Tweet
(Dec. 6, 2005) -- One of TMQ's maxims -- "Often all a football team needs do is run up the middle and things will be fine" -- applies so frequently I just produced the adage from my AutoText.
Never was this on clearer display than in Buffalo's epic collapse at Miami: or the Dolphins' epic comeback, depending on one's point of view. Leading 23-3, the Bills reached first-and-goal on the Dolphins' 3 with 4:14 remaining in the third quarter. Had Buffalo simply run up the middle three consecutive times, a game-icing touchdown was likely. But even had the Bills run up the middle thrice and been stuffed, the field goal makes it 26-3 and the rushes grind the clock, leaving the Dolphins behind by 23 points with only a quarter to play. Instead Buffalo coaches got cute and called a pass. Interception, plus no time taken off the clock -- and thus began the Bills' epic collapse or Dolphins' epic comeback, depending on one's point of view.
Awful tactics by Buffalo continued throughout the collapse. But then it's hard to blow a 20-point fourth-quarter lead -- awful tactics are required! When you've got a big fourth-quarter lead, the clock becomes your opponent. You must keep the clock ticking both to grind time and so that when the other team looks up at the scoreboard, players say to themselves, "It's too late." Yet in this clock-killing situation, Buffalo coaches kept signaling in passes that clanged to the ground incomplete. The Bills were 0-for-5 passing in the fourth quarter, meaning they stopped the clock for Miami five times. How polite! The Dolphins' winning touchdown came with 6 seconds to play. Had Buffalo simply rushed up the middle for no gain on the five plays when Bills' coaches called passes, time would have run out on the Miami comeback. Instead Buffalo repeatedly did the only thing that could keep Miami in the game -- stopped the clock. It's harsh to say, but nine out of 10 high-school coaches would have handled the fourth quarter better than Buffalo's coaching staff did Sunday.
Never was this on clearer display than in Buffalo's epic collapse at Miami: or the Dolphins' epic comeback, depending on one's point of view. Leading 23-3, the Bills reached first-and-goal on the Dolphins' 3 with 4:14 remaining in the third quarter. Had Buffalo simply run up the middle three consecutive times, a game-icing touchdown was likely. But even had the Bills run up the middle thrice and been stuffed, the field goal makes it 26-3 and the rushes grind the clock, leaving the Dolphins behind by 23 points with only a quarter to play. Instead Buffalo coaches got cute and called a pass. Interception, plus no time taken off the clock -- and thus began the Bills' epic collapse or Dolphins' epic comeback, depending on one's point of view.
Awful tactics by Buffalo continued throughout the collapse. But then it's hard to blow a 20-point fourth-quarter lead -- awful tactics are required! When you've got a big fourth-quarter lead, the clock becomes your opponent. You must keep the clock ticking both to grind time and so that when the other team looks up at the scoreboard, players say to themselves, "It's too late." Yet in this clock-killing situation, Buffalo coaches kept signaling in passes that clanged to the ground incomplete. The Bills were 0-for-5 passing in the fourth quarter, meaning they stopped the clock for Miami five times. How polite! The Dolphins' winning touchdown came with 6 seconds to play. Had Buffalo simply rushed up the middle for no gain on the five plays when Bills' coaches called passes, time would have run out on the Miami comeback. Instead Buffalo repeatedly did the only thing that could keep Miami in the game -- stopped the clock. It's harsh to say, but nine out of 10 high-school coaches would have handled the fourth quarter better than Buffalo's coaching staff did Sunday.
Sour Play of the Week: It's hard to blow a 20-point fourth quarter lead -- awful tactics are required on defense as well as offense! Score Buffalo 23, Miami 17 -- the Marine Mammals faced third-and-10 on their 27 with 1:41 remaining, Miami out of timeouts. Now class, where might the pass go? Maybe up the field! Yet Chris Chambers got behind the Bills defense for a 57-yard reception that made possible Miami's fantastic finish. When this play started, Chambers already had 12 receptions for 169 yards -- yet he was covered by third-string cornerback Jabari Greer. Buffalo's starting corners weren't hurt, just nowhere to be seen. Worse, Greer got no safety help; no safety was even in the deep center. Replays show three Buffalo defensive backs standing like topiary in the short slant zones, covering no one at all. The sole Buffalo player who went to the deep center was middle linebacker London Fletcher. Every week there is one play yours truly watches over and over again in rapt fascination, and this week, this was it. Buffalo knows the game is on the line and knows Miami must throw deep; Chris Chambers is having a career day; yet Buffalo has a third-stringer guarding Chambers and a middle linebacker is the only deep help. On the winning touchdown with 6 seconds remaining, the Bills dropped seven into coverage against four Miami receivers. Yet with seven to guard four, Chambers -- who to that point had 14 receptions for 234 yards -- again was single-covered by Greer. Three Bills starting defensive backs stood around like topiary, covering no one as the third-stringer battles to save the day. On the final Miami drive, either Buffalo defensive coaches made awful calls or the Bills' starting defensive backs turned into high-school players. Ye gods.
Tom "No playoffs in 5 years" Donahoe and Mike "Clueless" Mularkey
Comment