Joe Brady admits clock-management mistake despite overtime win over Rams

Brady said Buffalo could have taken two knees before Tyler Bass' winning field goal, limiting the Rams' opportunity to answer if the kick missed

Oct 14, 2026 at 1:05 pm ET • 2 min read

In a week dominated by coaching gaffes and clock mismanagement, the victors are trying to learn from their counterparts' mistakes. There were some missteps that went unnoticed, however. Such as one from Joe Brady of the Buffalo Bills. 

Brady's Bills scored a massive, 37-34 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in overtime, but the first-year lead man identified one area where he could have been better. After Buffalo tipped Harrison Mevis' 48-yard field goal attempt in the extra period, the Bills marched 35 yards down the field on five plays and set up Tyler Bass for a game-winning 45-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining on a second-and-10. 

Brady now wishes he had called a couple of kneel-downs to take some time off the clock and cover his bases if Bass happened to miss his kick as Mevis did.

"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 — we knew we were already in line," Brady said. "So it's like, hey, do I just, hey, center the ball and just take two knees? You know, you go back two yards, but you don't give them, you know, they end up worse if you miss. They get 45 seconds to go 20 yards for the field goal. Big difference in two-minute, and the 45-yard field goal and a 47-yard field goal percentages, you should still be good to go.

"So if I had that opportunity again — look, I was conflicted about it. You know, T-Bass was good to go. The conversation we had in the huddle and upstairs was like, 'Let's just go win the game right now.' But to not give them that shot again if we do miss, the best thing would be is to take two knees and say, 'Hey, the 45 and the 47 is not of big difference.' Be a completely different story if the ball was a little further back. I'd be no indecision on taking knees if we were a little closer. We were just in that is a long field goal, we had just missed an extra point, but had the confidence in T-Bass, but that's one I do wish I probably took two knees and then we kick the game winner. And if anything, they'd have 45 seconds and not two minutes."

Running down the clock in overtime is something every NFL team needs to consider -- as long as you don't pull a Washington Commanders and run out the clock on yourself. But something else for NFL teams to consider is remaining aggressive in overtime. The Bills didn't have to kick a 45-yard field goal on second-and-10. They could have continued to gain yardage, run the clock and set up Bass for an easier field goal. 

It would have been pretty embarrassing if Bass, who missed an extra point in the third quarter, had missed his 45-yard field goal on second down and allowed Matthew Stafford to engineer a game-winning drive with 1:50 remaining on the clock.