Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott is under fire after questionable game-management issues cropped up in Sunday's 23-20 road loss in Houston.
Despite getting outplayed most of the contest, the Bills clawed their way back into a 20-20 tie and forced a late Texans punt, getting the ball at their own 3-yard-line with 32 seconds remaining. Despite the ground game cooking much of the contest and Josh Allen having the worst statistical passing day of his career, Buffalo called three pass plays and punted back to Houston with 7 seconds remaining.
One C.J. Stroud pass later and Ka'imi Fairbairn nailed a 59-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
McDermott took heat for the decision to throw the ball three times backed up, noting the Texans holding three timeouts played a role in the Bills' thinking.
"Tough situation, three timeouts," he said. "They had three timeouts, have a good field goal kicker. We needed to run the clock and move the chains. We didn't do that there, and that's my fault."
The Bills could have run the ball three times, Houston used its timeouts, and the same ending transpires. However, given how the offense had played all game, it was even more surprising that Buffalo took three shots through the air in a game in which Allen completed a career-low 30 percent of his passes (9 of 30).
McDermott fixated on the Texans' three timeouts.
"When you talk about holding three timeouts where we were (backed up). They've got a really strong-leg field goal kicker," he said. "We knew that there was potential if you go three straight runs, you're running six seconds each time, you're maybe in a similar situation. So either way, we've got to do a better job, and that starts with me 100 percent."
At least three runs would have drained all of Houston's timeouts, making the 5-yard pass from Stroud to pull a tad closer for Fairbairn trickier.
McDermott was asked if he agreed with offensive coordinator Joe Brady dialing up three passes.
"I'm not going to get into that. I don't think that's relevant right now," the coach said. "Overall, again, that's on me. We just gotta do a better job. I've got to do a better job in that situation."
Perhaps even a designed Allen run or giving the QB the option to run would have played better than three passes of 15-plus air yards.
"I love Josh with the ball in his hands," McDermott said. "I do. Efficient offense was the right approach there, and I didn't have us do that. So again, we learn from that. Tough situation, like I said. They're holding three timeouts. They've got a good field goal kicker, and you go back and forth. I probably should have run it on the first play and said, 'Hey, where are we now?' Either way we're going to have to move the chains one time to not give them a chance. Again, those are situations, and that's on me."
Frankly, the way the offense played, the Bills probably shouldn't have even been in the game late. Houston outgained Buffalo 425 yards to 276 yards. If not for two fourth-quarter Stroud turnovers forced by Buffalo, it's probably a 10-point loss. But it stings that better game management late could have at least given McDermott's club a fighting chance in overtime to steal a road win.
“To battle back after getting down like we did. We have a lot of young guys, particularly on the defensive side battling and giving us great effort in all three phases,” McDermott said. “The margins in the NFL are slim and we got to continue to work to improve ourselves, get some guys healthy at some point here. I think that would help and yet that’s not an excuse. We have to find ways to pull these out.”