Polian on Bills’ Playoff Exit: A Failure Of “Critical Efficiency”

(EDITOR’S NOTE: To hear the Bill Polian interview, click on the following link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/fullpresscoverage/eyetest-ep92)

It’s been a week since the Buffalo Bills bowed out of the playoffs, losing in overtime to Kansas City after it appeared they had victory locked down.

But they didn’t … and isn’t that how it goes in Buffalo? Four consecutive Super Bowl defeats. Wide Right. The Music City Miracle.

Now, this.

“I don’t think it hurts as badly as the Super Bowl losses,” said former Bills’ GM Bill Polian on the latest “Eye Test for Two” podcast, “simply because it was in the divisional round. But it ranks right up there with the Music City Miracle — although in this case we really have no one to blame but ourselves because we didn’t come through on defense at the end of the game when it counted most.

“There are a number of different things you can do to analyze, but in the end, as (former Bills’ coach_ Marv Levy used to say, ‘If what you did didn’t work, you should’ve done the other thing.’ It’s heartbreaking. It hurts. It’s another in a long line of heartbreakers, but I think in the end they’ll prevail.”

They didn’t last weekend, despite jumping to a seemingly safe three-point lead with 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and there are a couple of reasons why: 1) They didn’t try a pooch … or squib … kick on the ensuing kickoff, thus burning no time while putting the Chiefs in business at their 25; and 2) they played matador defense once Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs took the field, allowing two completions of 44 yards in 10 seconds on the first two snaps.

Worse, they were completions to Kansas City’s most dangerous playmakers, tight end Travis Kelce (25) and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (19). If there’s anyone the Bills had to shut down, it was those two. But they didn’t.

“A failure of execution,” said Polian.

He didn’t fault the touchback, arguing that “a lot of things could go wrong with the squib kick.” What he did fault, however, was the defense – or lack thereof – on the Chiefs’ possession.

“What was dispositive,” Polian said, “was that Tyreek got a free release for 19 (yards) on the first play from scrimmage. They only needed to get 40 yards. They’re on the 25. So all you’ve got to do is get to the 40, and, with Kansas City’s kicker’s leg, the odds favor a successful field goal.

“So you’re really guarding 40 yards, and Tyreek Hill got a free release. That’s murder. And then, on the next play, they really weren’t guarding 40 yards – people who should’ve been up front, making sure all that would happen was a very short completion, the clock runs or an ‘out’(pass route), which is a short completion. That didn’t happen. That’s a failure of execution.

“And it can happen. That’s one of those situations that always … they don’t occur very often during the regular season, but they always occur during the playoffs. In Indianapolis (where Polian won a Super Bowl as a GM) – having been in many of these same situations and outcomes, by the way – we christened it ‘critical efficiency.’

“In every playoff game, there are going to be four, five or six plays where you’ve got to be critically efficient. The play is critical. The person you’re up against is a great player. And you have to be critically efficient. You’ve got to make the play in that situation.

“In those last 13 seconds, the Bills weren’t critically efficient, and they’ll learn from it. It’s an experience that will be seared in their memories. But that’s what critical efficiency is all about.”

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The experience goes beyond the Buffalo Bills, however. It will be seared in the memories of Bills’ Mafia, too, with legions of heartbroken fans puzzled why their favorite team seems to be cursed. Except it’s not, said Polian, who believes the future will prove him right.

“They’re a good team,” he said. “Sean McDermott’s a great coach. The irony is: I think he’s the best game coach in the league. But in this particular case it didn’t work out. I think there are better days ahead, but this is a dark winter right now for Buffalo.”