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Bills head coach Sean McDermott on August 26, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Buffalo Bills appeared to have seized momentum back in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, cutting the lead to 21-10 in the third quarter and driving toward Baltimore territory after making a three-and-out stop.
But it came to an abrupt end with the most controversial play call of the night — one that Bills head coach Sean McDermott admits he wished he could take back.
On a 2nd-and-7 play from Baltimore’s 44-yard line, the Bills sent Josh Allen out wide and called a direct snap to wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who flipped it back to Allen. Under heavy pressure, Allen attempted a pass but had the ball stripped from Kyle Van Noy, with the Ravens recovering the fumble.
The Ravens would score a touchdown on the next possession, going on to win 35-10 while handing the Bills their first loss of the season. After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he regretted the call from offensive coordinator Joe Brady
“That’s something that Joe and I will discuss at length, and I’m sure he wants that call back,” McDermott said in his postgame presser. “I do as well. And we’ll learn from that and move forward.”
Bills Criticized for Play Call
The trick play earned some strong blowback from fans, who questioned why the Bills would take what they saw as an unnecessary risk when they desperately needed points to cut into the lead.
“Nothing worse than ruining an in rhythm offense by getting too cute,” wrote NFL reporter Benjamin Allbright in a post on X.
“Joe Brady just re-handed this game to Baltimore. I cannot believe how horrendous a decision that was,” another fan added.
While McDermott indicated that the failed trick play was Brady’s call, he also took responsibility for an early decision that turned momentum in the game.
On their first drive of the game, the Bills had a 4th-and-2 from the 50-yard line, but decided to punt. The Bills had already converted a 4th-and-1 from their own 39 earlier that drive, but McDermott opted to give the ball to the Ravens rather than risk another.
The Ravens scored on the first play of their next possession, an 87-yard touchdown run from running back Derrick Henry.
After the game, McDermott told reporters he thought it was not the right time to go for it.
“Felt like just the feel of the game at that point it was too early to take a chance,” McDermott said.
Josh Allen Looking for Positives
After the game, Allen admitted it was a rough loss but said the team would try to learn from it.
“They came out with urgency and whooped our butt,” Allen said. “Not everything was bad in this game. I don’t want us to come away from this thinking we’re the worst. Lot to learn from. I’m glad this happened early in the season so we can correct things.”
The Bills are back on the road in Week 5, traveling to Houston to take on the Texans in their first game against former top receiver Stefon Diggs.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
