Through challenging conditions, the Buffalo Bills desperately needed a victory to keep their legitimate playoff hopes alive, and they took care of business against a team that they should have beaten. The Bills somehow battled through the snow, wind, and low visibility to secure a 13-7 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts which brings their record up to 7-6.
The Bills, even when it looked like they had blown their chance more than once, somehow found the way to win. How did it all come about?
Seven observations from the Bills win over the Colts:
1) Peterman shows some poise
- The last time we saw rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman, it was an outright implosion in Los Angeles in perfect conditions, that yielded a five-interception performance that we won’t soon forget. However, with having to make his second start of the season in the awful weather conditions that we saw, you have to like the job that he did considering it all. They didn’t have to depend on him much, but when the weather calmed down a bit just before the first half ended, he put an exclamation point on a drive that saw LeSean McCoy really take off. Peterman served up a picture-perfect throw to the end zone to the 6-foot-5 Kelvin Benjamin that allowed him to bring the pass in. Throughout the game, when the Bills actually asked him to throw the ball, I thought he placed the ball pretty well — and to the right person. Benjamin came away with eight total targets, and a majority of those were from Peterman before both players had to leave the game. You just wonder where the Bills go from here at quarterback after a successful victory, but yet separate injuries to their top two quarterbacks (more on that in a bit).
2) McCoy reigns supreme
- It was one of the types of games, given the weather elements, that made you believe that the team with the most talented offensive player on the field would end up with the victory — and that’s precisely what happened. LeSean McCoy, having the experience of playing in the state of Pennsylvania for all of his life before heading to Buffalo, and with being a part of the famous Lions-Eagles snow game back in 2013 (in which he rushed for 217 yards), you just knew this would be the type of game that he relished. When the Bills needed McCoy the most, he appeared with huge plays that put the Bills over the top. Near the end of the first half, it was McCoy on back to back plays that made the two-minute drill seem like an impossibility to an actual scoring drive, gaining 23 and 25 yards in all the open space that he afforded. Three plays later, the Bills were in the end zone for the first score of the game. Then in overtime, when it looked like the Bills would have to hit an improbable field goal just to avoid a tie, McCoy busted out of the line of scrimmage to the left and scampered in for the game-winning touchdown with just over a minute to play. McCoy was the lone truly special offensive talent in the game, and the Bills won because of it.
3) Why punt?
- Now, before you go any further, please realize that there’s a difference between those that disagree with a call that a head coach makes at a distinct moment of a game, and then those others that want to impulsively see the coach fired for that very decision. I do not believe Sean McDermott should be fired over one decision he made in his first season in overtime in the 13th game of the season. That said, I completely disagree with his decision to punt the ball in overtime. At that point in the game, the weather was clear. This is just coming on the heels of an Indianapolis Colts 19-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in the game-tying touchdown, and knowing that they have their third-string quarterback in the game. When it’s 4th-and-1 from the opponents 41-yard line, in a game where the defense can barely keep their feet underneath them, and with your playoff lives basically on the line, it is playing with fire to punt the ball away with only 4:13 remaining in the game. It’s actually quite a shock that the Bills managed to get away from this game with a victory — and not a tie — with all odds stacked against them after the decision McDermott made. Think about it: the Bills forced the Colts to punt after a six-play possession that yielded exactly 21 yards, and then needed Joe Webb of all people to engineer a game-winning drive from their own 35-yard line with just 2:25 to play. It worked, so people will exclaim ‘they won, so obviously it was the right decision!’ However, just because he got away with a decision that really could have put a stake in their playoff hopes does not mean he should be lauded for it. And just because it worked doesn’t mean it was the right decision. Even though it didn’t burn him this time around, that decision, in that spot with so little time to play is one that with the positive reinforcement from today will come back to haunt him in the future if he makes a similar call.
4) Webb nearly cost them but made a game-winning play
- It really wasn’t anything the Bills could avoid because of the injuries to both Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman, but they were forced to rely on Joe Webb at the critical moments of the game — and it nearly cost them. With a tie game at the end of regulation, the Bills went out there throwing with Webb to try and get them in field goal position. It was the right call in the situation, but Webb’s lack of talent at the quarterback position helped the Colts to jump a pass and get themselves merely 28 yards away from the end zone for a potential victory — and for how bad the interception was, the Bills probably should have lost this game at that stage. However, with the Colts effectively sitting on their hands to let the entire clock tick away for the hope of a 43-yard field goal try, the Bills found new life in overtime. And again, after the Bills punted the ball away in overtime following a drive that couldn’t produce a first down in Colts territory, Indianapolis gave Webb yet another opportunity. And then, Webb finally connected. It was a lottery ticket throw deep to Deonte Thompson, but a heroic effort by the receiver brought down the pass and put the Bills in position to win the game. Webb deserves the credit for having the gall to chuck it down the field in that situation and to give his receiver a chance, and the Bills deserve credit for allowing Webb to take that chance, too.
5) Matt Milano has been freed
- As I speculated throughout the week, there has officially been a changing of the guard at weakside linebacker. Rookie Matt Milano, a fifth-round pick, officially moved past Ramon Humber on the depth chart and started for the first time in which both players have been healthy enough to play in the game. And considering his performance, the Bills were rewarded handily by their decision. Milano was all over the field, and in weather conditions where it was critical that the defender keep their legs underneath them and to not slip in run support, Milano was completely up to the task. The Bills now have three more weeks to figure out if Milano is going to be their starting weakside linebacker in 2018, but based on what we’ve seen this season, it would be a surprise if that isn’t the case.
6) Who starts next week?
- This is going to be a popular topic throughout the week and one that the Bills might not be able to control. However, let’s say both Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman are eligible to play in Sunday’s home finale against the Miami Dolphins, which quarterback do you go with? The Bills did not ask too much of Peterman in a snow-logged game, but when they needed him, he made huge throws that make you wonder if Taylor would be willing to make. That said, Taylor’s legs likely could have made the Colts defense look a bit silly in a game like today as well, which could have yielded for more scoring opportunities in the game. It’s a tough call, but you can tell that the Bills get a little excited when they think about the potential of Peterman. It’s not in the terms of thinking he can be a long-term starter, but it’s clear that they prefer his style of quarterbacking for this offense as opposed to the way Tyrod Taylor’s starts usually go. Would a 10-pass performance be enough to go on next week? That’s something they’d have to weigh, but remember, McDermott only qualified Taylor’s hold on the quarterback position to “this week.” Again, the Bills might not have a choice here, but at the very least, Peterman made the decision harder on the coaching staff by playing mistake-free football, with a couple of big throws in the meantime.
7) The snow was no joking matter
- Before we go into the night from the actual game analysis, we must first acknowledge the ridiculousness that was the combination of snow, wind, and the bitter cold. I’ve been covering the NFL since 2009, and this is by far the worst weather conditions I’ve ever seen at an NFL game. After about 11:30 am, the whole world around Orchard Park, NY got flipped upside down. The visibility was horrid, you had no idea where the yard markers were on the field, and that continued well into the game. Take a look:
This is insane. #Bills pic.twitter.com/HXksDHZwla
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) December 10, 2017
That was from the one end of the stadium, and you can barely make out the scoreboard in the distance. That lack of visibility continued basically until right around the end of regulation. Once it got into overtime, there was a bit of a lull in the weather which really just increased the randomness if nothing else. Would Adam Vinatieri have been able to make that 43-yard extra point had they not been in a weather lull at that precise time? Would that 35-yard pass to Deonte Thompson have happened without the weather calming down for about that 20-minute stretch? We have no way of knowing, but had the weather been what it was at the beginning of the game, it could have turned out differently for the Bills. It’s not as though the weather slowed down after the fact, either. Take a look at this little walkabout I did of New Era Field after the game had concluded… you would have no idea a football field was there if not for the field goal posts and the seats surrounding it.
A little postgame look at the field conditions at New Era Field. #Bills https://t.co/vbsz6GGHnj
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) December 10, 2017
I doubt we see another game like that for a while.
Bills MVP: RB LeSean McCoy
- Who else could it have been?
Bills LVP: The weather
- It’s tough to truly evaluate the merits of technique and negative play in a game that has so many random things happen due to the inclement weather. Though, it did make for an incredibly entertaining game despite the score.
Up Next: The Bills (7-6) take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, December 17 at New Era Field.
Final Thoughts
- It’s a game that the Bills probably should have lost on a couple of different occasions, but squandered opportunities by the Indianapolis Colts — and the distinct ability to take advantage of their own opportunities helped the Bills to keep up in the race for an AFC Wild Card spot. The Bills got themselves back on track with a win that required some mental toughness, and for their top player to shine through and take the game over — which is precisely what happened. It’s not going to be an easy road by any means, and they’ll likely need some help along the way with at least a pair of victories, but the Bills are still alive. Given the talent on this roster and what they probably should be, the record they present today means that McDermott has done a great job of getting a lot out of what he’s worked with. Now, what he does with more talent and an actual quarterback that he believes in for a full season will be what he’s ultimately judged on, but McDermott deserves credit for the 7-6 record they have so far — regardless of his decision to punt the ball when he did in overtime. Bills fans should feel cautiously optimistic about the future of this Bills team with McDermott, as they continue to accrue talent and try to become a sustainable winning franchise.
