Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott decided to put the game in the hands of Josh Allen on Monday night.
To be more specific, on the feet of Allen.
The Bills trailed the Tennessee Titans by a score of 34-31 and had the ball three yards away from the end zone, facing a 4th-and-1 with 22 seconds remaining.
A field goal would have sent the game to overtime, but McDermott wanted to win in regulation.
The Bills called a sneak, Allen slipped, and that was that.
It was a polarizing decision that ultimately came down to McDermott trusting his quarterback to gain a single yard.
Allen supported the decision following the game.
QB Josh Allen: I love that Coach McDermott trusted me at the end of the game. We’re a resilient team and I know this will fuel us going forward. #BUFvsTEN pic.twitter.com/aKbVa1iI4F
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 19, 2021
The play did not work, but it is hard to fault the aggressive nature of trying to win in regulation.
Was It Too Aggressive?
Plenty of Bills fans may be furious Tuesday morning about the call.
THE TITANS STOP JOSH ALLEN ON 4TH DOWN AT THE GOAL LINE 😱
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/XHMTWxqyXz
— ESPN (@espn) October 19, 2021
Yet so many have seen Allen easily pick up a yard or two when needed.
This play saw him slip, which is something no one could have predicted.
This is a classic situation where if it works, McDermott is a genius.
We are just dealing with the other possibility, which is the play failing and fans potentially piling on the head coach with negativity.
The good news for the Bills is that they only fell to 4-2 and are still clearly a favorite to win the AFC and reach the Super Bowl.
Their next three games also come against three of the worst teams in football: The Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets.
That should be an easy 7-2 right there to move past this Titans game without much of a second thought.
Unlike what we are seeing with Dan Campbell and Jared Goff up in Detroit, McDermott placed his full faith in his quarterback.
It didn’t work out, but the show of confidence will not soon be forgotten.
NEXT: Bills Doing Everything To Prove They Are Super Bowl Contenders