How many of y'all thought we could hang with Pitt?

[shelby]

i honestly felt like we would win this game, but i think i was in the minority. Were you surprised this game went into OT? Seriously?

This team is better than our record shows.

[justasportsfan]

i thought we were going to beat them but I think that every week :coocoo:

[Novacane]

I thought we would hang with them but lose late. I never thought it would be in the heartbreaking fashion it was.

[Beebe's Kid]

I think the record shows exactly how good they are...I think that's the point of it. I don't mean to poo poo your sentiment, but I am pissed that we never close out the closers. Pittsburgh squeaks by, and will be fighting for home-field in the playoffs. There will be no more talk about this game on their side. This is what they do. Win close games and collect wins, while we are left looking for bright spots.

I thought we were going to win today. I really did. I didn't hope to win, I expected to win. I am not quoting Chan's presser from his hiring, I am being completely serious.

This one stung.

[mush69]

I too thought this was going to be a win. The Steelers have a tendency to play to their oppositions level. So yes I knew we would be there to the end.

Whats upsetting is the simple fact that we let another one get away. We had 3 chances to win this! I just don't know how we can do this much longer, without the better end of the deal. How many games we gotta lose in OT?

:sadwalk:

[Ingtar33]

i honestly felt like we would win this game, but i think i was in the minority. Were you surprised this game went into OT? Seriously?

This team is better than our record shows.


I knew we'd hang with Pit... no matter how bad the football team pit under tomlin NEVER takes care of business and leaves everyone alive and in the game.

I didn't think we'd drag it into OT... but i was not surprised at all we lost it after we punted for the 2nd time in Pittsburgh territory in overtime.

We're a 2 win football team... bull**** scaredy cat coaching like that deserves to lose.

[justasportsfan]

We're a 2 win football team... bull**** scaredy cat coaching like that deserves to lose.
:rolleyes:

[shelby]

Maybe i'm just too optimistic. i expected this team to suck ass this year, but in reality, weren't the last 4 losses OT losses? ...come on y'all.

[Ingtar33]

Listen. i'll lay this out straight... Gailey can't control what Johnson does on a bomb... he can't control the defense packing it in either.

But he can control if we go for it on 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 40 or not. You're a losing football team and you've got one of the best teams in the league on the ropes.

We took our foot off their throat, and that's gailey's fault.


-I'll tell you the coaching calculus.

When you're on the 40 in a tie at the end of the game (either in OT or in the last 2 minutes) there are only 2 situations you punt.
1 - it's more then 10 yards to go
2 - you don't believe the offense can get X yards

by punting when the offense clearly CAN get 3 yards you're putting the game in the defense's hands.

Has this defense given any of you the impression that they can stop anyone from marching the field for a game winning field goal when they have to? If you think this, then you haven't been watching this team.

[Dr. Lecter]

Listen. i'll lay this out straight... Gailey can't control what Johnson does on a bomb... he can't control the defense packing it in either.

But he can control if we go for it on 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 40 or not. You're a losing football team and you've got one of the best teams in the league on the ropes.

We took our foot off their throat, and that's gailey's fault.


-I'll tell you the coaching calculus.

When you're on the 40 in a tie at the end of the game (either in OT or in the last 2 minutes) there are only 2 situations you punt.
1 - it's more then 10 yards to go
2 - you don't believe the offense can get X yards

by punting when the offense clearly CAN get 3 yards you're putting the game in the defense's hands.

Has this defense given any of you the impression that they can stop anyone from marching the field for a game winning field goal when they have to? If you think this, then you haven't been watching this team.


You're wrong.

How many points did Pittsburgh score in the 2nd half?

I can see the idea of going for it, but for God's sake - the first punt almost ended up with a game winning safety.

They never took the foot off their throats. They bombed the ball out twice in OT that should have ended the game.

Gailey can't control what the players do - he can only put them into position to win. And he did so. They messed up.

[Mr. Pink]

I thought we had a good chance of winning if we could keep the game within 2 scores entering the 4th quarter. I even said it in another thread.

Pittsburgh isn't a team that closes strong, they kind of ease off the gas a little as the game winds down.

They did it again today.

Difference is when they need to turn it on and make plays, they do so. We haven't figured that one out yet.

[justasportsfan]

Listen. i'll lay this out straight... Gailey can't control what Johnson does on a bomb... he can't control the defense packing it in either.

But he can control if we go for it on 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 40 or not. You're a losing football team and you've got one of the best teams in the league on the ropes.

We took our foot off their throat, and that's gailey's fault.


-I'll tell you the coaching calculus.

When you're on the 40 in a tie at the end of the game (either in OT or in the last 2 minutes) there are only 2 situations you punt.
1 - it's more then 10 yards to go
2 - you don't believe the offense can get X yards

by punting when the offense clearly CAN get 3 yards you're putting the game in the defense's hands.

Has this defense given any of you the impression that they can stop anyone from marching the field for a game winning field goal when they have to? If you think this, then you haven't been watching this team.
I hear what you're saying but if we don't make that 4th down, he's stupid.

The chances of the D trying to stop Pitts deep is better than trying to stop Pitts from 40. It worked. The O got the ball back and MCkelvin shoulda had it at the 49 and then Stevie blew it.

I don't have a problem with the way Gailey called this one. The talent let him down.

[Novacane]

Most every coach would have punted there. If we don't convert Pitt would've only needed 2 first downs to be in FG range. If we went and did not get it he would have been ripped for setting Pittsburgh up at the 40 yard line. I had no problem with punting there.

[BADTHINGSMAN]

I expected a close game before the game started. With the way the Steelers moved the ball in their first drive and ate up 8 minutes, I thought it would be a long day.

[Figster]

My one problem with Gaileys play calling today was putting Fitz back to pass after we had advanced the ball into field goal range (36),

Fred Jackson was fired up, hand the ball off, advance the line of scrimmage and kick the field goal.

[psubills62]

Pittsburgh's kicker, Suisham, had been money from every location beyond 40 yards (I think he had made FG's of 46, 48 and 49 or something like that up until that point). I don't see any reason we can't expect Moorman to land it inside of the 20 and have a good chance at stopping Pittsburgh. Letting the Steelers have it on their own 40 is a death wish. Could we have gotten 3 yards? I don't know...Pittsburgh really turns up the intensity on 4th downs, hard to say.

[imbondz]

I actually couldn't believe we didn't go for it on the 2nd try in OT. I texted my friend and said game over. Can't give Pitt 2 chances to score in OT.

I see both sides, and think it was a fine decision if we were 5-5 or better, but being 2-8 who cares, go for it.

[Aliceinchainsbills15]

i honestly felt like we would win this game, but i think i was in the minority. Were you surprised this game went into OT? Seriously?

This team is better than our record shows.
Same here. I felt as though the Bills could beat the Steelers.

[BertSquirtgum]

i honestly felt like we would win this game, but i think i was in the minority. Were you surprised this game went into OT? Seriously?

This team is better than our record shows.

i was in total shock of how fast the bills came out of the gates after half time and then almost won the game. i thought it would be a blowout.

[MikeInRoch]

I hear what you're saying but if we don't make that 4th down, he's stupid.

No, you're wrong. If it's the right call, it's right regardless of whether it works or not.

[BertSquirtgum]

good teams close games, it's as simple as that. the bills need to learn how. it's been said over and over but it's so true. they just aren't there yet.

[justasportsfan]

No, you're wrong. If it's the right call, it's right regardless of whether it works or not.
Punting was the right call .It worked. We pinned them down . If Stevie makes the catch, we win.

[MikeInRoch]

Punting was the right call .It worked. We pinned them down . If Stevie makes the catch, we win.

Once again, you are missing the point. Just because the outcome went one way in one instance does NOT mean that it was the right call.

[BertSquirtgum]

yes it does

[TheBrownBear]

I honestly thought we had a good chance to beat them going in. We've played everyone tough for the past month and a half, and if it wasn't for us completely choking down the stretch of those games we'd have at least four or five wins.

We basically won this game if McKelvin doesn't fall down or if Johnson holds onto a pass that NFL receivers catch 99% of the time. I know, I know...we lost again so that means we suck...yadda yadda yadda. But the thing is these are singular errors made by individual players, so it's hard to lay blame for these losses on the overall team being bad. It's just a mental hurdle at this point for a couple of individuals when the heat is on. Can they ever overcome this habitual choking? I expect the Bills to hang tough in the next few games, so I guess we'll find out.

[THRILLHO]

I thought we had NO business competing with Pittsburgh. This is one of the best teams in the AFC, and we took them deep into OT. We fought hard, and kept going, and kept scoring whenever we could. I am still frustrated about the 2 punts in OT, I feel that we should have gone for it, or attempted a FG. But I was not so upset about losing this game as I was about our last two losses. We are clearly showing improvement, and that leaves me excited for next year.

[SeatownBillsFan21]

No after the 1st Pitt drive i thought thats was how the whole game was gonna go but i was wrong this team plays every week and IMO this is the best 2-9 team of all time.Very excited about the future of this team.

[El Guapo]

Before the game, I really did not expect to win this one. I hoped we would win, but never expected it. After the first quarter, I thought we were going to get blown out of the water. After the third quarter, I was so emotionally wrapped up in the game, I believed we could win.

This one was a heart breaker. However, this was the first game in a long time that I was so into the game, every play seemed to a roller coaster of emotions. You know the type of games -- games that matter. I know it wasn't, but this game had the feel to me of a must win game to reach the playoffs. It felt like games from a decade ago. Maybe it was because it was the Steelers, I don't know. Maybe it's because for the past month and a half, if we didn't win, we have been in every game up to the final whistle or into OT.

For the past couple of years, when things weren't going our way in a game, I've just shrugged my shoulders and watched us screw it up or play not to lose. You know the feeling. I hope I am not wrong, but things seem to be going in the right direction, and I enjoy watching the games again.

[justasportsfan]

Once again, you are missing the point. Just because the outcome went one way in one instance does NOT mean that it was the right call.
So what are we arguing about? What was the right call?