Moral and immoral victories - This week's Buff News Fan column

[Kelly the Dog]

https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/10/buffalo-bills-baltimore-ravens-fans-josh-allen-lamar-jackson/

 

Let's have a larger discussion about moral victories. I am a firm believer that there are no moral victories, and yet, of course, there are.

 

An excerpt...

"Sports clichés have been around since the first ball was kicked or picked up and run with. And two facts remain about virtually all of them; they are right and they are wrong.

 

One of the most often stated in sports fandom is, “There are no moral victories.”

 

This is wholly true in numerous ways, and patently false in others.

 

Standing up to the league’s top team versus getting curb-stomped matters. A few plays in Sunday's Bills loss that propelled the game in a different direction that can be worked on or fixed are a world away from back-to-the-drawing board blowouts. Confidence is still sky high if you measure up and compete against the best of the best.

But moral victories are soon forgotten. Wins are forever.

And yet, the Baltimore game also simultaneously proved that the Bills can play with anyone and beat anyone in 2019, and will likely still be playing the first week of 2020. The defense made MVP favorite Lamar Jackson into the most visible or versatile but not MVP.

 

The Bills brought their A game on defense, B game in special teams and coaching, and C game on offense, and still stacked up.

 

That is a cold, hard truth; and yet H.L. Menken shrewdly observed, “In human history, a moral victory is always a disaster, for it debauches and degrades both the victor and the vanquished.”

 

But it is also a cool hard truth that the Bills fought toe-to-toe like “Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots" against the finest, most well-rounded, confident and hottest team coming in.

The defense matched up physically with the brutish Ravens; what Micah Hyde agreed was, “big-boy football," and something unclear even in the drought-breaking playoff season in 2017.

 

This season, and this team, is different.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Kelly the Dog

[Motorin']

It's pretty simple, does the team use positives in a loss to build on and get better? That's the important thing.

[Boatdrinks]

They’re different IF they win a 10th game and reserve their own place at the playoff table. If they don’t, it looks like more of the same. 

[Houston's #1 Bills Fan]

Great post. I felt terrible after the game. Still not thrilled, but I'm getting better. The fact that we were so close to tying the game and going into Overtime against the best team in the League, I am starting to come around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still would have liked the win, though......

[ProcessYaDigg]

10 minutes ago, Houston's #1 Bills Fan said:

Great post. I felt terrible after the game. Still not thrilled, but I'm getting better. The fact that we were so close to tying the game and going into Overtime against the best team in the League, I am starting to come around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still would have liked the win, though......

Still blows my mind that we didn't draw up a play for Beasley on that final play.  With that close to the goal, Beasley makes all the sense in the world cuz he finds ways to get open.  And it's still hard to swallow the fact that if we would've won that game, winning the division would've been completely in our control.  It can still be done, but it'll be much harder.  Or we should've just beaten Cleveland.  Either way, let's just get to double digit wins and get into the playoffs.  We will build on our losses and if we wind up playing a team for a second or third time in the playoffs, we'll be much tougher and more prepared.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

47 minutes ago, Kelly the Dog said:

https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/10/buffalo-bills-baltimore-ravens-fans-josh-allen-lamar-jackson/

 

Let's have a larger discussion about moral victories. I am a firm believer that there are no moral victories, and yet, of course, there are.

 

An excerpt...

"Sports clichés have been around since the first ball was kicked or picked up and run with. And two facts remain about virtually all of them; they are right and they are wrong.

 

One of the most often stated in sports fandom is, “There are no moral victories.”

 

This is wholly true in numerous ways, and patently false in others.

 

Standing up to the league’s top team versus getting curb-stomped matters. A few plays in Sunday's Bills loss that propelled the game in a different direction that can be worked on or fixed are a world away from back-to-the-drawing board blowouts. Confidence is still sky high if you measure up and compete against the best of the best.

But moral victories are soon forgotten. Wins are forever.

And yet, the Baltimore game also simultaneously proved that the Bills can play with anyone and beat anyone in 2019, and will likely still be playing the first week of 2020. The defense made MVP favorite Lamar Jackson into the most visible or versatile but not MVP.

 

The Bills brought their A game on defense, B game in special teams and coaching, and C game on offense, and still stacked up.

 

That is a cold, hard truth; and yet H.L. Menken shrewdly observed, “In human history, a moral victory is always a disaster, for it debauches and degrades both the victor and the vanquished.”

 

But it is also a cool hard truth that the Bills fought toe-to-toe like “Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots" against the finest, most well-rounded, confident and hottest team coming in.

The defense matched up physically with the brutish Ravens; what Micah Hyde agreed was, “big-boy football," and something unclear even in the drought-breaking playoff season in 2017.

 

This season, and this team, is different.

 

The Ravens, in the 6 games prior to ours, were allowing a whole 13.2 ppg on opponents' offense. 

 

We scored 17, which is the same number of points the SF 49ers (who happen to have the #2 scoring offense in the NFL this season), managed to hang on the Poe-birds.

We were in position to tie the game on the final play, if a ball delivered well enough to hit the receivers hands was hauled in.

 

Let me reprise that: We scored more than the Raven's 6 game average, matched the output of the best-scoring NFC team against them, and brought it to the final play of the game, despite our QB playing the 2nd half on a taped-up sprained ankle and under constant duress, dropped balls, missed throws etc.

 

I think to call that a "C", is fairly tough grading.

[ProcessYaDigg]

1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

The Ravens, in the 6 games prior to ours, were allowing a whole 13.2 ppg on opponents' offense. 

 

We scored 17, which is the same number of points the SF 49ers (who happen to have the #2 scoring offense in the NFL this season), managed to hang on the Poe-birds.

We were in position to tie the game on the final play, if a ball delivered well enough to hit the receivers hands was hauled in.

 

Let me reprise that: We scored more than the Raven's 6 game average, matched the output of the best-scoring NFC team against them, and brought it to the final play of the game, despite our QB playing the 2nd half on a taped-up sprained ankle and under constant duress, dropped balls, missed throws etc.

 

I think to call that a "C", is fairly tough grading.

All great points.  We definitely showed that we can hang with anyone in the league.  I've got a feeling that teams will fear us in January.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

A loss is a loss, but if it helps set the table/foundation for more wins down the road, I will live with it. 

[BuffaloMatt]

I coached Pee Wee ball with two Steeler Die Hards. If we win I'll let them know that there is a thing called a "Moral Victory" that they can suck on. If we lose then we are just plain losers. 

Edited December 11, 2019 by BuffaloMatt

[Kelly the Dog]

3 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

The Ravens, in the 6 games prior to ours, were allowing a whole 13.2 ppg on opponents' offense. 

 

We scored 17, which is the same number of points the SF 49ers (who happen to have the #2 scoring offense in the NFL this season), managed to hang on the Poe-birds.

We were in position to tie the game on the final play, if a ball delivered well enough to hit the receivers hands was hauled in.

 

Let me reprise that: We scored more than the Raven's 6 game average, matched the output of the best-scoring NFC team against them, and brought it to the final play of the game, despite our QB playing the 2nd half on a taped-up sprained ankle and under constant duress, dropped balls, missed throws etc.

 

I think to call that a "C", is fairly tough grading.

Josh was a C. The line was a C. The receivers dropped 4-6 passes, which is a C. Singletary was good but dropped two balls, Gore and Josh did nothing for the run game so I thought it was a C. 
 

I added 4 Cs up, divided by C, and got C.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

3 minutes ago, Kelly the Dog said:

Josh was a C. The line was a C. The receivers dropped 4-6 passes, which is a C. Singletary was good but dropped two balls, Gore and Josh did nothing for the run game so I thought it was a C. 
 

I added 4 Cs up, divided by C, and got C.

 

So how do you address the point about exceeding the Ravens average PPG allowed and matching the top-scoring SF offensive output against them?

I think context ought to figure in there somehow, as should the point that we were in position to tie the game at the end.

 

At the very least, I think it merits a response in this forum.

[Seasons1992]

7 minutes ago, Circlethewagon8404 said:

All great points.  We definitely showed that we can hang with anyone in the league.  I've got a feeling that teams will fear us in January.

 

We're better on the road anyway it appears............

[ProcessYaDigg]

1 minute ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

We're better on the road anyway it appears............

That's why I have a good feeling about this Sunday night

[Bob Chandler's Hands]

7 minutes ago, Kelly the Dog said:

Josh was a C. The line was a C. The receivers dropped 4-6 passes, which is a C. Singletary was good but dropped two balls, Gore and Josh did nothing for the run game so I thought it was a C. 
 

I added 4 Cs up, divided by C, and got C.

Actually you divided by 4. If you divided by C the answer would have been 4. #Advancedanalytics

Edited December 10, 2019 by Bob Chandler's Hands

[Kelly the Dog]

1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

So how do you address the point about exceeding the Ravens average PPG allowed and matching the top-scoring SF offensive output against them?

I think context ought to figure in there somehow, as should the point that we were in position to tie the game at the end.

 

At the very least, I think it merits a response in this forum.

If you’re not going to address my point why should I address yours.  They struggled most of the game. Josh was sacked six times and fumbled twice from the bad blocking. We dropped numerous passes. He missed wide open receivers and was 43%. And we didn’t score enough to win. That is not an A or B imo. 

[Blank Stare]

Personally, I’m rooting for an immoral loss this week with the Bengals over the Cheats. Or is that a moral victory ?? Cheaters continue to prosper under Goodell. 

[Billsatlastin2018]

1 hour ago, Motorin' said:

It's pretty simple, does the team use positives in a loss to build on and get better? That's the important thing.

Better, do they PLAY better next time out, because of it? 

[Kelly the Dog]

1 hour ago, Motorin' said:

It's pretty simple, does the team use positives in a loss to build on and get better? That's the important thing.

Agreed. Although those types of things are non-linear. It doesn't of course mean that they will or will not drop or miss less passes next week, or get better pass blocking, etc.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Kelly the Dog

[Billsatlastin2018]

2 minutes ago, TheProcess said:

Personally, I’m rooting for an immoral loss this week with the Bengals over the Cheats. Or is that a moral victory ?? Cheaters continue to prosper under Goodell. 

I have an interesting choice this week in a LMS, 2 leg pool.

 

Five people are left, each with one leg. I am dead certain one of their 2 picks will be the Cheatriots.

 

I’m going with the Ravens & Chiefs and hope the Bungles knock them all out!???

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 minute ago, Kelly the Dog said:

If you’re not going to address my point why should I address yours.  They struggled most of the game. Josh was sacked six times and fumbled twice from the bad blocking. We dropped numerous passes. He missed wide open receivers and was 43%. And we didn’t score enough to win. That is not an A or B imo. 

 

I thought I did.  I acknowledge the dropped balls, missed throws, and duress.  And most certainly we lost.  And the dropped balls, missed throws, and duress didn't magically appear like the cheshire cat's smile.  The Poebirds flew in with them and dropped them on us.

 

But at the same time, if you're going to be talking about "Moral Victories", I think it needs to be acknowledged that if you achieve close to 1 std deviation above the mean on a test, that's usually not graded "C".  And that's exactly where we were wrt the Ravens D. 

The Ravens are a damn fine defense.   If a damn fine defense makes your offense look ragged and you still manage to be in it at the end of the game, and your point is to talk about morals, there's a moral in there somewhere.

 

It's not like we faced a defense that's been giving up 300 ypg passing and 200 ypg rushing and they somehow shut us down.

 

PS 1 of those scored sacks was due to Morse stepping on Allen's ankle and tripping him.  Another was a run attempt that was stuffed in the backfield.