Bills at Ravens, Week 4: Second half open thread

After a half of unforgettable football, the Buffalo Bills trail the Baltimore Ravens 21-3. A once-promising kickoff quickly sent Buffalo south, and nothing has happened for Buffalo since the end of the national anthem.

Facing a very quick 4th-and-1 attempt on their 39th, the Bills converted with Allen to send an early message. A short time later, head coach Sean McDermott made the surprising decision to punt on fourth-and-2 and even closer to the Ravens’ end zone. Even worse was McDermott’s decision to punt when faced with a second 4th & 1 at the same 39-yard line while trailing 14-3.

This was all despite McDermott saying at halftime that his defense needed to play better. So his preferred move was to kick the ball away and invite them to absorb more chaos? Quarterback Josh Allen appeared to aggravate his hand injury on the early fourth-down conversion, and he continues to let it play. Maybe that played a role in the problems in the first half?

Baltimore’s apparent plan to take advantage of Bills players who wouldn’t play under ideal conditions paid off. Once again, Buffalo’s defensive line virtually disappeared in a big game.

Every part of this Bills team seems overwhelmed, which has never been more evident than on Baltimore’s first offensive play – a call that sent running back Derrick Henry 87 yards for a touchdown. Overall, Buffalo’s defense was overwhelmed, out of position, and simply not good enough to share the field with Baltimore.

On offense, the entire team seems sluggish and the decisive tendencies in the game are timid. If you’re a Bills fan, this is in no way inspirational about football. After linebacker Baylon Spector claimed he picked up a fumble from quarterback Lamar Jackson, it felt like some momentum was going Buffalo’s way. A perfect opportunity to score on a turnover from deep that turned into a run-of-the-mill rushing attempt by running back James Cook.

After the two-minute warning, the Bills got lucky and got an unlikely first down thanks to a timeout penalty against the Ravens. Josh Allen threw a perfect deep pass to rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, but Coleman let it sail through his hands. Anyone have a silhouette of Stefon Diggs?

This is not good football. Today’s game is also reminiscent of the weekly nature of the NFL, where a 1-2 team can take on a 3-0 group.

After 30 minutes, Allen is 9 of 16 for 42 yards and added five carries for 21 yards. Kicker Tyler Bass made a positive impression when he hit a 50-yard field goal with a long lead.

Luckily there is still a second half to play. Will it be more of the same, or can McDermott figure it out? It’s time for Josh Allen to take over the game. If you don’t do that, tonight won’t be enough.

Here is your open thread for the second half. Enjoy it if you can – and hopefully the Buffalo Bills find their way to victory before the night is over.