If you are a fan of the Buffalo Bills, I don’t need to say much about last night’s game. If you stumbled upon our page or perhaps a friend pointed you in our direction, I’ll explain – that loss (31-25) against the Seahawks is THE loss the Bills get every Monday Night game for the last 20 some odd years. Bills get a great play early on Defense/Special Teams that leads to scoring (check), the team goes toe-for-toe with their opponent due to an “above their heads” level of play of a previously deficient area of team (check).
However, a new wrinkle was added to the formula with the picture above. Instead of the insane special teams/defensive play of opponent that kills all the joy late in the team, it happened near halftime. Instead of a by-the-numbers field goal drive, what should have taken 20 seconds of game time took 5 and a half minutes to unfurl – because of pure incompetence by the referee crew. Richard Sherman, offside and attempting to block a field goal slammed into Dan Carpenter, injuring him and revealing how bad refs can be at their jobs. An easy call – unnecessary roughness – instead becomes just the 5 yard offsides and a temporary removal of the Bills’ kicker because of medical personnel attending to him during the dead play. This was countered by Rex and ST coach Crossman having the great idea to spike the ball in order to get Carpenter back onto the field.
However, that was countered by the ref standing over the ball (you don’t know how hard it is to not write that in all caps) until 4 seconds – something no referee is ever to do, if anything you’re supposed to put your hand up to signal it’s below 5 seconds on the play clock – and giving the Bills the five yards back in a delay of game penalty.
Back to 54 yards, a hobbled Carpenter attempted the kick, which listed to the right and the half – and game to me – was over.
I’m going to eschew my usual “3 points” style to hit this home, because I’m up at 6am writing this to get it out of my system before a long day of work and watching the election coverage.
In a year where the league’s commissioner has stated that players kneeling and Black Lives Matter are to blame for sinking ratings, instead of domestic violence, a lack of consistency with fines (or how a QB is protected, or admitting how violent the sport is…), over officiating joy in sport and of course the hallowed tradition of score-commercial-kick-commercial-play-commercial I don’t have much patience for the NFL. All of us are in on the Bills – as @mattyrenn says,
https://twitter.com/MattyRenn/status/626400315168829444
– but that doesn’t mean you have to be in on the NFL. I’m at that point. While I enjoy football (heck, I coach in high school still) I don’t enjoy the NFL’s never ending quest to be the ouroboros of sport. Why is it worse to have a uniform violation than it is to end the season (career?) of a player? As the article I linked to on celebrations nails it – this isn’t about bringing it back “to the good ole days” or rules for the betterment of the game, it’s about control. Control they are losing as fans start to realize how myopic the people that run the league are, if I’m being frank, screw ups. How does your head of officiating never officiate?
But that’s a conversation for another day.
In terms of this loss, I want to end my notes on this point – Richard Sherman, to me isn’t a dirty player – he’s a football player. Until a whistle is blown (or the echo therein is heard) he’s allowed to legally maim. We all signed up for it. So the ref not calling him is the egregious error. Sherman going for the ball on the way to taking out the kicker is the equivalent to me of the defender in basketball stopping a layup attempt after the ref has whistled for a foul. It’s kinda dumb, sure. But it’s also a mindset of “I don’t can when it is, you’re not scoring on me”, which I can dig.
Thought exercise: when you thought of Wilson being hobbled and his left tackle being a guy in his second start since 8th grade, did you think Jerry Hughes and Lorenzo Alexander were going to give him a delightful hug on the way to stopping him from passing? We all signed up for this as fans, yet a line is crossed – “hey, you can hurt him this way, but mother of God, don’t you dare do it this way!” – and we blanche. When there are toss sweeps in which Cordy Glenn is leading out front vs a 190 pound corner, physics says that isn’t going to end well, yet we are here for it.
I’m saying this all to say – again, no Sherman isn’t dirty. He’s a smart football player that happens to be very outspoken…
…I’d figure with Rex Ryan as the Bills’ coach that would be something everyone would appreciate. Alas.
My feelings are plain – let’s see what you guys had to say:
https://twitter.com/MLM_85/status/795846635615989760
That is a very good point Mark. I thought Tyrod played well last night – but when you take it out of his hands and you’re handing it off, you’re using one of your best assets (Shady) as well. He didn’t get the legendary 300 yard game, but I saw a QB that used every tool in the toolbox and was left hanging a bit in the fourth by play calling, officiating and the inability of anyone not Robert Woods to get open.
https://twitter.com/dudthestud66/status/795846751555121152
Because Dustin, you wanted to be a part of a few – a very few that know that despite all of this crap eventually you climb out and you get to see the sky, Shawshank Style. Otherwise we’re all just suckers. I don’t want to think I’m a sucker.
me and the bills in 2016 pic.twitter.com/FWFAgQ5upb
— KT (@KingKagan) November 8, 2016
So say we all. On a Game of Thrones note, DO NOT READ THE SPOILERS FOR NEXT SEASON. What is seen cannot be unseen, verified or no.
In happier news, I must thank a few of my friends who had been on my case for months to start the Harry Potter book series. After this shambolic failure of a game, I got a solid 40 minutes of listening into the Order of the Phoenix. Good stuff.
That’s all I got. It’s a bye week, so they can’t…
You know what, they can. If there’s a time where someone gets in trouble/hurt/kidnapped by German criminals ala Die Hard on their day off Craig-From-Friday-meets John McClain Style, it’s a bye week for the Buffalo Bills.
Thoughts? Comments? Fire em our way on Facebook or on the Twitter machine. Be good to each other today, folks are gonna need it.
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