Clock Management

[vegas55]

I believe Marrone to be a good coach and a very good fit for this Bills team. But, as is true with many NFL head coaches, good, strategic clock/game management continues to elude him. his most recent mess was the end of the first half in last weeks Dolphins game. Bills get the ball on their own 2 with just a little over a minute left in first half, Dolphins have two timeouts left. Bills have dominated first half, lead 10-0 on a cold, wet and windy day. Plus they are getting the kickoff to start second half. It's pretty clear they would be happy to take that lead into halftime. It should be very clear that allowing Miami to score would be a disaster. The correct strategy should be to take a knee three times. This would avoid the possibility of a fumble, and leave Miami with at best enough time to run one Hail Mary play. But no, the choice is to run the ball three times, and even though we avoided a fumble, a bone head play by Spiller gives the Dolphins enough time to score. Indeed, Wallace is left one on one on a deep sideline pass that could have scored a TD. Bills dodged a bullet, but it was totally unnecessary if the game was managed correctly. And it's not impossible, based on recent history, for a Bills player to fumble in a big situation, especially in those conditions. This is how games are lost in the NFL, even when your team outplays the opponent. And this is in part why a team with such a high ranked defense has only 6 wins.

[Max997]

You don't kneel 3 times from ur 2 when you still hv to punt the ball away so running 3 times to try and get some room was the right call

 

Spiller made a mistake obviously but the play call on third down was dumb as well. Why even take the chance of running towards the sideline on third down? Just run it up the middle and hope for the best then punt

 

I do agree though that Marrones game mgt at the end of halves has been questionable on a few occasions

Edited December 28, 2013 by Max997

[missthe kgun]

While I agree with you that his clock management has been suspect at best, that situation did not call for 3 kneel downs. You cannot kneel 3 times from your own 2 my friend, because to take a knee means to go backwards which would be giving away a safety...I didn't understand why the hell Spiller got the call to the sideline, instead of Fred or Summers up the middle. Spiller sucks at getting what's there, and does not want to be hit.

[R2ITRich]

Regarding the end of the first half, the bigger issue is why the Bills did not call timeout before Miami punted the ball to us. We could have had the ball with just under two minutes to play. Instead, we had the ball with just over a minute. Good coaches would have given their team a chance to score some points instead of running out the clock.

 

Additionally, at the end of the same game, with around six minutes left in the game, and up by 13, we were snapping the ball with 15 seconds left on the play clock. We kicked the field goal with 15 seconds left on the play clock!! Sometimes the hurry-up offense is a detriment, especially when you are winning the game. Running out the clock is your friend.

[Bangarang]

Kneeling 3 times from your own 2 yard line and punting is pretty ridiculous.

[vegas55]

While I agree with you that his clock management has been suspect at best, that situation did not call for 3 kneel downs. You cannot kneel 3 times from your own 2 my friend, because to take a knee means to go backwards which would be giving away a safety...I didn't understand why the hell Spiller got the call to the sideline, instead of Fred or Summers up the middle. Spiller sucks at getting what's there, and does not want to be hit.

 

Actually I had hoped anybody who viewed the game would catch the typo in my OP. I guess you did not watch the game, my friend. The Bills had the ball on the 20, not the 2, my bad on the typo. So I believe your point, which would have been a good one, is not relevant.

 

Kneeling 3 times from your own 2 yard line and punting is pretty ridiculous.

 

Yes it is - Bills had ball on the 20, not the 2.

[Max997]

Regarding the end of the first half, the bigger issue is why the Bills did not call timeout before Miami punted the ball to us. We could have had the ball with just under two minutes to play. Instead, we had the ball with just over a minute. Good coaches would have given their team a chance to score some points instead of running out the clock.

 

Additionally, at the end of the same game, with around six minutes left in the game, and up by 13, we were snapping the ball with 15 seconds left on the play clock. We kicked the field goal with 15 seconds left on the play clock!! Sometimes the hurry-up offense is a detriment, especially when you are winning the game. Running out the clock is your friend.

 

Couldn't disagree more with ur first point which you contradict in ur second point.

 

You don't call timeouts up 10 at home in bad weather at the end of the half when ur getting the ball to start the second half. The only time you would even think of doing that is if u were getting good field position which they obviously were not.

 

Why extend the first half at that point and give Miami a chance to get the ball back with enough time on the clock to put a drive together? Marrone made this mistake in the first Miami game up 10 at the end of the first half passing 3 times taking less then a minute off the clock before punting and watching Miami score with 21 seconds left turning what should have been a 10 point halftime lead into a 3 point lead.

 

It's called situational football

Edited December 28, 2013 by Max997

[R2ITRich]

I don't contradict with my second point. Totally different situation. With my first point, there is 32 minutes of football left to play. Assuming that you will win the game with only 10 points at that point is not a good way to play. Unfortunately, Buffalo has been playing that way far too long... And they usually end up on the wrong side.