[closed]I think you have to pin this loss on Stevie

[Boatdrinks]

He was peeking in I don't know if you're right.

 

The play didn't force the spot where the ball was going to be vacated, period Also wouldn't (slot) Stevie be the presnap hot read on that play?

 

SJ was just running his route as he does. Has to try to get open, has to figure db will go with him. There is no "hot" read at the 1 yard line. You can't break a route off less than that. It was man to man coverage and you have to be willing to know the blitz is coming and you'll get hit. By trying to not get hit, Tuel lost the game.

[Tcali]

SJ13 also had a chance to redeem himself later in that same play. Once the pass was picked off, instead of trying to tackle the defender like he should have, SJ threw his arms up in the air and turned away in a temper tantrum. It is quite possible he could have prevented the TD on that play, and the way the Bills D was playing lights out could have helped his team pull the game out.

 

yes indeed....he woulda had a good chance at him. if he woulda ficused on the guy he woulda tackled him at the 5--whole diff game.

[4merper4mer]

SJ was just running his route as he does. Has to try to get open, has to figure db will go with him. There is no "hot" read at the 1 yard line. You can't break a route off less than that. It was man to man coverage and you have to be willing to know the blitz is coming and you'll get hit. By trying to not get hit, Tuel lost the game.

 

Shouldn't Stevie, as a vet, know this and drag his guy with him to create space for Graham? Of course he should but he super duper feet faked us right out of a win.

[Like A Mofo]

One thing about this play I don't see discussed much:

 

Obviously this play was designed for TJ Graham. When you are 3rd and goal at he 1, you have to make a quick quick decision. Now if you watch the top of the screen on the reply, Fred misses a chance to block an outside rusher from Kansas City...even IF Tuel decided not to throw to Graham, and looked for SJ, Tuel would have been hit and probably sacked.

 

But even that result is SO much better then what happened as we can then kick the FG and go up by 10.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Like A Mofo

[Dean Cain]

Watch that a hole Stevie throw his hands up in disgust on that play. Should have ran a straight clearing route.

[qblax16]

pinning the loss on stevie is garbage.

 

#1- i blame the coaches for calling any play for T J Graham, let alone a key play.

 

#2- i blame a green rookie QB.

 

this team is 1 FRANCHISE QB away from making the playoffs. the jury is still out on if E J is that QB.

 

if Peyton Manning was the QB of this team we would be 7-2 or better.

 

 

This

[Jerry Jabber]

It was great to see the Bills with an undrafted rookie QB, a 10-3 lead and on the doorstep of 17-3 against an 8-0 team. I think the team is turning it around and will be able to put games like this away soon; probably starting next year. If EJ was in there we probably win, but that doesn't mean this loss lands at Tuel's feet. He is raw and with limited experience and did not receive the required support from his team to make up for that.

 

You can blame the refs, and I would agree about Goodwin's catch. You can blame dropped passes and I think there are some cases to be made.

 

The bottom line is it came down to one play. Instead of the Bils scoring a TD and going up 17-3; the Chiefs did and it was 10-10. When you look at that play you want to blame Tuel for throwing into coverage but the blame really has to go to Stevie. Stevie is a vet and knows Tuel is a rook and that in a pressure situation he will probably go with his first read. On that play the first read is to the guy coming across; I think Graham. You can say it was a bad play call and I might agree....you can say Tuel locked on Graham and I might agree but.....the fact is that was the call and Graham did his job. It was Tuel's first read and he made the throw....Graham had beaten his guy...Tuel makes the throw....10-10.

 

Why? Because Stevie, instead of being a team player and dragging his man with him, decide to do his super duper feet fake and leave the defender there holding his jock. Stevie stood alone in the middle of the end zone knowing Tuel would never make that read. The jockless defender ended up scoring the game changing TD because Stevie had fooled him into not moving. Stevie is obviously one of the best players on this team. I generally like his humor and that he wants to be with the Bills. I would have to imagine he has been frustrated by the lack of attention he is getting from this hodge podge of QBs and I think that is understandable, but to undermine Tuel and the team in an effort to show the world how great you are is not cool. Just run your route, clear the path and be happy when we win.

 

From a talent level Stevie's skills are unique but he has to know when to use them. That play was NOT the time and it hurt the team and undermined Tuel. I wouldn't exactly call it selfish but more hard headed. He has to be more flexible in his approach.

 

I always thought a WR's job was to get open and provide an outlet for his QB, now you're saying SJ shouldn't have done that?

[4merper4mer]

I always thought a WR's job was to get open and provide an outlet for his QB, now you're saying SJ shouldn't have done that?

 

In a vacuum, yes. But we aren't in a vacuum. We had a rook QB with a 1 read look. His read was Graham, Graham was open and SJ super duper feet fake left Graham accidentally double covered. Stevie has to know the situation and help the team.

[Beerstm]

Really Seriously!!! Blame SJ for getting open In the end zone. Ok.. If I understand correctly. Stevie should have allowed himself to be covered. Again, let me see if I got this right? The Bills best bet was to have Tuel throw to a covered SJ in the end zone instead of allowing SJ to get WIDE open in the end zone? Seriously? just askin'

[Boatdrinks]

In a vacuum, yes. But we aren't in a vacuum. We had a rook QB with a 1 read look. His read was Graham, Graham was open and SJ super duper feet fake left Graham accidentally double covered. Stevie has to know the situation and help the team.

 

Umm, problem was Graham was NOT OPEN, or it would have been a TD. A cardinal sin of NFL QB'ing is ASSUMING pre-snap what will happen. You know what they say about assuming. This was ALL on the QB. It was not a 1 read play, it was man coverage across the board.

[CardinalScotts]

I think everyone tries to run plays that will work....it would have worked

[mjt328]

Incredibly dumb post, now I've heard it all. Stevie Johnson lost the game because he TRIED TO GET OPEN in the end zone! Unbelievable. Look, Tuel lost this game on that play because contrary to your post, he did NOT make a READ. He decided pre-snap where he was going to throw the football! That is a cardinal sin in the NFL, and the Bills paid the price. The design of the play was a pick play with Woods and Graham,yes. SJ left his guy in the dust, and Tuel has the easiest TD toss ever if he just makes a read. He'd have taken a hit, but this is a man's game. You can't panic when you see a blitz look at the line and predetermine your throw, end of story. And the excuse of being "put in that position" doesn't hold water either. The Bills were stuffed on 2 previous runs and that throw was as easy as it gets for a QB to read as it was man coverage across the board. If you hang in there and take the shot, a TD was the reward. He didn't, and we lost. You can't hold a QB's hand out there.

 

Re-post this 100x.

 

I've read some insane stuff on message boards (not just this one). And I know that a lot of Bills fans hate Stevie for no good reason. But this topic absolutely takes the cake.

 

Our WR gets open in the endzone. And it's his fault. Really?

 

This loss was Jim Kelly's fault.

 

Yeah. Personally, I blame CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson. If they hadn't gashed the Chiefs for 70+ yards on the drive, we could have just punted. That would have saved the INT return.

[DefenseWinzChampionshipz]

I cannot believe this thread. I mean, for real. It's unbelievable. Do some of you guys just watch the game and then play guessing games?

 

If you listened to Marrone's post game interview, Stevie ran his route the way he was supposed to. The Chiefs player just let Stevie go and Marrone was shocked and said either the defender knew exactly what play we called or, then he kind of looked shocked and said I've never seen anything like it.

 

The defender gets credit for guessing where Tuel was going to throw but you want to blame Stevie for getting wide open in the end zone? Wow. If you want to be upset with him, be upset at his body language after Tuel threw the interception cuz he was the only player not running back to catch the Chiefs player, but don't be upset cuz he got wide open in the end zone man. Any average to above average QB would have seen Stevie in the endzone.

 

Tuel threw the interception cuz he was locked on to his receiver and released the ball in like 1.2 seconds after the hike.

 

I'm getting really tired of this blame game thing that's going on...

[Simon]

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