Pollock: This crushing last-second loss to Houston lies directly on the Bills head coach

A column by CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun and Olean Star Senior Sports Columnist

I’ll just say it.

The Bills’ 23-20 loss to Houston Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium is on coach Sean McDermott and nobody else.

How do I know?

His persistent repeating of “It’s on me” during his post-game press conference.

The way he handled the final 32 seconds to hand the Texans the 59-yard game-winning field goal as time expired was absolute coaching malpractice.

McDermott, with a foolish decision, wasted an inspired rally from two touchdowns behind by his undermanned team that overcame an horrendous effort by quarterback Josh Allen and a failure to cash three chances in the final eight minutes (including an interception and a lost fumble by Houston) to score the lead touchdown.

To review that fateful half-minute:

Driving for a game-winning field goal attempt with time in regulation running, Houston’s drive stalled facing 4th-and-15 at the Bills’ 49. Tommy Townsend then hit a near-perfect 46-yard punt that was downed at Buffalo’s 3-yard line.

Thirty-two seconds remained.

Common sense said to call three running plays to use up the Texans’ timeouts and, if that didn’t produce a first down, a punt would leave about five seconds to fashion a field goal attempt.

Instead, Allen, who was on a streak of seven straight incompletions, on his is first of three deeper throws, intended for rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, was nearly intercepted by cornerback Kamari Lassister. Coleman was called for offensive pass interference but Houston declined the penalty.

On second down, with 27 seconds left, Allen’s pass for Mack Hollins fell incomplete.

Then, with 21 ticks remaining, his throw for Curtis Samuel missed badly.

So, with 16 seconds left, Sam Martin, punting from his own end zone, unleashed a 59-yarder which former Bill Robert Woods returned 12 yards to the Buffalo 46 with seven seconds to go.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud mustered a 5-yard completion to running back Dare Ogunbowle, taking the ball to Buffalo’s 41-yard-line, and a timeout was taken two seconds left.

On came Ka’imi Fairbairn to hit the 59-yard field goal and ensure the Bills’ staff and players had a miserable flight home.

AFTER THE game, McDermott lamented, “We knew they had a good (long-range) field goal kicker, so we wanted to own the clock and move the chains and we didn’t do that and that’s on me.”

As for the three straight passes, he added, “I’m not going to get into that, I don’t think that’s relevant right now (of course it is) … just overall, that’s on me. I’ve got to do a better job in that situation. You talk about them having three timeouts and where we were on the field … they’ve got a really strong-legged field goal kicker, we knew that.

“There’s the potential, if you run it three straight times and you run off six seconds each time, you may be in a similar situation (than what occurred). Either way, we’ve got to do a better job and it starts with me. 100.”

McDermott admitted, “I love Josh with the ball in his hands, but again, efficient offense was the right approach there and I didn’t have us do that. We learn from that … it’s a tough situation. They have three timeouts and a good field-goal kicker. You go back and forth. I should have said on the first play ‘Where are we now?’ Either way, we’re probably gonna have to move the chains one time to not give them a chance.But those are the situations and that’s on me.”

Yes it is. An there’s no blaming offensive coordinator Joe Brady. McDermott knew what was coming and had veto power.

GIVEN THE field position and time remaining, needing 62 yards to give Tyler Bass a shot at a 52-yard field goal, and Allen’s struggles (9-of-30 passing for 131 yards with a substandard 56.4 rating), the right move was to play for overtime, rather than risk wasting a terrific defensive performance (only two field goals surrendered after intermission) to tie it.

All this week, you’ll hear “expert” fans argue, “No matter what the field position and time left, when you have Josh Allen at quarterback, you ALWAYS play to win.”

But on this day, that was the formula for losing.

NOTES FROM the Bills’ last-second 23-20 loss to theTexans, Sunday afternoon at Houston’s NRG Stadium:

— Buffalo’s first takeaway came when middle linebacker Terrel Bernard intercepted a C.J. Stroud pass, his first of the season. Bernard had missed the last three games with a pectoral injury and just started practicing.

The second saw defensive tackle Duwayne Smoot hit Stroud’s hand knocking the ball loose with linebacker Dorian Williams recovering. Smoot was credited with a strip-stack.

— Houston’s lone sack of Allen was recorded by defensive tackle Kahlil Davis, his first of the season.

— James Cook’s 5-yard rushing touchdown in the third period was his fifth TD in four games this season.

— Allen started the game 1-of-9 passing, the worst beginning in his seven-year pro career. He ended it with 10 straight incompletions.

— The Texans lost two starters in the first half. Star wide receiver Nico Collins, at the end of a 67-yard touchdown reception, pulled a hamstring and didn’t return. Meanwhile, safety Jimmie Ward left with a groin injury.

— Williams had game highs with 12 tackles and 11 solos.

— Inactive for the Bills were wide receiver Kahlil Shakir (ankle), safety Taylor Rapp (concussion), nickel back Taron Johnson (forearm), defensive tackle Ed Oliver (hamstring), linebacker Edefaun Ulofoshio, tackle Will Clapp and defensive tackle Austin Johnson.

(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)

Pollock: This crushing last-second loss to Houston lies directly on the Bills head coach

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