NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe has heavily criticised the Buffalo Bills for making an ‘utterly insane’ mistake against the Houston Texans on Sunday.
The Bills got off to a terrible start, conceding 14 points in the first quarter, and went into halftime 17-3 down.
They turned it around in the second half and had possession of the football with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter at 20-20.
Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady’s decision-making in the following series of downs was unbelievable. Here’s what Sharpe had to say…
Shannon Sharpe criticises ‘utterly insane’ Buffalo Bills mistake
Sharpe – and everyone else watching the game – could not believe the Bills did not run the ball on first, second or third down.
By throwing three incomplete passes, they stopped the game clock and allowed the Texans to retrieve the ball after a fourth-down punt.
Texans’ quarterback CJ Stroud only had to complete one pass to give kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn a chance to win the game – which he took.
“You’re in a tied ball game. You’re on your one-yard line. ‘Why would you throw the ball three straight times and stop the clock?’ Run at least one time,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap YouTube channel.
“You want time to go off the clock. The one thing you don’t want to happen is stopping the clock.
“[The other team] is going to get the ball at the 50 [yard line]. If you get a first down, the way these kickers are kicking the ball now, that’s a field goal.”
Sharpe went on to explain that the Bills did not only make a costly mistake but one that had not been made in the last 45 years in the NFL.
“The Bills are the only team in the last 45 years to be tied or leading in the final minute of a game, inside their own five-yard line, to throw the ball three straight times,” he added.
“Think about what I just said. That’s how ridiculous, asinine, utterly insane what they did [was]. It’s been 45 years.”
Can the Buffalo Bills win the AFC East?
The Buffalo Bills are still at the top of the AFC East standings with a 3-2 record, and they are highly likely to win the division.
The New England Patriots are arguably the worst team in the NFL, while the 2-3 Miami Dolphins are expected to be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for at least another game.
The New York Jets have a chance to overtake the Bills but Aaron Rodgers has underperformed so far this season and they just fired their head coach, Robert Saleh.
