The pass to Johnson at the end of the first half...

[eball]

...ok, so first of all, we KNOW Josh should have only thrown the ball to a guy in the endzone or thrown it away.  That was a mistake.  But if you get past that, it was a good throw to an open guy and it looked like Johnson was going to score until Baker blew him up with a helmet to helmet hit at the goal line.  Why no flag there?   It was blatant and knocked Johnson out of the game with a concussion.

 

[ElMarko]

The referees essentially took 7 points off the board there. Pretty confident the Bills could have scored from 4-5 feet out. It was a blatant head target.

 

[Low Positive]

Just now, eball said:

...ok, so first of all, we KNOW Josh should have only thrown the ball to a guy in the endzone or thrown it away.  That was a mistake.  But if you get past that, it was a good throw to an open guy and it looked like Johnson was going to score until Baker blew him up with a helmet to helmet hit at the goal line.  Why no flag there?   It was blatant and knocked Johnson out of the game with a concussion.

 

All of that. It was also the same mistake that Mahomes made in the AFC CG two years ago that caused a screaming match in the tunnel at HT. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

I had no issues with the throw. He got tackled at the 1. It was a good effort all around.

[Royale with Cheese]

1 minute ago, eball said:

...ok, so first of all, we KNOW Josh should have only thrown the ball to a guy in the endzone or thrown it away.  That was a mistake.  But if you get past that, it was a good throw to an open guy and it looked like Johnson was going to score until Baker blew him up with a helmet to helmet hit at the goal line.  Why no flag there?   It was blatant and knocked Johnson out of the game with a concussion.

 

 

Because the League didn't want Johnson to finish the game and they wanted Miami to have a 7 point lead at half.  It was clearly scripted.

[MikePJ76]

I have not seen it announced anywhere but has Baker been given a fine yet for the hit?

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 minute ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

I had no issues with the throw. He got tackled at the 1. It was a good effort all around.

Aka ‘not even close’ to cris collingsworth hahaha I couldn’t believe he said that 

[eball]

In college Baker would have been thrown out of the game.

 

[DapperCam]

I actually feel like the throw is a fine decision. FGs aren’t going to win a Super Bowl. If you can make a throw that will give a 75% chance of a TD, you do it and hope your guy makes a play.

 

Maybe if Johnson runs his route a little deeper it’s a TD. Maybe if he had a little bit more wiggle he gets in. Maybe if he realizes it’s the last play of the half he risks a fumble and stretches the ball way out.

[Warcodered]

3 minutes ago, MikePJ76 said:

I have not seen it announced anywhere but has Baker been given a fine yet for the hit?

Not that I've seen but Josh and Dalton cumulatively broke his wrist or something, he's done for the season.

[Royale with Cheese]

I think it's a simple as the ref didn't see it or wasn't sure and didn't want a game changing play on uncertainty.  

[blitzboy54]

There are two problems here. First no call on the helmet to helmet (this being the second BEYOND obvious foul that should have been called, first being the Knox PI) the other issue is McD waisted the last TO with 57 seconds left. We were over the 50, had a first down and plenty of time. Just spike it. 

Edited January 10 by blitzboy54

[KDIGGZ]

This is football, not tiddlywinks. I'm fine with the hit given the situation. I wouldn't want them getting a flag if that was our D making the stop.

 

As for Josh, that cost us at least 3 points. Also the first INT to nobody in the end zone was another 3. Also the sack fumble was possibly another 3. That's 9 points Josh alone cost us. Yes he also scored some points but we won't have the luxury to give up 9 points to the good teams in the playoffs

[Royale with Cheese]

3 minutes ago, blitzboy54 said:

There are two problems here. First no call on the helmet to helmet (this being the second BEYOND obvious foul that should have been called, first being the Knox PI) the other issue is McD waisted the last TO with 57 seconds left. We were over the 50, had a first down and plenty of time. Just spike it. 

 

I have always been told you don't spike it unless there's under 20 seconds left and you're not on 4th down.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Let’s be honest, nobody was thinking about helmet to helmet til the replay.  Both players ducked for leverage and the defender won.  

[zow2]

From the field level video I saw behind Josh, it was pretty crazy to see how wide open Ty Johnson was when he caught that ball, and how fast the guys closed on him. Josh had to think that was a TD when he released the ball.  Clearly helmet to helmet but as we have seen, the refs basically stopped calling that...even on the Bills.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Good play overall by Josh too.  That’s a TD 80% of the time.

[Mango]

13 minutes ago, eball said:

...ok, so first of all, we KNOW Josh should have only thrown the ball to a guy in the endzone or thrown it away.  That was a mistake.  But if you get past that, it was a good throw to an open guy and it looked like Johnson was going to score until Baker blew him up with a helmet to helmet hit at the goal line.  Why no flag there?   It was blatant and knocked Johnson out of the game with a concussion.

 

 

I was screaming we should have had one more shot at the 1 after that. 

[Charles Romes]

This was just another example of the media feasting on Allen’s supposed error-proneness since they have no ability to come up with anything else.  He had a great chance to score on that catch, but Baker made a great play. 

[BullBuchanan]

Good teams don't cry about flags they didn't get. It was a bad decision to throw that ball because the end result was very likely to happen and it did. He could have tackled him lower and it would have been the same thing.

[Bray Wyatt]

8 minutes ago, blitzboy54 said:

There are two problems here. First no call on the helmet to helmet (this being the second BEYOND obvious foul that should have been called, first being the Knox PI) the other issue is McD waisted the last TO with 57 seconds left. We were over the 50, had a first down and plenty of time. Just spike it. 

 

He called the last time out before the third down play, not after. (I wasnt happy about it then either)

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Either cover one or Warner or both mentioned if the throw was a little better and led him more so he didn’t have to slow up to catch it, probably a TD

[RoyBatty is alive]

That last hard knocks episode with the Dolphins started well but go nauseated with the Jerome Baker and his mother over the top melodrama.  After that there was no way there were going to call a penalty of Baker.

 

Who cares?  1) We won 2) Jerome Bakers got his, injury and  his season is over 

Edited January 10 by RoyBatty is alive

[Heavy Kevi]

I'm not complaining about the no flag, though it could have been called.

 

And I'm not mad at the throw. That looked like an automatic TD, but Baker closed the distance really fast.

[Royale with Cheese]

2 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

Good teams don't cry about flags they didn't get. It was a bad decision to throw that ball because the end result was very likely to happen and it did. He could have tackled him lower and it would have been the same thing.

 

Well the Bills didn't complain.  

2 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

Either cover one or Warner or both mentioned if the throw was a little better and led him more so he didn’t have to slow up to catch it, probably a TD

 

I actually didn't hate Allen taking a chance.  I understand why McDermott was upset but at the same time, if Allen did lead him better, it was a TD.

That's why I wasn't mad he took the chance. 

[dorquemada]

on the replay they showed the other 2 receivers in the pattern, both standing on like the 2-5 yard line.  Neither were open.  It was a bad play call, wont pin this  on wrong Josh

[TH3]

4 minutes ago, dorquemada said:

on the replay they showed the other 2 receivers in the pattern, both standing on like the 2-5 yard line.  Neither were open.  It was a bad play call, wont pin this  on wrong Josh

Thank you - There was no WR in the EZ...

[BeastMaster]

I had no issue with the play either. Baker made a great play/borderline dirty/illegal play to keep him out, but it definitely had a chance to be a TD when Josh threw it.

 

I have more of a problem with McDermott throwing Allen under the bus when he made those comments at the half

[Spiderweb]

13 minutes ago, Charles Romes said:

This was just another example of the media feasting on Allen’s supposed error-proneness since they have no ability to come up with anything else.  He had a great chance to score on that catch, but Baker made a great play. 

Media media media... Give it a rest...... 

[MJS]

I thought it was a good hit. I didn't even consider that it was helmet to helmet. I'll have to look at it again.

[LeGOATski]

21 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I think it's a simple as the ref didn't see it or wasn't sure and didn't want a game changing play on uncertainty.  

It's the type of thing a ref in the booth could easily correct.

 

The USFL/XFL have this figured out and it only took them one year to do so.

 

Meanwhile, NFL fans complain about these easily correctable calls every year.

Just now, MJS said:

I thought it was a good hit. I didn't even consider that it was helmet to helmet. I'll have to look at it again.

Yeah, didn't see it in real time, but the replay from the other side of the field showed it clearly. No wonder Johnson got a concussion.

[eball]

16 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

Good teams don't cry about flags they didn't get. It was a bad decision to throw that ball because the end result was very likely to happen and it did. He could have tackled him lower and it would have been the same thing.

 

Nice reading comprehension, doofus.

 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

13 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Well the Bills didn't complain.  

 

I actually didn't hate Allen taking a chance.  I understand why McDermott was upset but at the same time, if Allen did lead him better, it was a TD.

That's why I wasn't mad he took the chance. 

I’d be mad if they lost by a field goal … but since they didn’t 🤷‍♂️ 

[LeGOATski]

 

In the USFL, the booth ref is constantly watching the replay, so when he sees that type of thing not called, he calls down to the ref to stop the game and they correct it. They're able to do it before the next play even starts.

 

It wastes no time and is so easy.

Edited January 10 by LeGOATski

[ElMarko]

18 minutes ago, SageAgainstTheMachine said:

Let’s be honest, nobody was thinking about helmet to helmet til the replay.  Both players ducked for leverage and the defender won.  

Nope. I screamed it on initial live viewing. Johnson was already engaged with another tackler - second Dolphins player drops the crown of helmet and dives into "defenseless" ball carrier.  Its a text book penalty by definition.

[Pokebball]

26 minutes ago, blitzboy54 said:

There are two problems here. First no call on the helmet to helmet (this being the second BEYOND obvious foul that should have been called, first being the Knox PI) the other issue is McD waisted the last TO with 57 seconds left. We were over the 50, had a first down and plenty of time. Just spike it. 

Even before this play, I was screaming at my TV because we didn't have that timeout we needed, opening up so many other options for the offense. Clock management continues to be a huge issue with this coaching staff, IMO

[peterpan]

On TV they showed the replay from the QBs point of view. The only receiver in the end zone is Kincaid (or maybe Knox)

 

Allen looked right quick, I believe it was to Diggs, nothing was open on that two route combo with our 3rd TE #85(?) in the flat like 6 yards shy of the end zone.

 

Allen quickly came back to his left.  The middle of the field was wide open bc of a clearing route by Kinkaid or Knox (I can’t remember which) who was tightly covered in the back left corner of the end zone.  The outside WR wasn’t open at the pylon. 
 

With no one winning their 1v1 matchup , it was as if the play was designed to go to Johnson there. Basically a clearing route with probably some kind of pick action on the defenders (can’t confirm that without a better replay).

 

From what I saw, if Diggs doesn’t beat his man immediately off the line, then the play was designed to go to Johnson in the exact fashion it played out. 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

7 minutes ago, BeastMaster said:

I had no issue with the play either. Baker made a great play/borderline dirty/illegal play to keep him out, but it definitely had a chance to be a TD when Josh threw it.

 

I have more of a problem with McDermott throwing Allen under the bus when he made those comments at the half

it’s not throwing under the bus to point out good situational football decision making. Even if ty scored I’m sure he would have said the same  thing, in fact he did once on some play just like it that scored. 

[Stretch]

In real time it looked like a good hit, but in replay it was an obvious flag.  I think the ref on goal line on the right side of the field should have had an easy vantage point if the helmet to helmet and called it.

[julian]

I agree with the sentiment that you can’t take points off the board against these playoff teams. I feel like I’d much rather be in the Bills coaches shoes having to remind Allen of this rather than being in other coaches shoes having to figure out a way to manufacture late game clutch moments because your QB doesn’t wanna turn the ball over or he simply isn’t talented enough.

Edited January 10 by julian