Buffalo Bills Out of Overtime
Sean McDermott probably doesn’t hate you. But he’d coach no differently if he did. The most Buffalo Bills result ever couldn’t have been engineered more deliberately to crush its supporters. This franchise should be taken to The Hague and tried for torture. Awful mistakes paired with maddening decisions are the legacy they can’t escape.
What was the most frustrating part? I’ll submit it’s that we’ll ever get to stop asking. The broader view brings understanding along with woe.
Removing Stefon Diggs in key situations is an experiment to measure your tolerance for aggravation. It’s paired by waiting almost a full quarter before targeting him. Haven’t the Bills seen the campaign lawn signs? Allen/Diggs campaign materials are this decade’s “Baby on board” accessory for Western New York households.
The Bills screwed that up so badly that they distracted from criminal officiating. The touchdown near half’s end showed Diggs is capable of righting a wrong. A horse collar is a penalty. On the collared player. Disregarding victimhood distracts from the atrocious intentional grounding in what we hope was unintentional incompetence by officials who act too ridiculously for professional wrestling. We saw “Ball don’t lie” in action as karma caused Philadelphia to fumble. The closest thing to justice in a rotten world is the afflicted party fixing it themselves.
Mistakes are bound to happen even in victories. For this cluv, that’s presently theoretical. The Eagles game evolved to where they’d overcome shortcomings or lose because of them. This is the Bills, so you already know it was the latter even if you just woke up from a Thanksgiving nap.
James Cook proves chaos theory. A butterfly flapping its wings leading to buffalos not stampeding. His drop on a seemingly sure score early on led to magnified aggravation that continued through the other team’s final score. Dalton Kincaid similarly knew he was going to get hit, so he may as well catch it.
Josh Allen’s determination went to waste this week just like it has for his sixth season. Ken Dorsey screamed at the Applebee’s TV that you can’t let him run like that. Maybe he knew the Bills would screw up anyway, so there’s no reason to expose the dear quarterback to hazard.
Nothing will teach ambivalence like sports. The interception was the absolute worst time for hasty Josh to arrive. I would rather deal with Date Mike than Allen thinking he’s too cool to check coverages. His costly turnover is near the bottom of the list of reasons why they lost, although he could make his own case easier.
Stopping the Eagles was often a lethargic process. It looked like Dorsey taught tackling. The Bills always have one good aspect and one lousy aspect. Special teams would like to point out that they’re not the dog despite two monumental missed field goals that might have changed the course of everything.
Sunday served as Jordan Poyer’s unofficial retirement. Keep him in if you’d like more plays from someone only technically playing. His clear unwillingness to have anything to do with stopping Hurts on the game-winning score was the cherry on top. By contrast, I hope hitting the Eagle who scored on his watch made him feel better. At least his partner is as unhelpful, as seen when Poyer combined with Micah Hyde to simultaneously whiff on the next touchdown. They’re presently at the same points in their respective careers. Unfortunately, that means they’re equally washed.
Younger players flaunted shortcomings, as well. Gabe Davis spaced out at the most inopportune time. The offense will struggle for as long as its second receiver is starring in a Cheech and Chong reboot.
Going in the wrong direction is not just figurative. We’ve seen Von Miller head toward the quarterback before. It was mostly with other teams. Now, he’s overshooting or turning inward. None of his moves are bringing him anywhere near sacks, which might be why they’re so easy to execute.
Monty Python fans know the legend of Brave Sean McDermott who bravely kneeled away. The capitulation to end regulation was the McDermottest play ever. Buffalo may not have even gotten to overtime if he had the ability to weigh benefits versus risks and believe he leads enough talent to overcome the latter. Those spreading the narrative of Josh going 0–6 in overtime should shift focus upward. His coach has this particular quarterback at his disposal yet still can’t prevail in ties.
Philadelphia is already a tough team to tackle or stop in any other regard. The Bills can’t blame a foreboding schedule for their failure to live up to the challenge. The better team displayed resolve. As a hint, it’s not the one McDermott coaches. His timidness haunts Buffalo.
What does not seizing opportunities look like? Oh. Many promising moments got squandered if you don’t feel infuriated enough. We’re finally seeing players in motion, which can be very confusing. But don’t fret, as that’s the point. Philadelphia’s defense was thankfully as perplexed. Accepting underneath options is also a sign of offensive maturity. It took going to Philadelphia and firing Dorsey to holster the shotgun on fourth and short.
But meekness prevailed, which means the Bills didn’t. This week would’ve been a good time to make the sort of bold move McDermott never does, namely by firing someone who’s overseeing declining. Instead, ownership is as soft as his late-game zone.
McDermott’s real NFL home awaits him moving back. Sadly, he’ll stay right where he is. With the Carolina job open again as per annual tradition, he could stop kidnapping their players and simply keep them there. He’d be better off leading the Panthers out of woe than causing more for the Bills. The task most suited to McDermott’s abilities is naturally the opposite of the one he’ll retain. A coach who’s skilled at rebuilding is tearing down his previous work.
A bye means time to brood if you’re a fan of this particular team this season. We suffer through an extra agonizing week with nothing but memories while bracing for a game we rightfully fear will be just as brutal. It feels like we’re doomed. But there’s no blaming fate when the same workers are allowed to keep making regrettable decisions.
