McKelvin bringing out the kickoff WAS NOT a mistake

[Novacane]

To many are saying he should have never run it out. His mistake was fighting for a couple extra yards after getting hit. Bringing it out was the right choice.

If he downs it they have 4 timeouts. If we run the ball 3 times for 5 yards and net 40 on the punt they have the ball on their 35 with 1 TO and around 1:35 on the clock. Running it out took 10 seconds off the clock and 1 TO. If he just goes down at the 25 and we do the same 3 runs for 5 yards and 40 yard net punt they get the ball at their 30, no timeouts and 1:25 on the clock. Still time for them to win but not having that TO would have been big.

This is of course all hypothetical. We could have run 3 times for a first down and iced the game either way but the chances of that were not good. The Pats were likely gonna get the ball back. Let's play to win and give it to them with the least amount of time and no timeouts. Mckelvin was playing to win. It was not him being stupid like so many are bashing him for. I hope he stays aggressive and does the same thing next time. Just learn to wrap the ball up as soon as contact gets near and NEVER fight for a couple extra yards.

[Philagape]

The fumble was inexcusable, but running it out was absolutely the right thing to do.
They couldn't let the Pats use the 2-minute warning as a timeout.
Not handling the ball for fear of fumbling is more scared than smart. A fumble can happen on any play, so just don't fumble it.

[BertSquirtgum]

well fumbling it was. what a dope

[HHURRICANE]

This is where your special teams coach comes to you and says "protect the ball".

Well coached players don't try to run it back for a TD. We had the lead so we needed to protect the ball.

How many more games does Bobby April need to cost us? Seriously? Remeber the Monday night game against Dallas?

[Cleve]

Yeah, our 'special teams' aren't so special these days. But the problem isn't Bobby April - it's a head coach with a disconnected (mis)management style. Honestly, its like Bobby April is working without a boss for all practical purposes. Some people don't produce their best unless they're pushed and motivated - perhaps April is one of them? How will we ever know, when the executive branch of this team is so poor?

Heck, Jauron doesn't even think a MISTAKE was made. Period. Read Jauron's post game comments. How is the team going to correct any deficiencies when the head coach is so totally clueless??

Not just clueless - it's like he isn't even part of the team. Comments he made after the game such as 'it tears my heart out for them' make it sound like he's standing on the outside looking in. There's no fire, no passion there - he doesn't take these losses personally.

[Ickybaluky]

I think it was, but it was worse not getting down. The one thing he couldn't do was fumble.

Remember, he fumbled the kickoff return prior to that as well, but was bailed out when Harris picked it up and advanced it. He showed a real lack of situational awareness, and his brain fart was inexcusable.

[justasportsfan]

McKelvin is a kick returner. Thats what he does well. You don't tell Adrian Peterson to stop running. Trying to return the ball was not a problem , it was trying too hard to make a play that was wrong after he was already wrapped up.

[Novacane]

I think it was, but it was worse not getting down. The one thing he couldn't do was fumble.

Remember, he fumbled the kickoff return prior to that as well, but was bailed out when Harris picked it up and advanced it. He showed a real lack of situational awareness, and his brain fart was inexcusable.


You don't count. You're a Pats fan so you wanted that extra TO and time on the clock :D.

Seriously, maybe downing it for the Pats would have been the right play. You have Brady and a coach that would have found a way to get the first down and end the game. Not Buffalo. There is no doubt in my mind that we would have run 3 times into the line and punted. There is also no doubt in my mind that Brady would have marched the team right down the field and at least had throws into the endzone for a chance to win. Running the ball out takes 25-30 seconds more off the clock when you factor in no TO. His mistake was fighting for yards. That was inexcusable. Bringing it out was the right play for Buffalo.

[Ickybaluky]

Seriously, maybe downing it for the Pats would have been the right play. You have Brady and a coach that would have found a way to get the first down and end the game. Not Buffalo. There is no doubt in my mind that we would have run 3 times into the line and punted. There is also no doubt in my mind that Brady would have marched the team right down the field and at least had throws into the endzone for a chance to win. Running the ball out takes 25-30 seconds more off the clock when you factor in no TO. His mistake was fighting for yards. That was inexcusable. Bringing it out was the right play for Buffalo.

His mistake was not being aware of the situation. When your team has a lead, you don't want to give the ball back on a turnover. It is the #1 thing he should be thinking about. Given he also fumbled the prior kickoff, he really didn't have his head where it should have been. That would make be reconsider trusting him with kickoffs late in the game unless I was behind, because you lose games with that kind of mistake (as last night showed).

Personally, I think the smart play is downing it if you can. However, even if you don't his mistake was not something that can be brushed off, no matter how good a kick returner the guy is. You have to trust the guy will hold onto the ball, and he fumbled twice late in the game.

[HHURRICANE]

Our coordinator cost us the game. It's not the first time either. "Big play" April has yet to coach our team on defending the onside kick, or as NE39 pointed out having situational awareness.

I'm sure Mckelvin was thinking TD and not about protecting the ball. I guarantee it.

[Meathead]

i will need to vomit after saying this but think about it - which is more likely to repeatedly blow big games with incredible mental mistakes: a dick managed team or a parcells managed team? even from the gm office parcells makes entire organizations play smart. dick doesnt need to be bill because bill is also an ass but cmon do you think mckleonlett would be reacting the same way if he had to face the tuna instead of the dick right now? undisciplined. like getting into a scrum when youre trying to not run out the clock and get a fg at the end of the half wink wink. i dont want to leave it up to guys like mckdumbass to police themselves

yes, mckstupid should have known in advance to not fight for a few yards, and he didnt, and thats inexcuseable. how the hell does he NOT know that? wtf is a hc there for if they arent to prevent at least huge obvious stupid ass mistakes like that. arrgh

fire dick

[Novacane]

His mistake was not being aware of the situation. When your team has a lead, you don't want to give the ball back on a turnover. It is the #1 thing he should be thinking about. Given he also fumbled the prior kickoff, he really didn't have his head where it should have been. That would make be reconsider trusting him with kickoffs late in the game unless I was behind, because you lose games with that kind of mistake (as last night showed).

Personally, I think the smart play is downing it if you can. However, even if you don't his mistake was not something that can be brushed off, no matter how good a kick returner the guy is. You have to trust the guy will hold onto the ball, and he fumbled twice late in the game.



You misunderstand me if you think I'm brushing off his mistake. I totally agree with you about the game situation. He should have known better than fight for yards and if he did not someone, April or Jauron should have got to him before the KO.

My point is it was the right play if he was smart enough or coached enough to know to hit the ground when contact gets even close. We needed to get as much time off that clock as possible and get past the 2 min warning on that play.

Answer this. If Brady gets the ball back at his 30 with 1:30 to go how confident are you he's going to score given his history and watching the previous drive? From a Bills fans standpoint I had little confidence we would have stopped him.

[Ickybaluky]

Answer this. If Brady gets the ball back at his 30 with 1:30 to go how confident are you he's going to score given his history and watching the previous drive? From a Bills fans standpoint I had little confidence we would have stopped him.

Who knows? Brady is good, but that is certainly harder than handing him the ball on the 30 YL with 3 timeouts and 2 minutes on the clock. In the end, in the fumble scenario the clock isn't a factor at all, which caused the Bills to blitz a couple LB and leave the middle open. The second scenario the Bills had the clock on their side and could play defense accordingly. Remember, the Pats needed a TD, not a FG, so that makes it easier to defend.

[JD]

I have no problem bringing it out, but he has to go down. You get hit, when you're IN THE LEAD BY TWO TOUCHDOWNS... you GO DOWN!

[Prov401]

I agree with the post. He was trying to make a play, and aside from Mariweather lighting him up, he had a good look at breaking a long run. Should have went down after he got hit, but you can't blame the guy for trying to seal the game.

[Pinkerton Security]

The Bills had their hands team out there, not our blockers, so to me, it was a mistake that he only exacerbated by being careless with the ball. You gotta know they;re gonna be frantically ripping at the ball..

[DraftBoy]

You could argue either way, it doesnt really matter what he does. He's in his backpedal as he receives the ball 4-5 yards deep. Traditional ST logic is to take the knee. But that gives the Pats four timeouts but you ensure that nothing stupid happens.

I dont blame the loss solely on that fumble, but a lot of it is on it.

[RockStar36]

Fumbling for anybody is a mistake. It's not on Bobby April. I'm fairly certain that it's common sense not to fumble and he screwed up. It's on nobody else except McKelvin.

That said, taking it out wasn't a mistake. If he downs it with 2:06, the Pats get the 2 min warning plus their timeouts. When he took it out the clock ran down past the 2 min mark which means the Pats lost that one timeout. If he doesn't fumble the ball everybody is then praising him for making that move. Hindsight is 20/20. If the fumble was given it's obvious that he downs it, however before last night how often does he fumble the kickoff?

[Historian]

I thought his forward progress was stopped.

If it had been us kicking off to NE, and us recovering a fumble, you can bet your ass that it would have been "blown dead".

[Ickybaluky]

The Bills had their hands team out there, not our blockers, so to me, it was a mistake that he only exacerbated by being careless with the ball. You gotta know they;re gonna be frantically ripping at the ball..

That is a good point about the hands team being out there.

The mistake wasn't just what happened, one way or another. The mistake was the lack of awareness. You have to know the situation in advance and know what to do if a scenario arises. You need to know the hands team is out there. You have to know that the safe play is not bringing it out. You have to know to get down if you do bring it out, because you can't fumble in that situation.

It was a botched play, and if the kid really thinks he did nothing wrong then he can't be trusted with the ball when the Bills have a lead.

[ddaryl]

his stupidity in trying to stay up and gain another 1/2 yard was the issue...

running it out is debateable, but twice he fumbled not once but twice trying to squeeze out an extra 1/2 yard....

[BSXIII]

He should have been instructed to go down at first contact. The Bills had their hands team on the field and were set up to defend the onside kick. McKelvin was back deep with no blockers so set him a wedge. He ran into a gang of tacklers that were running free and were obvioulsy going to try to strip the ball from him.

[DynaPaul]

Talking about what he did do or could have done is futile.