Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady acknowledged a clock-management miscue after the team's 37-34 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams, despite the win erasing the consequences of the error.
With the Bills positioned for a go-ahead field goal in overtime, Brady elected to call plays that moved the ball rather than use kneel-downs to burn time. After Buffalo advanced 35 yards in five plays, kicker Tyler Bass lined up for a 45-yard field goal attempt with 1:55 remaining in overtime on second-and-10.
Brady said he wished he had called two kneel-downs instead. "If I had that opportunity again, the best thing would be to take two knees," Brady told reporters. He explained that taking knees would have left the Rams with roughly 45 seconds and 20 yards to travel for a field goal attempt if Bass missed, rather than two minutes. Brady noted that the difference between a 45-yard and 47-yard field goal attempt is minimal in terms of success rate.
Brady said his reasoning for the aggressive approach centered on confidence in Bass and concern about putting quarterback Josh Allen in unnecessary risk on consecutive quarterback sneaks. "I didn't want to run two QB sneaks with the thought process of putting the ball in harm's way, taking some shots on Josh, just to get," Brady said. "We knew we were already in line."
The coach also acknowledged internal conflict over the decision. "The conversation we had in the huddle and upstairs was like, 'Let's just go win the game right now,'" Brady said. He added that the equation would have tilted more clearly toward kneel-downs had the Bills been positioned closer to the end zone.
Bass made the 45-yard attempt to seal the win. He had missed an extra point earlier in the third quarter, which Brady cited as additional motivation to end the drive immediately rather than risk further yardage attempts.