THE ROCKPILE REVIEW – I Never Leave Early

[Da webster guy]

Lots of great stories from people who left early.  Radios, parking lot TV's, my crew was in Kettles Bar and it was mayhem, he said he wouldnt have changed a thing if he could go back.

 

also for some of us if you don't leave a little early you aren't getting home until 2am on a school night for these late games.  Bummer we only have two 1pm home games all year.

[Buffalo ill]

I am glad I live in the pacific time zone.  When I was stationed in Georgia it always tripped me out how late the games were on sunday/Monday.  Just used to living out west.

 

I assume the folks doing the most shaming are children, retired, or have white collar jobs that don't start until after 9am (thats like sleeping in for people who actually make society run).

[Dan Darragh]

Ever since I saw the Dodger fans in the parking lot on TV while Kirk Gibson was doing his epic home run trot, I've vowed never to leave early.  The only exception was on a baseball trip in St. Louis where it started to rain like I need to build Noah's Ark, and I needed to drive after the game to KC.  It rained so hard that the driving was difficult.  But somehow the skies parted and the game resumed, went into extra innings, and I'm listening to it on the car radio.

 

@Shaw66, I had no doubts about you staying.  You're a stalwart!

[LABILLBACKER]

9 hours ago, KCNC said:

Agree on everything except the 2-point conversions.  Sean took points off the board on the first one in order to try for 2.  He has done this before and it drives me crazy.  Leave the points on the board!

Completely agree....analytically it made no mathematical sense to go for 2 with the score 27-19? He took 3 Xpts off the board.

[Turbo44]

In Puglia Italy on vacation - stayed up to almost 6am local time to watch the whole game. I never leave early/stop watching with JA17 at QB. Monday in Puglia was a bit tough but would have been much worse with a L.

[eball]

My dad was an original ST holder, and as a kid I learned from him that you don’t leave a Bills game early.  It stuck with me through adulthood and even though I wasn’t in OP Sunday night, if I was I wouldn’t have left.  I was at the Houston comeback game and didn’t leave (I was with my dad, of course).

 

One of my best friends, with whom I tailgate when I come up for games, almost always leaves early, no matter the score.  For him it’s about wanting to avoid the hassle of getting out of the stadium.  I shame him relentlessly and his wife texted me Monday morning that they stayed!

 

It always amazes me how many locals use traffic as their excuse.  You made the decision to attend the game, which means you’ve already dedicated X number of hours to the event.  Another 45 minutes in traffic is the tipping point?  When I lived in Buffalo we used postgame to fire up the grill and hang out for another hour or so.  And how about planning ahead regarding work the next day if it’s a night game?

 

To the poster from CA who left early — man, I just don’t get it, particularly when you traveled across the country to be there.

 

I guess it’s just a psychological thing, not wanting to stay and be disappointed…I suppose I understand that in December and January when you’re also freezing your ass off, but not on a gorgeous September evening!

 

Go Bills!

 

[Chandler#81]

14 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I never leave games early. Never. (Well,… maybe once.. 🙄🤦‍♂️

 

 

Who gets game balls? Prater, of course, and Allen, of course, and Oliver, of course. Big Ed made us believe when he bear-hugged Henry for a big tackle-for-loss. And he showed the way to the win when he stripped Henry for the only takeaway in the game that mattered. (Josh’s INT on the conversion attempt wasn’t the kind of takeaway that can change a game.)

 

And a game ball for McDermott. Remember when fans used to complain about McDermott’s game management? Not Sunday night. He knew when to go for two and when to go for one. He managed the timeouts perfectly. His team used every second on the clock to get three points to end the first half, and they used every second on the clock to kick the game winner and deny the Ravens any chance of coming back. His philosophy of stopping the pass even if it means the Bills run defense is gashed proved, again, to be a winning strategy. And his never-say-die attitude carried the Bills to the win.

 

1-0.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

 

to the bolded & italics “Being fat, dumb and stupid is no way to go through life, son..”
 

B’mores’ Achilles heel is their Guards. It’s singularly why Oliver feasted. I don’t anticipate a repeat performance from him at the Jets. *POOF!* He disappears. I left plenty of games early as it’s a long way back to Dansville. Mostly blowout wins. Never had anything like this happen after I left.

 

Nice article otherwise.

Edited September 10 by Chandler#81

[HOUSE]

But...but

The kids have school tomorrow and the dog will pee on the rug...

[Danger Mouse]

I love THE ROCKPILE REVIEW 

[Old Coot]

20 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I've never seen him as being that kind of guy, but Sunday night could have been the beginning of his ascendancy. NBC showed him on the sideline, I think during the Bills last touchdown drive, before the three-and-out, and he looked seriously dialed in. 

He's a 3T and the role of a 3T is to be quick and disruptive -- get in the backfield and disrupt the play.

 

The job of the 1T next to him is to take on double teams and generally keep the O line interior from getting 2d level blocks on the LBs. Our 1T didn't do that but then the Ravens have an excellent O line. On Henry's long runs he wasn't touched as he ran through the D line and 2d level.

[Albany,n.y.]

I learned never to leave a game on 11/22/1981 vs NE when I was with a group & they made me leave because the driver was leaving.  It was the famous Ferguson to Hooks TD with 5 seconds left and I can still hear the cheers coming from the stadium while we were in the parking lot.  The only times I left a game early after that was when I had to catch a flight.  One was a game in Buffalo vs Carolina when I had to catch a flight to NY for Thanksgiving week & the other was a game in Baltimore when they flexed the game to 4 from 1 & messed up my schedule & it was too late to change my flight after they flexed the game. 

I rarely go to games anymore but I never turn the TV off early-not even in preseason.  

Speaking of leaving games early, I remember the Bills 52-17 loss in Super Bowl XXVII when people were leaving a Super Bowl early.  I couldn't believe how many people left that game early. 

Edited September 10 by Albany,n.y.

[Logic]

Thanks as always for the writeup, Shaw.

My "have a little faith" story is this: I fly in from the west coast for one game a year.

My favorite games are home openers. Good weather, optimism is high, excitement to start a new season is infectious. 

This being a home opener against a great opponent, and a night game, and the last home opener in Old Highmark history, it seemed like a potentially great option to fly home for.

I didn't. Why? Because, to be honest, I like to try to pick games that I'm pretty darned sure the Bills will win. It stinks to fly all the way home, take all that time off of work, spend all that money, only to see the misery of defeat up close. I looked at the whole Bills home schedule, decided this was the game they were LEAST likely to win, and opted to wait for a game later in the season instead.

Through three and a half quarters, even as I felt the unpleasant feelings of the Bills being thrashed, I silently patted myself on the back for not flying home to see this atrocity in person. "Good thing you didn't go to this game!", I told myself.

Whoops.

I missed an all-time classic. I missed possibly the most memorable -- and last -- home opener in Old Highmark history. I missed what, in truth, is probably on the top 20 list for all time most epic, legendary, memorable regular season games in the 50 years of this stadium.

Whoops.

"Have a little faith next time".

[Thurman#1]

On 9/10/2025 at 5:32 AM, KCNC said:

That's cool and everything.  But the Bills don't exactly have a great record of successful 2 point attempts.  At least as far as my old brain can remember.

 

 

They do, actually.

 

Tied for 9th in '24 with 50%.

 

Tied for 10th in '23 with 75%.

 

Tied for 9th in '22 with 66.66%

 

16th in '21, but that was with a 57.14% rate.

 

You have to go back to '20 to find a season where we were under 50%. That year we were at 0%. I wonder how many we tried. We didn't even try any at home that year.

 

Tied for 1st in '19 with a 100% completion percentage.

 

Tied for 20th in '18 with 33.33%.

 

But since Josh became Josh we've been quite successful with them.

 

https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/two-point-conversion-pct?date=2019-02-04

 

 

[Bockeye]

Great post @Shaw66!!

 

I went to buy a few brews and just after I purchased them, Henry scored.  I swear, I had to wait about 5 minutes at my sections entry because people were streaming out.  I finally got back to my seats and my section was about half gone.  

 

I’ve gone to a TON of home openers and this one without a doubt was easily the best - and probably the best in Bills history (esp being the last opener at Highmark).

 

The comeback was glorious and I actually think those of us that remained were louder than any other time during the game, even with the stadium full.  That feeling at the end with fellow Bills fans high-fiving and hugging is something I’ll never forget - simply electric. 

 

Go Bills!!

[hondo in seattle]

I cheered the scoring and Henry's fumble, but I didn't think the Bills had a realistic chance of winning until Harbaugh decided to punt near the end of the game.  Before the Ravens last drive, I would have given us about a 1% chance of winning.  A few plays later, when the Ravens punted, I would have given us a 70% chance or more.  Stopping Allen from moving us into FG position?  That was a big ask for the Ravens D.  

 

Maybe I'm a masochist because I never turn off Bills games early, no matter how ugly.  And while I've only attended 4 of 5 games in person, I've never left those early either.  

[Freddie's Dead]

You had me until game ball for McDermott.  If he would have just kicked the xp's, the Bills would have won the game outright.  Down 9, he went for 2 and failed, making it a two-score game.  Kick the XP there and get to one score.  The Bills won despite McDermott, not because of him.

[Billsatlastin2018]

23 hours ago, Bockeye said:

Great post @Shaw66!!

 

I went to buy a few brews and just after I purchased them, Henry scored.  I swear, I had to wait about 5 minutes at my sections entry because people were streaming out.  I finally got back to my seats and my section was about half gone.  

 

I’ve gone to a TON of home openers and this one without a doubt was easily the best - and probably the best in Bills history (esp being the last opener at Highmark).

 

The comeback was glorious and I actually think those of us that remained were louder than any other time during the game, even with the stadium full.  That feeling at the end with fellow Bills fans high-fiving and hugging is something I’ll never forget - simply electric. 

 

Go Bills!!

I did not attend. My game for the closing of the stadium is SE28 v.s. the Aints.

 

But what you said, is eerily identical to the Greatest Comeback of All Time v.s. the Oilers. (#1 to this one, only because it was a Playoff.) So, when the Oilers intercepted Reich to make it 35-3, my seatmates bailed. 
 

I had the car keys! 😜
 

I had just bought a Beer and intended to at least- drink it. So, I said to the half empty aisle… “well I’ll watch one more possession.” 
 

And THAT was history! 😆 btw, all my seatmates returned in Q4.

 

Being 3 decades older, not sure what I would have done against the powerful, #1 contender to the Bills in the AFC- Ravens, but maybe, just because we’re old now, paid a lot of $ to attend and are slower to move, we would have stayed.
 

Since at least one guy was from that Oilers game, I like to think so.

 

Actually, we did briefly discuss if the Bills were hammering the Saints by several TDs, we’d consider leaving, because we have to get back to N.F. to watch the Chiefs lose the 4p.m. Game.

 

GO 🦬!

[Ayjent]

On 9/9/2025 at 4:37 PM, Artful Dodger said:

Yes, and if you fail to convert the first conversion, you're always playing catchup on future extra points which is what the Bills did all night.  They're lucky it didn't cost them the game.  Other than that, McDermott did a fine job of game management.  

I agree with this.  It baffled me to go for it an take points off the board and a potential 5 yd penalty assessed on the kickoff.  I get having that advantage if you are a point closer you force Baltimore to think about going for 2 on their next TD, but if you don't get it you are chasing it like the Bills were.  I think the last 2 point attempt was a clear penalty on the CB that the refs just totally whiffed on or didn't want to call bc of the criticism it may bring.  I think Baltimore playing it that way was really smart, bc worst case the Bills have to try again a yard closer and best case we saw play out.  I also think if Baltimore makes the PAT the bills kick a PAT in that situation as well, so in a way it all kind of washed out, and I don't think it really impacted the end of the game as much as people are speculating it did.  The defense was atrocious for most of the game, but it was better in the 4th when the game was on the line, and you have to give them credit for rising to the moment, although there are clearly major issues as we were all concerned about. 

 

Its curious because everyone can see it and the Bills willingness to stand pat with their guys looks a little stubborn and potentially damning down the road.  I also am getting a little tired of hearing how complicated McD's defense is.  If the results were better, okay, but come on...we all see what vulnerabilities this team has against physical teams and this isn't anything new - its been a longstanding issue and for a defense that is light and predicated on speed.  And speed is what they don't have enough of now at the S positions.   Teams are getting to be more physical, and the Bills are not equipped to handle it on the back end of their D.  They invested in the D Line, which is great, but you need to create opportunities for them to get home and that has been an issue before they went so heavy in investing in the DL this offseason.  Bill Barnwell, who I'm not the biggest fan of because he lets stats drive the narrative rather than stats adding context to the obvious, makes a good point in a recent ESPN article about the Bills' D - it is pedestrian aside from turnovers the past couple of years.  And that tracks.  The fact that McD is saying "buckle down" and all that is great, and I'm sure that there were mistakes and bad plays contributing, but we could all see that they were outclassed for most of the game and just not talented enough on the back end.

[blitzboy54]

One thing nobody is talking about is the NFL rule on TD's/and 2 point conversions is if you are forced out of bounds and re establish both feet in bounds the play counts. I don't understand how everyone just sort of said yup when he was clearly forced out and made every effort to get back in. He met all the criteria for a catch then everyone just moved on. We spent the rest of the game chasing those points.

 

I agree that was McD's best clock management performance to date. I hope that is the new standard because it was smart and if handled any other way we would not have won. 

[Shaw66]

3 minutes ago, blitzboy54 said:

One thing nobody is talking about is the NFL rule on TD's/and 2 point conversions is if you are forced out of bounds and re establish both feet in bounds the play counts. I don't understand how everyone just sort of said yup when he was clearly forced out and made every effort to get back in. He met all the criteria for a catch then everyone just moved on. We spent the rest of the game chasing those points.

 

I agree that was McD's best clock management performance to date. I hope that is the new standard because it was smart and if handled any other way we would not have won. 

He clearly had both feet in bounds. I don't have the replay up, but when I watched I thought it was clear that he was forced out.  Right?  He did take a few steps out of bounds; did it look like he didn't get back on the field fast enough?

 

And one more thing about that. I really think the NFL has to change the rules about automatic reviews. Scoring plays are automatic, but plays that would have been scoring plays but weren't because of a ref's ruling are not.  So, McD would have to challenge that call, if it's reviewable at all. The lost timeout would have been really costly.