Here we go. It’s Monday morning, the seas have calmed, the teams have landed, and OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED ACROSS THE POND?!
Okay, I’m calm I promise. But seriously though, that was the wildest game that I have seen in a long time. Not necessarily well played, but it was thoroughly entertaining and that is all Yahoo! and the NFL were looking for. That being said, I’m going to start doing something new here. Each Monday, I’m going to take a deeper look at things I liked and didn’t like. Feel free to comment/criticize on Twitter however you like if you disagree (or shockingly agree). Here’s your Monday Morning recap:
What I liked:
Granted, I stared at my computer screen for a long two minutes to come up with a couple of things, but there are generally positive takeaways from this game. The comeback is for starters. Against a Jacksonville team that was clearly worse than them, the Bills were able to rally from 24 points down, something they have not done in the last 15 seasons, and only one team in the NFL has done in the last two seasons. One win, out of 76 opportunities.
It is a rare feat and something that the Bills could have put together had the defense held their own in the final drive of the game. That leads into another thing that I liked, the defensive unit in the second half. Rex Ryan’s squad has fallen under intense criticism over the past week, but they stood up to the task in the comeback effort.
The intense goal line stand after a drive that seemed like it lasted longer than an English football match gave them momentum and they held onto it. But after Corey Graham‘s pick-six gave the Bills the lead, it seemed they had turned a little complacent. That being said, if the defense doesn’t show up in the second half, that rally does not even come close to happening.
What I didn’t like:
PLAYCALLING! My word Greg Roman some of those calls were driving Bills fans crazy throughout the course of the game. On 4th and 1 when you are 15 yards from field goal range, there is no need to draw up a wild play. Give the ball to LeSean McCoy and let him do something, or take your 6’5″ quarterback in EJ Manuel and sneak it for a yard. That Jaguars team was doing everything to lose the game so they could have offered up one more mistake to give Buffalo a chance.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of mistakes, how many can a quarterback make throughout the course of the game and still be alive? Manuel tested that Sunday morning, getting strip-sacked for a touchdown and then throwing a pick-six one play later. Granted, he came back and threw for 298 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a dime to both Marcus Easley and Robert Woods for scores, but that horrid stretch is why they were in the hole to begin with.
Oh yeah and TJ Yeldon’s 28-yard TD to make it 27-3? That drive was set up by an interception. Neither of the picks were good plays either. They were just dumb throws.
Now, I am not one to criticize the referees and this is in no way, shape, or form why Buffalo lost this game, but are you kidding with the Nickell Robey pass interference? I am an umpire, I know what it is like to get ridiculed and I know what it is like to make bad calls in crucial situations so I feel for the guy. But that was flat out not a penalty. Excellent coverage by Robey.
The bright side:
Now, I’m an optimist at heart. The Bills are 3-4 but somehow stay a game out of the Wild Card with both Pittsburgh and the Jets losing Sunday. If there was a year to remain hopeful, this is it. With a team that is this talented, all they need to do is get back healthy and keep that defense intact.
Buffalo also has a chance to control their own destiny and make up some ground in the division coming up after the bye. They play Miami at home, the Jets on the road on a Thursday night, and in New England the following Monday night. Three division games that if they can salvage a 2-1 or better record, they’re looking at .500 and above and right in the thick of it heading down the stretch.
But after Sunday morning, it is tough to remain hopeful after that terrible loss.
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NOTE TO THE EDITOR: Mike can you please schedule this for 9:00-10:00 a.m. Monday Morning? I don’t know what your post traffic is like but if possible I’d like to get this up around then. If you don’t get a chance to see it until tomorrow that is fine. This is just in case you see it Sunday night. Thank you! *delete when read*