Archives for January 2015

‘ The Bills wanted Schwartz to stay and Schwartz did speak with Ryan before making up his mind to go elsewhere.’

‘Including playoffs, the 49ers had an overall record of 49-22-1 during Roman’s four seasons with the team-the third best mark in the league over that time span. The 49ers also excelled at protecting the ball under Roman, only committing 66 turnovers from 2011 to 2014 which tied with the New England Patriots for the least in the NFL.’

‘Ryan said, “I have the utmost respect for Jim and what he has been able to accomplish throughout his career and I know he feels the same about me. Jim’s defenses are always tough and ranked near the top of the league standings. I wanted to give Jim the opportunity to pursue other opportunities and so we have terminated his contract. He did a terrific job with the Bills defense this past year and our plan is for our defense to continue to play well and be a dominating force.”‘

‘Prior to joining the 49ers, Roman gained NFL experience as a member of the coaching staffs of the Carolina Panthers (1995-2001), Houston Texans (2002-03) and Baltimore Ravens (2006-07). He also spent two seasons (2009-10) on Jim Harbaugh’s coaching staff at Stanford.’

‘Over the four seasons in which Roman was in charge of San Francisco’s offense the 49ers attack ranks second in total rushing yards (8,912), second in rushing yards per game (139.3), third in rushing attempts (1,965) and third in rushes of 10 yards or more (267). They also rank sixth in yards per carry average (4.54).’

‘But if Schwartz leaves and Ryan switches to his preferred 4-3, well, things will get interesting. That would probably mean defensive end Mario Williams would play standup outside linebacker, and Manny Lawson might play the opposite side in the likely event Jerry Hughes is no longer on the team. That would leave Alonso, Bradham, and Brown to play the two inside spots, and Bradham struggled in that role in 2013.’

‘However, don’t think for a second the media are not looking forward to Rex Ryan. He will be honest with the fans, the media and his players. He will treat the staff with respect. He will get to know the names of as many people in the Buffalo Bills’ organization just as he did with the Jets.’

‘Bagging Ryan, at a reported $5.5 million per year for five seasons, is a coup for new owners Terry and Kim Pegula. At first they seemed in over their heads, running a coaching search by themselves, with Russ Brandon and Doug Whaley as advisers. But they grabbed arguably the most well-regarded candidate, who had suitors in Atlanta and San Francisco but jumped at Buffalo when his top two choices dragged their feet.’

‘What’s certain is, the next few weeks will be fascinating for Bills fans who couldn’t have imagined this scenario the day Buffalo beat the Patriots in Foxboro in the season finale.’

‘So far, Schwartz, who was interviewed for the Bills’ head-coaching job, has yet to draw any interest from NFL teams with head-coaching openings. The Bills denied a request to allow him to interview for the Washington Redskins’ defensive-coordinator position, because that was a lateral move and the Bills were still considering him to become their head coach at the time. The probable scenario, according to the source, is there will be a “mutual parting of ways” between Schwartz and the Bills, freeing him to pursue any coaching job in the league.’

‘Even as it became increasingly clear the 2014 season would be Ryan’s last as the Jets’ coach, his players were squarely in his corner. After a 37-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the season finale, players drenched Ryan with Gatorade.’

‘Whatever the case, we should be treated to a couple of entertaining title games, featuring the four best quarterbacks in the game. I’m sure there will be times when Bills fans shake their heads and say, “Yeah, we got Rex Ryan. But what we really need is one of those.”‘

‘The 49ers ranked fifth in 2011 and 2012, and second in 2013 in percentage of total yards gained on the ground. The figures were 41.1 percent (2011), 43.0 (2012), and 42.5 (2013). In 2013, only the Bills ranked higher as they led the NFL with 42.6 percent of their total offense coming via the ground game. San Francisco’s 6,736 combined rushing yards were the second-highest three-year total in franchise history.’

‘I like that Ryan is tough-minded and has thick skin, unlike Marrone and Mike Mularkey. When it comes to dealing with fan and media criticism, Ryan, whose coach/father Buddy also made a headline or two, knows the deal: It comes with the territory. Compared to the New York market, western New York is a teething puppy gumming your fingers, not a pit bull tearing into your flesh.’

‘Thurman has been described at Ryan’s right-hand man. They spent six years together with the Jets. Thurman was Ryan’s defensive backs coach for four years and defensive coordinator for the last two.’