McKelvin was SUPPOSED to bring it out with 2:06 left

[MDH]

F McKelvin - I hate him

 

I know it is unheard of to question the almighlty April - but I think he is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy over rated by Bills fans

 

yeah, having the top special teams unit year after year is soooooooo overrated.

[Ralonzo]

I bet my house April told him to bring it out and get the clock moving under 2:00 no matter what. He did exactly what he was correctly told do to.

 

I was calling that as soon as the Pats scored with 2:06 left on the chat room. It was exactly the right thing to do to nullify the free timeout at 2:00. But, he had to tell him, get down on contact... or before. I put that on McKelvin.

[Alaska Darin]

You must not have even been watching. The only other option is that you are too stupid to comprehend what you did watch.

When the Bills were not blitzing Brady, as in the first half, the Pats didn't really have as much rhythm as usual and had to sustain drives with 3-7 yard passes. When the Bills started coming after him in the second half, he started moving the ball efficiently. Credit Tom Brady for being able to continually make the correct 3rd and 4th option reads and move the ball consistently five yards at a time. I don't think any other offense in the league pulls that off. Our D was rock solid. The coaching was awesome and much better than the Pats. If you can't see that you should just not say anything regarding football ever.

Amen.

[ThePebble19]

I don't know the rules on this but, I'm gonna throw it out there...If the clock starts as soon as McKelvin touches the ball, couldn't he just run around in the end zone for 6 seconds to run off clock? Or does he actually have to return the ball out of the end zone for the clock to start?

[Ralonzo]

No one wants to destroy the confidence of a player who is very talented. He made a bonehead move and it cost his team the game.

 

That fumble was one goat horn.

 

His whiff on Kevin Faulk on 3rd down on the first Pats TD drive was the other goat horn.

[Simon]

I don't know the rules on this but, I'm gonna throw it out there...If the clock starts as soon as McKelvin touches the ball, couldn't he just run around in the end zone for 6 seconds to run off clock? Or does he actually have to return the ball out of the end zone for the clock to start?

Clock doesn't start til he leaves the endzone

[Leonidas]

I don't know the rules on this but, I'm gonna throw it out there...If the clock starts as soon as McKelvin touches the ball, couldn't he just run around in the end zone for 6 seconds to run off clock? Or does he actually have to return the ball out of the end zone for the clock to start?

 

I believe the clock starts as soon as he leaves the endzone with it. I thought of that too, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that. Gotta take your chances if you want the clock to start running...

[Heels20X6]

Exactly right on the first thought.

I think April will spill the beans to cover the kid though. He's a stand up guy.

 

Or Jauron, I can see him taking the fall for it. Crappy coach but classy guy.

[TC in St. Louis]

That runback was the dumbest play I've ever seen. That moron cost us the game. Plain and simple.

[Ghost of Rob Johnson]

Bringing it out was fine......BUT GET DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

DUMB PLAYER made a DUMB PLAY.

 

precise, stupid players make stupid plays.

[ThePebble19]

I believe the clock starts as soon as he leaves the endzone with it. I thought of that too, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that. Gotta take your chances if you want the clock to start running...

 

Yeah, that's kinda what I thought...That is just a heartbreaker...

 

If he returns the kick, falls down, and we go 3 and out, and then Brady goes 60-70 yards with 1 or less timeouts and beats us, then so be it. I can deal with that. In that case, we just lose to a better team.

 

But we had them, and we just gave it away....Without even a struggle...we just let it go.

[billsfan714]

I was thinking what ever happens, just dont fumble the kickoff, then bam fumble. If April didnt tell Mckelvin whatever you do just get down on the ground, then hes not doing his jobl as a coach. Its these little things that win and lose football games. I could care less about about getting the clock under 2 minutes on the return. We get a first down and its over instead were thinking about running 6-8 seconds off the clock. Hell I would of taken my chances with the pats having to go 60-70 yards with a minute and half and needing a TD with 0-1 timeouts. You have to be sadistic to be a Bills fan with this coaching staff, because if theres a way to lose a big game, we will find it.

[dave mcbride]

I agree completely about the D. Who is calling these plays. Brady was terrible in the first half because we pressured him. We let up the pressure and we lost.

Not true. The Bills were winning matchups in the first half; in the second half the Bills players had their hats handed to them by the Pats offensive line. On the occasions when the Bills did blitz in the second half, they failed every time.

[ThePebble19]

I was thinking what ever happens, just dont fumble the kickoff, then bam fumble. If April didnt tell Mckelvin whatever you do just get down on the ground, then hes not doing his jobl as a coach. Its these little things that win and lose football games. I could care less about about getting the clock under 2 minutes on the return. We get a first down and its over instead were thinking about running 6-8 seconds off the clock. Hell I would of taken my chances with the pats having to go 60-70 yards with a minute and half and needing a TD with 0-1 timeouts. You have to be sadistic to be a Bills fan with this coaching staff, because if theres a way to lose a big game, we will find it.

 

QFT. I am really torn on this, but I really think that the blame for it falls on McKelvin. It was the right play to bring it out, get it to the 2 min warning. But fall as soon as you get hit. And he got hit, and was still up...Instead of sticking to the gameplan, and letting your offense that has moved the ball every time that they had it win the game, you try to make something out of absolutely nothing and lose the game.

[Malazan]

It's not surprising. McKelvin thought he could win the game on his own...despite the multiple instances that he was proven wrong (including a previous fumble) earlier in the game. He needs some work on the fundamentals of the game, his coverage was ugly and his tackling was...ugh.

[Assquatch]

He just said on channel 7 that he would do the same thing next time (fight for the extra yards). "You never know -- next time I might break two." Hey Leodis -- we didn't need you to break anything but the 2:00 warning.

[transient]

...Instead of sticking to the gameplan, and letting your offense that has moved the ball every time that they had it win the game, you try to make something out of absolutely nothing and lose the game.

 

This is what is eating at me right now. Regardless of the :06 left on the clock before the two minute warning, as numerous people have pointed out earlier your hands team is in there... AND you are ripping off chunks of yardage with screens, draws, delayed handoffs, and consistently doing this while running the play clock down to the last :03 seconds... TAKE THE KNEE AND PICK UP THE EXTRA GODDAMN FIRST DOWN LIKE A REAL TEAM. If you don't, PUNT THE BALL AND TAKE YOUR CHANCES. McKelvin had no business, whether it was a coaches decision or his own, running that ball out from 5 yards deep in the endzone!! Not in this game under those circumstances!!

[Simon]

This is what is eating at me right now. Regardless of the :06 left on the clock before the two minute warning, as numerous people have pointed out earlier your hands team is in there... AND you are ripping off chunks of yardage with screens, draws, delayed handoffs, and consistently doing this while running the play clock down to the last :03 seconds... TAKE THE KNEE AND PICK UP THE EXTRA GODDAMN FIRST DOWN LIKE A REAL TEAM. If you don't, PUNT THE BALL AND TAKE YOUR CHANCES. McKelvin had no business, whether it was a coaches decision or his own, running that ball out from 5 yards deep in the endzone!! Not in this game under those circumstances!!

If you're so afraid of a freaking Special Team's fumble that you're willing to give your opponents a free TO with 2:00 left in a tight game, you've got less guts than Dick Jauron.

[Alaska Darin]

If you're so afraid of a freaking ST's fumble that you're willing to give your opponents a free TO with 2:00 left in a tight game, you've got less guts than Dick Jauron.

Being conservative in hindsight is heroic.

[dave mcbride]

Prior to that kickoff, I know I was hoping that McKelvin would get it out to the 45-50 with a nice return. I was dreading a touch back with the Bills getting the ball at the 20 and the Pats having essentially four timeouts left. I wanted them to try and win, not play not to lose because I figured that if they did the latter, they would actually lose because they couldn't stop the NE offense.

[billsfan714]

If you're so afraid of a freaking Special Team's fumble that you're willing to give your opponents a free TO with 2:00 left in a tight game, you've got less guts than Dick Jauron.

 

If your worried about taking 6-8 seconds off the clock to not give NE a free timeout, then you must know your team cannot make a first down to ice the game, or your D cannot stop NE going 60-70 yards with 0-1 timeouts then YOU have less guts then Dick Jauron.

[Mr. WEO]

yeah, having the top special teams unit year after year is soooooooo overrated.

Top special teams cannot be. But "coaching" special teams certainly is.

[Lv-Bills]

If your worried about taking 6-8 seconds off the clock to not give NE a free timeout, then you must know your team cannot make a first down to ice the game, or your D cannot stop NE going 60-70 yards with 0-1 timeouts then YOU have less guts then Dick Jauron.

 

Obviously. Say no more.

[Simon]

If your worried about taking 6-8 seconds off the clock to not give NE a free timeout, then you must know your team cannot make a first down to ice the game, or your D cannot stop NE going 60-70 yards with 0-1 timeouts then YOU have less guts then Dick Jauron.

They have likely to make 2 first downs instead of 1 if we don't bring that ball out.

I'll take the strong odds we don't fumble, instead of curling up and being afraid to play football.

[Simon]

 

Obviously. Say no more.

 

So you'd also give your opponent a free TO with 2:00 left and curl up into the fetal position in your own endzone because you were afwaid to bring the ball out and pway?

Gee, we're all surprised.

[Leonidas]

This is what is eating at me right now. Regardless of the :06 left on the clock before the two minute warning, as numerous people have pointed out earlier your hands team is in there... AND you are ripping off chunks of yardage with screens, draws, delayed handoffs, and consistently doing this while running the play clock down to the last :03 seconds... TAKE THE KNEE AND PICK UP THE EXTRA GODDAMN FIRST DOWN LIKE A REAL TEAM. If you don't, PUNT THE BALL AND TAKE YOUR CHANCES. McKelvin had no business, whether it was a coaches decision or his own, running that ball out from 5 yards deep in the endzone!! Not in this game under those circumstances!!

 

You're just wrong here. It's these little nuances that win or lose football games. McKelvin holds on, and the chances of winning now that the clock is under 2:00 improves dramatically.

 

If you're so afraid of a freaking Special Team's fumble that you're willing to give your opponents a free TO with 2:00 left in a tight game, you've got less guts than Dick Jauron.

 

Amen.

 

If your worried about taking 6-8 seconds off the clock to not give NE a free timeout, then you must know your team cannot make a first down to ice the game, or your D cannot stop NE going 60-70 yards with 0-1 timeouts then YOU have less guts then Dick Jauron.

 

That...doesn't make any sense.

 

 

Obviously. Say no more.

 

Well, I agree with the second part of that statement...

[billsfan714]

No actually 1 first down would of about sewn it up, unless your going to wet yourself knowing brady has 30 seconds and no timeouts and 60 -70 yards to go needing a touchdown.

[Leonidas]

No actually 1 first down would of about sewn it up, unless your going to wet yourself knowing brady has 30 seconds and no timeouts and 60 -70 yards to go needing a touchdown.

 

Except when you don't get that first down then what? Instead of having no timeouts Brady has 1. You think that timeout doesn't matter? You've got to be joking. It's not a coaching mistake to take it out of the endzone there, anyone who knows football knows that. Just hold onto it. You people are seriously making Dick Jauron look like Mike Martz.

[Simon]

No actually 1 first down would of about sewn it up, unless your going to wet yourself knowing brady has 30 seconds and no timeouts and 60 -70 yards to go needing a touchdown.

What if they convert on 2nd down.

Or get yet another dropped pass.

 

Giving your opponents a significant gift of an important TO because you're afraid to play football would have been the gutless play.

[transient]

They have likely to make 2 first downs instead of 1 if we don't bring that ball out.

I'll take the strong odds we don't fumble, instead of curling up and being afraid to play football.

 

How is manning up and picking up 2 first downs afraid to play football. Your talking about running the ball out from 5 yards deep in the endzone with your hands team on the field at a critical time in the game. When your fielding it that deep, you need to get it out of the shadow of your goal line, for one, and the kicking team usually has a bead on you around the 15, and with your hands team on, you've got no blocking. If you need to pick up an extra first down then DO IT!! How is that conservative. And the fact that McKelvin put it on the ground earlier, to me, means its a risk. Obviously those odds weren't so strong, cuz... it happened.

[billsfan714]

If it doesnt make sense to you to have the ball first and 10 on the 20 with a 4 point lead and just over 2 minutes remaining, then I suppose nothing makes sense to you.

[Simon]

How is manning up and picking up 2 first downs afraid to play football. Your talking about running the ball out from 5 yards deep in the endzone with your hands team on the field at a critical time in the game. When your fielding it that deep, you need to get it out of the shadow of your goal line, for one, and the kicking team usually has a bead on you around the 15, and with your hands team on, you've got no blocking. If you need to pick up an extra first down then DO IT!! How is that conservative. And the fact that McKelvin put it on the ground earlier, to me, means its a risk. Obviously those odds weren't so strong, cuz... it happened.

Being afraid to bring the ball out for a fear you might drop it is being afraid to play football.

[Simon]

If it doesnt make sense to you to have the ball first and 10 on the 20 with a 4 point lead and just over 2 minutes remaining, then I suppose nothing makes sense to you.

 

If it doesn't make more sense to you to have it 1st and 10 on the 17 with just under 2:00 left, then I suppose nothing makes sense to you.

[billsfan714]

If it doesn't make more sense to you to have it 1st and 10 on the 17 with just under 2:00 left, then I suppose nothing makes sense to you.

Well we know how your way turned out.

[Lv-Bills]

So you'd also give your opponent a free TO with 2:00 left and curl up into the fetal position in your own endzone because you were afwaid to bring the ball out and pway?

Gee, we're all surprised.

Yeah, I would, because one first down wins the game. One first down with Freddie playing well, TO now on your team, and AVP calling a decent game. Yeah I do. Or, even if they have one timeout left, yeah, I make them 60 or 70 yards with one timeout left. You betcha.

 

And that's good, you shouldn't be surprised.....it's smart football in that situation, period. This way FAILED. Miserably.

[billsfan714]

Yeah, I would, because one first down wins the game. One first down with Freddie playing well, TO now on your team, and AVP calling a decent game. Yeah I do. Or, even if they have one timeout left, yeah, I make them 60 or 70 yards with one timeout left. You betcha.

 

And that's good, you shouldn't be surprised.....it's smart football in that situation, period. This way FAILED. Miserably.

 

AMEN

[Lv-Bills]

Being afraid to bring the ball out for a fear you might drop it is being afraid to play football.

No, it's smart football. I love when people argue something that just friggin failed in front of you. Brilliant.

[Leonidas]

How is manning up and picking up 2 first downs afraid to play football. Your talking about running the ball out from 5 yards deep in the endzone with your hands team on the field at a critical time in the game. When your fielding it that deep, you need to get it out of the shadow of your goal line, for one, and the kicking team usually has a bead on you around the 15, and with your hands team on, you've got no blocking. If you need to pick up an extra first down then DO IT!! How is that conservative. And the fact that McKelvin put it on the ground earlier, to me, means its a risk. Obviously those odds weren't so strong, cuz... it happened.

 

So because event (a) happened then the odds weren't that strong against event (a) happening? That's your argument? Sound logic.

 

Is picking up an extra first down (not just one, but two now apparently) against a defensive mastermind statistically easier than not fumbling the kickoff? Again, I yield to you, sir. Keep in mind, this is a situation in which you have to drain the opponents three remaining timeouts, so your options are either to run the ball or make very safe passes.

 

There's a big difference between Tom Brady having 1 timeout vs. no timeouts. If you don't get it you just don't get it.

[Ralonzo]

No, it's smart football. I love when people argue something that just friggin failed in front of you. Brilliant.

 

Hindsight. 20/20.

[HurlyBurly51]

Blocking is irrelevant.

The clock was the primary factor in that situation.

 

I thought maybe ball control was.