Archives for January 2013

‘The Jets allowed Pettine’s contract to expire as the two sides came to a mutual agreement to part ways. Pettine felt it was time for him to get out from under coach Rex Ryan’s shadow and prove he could call his own defense. Ryan and Pettine clashed last year over play-calling, according to a source.’

‘”I’m hoping he goes somewhere else,” Ryan said Monday. “Mike and I have been together for over 10 years and he’s a tremendous coach. We had the conversations and right now, Mike thinks it’s best that he goes to a different team as a defensive coordinator and I wish him all the best, unless he goes to Buffalo.”‘

‘Pettine spent four seasons with the Jets as coordinator, where they ranked in the top 10 of the NFL in yards allowed every year. In his first three seasons, the Jets ranked in the top five of that same category. In 2009, Pettine’s first season, the Jets were the top defense in both points and yards allowed.’

‘Hackett, 33, has limited NFL experience. He was a bottom-rung aide on Dick Jauron’s Bills staff in 2008 and 2009 as the offensive quality control coach. He held the same job the previous two years in Tampa Bay.’

‘Keep that in mind with Marrone in charge and trying to find his way. The Bills have been on a road to nowhere for 13 straight seasons. For the fans’ sake, let’s hope he takes the first exit, blows a U-turn and leads them to a Super Bowl. He may very well succeed, but there’s an equal chance he’ll fail.’

‘Legislators plan to invite representatives from the administration of County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz and Buffalo Bills executives to an Economic Development Committee meeting at noon Tuesday. to explain the proposal and answer questions from legislators about its terms.’

‘He’s been with losing programs in desperate straits, so he’s not afraid of the Bills’ history of futility. Check out his last two jobs. He went to New Orleans in 2006 as line coach and offensive coordinator, five months after Katrina, when no one wanted to sign or play with New Orleans, and he saw what an impact a well-built team (with a quarterback) could do to a region. He went to his alma mater, Syracuse, in 2009, and took over a team that had won 10 games in four years. And he won 25 in his four years there.’

‘Agent Bryan Ayrault tweeted late Tuesday night that Nathaniel Hackett has accepted the same position with the Buffalo Bills.’

‘Here are a couple of different looks, without the addition of free agents or rookies and assuming Jairus Byrd is back…’.

‘Unless the pool of available candidates suddenly changes, the Browns and Eagles will regret not hiring Marrone. He’s smart and disciplined, the right man to lead the Bills out of the stone ages; he’s ready to win now. But he needs a quarterback, which leads me to my next prediction: Marrone might not be the only one-time member of the Syracuse Orange football program to help save the Bills’ franchise.’

‘Success for Marrone will come down to how he constructs his coaching staff and, most importantly, picks his quarterback. Marrone will almost certainly sink or swim based on the quarterback the Bills draft this April. Until we see how that choice plays itself out, there is no sense in jumping off the bandwagon just yet.

‘It was clear that Marrone’s initial interview was the best of the bunch and had Buffalo’s brass leaning in his direction from the early goings in the process. “It was a developmental process,” said Brandon. “We had an interview lined up with him. We conducted it and then based on feedback we set up other ensuing conversations to continue the process. From our opening conversation we were so impressed that the spotlight was really on him.”‘

‘”It’s going to take some time for me to know the players and for the players to get to know me. But I’m looking forward to getting together with them and starting that process.”‘