Clock Management

[FlyingDutchman]

I think we played pretty decent last night. We didn't just didn't make the plays that needed to be made. We still went toe to toe with the undefeated super bowl champs in their house on Monday night, and very well could have won that game.

That all being said, I feel like I have a new issue with this coaching staff every week. Who the hell is driving the bus when it comes to clock management and just overall game management? Down two scores with 1 timeout, and the best offense on the other side of the field, with about 6-7 minutes left, and the Bills were taking their sweet ass time and taking the play clock down to 3 seconds CONSTANTLY. There was no sense of urgency. This is not the first time this has happened. We did the same thing against the Giants. Last night against the Pats, we literally ran out of time. Who knows what an extra 40 seconds could have meant to the outcome. Who should be answering to this? Roman? Ryan? How is this not noticed by anyone involved with the Bills that maybe we should pick up the pace?

[Joe Fo Sho]

I don't understand how Tyrod can't get a snap off with more than 2 seconds on the play clock, ever. I was screaming at the TV during our 2nd to last drive, they had no sense of urgency and it was infuriating.

[Mahdi]

Don't understand the constant need to huddle when there was less than 5 minutes left in the game and down two scores. They wasted about 2 minutes just huddling up and getting to the line for that last FG drive.

[gebobs]

And in the first half, with three timeouts left, when there was no need for urgency, you had Hogan stepping out of bounds. Then the next play, Shady running wide left out of bounds. It might not seem crucial, but when you're playing Brady, it's important that you control the clock. Going out of bounds with 2 minutes left at midfield takes that option out of your hands.

I'm sure it was instinctual for McCoy and Hogan to do that, but dammit sometimes you need to break yourself out of instinct and think. I was screaming at my iPad, "Stay inbounds! Stay inbounds!"

[kingJofNYC]

This is on Roman, was an issue in SF, still an issue here.

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

I don't understand how Tyrod can't get a snap off with more than 2 seconds on the play clock, ever. I was screaming at the TV during our 2nd to last drive, they had no sense of urgency and it was infuriating.

you know what that second to last drive reminded me of ?

Philadelphia in the superbowl vs the patriots when they were lollygaggin down by 10 taking their sweet time.

[Joe Fo Sho]

you know what that second to last drive reminded me of ?

Philadelphia in the superbowl vs the patriots when they were lollygaggin down by 10 taking their sweet time.

Seriously how are we not in a 2-minute type of offense on that drive? Well, I guess maybe we were it's just that our 2-minute offense has no understanding of clock management.

[Buffalogic]

Where did our last timeout go? When pats were stopped on 3rd down there was 2:40 left on the clock and espn showed we had a timeout. We didn't use it, let the clock wind all the way down to the two minute warning. When play resumed and the patriots punted, we received the ball with 1:50 left on the clock and zero timeouts. Where do it go?

[jamze132]

Where did our last timeout go? When pats were stopped on 3rd down there was 2:40 left on the clock and espn showed we had a timeout. We didn't use it, let the clock wind all the way down to the two minute warning. When play resumed and the patriots punted, we received the ball with 1:50 left on the clock and zero timeouts. Where do it go?
We used it on the 1st down two plays prior.

[stuckincincy]

If I could save time in a bottle, as the old song went, I'd sell it to NFL clubs. Year in and year out, this stuff happens.

[Victor7]

I have no idea if this is true or not but I've read on another board that Rex has always had time management issues.

Its a weekly thing for us. They just have no clue on how to run a 4 or a 2 minute offense. Why on earth is Taylor looking for a play after the 1st one? Most teams come up with 2 or sometimes 3 plays already sequenced. Its so amateur.

[gebobs]

It's been a Bills thing since forever.

[stuckincincy]

I have no idea if this is true or not but I've read on another board that Rex has always had time management issues.

Its a weekly thing for us. They just have no clue on how to run a 4 or a 2 minute offense. Why on earth is Taylor looking for a play after the 1st one? Most teams come up with 2 or sometimes 3 plays already sequenced. Its so amateur.

He's far from alone. The Marvin and Hue Show tossed up a brick in the Sunday night contest. 1:14 on the clock, 3rd and 2 from the 25, AZ who had no timeouts left. Run the ball (turned out that the CIN OL made a gaping hole on the play), don't toss a fade pass to the EZ.

Coulda run the clock down to 35 seconds or so. 4 or 5 seconds for the successful FG. Six or seven seconds on the kick-off. Left AZ with what? 20 seconds? Then they played prevent, AZ marched, an odd penalty on CIN DT Peko, and there it was - AZ 34, CIN 31.

Years ago, there was a blurb about the NYJ hiring a "time management" specialist for then-HC Herm Edwards. It didn't last long.

It all makes me wonder...what do those folks in the upstairs booth do? If I owned a club, they'd be barking down to the bench about the clock and strategy therein.

[chris66]

No field general. Thats what happens when you have a dc as hc. Same issues when he was in N.Y.

[gebobs]

No field general. Thats what happens when you have a dc as hc. Same issues when he was in N.Y.

Too busy with his sideline antics. It's entertaining. Hadn't you heard? /sarcasm off/

[Buffalogic]

He's far from alone. The Marvin and Hue Show tossed up a brick in the Sunday night contest. 1:14 on the clock, 3rd and 2 from the 25, AZ who had no timeouts left. Run the ball (turned out that the CIN OL made a gaping hole on the play), don't toss a fade pass to the EZ.

When I watched that I was thinking the same thing. Probably a walk in TD in they chose to run which was the smart play to diminish the clock

[stuckincincy]

When I watched that I was thinking the same thing. Probably a walk in TD in they chose to run which was the smart play to diminish the clock

Yep.

If I owned a club, I'd have a comment feature on my web site. It would have to have some sort of truncated title, but here is what it would solicit:

"Hey, you millions of viewers who watch us on tv and see our dumb calls and tendencies, how about giving us - for free - a hand and point out the "trees before the forest" that we millionaires that populate the NFL can't figure out for ourselves."

[Turf]

I think we played pretty decent last night. We didn't just didn't make the plays that needed to be made. We still went toe to toe with the undefeated super bowl champs in their house on Monday night, and very well could have won that game.

That all being said, I feel like I have a new issue with this coaching staff every week. Who the hell is driving the bus when it comes to clock management and just overall game management? Down two scores with 1 timeout, and the best offense on the other side of the field, with about 6-7 minutes left, and the Bills were taking their sweet ass time and taking the play clock down to 3 seconds CONSTANTLY. There was no sense of urgency. This is not the first time this has happened. We did the same thing against the Giants. Last night against the Pats, we literally ran out of time. Who knows what an extra 40 seconds could have meant to the outcome. Who should be answering to this? Roman? Ryan? How is this not noticed by anyone involved with the Bills that maybe we should pick up the pace?

Well said.

[Turf]

Don't understand the constant need to huddle when there was less than 5 minutes left in the game and down two scores. They wasted about 2 minutes just huddling up and getting to the line for that last FG drive.

Thank you, was wondering the same thing. Very amateurish for the offense. No sense of the clock, should have been in the hurry up from the get go.