Spiller was wide open on the last play for the Bills offense

[Skooby]

He might of not scored but everything being equal, if just as much give him the ball & spike it if everything is equal. I still don't understand what is our plan to be successful without our best offensive weapon getting the ball on a play. Maybe we hope that Fitz can pass us out of a loss to prove a point.

What a complete failure to recognize who rules the offense, I've seen puke that's meant more.

[Mr. Pink]

Stevie Johnson was wide open in the end zone on the play too.

[Skooby]

Stevie Johnson was wide open in the end zone on the play too.

He would be the most likely target to be covered, Fitz was determined to force the hot WR.

[kingJofNYC]

Need a photo of Steve. I know CJ was open but I doubt he wasn't taking it in, would have kept the drive goinG at least.

[YardRat]

Anybody got a pic or a vid? I missed both guys being open live, and wasn't really paying attention during the replays. Thanks in advance.

[Skooby]

Need a photo of Steve. I know CJ was open but I doubt he wasn't taking it in, would have kept the drive goinG at least.

Well with 40 some seconds left, he certainly wouldn't of been the worse choice during the period. Our learning curve to who succeeds on offense seems to grow longer every week.

[kingJofNYC]

Steve

https://mobile.twitter.com/amfasolo/status/267752596675117057/photo/1

He was coming open after Fitz released.

Spiller

http://twitter.com/SalSports/status/267740380764721152/photo/1

[YardRat]

Steve

https://mobile.twitter.com/amfasolo/status/267752596675117057/photo/1

He was coming open after Fitz released.

Spiller

http://twitter.com/SalSports/status/267740380764721152/photo/1

Thanks.

Spiller is obviously open, but the pic doesn't show where the deep safety is on SJ's side of the field...he may not be coming open as clearly as the pic makes it appear.

[Skooby]

Thanks.

Spiller is obviously open, but the pic doesn't show where the deep safety is on SJ's side of the field...he may not be coming open as clearly as the pic makes it appear.

Could Spiller have made something happen here?? Heaven forbid if so right.

[coastal]

Does the video show the game changing plays Super Mario made?

:popcorn:

[Crisis]

So are there actually any pictures of the last play?

[Skooby]

So are there actually any pictures of the last play?

Yeah, I've played it several time & you'll gag if you see Fitz's choice.

[kingJofNYC]

I'm sure we'll get an all-22 shot when the film goes up. There's a back of the end zone shot of TJ in the game day thread.

[Skooby]

I actually think that the first read was the only read he made, forcing a play without the need too. I'm not trying to second guess a choice here but considering the guy constantly looks for a safe play, this was out of character with everything being equal. I actually feel that he can't handle what we need to be done, like winning.

[kishoph]

I'm sure we'll get an all-22 shot when the film goes up. There's a back of the end zone shot of TJ in the game day thread.

Unfortunately that's not till Wed. @12:00 am. The broadcast film goes up @ Midnight tonight, but the coaches film doesn't go up till Wednesday.

[Cali512]

Its like Fitz doesnt wanna make the easy TDs sometimes on purpose

[Buffalogic]

Thanks.

Spiller is obviously open, but the pic doesn't show where the deep safety is on SJ's side of the field...he may not be coming open as clearly as the pic makes it appear.Yeah, I watched it again, there was no safety help. SJ13 had the whole area behind those two defenders all to himself =(

[feldspar]

So are there actually any pictures of the last play?



Spiller WIDE OPEN in space. Everybody else that you don't see in the picture were basically in the endzone.

[kishoph]

There was a safety on that side, but if Fitz would have anticipated (hahaha, yea sure) and let it go, the safety would have not gotten there. Both the LB and corner bit on Spiller, leaving Stevie open. Still getting it to Spiller on the 12 in an open field would not have been a bad choice either, I'd put my money on Spiller in the open field any day.

[jdaltroy5]

If Fitz hits Spiller in stride, he's fast enough to easily split two LBs and hit the EZ.

The only LB that even has a shot at him is stopped dead at that point.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Look. I'm fairly certain the play is designed for the middle as he threw to. 5 wides, 2 on each side line with one shalow and one deep. The fact that they got the look they wanted, you go with the 1st option, period! Graham made the wrong cut, and that's that. By all accounts, had Graham made the right cut, it'd be an easy TD catch and pitch (SJ seemed to have beaten the double team but that requires a much difficult throw to drop the ball over the two Pats guys and we don't know how close the safeties in the end zone). Going to CJ with 28 ticks left means we may have one more shot (a down and a spike to 4th down). The Graham route had a clear path for Fitz to the endzone. There is really no debate where the ball should go, except, EXCEPT it didn't work. Now all the 2nd hand argument.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

If Fitz hits Spiller in stride, he's fast enough to easily split two LBs and hit the EZ.

The only LB that even has a shot at him is stopped dead at that point.

I doubt. Remember there are 4 more D players not shown on that picture. I believe the guy who picked off Fitz could come up, and the one of each who doubled SJ and Chandler could come on both side to control the CJ moves as well. I'm not even sure it would be a first down. So you are talking about running & tackling mess, lining up to spike, and facing 4th down.

Those injuries to Jones and Jackson really screwed us up to be hones. We'd have all the running options in place with CJ or Jackson down at the 15 yard line.

[Buffalogic]

Spiller was open but he's a checkdown, that's usally open on plays like that. The real error is not throwing to Steve J. Patriots messed up their coverage and he was behind two defenders with the endzone all to himself. Real qb's see that and do what they need to to make that play successful. Fitzpatrick choked, pure and simple. There's no way Brady or even Matt Ryan misses that open receiver. I feel bad for stevie. It's the end of the day with the game on the line and fitz is throwing to a guy who can barely get on the field and not his go to guy or his best weapon Spiller? It's crazy.

[BADTHINGSMAN]

Does the video show the game changing plays Super Mario made?

:popcorn:

No he wasn't sitting on the bench.

[ParanoidAndroid]

This is where we miss David Nelson....just sayin'.

[YardRat]

Is there a snapshot of the same perspective, a few clicks prior to Fitz releasing the ball? I'd like to see the position of the players when he was looking off the safety by TJ.

[Buffalogic]

Spiller was open but he's a checkdown, that's usally open on plays like that. The real error is not throwing to Steve J. Patriots messed up their coverage and he was behind two defenders with the endzone all to himself. Real qb's see that and do what they need to to make that play successful. Fitzpatrick choked, pure and simple. There's no way Brady or even Matt Ryan misses that open receiver. I feel bad for stevie. It's the end of the day with the game on the line and fitz is throwing to a guy who can barely get on the field and not his go to guy or his best weapon Spiller? It's crazy.Here's a link (http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/videos/Stevie-Johnson-ready-for-TNF/67e9f97a-6fa5-4f25-9dde-64247c66606a) of Stevie on NFLAM implying the exact same thing that I did in my previous post. Games on the line and the ball didn't go to one of our staples.

[imbondz]

anyone have a screen capture of that last play?

[Buffalogic]

I'll take a pic showing how open stevie was in the end zone when I get home

[Buffalogic]

At 3:16 in this video (http://www.nfl.com/videos/buffalo-bills/0ap2000000093727/GameDay-Bills-vs-Patriots-highlights) you can see that Stevie beats both shallow guys and the safety way too far out of position in order to defend him. Bills win if Fitz makes an accurate throw to him.

This screen capture (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/JP722/stevie.png) (pretty bad quality) comes with the ball still in Fitzpatricks hand. Stevie wide open in the blue circle. Other two red circles are open players as well, CJ and I think DJ. So Fitz had 3 open receivers and two covered receivers, one being Chandler and the other Graham. He makes the worst possible decision and throws it to the covered rookie. Every other option would have been better. That's what we are dealing with. And I've made a lot of excuses for Fitz, but he freaked out and choked.

[BertSquirtgum]

At the time of the throw. Jones and Johnson were just about break and both would have been wide open. Spiller was wide open. I don't care if Graham ran the wrong route. Fitzputrid made a terrible decision throwing the ball there. He is useless when it matters and basically useless period if he can't do it at critical times.

[BADTHINGSMAN]

That's to say Stevie catches the ball and not drops it like he did vs the Steelers.

[Oaf]

Fitz already said he committed to throwing it to Graham presnap. It sounds myopic, but taking a sack/hit while going to other reads would have ended the game. It is what is.

[BertSquirtgum]

Fitz already said he committed to throwing it to Graham presnap. It sounds myopic, but taking a sack/hit while going to other reads would have ended the game. It is what is.

No it wouldn't. It was second down with 28 seconds left.

[Syderick]

Here's a good screen shot:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A7mnvS1CQAEQix1.jpg:large

[kingJofNYC]

At 3:16 in this video (http://www.nfl.com/videos/buffalo-bills/0ap2000000093727/GameDay-Bills-vs-Patriots-highlights) you can see that Stevie beats both shallow guys and the safety way too far out of position in order to defend him. Bills win if Fitz makes an accurate throw to him.

This screen capture (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/JP722/stevie.png) (pretty bad quality) comes with the ball still in Fitzpatricks hand. Stevie wide open in the blue circle. Other two red circles are open players as well, CJ and I think DJ. So Fitz had 3 open receivers and two covered receivers, one being Chandler and the other Graham. He makes the worst possible decision and throws it to the covered rookie. Every other option would have been better. That's what we are dealing with. And I've made a lot of excuses for Fitz, but he freaked out and choked.

The ball is no longer in Fitz's hands in that terrible screen shot, it's basically being intercepted at that point because TJ is behind the DB. That little brown dot is the ball. No one was that open. His two best shots were TJ if the route was ran correctly and CJ. Probably could have thrown it up to Steve but it would've been a tight throw.

Syd1364's pic is the best that's out there and Fitz has just released the ball.

[BertSquirtgum]

The ball is no longer in Fitz's hands in that terrible screen shot, it's basically being intercepted at that point because TJ is behind the DB. That little brown dot is the ball. No one was that open. His two best shots were TJ if the route was ran correctly and CJ. Probably could have thrown it up to Steve but it would've been a tight throw.

Syd1364's pic is the best that's out there and Fitz has just released the ball.

Call your eye doctor and set up an appointment.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Steve was not wide open on that play. Fitz might have been able to fit it in on the outside and Steve might have pulled it down, but the safety doesn't leave Johnson until Fitz throws to Graham.

[BertSquirtgum]

The safety was no where near Johnson.

[Skooby]

Steve was not wide open on that play. Fitz might have been able to fit it in on the outside and Steve might have pulled it down, but the safety doesn't leave Johnson until Fitz throws to Graham.

In NFL terms, he was wide open.

[Mr. Pink]

Fitz throws to Stevie Johnson in the corner of the end zone and that safety has ZERO chance at getting there to make any kind of play.

Fitz throws to CJ and he likes splits the linebackers but has 2 DBs he clearly has to beat to the endzone...and maybe 3 seeing one of the two players near Stevie would peel off as soon as the checkdown is made.

The right throw is back corner to Stevie. It's either a TD or incomplete. Well unless it's horribly underthrown then it could be picked.

[Buffalogic]

The ball is no longer in Fitz's hands in that terrible screen shot, it's basically being intercepted at that point because TJ is behind the DB. That little brown dot is the ball. No one was that open. His two best shots were TJ if the route was ran correctly and CJ. Probably could have thrown it up to Steve but it would've been a tight throw.

Syd1364's pic is the best that's out there and Fitz has just released the ball.Are you serious? If Fitzpatrick had any sort of anticipation or glanced at his best receiver once when the game was on the line then he could have let the ball go when stevie was at the 10 and had an easy and almost indefensable touchdown. And yes Stevie is wide open, especially in a situation where you are on the opponents 25 with only 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter to win the game. It doesn't get better than that unless their whole defense gets struck by lightening and dies.

Anyone who apologizes for fitz on that play is just outrageous.

[kishoph]

Is there a snapshot of the same perspective, a few clicks prior to Fitz releasing the ball? I'd like to see the position of the players when he was looking off the safety by TJ.

Here's one where Fitz is looking off the LB, you can see both the LB and CB bite towards Spiller, leaving Stevie against a flatfooted CB. You can also see that McCourty is squatting on the goalline, which would of forced Graham to cut it up around the 2 or 3 yard line, which if you see how high the ball is when it's over the goal line (which I have done by freezing the video) shows that it would of been well over Grahams head, had he cut the route underneath. It may have been a bad route, but it was a bad throw that would of not been complete even if Graham chose to go underneath (IMO).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v153/kishoph/IMG_0228.png

[IlluminatusUIUC]

The safety was no where near Johnson.


In NFL terms, he was wide open.


Fitz throws to Stevie Johnson in the corner of the end zone and that safety has ZERO chance at getting there to make any kind of play.

http://wgr550.com/WHITE---Eye-in-the-Sky---The-Blame-Game/14777096


http://imgsrv.wgr550.com/image/wgr2/UserFiles/Image/IMG_0217.PNG
Yes, CJ is open. This picture is more to show that Stevie Johnson is not. The safety at the top of the screen has that side of the field pretty well covered in this Patriots Cover 2 (that drops the MLB back into the middle as a third safety essentially). Spiller is open short. TJ Graham crosses the 5 yard line and Fitzpatrick makes the decision to make this throw.

http://imgsrv.wgr550.com/image/wgr2/UserFiles/Image/IMG_0218.PNG

It is at THIS moment that the ball leaves Fitzpatrick's hand. Graham is still looking downfield as he continues his route. Stevie Johnson has cleared the CB covering him but the safety to the top of the screen seems to have that back corner well covered. It's only when he starts to track the ball and move out of that spot that Johnson appears to have a shot at the back corner. The ball is on its way to Graham...but he doesn't break.

You guys seeing that gaping hole in the corner are looking after the throw, after the safety reads the throw and breaks on the ball. That safety was keying on Johnson and the sideline throw the whole way. Indeed, look at the video before the play and you can see him creeping outside before the snap. If Fitz throws to Johnson, he has a narrow target to hit along the sideline to complete it. A more accurate QB than Fitz could hit it. But Johnson was not wide open.


The right throw is back corner to Stevie. It's either a TD or incomplete. Well unless it's horribly underthrown then it could be picked.

If he keeps the throw outside, there is minimal chance of an INT but it's also a difficult catch where Steve would have to turn all the way around. It's not a bad throw, but I think Spiller + Spike was the best option there.

[kingJofNYC]

Great write up. For the umpteenth time, CJ and TJ were the main options.


Are you serious? If Fitzpatrick had any sort of anticipation or glanced at his best receiver once when the game was on the line then he could have let the ball go when stevie was at the 10 and had an easy and almost indefensable touchdown. And yes Stevie is wide open, especially in a situation where you are on the opponents 25 with only 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter to win the game. It doesn't get better than that unless their whole defense gets struck by lightening and dies.

Anyone who apologizes for fitz on that play is just outrageous.

What did I say in my original post that was ridiculous? You posted an image and said Fitz still had the ball in his hand, which he clearly didn't, the ball was actually in the air but you could barely make it out. As you can now see, with the above images, your initial description was dead wrong.

Im not excusing Fitz, he sucks, but I'm also not going to exaggerate things just to make the situation look worse.

[kishoph]

With a good QB all the options could of worked, you had CJ wide open coming accross the middle, with Stevie, while the safety was in good position, was open at the 5 and a good throw could of beast the safety and with Graham, what's to say it was Fitz isn't the one that chose the wrong option, Graham had almost 8 yards of endzone behind McCourty, who was crouching at the goal line most of the play, which would of forced Graham to force it up short of the goal line, so Graham chose to go deep. This teams needs a QB that can make decisions and plays, without having the perfect scenerio, which he screws up most of the time anyway.

[Skooby]

You don't throw to the side with the most opponents unless someone is clearly open, which in this case wasn't the case.

[Buffalogic]

Great write up. For the umpteenth time, CJ and TJ were the main options.



What did I say in my original post that was ridiculous? You posted an image and said Fitz still had the ball in his hand, which he clearly didn't, the ball was actually in the air but you could barely make it out. As you can now see, with the above images, your initial description was dead wrong.

Im not excusing Fitz, he sucks, but I'm also not going to exaggerate things just to make the situation look worse.
No you are dead wrong. Obviously

[kingJofNYC]

No you are dead wrong. Obviously
Nah, you're just trolling. Find a screenshot with Steve wide open and with the ball in Fitz's hand, you can't, but keep trying I guess.

Who ****ing cares, they lost, Fitz sucks and that singular play isn't going to change that.

[xXSpIkes5IXx]

In NFL terms, he was wide open.

Im no NFL coach or QB, but that coverage is a 2 deep zone. That safety that everyone is talking about has the left DEEP HALF of the field. Stevie is not open at all. The screen shot shows the safety breaking away from his zone cause Fitz is releasing the ball, and didn't even look his way. Fitz read the coverage and saw fade route Stevie was running was not going to be open. He determined Graham would be the right way to go because, face it, if Graham breaks the way Fitz thinks he is. Thats probably a touchdown. He threw it to a spot where the underneath defender wouldn't close in time, and Graham would be underneath the deep safety.

Spiller looks to be open. If he can make his man miss, he may have taken it in. The defender looks to have an angle on him for what its worth

[xXSpIkes5IXx]

With a good QB all the options could of worked, you had CJ wide open coming accross the middle, with Stevie, while the safety was in good position, was open at the 5 and a good throw could of beast the safety and with Graham, what's to say it was Fitz isn't the one that chose the wrong option, Graham had almost 8 yards of endzone behind McCourty, who was crouching at the goal line most of the play, which would of forced Graham to force it up short of the goal line, so Graham chose to go deep. This teams needs a QB that can make decisions and plays, without having the perfect scenerio, which he screws up most of the time anyway.

So your saying TJ running his route directly behind the safety so there was no throwing lane was the right decision?

[Skooby]

Spiller looks to be open. If he can make his man miss, he may have taken it in. The defender looks to have an angle on him for what its worth


Henceforth the title of this thread.

[kishoph]

So your saying TJ running his route directly behind the safety so there was no throwing lane was the right decision?

I don't think I said that, since he chose to go deep, he could of went deeper, but I'm not sure cutting it up would of been the best choice, McCourty had perfect position on the route, for either option. What I have said is that if he would took the underneath, the ball would of been well over his head. It was a bad throw and a terrible decision to go to Graham and not even consider the throwing to the other receivers after the ball was snapped, which Fitz basically admitted to.

[Buffalogic]

Nah, you're just trolling. Find a screenshot with Steve wide open and with the ball in Fitz's hand, you can't, but keep trying I guess.

Who ****ing cares, they lost, Fitz sucks and that singular play isn't going to change that.
Then stop wiping fitz's tear about the play and join reality.

[kingJofNYC]

Then stop wiping fitz's tear about the play and join reality.
You're the one crying about Steve being open, he wasn't, that's reality.

Fitz being an awful qb has long been established, beating a dead horse.

[Skooby]

Fitz being an awful qb has long been established, beating a dead horse.

Why this hasn't been addressed is the saddest part

[BertSquirtgum]

Steve was just breaking to the right. Safety would have had no chance to get to the ball.

[kingJofNYC]

Steve was just breaking to the right. Safety would have had no chance to get to the ball.

How does Steve run a fade by breaking to the right when he's lined up on the left side of the field?

Edit: Are you looking at it from the safeties perspective? I still don't think he's that open, tight throw and we all know Fitz can't hit that fade down the sideline, he's missed it all season long.

Bottom line, he probably had one sure fire option, CJ. Just like the thread title suggested.

[BertSquirtgum]

How does Steve run a fade by breaking to the right when he's lined up on the left side of the field?

Edit: Are you looking at it from the safeties perspective? I still don't think he's that open, tight throw and we all know Fitz can't hit that fade down the sideline, he's missed it all season long.

Bottom line, he probably had one sure fire option, CJ. Just like the thread title suggested.

Who told you he was running a fade? In the video I watched he was starting to run to the right, not to the corner of the end zone.

[kingJofNYC]

Who told you he was running a fade? In the video I watched he was starting to run to the right, not to the corner of the end zone.

You must be watching a different video.

Here, read this

http://wgr550.com/WHITE---Eye-in-the-Sky---The-Blame-Game/14777096

You'll probably understand things better. If you're too lazy to read, Kishoph and Illuminatus posted the images. Steve was to the left of Fitz, in the slot, he clears coverage for Spiller by running a fade.

[Buffalogic]

You must be watching a different video.

Here, read this

http://wgr550.com/WHITE---Eye-in-the-Sky---The-Blame-Game/14777096

You'll probably understand things better. If you're too lazy to read, Kishoph and Illuminatus posted the images. Steve was to the left of Fitz, in the slot, he clears coverage for Spiller by running a fade.Or spiller draws coverage on threatening catch and run scenario and Stevie is left open in the zone for the win....which is what should have happened.

[kishoph]

You're the one crying about Steve being open, he wasn't, that's reality.

Fitz being an awful qb has long been established, beating a dead horse.

It would of had to been a good throw and would of had to been delivered quickly and hit Stevie in stride before he got into the endzone, where the safety was coming over, but we should know by now Fitz isn't gonna complete that throw. I'd say Fitz should of looked off the safeties and LB's to the right and then came back to the left for Stevie or Spiller and not go to the rookie on such an important play. Hopefully in the near future we won't have to dissect and scrutinize these type of plays to come up with excuses for incompetence.

[kishoph]

Or spiller draws coverage on threatening catch and run scenario and Stevie is left open in the zone for the win....which is what should have happened.


The corner and LB both did bite on Spiller, but the safety stayed home and the throw would of had to hit Stevie before he got into the endzone, i.e. quick throw, i.e. wasn't gonna happen with Fitz.