Devin Singletary not scoring a TD with 34 seconds left

[SCBills]

In the end, it was the right move, but with the snow coming down like it was, I was jaw dropped that we played it that way.  
 

Couldn’t even see the ball cross the uprights… just had to wait for the reaction. 

[njbuff]

I thought it was the absolute right thing to do.

 

Why give them a chance when you believe that you gave a pro bowl kicker at your disposal? Even with the conditions.

 

Brilliant play by Singletary.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

It's brilliant, actually.

[GolfandBills]

The field conditions weren’t that bad at all.  It was the right call.  Walk off with the win.  Don’t even give Waddle and Hill any sort of chance 

Edited December 18, 2022 by GolfandBills

[njbuff]

Remember, the NE kicker made longer FG’s in worse conditions.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

Sometimes this place is hilarious. 
 

When they screw up clock management and Time Outs, this place gets the pitch forks and torches. When they do it right, it’s tar and feathers. 
 

Singletary did the right thing. Maybe not for the dead beat gamblers, or the armchair Head Coaching staff, but it’s the smart play to win the game. 

[Hsker4life]

9 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

True, but one reason they were successful in the deep passes was that they were torching us on the ground. This would have been a purely passing situation. Against any QB not named Allen, Mahomes, Rodgers, or Brady, it should be easy to defend against the deep ball.

Or Murray, because…..remember?

[phypon]

It was def the right call.  I'm more surprised about two things.  1. Surprised the Dolphins didn't try to let the Bills score intentionally with more time on the clock.  2. I'm really surprised the Dolphins fans didn't try throwing snowballs all game to cost the Bills a penalty.  As soon as they made the potential penalty announcement, that's all I could thing about; phins fans causing a penalty.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

27 minutes ago, ArtVandalay said:

Regardless of your thoughts whether he should have scored the TD, it was an absolutely bonehead play to go down short of the first. 

 

Bonehead play? Hardly.

 

Bonehead was Josh almost getting no points at the and of the first half by running the clock out. Both plays worked out, but that one was by far the more bonehead.

[Buffaloflash]

To me, this is a case of "After whist".

In the game of Bid Whist, each player bids a certain amount in order to be able to name a trump.

If the person or persons that won the bid is successful, then great, they never doubted the success for a minute.

But, if the hand played, was not successful, now you have to listen to all the excuses of what went wrong.

Hence, the term After Whist.

 

Personally, I'm glad I didn't have to make that decision not to score, because it could have either way.

[Rochesterfan]

7 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

The first down was irrelevant, we had enough downs and a time out to control the clock, which we did do perfectly.   He probably could not see the marker. 

 

The issue is do you take the 6 or do you make the snapper snap, the holder hold, and the kicker kick in snowy, slippery conditions.  The last play was not a gimme due to the field and weather conditions.  

 

 

Even if they score - they still need the snapper, holder, and kicker to perform for the XP or potentially lose in regulation.

 

If you can control everything right down to the last play and ensure that either you win or it goes to OT you do that.  It would be different if it was a 45 yard kick or something - then yes - get the yards, but for a chip shot - that was 100% the right call.

 

If the other team wants you to score a TD so they have a shot to win - then the right call is to go down and eliminate their shot.

 

 

[Real McClappy]

2 minutes ago, phypon said:

It was def the right call.  I'm more surprised about two things.  1. Surprised the Dolphins didn't try to let the Bills score intentionally with more time on the clock.  2. I'm really surprised the Dolphins fans didn't try throwing snowballs all game to cost the Bills a penalty.  As soon as they made the potential penalty announcement, that's all I could thing about; phins fans causing a penalty.

2. With like 60K Bills fans around those Dolphins fans I don't think that would have went over to well. 

[What a Tuel]

I am just confused why everyone assumes he gets a TD there? Two defensive players were right there and while I love Singletary and think he is a better RB than people give him credit for, when has he shown that he will beat those tackles?

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by What a Tuel

[T master]

29 minutes ago, billsbackto81 said:

It worked but I thought it was the wrong play. That decision was all about Tyreek Hill taking up real estate in McD's head. This was not Mahomes in Arrowhead in favorable conditions. It's Tua in Buffalo on snow. If you can't stop that from scoring a TD with less than a minute and no timeouts then we'll you're not a championship team. 

 

Of course it's JMHO, glad it worked out.

 

I also wondered why he didn't just take it in but stranger things have happened so i'm glad he did what he did . With the kicker we have & the run game taking up the extra time off the clock i think the better decision with a higher instance of hitting a 29 yd FG might be better than giving them extra time .

 

But McD can't win no matter what he does he will be scolded in some way for his actions or thoughts but he wins and that's all that counts when there's 0's on the clock !! 

[RiotAct]

18 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

You have the same guy who killed you at KC on the Dolphins. Are you going to give them :45 seconds?

and, while Tua is no Mahomes, he had been throwing the ball pretty well all game.

[ChevyVanMiller]

Here’s a simple rule that all Bills fans should live by: If what they do at the end of the game ends in a “W,” then it was the right call. All other scenarios are speculative and do not guarantee the same outcome.

[hemma]

Did we win the game with 0 seconds remaining?

 

no?  We lost?

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, What a Tuel said:

I am just confused why everyone assumes he gets a TD there? Two defensive players were right there and while I love Singletary and think he is a better RB than people give him credit for, when has he shown that he will beat those tackles?

 

 

 

In watching the way the Dolphins played it, I think it was a semi-give up and just swipe at the ball.  
 

I don’t know that those defenders converging would’ve tried to tackle him short .. I think it would’ve been faux-contact with punches at the ball, allowing him to fall in the end zone if he holds onto the ball. 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Hard to understand why this is even a discussion.

 

that was absolutely 100% correctly executed. You get down, protect the ball, ensure you are positioned to run the clock the rest of the way down to zero, and make it either a 99% chance of a win or a very slight chance of overtime.  no wind and barely any snow with a vet kicker. 
 

any other decision is wrong and the first down is inconsequential in that situation  

[BillsFanSD]

I trust our FG unit much more than I trust our "don't let them throw deep" defense.  Frankly, I'm amazed anyone feels otherwise.  How can you possibly have watched this defense give up third-and-long over and over again and criticize the offense for not putting the defense back on the field?

[Rochesterfan]

20 minutes ago, billieve420 said:

Think Singletary misjudged where the first down marker was when deciding to go down. Obviously if he had gotten the 1st they could have milked some more time off the clock while trying to rush for TD.

 

If he had gotten the first down - the next play would have been a kneel down just as it was.  They were not going to run more than 1 play to get to 0:02 seconds with the ball centered.

 

They did not want to risk having anyone dragged into the end zone with time left.

 

 

[skibum]

Bills win, who cares. 

[chongli]

15 minutes ago, phypon said:

It was def the right call.  I'm more surprised about two things.  1. Surprised the Dolphins didn't try to let the Bills score intentionally with more time on the clock.  2. I'm really surprised the Dolphins fans didn't try throwing snowballs all game to cost the Bills a penalty.  As soon as they made the potential penalty announcement, that's all I could thing about; phins fans causing a penalty.

 

That's what they were saying on the Miami forum...throw snowballs! But one sensible poster said they should not penalize the team but instead clear the stadium.

[BillsFooteball]

9 out of 10 times I feel it’s the right move. Last night with those conditions end of the game I would have went in for score. Understand it’s a chip shot but I was concerned. Now that’s over and of course got the win I’m happy to admit it I was wrong 

[chongli]

3 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

I trust our FG unit much more than I trust our "don't let them throw deep" defense.  Frankly, I'm amazed anyone feels otherwise.  How can you possibly have watched this defense give up third-and-long over and over again and criticize the offense for not putting the defense back on the field?

 

I agree with your sentiment, but I was initially worried about the conditions. In light of what @PromoTheRobot said about how it was not icy, I now think McD made the right call,

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Wow I'm stunned the number of posters that didn't agree with McD decision making. It was the perfect coaching decision and I dont even like McDermott.  

Getting the first down was meaningless with the time left on the clock. 

If he tries to fall down at the 1 he risks getting pushed into the endzone. 

It was literally perfect execution end of game strategy.  

[chongli]

8 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

Hard to understand why this is even a discussion.

 

that was absolutely 100% correctly executed. You get down, protect the ball, ensure you are positioned to run the clock the rest of the way down to zero, and make it either a 99% chance of a win or a very slight chance of overtime.  no wind and barely any snow with a vet kicker. 
 

any other decision is wrong and the first down is inconsequential in that situation  

 

Yeah good post. I guess I was too worried about the snow and freaking out, lol.

[nkreed]

38 minutes ago, BillsBytheBay said:

I loved watching Spencer Brown put in the extra effort to make sure that the kick spot was perfect, lol

I'm not sure, but I think he was bordering on the edge of a penalty, as he was pulled by another lineman back to the huddle. Then after he went back again! 🤣😂🤣

35 minutes ago, DaggersEOD said:

That said, until I saw the kick split the uprights, I was planning out OT in my head like a good Bills fan 

Wait a minute, you saw it? I have watched the replay tons of times and still can't find the ball! I had no clue until I saw the officials put up their arms.

[What a Tuel]

21 minutes ago, phypon said:

It was def the right call.  I'm more surprised about two things.  1. Surprised the Dolphins didn't try to let the Bills score intentionally with more time on the clock.  2. I'm really surprised the Dolphins fans didn't try throwing snowballs all game to cost the Bills a penalty.  As soon as they made the potential penalty announcement, that's all I could thing about; phins fans causing a penalty.

 

I was sure one of our players were going to get hurt slipping on one of the ice chunks in the endzone. Fans need to stop and think sometimes. 

[Putin]

We won the game it was the right call !! 
There was no reason to sweat the last 35 sec 

[ChicagoRic]

This play was 100% the correct play from a statistical perspective.  Going in for the TD opens the door of the Miami offense to get back on the field with a time out and literally the fastest WR in the game.  Running the clock down to nothing and making a super high percentage FG attempt was the right move bay far.

[What a Tuel]

11 minutes ago, SCBills said:

In watching the way the Dolphins played it, I think it was a semi-give up and just swipe at the ball.  
 

I don’t know that those defenders converging would’ve tried to tackle him short .. I think it would’ve been faux-contact with punches at the ball, allowing him to fall in the end zone if he holds onto the ball. 

 

Yeah I could see that, which is another reason Singletary was probably right not risking contact.

[Charles Romes]

The players on the field have a much better sense of how the field conditions might affect a chip shot field goal than those of us in the stands or watching on TV.  I’m fine with what singletary did. 

[Lieutenant Aldo Raine]

And if Tua hits a crosser to Tyreek that goes the distance and Tyreek taunts our slow DBs for a TD, everyone would go back to bitching about taking the TD.

 

I guess conversely you could argue, if the FG is blocked or missed, should have scored the TD.  
 

My guess is the FG was probably the highest percentage play to coincide with the game clock.

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, chongli said:

[I am sure this has been mentioned elsewhere (the post game thread is way too long for me to read through), but it might be a topic that deserves its own thread. A lot of people are talking about it, but mods feel free to merge this.]

 

I saw the game but did not listen to the NFL Network call. Apparently, Mark Sanchez was critical of Motor's decision to kneel at the four yard line.

 

I thought he was more critical of Singletary kneeling before he got the 1st down.  On the call, he recognized that Singletary likely would not have scored.

 

It was 2nd down, and the Bills game plan called for Josh to take a knee on the next play after running out some time, so I think Sanchez was mistaken on that point and the 1st down was immaterial.

 

In any case, it was pretty clear that any critique should go to the coaches and not Motor, Motor was doing exactly what he was coached to do.  Don't risk a fumble, don't try for the EZ, Go Down.

[HunTim]

To state the obvious, I like the call, mainly because it worked.

But I must admit it feels counterintuitive and weird to me, not taking the TD.

 

I imagine that it must feel weird to Singletary when executing that play.

[chongli]

1 minute ago, Beck Water said:

 

I thought he was more critical of Singletary kneeling before he got the 1st down.  On the call, he recognized that Singletary likely would not have scored.

 

It was 2nd down, and the Bills game plan called for Josh to take a knee on the next play after running out some time, so I think Sanchez was mistaken on that point and the 1st down was immaterial.

 

In any case, it was pretty clear that any critique should go to the coaches and not Motor, Motor was doing exactly what he was coached to do.  Don't risk a fumble, don't try for the EZ, Go Down.

 

I like your new avatar!

[Beck Water]

21 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:

If he had gotten the first down - the next play would have been a kneel down just as it was.  They were not going to run more than 1 play to get to 0:02 seconds with the ball centered.

 

They did not want to risk having anyone dragged into the end zone with time left.

 

LOL Sanchez actually said that the Dolphins might have been better off trying to hold Singletary up and drag him into the endzone, so the Bills would have to kick off and they would still get a chance to score.

[BCAS Baritone]

54 minutes ago, BillsBytheBay said:

I loved watching Spencer Brown put in the extra effort to make sure that the kick spot was perfect, lol

Actually I was a little critical of the swiping they were doing.  The place to focus was the kicker's plant foot and where he was standing before the kick - and while the plant area was clear, he was still standing in snow at the snap.

 

Something they can coach up for future home games.

 

Certainly the effort was highly praiseworthy.

[Sestak4ever]

What Singletary did was 100% the correct move. The fins wish he would have scored. Like the announcers mentioned, the fins should have either let him score or pulled him into the endzone. He put the game in our hands to win and not even leave a ray of hope for the fins.