Zerovoltz

After KC lost that game, I wished we'd just lost to the Bills. You'd have had your Lombardi.

I've had a chance to rewatch and think about the game. 2 BIG things that I think as reasons why the Bills lost this game. and a significant, but important 3rd thing. 1. You have Josh Allen. Joe Brady nuetered him. 16 passes completed behind the LOS. No plays over 20 yards. The Bills O was NOT EXPLOSIVE. It wasn't just this game. Joe Brady shifted the Bills to a running team and turned Josh into a game manager. You have JOSH FREAKING ALLEN! Not Jimmy G! Does Josh have alot of the Brett Favre hazards to his game? HELL YES HE DOES! That's the cost of doing business when you have a guy who can sling it. You sling it and sometimes when you put the ball in jeopardy it aint gonna land where you want it to, but the big plays, the fear, the explosions....that's what you want and they nuetered him. I know as a Chiefs fan, KC can frustrate a QB And bottle up some targets. Doesn't matter. you should be agreessive when you have Allen at QB. Go rewatchthe Chargers game if you don't believe me. By the time the Bills played them, that was a team that had quit on it's coach, it's season was over, their D had been gashed all year and Joe Brady nearly lost you guys that game singlehandedly with the playcalling. You have Josh Allen....LEAN INTO IT...not away form it. 2. Maybe it's just that when you run into good QB's it's hard to play championship caliber D, but McDermotts defenses in playoff games VS Burrow and Mahomes, have been BAD. I don't claim to know why....I just know they are. Even the 13 seconds game, if KC doesn't miss a FG and XP, we never get to 13 seconds to begin with if you look back on it...and KC was moving it up and down the field...like they have in every playoff game they've been in. Even Skylar Thompson had himself a day against the Bills playoff D. Phillip Rivers should have come out of the playoff game he had against the Bills with a W...they were able to move the ball. Something is lacking with the Bills D when post season arrives. The common denominator is McDermott. 3. The Bills will have a fighters chance every postseason because of Allen....but I think the current coaching staff has taken him as far as THEY can. McDermott is a very good coach. He's overseen a complete overhaul of the culture and the development of the rawest QB prospect pretty much ever, into an elite QB. His efforst should be applauded. He's done very well. He's not the right fit to take the Bills to the next level. He's marty Shottenheimer and Dan Reeves. 1. Free Josh! 2. Figure out your playoff defense 3. probably find a coach to get you from here to there. Just my two cents.

I didn't even read past the first post in this thread. STOP DOING THIS. Allen is a great QB. Mahomes is a great QB. There is no reason to wonder about, doubt, think about "what if" or any of that when you have Josh Allen. The teams that SHOULD be doing that are the Broncos, Jets, Giants, Browns...you know, teams that passed up Allen when they could have taken him. Harbaugh just took a job with the Chargers, who have a horrible cap situation going into next year and cheap owners. They have Herbert....who isn't nearly ass accomplished as Allen. That's how much the QB matters in the NFL...and the Bills have one of the 3 best humans in the world at that position. Your problems are not at the QB position. Stop looking there to find fault or wonder about it. There are VERY VERY VERY few teams who have a QB where the fanbase has ZERO to worry or wonder about and the Bills is one of those. 30 other teams WISH they had Allen.

It's almost certainly not going to happen but it is worth considering. Dan Reeves and John Elway had alot of success together for several years but could never win a Super Bowl...and they got a to couple of them together and just couldn't get over the Hump. Dan Reeves was a really good football coach and he took Atlanta to their first Super Bowl after he was fied from Denver. It wasn't that Reeves was bad, but he'd clearly gone about as far as he was going to go with Elway and they moved on to Mike Shanahan, who was alot more innovative on offense and they eventually won back to back in 98 and 99 at the very end of Elways career...RIGHT BEFORE it was too late. Clearly McDermott is a good coach. He's overseen the transition for the Bills from a bad team, to one that made the playoffs with Tyrod Taylor, to drafting and overseeing the development of Josh Allen, who was very talented, but very very raw and he has seen that through with amazing results. All these things are great accomplishments to be celebrated. But....it seems like he's taken this as far as he can....either he's at the limits of his skills and capacity as a coach...stricken by bad luck...message is getting tired and old...or probalby some combo of all that. Making the decision to continue on with McDermott as HC isn't a referendum on him being a good or bad coach. He is a very good coach...but it's rather a choice to give a new or fresh voice and ideas a try where McDermotts methods have stalled. I very much doubt a change is forthcoming, but it's worth considering IF you think there is a guy out there that has a vision, plan and credibility to go farther. I don't know who that person would be. I also don't think McDermott is your coach when and if you win a super bowl.

I've read through all of these.... I'll give a score, but want to give a few observations first - KC hasn't given up more than 27 to a team all year....including to the Bills who got 20 in KC on a day when the Bills were +1 in TO margin. I see alot of score predictions in the 30's for the Bills. The Chiefs were 7-1 in games where the TO margin was equal or better. The only loss was week 1 against Detroit by 1 point. In games where KC was Even or better in TO margin, KC had a +91 point differential. In games where the Bills were Even or Better in TO margin, the Bills had a +203 point differential. That was the case in 9 games. Of the Bills 5 losses, they were minus in TO ratio in 4 of those. They were +1 in the OT loss to the Eagles. Of the Chiefs 5 Losses they were minus in TO ratio in 4 of those, and even in the other one (the loss to the Lions) Turnovers are a big factor in this game needless to say. In games where KC did not turn the ball over at all on offense they averaged 29 points a game, but this only happened twice all year. In games where the Bills did not turn the ball over at all on offense, they averaged 39 points a game, but this was only 3 games Both teams had exactly 28 Turnovers by their offense/Special teams. The Bills were second in the NFL in takeaways with 30. KC was 27th with only 17. The winner will be EVEN OR BETTER in TO margin. Stats for the season favor the Bills in this regard. In 4 out of the 5 Bills losses they were held to under 100 yards rushing as a team. The other loss The Bills had 4 TO to Denver but rushed for 192 as a team. There is no pattern to KC rushing yards and W/L. KC has a good overall D, but it's average at best stopping the run. Some of this is do in part to KC simply committing to stopping the pass but it's not a good run D. To win KC will need to keep the Bills, as a team, under 120 at most. Ok, that said, the above items should be playing into the Bills favor, BUT.....The injuries a really rough here for the Bills. The 3 big ones - Benford - KC has suffered badly from poor WR play this year but that SEEMS to have been somewhat fixed by going with an approach where you don't target the bad guys as much and target the good guys more often. Rice has emerged. Mising a key CB won't help, and will likely be something KC will try to exploit. Davis - KC has been incredibly successful eliminating teams No.1 WR all year. Diggs is going to be bottled up. Bernard - I understand he's a gametime decision. It's hard to cut on sprained ankles even if he goes. I won't be surprised to see KC roll with a ton of 2 and 3 TE sets trying to get the Bills LB's out on the field. KC isn't missing anyone of consequence. Big edge to KC on injuries. The injuries pretty well cover what I think KC will do when on offense VS the Bills D....so when the Bills have the ball, KC is going to leverage their fast, athletic LB corps. As in the first matchup, there will be a LB (most likely Willie Gay) being used to spy Allen the whole game. All rushed 10 times for 32 yards with a long of 8 in the regular season matchup. With no Gabe Davis, KC might also try and clamp down a bit more on the backs coming out into the pattern more aggressively. No WR other than Diggs will bother KC and he'll find himself in alot of man coverage while KC works to keep the TE's contained. If Knox and Kincaid can be held in check, and KC can effectively limit Allen with a LB spy, then the running game of the Bills is the key to cracking the KC D. KC D isn't that good against the run. Getting out to a lead will be important for KC to compel the Bills to pass more. Bills conventional run game will be key Ok...that all said... I also think there is a degree of all the pressure being on the Bills....they finally get this matchup in Orchard Park, with an electric loud crowd. Probalby will help get a false start or 2 but I think the Bills, if they get behind, will have the pressure of knowing that big cap related roster changes are coming this offseason, and like Tiger Woods on a Sunday in a major, lurking, the idea Mahomes is on the sideline, if the game is close, the idea he's over there might get in their heads. If there weren't the injuries, I'd be inclined to take the Bills in this game. KC is a rough matchup for the Bills even when they are healthy. I think KC has "flipped the switch" now that the post season is here, they are healthy and don't have the pressure of being in some sort of window trying to get 1 Lombardi. All this factored in - KC 26, Bills 24.

I showed up here back before the Bills played KC in KC and gave an honest assesment of how that game would go. I predicted a Bills win. I am a troll.

I sent a PM to to Captain Hindsight several hours BEFORE this was ever posted requesting paypal info.

....I thought it was a fake slide. I ALSO thought and continue to think, that there is room here for a fan of a rival team, to make that thread, and have that thread allowed to stand, and not ban the poster who started the thread. I knew it would be an extreemly unpopular take, but you guys have thick skins and can handle it. I wouldn't expect anything less than the response I got. That doesn't change the fact I don't welch and when KC has lost to the Bills I always show up, post, offer congratulatoins and take my medicine (although this last meeting, I predicted a bills win)

Not sure where this "welcher" narrative came from. I've always paid up, and showed up.

This sort of thing has been asked by other Bills fans here to me. I don't post on Chiefs planet. Not my kind of place. A lot of bad Chiefs fans there. Not representative of the fans you actually find on gameday at the stadium. In short...you'd probably not be welcomed warmly there. Also...if you search my history...I have complimented this community numerous times. This is a great board...lots of really engaged fans, that show up when times are good or bad. I'm glad to be a small tiny part of it here.

Congratulatoins! You are welcome. Thanks for posting that I paid up.

I'm here. Sent Capt Hindsight my paypal infor just now. I pay my bets....and I don't ghost when things don't go my way. Also, Folks I've bet with in the past in this community have always paid up to me whenever I've won. I'll wait until Captain gets back to me with his paypal and confirms I've paid, but anyone looking for a little Chiefs Bills action? I'll take KC and the points....would be willing to make 3 separate 100 dollar bets.

A pump fake, juke, fake pitch...etc are all plays that by rule DO NOT require the defender to give up on the play. A slide is specificially intended to protect the QB because by rule, once he slides he has given up, and by rule the defender must also. It's not the same thing. The defender was quoted after the game saying he wasn't sure if Josh was about to slide or not....causing him to pause...and not that Josh would know or care, but said player had already been fined and suspended for a late hits already this year. The defender to Josh's front right also pretty much gives up on the play (which is his fault, didn't play to whistle) so probably also thought Josh was about to slide. Doesn't look like a guy fighting to stay in the play and make a tackle at all.

Turnovers will matter alot in this game. KC was 7-1 in games where they were either even or plus in TO ratio for the year. KC was 4-5 in games they were -1 or worse...including the loss to the Bills where KC was -1 in a 3 point loss.

The Defender that Josh "Jukes" was just coming off a suspension and fine for a late hit. Let's say you are right...lets say that's something other than a fake slide....the defender was quoted as not being sure if he was about to slide causing him to hesitate. And the defender to Joshs front right, coming off a block, clearly hesitates and gives up. That's on him....you shouldn't give up until you hear a whistle...but it sure looks like he lets up thinking the play is about to be over. The worst part of this for Josh and any other QB...including Mahomes, who gives the impression that they might be considering or not considering a slide, intentional or not, is that the defense is eventually going to clock these guys and just accept the 15 yard penalty in an effort to get them to be alot more clear about their intentions.

Why wouldn't we be? The Bills are a good team with a great QB. We are going on the road. Plenty there to be nervous about.

I'm not trying to diminish the greatness of Josh Allen. He's awesome. I think that was a fake....alot of people (outside Buffalo) do. I'd like to see this aspect removed from the game. the slide is a rule to protect the QB...and it shouldn't be exploited by anyone. I understand the late hits on slides are judgement calls and sometimes the defender just can't stop...other times they are tyring to get a shot in. I get that Mahomes benefits from this rule on the sideline because players don't want get the 15 yard penalty and Mahomes will get an extra 5 out that circumstance. Congratulations on the win. I am excited for the upcoming game adn I know the mafia is fired up to be hosting this in Buffalo. Should be a fun week leading up to the game. I'm looking forward to seeing Mahomes on the road for the first time in the playoffs. Hopefully there won't be any bad calls etc that swing the game one way or the other and it's settled on the field.

You do realize this SAME account thinks Allen faked the slide right?

Show me one where I said it was OK to do it. I can show you some posts from Bills fans complaining about DAK doing a fake slide in that game.

I never said that Mahomes should get away with fake slides. I think fake slides should be a penalty. SOME of the replies here acknowledge that what Allen did was a fake slide but then just say it's fine because Mahoems does fake slides. I'm not defending fake slides no matter who does them.

Looking forward to the matchup! These matchups have been incredible over the years...and why would this one be any less epic? Bills with their best shot to advance since 13 seconds....HUGE legacy game for both QB's in this one! Can't wait!

JJ Watt thinks this was a brilliant example of USING A FAKE SLIDE...It's not like I'm out here by myself in the desert on this NFL QB's and Hall of famers think this was a fake slide.

This is a fair response. All I am saying is that it SHOULD be a 15 yard penalty. It's not. You are allowed to fake slide. It's crap.

Except in this case, when you fake, the defender is supposed to give up on the play by rule.