Wounded Animal Syndrome
December 10th, 2021
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott.
Joe hates to use the cliché “backs against the wall” for Buffalo because they are not in danger of losing out on a playoff berth. But a team some pegged to get to the Super Bowl is having a massively disappointing season.
And the way Buffalo coach Sean McDermott is a defense-first guy, you know his blood is boiling along with various Bills defenders after getting pounded on the ground by the Belicheats on Monday night..
Because of this, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com thinks the Bucs should be very, very wary of the Bills on Sunday. It almost seems McDermott and his team want to take out their frustrations on someone and the Bucs may just be the wrong team in their path.
In the aftermath of Monday night’s wind-whipped loss to New England, Bills coach Sean McDermott was annoyed with the media, with the Patriots and seemingly with his own offensive coordinator. McDermott wants a team that can play physically up front, but this is not the week for that strategy. This is the week to see if the Bills can still thrive with an aerial assault. Buffalo should be able to attack a Tampa secondary that thought it was finally complete … before losing Mike Edwards to a suspension, Jordan Whitehead to injury and Jamel Dean to a concussion. In theory, a team built to pass and stop the pass is a perfect one to upset the Bucs. But the Bucs may be the best passing team in the NFL, while the Bills are quietly no longer among the top 10. Their struggles aren’t about toughness; it’s about their biggest strength eroding.
Rosenthal makes a very good point about the secondary. Josh Allen may be trying to test the Bucs’ safeties not named “Antoine Winfield” early and often.
In two of the last three games, the Bills defense has allowed 264 and 222 yards rushing. That’s pretty awful.
Will the Bucs’ ground game be able to take advantage of the Bills’ soft run defense, or are the Bills going to come out like a wounded animal and viciously attack the Bucs immediately through the air?
December 10th, 2021 at 8:14 am
Well we’re at home. You want it? Come and try, see what happens. Go Bucs.
December 10th, 2021 at 8:18 am
At least the field won’t have dangerous, massive potholes in it b/c USF’s season is over
December 10th, 2021 at 8:28 am
We should pass, pass, pass…..they won’t run on us….so we need to score quickly & often…..
As usual, the team with the most points wins….but this game will come down to TBBFs usual keys…….Turnovers, Penalties & Special Teams.
December 10th, 2021 at 8:40 am
If Bill’s don’t throw McDermott is a moron. On the flip side if Bucs run they stand the chance of getting behind early. Bucs running attack is very predictable and NO WHERE close to Indy & Pat’s. One good thing going for Bucs is Bill’s ate not good in the red zone and Bucs are. It will be comical if BA & BL fall into the trap of believing Bucs O can run it down their throats. Good luck with that, take your best player out of the game, Brady. He ain’t no Mac Jones.
December 10th, 2021 at 8:42 am
USF’s season was over in August.
December 10th, 2021 at 8:58 am
Good morning, Bills fans up here are not happy!! Bucs secondary better be prepared, Allen will throw between 40 to 50 passes guaranteed…fans up here complaining about Bills lack of scoring ability. Please Bowles have them ready.
December 10th, 2021 at 9:10 am
The bills feel like they are on tilt, ready to prove they can be a “physical” team, as opposed to doing what they need to do to win. They have to travel and they played a super physical game on Monday, so less rest.
This feels like a game where the bills show their youth and inexperience.
December 10th, 2021 at 9:28 am
You know what you do to a wounded animal Joe? Put it out of it’s misery.
December 10th, 2021 at 9:33 am
godliness, hope you’re right. I hope the debacle Monday screwed them up. You got a head coach embarrassing himself and team and throwing players and the OC under the bus and DB’s getting defensive over media questions to the point they walk out. So they be either extremely motivated or disgruntled. Bucs need to send them back to that shat hole city and pissed off neanderthal fan base.
December 10th, 2021 at 9:41 am
There won’t be any bad QBs in the playoffs. This game will be a good test for the Bucs on both sides of the ball. They have to start playing playoff ball now and get on a roll.
December 10th, 2021 at 9:49 am
@”..USF’s season was over in August…”
——————
no kidding …can’t stand the fact that they(Bucs), are forced for economical/business reason to let that crappy team destroy the field.
they say going to build a stadium in 4-5 years… boy that’s too long, and consider how leftist suck blood (USF admin and more)…. I think is not going to happen…
They are going to be in RJ forever.
December 10th, 2021 at 10:05 am
This won’t be an easy game. Defense has to show up in this game. I expect the bills best effort.
December 10th, 2021 at 10:15 am
The game, at the beginning of the season, was predicted to be the hardest game for us @ home; Still is. I fear the efficiency of DC Toooddd’s plan to stop Allen. We going to find the way to score, the problem will be how often Bills are going to score back at us.
December 10th, 2021 at 10:55 am
I’m a Bucs fan who lives in Buffalo and I’m really not worried at all. Yes the Bills have alot of talent but so do we. I don’t feed into the wounded animal kind of mentality because the game is still played on the field. We have alot riding on the game also,trying to keep pace with the Packers and Cardinals. Not to mention Cowboys and Rams right behind us. I’m hosting a huge game party on Sunday with family and friends who are diehard Bills fans(Bills Mafia) but I know I’m gonna be celebrating in the aftermath. Go Bucs!
December 10th, 2021 at 11:08 am
Quite honestly, the Bills fans are some of the best fans in football.
I hope they are left slack-jawed and disappointed Sunday.
December 10th, 2021 at 12:12 pm
I love how the sky is falling for a team that is one game worse than us. The Bills are going to be trying to bring their A game just like every single team does every single week especially against the SB Champs. Nothing to see here. Just more hype train. We play our game and we win. It’s that simple. They are going to score some points but their defense has been meh lately and we are a ferocious offense. Screw being worried about how mad they are. Beat the crap out of this team and put the rest of the league on notice.
December 10th, 2021 at 1:02 pm
The Bills are a dangerous team and the Bucs are still hurting in the secondary. It will be interesting to see which Bucs team shows up. The one scratching and clawing trying to get the #1 seed or the team that is a little bit satisfied with where they are in the standings. The satisfied attitude will get you beat almost every time. The team desperate for a win to try and get the top playoff seed will beat the Bills.
December 10th, 2021 at 1:37 pm
Some great comments, but LakelandSteve nailed it: ‘The Bills are a dangerous team and the Bucs are still hurting’ (but not JUST in the Secondary). BOTH of our starting ILBs are still hurting & not playing full-speed. JPP is REALLY hurting it’s obvious, and I think they’ll limit his def snaps even more (down to less than 50%). Vea doesn’t seem to be at 100% (snaps are still quite limited). Gholston is hurting; we’re missing Edwards & Whitehead … Wow. In what universe is this Bucs’ defense even close to what we started the year with?
Our offense needs to help them big-time (BY PLAYING complementary football?). The biggest part of that is scoring a LOT of points … early … to force the Bills into becoming one-dimensional to stay up with us. But it’ll also help for our offense to keep our defense on the bench as much as possible. I’m convinced that our defense has given up so many long drives because they’re hurting & quality opponents KNOW how to capitalize on that. Cull the herd by going for the weakest link.
December 10th, 2021 at 3:11 pm
Bills are pissed about their last lost. They will be ready and play physical. Our offense needs to be clicking on all cylinders. because theirs will be. I look for a high scoring game and us winning a close one.
December 10th, 2021 at 3:27 pm
USF had a season?
December 10th, 2021 at 4:23 pm
What is USF?
December 10th, 2021 at 6:07 pm
Well the patriots showed how to contain Allen, even without the wind. The same thing they did to Mahomes, pass rush while containing him.
December 10th, 2021 at 8:20 pm
If we beat the Bills tomorrow they will fall out of the playoffs.
I’d say there is danger Will Robinson of falling out of the playoffs.
December 10th, 2021 at 8:23 pm
And after everything mentioned above, the Bills have allowed 1 150 yards rushing followed by 2 200 yard rushing opponents.
Fournette, Rojo and hell even Gio might GO OFF.
AND the Bills CAN’T run the ball.
I’m not even concerned.
December 10th, 2021 at 9:14 pm
The Bucs are still hurting, the Bills are pissed? My guess is the Bills are hurting from the beating the Pats put on them, plus they’re coming off a short week, and have to travel. Hit them in the mouth with our run game, that should really piss them off as they crumble into submission.
December 12th, 2021 at 11:10 am
As someone else said, if the Bills don’t try throwing against us, they are idiots.
It’s just the simple truth- our pass defense has been suspect all season. Obviously injured have been a big part of that, but either way it’s our weakness.