DON’T GET ME STARTED watched the puzzle emerging as the Buffalo Bills looked to gain an edge in the playoffs, facing the Kansas City Chiefs.
Art Wander
Fans rejoiced as the Bills raced to a 10-0 first quarter lead over a team that hasn’t allowed more than 13 points a game in the last 3 or 4 games.
What fans didn’t expect was that Rex Ryan and his coaching staff weren’t as observant as everyone else, including the CBS announcers.
First Ryan. He took two challenges and lost both of them.
Next Greg Roman. The offensive coordinator will need to explain why he didn’t target Sammy Watkins more in the second half after a spectacular first half.
Next the assistant coaches in the booth who should have informed Ryan NOT to call for a review of a pass to Woods……and more importantly WHY they didn’t tell Ryan to throw the flag with about 3 minutes left in the game when Tyrod Taylor completed a pass to Chris Hogan.
Let’s take them in order. After Woods juggled a pass in the first half, then seemingly had it, Woods kept gesturing that he caught it. Ryan challenged it and, on replay, it clearly showed that the ball hit the ground first after Woods bobbled it. Bye Bye time out.
Then in the 4th quarter = game on the line – Bills behind by 8 with plenty of time and the Bills in possession. On a 3rd down play, Taylor fired the ball that Chris Hogan cradled in his arms…….took a couple of steps to the left – was hit and when he hit the ground the ball popped out. THAT WAS A CATCH for a crucial first down. Refs said it was incomplete. They were wrong. But the coaches upstairs didn’t yell for Ryan to throw the red flag……and Ryan didn’t believe Hogan who indicated he had made the catch. Chiefs ran a play so there would be no challenges. Had Ryan done so, a fresh set of downs would be had and the march for the tying points might have been the result.
The next, really surprising thing was the first half vs. the second half. In the opening 30 minutes, Tyrod Taylor completed 6 passes to Sammy Watkins for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
The 158 yards that Watkins gained in the opening half…..stood in the 2nd half as, for whatever reason, Taylor wasn’t going his way. The play calling left Watkins and his performance dangling for the final 30 minutes. Everyone, including Watkins, knew that he was beating both corner backs – but he was ignored and mostly absent in the second half. For the most part, he was a spectator.
Also, Tyrod Taylor didn’t do any running and I assume that the coaches told him not to run risking an injury In the 4th quarter, on a couple of occasions, he did manage to scamper for some yardage and first downs……….except on his final offensive play.. On 4th down, Taylor went back to pass…..decided to run…..skirted around the left side – and the refs said he was knocked out of bounds a few inches from the first down. I thought he made it. The game, for all intents, was over.
The Bills are now 5 and 6 on the season and playoff chances begin to crumble as they limp home to face the hungry Houston team Sunday.
The Bills coaches certainly won’t enjoy watching the film of the game when they return home on Don’t Get Me Started.
Filed under: Don't Get Me Started
Tagged with: Art Wander, Buffalo Bills, Rex Ryan
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