Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The 2024 Buffalo Bills have now dropped back-to-back road games to teams we’d expect to be factors in the race for AFC Playoff spots.
While the first of the two losses in Baltimore last Sunday night against the Ravens was easier to dismiss as a one-off bad matchup-type thing, Sunday afternoon’s loss in Houston to the Texans had lots to chew on.
And we have been doing some chewing, particularly about the final possession of the game for the Bills.
While yelling about the merits of running the ball backed up at your own three-yard line with 32 seconds to go rather than throwing three-straight passes, I think a decent question to ponder is, what the objective was for the Bills' decision makers in that moment?
We’ll probably have to settle for pondering, because a definitive answer likely isn’t coming from any of the people involved.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott predictably took the blame for the sequence, while play-caller Joe Brady says they were in lockstep regarding what they wanted to accomplish on those plays. Bills quarterback Josh Allen said Sunday they were being aggressive, and the coaches put faith in the players.
But aggressive to what end? Were they trying to go 60-plus yards in 32 seconds with no timeouts to try and set up a field goal to win the game? Or were they being aggressive to simply try and get a first down, run out the clock on regulation and take their chances in overtime?
While not entirely implausible, expecting the game-winning drive out of that scenario seems unlikely. McDermott certainly sounded like he was simply looking for a first down, and some breathing room in the eventuality that they ended up having to punt the ball back to Houston.
The choices made by Allen - prayers down the field to Keon Coleman on first down and Mack Hollins on second down - make me wonder. Allen had potential chain-moving, higher percentage throws available to him, on second down especially, and chose to chuck it and hope.
What was Allen told about the series before heading out there, or even on the field through his helmet in communication with Brady? Let’s go get a first down and run out the clock on regulation, or let’s go win the game right here?
Again, a game-winning drive in that situation is tough. Not impossible, but probably recklessly aggressive.
If Allen was told to just try to get a first down, why is he throwing up prayers? Hoping for pass interference on Houston?
If the objective was to get a first down, how’s about dialing up one of those easy button throws we’ve seen in the first three weeks of the season? Get your 10 yards, run the ball, force Houston to burn timeouts, and probably punt them out of field goal range with no timeouts and very little time to operate, if you even have to end up punting at all.
Zooming back out here, the big picture may feel a bit daunting. Allen is coming off a horrendous 9-of-30 passing performance, and has a "Monday Night Football" date with the New York Jets up next.
Last year’s opener was a nightmare for Allen in the Meadowlands, and despite the Jets' struggles on offense, their defense still is likely to provide a stiff challenge for the Bills' passing game.
If the Texans were able to lock down this Bills receiving corp, I shudder to think what the Jets may do to them.
