Every coach in the NFL is the same when talking to the media because they take responsibility for every bad thing that happens to their team during a given game.Of course, this is not generally true.
Coaches can prepare as much as they want, but it’s the players who play the game, and their decisions often determine the outcome.
Of course, sometimes managers are faced with a decision (or decisions) that will affect the fate of their team.
The same was true for Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott, who was in the middle of a bitter, rain-soaked battle with the Philadelphia Eagles last night.And did he ruin it? It was one of those rare cases where you could say that he and he alone were responsible for the team’s loss.
McDermott’s first bad call came in regulation.The Eagles scored with 20 seconds left in the game and it looked like overtime was imminent. But the Bills still had a timeout and a human rocket at quarterback.
It may not be long, but with the Kansas City Chiefs just 13 seconds away from the 2021 AFC Championship Game, Buffalo should know better than anyone how easy it is to put the ball in field goal range with a superstar quarterback and a wide receiver. .
Apparently the lesson McDermott learned from him was “don’t even try” because they decided to take the knee.Josh Allen as quarterback! Now, Allen was clearly in running trouble and had a pick in the fourth quarter to get Philly back in the game.
But playing not to lose is a sure way to lose. It’s the same story with my time in football.
McDermott didn’t play to win and in doing so squandered his team’s best opportunity to beat Linc.McDermott sealed his fate in overtime.
After the Bills narrowly missed the game-winning touchdown, the Eagles quickly pulled away.Jalen Hurts finished with his fifth touchdown of the day on a QB run meant to get away.
In these types of games, you usually swing your hat to attack and advance, but it’s not easy.
After the game, Eagles players identified what they called a defensive play in which the Bills hit Philly’s expected QB run so well that they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
This should come as no surprise as this has been a staple of the playbook for years.
And you know who calls the defensive plays in Buffalo? One Sean McDermott.
In summary, McDermott played it safe at the end of regulation and cost his team a chance at a game-winning field goal, a scenario easily envisioned given how far Allen can throw the ball. Then with the game on the line he called the exact play the Eagles were looking for in order to gift them the win.
It’s the story of the 2023 Buffalo Bills. Stretches of excellence followed by spates of absolute cowardice and/or stupidity that cost them the game.
It’s why their record is at .500 despite outscoring their opponents by 101 points over the course of the year.
