GunnerBill

He has always been a homer. I actually think he does know more about football than any of the other guys on GR, not hard, but he starts every discussion trying to prove the organisation right. I'm still not over "don't worry about not improving the receiving room because we have got 'pass catchers' like James Cook (as a rookie) and OJ Howard (didn't make the team)."

The reason the 2nd down blitz worked was because the Bills almost never send an all out blitz like that. It was a good call. To give Russ a look at it and then call the very next blitz the very next down was just bad coaching. That scenario was ideal to run a simulated pressure, rush 4 but drop a lineman out and bring a backer or a corner as the 4th guy.

Has there been a lot of coaches fired under his regime? I mean at one point they had the most continuity - Head Coach, DC and OC in the entire league. This coaching staff has not had a ton of turnover. I would guess actually for a guy that has been here as long as McDermott has they are under the average in terms of firings. From the 2017 staff 3 guys were fired, 1 retired, the rest retained. From the 2018 staff 5 were fired, the rest retained. From the 2019 staff 0 firings, 1 guy left of own accord, otherwise entire staff retained. From the 2020 staff 0 firings, entire staff retained. From the 2021 staff 1 firing, 3 departures to the Giants, 1 retired, rest retained. From the 2022 staff 1 firing, 2 guys left of own accord. In terms of actual firings, even including Dorsey, it is 11 in 6 and a half years. Less than 2 a year. Even if we include the three who left of their own accord (Bill Teerlink, Chad Hall and Leslie Frazier) all of whom it is safe to assume left because of some level of disquiet with the Head Coach over scheme or performance 14 in 6 and a half years would remain well below the average I would think.

I agree with the premise. I disagree with the reason. I don't think you can coach someone's personality out of them. You can coach someone's play but it isn't his play. It is his whole psyche - that comes from within. I repeat what I have said elsewhere. I suspect what is causing this is not related to football.

Agreed. Totally reactionary. This place would fire or cut someone every week. On the question, it is a good one. We know that the Pegulas were integral in the last OC change we made in-season when they fired Greg Roman two weeks into 2016 - after he had taken the offense from 26th to 13th in his one year in charge. They met with players and then Rex and the upshot was Roman was out. I don't rule out that Terry involved himself again but I suspect ultimately McDermott with counsel from Beane is the right answer.

The 2016 Miami game which it would have taken a moron at Head Coach to lose. Luckily for the Fins, Pegula had hired Rex Ryan. Luckily for Buffalo it was the final straw and he fired Rex Ryan after that game.

And in both GWDs stupid blitzes hurt us. I was to take McDermott's playbook and rip the blitz pages out. Because they suck.

Possibly he would. But that wouldn't have made that right. I think it was a question of when, not if.

Yep. Awful call.

Yes. They were both replaced by downgrades.

I don't know. I am leaning towards no. In part because this is an old roster and I am at the stage where I don't think we can win with it. So why bother keeping a Head Coach and General Manager who at best would be in the last chance saloon for the start of a reload / mini-rebuild? On McDermott specifically I also think the DC / HC jobshare has been a failure. He is not doing either job as well as he is capable of as a result. And I just don't see him swallowing his pride and giving the play calling up. I will however repeat I remain sceptical of the view that swap out coaching and everything is rosey. I think the Bills have roster issues and Quarterback who is struggling mentally. I think fresh leadership could trigger a reset. But it is absolutely not a given.

Yep. No team installs an entire new playbook at week 11. I'd be interested to see at the bye whether they tweak some stuff but again it isn't going to be wholesale changes. Just a different guy looking at the call sheet and deciding on the play. We did see when Lynn took over for Roman though that it can lead to an uptick. Because no two people see the way to attack a certain defense exactly the same. I think one of Dorsey's problems this year has been finding a balance with the run game. And I don't mean overall run:pass ratios I mean he has drives where we only run and then drives where we only drop back. I am not sure he has found a flow to his playcalling.

Yep. Ken Dorsey has no excuses. But his buddy Josh Allen has some culpability in his firing. Without doubt.

It had to happen. The DC should step down too. I am fine McDermott coaching out the season as a Head Coach and taking a view then, I feel he probably deserves that. But he should swallow his pride on the DC thing. It hasn't worked. He should hand over playcalling.

I hope you are right. I suspect there is more to it. Like I say, he has been odd all year. Off the field as well.

Twice. The second one was Josh Allen fumble. He dropped it before it even got to Cook.

I am not going to speculate on exactly what might be going on in a public forum. I don't think that is fair to anyone. None of us know. But his pressers and his body language are really concerning. And I don't mean "he might not be playing at his maximum as a Quarterback" concerning I mean on a human level I am concerned for him. He has said some weird ***** in pressers and he looks so vacant on the field. I think it probably isn't football related.

Agree with the bolded. I don't think that is to do with his offseason practice schedule though.

Terrible call. All year he has called blitzes too often and in bad situations. All night we had been stopping the Broncos on 3rd down playing coverage. Suddenly in the 4th Quarter Sean wants to blitz them. Idiotic. Put me in the camp who would not have been saying "should have blitzed." Was a horrible call.

Most of those teams were worse to watch and most of those coaches sucked. The Gailey teams were fun to watch and the Marrone teams were too because even though the offense was mainly terrible they competed their ass off each and every week. I couldn't watch another minute of the Rex Ryan teams... but there are lots of moments this year when I have been reminded of them. Indisciplined stupid penalties as inopprtune moments, a Head Coach calling defense and in particular calling stupid blitzes at the most unnecessary moments, and then tonight not getting the right number of people on the field in ciritical situations (which to me is linked to a HC with his head in a call sheet and not doing what his job is). This season has echoes of 2016 IMO.

Yea I don't. I am not even sure it is football related. I think it is Josh Allen related. I hope, sincerely, I am wrong and that they can re-boot him with new energy and voice around him. But his behaviour all season has been odd to say the least. His press conferences and his body language actually concern me as much if not more than his play. I agree that Josh Allen has disappeared. But I don't think it is because the coaches have told him to stop being that guy. I don't think he is able to be that guy anymore because he can't get himself into that head space.

I think at the moment coaching is a problem. I don't think McDermott is doing a good job as DC. I don't think Dorsey is doing a good job as OC. And the mistake at the end of that game tonight is inexcusable and comes down to coaching (I actually think McDermott being the DC has made him a poorer gameday Head Coach). That doesn't mean I will re-litigate people trying to find issues where I genuinely don't think the existed previously. I won't. I didn't think you were right then. I still don't think you were right then. But coaching has been a much bigger issue this year. And now... the caveat.... it isn't the biggest issue on this team. The Quarterback has regressed, the offensive talent around him still isn't good enough (despite the fact I like both Cook and Kincaid) and they are beaten up on defense. But I make tonight and New England two games this year where major coaching blunders have probably cost us wins. And that is the difference between being 7-3 and 5-5. Personally I'd blow it up after the season at this point. The front office, the coaching staff and the roster. They have to try anything they can to reset Josh Allen. But I seriously fear there are demons in Josh's head that go beyond the Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. You just gotta hope that new voices, new ideas can inject a bit of spark back into him and the team. McDermott had a chance after the New England game IMO to give up playcalling and concentrate on saving the season. He didn't do it.

Yep. That is 100% on coaching. And ultimately he is the Head Coach. He is accountable. Honestly at this point they should blow the whole thing up. And they should eat dead money next year. And they should try and clear the cap and give a new regime a pass next year.

12 men on defense. Jesus Christ.

Missed it but a flag.