Buffalo Bills Week 4: Bills @ Ravens

[TheStorm]

Is it, though? Because I don't think it sounds crazy for a good team to win by a lot and (when they lose) only lose by a little.

Sure, but 7 times in a row in one score games? I feel like that has to say something about the playcalling or coaching decisions in tight situations.

 

[valet]

loss doesn’t matter. we had literally 10 starters out. and the refs were clearly calling the entire game in miami’s favor. how do they have 0 defensive penalties when they’re on the field for 40 mins? it doesn’t even make sense

 

[TheStorm]

loss doesn’t matter. we had literally 10 starters out. and the refs were clearly calling the entire game in miami’s favor. how do they have 0 defensive penalties when they’re on the field for 40 mins? it doesn’t even make sense

Nfl probably wants more eyes on the second Bills Dolphins match up and knowing the Bills are better pushed for Miami to win.

 

[HaNotsri]

It was too hot for a long distance run and they were out there in full gear, fighting.
Recovery time for a marathon is 3-5 weeks if you want to avoid injuries.
I think this game will cost us more than just one loss and we might be even less healthy down the line. If they look like shit next game it's understandable.

 

[Zman5778]

Something else I wonder -- let's say this game is later in the season, we need the win and the heat isn't so miserable..........

Do Morse, Poyer and Oliver play? They sure seemed close to it this week.

I wonder if McDermott was like "No point in getting them re-injured in week 3".

 

[Mike McDermott]

Something else I wonder -- let's say this game is later in the season, we need the win and the heat isn't so miserable..........

Do Morse, Poyer and Oliver play? They sure seemed close to it this week.

I wonder if McDermott was like "No point in getting them re-injured in week 3".

That thought crossed my mind as well.

 

[billsandsabres]

They did say something about this to start the game. They really need to think about the health of the players in this high of heat. Gave the Phins an advantage, but it shouldn't come at the expense of the health of the oppositions players:

the fact that the dolphins sideline is in the shade for the whole game and the visitors sideline is in direct sun for the whole game is a tremendous competitive advantage on days like this.

 

[valet]

Something else I wonder -- let's say this game is later in the season, we need the win and the heat isn't so miserable..........

Do Morse, Poyer and Oliver play? They sure seemed close to it this week.

I wonder if McDermott was like "No point in getting them re-injured in week 3".

there definitely has to be some element of risk management at play here. realistically, we are making the playoffs no matter what. winning the division and having home field advantage would be nice, but neither is essential. when healthy this team can beat anyone anywhere, so that should be our primary focus… just getting there more or less in one piece. early season losses don’t really say much about a team. if we are this banged up heading into week 12 or something, and the standings are tight, i bet at least half of the guys that sat this game are going out there and playing

 

[valet]

the fact that the dolphins sideline is in the shade for the whole game and the visitors sideline is in direct sun for the whole game is a tremendous competitive advantage on days like this.

it is also a legitimate player safety issue that the league needs to address. i don’t know why they’re allowed to set up the field this way. away teams in miami should at minimum be allowed to bring some sort of clear 4 wall/roof tarp situation that they can climate control just so you don’t have guys dying out there from heat stroke

 

[tsujimoto74]

the fact that the dolphins sideline is in the shade for the whole game and the visitors sideline is in direct sun for the whole game is a tremendous competitive advantage on days like this.

That's a neat note. We should start only shoveling our sideline for winter games and let the other team stand in waist-deep snow whenever they're not on the field.

 

[K8fool]

I see excuses and so on and so forth w our team today.. I thought they did enough to win , if they aren't who they are and and forgetting the fact that the whole football world never wants them to sniff a super bowl, let alone win one..And will do anything from trying end Josh in every play at his knees to Bellucheat to zebra crossing to ..

I wrote a long detailed harsh but complimentary review of game they should have won ..that got deleted , this sounds shtty like that game but f it.

No fn excuses no fn heat or backups..

We have great depth and we learned a hard lesson today' being every teams super bowl and circled on every calendar ..

We gifted , made mistakes at key times, had interesting calls even human tech puppeting but We Beat ourselves. Also credit the dolphins for never breaking like Tenn and LA.

We learned because we are the favorites their are no excuses , We must Dominate early w whoever is playing
or we gift confidence and risk this exact loss that affects our season if we leave it up to the Fourth quarter expecting breaks or the world to be fair w us...

I thought Josh played well as always these Days , except for three keys plays. We did enough to win most games today..With our new status , It won't be enough and like Miller says.. Don't Blink.

Cook may help the flaws in a running back room that saw bad juke motor make a great catch and moss surprise w a healed great speed run.
Rousseau , Mr Milano and the D played well well enough to win and would be fine without a couple blow assignments and rooks run into a couple picks. BUT WE DIDN'T..

Let's see this as a growth experience and see a bunch of weird small mistakes and calls josh throwing to enhanced reality Pikachu Instead of an open receiver would NOT have been necessary or make any difference if we didn't push as hard and as detailed as they perfectly did against LA and TENN
. They should have won and dominated w our mostly great backups in the heat but all forces aligned and WE DID NOT.. We lost and we should expect weird and blame only ourselves as we proved even w backups . We should have won. , from coaches to each player they all walk away w that feeling. I can't imagine they forget this in the future and it might be another uncomfortable but necessary Truth we face in this long journey to play the most games you can play as a team..

I saw way more positives considering that will show I'f we come out to Dominate early the next three weeks before our bye after KC .. I think we learn a lot and hopefully translate it early the next two games in our new role in this league.

 

[FIRE DRURY]

You know…

A magma carta sized response isn’t necessary after today game..

We did shoot ourselves in the foot.. But we did so because that’s the only direction the Glock was facing.

Shit happens. Especially when you’re missing 1/2 your D and the leader of your OLINE.

LOL, the fact that this shit still came down to a single score (f*** you McKenzie. After watching that last replay 7100 times, I wholeheartedly believe you could have reached the sideline), it’s still a SHOCK we were even in it.

The 3-0 Fins “barely” beat us when we used our back-ups on D, and had issues with our offensive personnel due to suspensions, dehydration, etc..

I’m telling you, when healthy, this is a blowout.

I hate, Hate, HATE we lost. But given everything we saw tonight, this Bills team might actually be better then expected.

 

[K8fool]

We outgained then 497 to 212 .. I'm cool w that.. I saw complaining and Josh is part of the #me too group now messing up a hand in retaliation... All kinda sht happened.. thought they mostly played well..

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

It was too hot for a long distance run and they were out there in full gear, fighting.
Recovery time for a marathon is 3-5 weeks if you want to avoid injuries.
I think this game will cost us more than just one loss and we might be even less healthy down the line. If they look like shit next game it's understandable.

that 20 play drive is going to haunt us

end of the day for this team its about january/february not september and nothing about today looked like anything other than... teams dont go undefeated

josh doesnt miss open receivers in the end zone
diggs doesnt drop passes in the last 2 minutes
davis doesnt drop touchdowns
teams dont play with 7 defensive starters and 3 oline starters injured
bass doesnt miss fgs
and teams dont botch both snaps to end the first and second half

if 1 of those things happened it would be a story line

if all of those things happened you'd think the team lost by 20

19-21 final

500 yards to 250, teams dont lose those games, fluke loss, eventually the coin lands the other way

 

[Dubi Doo]

that 20 play drive is going to haunt us

end of the day for this team its about january/february not september and nothing about today looked like anything other than... teams dont go undefeated

josh doesnt miss open receivers in the end zone
diggs doesnt drop passes in the last 2 minutes
davis doesnt drop touchdowns
teams dont play with 7 defensive starters and 3 oline starters injured
bass doesnt miss fgs
and teams dont botch both snaps to end the first and second half

if 1 of those things happened it would be a story line

if all of those things happened you'd think the team lost by 20

19-21 final

500 yards to 250, teams dont lose those games, fluke loss, eventually the coin lands the other way

I will say- by the end of that 9 minute drive- we were cycling through receivers who needed IVs for hydration and the O line started dealing with their injuries. Im convinced we whoop them if not for all the logistical f***ery that happened due to the weather and the design of their stadium.

Also, shoutout to the defense. I pinned the Dolphins for 24 points before I knew about the injuries to Oliver and Poyer. The fact the defense held the Dolphins to 21 points w/ one of those drives starting in the red zone is impressive. Milano almost capped off a dominant performance with a pick-6.

I didn't expect the offense to sputter like they did in the second half, but given the circumstances- I don't foresee that happening again when we play the Dolphins. Morse needs to come back ASAP, though! How many errant snaps did we see yesterday?!

 

[truthbluth]

Be a goldfish Josh.
This game doesn’t define anything. 1 of 17.

 

[Tsujimoto]

magma carta

Would that be considered a Hot Take?

 

[Jim Bob]

Sure, but 7 times in a row in one score games? I feel like that has to say something about the playcalling or coaching decisions in tight situations.

It's not just the coaches.

The coaches weren't the reason that Gabe Davis didn't hold onto that TD pass.

The coaches weren't the reason that Josh skipped that TD pass to McKenzie.

The coaches weren't the reason that Milano dropped what could have been a pick six.

The coaches weren't the reason the FG got tipped.

The coaches weren't the reason the Bills didn't get a FG off at the end of each half.

 

[Dubi Doo]

This should not be overlooked. Elam + White is going to be a hell of a duo going forward:

 

[brian_griffin]

My pre-game thoughts from earlier in the week, bolded highlighted for effect.

things going against BUF:
1:00 start with Upper 80s shade temp with high humidity, heat index >>100F, their thinner depth (due to injuries) will be tested.
short practice week, with road travel
D-line injuries
Gabe Davis - will he be back or not?
secondary injuries
inexperienced secondary depth
(potential) external expectations they win

things going for MIA:
nothing to lose
Hill, Gesecki, Waddle with catches vs. a "keep them in front of you" Bills defense, then turning upfield and tripling their gains with YAC*
Tua had a big game / comeback, he and the 'fins will have confidence.

"push" / no advantage:
hopefully, the crowd

*that's the defense the Bills should play, given injuries and their typical 2-high scheme, but I don't want to see BUF in a track meet / last team with the ball wins the game situation.

I think whomever wins the turnover battle will prevail. If that's a push, it will come down to kicking game / special teams (who has fewer miscues).

More on the heat/humidity at the bottom. Bills lost the turnover battle and had more miscues than Miami. That was the difference.

Miami scored more than a point per minute.
D line nowhere to be found. Well rested though

Miami scored 1.09 points per minute of possession. That's not anomalous. The NFL average score per team is 23 pts., or ~0.77 points per minute of possession. What IS anomalous are the Bills 19 points in nearly 41 minutes, or 0.47 points per minute, and 19 points for nearly 500 yards of offense. Their offense should have put up ~35 points for that many yards.

There is nothing logically to be upset about with this game! But that doesn’t change the fact it was frustrating as we STILL should have won despite the injuries and missed opportunities

My whole reason for preferring to be blown out vs. losing closely.

We’re gonna lose games! Almost nothing you can take from this freak game. BUT like you said, the team is going to be frustrated with this loss and they know they let one slip by. McDermott will have it under control

Not arguing with you personally, but I disagree. I am not of a WGR 55 caller mentality, nor one who wears Bills blinders, but if there is any team in the NFL this season who has the talent, coaching, and collective ability to win every game they play this season, it's Buffalo. They beat themselves today.

The longer I marinate on this, the less I'm concerned. When Miami comes up here, we might very well blow their doors off.

That should be the plan. Should they get the lead, I don't think the Bills should let up in any rematch.

the fact that the dolphins sideline is in the shade for the whole game and the visitors sideline is in direct sun for the whole game is a tremendous competitive advantage on days like this.

It's easily 20 degrees difference, IMO. And the number / percentage of Bills vs. Dolphins who were impacted supports my view. They were talking about the intentional design of the structural sun shade added to the stadium a handful of years ago.

it is also a legitimate player safety issue that the league needs to address. i don’t know why they’re allowed to set up the field this way. away teams in miami should at minimum be allowed to bring some sort of clear 4 wall/roof tarp situation that they can climate control just so you don’t have guys dying out there from heat stroke

I only saw 1 popup shelter on the sidelines, which Allen was sitting under. I've seen dozens on the sidelines for kiddie rec league soccer games where I live. Why didn't the Bills have more of them on their sideline?
And did the Bills have any of those large fans with the misting drip spray - "swamp coolers"?

That's a neat note. We should start only shoveling our sideline for winter games and let the other team stand in waist-deep snow whenever they're not on the field.

Pretty sure NFL competitive guidelines would not permit that.

In sum:
1. The depleted defense wasn't the issue. MIA 212 yards and only the one big play with blown coverage to Waddle over the middle.
2. I don't know that I'll ever see any NFL team gain 500 yards and put up only 19 points.
3. Several VERY questionable calls vs. BUF would not have been called in other games, and far more egregious actual fouls went uncalled on MIA.
4. Points off the turnover (Allen fumble near his 10 yard line) was the difference.

The only solace:
San Diego lost badly to Jacksonville.
Colts beat KC.
Ravens beat the Pats.

Would that be considered a Hot Take?

As opposed to a magma torta, which would be considered a Hot Cake.

 

[Jim Bob]

This should not be overlooked. Elam + White is going to be a hell of a duo going forward:

It looked to me like they were playing more press man than usual. That is in Elam's wheelhouse.

 

[OkimLom]

14 more games, get some rest, get healthy. Based on everything I've read, and highlights I saw, a case of Buffalo being their own worst enemy. They're not going to play in a hot game again this season.

Props to the defense for stepping up as best as they can.

time to move on to the next game.

 

[kirby11]

Looking back at the one score game “issue”…

Bills are 12-16 in one score games going back to 2018.

I do wish McD would be a bit more aggressive in tight games—feels like he defaults to being more conservative compared to when we’re rolling.

It felt like Daboll got to a point of overusing the QB sneak on 3rd/4th and 1. I think Dorsey needs to start using it more with (yet again) the lack of a run game/OL injuries. Wonder if he didn’t because of potential snap issues with the centers yesterday. I’d also like to see them get Knox more involved in the red zone

 

[Dubi Doo]

My pre-game thoughts from earlier in the week, bolded highlighted for effect.

More on the heat/humidity at the bottom. Bills lost the turnover battle and had more miscues than Miami. That was the difference.

Miami scored 1.09 points per minute of possession. That's not anomalous. The NFL average score per team is 23 pts., or ~0.77 points per minute of possession. What IS anomalous are the Bills 19 points in nearly 41 minutes, or 0.47 points per minute, and 19 points for nearly 500 yards of offense. Their offense should have put up ~35 points for that many yards.

My whole reason for preferring to be blown out vs. losing closely.

Not arguing with you personally, but I disagree. I am not of a WGR 55 caller mentality, nor one who wears Bills blinders, but if there is any team in the NFL this season who has the talent, coaching, and collective ability to win every game they play this season, it's Buffalo. They beat themselves today.

That should be the plan. Should they get the lead, I don't think the Bills should let up in any rematch.

It's easily 20 degrees difference, IMO. And the number / percentage of Bills vs. Dolphins who were impacted supports my view. They were talking about the intentional design of the structural sun shade added to the stadium a handful of years ago.

I only saw 1 popup shelter on the sidelines, which Allen was sitting under. I've seen dozens on the sidelines for kiddie rec league soccer games where I live. Why didn't the Bills have more of them on their sideline?
And did the Bills have any of those large fans with the misting drip spray - "swamp coolers"?

Pretty sure NFL competitive guidelines would not permit that.

In sum:
1. The depleted defense wasn't the issue. MIA 212 yards and only the one big play with blown coverage to Waddle over the middle.
2. I don't know that I'll ever see any NFL team gain 500 yards and put up only 19 points.
3. Several VERY questionable calls vs. BUF would not have been called in other games, and far more egregious actual fouls went uncalled on MIA.
4. Points off the turnover (Allen fumble near his 10 yard line) was the difference.

The only solace:
San Diego lost badly to Jacksonville.
Colts beat KC.
Ravens beat the Pats.


As opposed to a magma torta, which would be considered a Hot Cake.

To your point regarding the Bills tents- I read that if the home team doesnt put up tents- then the away team cant put up tents, so the Dolphins didnt put up tents and used the shade from the stadium to keep cooler. Crazy big advantage that is actually incredibly detrimental to the health of the players.

Hopefully the NFL and NFLPA look into these situations, especially considering areas of the US are starting to see their hottest heat waves ever, and it seems that will be a trend for the foreseeable future.

 

[Matt Ress]

14 more games, get some rest, get healthy. Based on everything I've read, and highlights I saw, a case of Buffalo being their own worst enemy. They're not going to play in a hot game again this season.

Props to the defense for stepping up as best as they can.

time to move on to the next game.

That's where I'm at. Not as upset as I thought I would be. Injuries, heat. Just a tough game. Let's get healthy and move on.