What a Tuel

If one did, I wouldn't want them anyway. They should believe they can come in and make it a winning environment I remember last year when playing the AFC North and the NFC West in 2016 was going to be brutal. Ended up doing ok at 5-3. .

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000765376/article/doug-martin-stepping-away-from-team-for-personal-reasons Doug Martin is stepping away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take care of personal issues, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per a source informed of the situation. The starting running back was a healthy scratch in last week's loss to the Saints that all but dashed the Bucs' playoff hopes. Koetter told reporters Monday that the decision to bench Martin was tied to "trying to put the Bucs in the best position to win games." Update: Suspended 4 games: I was notified last week of a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy. My initial instinct was to appeal the suspension and finish the season with my teammates. However, after numerous discussions with people close to me -- including Coach (Dirk) Koetter -- I am starting the suspension immediately so I can enter a treatment facility and receive the help I truly need. On the field, I must be strong and determined to push through both pain and injuries to become an elite NFL running back. Off the field, I have tried that same approach in my personal life. My shortcomings in this area have taught me both that I cannot win these personal battles alone and that there is no shame in asking for help. I sincerely apologize to the Glazer family, General Manager Jason Licht and the entire Tampa Bay organization, my teammates and our tremendous fans. This was not the season I envisioned and I have let everyone down, including myself. However, adversity yields opportunity and I ask for your support in my battle to overcome these personal issues.

Noooooooo.

To be honest, I don't think any HC candidate takes a job based on how they will be fired. If other coaches don't think Rex got enough time to do his thing, that may have an impact, but the difference between week 16 and 17 is negligible when taking a job in my opinion. Not to mention, I think he made a stand on Tyrod and his right to make game time player decisions, and they let him do it. When they lost to the fish, Pegula and Whaley got together and the decision was made to fire Rex. They probably figured we are out of the playoffs, we can't start Tyrod, so we should let Rex go now if he won't sit Tyrod against the Jets.

These decisions aren't made in a vacuum. Those 2 years held substance and were very relavent to the decision Pegula made. Just like with Rex. If we lost because our offense was god awful and we just needed a QB, then Rex is still here. But no, we aren't in the playoffs mostly because the defense allowed 3 200 yard rushing games which is the one thing we should have had down pat. Our defense. On top of that the decisions in the last game were worthy of firing such as punting in OT. The conspirator in me thinks Rex wanted the defense to make a stand and be the reason we won that game - there is no other valid reason to punt at that point. Either way, everything that happened this year contributed to the decision the Pegula's made.

Pretty sure the Pegula's themselves denied such an ultimatum. It's your choice to believe an anonymous source over them.

Honestly, I don't think there was a leak. I think the media often puts their own preconceived notions out there on what they think is going to happen, and then attach a "as per anonymous source" at the end. There was always speculation about Rex being fired when it started looking like we weren't making the playoffs. The media acts like they only went off on Rex because of this supposed "leak" but they would've done it either way.

That's a pretty narrow view to look at the games and say there is a chasm in the talent of the team. It really isn't "you either win or you don't" To illustrate: The Steelers are 2-3 against teams .500 or better The Steelers are 8-2 against teams under .500

I think the media is a joke, so I don't give much appreciation to what they are saying about anything.

A chasm? Really? We went into Seattle and played a fantastic game. Is Seattle less of a team then? They surely didn't blow us away like good teams do to bad teams, amiright? We were up 15 points against the 12-3 Oakland Raiders in the 3rd quarter, and then proceeded to blow it defensively. Baltimore was a close game. Miami were both close games. There were only 2 games that weren't even close this year. Patriots 2, and the Steelers. I'm starting to get the feeling you guys think the good teams never have close games? They just blow every team out each week.

Unfortunately I was 3-6 years old during the Super Bowl years, and so I hardly remember it. I root for them because they are my team without fail. There is no going back, there is no second guessing, this is the team. I feel bad for my nephew who is in a worse position of history than you or I. Born in 2000, he has never seen the Bills make the playoffs, and yet he is still a fan. It's in our blood. This poem that Marv Levy showed to players comes to mind: "Fight on, my men,” Sir Andrew Said “A little I’m hurt but not yet slain. I’ll just lie down and bleed a while, And then I’ll rise and Fight again." One day we will make it back.

Some people need to see someone with a C on their shoulder, and maybe be held accountable to on a peer to peer level.

It doesn't sound like he was yelling at the kid to me. It sounds like he was being an eccentric radio personality. I don't ever listen to his show, but geez is this really a thing? We really going to get mad at John Murphy for talking loudly about how he thinks the problem should be fixed? I also think I'd be exasperated if people kept wanting to fire Whaley for drafting EJ. I thought drafting QB's was what we want to do? Oh, we only want the HOF ones, got it.

This is the only scenario I can see Brandon interfering in and all of the hate for him on this hire alone may be warranted. He would be foaming at the mouth for the publicity of Rex Ryan and I believe set a season ticket holder record as a result. It sounds to me like they had someone else in mind before Rex interviewed, and Rex's personality won the Pegula's over with Brandon nudging the thing. The whole publicity nonsense about Whaley saying this or that about liking Rex should be taken with a grain of salt. He is absolutely not going to say he is lukewarm about the new coach hire, and again they are selling a product. There are enough rumors out there about Whaley being unhappy with the hire, and power clashes with Rex for this stuff to be just him showing public support for the guy they chose. At a certain point you either have to make a stand that you disagree, or get in line. He got in line.

With your scenario it would be more like buying a lottery ticket and saying you have no chance to win. You have been eliminated from the lottery even though you have a ticket in your hand. Edit and just to clarify, no one denies the chances were slim, but it is looking like things fell our way Week 16. So we would still be in playoff contention in Week 17. Far from being eliminated after the Steelers loss.

It is hilarious to see the media lay the groundwork for the villain they get to write about for the next 2 years now. Rex left a hole in their agenda, so now they are going to turn Whaley into the reason, even though they have squarely blamed Rex from the get go.

There was a point to the mocking. We were still in it. Like I said earlier some of you were saying we were out back when we lost to Seattle. Just because we ended up not making the playoffs doesn't make you right. I mean the argument reversed would be us claiming the Bills would make the playoffs after a win over the Steelers. No, we still had 3 more games to play. If we made the playoffs we weren't "dead on right". It is speculative, not factual interpretation. Your speculations turned out right. You were never factually assured to be right. Miami is a fantastic example of this because by all accounts they are an awful team that beat us twice and the Jets twice, and had the ball bounce the right way in a few other games.

No way we lose to the jets sunday. Its about as likely as losing to the Browns was.

Am I the only one who would've been mad had they actually called the timeout to ice the kicker? The guy was running onto the field to make the damn thing, The idea of calling a timeout when the Dolphins were making what usually would be a pretty bad mistake would've been called idiotic on Rex's part too had he gotten the timeout, and Franks misses it. Then it doesn't count cause of the timeout, lines up with time granted by Rex and makes the 2nd try. I honestly don't think Rex really wanted that timeout til after the kick. Corey White on the other hand, I don't know why they didn't see him.

Pffft, experts? Half of TBD had us out after the Seattle loss. Maybe the Patriots. Remember the crappy "wah its november and we haven't clinched the playoffs" threads?

Even if it did, it was a bad call. Awful. At least give it to Shady or Gillislee in that situation.

You had one job Carpenter. Their kicker made a 55 yarder under pressure. WTF.

Thank you, that explains it a bit better. I start to try to piece it together and add the numbers up, but I just finished school finally and am shot right now with this kind of thinking haha.

I just ask him to be accurate and honest. Too much to ask? I guess so when you are pushing a political agenda. He reminds me of that douchy guy that ignores facts and opposing arguments and just says "I just don't understand what is wrong with standing against injustices" over and over again. Everyone knows that guy,

Ej wasn't Whaley's pick, but even if it was, I thought we are supposed to play the QB lottery? Watkins is an elite WR. Can't wait until I see him with a good QB throwing to him on the Bills or elsewhere. He has talent. (PS second 1st round pick was #19) Lawson? We holding this 6 games against Whaley still? We will see what Lawson has in the near future. I love how Tyrod was Rex's idea but you skimmed over that. I love how the defense is "doing its job" except the last 4 losses (Steelers, Raiders, Patriots, Dolphins) in which they allowed 2 200 yard rushing games, a blow out to the Pats, and allowed 29 unanswered points when we had a 15 point lead against the raiders, and that's our playoff hopes. I do know that a stretch of games like that gets head coaches fired more often than not. I'm not sure if Rex deserves one more year or not, but give me a damn break, Whaley is not the problem.