Livinginthepast

The deep plays were there for Josh and he was being patient. I counted 4 long passes. 3 were outright dropped by receivers (2 by Sherfield and 1 by Diggs) and the last one that Josh had Shakir in the endzone he didnt get enough on it. The Bills failed to make the plays that would have won them this game or at the very least put way more pressure on KC. KC got let off the hook on all 4 and as much of a genius as Spagnola seems to think he is (and others too) they had nothing to with him and everything to do with luck.

Kelly had so many weapons at QB, Reed, Lofton, Metzellars and Thurman Thomas who could do everything effectively. He also had a great group of supporting but players like Beebe, Davis etc. Kelly was a great QB but he never could have done what he did without those guys. I think Josh could be even better than Kelly with a similar cast of characters. We need to go all in and find the modern versions of all these guys. We already have some pieces but need to add way more depth.

TBD is great! I often think that being a Bills fan is like being in an abusive relationship where you try your best but your partner constantly lets you down. Such trauma requires therapy and only this place supplies it! In addition the humor, especially at times like this reminds me that after all its just a sport!

The best example I can think of is Mike Vanderjagt. The most accurate in the NFL up to the early 2000s then he just lost it with kicks like this:

Whats incredible about the Bills is how bad they were on gadget plays under Dorsey and even last night under Brady. I dont mind the decision to fake it but the scheme and the execution was absolute crap. It looked like it was improvised in the dirt! On the only other gadget play they have tried this year ( a flea flicker) they completely botched it as well, like they never practiced it. They looked like a HS team out there (actually worse). Under Dabol the Bills were masters of the gadget plays and executed them really well. Take a look at this punt vs the Pats. Its superb! thats how you execute a fake punt, not that idiotic crap like last night!

I thought this team might be able to do it (even with the awful injuries ) if it peaked at the right moment. Ive watched football since the 79 season, Its not unusual for a team to come out of relative nowhere and win a championship. They just got hot and caught some breaks. The Raiders in 1980, The Giants against us in 1990, The Pats first SB, Baltimore's first SB with Trent Dilfer as QB. All these teams rounded into form and caught some lucky breaks on their way to winning. I really thought that might happen to us and we finally had KCs number. Now looking back 24 hours later, that was somewhat delusional, possibly nuts. The key injury for me was Milano, even as well as Bernard played this season as the leader of the defense, Milano was the glue that held it together and the playmaker when you needed him. The one guy that could by himself turn around a game by leading by example. We have not had that defensive leader since he went down. Even last night there was nobody to stem the tide when KC got rolling. Just one INT or sack might have done it but they had nothing. We did get some luck with the touchback fumble but it wasnt enough! As for KC vs the Ravens. I still think that Lamar implodes. Mahomes is just too savvy under the pressure to be beaten.

This is a pretty mean joke but it made me laugh out loud on this dreary day!! I feel the same way. I wish him well but he isnt an NFL caliber player.

Yes the stats speak for themselves. All of McD's playoff losses have 2 things in common. Bad decisions in game by him or his defenses that could not get it done when it really mattered. Last night had both again. He should have gone for the 4th down at the end. Going for the FG would have only had us the tie temporarily before Mahomes drove down the field for a winning FG on a defense that would have most likely have left guys wide open in a soft zone (as they did all night) or got gashed by 8 yard runs. Andy Reid is a HOF coach but even he got fired for not taking the Eagles over the hump. McD isnt in the same conversation as Reid but we dont have the ruthless ownership that the Eagles do to move on from him.

I blame the Dorsey offense. Brady did a much better job at in game decisions but he was limited to the Dorsey offense. I noticed the exact same thing as you in the last 2 weeks watching the other playoff teams. Even the worst teams got receivers open. Even the worst teams ran deception plays or screens that got great yardage. Those teams were able to make things consistently better and easier for their often inferior QBs (like Rudolph etc) to make plays. But Brady was stuck with Dorsey's Pop Warner playbook. Its an absolute travesty that he came in here and made our offense worse.

I agree Davis was missed but 2021 Gabe Davis. He has not been that guy since the 13 seconds game. a few flashes here and there but cancelled by drops and running the wrong routes. We desperately need a stud WR on this offense for the deep threat. Its too bad that hasnt materialized for Davis.

Had a terrible sleep replaying the slow motion nightmare of last night. I'm pretty laid back about most things in life. The Bills are pretty much the only thing that gets my heart pounding with stress and adrenaline like that and sleep gets ruined. That said, today I am numb. It always feels like someone has died when the Bills finally get knocked of contention and I am sick and tired of doing a post mortem about things every year at this time. It will fade in the next couple of days but right now its that stupid childish feeling of sadness.

I dont mind it as a call. But Damar Hamlin getting the ball?

Leonard Floyd was good at times this year but ultimately he was disappointing when it mattered. Even so I would love for him to be back. Jones was great then injured (need him back to form) . Hyde appears to be done as an effective player (One of my favourite Bills of the last few years) The rest of the list is so meh that I couldnt care less. Epenesa especially disappointed me. Flashes of brilliance then invisibility.

I agree about the WRs but even a quality group of receivers needs a good offensive play book to part of. Watching the last two weeks of playoffs showed me over and over again how unsophisticated our offense was this season compared to other teams. Even with Brady running it and making better decisions than the useless Dorsey we were hamstrung by the limited playbook. Yes Josh missed guys tonight but on many plays we were not scheming guys open and there was no deception to our game plan all season like in the Dabol years. The 4th down? play to Shakir where he faked left then right in the backfield and was wide open for the first down was so rare this year. Brady did well with a terrible offense he inherited but imagine our current offense with a great coordinator and a sophisticated play book!

Its the Charlie Brown effect. This time! Yes this time we are going to kick that football! and then reality strikes and our SB victory and hope vanish like a mirage. I've been a fan since the 79 season and they have killed me like this at least 8 or 9 times but I foolishly convince myself to hope again!

Im with you there. But the future is the only glimmer of hope we have with this never ending Bills induced torture!

We would have watched Mahomes do his master class on hurry up dink and dunk and the Bills chasing him and missing him only for him to get a first down. Von Miller tackling air and then the inevitable Butker perfect Fg right down the middle with no time on the clock.

Not insanity at all with an iffy kicker (who is in a bad headspace) on a cold night and a defense who had few answers at all. We needed to go for the 4th down play and win it with no time for the Chiefs to go down the field for a TD.

It was almost a great prediction! But the Football Gods love to torture us Bills fans.....ENDLESSLY!!!

Yes that meatball that played for Washington would have made it because that guy has confidence. Bass was scared when he trotted out there and tightened up. The kick was really bad.

Yup I agree. As soon as we decided to play for a tie with a low % FG kicking in the cold, we lost this game. We should have gone for the first down and the TD and the win. I would have had more respect for McD had he done so. Bass hasnt been right for a long time and McD knew that. If we get that TD we are up by 4 and KC has to drive the field and cant get one of their bogus game winning FGs. But either McD froze or he never even contemplated that scenario.

1. Diggs has to make that catch, it was in his hands 2. The miss to Diggs was on Josh totally. He will be having nightmares watching that again. 3. Bass lost his mojo a while ago. And once a kicker does that, its over. Its very similar to Norwood. Baltimore and KC dont have that problem.

Ultimately it comes down to coaching. Even at the end. McD knows that Bass is struggling and so does Brady. Why did we even kick there?? ? Even if Bass gets the FG we probably lose this game because the Chiefs get into winning FG range easily when they get the ball back. Once we didnt get the touchdown we lost. McD just isnt up to the job when it comes to these high stress crucial decisions.

Yup only the Bills lose like this . Always!!

Some people get an adrenaline rush off Bills games. For the last 4 decades games like this make me physically ill.