Late-game clock management

[Woodman]

The end of Bucs-Lions last Sunday included bizarre clock-management decisions by both head coaches. Something similar, but not as obvious, happened in the second game played that day.
It’s something Peter King and I stumbled into during Friday’s PFT Live, while discussing this weekend’s AFC Championship. We agreed that, before the two-minute warning in Buffalo, it appeared that the Bills fully intended to work the clock down as low as possible, either forcing overtime with no time left or scoring a touchdown — preferably, without 13 or more seconds to play.

Chiefs-Bills gave Ravens a valuable lesson in late-game clock management vs. Patrick Mahomes - NBC Sports

[Woodman]

Re: Late-game clock management

The Bills started the drive by getting the ball on their own 20 with 8:23 to play. They milked 6:23 off the clock. Coming out of the two-minute warning, they faced second and nine from the Kansas City 26. The Chiefs had two timeouts.
The Bills seemed to be intent on keeping the clock moving, forcing the Chiefs to use those timeouts while otherwise watching it tick-tick-tick toward zero. The Bills would either kick a field goal with no time on the clock or they’d score a touchdown with minimal time remaining.

[Woodman]

Re: Late-game clock management

During the two-minute warning, something happened. Something changed. Someone decided to abandon the apparent plan to manage the time. Someone decided to throw to the end zone, twice.
The first play had quarterback Josh Allen looking for receiver Khalil Shakir in the end zone. If Allen hadn’t been hit as he was throwing the ball, the Bills quite possibly would have scored the go-ahead touchdown.
And then Mahomes would have had nearly two minutes to win the game with a touchdown of his own.

Be smarter than the Bills were. They decided to abandon the apparent plan to prevent Mahomes from beating them by going for broke. In the process, they broke, blowing two shots at the end zone, missing the field goal, and ending their season.