Conor Orr: Those 13 Seconds in Kansas City? How the Bills Got Over It.

[Bills2022]

After watching the Chiefs the other night, I honestly am not sure we will even play them in the playoffs.  There are a bunch of AFC teams that can knock them out of the playoffs.  I think tomorrow is the game we will all remember as the game where the Bills dominant era in the AFC began.  

 

[LeGOATski]

22 minutes ago, Pete said:

You don't think 52-7 Bills ass kicking at Arrowhead with the whole country watching would convince those in denial, that Buffalo is a superior team with swag?

Yes, we must handle business, win east, win AFC, win Superbowl- focused one game at a time.  But a Bills asskicking at Arrowhead goes a long way to erasing 13 seconds.  We will erase it completely in Jan

What will you do if the Bills lose?

[Heitz]

4 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

Psycho-babble

Can’t tell if sarcasm… 🤔

As someone who works w pro athletes, I assure you sports psychology / psychologists are not just spouting psycho-babble and also that pro athletes mentally about wins and losses are def different than you and I. 🤷‍♂️

:beer:

 

[SoCal Deek]

I didn’t watch the entire replay of last year’s playoff game last night but I did see the touchdown and ensuing comments leading up to the infamous thirteen seconds. What I honestly didn’t recall in the excitement of it all was how absolutely sure Romo and Nantz were that the game was over and that the Bills had won. They never even imagined the Chiefs could do something with those few seconds. I’m guessing the Bills thought the same thing. Really poor execution by the coaching staff. 

[Shaw66]

Thanks, Thurm.   It's a deeper look into the Bills mindset.  

 

Processing 13 Seconds is, for the players, one of those things that's easier said than done.   They can try all they want to take the growth mindset approach, but they still have (1) their own memories of a painful mindset and (2) people asking them about it all the time.  It's like having a death in the family - you can process it all you want, but every morning when you wake up the feeling of loss is still there, and people keep bringing it up - "I was so sorry to hear about your _______'s passing."    

 

It takes strength and personal discipline to move on from bad memories.   And that's why McBeane focus so much on the character issues when they evaluate players.  

 

I was interested that Taiwan Jones showed up in the article as a process leader.  It's been obvious that McDermott wants him on the team, but I always assumed it was simply that he brought the right attitude to special teams.  The article makes it sound like Jones in a team leader - he was one of the true disciples of McDermott's process. 

 

 

 

[Dan Darragh]

37 minutes ago, Heitz said:

Can’t tell if sarcasm… 🤔

As someone who works w pro athletes, I assure you sports psychology / psychologists are not just spouting psycho-babble and also that pro athletes mentally about wins and losses are def different than you and I. 🤷‍♂️

 

Psychology is tomorrow's starting pitcher.

[Shaw66]

And one other thing about moving on from 13 Seconds.  

 

I'm sure others have commented on it, but I never thought much about the parallel with Wide Right.   Great young team emerging on the scene, suddenly is hit with a heart-breaking loss, a loss that that is so momentous it becomes part of not just Bills history but NFL history.  The question is, "how does the great young team respond after experiencing such a loss?"   The answer comes only as the weeks, months, and years play out.  We know the positives and negatives of how the Kelly Bills responded.  The Allen Bills have gone 4-1 so far, and the Chiefs game will be an interesting piece of evidence, but we're months or even years away from knowing how well they will process 13 Seconds.  

[Thurman#1]

4 hours ago, TBBills said:

Still about 13 seconds... they got over it b.c it's a new season. End of story...

This guy needed your clicks so he put 13 seconds into the title. 13 seconds matter more to the media than the fans.

 

The article should say "Why media can't get over 13 seconds as well as fans or players do."

 

 

Nonsense.

 

Anyone who can't think of tons of examples of sports examples of teams being haunted and letting past disasters hang over their heads isn't trying hard. Possible because they're hoping it won't happen here.

 

And if it mattered more to the media than the fans, the fans wouldn't read it and the media would instantly move on to other things.

 

 

[Heitz]

19 minutes ago, Dan Darragh said:

Psychology is tomorrow's starting pitcher.

IDK about that, but a sports psychologist will likely make tomorrow’s starting pitcher better…  

[Mr. WEO]

what's the freshness date on this?

[Draconator]

2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

what's the freshness date on this?

 

And yes. I just took this screen shot. Shouldn't spoil for at least another 4 months.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

You don't think 52-7 Bills ass kicking at Arrowhead with the whole country watching would convince those in denial, that Buffalo is a superior team with swag?

Yes, we must handle business, win east, win AFC, win Superbowl- focused one game at a time.  But a Bills asskicking at Arrowhead goes a long way to erasing 13 seconds.  We will erase it completely in Jan

That would certainly dominate the NFL conversation for the subsequent week.  By the time a playoff rematch arrives people will remember 13 seconds more clearly.  It was an all time game plain and simple.

[US Egg]

The fact is that in that time span the game was lost and a SB opportunity ended because of it.

 

Players dealing with it and moving on, wonderful.
 

Coaches knowing how to better handle such a similar game situation again, is still the concern.

 

 

[DapperCam]

I think the Bills got over it by getting rid of Levi Wallace. Problem solved.

[Beck Water]

5 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

I think it's an issue when a fan's reaction to a loss is worse than the players'. Or when fans hold onto it longer. Players are the ones actually involved with a real stake in the game; their career. We, as fans, should be able to let go relatively quickly. A win or a loss is not a reflection of our personal lives.

 

I think it's both more critical and easier for the players because their training and preparation affect future outcomes.

 

We joke as fans about "what did you do to help the Bills win?" and Gameday Rituals, but at the end of the day very little we do affects the outcome - at home games our yelling helps a bit.

 

I also think that coaches, players have to see the game far more holistically than fans do.  For fans, it comes down to 13 seconds at the end.  For coaches,  maybe the fact that we were in it until the end and not trailing by 23 points going into the 4th Q is significant.  For players, I think they've been trained since grade school that they have to look at the whole game and look at what they could have done different or better the whole game.

Edited October 15, 2022 by Beck Water

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

Thanks, Thurm.   It's a deeper look into the Bills mindset.  

 

Processing 13 Seconds is, for the players, one of those things that's easier said than done.   They can try all they want to take the growth mindset approach, but they still have (1) their own memories of a painful mindset and (2) people asking them about it all the time.  It's like having a death in the family - you can process it all you want, but every morning when you wake up the feeling of loss is still there, and people keep bringing it up - "I was so sorry to hear about your _______'s passing."    

 

It takes strength and personal discipline to move on from bad memories.   And that's why McBeane focus so much on the character issues when they evaluate players. 

 

I actually wonder if the (2) people asking them all the time is as true as you think.

 

With the possible exception of Impossible Uncle JugFace who you see only at family gatherings and avoid as much as you can, I think the family and friends the athletes see every day probably ask once, hear "new year, new games, put it behind us, moving on" and respect that.

 

With regard to the "death in the family" and "people keep bringing it up" thing....I know that for me, one of the things that was hardest about losing a beloved family member was that very few of my co-workers and friends DID bring it up.   I wouldn't have wanted it harped on, but a one-time "I'm sorry about your loss" or "I heard about your ____, I'm sorry" to acknowledge that I was grieving would have helped.  

 

Having been on the other side, I think part of that is not knowing what to say, and part of that is fear of what you allude to - not wanting to subject them to people asking all the time.   And the grief passes.  In a month, 6 months, a year, it never goes away but we learn how to put it aside and move on.

 

I think fans who meet players are usually more star struck or cooler than you think, they either babble about "you're great, you're a Dawg, I'm you're biggest fan!" or just chat about whatever is relevant to the venue.

[Fleezoid]

Good article.  Two things in the article stuck out to me. 

 

First, I love what Diggs said about wanting to spend time with his teammates even after a whole day of meetings and practice. That's true family right there.

 

Second is not the article, but the picture of Allen walking off the field looking up with is helmet perched atop his head. And it's not Allen that caught my attention. I've seen that shot before.  It's the Chiefs player to the right. Not sure who that is, but it appears he's looking back at Allen with  a bit of a haunted look on his face, like "I don't want to ever face that dude again." or, "That guy's gonna be gunning for us. He'll be back." It's almost as if he's amazed Allen lost. 

[Shaw66]

21 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

I actually wonder if the (2) people asking them all the time is as true as you think.

 

With the possible exception of Impossible Uncle JugFace who you see only at family gatherings and avoid as much as you can, I think the family and friends the athletes see every day probably ask once, hear "new year, new games, put it behind us, moving on" and respect that.

 

With regard to the "death in the family" and "people keep bringing it up" thing....I know that for me, one of the things that was hardest about losing a beloved family member was that very few of my co-workers and friends DID bring it up.   I wouldn't have wanted it harped on, but a one-time "I'm sorry about your loss" or "I heard about your ____, I'm sorry" to acknowledge that I was grieving would have helped.  

 

Having been on the other side, I think part of that is not knowing what to say, and part of that is fear of what you allude to - not wanting to subject them to people asking all the time.   And the grief passes.  In a month, 6 months, a year, it never goes away but we learn how to put it aside and move on.

 

I think fans who meet players are usually more star struck or cooler than you think, they either babble about "you're great, you're a Dawg, I'm you're biggest fan!" or just chat about whatever is relevant to the venue.

Thanks.   Interesting comments, and I don't disagree.   For everyone experiencing an event in the past that is very difficult, if not downright shattering, it's a mixed bag.   Some people bring it up to them, others avoid it.   But the person experiencing the loss notices people avoiding it, and the simple fact of noticing the avoidance reminds them of the loss.  Other people, as you say, understand the situation and make an appropriate comment, which allows them both to move on.  Over time, the pain the loss subsides.

li

I think one of the interesting things the article says is that athletes seem to be both better and worse in handling this stuff.  To the extent the athlete is focused on the present, and that's how good athletes operate, their minds aren't dwelling on the past.  

2 minutes ago, Fleezoid said:

 

Second is not the article, but the picture of Allen walking off the field looking up with is helmet perched atop his head. And it's not Allen that caught my attention. I've seen that shot before.  It's the Chiefs player to the right. Not sure who that is, but it appears he's looking back at Allen with  a bit of a haunted look on his face, like "I don't want to ever face that dude again." or, "That guy's gonna be gunning for us. He'll be back." It's almost as if he's amazed Allen lost. 

That's interesting.   Of course, photos just capture an instant, and maybe something completely different was going on in his head, but the I think the guy seems to be thinking, "Who IS that dude?"

[Straight Hucklebuck]

In part it had to be watching KC blow it at home the next week.

 

Their fans had their tickets punched and then Mahomes threw that pick. 
 

So I was happy to watch them self destruct one week later and not make their goal either.

[Beck Water]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

You don't think 52-7 Bills ass kicking at Arrowhead with the whole country watching would convince those in denial, that Buffalo is a superior team with swag?

 

It might, but IMHO Pigs will Fly first.   And I'd be happy to eat those words but....

 

 

10 minutes ago, Fleezoid said:

Good article.  Two things in the article stuck out to me. 

 

First, I love what Diggs said about wanting to spend time with his teammates even after a whole day of meetings and practice. That's true family right there.

 

Second is not the article, but the picture of Allen walking off the field looking up with is helmet perched atop his head. And it's not Allen that caught my attention. I've seen that shot before.  It's the Chiefs player to the right. Not sure who that is, but it appears he's looking back at Allen with  a bit of a haunted look on his face, like "I don't want to ever face that dude again." or, "That guy's gonna be gunning for us. He'll be back." It's almost as if he's amazed Allen lost. 

 

Really interesting observation!  He does have a "That *****in' guy!" expression.

 

I'm 99% sure that's Chief's Nickel CB L'Jarius Sneed, one of the only returning DB and experienced players in the Chief's backfield.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2022 by Beck Water