Game strategy continues to elude McD

[ren1701]

On 10/8/2025 at 3:39 PM, Mark80 said:

Since 2017 exactly 1 team has more wins than the Bills, that is the Chiefs.  That includes a season when Tyrod Taylor was the starting QB and a season when Josh Allen threw more INTs than TDs.  But I'm sure YOU know more about winning strategy than Sean McDermott does.  Thanks for your wisdom.  The team would be lost without you.

This is an odd take, saying T2 made it to the playoffs while waiting for the Bengals to hopefully win that night to get us in, and playing a last place schedule to boot, he gets a pass? Regular season wins mean jack, nobody will remember that - it's championships that matter. I've been on this train for the last 3 years about McD, take away 17 and the Bills are mediocre at best - forever in purgatory. They are not setup to win a championship, they are set up for "sustainability" - stay in the mix, hopefully make it through and most importantly, keep the seats filled and the merch flowing. ALOT of people here forget it's a business first and a game second. 

 

Be honest and think about it, in 7 years has Bean gone "all in"?? -think about it.  He brings in just enough talent to keep up that pace, guys at the end of their career or used up, or middle of the road talent. We all know the Bills need a stud to stretch the field deep but "everybody eats" right? ridiculous (see last game where even with a lost step Diggs roasted us) and we need either another pass rushing stud or a shut down corner without that. So lets just prove this out, Parsons was available, complete game changer, but we can't give up that 1st round pick (even though most likely it is 29/30), so gonna just draft a guy and "hope" he's as good as Parsons? Some teams treat draft pick like they are gold. Teams that are making a run will never do that, they go all in. Now the trade window will come and go and no matter what happens during the rest of the season, we will get into the playoffs, maybe we even win one - but no way is there enough talent on the field or in the booth to bring it home, but ya never know, 6th times a charm right?  

[Gregg]

13 minutes ago, ren1701 said:

This is an odd take, saying T2 made it to the playoffs while waiting for the Bengals to hopefully win that night to get us in, and playing a last place schedule to boot, he gets a pass? Regular season wins mean jack, nobody will remember that - it's championships that matter. I've been on this train for the last 3 years about McD, take away 17 and the Bills are mediocre at best - forever in purgatory. They are not setup to win a championship, they are set up for "sustainability" - stay in the mix, hopefully make it through and most importantly, keep the seats filled and the merch flowing. ALOT of people here forget it's a business first and a game second. 

 

Be honest and think about it, in 7 years has Bean gone "all in"?? -think about it.  He brings in just enough talent to keep up that pace, guys at the end of their career or used up, or middle of the road talent. We all know the Bills need a stud to stretch the field deep but "everybody eats" right? ridiculous (see last game where even with a lost step Diggs roasted us) and we need either another pass rushing stud or a shut down corner without that. So lets just prove this out, Parsons was available, complete game changer, but we can't give up that 1st round pick (even though most likely it is 29/30), so gonna just draft a guy and "hope" he's as good as Parsons? Some teams treat draft pick like they are gold. Teams that are making a run will never do that, they go all in. Now the trade window will come and go and no matter what happens during the rest of the season, we will get into the playoffs, maybe we even win one - but no way is there enough talent on the field or in the booth to bring it home, but ya never know, 6th times a charm right?  

 

Give it time. McDermott and Beane have only been here 9 years. They will figure it out. Josh may be 50 years old when they do but they will get it done. Have patience.

[PatsFanNH]

On 10/8/2025 at 11:30 AM, WIDE LEFT said:

As it so often does. Pats final drive, only needing a field goal to take the lead. Given that making a field goal from 50-60 yards is routine these days, your D has to defend first down markers, NOT the end zone. But the soft, prevent zones allow Pats to methodically move the ball downfield, chewing up all the time. On the play where Maye was almost sacked, with Jones draped all over him, Diggs is wide open for a short pass, as our linebacker has to come up from his deep position to make the tackle. That’s terrible defensive strategy. Man up, take the short stuff away, blitz , whatever but u need to prevent first downs - not touchdowns. If a long TD happens, so be it, Allen gets back on the field with time to operate. KC faced similar situation in our playoff game last year. Our final drive - they threw the kitchen sink at Allen, knowing that if a long scoring play happens, at least Mahomes has a chance to comeback. But the slow death of dropping D back, bend don’t break, results in the slow death of a methodical drive that chews up all the clock. God awful strategy. 
 

As was the incredible decision to have Samuel field & return the final kickoff, with just 15 seconds left. Let the ball go into end zone, take it at the 20, and let Allen take 2 or 3 shots downfield. Long shot I know, but far better than a kickoff return that leaves virtually no time to do anything. It’s this consistent mismanagement of game strategy which will once again haunt this team in the playoffs 
 

 

Ok if I remember right both teams in the second half were moving the ball really well and I mean your D line had Maye and he made an Allen/ Prime Big Ben type play with him on him and completing a pass to Diggs. The next play was a cover 2 D and Maye hit Bourne in between 2 defenders and they were in FG range.. after that your coaches were just trying to save as much time as possible for your O.

[NeverOutNick]

On 10/8/2025 at 11:30 AM, WIDE LEFT said:

As it so often does. Pats final drive, only needing a field goal to take the lead. Given that making a field goal from 50-60 yards is routine these days, your D has to defend first down markers, NOT the end zone. But the soft, prevent zones allow Pats to methodically move the ball downfield, chewing up all the time. On the play where Maye was almost sacked, with Jones draped all over him, Diggs is wide open for a short pass, as our linebacker has to come up from his deep position to make the tackle. That’s terrible defensive strategy. Man up, take the short stuff away, blitz , whatever but u need to prevent first downs - not touchdowns. If a long TD happens, so be it, Allen gets back on the field with time to operate. KC faced similar situation in our playoff game last year. Our final drive - they threw the kitchen sink at Allen, knowing that if a long scoring play happens, at least Mahomes has a chance to comeback. But the slow death of dropping D back, bend don’t break, results in the slow death of a methodical drive that chews up all the clock. God awful strategy. 
 

As was the incredible decision to have Samuel field & return the final kickoff, with just 15 seconds left. Let the ball go into end zone, take it at the 20, and let Allen take 2 or 3 shots downfield. Long shot I know, but far better than a kickoff return that leaves virtually no time to do anything. It’s this consistent mismanagement of game strategy which will once again haunt this team in the playoffs 
 

 

You’re spot on but is anyone who is not a McD loyalist really surprised at this point. In a year where we should easily be finishing 15-2 or 14-3 at worst with the 1 seed locked, we will finish 12-5 or 11-6 and miss out on the 1 seed because of our coaching. Josh should be allowed to have a subpar game and us still win games but with our current HC it just isn’t realistic. 

[Buffalo Boy]

On 10/8/2025 at 7:03 PM, T.E. said:

Sorry, I forgot that the success of the team is almost solely contingent on whether or not Allen can play a flawless game without having a single bad play.

Or play a flawless game, delivering the win…. Signed, sealed and delivered…..

and still lose🤯