Allen, who became the fourth player in league history to throw for over 300 yards and also rush for 100-plus in the same game, spearheaded a stunning comeback that fell just short.’
Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen in walking boot after loss to Bucs; tests set for Monday
‘Allen appeared to suffer the injury at the end of a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter. He did not miss a snap but was limping throughout the rest of the game, and it appeared he wasn’t putting much weight on the leg.’
Buccaneers vs. Bills score: Tom Brady throws game-winning TD in OT to fend off Buffalo’s comeback attempt
‘You do have to give the Bills credit for clawing their way back into this game, but they didn’t do themselves any favorite throughout the evening. One of the more noticeable things that was lacking by Buffalo to begin the game was a running game. They didn’t have a single running back carry throughout the first half, which made them the first team since 1991 to do so. When they finally did give a running back a carry it came on a fake punt attempt in the opening drive of the third quarter, which resulted in a 3-yard loss. That play was one of a number of questionable decisions by Sean McDermott throughout this game.’
Josh Allen in walking boot after Bills’ OT loss to Buccaneers, will undergo tests for foot injury
‘Buffalo returns to the field next Sunday, when the Bills will host the Panthers (5-8), who’ve now lost three straight after falling to the Falcons on Sunday. In the event Allen is unable to practice ahead of — or play in — the Week 15 matchup, Buffalo would likely turn to backup Mitchell Trubisky as an emergency starter under center.’
Bills go entire first half vs. Buccaneers without handing off to a running back
‘The Bills didn’t hand the ball off to a running back once in the first half against Tampa, and became the first team since 1991 that played an entire first half with no carries registered by a running back, per Scott Pioli. Quarterback Josh Allen was the only Bill who ran the ball, as he recorded four carries for 43 yards in the first two quarters.’
Buccaneers Beat Bills on Walk-Off Overtime Touchdown
‘Brady and the Bucs received the ball at their own 6-yard line after a Bills punt to start overtime. The poor field position was no issue as Brady marched Tampa down the field, and facing a 3rd-and-3 at his own 42, the seven-time Super Bowl champion ended the contest in thrilling fashion.’
Josh Allen injury update: Bills QB in walking boot after OT loss to Buccaneers
‘Trainers on the sideline retaped his foot and he continued on in the game, but he came to his postgame media availability wearing a walking boot.’
Questionable pass interference calls benefit Buccaneers, cost Bills’ comeback in OT thriller
‘The Buccaneers benefited from a questionable pass interference call on Mike Evans in overtime that moved them up 19 yards. The call came not long after the Bills were forced to settle for a game-tying field goal after a similar play did not result in a pass interference penalty near the end of regulation.’
Bills claw back but fall to Buccaneers in overtime
‘Despite starting deep in their own territory, Brady and the Buccaneers were able to muster a six play, 94-yard touchdown drive to strike a dagger in the Bills comeback hopes. Brady found wide receiver Breshad Perriman on a crossing route around midfield, Perriman evaded Bills middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and ran in for the game-winning touchdown. Buccaneers 33, Bills 27.’
I’m angry and I’m worried
‘The Bills trailed 10-0 in the second quarter and faced a fourth and goal at the Bucs three yard line. McDermott opted for a field goal. You might have had flashbacks to the AFC Championship game at that moment. In a first half where the defense was getting picked apart by the possible league MVP Tom Brady, the Bills head coach didn’t think a touchdown would be more important. Tampa has the number one scoring offense and averages more than 30 points a game yet McDermott felt three points would be enough. I’m not sure why he forgot you need touchdowns to beat the explosive offenses and not field goals.’
Opinion: Capaccio: Arrow Up/Arrow Down: Bills at Buccaneers
‘The Bills finished the game a putrid 2-of-13 on third down for just 15.4%. They were 0-for-5 in the first half on third down, where they not only couldn’t score, but had a lot of trouble sustaining drives.’
Bills comeback in Tampa falls short 33-27 in overtime
‘The first half of the game was completely dominated by Tampa Bay. Tom Brady and company could move the ball with ease, while the Bills didn’t hand the ball off at all for the entire first half. That hadn’t been done in three decades. Buffalo’s predictability saw them trail 24-3 at halftime.’
Bills look for momentum to build on after tale of two halves in Tampa
‘”I just have to do a better job with my eyes. There’s still no excuse for it,” linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said of the game-winning play. “Based on the results, it doesn’t look like we were in the right place, but like I said man, it’s just execution at critical times of the game. Not executing at a high level, that’s what we preach about week in and week out. And that’s what we have to get fixed.”‘
Bills fall to Bucs 33-27 in overtime thriller
‘In overtime, the Bills punted it away, and on Tampa Bay’s possession, Brady connected with Breshad Perriman for a 58-yard touchdown to end it.’
Josh Allen on left foot injury vs. Bucs: “There was no way I was going out”
‘“Honestly I’m not quite sure I guess we’ll do some more tests tomorrow but I finished the game on it so I don’t think it’s gonna be a big deal,” Allen said after the game.’
4 Observations: Bills’ rally falls short in overtime
‘Now what? The narrative of this game, this team and this season seemed to change 50 times on Sunday. When the Bills trailed 24-3, I was really wondering if this season was toast and if we would see this Bills team rollover but the second half told a much different story. I don’t like moral victories but here we are. The Bills outplayed the Buccaneers in the second half and despite the loss changed some storylines. Sean McDermott’s squad reminded everyone that when they are clicking on both sides they can play with the top teams in the NFL but consistency is an ongoing issue.’
Ground game, an inconsistent offense plague Bills in overtime loss
‘The Bills gave up a quick 47-yard touchdown run to Leonard Fournette, while Josh Allen and the offense couldn’t get anything going. The Bucs offense had over 300 yards of offense at the end of the first half and completely dominated the first two quarters of this football game.’