Buffalo Bills Week 5: Bills v. Steelers (Sun. 10/9, 1:00PM)

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Back here in realityville, they let the ball drive down to the 1 yard line and would've given up a TD, so they would've lost even if they made the FG? What's your point?

What you guys are missing is that the Bills don't *necessarily* drive for a TD after the Ravens go up by 3.

Do you think that outcome was predetermined and inevitable?

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

ugly wins build character

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Let’s go! Winnin a toughie, showin that gumption. Dig deep, ain’t no bills team I’ve seen winnin that one. These bills different

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Looks like we dodged one there.

 

[Mike McDermott]

In that situation, at the end of the game, while tied I want my team going for the field goal 10 times out of 10. Get the points (providing nothing crazy happens on the kick which isn’t super likely), go up and trust your defense can do enough. One hundred percent I want the lead and a FG only tying it with the time left on the clock.

If it was a different point in the game I would totally ageee with the call but that time left, kick every time.

 

[Dirty Dog]

What you guys are missing is that the Bills don't *necessarily* drive for a TD after the Ravens go up by 3.

Do you think that outcome was predetermined and inevitable?

No, but you seem to? The ravens thought they needed a TD and then proceeded to let the bills drive 80 yards. Seems like a good bet.

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

Woke up in the middle of the night and saw 20-3, thought "gonna be a long one..."
Woke up in the morning and wow. Hopefully they can build on this.

 

[sabresfan129103]

I understand the conditions were less than ideal, but the receivers were awful today. Davis had 2 easy drops and Crowder looked like he didn't belong in the NFL. I've been wanting Shakir to get more playing time and I think he earned it today. He had 2 really nice plays and I hope they use him more going forward.

 

[Puppa2Miller]

That feels good! Woooo!

*3 -1 on the year vs. a tough schedule and 3 road games in the rear view mirror!
*It was odd in that I am not sure I feel any one position group played all that great yet team wide "guts" can count for a lot
*Hope you all enjoyed the final drive as much as I did! Give the coaches credit, the last 2 minutes were managed brilliantly

 

[Husko]

No, but you seem to? The ravens thought they needed a TD and then proceeded to let the bills drive 80 yards. Seems like a good bet.

95 yards!

 

[NotABadPeriod]

What you guys are missing is that the Bills don't *necessarily* drive for a TD after the Ravens go up by 3.

Do you think that outcome was predetermined and inevitable?

By the same token, why would going for it and not getting the TD be treated as pre-determined?

Ravens execute (which quite frankly seemed like a good bet the way the drive occurred) and Allen now needs a TD.

Seems like we are focusing on the negative of that risk because it came to fruition, perhaps just like we are focusing on the Bills driving to the one on the ensuing possession because it also came to fruition.

 

[Zman5778]

At worst we're going to be 4-2 going into our bye and then likely to be either favored or heavily favored in all of our remaining games.

13-4 overall is perfectly doable at this point. 12-5 would be a disappointment. Unless the injury bug really bites us, I don't see 4 more losses this season..........and frankly I struggle to see 3.

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

I understand the conditions were less than ideal, but the receivers were awful today. Davis had 2 easy drops and Crowder looked like he didn't belong in the NFL. I've been wanting Shakir to get more playing time and I think he earned it today. He had 2 really nice plays and I hope they use him more going forward.

I think I counted 8 drops (3 Crowder, 3 Davis, 1 Diggs). Lets hope they work hard on the juggs machine this week.

 

[Husko]

That feels good! Woooo!

*3 -1 on the year vs. a tough schedule and 3 road games in the rear view mirror!
*It was odd in that I am not sure I feel any one position group played all that great yet team wide "guts" can count for a lot
*Hope you all enjoyed the final drive as much as I did! Give the coaches credit, the last 2 minutes were managed brilliantly

All Ravens wide receivers:
Duvernay: 4-51-0
Bateman: 3-17-0
Robinson: 2-10-0

If you want to throw Andrews in there too, he went for 2-15-0

All the props in the world to the banged up secondary. They played lights out considering they also had to account for Lamar running.

 

[Mike McDermott]

95 yards!

Not that it totally matters in the grand scheme of things but the Bills last drive was 77 yards. Because of the interception in the end zone we started at the 20.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Not that it totally matters in the grand scheme of things but the Bills last drive was 77 yards. Because of the interception in the end zone we started at the 20.

Though we made it to the 1 and then kneeled…80!!!!!

 

[sabresfan129103]

I think I counted 8 drops (3 Crowder, 3 Davis, 1 Diggs). Lets hope they work hard on the juggs machine this week.

Singletary had an easy drop and so did Cook. 10 freaking dropped passes today.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Singletary had an easy drop and so did Cook. 10 freaking dropped passes today.

Man, Cook has the yips

 

[Puppa2Miller]

All Ravens wide receivers:
Duvernay: 4-51-0
Bateman: 3-17-0
Robinson: 2-10-0

If you want to throw Andrews in there too, he went for 2-15-0

All the props in the world to the banged up secondary. They played lights out considering they also had to account for Lamar running.

I hear you, but I also saw the Ravens receivers drop a couple 3rd downers that could have been big gainers. Also gotta demerit Taron Johnson for a couple penalties that don't show up in those stats. Poyer got away with one too

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

This is the best game Milano has played imo, 13 tackles

 

[sabresfan129103]

Also, I noticed how I haven't heard, or barely heard Elam's name the past 2 games. That's a great sign.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

OK, I'm running through what happens if the Ravens kick the FG. I'm assuming the Bills drive pretty much unfolds similar to how it actually did because that's the data point we have, though butterfly effect and all that.

Bills get down near the goal line, still down 3--so while they'd like to use up clock, the need to score comes first. I think it's likely the Bills end that drive with a TD (not guaranteed), though maybe they consider kicking the FG to tie if it stalls. But either option occurs with more time on the clock because you cannot kneel and run the clock that way.

Best case scenario for the Ravens: they hold the Bills to 3, Jackson gets the ball back with about a minute and 0-1 timeouts, needing a FG from the league's best kicker to win (OT if they can't get it)
Worst case scenario: They give up the TD, trail by 4, Lamar has about a minute with 0-1 timeouts to go 75 yards and get a TD.

That worst case scenario basically boils down to: you need a TD. If given the choice between 1 play from the 3 yard line, or having to drive 75 yards in a minute possibly without timeouts, I'm choosing the first option every time.

Also, in the Dolphins game, the Ravens did kick a FG and it didn't work. I'm sure that was on Harbaugh's mind as well.

 

[Puppa2Miller]

Also, I noticed how I haven't heard, or barely heard Elam's name the past 2 games. That's a great sign.

Agree. Watching his college tape and what he put out there in preseason games, I thought we were going to be seeing penalty flags flying his way left and right against NFL starters.

Pretty much the only time we hear is name is when he comes to help out on a tackle when the QB dumps it off.

 

[Zman5778]

Also, I noticed how I haven't heard, or barely heard Elam's name the past 2 games. That's a great sign.

The only time I noticed him is when he took a bad angle after some Raven caught a ball short. That's a fantastic sign.

 

[Zman5778]

Something to also keep in mind:

We've been doing this without Oliver, White and Hyde.

Imagine when Oliver and White come back.