...the thinking ahead was taking the points and going ahead, in a game based on points, to put it in the hands of the marginally better unit that day. I also think the challenge on ball placement taking a TO from us was a move that wound up hurting us. Also, if one of those scrambling plays by Allen had gone for a loss and the defender had wrapped him up, this discussion would be much different, because it could have gone to OT with a tie game. In that situation, the 3 points looms even larger. So there are people considering the actions after decisions the coaching makes.
Yet I agree that this is one of those "unwinnable" arguments, I disagree with some who are saying simply that by questioning taking points, etc. or why coaches do things that some don't understand "modern" football. That's ludicrous. And I hasten to say that football is still largely football. It's still a game based on points. Not how they are scored or prevented, but the fact that the points WERE scored or prevented.
1. Nobody is making decisions based off of "previous plays going differently". If we hadn't scored 6 points in 3 quarters, all of this discussion is moot. But we didn't, and so now it is relevant.
2. I think its debatable whether the defense was marginally better that day. Basically the same time the offense was struggling is the same time the defense was struggling, which is reflective of the fact that 4/5 previous drives were very long drives for points by Buffalo.
The majority of people who take the points want to do so because a) they want to be able to blame the defense for collapsing and losing 27-23, instead of blaming the offense for doing very little for 3 quarters and b) it's basically become racist or taboo to criticize Lamar for literally anything.
The outrage over going for it and failing is also supreme leverage for the "John sucks" crowd, despite the fact that if you ask them how they thought we were going to win that game, you usually get a lot of crickets.
We can talk about the failures of the offense in short-yardage, goal line situations, of which there are now many. But there are equally (if not more) failures on the defense in literally not closing games on end-of-game drives with the lead or in tied games. Going back a few years, that's been a MAJOR problem also.