Disclaimer: I am a full time OBGYN and am in no way, shape, or form, a sport analyst or journalist. These are simply my reactions and thoughts.
Mondays are definitely much Monday-er after a Buffalo loss. There is a lot to unpack from yesterday's game. So, I am going to just get right to it.
Here are some of my thoughts about our week 17 loss to the Eagles:
- It is almost like the Defense read my blog last week and decided to prove me wrong, which I have no problem with! Our defense finally looked Super Bowl worthy- too bad our offense did not. Our defense held the Eagles to 82 rushing yards; and Hurts only had 108 passing yards. The Eagles only had 1 touchdown in the 1st quarter and 2 field goals in the 2nd quarter. In the second half, we held them to 17 yards and did not allow a completed pass by Hurts. The Eagles did not score any more points in the second half. I am not sure we could have asked for more from our defense against the reigning Super Bowl champs. Other than maybe getting a pick-6 and flat out winning the game since our offense couldn't score for 3 quarters. Overall, I am happy with the defensive performance. I hope they have finally figured out what they need to do and can play like this in the playoffs.
- I honestly don't even know where to start with our offense. Could we have won this game? Absolutely. Should we have won the game? Based on numbers, yes. We out played the Eagles, and yet we still lost. I understand we are a second half team, but it was like we couldn't get anything going until the last 5 minutes of the game. I think there are 3 plays that will haunt me, and in my mind they all cost us points. In the 1st quarter Allen had the only turnover of the game and fumbled the ball. There is still controversy about if it was actually a fumble or not. I think this is why only one of the Bills' players actually tried to recover the ball. However, the referees had not blown the whistle yet. You keep playing and go after the ball until they do. I know we would have lost a lot of yards, but potentially could have gotten at least 3 points. Then, just when we gain some momentum and our offense is moving the ball well, Allen gets stopped just short of the endzone on a 4th down. Did we not learn our lesson against the Texans? Just take the 3 points. If we had, we would have won. Talk about deja vu. Lastly, the tipped and missed extra point. This is an obvious one. If that was not tipped, we wouldn't have needed to try for a 2-point conversion to win the game. Speaking of going for 2, I've seen a lot of differing opinions on this decision. I personally agree with it. Allen was already limping on the field earlier after a sack. James Cook had to be evaluated in the blue tent the first half. Spencer Brown got gouged in the eye (still unsure how that didn't get a flag). All of the players were tired. Just win or lose the game in that play, and don't risk injuries in OT for a game that doesn't determine that much. Yes, I understand the argument about the East and getting a higher seed. But, I would rather get the 7th seed and play the Patriots with a healthy Buffalo team than get the 5th seed and not have Allen or Cook healthy for the playoffs. I realized I am ranting, so a few final and quick thoughts. Our dropped passes stats...horrible. As in one of the worst in the league. If we don't draft a WR in the first or second round of the draft, I will be unhappy. I understand Kincaid was out, but we have to find ways to win without him. Allen has been sacked 40 times this season, the highest in his career. Last year, he was only sacked 14 times. Finally, Cook had under 100 yards, this always equals a loss.
- I can't believe we are down to the last week of the regular season already. Since NE beat the Jets and with our loss, we will not be winning the East again for the 6th year in a row. I am not that disappointed about this because our chances of winning the East going into week 17 were pretty slim anyway. We currently can still end up anywhere from the 5th to 7th seed depending on what the Texans and Chargers do. The Texans are unable to win the South since the Jaguars beat the Colts. So, assuming we beat the Jets, if the Texans or Chargers lose, we will have the 6th seed. If they both lose, we would then move up to the 5th seed. If they both win, we would remain the 7th seed. The 5th seed would be nice, because if the first round of the playoffs is won by the all the wildcard teams, then the Bills would be at home for the second round. I think it is pretty unlikely that the Texans will lose to the Colts. So, I would predict Buffalo will end up with the 6th seed, which means playing the Jaguars in the first round. If this ends up being our playoff match up, I will discuss my thoughts further next week. There is still so much to be determined in this last week of regular season football!
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, so I wanted to end the month by talking about Pap smears. A Pap smear is when your provider uses a small, brush-like swab to collect cells from the cervix. These cells are sent to a pathologist, who examines them under a microscope to see if they look abnormal. Pap smears are used as a screening tool, with the goal of identifying and treating precancerous cell changes before they turn into cancer. So, cervical cancer prevention! Pap smear guidelines can be a little confusing, but for a healthy person who has a cervix, screening should begin at age 21. How often you need a Pap smear depends on your age and the type of screening test being done (Pap testing, HPV testing, or both). In general, if results are normal, screening is recommended every 3–5 years. So start the new year off right and schedule your well-woman exam to make sure your Pap smear is up to date!
As always, and in the words of our MVP, be good, do good, God bless, and go Bills!
Rachel H. MD
For more information check out ACOG's FAQs about cervical cancer screening: Cervical Cancer Screening | ACOG
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