Stevie Johnson Article by Tim Graham

[Buddo]

https://theathletic.com/2194262/2020/11/27/stevie-johnson-bills-dropped-touchdown/

 

I highly recommend this.

 

'For nine years in the back of my closet, it remained in a UPS box, tape intact and seal unbroken.

At best, I’ve been confused about what to do with the contents. That’s when I can reconcile being in possession of this stuff at all.

Part of me feels guilty, evidenced by three address labels. I bought it, signed for it, felt silly and sent the box back, reconsidered and reversed shipment back to my house.

Something indescribable compelled me to save it, but not enough to look at it.

Inside is the representation of another man’s agony, albeit an existential crisis that eventually enriched his life. He’s a man I know, a man I respect. Yet I always wondered how often he contemplates navigating that moment and what he would think about me having that UPS box.

Stevie Johnson was in Buffalo last month, and it was time to sort this out.

The play happened 10 years ago this weekend. In sudden death, Johnson sprung open behind the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary for the end zone. Ryan Fitzpatrick heaved a perfect spiral that Johnson stone dropped. The Buffalo Bills lost.'

 

This is both about the drop, and Stevie, and a mysterious box that Graham has had for years, that relates to it all. The article is behind a paywall I believe but I also know many here have a sub.

 

I can't say too much about it, as it would spoil the effect, but it's a terrific article. If it's been posted before, then please merge this.

[DeltaDigital]

[Luvbills]

Quote

Can't read it without a subscription

 

[Houston's #1 Bills Fan]

Which one felt worse:

 

1. This play

2. The Cardinals Hail Mary

 

 

[Process]

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

Which one felt worse:

 

1. This play

2. The Cardinals Hail Mary

 

 

Hail mary not even close. Bills still had a chance to win after Stevie's drop. 

 

Losing on a last second hail mary is the ultimate gut punch. The fact that it happened right after the bills scored a dramatic, "game ending" TD to take the lead made it 10x worse. 

Edited November 28, 2020 by Process

[Malazan]

15 minutes ago, DeltaDigital said:

 

 

"The portrait on his 2012 Topps card was unmistakable. The angst on his face, the sorrow in his eyes, the gnawing of his lower lip.

Johnson’s picture was snapped between the drop and the tweet." ~ Timmah

[Houston's #1 Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Process said:

Hail mary not even close. Bills still had a chance to win after Stevie's drop. 

 

Losing on a last second hail mary is the ultimate gut punch. The fact that it happened right after the bills scored a dramatic, "game ending" TD to take the lead made it 10x worse. 

I agree. Total kick in the nuts losing that way, especially after getting the go-ahead score moments before.

 

Very same feeling to the Music City BS, but that one is top 3 greatest loss disappointments. No comparison to these games.

[Shaw66]

Great story.  Good for Stevie. 

[Fredo G.]

Saw Stevie in Ft Lauderdale before Fins game in 2019. Bills Backers had a party and he stayed and took pictures with everybody. Really good dude!

[Freddie's Dead]

2 hours ago, DeltaDigital said:

 

One of the most devastating movie endings ever.

[Real McClappy]

2 hours ago, DeltaDigital said:

[Logic]

I was in the stands that day. One of the most painful in-person losses I've ever witnessed. Sure, the game didn't really mean anything, but it was a chance to beat a good Steelers team. It would have been so sweet to shut up all the know-nothing Steelers knuckleheads sitting around is in our section.

Alas, I'm glad that experience was at least the catalyst for something positive for Stevie Johnson.

[BADOLBILZ]

1 hour ago, Houston's #1 Bills Fan said:

Which one felt worse:

 

1. This play

2. The Cardinals Hail Mary

 

 

 

#2 by a lot

 

SJ13 angrily blaming the father, son and holy ghost for making him drop the ball just made it a hat on a hat of Billsy.

 

SJ13 was a total screwball...........I am glad Bills fans don't have to have a nutcase like that as a face of the franchise type anymore.

[Shaw66]

Reading this story about Stevie makes me want to tell the story about Stevie and another epic loss.  I've told this story a couple of times, and each time I tell it, people accuse me of blaming the loss on Stevie.  I'm not.  Well, sort of I'm not.  

 

It was November 3, 2013, and the undefeated Chiefs were at the Ralph.  It was the second start in Jeff Tuel's career, and it would be his last.  The Bills were up 10-3 at the half, and Tuel led the Bills on a great drive to open the third quarter.   The Bills had the ball inside the Chiefs' five yard-line, about to go up by at least 10, probably 14.  Tuel took the snap and immediately threw to Russell Wilson (no, just kidding) T.J. Graham on a quick, hard slant.  Sean Smith stepped in front of Graham, intercepted on the goal line and went 100 yards the other way.  The Bills later managed a third-quarter field goal and lost 23-13.  

 

Bills fans heaped it on Tuel.  Johnson was wide open over the middle - why didn't he throw it to him?  How could he possibly throw the ball directly at the defender?  Didn't he see the guy standing there? 

 

No, he didn't.  Quarterbacks look at the receiver, not at the spot where they want to throw the ball.  Tuel's job was to see if Graham broke inside his defender, and once Graham did, Tuel, looking at Graham to time the throw, threw the ball to the spot where Graham would be in another step or two or three.  The problem was that Smith was standing in that spot. 

 

What was Smith doing there?   Ah, here's where Stevie comes in.  

 

Stevie was lined up in the slot on the right side, maybe seven yards inside the wideout.  Smith lined up opposite Stevie, just off the line.  Stevie burst off the line with a big, hard jab step to his right, then cut hard to his left into the middle of the end zone.  He was open.  The move was so big and so quick, it forced Smith into a quick back pedal and step to his left.  In fact, Smith reacted so aggressively to Johnson's fake to the right that Smith stumbled and lost his balance a bit. By the time he regained his balance, Johnson was two steps ahead of him over the middle.  

 

Unfortunately for Tuel, the fake left Smith standing right where Tuel threw the ball.  The play was designed for Stevie to take Smith with him, and I'm not sure that Doug Marrone considered the possibility that Stevie would come off the line so aggressively that the defender simply wasn't able to follow him.  If Stevie just runs a straight, hard slant to the middle, Smith would have trailed him, and Graham would have had a touchdown.  

 

Give the Bills that TD, and take away Smith's TD, and the lowly Bills and Jeff Tuel beat the undefeated Chiefs.  All because Stevie was too good.  

[Don Otreply]

3 hours ago, DeltaDigital said:

(SP) Schroudingers cat, well maybe it’s in there... 

[Beast]

3 hours ago, DeltaDigital said:

 

Only God knows.

 

Maybe a new set of hands?

41 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Reading this story about Stevie makes me want to tell the story about Stevie and another epic loss.  I've told this story a couple of times, and each time I tell it, people accuse me of blaming the loss on Stevie.  I'm not.  Well, sort of I'm not.  

 

It was November 3, 2013, and the undefeated Chiefs were at the Ralph.  It was the second start in Jeff Tuel's career, and it would be his last.  The Bills were up 10-3 at the half, and Tuel led the Bills on a great drive to open the third quarter.   The Bills had the ball inside the Chiefs' five yard-line, about to go up by at least 10, probably 14.  Tuel took the snap and immediately threw to Russell Wilson (no, just kidding) T.J. Graham on a quick, hard slant.  Sean Smith stepped in front of Graham, intercepted on the goal line and went 100 yards the other way.  The Bills later managed a third-quarter field goal and lost 23-13.  

 

Bills fans heaped it on Tuel.  Johnson was wide open over the middle - why didn't he throw it to him?  How could he possibly throw the ball directly at the defender?  Didn't he see the guy standing there? 

 

No, he didn't.  Quarterbacks look at the receiver, not at the spot where they want to throw the ball.  Tuel's job was to see if Graham broke inside his defender, and once Graham did, Tuel, looking at Graham to time the throw, threw the ball to the spot where Graham would be in another step or two or three.  The problem was that Smith was standing in that spot. 

 

What was Smith doing there?   Ah, here's where Stevie comes in.  

 

Stevie was lined up in the slot on the right side, maybe seven yards inside the wideout.  Smith lined up opposite Stevie, just off the line.  Stevie burst off the line with a big, hard jab step to his right, then cut hard to his left into the middle of the end zone.  He was open.  The move was so big and so quick, it forced Smith into a quick back pedal and step to his left.  In fact, Smith reacted so aggressively to Johnson's fake to the right that Smith stumbled and lost his balance a bit. By the time he regained his balance, Johnson was two steps ahead of him over the middle.  

 

Unfortunately for Tuel, the fake left Smith standing right where Tuel threw the ball.  The play was designed for Stevie to take Smith with him, and I'm not sure that Doug Marrone considered the possibility that Stevie would come off the line so aggressively that the defender simply wasn't able to follow him.  If Stevie just runs a straight, hard slant to the middle, Smith would have trailed him, and Graham would have had a touchdown.  

 

Give the Bills that TD, and take away Smith's TD, and the lowly Bills and Jeff Tuel beat the undefeated Chiefs.  All because Stevie was too good.  

 

I seem to remember some running back coughing the ball up on his way into the endzone that played a big part in that loss. For the life of me I can't remember his name.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

3 hours ago, Houston's #1 Bills Fan said:

Which one felt worse:

 

1. This play

2. The Cardinals Hail Mary

that hail mary was as painful as the wide right for me. although the stakes were obviously much higher with the kick, the pain was at the same level none the less.

 

that's what bills fans have done through the decades, endure the pain. what would/will be nice is if this team, led by JA, can finally win it all so all that pain endured was not in vain?

 

for me, the stevie drop was more frustrating then painful. I was pissed.

Edited November 29, 2020 by A Firm Tree Does Not Fear

[letsgoteam]

22 minutes ago, Beast said:

 

Only God knows.

 

Maybe a new set of hands?

 

I seem to remember some running back coughing the ball up on his way into the endzone that played a big part in that loss. For the life of me I can't remember his name.

Was it Bryce Brown? Making the guess, without looking any of it up!

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

1 hour ago, Real McNasty said:

step one.... cut a hole in the box

Step two...

Edited November 29, 2020 by Over 29 years of fanhood

[billsfanmiamioh]

18 minutes ago, letsgoteam said:

Was it Bryce Brown? Making the guess, without looking any of it up!

This is correct but I think it was a different game vs the Chiefs when that happened.

[letsgoteam]

10 minutes ago, billsfanmiamioh said:

This is correct but I think it was a different game vs the Chiefs when that happened.

Yup, I think your right!

[Beast]

50 minutes ago, letsgoteam said:

Was it Bryce Brown? Making the guess, without looking any of it up!

 

I think you are correct.

31 minutes ago, billsfanmiamioh said:

This is correct but I think it was a different game vs the Chiefs when that happened.

 

Hmmmmm....I think you are right.

 

Actually, we are both right.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nesn.com/2014/11/buffalos-bryce-browns-costly-fumble-brings-back-bad-memories-for-ex-nfler/amp/

 

It was against KC.

Edited November 29, 2020 by Beast

[ganesh]

5 hours ago, Process said:

Hail mary not even close. Bills still had a chance to win after Stevie's drop. 

 

Losing on a last second hail mary is the ultimate gut punch. The fact that it happened right after the bills scored a dramatic, "game ending" TD to take the lead made it 10x worse. 

100%...Hail Murray is at the same level as Forward Lateral...the only difference being a regular season game instead of season ending plaayoffs. 

 

Stevie drop hurt...but we were a bad team...it was easy to digest and move on,

 

Stevie's drop would be in the same range as  Clay's drop two seasons ago,   Losman fumbling the ball against the Jets,  or  Leodis  fumbling the KR  to give the ball back to Brady,

 

If we had won two Sunday;s ago, we would have a 2 1/2 game lead in the division.   Go Bills

Edited November 29, 2020 by ganesh

[Maybe Someday]

27 minutes ago, ganesh said:

100%...Hail Murray is at the same level as Forward Lateral...the only difference being a regular season game instead of season ending plaayoffs. 

 

Stevie drop hurt...but we were a bad team...it was easy to digest and move on,

 

Stevie's drop would be in the same range as  Clay's drop two seasons ago,   Losman fumbling the ball against the Jets,  or  Leodis  fumbling the KR  to give the ball back to Brady,

 

If we had won two Sunday;s ago, we would have a 2 1/2 game lead in the division.   Go Bills

Exactly. Plays that have a name hurt way more than bad plays by bad teams. And we’re going to have to see that play again and again basically forever. 
 

8-2 heading down the stretch would have been so nice. 
 

I’d put the Dallas Monday night loss on a 60 or whatever yard FG on that list of rough losses too. 
 

 

 

 

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

7 hours ago, Process said:

Hail mary not even close. Bills still had a chance to win after Stevie's drop. 

 

Losing on a last second hail mary is the ultimate gut punch. The fact that it happened right after the bills scored a dramatic, "game ending" TD to take the lead made it 10x worse. 

Naaah.  The Johnson drop scenario was the best we were going to be at that time in Bills history.  The HM was a fluke loss for a team with many better days ahead.  I don't even care about the Cards game.  

[Not at the table Karlos]

4 hours ago, Beast said:

 

Only God knows.

 

Maybe a new set of hands?

 

I seem to remember some running back coughing the ball up on his way into the endzone that played a big part in that loss. For the life of me I can't remember his name.

I think that was a different chefs game. I was at the Bryce Brown fumble game in that endzone. But I watched the Tuel pick game on tv. 

[Freddie's Dead]

5 hours ago, Beast said:

 

Only God knows.

 

Maybe a new set of hands?

 

I seem to remember some running back coughing the ball up on his way into the endzone that played a big part in that loss. For the life of me I can't remember his name.

 

It wasn't on the way into the end zone.  TJumptomakeacatch Graham caught a pass, coughed it up on the Bills 16, and Tamba Hali had an 11 yard fumble-6.

[TBBills]

"I blame God"

[brianthomas]

2 hours ago, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

Naaah.  The Johnson drop scenario was the best we were going to be at that time in Bills history.  The HM was a fluke loss for a team with many better days ahead.  I don't even care about the Cards game.  

Couldn't agree with you more. The belief we have in our current Bills is bigger than 1 flukey miraculous catch at the end of the game. None of us think that Arizona loss is gonna ruin our season or the psyche of our team. Our season & future is great, regardless of that play.

Back in the day we had no such belief, we were riding on hope & that drop was just another smack in the face during a time when you were often foolish for having any.

 

Its why that hail mary play is nowhere near the Music City Miracle or Wide Right, frankly idk how anyone can make those comparisons in the 1st place. If it were in a playoff game then yeah, that'd be another story. Losing against Kyler Murray & the Cardinals out west? Na.. Especially after we beat Seattle the week before where nobody thought we'd win that one. You win some you lose some & we all know we're gonna win a bunch more.

I couldn't care less about the Cards game

[JaCrispy]

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

Which one felt worse:

 

1. This play

2. The Cardinals Hail Mary

 

 

Normally I would say the Stevie drop, because it was a Bills player that screwed up a win...but we sucked that year...i was rooting for draft position at that time...so I gotta go with the Cardinals game because we need wins and the season actually means something...and it would have been Josh’s first comeback in the final seconds of a game...

[Shaw66]

I remember watching the Stevie drop live on the TV.  The first time they showed the replay, in my heart I was still expecting Stevie to catch it.  I was thinking, "this time he'll catch it."   He dropped it on the replay, too.  That's when the reality of it sunk in. 

 

In no particular order, Stevie catch, wide right, music city miracle, hail Mary, Cowboys' field goal on Monday night.   Each one left me with this horrible empty feeling the moment it happened.  

[Royale with Cheese]

If we had a true legitimate #1 when Stevie is here....he would probably have been an All Pro once or twice.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

@Shaw66 

 

You had me rolling with “Tuel passes to Russell Wilson, just kidding, it was TJ Graham”

 

I was at a local bar for that Steelers game. I had on my Stevie jersey and in that moment of the catch that wasn’t, I experienced the full range of emotions from raised in excitement to falling to knees in despair; all in about 2.5 seconds. 
 

Man, ain’t nothing like loving this team. 

Edited November 29, 2020 by RobbRiddicksTDLeap

[QB Bills]

Blessing in disguise. That drop allowed us to draft Marcel Dareus instead of some of the scrubs that went after him like Julio Jones, Patrick Peterson, AJ Green or JJ Watt. 

[Steve O]

9 hours ago, TBBills said:

"I blame God"

 

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/steve-johnson-buffalo-bills-wideout-blames-god-twitter-dropping-game-winning-pass-article-1.456341

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!!" the 24-year-old tweeted from his iPad at around 5:15 Sunday after the Steelers' 19-16 overtime victory. "AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."

 

God's response: "I gave you a beautiful sunny day in Buffalo in late November, tripped the corner, and put a perfect spiral in your hands. AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO ME!!!"

[disco]

9 hours ago, brianthomas said:

Couldn't agree with you more. The belief we have in our current Bills is bigger than 1 flukey miraculous catch at the end of the game. None of us think that Arizona loss is gonna ruin our season or the psyche of our team. Our season & future is great, regardless of that play.

Back in the day we had no such belief, we were riding on hope & that drop was just another smack in the face during a time when you were often foolish for having any.

 

Its why that hail mary play is nowhere near the Music City Miracle or Wide Right, frankly idk how anyone can make those comparisons in the 1st place. If it were in a playoff game then yeah, that'd be another story. Losing against Kyler Murray & the Cardinals out west? Na.. Especially after we beat Seattle the week before where nobody thought we'd win that one. You win some you lose some & we all know we're gonna win a bunch more.

I couldn't care less about the Cards game

Exactly, who cares about losing to the Cardinals on an incredible play that put us at 7-3. Are people forgetting that just two weeks ago without our own perfect play, the Zimmer punch, we'd have lost to the Patriots at home on basically a last second play? 2 weeks apart some amazing play ended up sealing the game, one in our favor and one against. Pretty sure everyone here would take the ARI loss for the NE win every time. We're now 5-1 in one score games. I don't know how you complain about that.

 

[BADOLBILZ]

1 hour ago, Steve O said:

 

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/steve-johnson-buffalo-bills-wideout-blames-god-twitter-dropping-game-winning-pass-article-1.456341

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!!" the 24-year-old tweeted from his iPad at around 5:15 Sunday after the Steelers' 19-16 overtime victory. "AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."

 

God's response: "I gave you a beautiful sunny day in Buffalo in late November, tripped the corner, and put a perfect spiral in your hands. AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO ME!!!"

 

 

It still amazes me the people who adored SJ13 with the Bills...........guys like him are why you hire coaches to change culture.    

 

A little irreverence is fine but he was one of the Bills best players and laziest workers and was willing to hurt the team if it helped him mug for the camera..........and much of his success was due to not running the routes that the play called for.    Just an unbelievably selfish player in a sport where 11 guys gotta' be working for the same goal every play to expect success.

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, RobbRiddicksTDLeap said:

@Shaw66 

 

You had me rolling with “Tuel passes to Russell Wilson, just kidding, it was TJ Graham”

 

I was at a local bar for that Steelers game. I had on my Stevie jersey and in that moment of the catch that wasn’t, I experienced the full range of emotions from raised in excitement to falling to knees in despair; all in about 2.5 seconds. 
 

Man, ain’t nothing like loving this team. 

I couldn't resist.  I can't hear Graham's name without thinking about Wilson. 

 

And you're so right - the ain't nothing like it.  

[Bob in STL]

2 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

If we had a true legitimate #1 when Stevie is here....he would probably have been an All Pro once or twice.

I don’t think so.  There are so many great WRs in the league that the selected All Pros are all #1’s on their teams.  
 

If we had a legit #1 he would have caught fewer passes for fewer yards.   In his best season he caught  58% if the passes targeted to him.   That’s lower than  Diggs, Beasley, Brown, and Davis this year.  
 

He could be the most overrated player in modern Bills history. 
 

 

[Beast]

11 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

 

It wasn't on the way into the end zone.  TJumptomakeacatch Graham caught a pass, coughed it up on the Bills 16, and Tamba Hali had an 11 yard fumble-6.

 

Bo, it was Bryce Brown on his way i to the endzone and Scott Chandler also had a chance to recover the fumble but flubbed it.