Tom Brady was right. Sean McDermott was wrong.
The quarterback-turned-commentator called out the Buffalo Bills' head coach for bafflingly poor clock management late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams. McDermott's blunder wasn't as bad as the infamous 13 Seconds, but it was a mistake that an eighth-year head coach should not make.
With Buffalo facing a 44-35 deficit, wide receiver Amari Cooper drew a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone. The infraction placed the ball at the 1-yard line and the clock was stopped at 1:01.
The Bills still had all three timeouts, so, theoretically, they could score a quick touchdown and force a three-and-out on the Rams' ensuing possession while preserving enough clock for a last-minute Josh Allen miracle.
As Brady noted on the FOX broadcast, the Bills should call only pass plays to the end zone, so that they would not have to expend a timeout.
The Bills, however, called a first-down quarterback sneak that was unsuccessful, forcing them to unnecessarily use a timeout. Then, they ran the exact same play on second down. Fortunately, they scored the touchdown, but the damage was already done. Buffalo's only chance to further extend the game was to recover a low-percentage onsides kick recovery.
Had they properly managed the timeout situation, the Bills would have had a shot at the onsides kick followed by a chance to play defense.
Buffalo's seven-game win streak came to an end as the Rams held on for a 44-42 victory and poor clock administration was the final deciding factor.
McDermott can't let such a mental lapse occur in the playoffs or the Bills will have another early exit.
