Nihilarian

The biggest problem with this team this years wasn't just the injuries, and it wasn't any single player's bad attitude. Just look at the stats from last year to this year to see the biggest failing in the entire team and it has NOTHING to do with the offense! In fact, the offense has been the bright spot of this year's team. The biggest difference was that sacks total in going from #1 last year and #2 the year before to number 31st now!!! To manage to do this with three pro bowlers on the line was quite a feat indeed! Not to mention Jerry Hughes is also an elite top pass rusher who was also neutered like the other three. From #4 overall to #20 is pretty bad too. One of the alternates to the pro bowl in Marcel Dareus this year has been complaining since training camp that the players are being improperly used in Rex Ryan's defensive scheme and he has been right all along. Threads like this keep popping up to defend the very worst head coach since Hank Bullough, and the very same fans keep popping up to defend him.

I have a different opinion and here it goes. It is my belief that Russ Brandon has had great influence over these new owners and because they knew the last owner trusted him to run the entire team, that they would also for a time. Brandon probably pitched that he and Whaley have a grand plan working and to please let them see it through. There was the initial contact between the Pegula's and Bill Polian and it was Polian who backed out so I'd have to think at that point they gave into Brandon"s-Whaley's grand plan. If you go back and read through this thread you would find that when interviewing Rex Ryan for the head coaching job Russ Brandon had stated to the Pegula's "don't let him leave the room" in referring to Rex Ryan. And another poster mentioned that Doug Whaley had a great influence in pushing hard for Ryan to be hired. In any event, I highly doubt these new owners thought that they themselves had the football acumen to hire a new head coach even though Russ Brandon told them they would know who to hire after they talked with him. Now after seeing their team fail with so much talent I have to believe that some major changes are going to happen in the Bills front office, and with the coaches. JMO

I agree with this and three good players on a line doesn't make it great by any means. I also want to add that the Bills receiver corps really isn't as great as the fans think it is. The Bills still lacking that big WR target like a Mike Evans, Brandon Marshall, and past the #1, the rest are not so good IMO. Tyrod did well in his first year of starting in an offense purposely limited by design in the passing game. I also feel the offense would have been helped greatly this year with even a top 15 defense and one that did better than 30th in sacks. A better defense gives the offense more opportunities / chances with the ball rather than the long drives from opponenets that ensued this year. .

I for one don't understand the criticism of the greatest GM this franchise has ever seen and he is arguably the best GM of the 80's-90's-2000's in building not one, not two, but three super bowl contending teams very quickly. In Buffalo after a 2-14 season Polian promoted to GM in Dec 30th 1985, fired HC Hank Bullough during the 86 season and replaced him with Marv Levy and went 4-12 the year he took over. 7-8 the next year, and went to the AFC Championship game with a 12-4 record in three short years. Fired after the 1993 season in Buffalo. Was hired in 1995 to be the GM of the Carolina Panthers expansion team. 7-9 their first season and went to the NFC conference Chamionship 12-4 their second year. He drafted Kerry Collins #5 overall who eventually went to a SB with the NY Giants. Two years to build a near chamionship team out of nothing. After a 3-13 in the 1997 season the Colts hired Polian to be GM and the Colts went 3-13 in his first year as GM, and then went 13-3 in his second year. Two years to make the playoffs and 11 of 13 years his Colts were in the playoffs. It is my belief he tanked the 2011 season by not obtaining a veteran QB until two weeks before the season started in an effort to obtain QB Andrew Luck in the draft. It cost him his job as team president. There is a real reason the man is one of the few FO people in the pro football hall of fame. There is no doubt in my mind Bill Polian would give these new owners some excellent advice on how to build a super bowl champion team in Buffalo and quickly. Dunno about the rest of you guys, but I'm ready for that!

True enough. The Bills won the game 16-6 mostly because they faced a total scrub in Dallas QB Kellen Moore and a guy who was playing in his second start of his NFL career. This after being promoted from the Dallas practice squad Dec 2nd, 2015. Compare the stats. Kellen Moore 13 of 31 for 186, 0 TD, one INT. vs Tyrod Taylor 13 of 18 for 179, 0 TD, one INT. The bigger difference in Moore rushing for 1 attempt for -1 yards vs Taylor with 14 attempts for 47 yards. The really ironically funny thing is Brandon Weeden is 2-0 as the Texans QB after the Cowboys dumped him. Then the Bills had nearly double the net rushing yards 121 vs 236 in this game. So, the real question is why did the Clownboys keep asking the inexperienced QB to throw it up 31 times and only run the ball 25 times? Jerry Jones should fire his head coach Jason Garrett and then fire his own arse as GM. Anyway, I'm a Tyrod Taylor fan, but I also realize this young man has a lot of developing to do before naming him the "franchise" QB. Taylor did well in his first year as an NFL starting QB. As others have put it Taylor still has a bunch of holes in his game he needs to correct, and there is still the issue of his size and durability. Fans that throw out QB ratings need to remember that Greg Roman has built a run first offense that limits the amount of passing the QB does and has him throw mostly the safer passes to the single covered receivers. Taylor has yet to throw for 300 yards this season or lead big comebacks by throwing more then 30 passes successfully in a game. I'm rooting for the guy to be the next Russell Wilson, and take the Bills to the playoffs.

I'm of the very same opinion and for the life of me, I don't get the Bills fans still defending this clown of a coach or what he managed to do to a top defense. I don't know about the rest of the fan base, but I took solace with this team being #2 in sacks in 2013, #1 in sacks in 2014, and #4 overall in defense despite not making the playoffs. Bills fans still blaming it on injuries or the players lack of effort, and it's far more than anything like that. Rex Ryan and his clown car defense in a tragic comedy of errors. It's not just about the D-linemen dropping into pass coverage either as it's also about asking the players to control the gaps over rushing the passer. It's also about the extreme lack of blitzing going from Ryan's past schemes of up to 54% of the defensive snaps blitzing to an almost non-existent 9.5 % blitzing in some games this year. It's also about a clear lack of defensive line player rotation vs what Schwartz did last year. It's also about the players not knowing their assignments and being out of position. Guys running around and not set when the ball is snapped. It's also about the players themselves going public to complain about how they are being utilized. That #3 overall has been complaining about it since training camp. Preston Brown stating that even the slowest offenses have been hurrying to the line this season because they know the Bills have issues with the play calls coming in late The clear lack of discipline as the team accrues penalties like crazy in some games and in all three areas of the team. This is unforgivable in my view to take a defense loaded with this much talent and then outright ruin it because the players don't fit the scheme the HC wants to run. This with the addition a rookie at corner who will probably be the DRotY. I have a difficult time believing that Rex Ryan somehow survives this season in Buffalo. I know the very last thing I want to see is this team retooling a defense that the team spent the last few years building. Rex Ryan turned three pro bowlers into average, sub-average players.

I don't think it's that complicated at all. The #4 Bills defense from last year is now a horrendous #20th under Rex Ryan the defensive genius and that defense that was # NUMBER ONE in sacks is now 30th!!! The current Buffalo Bills team has not been a stable team in any regard all year and have been beset with a clear lack of team discipline at times. So many penalties this year. So many mistakes with game management, flag management late defensive calls. Players are not knowing, understanding their respective responsibilities and that's just for the defense. This entire team is pretty much a mess this year, and because of the HC hire. The NY Jets owner fired the GM & HC after a 4-12 season, and then hired some experienced NFL advisers to guide the owner as to who to hire. Charley Casserly & Ron Wolf. Those men advised the new owner to hire GM Former Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan as GM, and from there hired new HC Todd Bowles. These new men set out to acquire the players, and assistant coaches needed to build a winning team, and they did just that in one short year. The NY Jets are #5 in total defense and are #12 in total offense. What Bills fan wouldn't want their team to be 10-5 right now on the verge of the playoffs even with Fitz at QB. I know I would! The Jets also just beat the Patriots something Ryan couldn't get done. Would anyone here care to think that any NY Jets fan isn't happy that Rex Ryan is gone from their team or unhappy he is now the HC in Buffalo? Buffalo Bills now heading to 16 years of no playoffs, and two years in that time at 9-7.

Where do you get the idea that I'm mad about anything? Frustrated yes, mad no. All I have to offer is my opinion here in this forum on the Bills situation to other Bills fans and they can take it or leave it as they wish. I'm not paid by the team or any individual who works for the team either. Oddly enough two of those players were brought in this offseason at the behest of the new HC, and not the GM. That new HC also wanted two linebackers, and an OG that somehow were not acquired. I've seen enough of Kraig Urbik to see that he is marginal as even a backup player. Now it might be because he has played his seasons in Buffalo with injuries unbeknown to us fans, who knows. All I do know is there is better talent out there, and Rex Ryan tried to acquire it in La'el Collins last offseason. If that would have happened I'd have no problem with Miller as the backup. Miller might not have looked so bad to me this year had the team a better player at RT. Sort of the same way Glenn and Wood looked better with Incognito at LG.

Bills fans just can't seem to get the hate out of their systems for the players on the failed teams they played for in Buffalo. Fitz still might not be 10-5 good in Buffalo simply because of the failure to build a decent offensive line to protect him. The Bills have a running QB that finds ways to escape the rush by runningOr build a decent receiver corps to have him throw to. My thoughts go back to the days after drafting Sammy Watkins and the FO saying they still need to find that "big" red zone WR target. A great deal of Ironies in the facts that the jets were 4-12 under Ryan last year and are now 10-5 with a new HC. Chan Gailey as the Jets OC and noodle arm Fitz as the QB.

There really is no argument anyone can make that can sway me from the opinion that Whaley has had three years to build an offensive line, find a QB and he failed at both. The only bright spots on the team in those areas were brought in by the new HC. I'm not convinced that because the Bills have a running QB that suddenly the right side of the line is good. If the Bills had a conventional pocket QB starting this year that line would be exposed. The right side of the line is still a disaster. Urbik can pass block, but stinks at run blocking. Miller can run block but stinks at pass blocking. There are better starting RG's to be had as a starter and backup then those two. At RT both Henderson and Kounandjio stink, pure and simple. Both should be replaced, and not by Mills. I don't even want to think of what this year's team would look like without Incognito or Tyrod Taylor, and the team might just lose LT Cordy Glenn, and LG Richie Incognito this offseason. If that happens what a mess this team will look like then. I just want to see the Bills make the playoffs, and SOON! I don't see that with Doug Whaley calling the shots, making all the decisions. If Rex Ryan was really his choice for HC then there is just another reason to get someone above him to make the final decisions.

I think the reason for this is because the Bills just beat a bad 4-11 Dallas Clownboy team with Kellen Moore at QB. If Dallas had been able to score more points it might not have even been a win. it is difficult to believe this same franchise led the league in sacks last year and was #2 in 2013. Buffalo Bills fans deserve better than this 7-8 mess. Meanwhile, Rex Ryan's 4-12 team from last year just beat the New England Patriots 26-20 with Noodle arm Fitz, Chan Gailey as OC and are now 10-5.

The averages of what other teams do are really irrelevant when you just consider just the Buffalo offensive line and QB positions. and the abject failure that has ensued. LG Andy Levitre was let walk in free agency in the 2013 offseason. The same offseason that Doug Whaley took over as GM. His replacements were Chris Williams, Doug Legurski, Colin Brown, Samy Young, and Kraig Urbik. Then RG Erik Pears, Miller, and Urbik this year. Then RT In Henderson, Kounandjio, and Mills off the street. Five players in attempting to replace one player at one position, and now finally the position is solidified by someone the HC vouched for and asked to be brought in.That's six players and the end result was not even the GM's choice. Erik Pears was horrible at RT so the team moves him to RG and the team ends up suffering at both positions. The team drafts two RT's, and an RG while none of them look to be good enough to be long term starters. Now look at the QB position since 2013 EJ, Jeff Tuel, Thad Lewis. Kyle Orton a one-year stop gap. Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor who the HC asked for or the team has Cassel and EJ as starters this year. Five bad players out of six and then the one good one weren't even this GM's idea. The trades for RB Bryce Brown, WR Mike Williams were abject failures. Stuff like all this is hard for me to ignore, and blindly love a guy when he made a trade for Jerry Hughes that the Colts asked for or that he brought in McCoy, Clay because he couldn't find that elite talent in the draft. Whaley has had three years so far. Meanwhile, the Jets just beat the Patriots and are 10-5 with noodle arm Fitz at QB, Chan Gailey as OC and did this with a team that was just 4-12 with Rex Ryan last year.

and yet it was Brandon who said "don't let him leave the room". Doesn't this make you want to make sure that Brandon stays on the financial side and Whaley gets some help? While I agree with that to an extent I also believe that Whaley has issues with finding the talent in offensive players and most notably for the offensive line. Chris Williams, Doug Legurski, Colin Brown. Then draft picks in Henderson, Miller, Kouandjio. what does it say about the starting RT when a guy off the street players better than both the starter and backup. Last year the RG situation was so bad that the team started Erik Pears at RG. Like I said Incognito was all Rex Ryan who vouched for him, and if they don't sign him this years line is as bad as last years, which was 30th bad in the league. RB's are supposedly a dime a dozen in today's NFL, and yet this team needed to buy a RB for 6 mill per. Two firsts, and a fouth for a WR when the team could have stayed put and drafted an equally good WR while still having that 2015 first round pick. Ron Darby was a second rounder and just imagine the LBer the team could have gotten with that first. Overpaying for an RB & TE because the team can't find them in the draft. Then there is the QB situation... IMO Doug Whaley has failed big time on the offensive side of the ball since becoming GM of the Buffalo Bills.

I can envision a situation that would let the new owners hire a team president of football operations, and still keep Whaley. This move would ensure that Russ Brandon never again says "don't let him leave the room", and that the GM isn't trading away two first rounders for a supporting player when he doesn't already have an established franchise QB. Whaley is a young GM and has made his share of mistakes while also doing some good things. I can see him needing some NFL experienced guidance in running a team. There are other NFL teams out there with both a GM and team president of football operations.

I find it very difficult to believe that the GM & HC are in any kind of lockstep if the team didn't make any effort to bring in the players that Rex Ryan needed to properly run his defense. Defenses are usually the first part of the team to gel in training camp and if anyone in the FO has an actual brain it should have been easy to recognize that the defense was going to have difficulties this season. I know Ryan didn't get the two linebackers he wanted before the season started, and of those two players, they could have made a big difference if one could have been calling the defensive signals. I also think of Rex Ryan flying down south to wine and dine, OG La'el Collins who Ryan recognized would have had a tremendous impact for the line this season. I watched him pancake player after player for the Clownboys this year and we get to see him up close this Sunday. I know he chose to sign with Dallas but we don't know what Buffalo offered.

This stuff changes from week to week. I for one just don't get all the fan love for a man who has made a bunch of mistakes during his time as GM. Who actually drafted EJ? The guy that went and personally scouted him was Whaley. Bryce Brown for a fourth. Mike Williams replacing Stevie Johnson because Stevie didn't mesh well with EJ who as to be benched after three games and Kyle Orton could have used that always open WR. Replacing Andy Levitre with Chris Williams for 5.5 in guaranteed money! Doug Legurski, Colin Brown all = Rex Ryan vouched for Richie Incognito. Whaley didn't sign Richie Incognito on his own either as he could have signed him for the 2014 season and didn't. That offensive line which has never been properly upgraded in the entire time Whaley has been GM is headed for some serious changes this offseason if the team fails to sign Glenn, Incognito. The right side still has serious issues with the players Whaley obtained. Henderson, Kounandjio, Miller, Urbik all stink in their own way. Just think what that line would look like again this season without Incognito in probably battling for near worst again this year. Another serious fault with Whaley is his choice for QB in EJ as It was all Rex Ryan who wanted Tyrod Taylor for QB! Taylor has been such a bright spot for the offense this year he is also pro bowl alternate and so is Richie Incognito. Rex Ryan also wanted to sign certain linebackers in the offseason this year, and Whaley didn't get that done. Bill Polian wants the Bills to get rid of EJ, and I doubt Whaley would let that happen. Some say Whaley wants to fire Greg Roman. Is there a rift between the current HC & GM like there was last year between Marrone and others say there is no rift. http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-rumors/2015/12/20/10629580/doug-whaley-butting-heads-with-buffalo-bills-coaches-per-report http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-rumors/2015/12/27/10669238/doug-whaley-not-on-the-hot-seat-per-report?_ga=1.179569380.1389375532.1449156100 What we heard earlier was that the Pegula's was to hire a senior NFL adviser / czar and Whaley would be taking a back seat to whomever that is. If this is true then Whaley may or may not choose to stay in Buffalo. The only people that really know what will happen after the season ends are the new owners and I hope they hire a brilliant team president of football operations. Then step back and let him make all the football decisions.

That one player who made the pro bowl is because people take more notice of the players on winning teams. Buffalo Bills fans above all should know this fact. The undefeated Carolina Panthers have 10 players going to the PB QB- rookie RB-super star- pro bowl WR 1 Star- needs to be more involved in the offense WR 2 NEED WR 3 average WR 4 average WR 5 below average LT average LG star- should have made pro bowl C average RG- sub par- NEED RT- sub par NEED TE- Star- needs to stay healthy and to be more involved in the offense. LDE star DT star DT superstar RDE star SLB- average MLB-sub par NEED WLB- average LCB Star S- NEED S-Star RCB- star Linebacker-Safety-RT-RG-#2 WR needs, and more for that line if the team lets LT Glenn, LG Incognito walk . JMO

It's neither IMO, as the players are seriously trying to run Rex Ryan's scheme its just that, 1.) it doesn't fit the personnel on the roster. 2.) they have nobody really capable of calling it on the field. 3.) there are far more problems with this years team than just the players were not adapting to the scheme. Play calls coming in late Corey Graham: We're all over the place, we"re all over the place. We don't know what's going on half the time. Poor Rex, damn if he does call a blitz, damned if he doesn't. Next 3rd down, sends the house, nobody covers the out I don't mind the 3 man rush on 3rd and 16, what I mind is guys just not being aware of what is going on around them Preston Brown says even the slowest offenses have been hurrying to line this season because they know Bills defense has issues w/ play calls--They've been doing that since week 2!!!! Horrifying coaching. You always see this... guys running around, not set, when the ball is snapped https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass At first, I thought that perhaps Rex Ryan was simply trying really hard to get Doug Whaley fired so he could have more power and control over the player acquisitions. Now I'm convinced that this year's HC & defensive staff is on par with Hank Bullough and one of the very worst coaching staffs I can remember, save Greg Roman. At least, Roman is attempting to run what Ryan wants him to run in building a solid run game each week, and developing a young QB by limiting his passing. Plus the fact that Rex Ryan or Dennis Thurman are simply not calling enough blitzes this year, or even coming close to the amount of Blitzes that Ryan would run in the past. From 35% last year to less than 10% this year, and in the one game the defense actually got pressure on 50% of the drop backs they were very effective.

This reminds me of Buc's & Raiders HC Jon Gruden and his 2-foot thick offensive playbook that he wanted every QB on his team to learn every play of it. So at some point in a game, he can call some obscure play that nobody else on either side of the ball knows what it does. Probably why Gruden only had success with 9-year vet QB Brad Johnson, and 14-year vet QB Rich Gannon. Anyway, this really explains a lot about why the Bills players are having so much trouble learning Rex's overly complex scheme. It still doesn't explain all the other faults with the team this year.

3 http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story/0ap3000000448746/article/2015-pro-bowl-complete-roster

Doug Marrone hired a brilliant man to run his defense, and I can't think of another DC who could have gotten more out of the players that year than Schwartz. Marrone's problem was he just was overly loyal to his crappy OC in Nathaniel Hackett. Now imagine if Marrone & Schwartz had stayed, and fired Hackett while hiring Greg Roman. This 2015 years team would have been entirely different in almost every way. Plus, don't forget that Marrone also was having trouble with Whaley. Let's also not forget that even though Bills fans can't stand them, Dick Jauron, Chan Gailey was also very highly thought of around the league. Bill Polian didn't turn down the Bills czar job just because Marrone walked away, and probably gave Polian an earful on Whaley, and Russ Brandon's influence over Terry Pegula on his way out. That influence is probably gone now. Besides Kyle Orton retiring was another reason Polian didn't take the job, and probably because Whaley wanted EJ to start. Things have significantly changed since last offseason and Pegula is searching for answers from people that actually know what they are doing in the NFL. Polian would be that man!

This is great news to hear and the one man that Pegula should listen to about building a winning team above everyone else is Bill Polian! I agree with everything he has to say on the team, and would so love to have him as a senior adviser to the team. Pegula is brilliant for listening to him. I was wondering who the adviser was that it stated in the news that Terry Pegula was talking to someone. He loves the Buffalo Bills and the Bills fans and only wants to see a winning team in Buffalo again. Gotta love the guy for that

From what I've read Black Monday won't happen in Buffalo right away. These new owners have been talking to an adviser, and he has advised them to hire someone above Whaley to make the football operations decisions. Meaning that Rex Ryan's, Doug Whaley's fate will be in his hands, whomever that might be. The last offseason it would have Bill Polian who backed out of the situation when Marrone walked away and Orton retired. Polian stating that it would be more than he cared to shoulder at this point in his life. Polian did say he would have replaced Whaley though.

Yea, he made the pro bowl on a bad team, so he must suck! I love Shady McCoy in a manly " here have a beer on me" sort of way. Like Fred Jackson did his entire career in Buffalo, and what CJ Spiller was able to do for one year. McCoy made something out of nothing more often than not. I can tell you that the majority of Eagle fans are bleating like baby sheep they still don't have McCoy. If the Bills had been able to properly upgrade the right side of that line along with a more experienced QB the offense is top five this year IMO

Chuck Knox called Buffalo the "coaches graveyard" and Bill Polian -Marv Levy came along and got themselves, and several players into the pro football hall of fame. This is just one man's opinion, and viable in some issues, and not so much on others. The most poignant point I can make is that Rex Ryan wasn't blitzing crazy at all this year and actually far, far from it because he was asking his defensive line defenders to cover two gaps. Does that make sense to ask a player paid 100 million dollars to rush the passer to control two gaps instead of rushing? Or overly drop into pass coverage as in a zone blitz system where you have great linebackers and average D-linemen. Now this didn't happen all the time in every defensive play but it did happen more then the players themselves wanted or they wouldn't have been as publically vocal about it as they have been. A team doesn't go from 1st in the NFL in sacks to near last at 30th with just overly controlling the gaps, and dropping defensive linemen into coverage. It does when you don't blitz often enough, and blitzing simply means sending more defenders than there are protecting. Rex Ryan was most noted for his "overload" where he was sending extra defenders at the QB to the tune of +50% of the defensive players. I can sure as hell tell you that didn't happen this season except in one singular game and then didn't happen again since. Read some of this twitter feed, and see if you think it's just a bad scheme, injuries or a multitude of problems with the defense. https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass Some excerpts, "You always see this... guys running around, not set, when the ball is snapped" "Poor Rex, damn if he does call a blitz, damned if he doesn't. Next 3rd down, sends the house, nobody covers the out" "Preston Brown says even the slowest offenses have been hurrying to the line because they knew the Bills defense has issues with play calls." Tom Coughlin of the NY Giants told his team before they played Buffalo to play smart and limit the penalties and let the Buffalo Bills beat themselves with penalties. Buffalo 17 penalties for 135 yards and those gave the Giants 7 first downs on offense! Now this was in week four, fast forward to last week to week 15 against a close game to the Eagles and 15 penalties for 101 yards. Remember the last game against the Redskins on the 4th down and one the Redskins where they line up, and sure enough, a Bills defender is called for a penalty. Thus giving the Redskins a first down by penalty.They then went on to score This year this defense has been bad in so many facets and the most damning is taking that defensive line with superstars being paid 250 million and making them look below average.