GunnerBill

Teams are running lots of pressure packages, blitzes and overloads because they don't fear the Bills ability to make them pay downfield. Until the Bills have guys who can threaten to make you pay down the football field on the outside we will continue to see defenses teeing off. Oh I think Brady is sending messages. Its why he keeps sending running backs deep to the outside in fringe redzone scenarios. He is saying to his bosses "I'm using my backs out here cos my outside receivers suck."

Josh had a bad first half today. He was better 2nd half. Was not his best game but he got zero help on offense. His D gave him a couple of takeaways but on offense he got no help in playcalling, protection or particularly receivers. That group of 5 (including Shavers) receivers to play for Buffalo today might be the worst they have fielded in my fandom.

If he was cleared you should have him in.

I thought I heard CD say Josh was still in the tent when the Bills went onto the field. Maybe I heard him wrong or maybe he was wrong but that was what I thought he said.

Agree. Its the combination for me. If they were thinking they might draft a tight end in the 1st round it was a stupid extension. Personally I'd have extended Knox and found a way to trade up for Jordan Addison. And I said that at the time too. We can barely use one tight end let alone two.

I don't think they kick from 65. I think they run a play as long as they have 12 seconds or more. That is how it is coached up and down the league. And I don't see how they wouldn't have 12 seconds or more. The Bills had to get a 1st down on offense or stop their one play from scrimmage to stop them having a kick for the game. Going bombs away from the 2 was not the percentage way to get the 1st down. But whether they did that and didn't get it or ran into the pile three times and didn't get it the calculation for Houston on the other side woulda been very similar.

Why not? What is the risk for them? That it goes to overtime? It wouldn't have been risky. They'd have had the 12 seconds they needed as long as they completed a pass they'd have been kicking from a makeable spot.

Allen was still in the tent. You can't pop in the tent and say "how long will he be?"

The other half of that I don't dispute. It is the clock bit I take issue with. That is a red herring IMO.

I still don't buy we'd have got them to 11 seconds. That is where this disagreement is. Not that they should have run - I agree. The point is only that even if they had run all 3 plays unless they made the first down timewise the result was unlikely significantly different. They'd have had the time for a short pass, a spike and a kick. The only way we could prevent that was making a 1st down.

Romo ALWAYS says 12 seconds is the cut off. I'm not sure there was a way to get them under 12. I'm more willing to listen to the argument that pass, pass, pass was not the most effective way of trying to convert a 1st down. I agree with that. I think its obsessing about the time thats a red herring.

I repeat, I'd have run the ball too but not cos of the clock. I'd have run it because the risk of a safety would have made me reluctant to drop back from the 2. But unless we converted the 1st down I don't think the timing element would have made much difference. They were gonna get 1 play plus a kick unless we converted IMO.

If they get the first the time is irrelevant. That was the only way to assure that they didnt get a kick at it.

That is unacceptable.

I don't think three runs would have taken 12 seconds. The Bills couldn't risk anything lateral because of the safety risk so they had to be hard fast downhill runs. I think generously maybe 3 seconds per play.

Not true. It was 1st - :32 to :27 - 5 seconds 2nd - :27 to :21 - 6 seconds 3rd - :21 to :16 - 5 seconds If you could have got them to 11 seconds I agree it isn't enough. You need 12. But I'm not sure, save from the Bills getting a first down OR them failing to complete a play, you could stop them being in kicking range. They were always likely to have about 15 seconds to play with.

That is cos backed up Martin has to line drive it and that means the coverage team doesn't have the necessary time to get down the field. I'd kind of factored that in to my thinking before the series even started. You are gonna be giving up some yardage on the return.

Yea its not black and white. I'd have run too. But it only makes their decision at the end slightly more difficult. Say the Bills ran 3 times for 5 yards and the put goes and is returned the same distance. The Texans then need 10 yards to get to where they kicked but throwing 10 yards and getting up to spike it is pretty doable with 15 seconds or so. Romo always say as long as you are throwing within 10 yards 12 seconds is the cut off for the complete pass in the middle and spike.

Our three long developing pass plays took 16 seconds off the clock. Three runs and three time outs take maybe half that. So those extra 8 seconds mean they still have time for a play plus a kick. The only way to avoid it was a first down IMO.

Jesus. Our passing game is truly terrible.

That was there as well. Hollins stinks.

Looked like OPI.

Ugh. Don't wanna throw deep from there. Gotta get out from under the posts.

Wow. Houston gave us a shot there by throwing to the sideline and then throwing incomplete. Wow. Wow. Wow. Houston blew it.

No idea. Awful call.