UKBillFan

That's a good point. I'd actually prefer, if the rules only apply for one week, for it to be next Monday.

It's funny seeing the laws of the game actually applying to Gardner.

Can't let the game get out of hand, after all. Well done, zebras.

He's like Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It's not my fault I'm not to blame It's my receivers, they cannot play the game

It's 4 & 2, why go for the long shot? A third bizarre play call on a short down.

That was Darnold. Not sure if I blame him either.

They benefit from so many fluke mistakes from their opponents, then get vaunted.

That was dreadful.

It's Vikings ball.

What kind of playcall was that from the Vikings? 2nd & 1, 3rd & 1 - do they have no one they could just push over the line?

Sauce Gardiner getting praised for Jefferson dropping the ball whilst nowhere near him.

It's one thing to see a blueprint. It's another thing to have the players/coaching to follow it.

Whilst the Chiefs... beat them 17-10 at M&T. Albeit that was post season.

Of course the Bills couldn't stop them after that. The mental side of the game is almost as important as the physical (see the Bengals game in January 2023). The outcome of the trick play deflated everyone, and actions on one side of the ball punctured the other. The defense, demoralised, couldn't raise themselves to stop a buoyant Ravens offense - after two successful drives where they did - and then the offense were demoralised at both the trick play and the defense being rolled couldn't pick it up against a bouncing Ravens defense. I'm not sitting here saying the Bills would have definitely won, but they had a chance. And I don't think they would have been blown out as, if they had managed to score a TD on that drive, IMO the Ravens would have tensed up, as they did against Dallas.

The Bills defense forced the Ravens to punt twice in a row, and had scored a TD on their previous series on offense. They had got the ball to the Baltimore 47, and it was 2nd and 7. Big call, but if they kept rolling, it could have been 21-17 with plenty of the third quarter still to go. Another stop and who knows? Look how the Cowboys came back last week. After the fumble happened, the Ravens would have been boosted, the Bills demoralised, and the game played out from there. But I wouldn't say the game was a write off at the time of the play call.

There wasn't anything wrong with the call per se as an actual play, but the timing of it was awful. That was not the time to try it. If it had been called in the second quarter it would have been more understandable. As an aside, is the thread title going to be the moniker for it - Wide Right, Hail Murray, 13 Seconds... Brady's Play Call? ETA - Brady's Trick Play might be better.

Amazingly, though we saw it last week when the Ravens faced the Cowboys, the Bills weren't out of the game at 21-3. As you said, the way they started the third quarter suggested another comeback could be on. There were adjustments, there was control, they looked like a team who had come to play. And then that play call. As an outright play call, it's worse than the 13 seconds series. At least the latter had a semblance of logic to it, even though the execution was dreadful. It will always be the 'go to' for the disaster moment for current Bills, whilst (thankfully for all concerned) this happened in the regular season.

Just leave the kids in bed next Sunday. Much easier. For my part, I wish I hadn't agreed to carry out a lobotomy on Joe Brady. Sorry, everyone.

"Assuming Bass could make it" is why I said "may have"!

As critical as I am, the most annoying thing is the Bills didn't suck at the start of the third quarter. Ravens punt, Bills TD, Ravens punt. There had seemingly been adjustments and the game was turning. Then that call on 2 and 7. That's where the game actually lost. They may have managed to get it to at least a one score game with proper play calling on that drive.

Is it, though? There is no doubt McDermott is a good coach but this team continues to get in it's way. Play calling is a huge part of that, as we saw last night. I guess, in reality, a lot of us saw this as a rebuild year at the start of the season, so making the post season may be the limit. But, with the roster available in recent years with the unicorn at QB (who I probably laid more blame at feet of for the fumble last night than I should have) they should have won at least one ring by now. Swap the Chiefs coaches for the Bills coaches and they would have done. And that's why there is an aversion to McDermott.

The trick play came after the Bills had held them to two successive punts, and the offense had scored a TD on the previous drive? Plus the series record prior to the call was 24 yard pass, 6 yard run, 4 yard run, 3 yard run. It was 2&7 from Baltimore's 47. At time it felt like the momentum was swinging to back towards the Bills.

I was ready to accept a loss and going 3-1, but the manner of the loss was appalling.

I think Mahomes calls a time out and asks Reid what he’s smoking with that play call . Or protects the ball, takes the sack (no fumble) and try on, I believe it would have been, 3&7, but apologies if I recall incorrectly. It felt Josh… and especially Brady… were pushing it when they didn’t need to. The offense was rolling; the trick play which was then executed badly was not needed. I honestly believe with sensible play calling and execution it would have been 21-17 - Bass notwithstanding - after that drive and the game would have unfolded very differently.

I think it’s because the drop was a key moment in the first half, where all momentum drained away to the Ravens and the Bills didn’t regain it until the third quarter. Coleman himself recovered well.