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Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills podcast
Bills vs Ravens preview: Josh & Lamar and are 1 score losses a stat or a thing?
00:33:54
Bills vs Ravens: Josh vs Lamar
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- [00:02]
Mike Catalana
Josh and Lamar. Why it means more than just a winner in week four. Plus the biggest advantage the Bills will have in Baltimore and the one score losses. Is it just a stat or is it a problem? That's all coming up on this week's edition of the Buffalo plus podcast.
- [00:25]
Jenna Cottrell
All right, welcome back to the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana, Dan Fates, I am Jenna Cottrell. Before get started, please be sure to like, comment and most importantly, subscribe to the Buffalo plus channel. We always appreciate all the support. All right, we're getting ready for the Bills facing off against the Ravens this upcoming Sunday in Baltimore. Mike, it's Lamar Jackson out there. It's Josh Allen. I mean it's, it's funny to think of in 2018, these were some quarterbacks that people were like, huh, we'll see how it pans out. And now what this matchup is, is just it looks like two MVP caliber guys out there.
- [00:59]
Mike Catalana
I love it. I love this matchup. I love that the teams depend on these quarterbacks so much and they don't shy away from it at all. And I've always been a Lamar fan. I love the way he plays. He's unapologetically Lamar. And is he perfect? No. Does he do everything you want? No, but he's a, he's a guy who can win any game.
- [01:23]
Dan Fates
He's.
- [01:24]
Mike Catalana
Yeah, he's got a lot of what Michael Vick had because of that dynamic sport speed. But he's a better quarterback than Vic. Vic had moments, but I think he's better at it. I think he's a great leader. I think that team follows him. And again, does he have flaws? Sure. Is he not the stand up in the pocket guy that some people want? Is he not the great. All those things. But I love watching the guy play because I think he puts it all out there and he and Allen is as good a matchup as you get in the NFL.
- [01:54]
Dan Fates
It's like he's like a foxhole guy, right, Jenna? Like a guy that, like no matter what, you just want him on your team. Now, Kenny, like Mike said, can he be a guy that overcomes the 15 point deficit by throwing? I. I don't know. He's hasn't shown that. But give him his credit. Leads league and touchdown passes.
- [02:14]
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
- [02:15]
Dan Fates
So like this thought that this guy. And like Von Miller talks about it and Sean McDermott talked about the fact that he used to be limited. He's not really limited anymore in the past game. Is he precise as Rogers? No. But he is not some wide receiver playing quarterback. He's a quarterback that has traits like. Like Von Miller was talking about. He can turn. He has the speed of a wide receiver. He can turn the corner like a cornerback. Like, he's got everything that you want. So, yeah, Vaughn said he should be the highest paid player in the league. And I thought he'd be like, besides my guy. No, he just said straight up, like, yeah, he should be the highest paid player.
- [02:54]
Jenna Cottrell
I love it, too, because he was like, he should be the highest paid player in the league. He's not gonna say that. So I will say it for him, but I feel like we've seen the maturation process of just like Josh Allen as well as Lamar Jackson. I mean, five total touchdowns last week. It's. When you see what he can do and how dynamic he is, it's someone where this upcoming matchup is. It scares me because of, you know, and we can talk a little bit about the injuries and stuff, but Lamar has been that guy in Baltimore, and it's. It's tough for their team because I feel like they've had a lot of injuries that they've had to deal with over these last couple of seasons. But, I mean, he is, as advertised, a dynamic playmaker.
- [03:34]
Mike Catalana
Yeah. And Jenna, the other thing, you know, when you compare him to Josh Allen and what they do and they do so much for their teams and they're both runners and throwers. Obviously, Josh is a better passer of the football, you know, can make every throw in the book and is a very good runner. Lamar can go 75 and he's already done it this year. That's. I mean, Josh is. Josh's runs are everything all built into one. Sometimes he goes over them, sometimes he goes through them. He leaps, he does whatever. Lamar just blows by you. I mean, he's incredible running the football. Incredible. And so. So in that case, like, he's Vic in that way. Because sometimes I do think there's a little recency bias where I just said that about Vic, but Vic was the same way. Like, he could just take it to the house at any time. But Lamar has become so much better at reading defenses. I think this year he looks better at it and he's. In any given moment, he can throw it to the house, but he can more likely still run it and take it the distance. And I think that's what makes him special.
- [04:41]
Dan Fates
I had a point and I forgot it.
- [04:43]
Jenna Cottrell
No way.
- [04:44]
Mike Catalana
I rambled a little bit.
- [04:45]
Dan Fates
It was one of those moments that Mike said something I Was like, oh, off of that. And, yeah, that's fine.
- [04:50]
Jenna Cottrell
That literally happens to me all the time. I was saying yesterday, Mike, I don't know if you watched our video from practice, but Dan Fates definitely went to the Mike Catalanis school of Pontification because there's things that other people would like to add. My. I mean, I'm speaking for myself, but then Dan talks for so long that he remembers everything he wants to say. Look at that.
- [05:13]
Mike Catalana
You know what Dan has learned? Dan has learned. I know other people have a point to make, but I can make it first, so I'm gonna go ahead and make it right, Dan?
- [05:22]
Dan Fates
Yeah, exactly. I think that that's exactly it. They talked about, obviously, every time you play Lamar and you have that read option that everybody talks about and how difficult it is. We always ask the defensive lineman and how important is setting the edge. And, like, this isn't an all 22 breakdown, but Lamar is one of those guys and I find so funny. And players talk about it. You know, we asked Tremaine Edmonds yesterday about eye discipline and being. Doing your 1 11th. All of that is great. Then you have to tackle him. Like. Like, you can be. You can do everything right, and Lamar can still turn you inside out. Like, that's the difference. Then, like, you're talking about with Josh, where he can go through people, stiff arm, all those things Lamar can make you miss in a phone booth. Like that. That is how dynamic he is. And it's so funny when they're like, you got to be disciplined. And I'm sitting there and I think it was Matt Milano a few years ago in the playoff game, and it's like, yeah, like, you just have to tackle him. Like, but that's so much easier said than done, is to be like, you can be in the right place, make all the right reads, cut Lamar off, and you're still screwed because that is how good he is.
- [06:33]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. No, I mean, I think it's true.
- [06:36]
Mike Catalana
And his weapons this year are different a little bit. They didn't go get, you know, they. They lost Hollywood Brown and traded. Yeah. And they, you know, he wanted to go, like, whatever. He loves going to the tight end. And Mark Andrews makes plays. I mean, he just does. They. They don't care if you're covering. If you saw the. It was the New England game last week. He just went up and reached over and caught the ball. He does not worry about throwing a contested ball to that giant and him making a play. And then he's got these other guys who. Who can get to get down the field. I mean, Duvernay, I think he's thrown to him eight times. He's caught every ball. He's run a kickoff back for a touchdown. He's got speed and, and again, Lamar, because of everything, all the attention that goes to him, he can, he can make those plays. I don't think his weapons match up to the Bills in that case and in the passing game, but he's made it work. And he did this a few years ago when he was the MVP of the league. I mean, he made the throws. So dangerous is the word I'd use all the time.
- [07:43]
Jenna Cottrell
Dangerous.
- [07:44]
Dan Fates
That's an interesting dynamic too, because Mike talks about like, the weapons and like, yeah, Mark Andrews is a top five tight end in the NFL. But I think that's what this is going to come off as a slight to Josh and it's not to that. It's more of a compliment to Lamar. I think Lamar makes more with less like. And. And that's why at times Baltimore's offense seems a little gimmicky, but they don't have a true number one wide receiver. Now they've got some decent tight ends and they do that. You know, two years ago they had the all three running backs ran for over 800 yards. Like, but they don't have a Diggs, they don't have Justin Jefferson, they don't have a Jalen Waddle. Like, that's what's impressive for what Lamar does, because it seems like at times, instead of an organization like the Bills have done and Brandon Bean, where they have given Josh weapons, it seems like Baltimore takes them away and goes, hey, Lamar, go do it again.
- [08:44]
Mike Catalana
Yeah. But what they have done, Jenna, is they have bought into Lamar even though they haven't done it with their money yet. At least not enough because Greg Roman is the offensive coordinator. He was with the Bills before, and they run things to accentuate what Lamar does. But I got to tell you, I was watching your boy Dan Orlovsky breaking down some of what they do on the offense, and he was talking about how they've added more movement, more things where they put the three tight ends in the game. And then all of a sudden it's Lamar getting the ball out quickly at different times, and they've added some of those things because he's gotten better at his progressions. Yep. And you know, when everybody talks about guys getting better, it's funny how we, we just want to judge. We want to judge. We want to judge early. And these guys can get better and they can learn and they see things more. And I think he's seeing the field a lot better. I think he is.
- [09:37]
Jenna Cottrell
And I think that's something that you can open up the playbook so much more when you are able to evolve and continue and be a threat in the passing game and all those things that Lamar has worked so hard to do. I, I have a question for you guys because we've heard the narrative talked about. Like, is. Does. Is. Is it all on Josh Allen for this Bills team? Like, I feel like a lot of people have been talking about, you know, when games go wrong, it's all on Allen's shoulders, like all this stuff. But you make the point, Dan, about it being Lamar and him having to do more with less. Like, is that just the expectations of, of a. The guy when you talk about quarterback?
- [10:16]
Dan Fates
Yeah. And Lamar's also won an mvp. Like he has. He's accomplished that. And so it's funny you, you say that, that like when everything, when they don't win, it's like, well, Josh didn't make enough plays. It's like that's kind of the life of a quarterback. And guess what? When, when he does make all the plays, he gets all the spotlight. And last year, Lamar was nicked up, injured. I think he said Covid like two or three times he talked about how he struggled with that and it's like, oh, the Ravens aren't that good. It's like they ended the season with like six straight losses. Like they were a banged up football team. They're still technically without their all pro left tackle, who we don't know when Stanley's going to come back. Could be this week, but there's just a lot of things. And yeah, to your point, I think it, it's the life of the quarterback. Josh is expected to do a lot. Lamar is expected to do a lot. And Mike, to your point, were you talking about how Lamar has gotten so much better at his reads and reading defenses and his progressions? I saw Josh on Sunday in Miami looking like Peyton Manning at the line of scrimmage. The amount of times he was checking into plays, it. It was. That's something again that we never saw, and that was without Mitch Moore. So Josh was doing a whole lot more identifying protection as well as reading safety. So I was again, I, I feel like we've spent the first 10 minutes of this pod talking about Lamar, and rightfully so. But some, you know, I think just coming off the loss, maybe we're not as high on Allen.
- [11:42]
Jenna Cottrell
No I don't think we're not as high on Allen. I just think there is the critique of like the, for the Bills to win, Allen has to do has to be superhuman. And like is that sustainable? Is that what the Bills need? Like that's the critique that I've heard and I think there's like with everything there's a bit of truth in that of like there are plays that Allen missed on that we're not used to seeing that fourth down to Isaiah McKenzie for a touchdown. But things like that where, and you know we're going to talk about the, you know, in close games, a record 0 and 7 and, and what that means for a team in terms of one score game.
- [12:19]
Mike Catalana
Yeah, I, I don't think he has to be superhuman. I, he just at times plays that way. First of all, it was superhuman for him to make it through 63 passes and eight runs when everybody else is dropping and he stayed on the field. But it impacted him, no doubt. Plus banging his hand impacted him and there was a few plays I'm sure he would like back but he has help. Diggs is really good. Gabe Davis when healthy is really good. Knox can be effective and I think they'll try to get him the ball a little bit more and he got a really good defense that's banged up so they're a better all around team than the Ravens. There's no doubt and there's a reason why Lamar has to do more. But yeah, I, I'm not, I, I think Josh has the game this week as long as the weather isn't crazy again because we've had super hot and ridiculously hot and now it's supposed to be raining. I think he has the game this week. That puts him back up there as the top guy for the mvp. I think he's angry at how it went on Sunday and it does fall. I mean there were times it did fall on him and if he made one more play they would have won the game. But not one bit of that game has should change the narrative on Josh Allen. I think right now he's still the best quarterback in the league.
- [13:32]
Dan Fates
Mike, we were in the locker room after the game and he was just in his locker for 25 minutes after the, after he spoke at the podium and like Brandon Bean had to go up to him. And I'm not saying Josh was inconsolable, that's not what I'm saying. But he was pretty pissed, pretty down like. And we've seen this before with Josh where losing really hurts. Him like, like you can see it on his face after games. You know, whether it's like said we talked about Ken Dorsey in our post practice blog yesterday. But like you see like Josh's frustration of slamming his helmet down after the game. Like you're, I'm with you, Mike. I, I think these ones give Allen just that little extra juice to go into Baltimore against playing, playing against another MVP caliber quarterback that he really loves and respects as well.
- [14:26]
Jenna Cottrell
I, I think too the loss always refocuses you. And he talked about that at media day on Wednesday of just, you know, it's not going to be perfect, but we need to be better in situational football. Like, we need to be better at the end of the half. We can't leave points out there. And that's something that he's like, I'm, I'm glad the loss happened in week three and not later on in the season. But I think there's always that, you know, everything's so much better when you win. It's so easy to be like, yeah, we should clean this up. But like got the win, you know.
- [14:54]
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
- [14:55]
Jenna Cottrell
And then when you lose and you see how much it just, it does. Dan. It affects Allen. Like he, you can tell by his attitude, by his body language, like it means a lot to him as, as well as the other players on this team. But going into Sunday's game, I mean, the Bills do have an advantage and I know this Buffalo team is obviously beaten up, but damn, when you look at the secondary of this Ravens team, like, there is definitely an opportunity for sure.
- [15:21]
Dan Fates
Yeah, they're not good. Even I was watching more, you know, Brian Baldinger was breaking down Miami's safety. Javon. It wasn't how, what was it?
- [15:35]
Mike Catalana
Holland.
- [15:36]
Dan Fates
Yes, it was. He was incredible. Like, the Ravens are down two corners already. One of their safeties, like they are a, they, they know what the Bills are going through in their secondary because they are banged up as well. And they let Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill just run past them when they were trying to play prevent defense and they still gave.
- [15:59]
Jenna Cottrell
Is that bad?
- [16:00]
Dan Fates
It's not great, Bob. It's not great. And see, I'm like, I, I like this matchup. As long as it's not a monsoon. I think Josh Allen can have another strong game throwing the football like he did last week.
- [16:16]
Jenna Cottrell
Okay. Concerns with the weather.
- [16:20]
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
- [16:20]
Jenna Cottrell
If it's monsooning and you need to maybe not pass the ball as much because.
- [16:28]
Mike Catalana
Yeah, I know. But here's what I'm going to tell you. When it's that monsoon kind of thing and it's not even a real game. I think it's almost like so counts.
- [16:36]
Jenna Cottrell
On the record the same though.
- [16:38]
Mike Catalana
Well, it's almost like those kind of games when the snow is so heavy that it's like, you know, or when the wind was so bad. I hope we don't have that because I don't want to get cheated out of a, you know, Lamar Allen real game and you have a monsoon. I mean, obviously everybody's thinking about the people going through all that mess down in Tampa and coming up. But that weather, at least the rain portion of it is supposed to hit in the, you know, the corridor, the eastern corridor there and Baltimore supposed to get rain. I hope we don't get that because then basically all bets are off. Then it becomes like a different football game. Yeah, Josh started his Bills career in the rain in Baltimore. Of course he did. Well, Nate had spotted him a 30 point deficit I believe by the time he came in. But that was when he got his his debut in the NFL and then he's been the starter ever since. But that can change things. But look, you talk about the advantage, you know, Baltimore doesn't get a pass rush either. They're just such a different team. Used to think Ravens and defense and they have some names and some guys, but they just. Right so far they haven't gotten to the quarterback. They've given up big plays. And I did a piece on here with Sean Steppner in Baltimore and he said if Bill's fans want to feel better, turn on that game, watch the fourth quarter and watch that secondary just comically get lit up but by that TUA and where and obviously Waddle and Hill, but they don't get to the quarterback either. And last week Josh got a lot of pressure and you give me all the numbers, but it kind of threw off their offense. Even though he made plays against the blitz, it threw off a lot of what they wanted to do. So it's still big advantage Bills and unless it's really bad, they're going to put up points against this Ravens team.
- [18:24]
Jenna Cottrell
It does scare me though how beat up the Bills defenses or just in general like this Bill's team. I get it, I get what you're saying all these things. I think the Bills are the better team. I'm gonna pick them to win. But I just. We talk so much about adversity and what it looks like and this is just an a new like you never know what adversity is going to be Obviously, until it rears its ugly head. But this is just something that is so unexpected and also just so impactful. When you talk about the players on the team and, and what this team has had to do.
- [18:59]
Mike Catalana
Yeah, you've heard me use this all the time.
- [19:02]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
- [19:03]
Mike Catalana
I say it's reasons, not excuses. Because every Dolphins fan was like, oh, Bills, man. I'm not making excuses for the Bills. They lost the game. The record goes to the Dolphins. They won. Good for them. The reasons the Bills were. Well, they made big mistakes, too. In Miami. They could have still won the game with all that, but, you know, third stringers on the offensive line, secondary filled with rookies and, you know, guys from the practice squad. Like, that was the reality of what they were playing with and they still should have won the game. So there were reasons. Now this week, we'll see how it trends, but it would be nice to get Ed Oliver, Jordan Poyer back on the field. It looks like, you know, Jordan Phillips, who they miss, looks like he's a few weeks away.
- [19:52]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
- [19:52]
Mike Catalana
You know, and now Xavier's there. Right. So they, They've got a new corner who I think is going to play. He's definitely going to. I think they're going to bring him off the roads. I think they're going to bring him off the practice squad because they can activate guys and I think he's going to play, which should tell you where they are, because the guy's coming off the street and he's going to play in the game. But I do think in Mitch Morris. Jenna, you said it. I think Mitch Morris is a huge key for them to get back on the field. Field.
- [20:19]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he is that guy that kind of steadies the ship and with, you know.
- [20:24]
Dan Fates
What'd you call him yesterday?
- [20:26]
Jenna Cottrell
I don't remember.
- [20:27]
Dan Fates
Glue guy.
- [20:28]
Jenna Cottrell
Oh, a glue guy. Yeah.
- [20:29]
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
- [20:30]
Jenna Cottrell
Well, like, the, the center position isn't a sexy position that you want to talk about, but at the same point, when he's. He is the guy that helps, you know, steer the ship, like you said, calling out protections. I mean, he. Josh knows him obviously very well. What he's been able to do in terms of the stability aspect, the experience, all that.
- [20:49]
Mike Catalana
Yep. And especially when you have backups to backups in other positions, it's not like the regular five is out there with the center and you go, okay, this is the thing. But these guys have been together. Last week was not that case.
- [21:03]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
- [21:03]
Mike Catalana
And, you know, we'll see. Like Spencer Brown, like, I know the heat was terrible. But like, yeah, he's got to be better for them. Well, and Dion gotta be better in that spot. And Dion with the illness, like, yeah.
- [21:17]
Jenna Cottrell
That I'm like, how?
- [21:18]
Mike Catalana
We'll see.
- [21:19]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah, we'll have to wait and see. All right, let's Talk about the 0 and 7 in close in single score games, because that is a narrative. I remember I was asked this on the radio show a little bit ago, like, is that gonna follow around the Bills? I'm like, well, that's how narratives work. Because until you, until you buck the trend, it's going to be talked about. So, Dan, I mean, those numbers are real.
- [21:45]
Dan Fates
Yeah.
- [21:46]
Jenna Cottrell
And that is something that the Bills have been dynamic and awesome in their blowout wins, but how do they turn the tide in terms of that? Because you're going to get in close games and you got to find a way to win.
- [21:57]
Dan Fates
Well, I think it goes back to what Josh Allen said where he said, you know, we have to situational execution. And I think that is what is a little worrisome whether we want to go back to Kansas City or whether we want to go back in these games where it's like you have these moments that maybe not even. I'm not even talking about end of the game moments. Like, I'm talking about the end of the first half in Miami. Like, that's three points you left off the board. Things like that where they are not able to get that monkey off their back and feel confident in those situations. Worries me. And obviously, as the more we ask him about it, the more the narrative grows. And then we have this game in Miami where one drive, one bounce, one break goes their way and we're. We're not having this conversation anymore. But none of those happened and they lost again.
- [22:53]
Mike Catalana
Jenna, I'm a little surprised. People that I respect go right to the numbers and they say, well, if you go over the past two years, three years, whatever it is, Sean McDermott, Josh Allen, they've been good in the one score games. I get that. But I look at these games and what's worrisome to me is there's been failures at all levels. Yeah, Tennessee last year was a tight game on the road. That was a good, tough team. They weren't great, but they were good. They were tough. They're much better than they are this year. Right. And the defense really fell apart in the second half. Then they had an issue on that last drive where when the Dion missed the block, Josh slipped. Whatever it is, they didn't convert when they had a chance. So, okay, that's one. You say Kansas City, without question. The defense lost the game for them and the coaching staff lost the game for them. Big moments, making big decisions. So it's easy to say, yeah, you go back over three years. Yeah, I get that part. But like in these games in the NFL, what the Bills do with 20 straight wins, 10 points or more, that doesn't happen. Most of these games end up getting closer, and certainly in the playoffs, they get closer. So it's not Josh Allen, but Josh has had moments. I mean, I trust Josh Allen. When you saw what he did in Kansas City last year, you tell me that guy can't play in a big moment. I mean, he was phenomenal, as good as you'll ever see. But again, he needs help. And, and it's got to be where somebody does that. And I, I'm sorry, you can't dismiss that. It's seven in a row, and when it gets tight, they don't make the extra play. And that's against bad teams like Jacksonville. Great teams like Kansas City teams, they're more equal with, with say, like the Titans a year ago, they just didn't. They just didn't do it. And the New England game is an aberration. That one, they lost at home because of all the craziness, but they didn't win that one either. So I, I don't want to make. I don't think it's the biggest thing in the world, but I don't like the dismissing of it with numbers to say, well, you won all these games. Yeah, it's great to win all these games by double digits, but you got to win the close ones.
- [25:03]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. I think I'm always fascinated, too, because I think you. You use the word worrisome, which I think is the perfect way to start.
- [25:09]
Mike Catalana
Yes.
- [25:10]
Jenna Cottrell
Like to sum it up, because while I don't think it can derail things, I'm also like, that is concerning. And there is the data to back that up.
- [25:19]
Dan Fates
But I monkey on their back.
- [25:21]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. And like, I just. More so. Stefan Diggs was talking this week at Media Day about like, it comes down to the details of execution and all these things. And I'm like, that totally makes sense. But how do you execute better in those scenarios? Because it seems like these little things snowball in a game. And you kind of saw that in Miami of how do you turn. Turn things around in terms of that? Because how do you make better decisions and execute better when you've struggled to. To do that in those moments?
- [25:54]
Mike Catalana
Janet, you Know, it's different, it's a different sport, but it, you know, we always make like golf comparisons and all, but I'll say, how about basketball comparisons? How about when you're running up and down the court, up by 10, swing the ball around, guys making a three and a half, everything seems to be great. But when you get to the point in the game where it's a one possession game and you got to execute what you're doing on offense, right, Doing their job, the guy's got to knock down the shot or make the foul shot or get the stop and it's not about 30 plays in the game. It's really, you're either going to win or lose based on that. And again, I'm concerned a little bit about decision making. Like, I like the aggressive Sean McDermott offensively, but he's made some bad decisions or at least team wise they've made some like in Kansas City. And then I love what Josh does, but he threw it into the ground when you had a chance to win the game Sunday. He just, he, that's an execution, physical execution of a guy was open and then defensively. So we've seen it that way. So again, I don't want anybody commenting here and saying, I'm saying this, this is the disaster. And they can win. Go beat Baltimore by 30. Great, go ahead. But I don't know, it's the NFL, man. You got to win the close ones to win the Super Bowl. That's the way I look at it.
- [27:10]
Dan Fates
I mentality thing. I mean, and I mean in the sense of when I play hockey and it'd be a big game or something like that, they would tell you like, don't grip your stick too hard.
- [27:20]
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
- [27:21]
Dan Fates
In golf, like you're over the ball. Like no matter if it's the 18th hole or the first tee, like it's the same. That is 1000% easier said than done. That's why some people take the last shot in basketball and some people don't. But it's the same sense of, you know, don't grip the baseball too tight and you know, go, go all Chuck Knoblock. Like until you do it, until you win these games, I feel like that monster and that monkey on your back gets a little bigger. So while they will say like it's execution and all those things, at some point, it's a mindset thing that they just have to get over. And it only happens from success. Like we talk about how you learn from failure there. You learn from success that you've Done it once and go, I got it. And you've seen other teams too, whether it's a hockey team on a power play where you just know they have a great power play and you're like, well, they're going to score. Here's just no doubt. Now they don't always score, but you just have that thought of it's the third period of the Stanley cup final and this team has a great power play. They're probably going to score. They have that confidence right now. The Bills, for whatever reason in those fourth quarters in those close games don't seem to have as much as they do on the opening drive.
- [28:40]
Jenna Cottrell
It's funny, I watched the game back last night and it was like the football gods were like, no, no, here's another opportunity. Yeah, like, no, no, no, no. Like the. But no, no, no, you can get the ball back again.
- [28:54]
Mike Catalana
I. Matt Milano wins the game.
- [28:55]
Jenna Cottrell
If he catches the ball, that will haunt him.
- [28:58]
Mike Catalana
He should have two, if not three pick sixes in this season. Okay, so the last thing on the close game thing, I just going to get a number from you guys. I said worrisome 1 to 10. Worrisome. What number of that overall for this team? My number is six. It's a three thing. It's not panicking because they can go out and blow anybody out, but it's hard to blow everybody out and the games are going to get tight. I got it at about a six. I. Not that I just want to see them lose, end a streak here. This is not ending the drought. Yeah, I want to see them do. I want to see them be that team that, you know, in a close game they got a better chance than not of winning. I got it at six.
- [29:40]
Jenna Cottrell
I would say it's about a five or six also because they, I feel like they have so many new guys into the lineup. Like this team does look kind of different than it did a year ago. And it's more so just for the confidence of those newer guys out there, but also for Allen and Diggs and all those players. But I just feel like it's, it's week four. We're going into week four. I'm not like, wow, stop the presses. It's panic. Can you believe this? It's like, all right, I, I want to give them more of an opportunity to win a one score game. But like how narratives work. It's going to hang around and it's going to stick around and it's going to get loud if it gets worse.
- [30:19]
Dan Fates
6.7. Mike took so I'm going to go inching towards a seven.
- [30:27]
Mike Catalana
And by the way, I'm not. I'm not big on the whole number. It, like, if they're up by three points late in the game and they get a pick six to seal it and win by 10, still count. That's a close win for me. Right. And I'm also not the guy that they're up by. Whatever. And the team scores late, and you're like, okay, they want a close game because they got it to four points. But you. You had the game one. You know, I mean, I'm not just strictly on the numbers. You know it when you're in it, when it's that game and, you know, you feel it's a game we saw Sunday. So that game was. Yeah.
- [31:01]
Jenna Cottrell
So gross.
- [31:03]
Mike Catalana
Yep. Yep.
- [31:05]
Jenna Cottrell
It was weird at the end of that game that TUA and was, like, consoling Josh Allen. Did anyone else?
- [31:12]
Mike Catalana
Josh was exhausted.
- [31:13]
Jenna Cottrell
I know, I know, I know. But it was just like, visually, I was like, that's kind of. It was like, oh, yeah.
- [31:19]
Mike Catalana
It's a meme.
- [31:19]
Dan Fates
Thank you for letting me win one.
- [31:21]
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
- [31:22]
Dan Fates
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Well, I remember when Josh. I'll never forget the picture I have of jaws shaking Tom Brady's hand after the loss, and Josh couldn't be rolling his eyes any harder after losing. And like, here you have this case. Everybody's like, look at Tua. What? What great warriors. It's like, Tua played half of the game that Josh played. Not. Yeah, that's actually not fair to Josh. Tua played a fifth of the game that Allen played, and he's consoling him because Josh can't breathe because Tua spent that second half of the game on the sidelines.
- [31:54]
Mike Catalana
Hey, Jenna. That hug from TUA is the less personal connection between the Dolphins players and Josh during the game. I mean, seriously, what are they doing? Seriously, Dolphins. Anybody get fine for the Dolphins for that? I mean, tackle the guy. But seriously, you know, no wonder Josh ripped the guy's helmet off, even though it was dumb. Strange.
- [32:22]
Dan Fates
Christian Wilkins has done that several times. Yeah, that's kind of his thing.
- [32:29]
Mike Catalana
Yeah, that's it.
- [32:31]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
- [32:31]
Mike Catalana
It's quite a thing to be known for.
- [32:33]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah, exactly. Well, I'm excited when the Bills will host them later on this season.
- [32:39]
Mike Catalana
Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna call my shot. We're recording this Thursday early afternoon.
- [32:44]
Jenna Cottrell
They lose tonight.
- [32:45]
Mike Catalana
They lose tonight to the Bengals.
- [32:47]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
- [32:48]
Mike Catalana
And their schedule's relatively easy going forward. That's. That's a tough comeback. For them. If the Bills were playing tonight, you'd be like, okay, yeah, tough comeback on the road. I think they lose. But somebody's going to be, you know, reading, seeing this in three days, going, that idiot thought Bengals would win.
- [33:07]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah.
- [33:08]
Mike Catalana
You're so stupid.
- [33:09]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. It's like, wow. It's crazy when you know the outcome of something.
- [33:12]
Mike Catalana
That's right.
- [33:13]
Jenna Cottrell
It might change things. All right, thank you for joining us. For Mike and Dan, I am Jenna.
- [33:18]
Dan Fates
Comment on how you feel emotionally heading into Sunday.
- [33:23]
Jenna Cottrell
Yeah. I want to know where your head's at getting ready for this Ravens game down in Baltimore in week four, which is crazy. Week four. We're already here. All right, thank you so much for joining us again. Please be sure to, like, comment how you're feeling ahead of Sunday's game, what you think for this Bills game. And then, as always, subscribe to the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel because we enjoy all the subscribers going up. It's really cool to see, and we always appreciate it so much. So thank you so much for joining us again. For Mike and Dan, I'm Jenna. We'll catch you next time here on the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris.