Bills used timeouts late to get look at Chiefs which allowed them to improvise
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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott unfortunately dug himself and his team a big hole. It was one they never got out of.
After the way the Bills’ season ended against the Kansas City Chiefs there are a lot of questions to ponder. Among that list: Why did Buffalo call timeouts on the Chiefs’ final drive before both plays?
With 13 seconds left, the Chiefs ended up rolled 44 yards to get into field goal range. Eventually, overtime went in Kansas City’s way as well and that was it.
Regarding those timeouts, the Bills ended up doing themselves no favors. On Tuesday during his end of season press conference, McDermott explained his decision.
“I let (the Bills defense) lineup to see the formation (the Chiefs had on offense),” McDermott said. “There was some conversations that took place on the sideline.”
Now for the awful news.
As the outcome shows, taking the timeouts did not help Buffalo. Upon further review, not only was that the case, it helped Kansas City.
The big pieces on the final plays were quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce for the Chiefs. They linked up on a 25-yard effort on the final pass of regulation.
Mahomes explained the sequence and said upon getting a first look at Buffalo’s defense, he knew what they were going to do. So did Kelce, and then those two had a chat.
“(Kelce) wasn’t necessarily supposed to do that,” Mahomes said via Chiefs Wire. “But after the (Bills) timeout, we got a look at what the defense was doing, and he actually said it to me, ‘If they do it again, I’m going to take it down the middle between both the guys guarding me.’ And he went up the field, I gave him the ball and he got into field goal range.”
“It was just a little backyard football,” Kelce added.
That’s an unbelievable turn of events for the Bills, but you’ve got to give it to the Chiefs’ duo. That’s elite awareness.
And in perhaps a way of rubbing salt in the wound, there is actual visual proof this happened. Actually, sound evidence is more accurate.
Upon further review, and listen, when Kansas City went up to the line of scrimmage, a hot mic on the field caught Mahomes and his yelling on the snap count. It was a direction, of sorts.
“Do it, Kels! Do it, do it, Kels!” can clearly be heard:
"DO IT": Isolated and enhanced pic.twitter.com/7MKfHa9BzD
— Kali Mahomes (@ClayWendler) January 24, 2022
From there, Mahomes appears to maybe look off the Bills defense for a quick second only to go right back to his tight end.
Seconds later, the game was tied and the rest is history.
In terms of the Bills, a further consideration might have to be made. Trust the defense? Or more so, don’t allow an elite offense to get multiple looks at your hand.
