Nihilarian

You asked, I answered in what winning coach was there to hire, and now you say he wouldn't have taken the job in Buffalo. You or I don't know that, and in my opinion in that Fox has a defensive background he might have loved to coach this Buffalo Bills front four. Speaking of Brady / Belichick I think that Rex Ryan isn't the guy that will dethrone the Patriots from atop the division any time in the near future no matter who he has on defense. This. We expected greatness on defense this year, and some of the players are giving that at times Darby, Gilmore, Rambo have all been playing so well despite the lack of pass rush leads me to think these men might have made to the pro bowl this year if Schwartz was still the DC. Sal Maiorana is certainly entitled to his opinion on keeping Rex Ryan for more years. I happen to disagree simply because I've seen enough ineptitude over the years to realize this is just another example of the team spinning its wheels while wasting more precious years that the team can never get back. Haven't we all have seen enough of that? Ryan is a supposed defensive guru, and that part of the team is clearly under performing. So the new owners keep him and allow him to retool the defense like he wants. Then only to see the team keep failing is so many areas like they are this year. Penalties-poor special teams coverage units-poor game management- poor reg flag management on the road- undisciplined teams. The Bills with this win moved back into 8th place, and it was mostly because of the offense playing well. The Buffalo Bills offense managed 390 yards against a defense that had given up an average of only 250 yards the last four games.

My favorite line in the game by the announcers. McCoy has enough shake in him to open his own smoothie king Clearly the offense is the bright spot of the team this year with McCoy, Taylor, and finally Sammy getting more passes thrown his way. Some of this years Bills DB's would be in the pro bowl this year if the Bills had last years pass rush. Gotta love Rambo!

You're right, I don't like Ryan, and I didn't like the hire of a 4-12 head coach who clearly had lost his team last year. I clearly remember Ryan on the sidelines looking lost during this two beatings the Bills gave the Jets last year in 43-23 & 38-3. However, I want what all Bills want and that is to win, and have the team get into the playoffs!! Should Ryan get this years team into the playoffs I'll shut my mouth about him but still will dislike how he neutered a playoff defense, and turned them into an average to bad defense this year. Great coaches don't make players fit their schemes, and instead get the most out of the players they already have. The Bills have 1/4 billion dollars in their defensive line, and its players are mostly being misused this season. Should Ryan return as the Bills HC next year I can see the Bills retooling the defense again to fit his scheme. Three of the four Bills D linemen made the pro bowl last year, and played on one of the best defenses this team has had in years, and now it needs to be dismantled because the HC can't figure out how best to utilize the players on the roster. What really gets me is when the Bills do call an all out blitz they usually get to the QB, so its very frustrating watching this passive pass cover defense this season. Anyway in response to the question. It might have been better if the Bills had given it another week or two before hiring Ryan because John Fox became available, and he could have accepted the job the job in Buffalo. There is no doubt in my mind he would be making better use of the Bills front four this year. Plus, Fox was just coming off three years in a row in the playoffs in Denver. Hrrmm, a 6-10 / 8-8 / 4-12 HC the last three years or a 13-3 / 13-3 / 12-4 HC. Decisions, decisions.

Whoa, student body left.. nice run for a first

wow Mills starting at RT over Cujo

Rex brought the kitchen sink on that blitz, looked good!

The Bills still have a shot at the playoffs this year if Ryan will change up his defense to just rush the passer like he used to do. Its a long shot, but still a shot. Currently 10th seed.

No pressure...

There is more to this debate then one simplistic answer, as teams are far more complicated then one QB or 5 linemen. The Bills have been attempting to obtain both over the last 15 years without much success. Its more about the team president, GM, coaches, and then the players. My reasoning is it all starts at the top, and if that isn't the right guy then just about everything else fails. Lets talk about something most every Buffalo Bills fan should know about in ex Bills GM Bill Polian. Think back to the mid 80's Bills, and the Bill Polian days, and then look at his history throughout the different jobs he has had over the years. He managed to get Jim Kelly signed, and then went on to Carolina where he drafted Kerry Collins. Then the Colts, and Peyton Manning. Three different teams he found three different QB's, and all three went to a super bowl at some point. Granted those were all first round picks, and two were first overall. Collins was the 5th pick. Still, other teams have had a myriad amount of chances at drafting QB's in the first round, and have failed greatly mostly because those players went to bad teams. With Polian it wasn't just all about the QB because he managed to build playoff teams so quickly at each job. In Buffalo he was hired as director of pro player personnel in 1984, and took over as GM in 1985, and by1988 the Bills were 12-4, in 3 short years. We all know the result of those years, as he did take over a league worst team and had a couple of decent players to start. He managed to talk Ralph Wilson into paying Kelly more then any other QB in the league, and made him the highest paid. After he signed Kelly In 1986 Polian drafted LT Will Wolford with a 1st round pick, and obtained Kent Hull from the folded USFL. In 1995 Polian took over an expansion Carolina Panthers team and in two short years had them in the playoffs 7-9 the first year, and 12-4 the second year! A playoff team from scratch in two years, wow! To give that astonishing feat some perspective the Houston Texans became an expansion team in 2002, and finally made the playoffs in 2011. In 1998 Polian was hired by the Colts after a 3-13 season, and with Manning as a rookie he had another 3-13 season, and the very next year the Colts went 13-3. This time two short years again. My entire point is, it isn't just about finding that elite franchise QB because even if you beat the odds, and get lucky enough to find a future HoF QB in the draft. What makes you think that's the only piece needed to build a playoff team. What makes you think he will survive long enough to take the team to the playoffs. First you need a great GM who is also good talent evaluation at all levels like Polian was. Then find good coaches, good players at all positions, QB, RB, WR, O line, and on defense to build a playoff team. Bill Polian proved it on three different teams that you don't need more then three years to build a playoff team. Sadly, it looks like the Bills still need to find that guy at the top who can evaluate the draft through both sides of the ball, and then hire the right head coach. I'm really hoping this off season the Pegula's hire that football czar that they talked about last off season or find a Polian clone who can find that elusive franchise QB, and then quickly build a playoff team around him.

What do you think will happen to a Buffalo Bills fan base that is so beaten down by bad teams over the last 15 years, and without even a hint of playoffs in all that time. Of course they will go ballistic because they expected greatness on defense. That was a big reason why this team set a record for season seat sales this year. Bills fans are so desperate for a winner they bought into a 4-12 head coaching hire. This fan base bought into Rex Ryan, and all his big talk and bluster just like all the Jets fans did. There is no question the man is so very likable with his down to earth persona in having beers with fans at the local watering hole. Getting his truck painted in the Bills color scheme. Then they also bought into the 6 mill dollar RB acquisition in Shady McCoy, and they bought into big money for TE Charles Clay. But what matters most is what happens on the field, and with just like the Jets fans he is letting Bills fans down. Its his defense that is letting the team down this year no question, and its not because the excuses he used with a tear in his eye when he was fired from the Jets " the GM was out to get me fired, and didn't get me the players i needed". Its not because the QB is so bad he throws interceptions every game, and is ruining the year for us all. (Geno Smith) Bills fans have earned the right to be unhappy with another loser of a choice at head coach, and now we fans have to wonder... do we need to wait three more years before these new owners realize they made a mistake? Just like the team did with Greg Williams 3 years wasted- Mike Mularkey 2 years wasted - Dick Jauron 3 1/2 years wasted- Chan Gailey 3 years wasted-Doug Marrone 2 years wasted-Rex Ryan one year, and I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH of losers to already know that next year the team will be spinning its wheels again in trying to obtain the players "needed" to fit Rex Ryan's defensive scheme. I guess the four pro bowl defensive linemen already on the team weren't good enough for Rex Ryan...

This is exactly the problem because Rex Ryan isn't running that same scheme that got him the #1 defense with the NY Jets!! If you recall the Bills hired the Jets DC in Mike Pettine, and he came to Buffalo and perhaps blitzed a bit to much. Still the Bills were #2 in sacks in 2013, but actually had more sacks then the Bills had last year under Schwartz. Buffalo had 57 sacks in 2013 under Pettine, and 54 last year under Schwartz. The difference is that Carolina had 60 in 2013, and no other team had more then Buffalo last year. We were all expecting Rex Ryan to come into Buffalo and run his overload blitz all the time. Which basically means he usually always sends one more then is blocking, and the defense is usually always in nickle or dime in the secondary. This is what Mike Pettine ran in Buffalo, and a big reason as to why he had so many sacks, but wasn't so good against the run. To get a tad more complicated Ryan ran a myriad of overload, gap, and simulated pressures in a 4-3 under. This way it was very difficult for the opposing QB to figure out who was blitzing, and who wasn't. This year the Bills defense is in more of a gap control, pass cover scheme that really is better suited for elite LBers, and average D linemen. Ryan doesn't have elite LBers, and instead has arguably the very best front four in the league. He simply doesn't know how to utilize those D linemen like Schwartz did, and whats crazy is that Jim Schwartz cut his teeth under Jeff Fisher who cut his teeth as Buddy Ryan's DC on the Eagles in the early 90's. Rex Ryan seems damned and defiant in running this particular bad cover rather then pressure scheme this year when he could have easily gone back to his old defense at any time. In fact it looked like he went back to it in the second Patriots game. I dunno why he is doing this, and his brother *Rob Ryan was just fired as the Saints DC because he had the 31st defense against the pass. This years Bills defense is heading in the same direction. Stats, and the past aside all I know is this years defense sucks and is in the top third worst in the league against the pass because of no pressure on the QB. Opposing QB's look like they have all day to throw, and this extends their drives. Look whats happened in the second half of games. It sure isn't because the Bills CB's are bad either, because Darby is probably DRotY, and Gilmore is more then good enough. You leave any DB out to dry long enough with no pass rush, and he will eventually get burned. JMO

Sacks do matter so very much, and is a huge reason why this team paid Mario Williams 100 million a few years ago!! The team just recently signed Dareus, Hughes to big $$$ contracts too. No pass rush allows the opposing QB all day to throw. Remember Buddy Nix crying like a baby (2010-2011) that the Bills D didn't have any pass rush, and rookie QB's were having all day to throw. That was the reason why Super Mario was such a big deal. Over 100 pages in a thread talking about signing him. The Bills FO locked Mario up somewhere, and wouldn't let him leave until he signed. Last year the Buffalo Bills terrorized opposing QB's, and they hated playing against Schwartz's wide nine scheme for good reason. However, Schwartz's scheme wasn't perfect and Brady did some damage in the first game between the teams. BUT! In the second game when Brady played only in the first half he went 8 of 16 for 80 yards, and then Bill Bellycheat pulled him so he wouldn't get injured. Last season the Bills defense was #1 in sacks in the league with 54 sacks, #4 overall, #4 in yards allowed, #4 in points allowed. Kyle Willams, Mario Williams, and Marcel Dareus all went to the pro bowl too. The problem last year was with the offense and Bills OC Buddy Hackett calling mostly simplistic passing plays all game long. To his credit QB Kyle Orton still managed to go 7-5 despite playing behind the very worst offensive line in the league for most of the year, and with game plans being setup by Jimmy the Chimp. Plus the team didn't have either Fred Jackson (525 yards)or CJ Spiller (300 yards) run very much last season. Last year the Bills offense finished 18 in points, and 26th in yards. On a side note do you know what team leads the NFL in sacks this year? Denver with 37. Do you know which team has the #1 defense in the NFL, Denver. Buffalo currently has only 16 sacks!!!!! Mario Williams 3.0 Jerry Hughes 3.0 Marcel Dareus 2.0 Manny Lawson 1.0 Kyle Williams 1.0 Corey Graham 1.0 Nigel Bradham 1.0 Duke Williams 1.0 Nickell Robey 1.0 Stefan Charles 1.0 AJ Tarpley 1.0 Nine sacks between the three pro bowlers so far... If Schwartz was the DC this year, and with the addition of CB Ron Darby along with Shady McCoy in this years big play offense (#9 in points right now) I could see this team being 9-2 right now. I am greatly hoping the Bills don't waste more years attempting to draft players to fit Rex Ryan's craptastic scheme. Mostly because the Jets are without CB Revis, and still winning with noodle arm Fitz, and Chan Gailey calling plays. Ryan's Jets defense was #24 in point allowed last year, look familiar?

OMG what a great ending to a game! Hail Mary on a run, and Rodgers to Rodgers!! Amazing!

I hear ya man, and I would think so too if I didn't know there was an strange type of clause that many owners have used over the years to fire under performing head coaches, and then refused to pay them. Then its up to the said individual to hire a lawyer, and sue the team for money owed or ask the league for an arbitration. Think of it as a little guy going up against a billion dollar corporation. This has happened a bunch of times in the past, and even the late Buffalo Bills owner did this with Wade Phillips when he refused to pay what was owed on his contract after he fired him. Al Davis did the same thing with Mike Shanahan who even won an arbitration from the league, and Davis still refused to pay him. Shanahan never did get his money owed afaik. Besides 20 million dollars to someone who has 5 billion is 20 million out of 5000 million. Money won't be the issue if these new owners decide they want to fire or keep Ryan.

Cmon now, its tough to stay upbeat when the opposing QB has all day to throw every game. From 1st to 30th in sacks, only Rex Ryan could get that done.

I have to believe Rex Ryan was promoted by Doug Whaley, and Russ Brandon in hopes that he would install his "Mike Pettine" style of defense who was his DC when that Jets defense was #1 in the league. That clearly hasn't happened and for some reason Ryan has abandoned his overload blitz scheme he used with Pettine, and is now running some lame cover scheme that gives the opposing QB's all day to throw. How in the world do you go from first to thirtieth in sacks, and not have to answer for that? BTW Pettine had the Bills #2 in the NFL in sacks in 2013.

Man, some of the excuses I've read here over the years. Now its going to take years for Rex Ryan to implement his defensive scheme? What? Rex Ryan was handed the keys to the #4 overall defense, and they are currently 20th. He took over the NUMBER ONE team in the NFL in sacks, and they are now 30th!!! This when the Bills added the probable defensive rookie of the year in Ron Darby? The guy is the very same loud mouthed bum that I was laughing at last year when Marrone / Schwartz beat the NY Jets 43-23. Then just before the second game he stated his Jets team would play 1000% better in the next game against Buffalo, and was blown out 38-3. His team went 4-12 last year, and he blamed it all on the GM, and QB. Ryan looked lost on the sidelines in NY, and now he is here in Buffalo.

Go back and re watch the New England game when Brady was under pressure for 20 of his 40 drop backs, and was screaming at his O line to block better. That was also without Kyle Williams and Mario Williams!! That was the anomaly of the season because sacks usually go hand in hand with pressures, hits, hurries, and the Bills haven't been getting it done because of the scheme Ryan has run in every game but that last Patriot game. Marcel Dareus stated in the pre season he was being asked to do things he wasn't asked to do last season, and publicly stated he was being used incorrectly. Rex Ryan then told the media that his defense was so complex that it takes awhile for the players to grasp / understand it. What that statement is, is complete horse crap because Ryan is asking his DT's to play gap control over rushing. He is also asking his D line to play a zone blitz, and have them drop into pass coverage more then they should. Some of us saw this in week two in that first game against the Patriots when Ryan had his defense play a soft cover rather then a pressure. What a debacle that was as Tom Brady set a Buffalo Bills worst ever 466 passing allowed by a single player. Then there is a distinct lack of D linemen rotation, as Schwartz rotated the line much more last season and thus kept those superstar pass rushers fresher in the fourth quarter. The Buffalo Bills went from 1st in the NFL to now 30th, and from 4th overall to now 20th, 22nd in pass defense. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Bills secondary just get a whole lot better after this last draft with the addition of possible Defensive rookie of the year in #2 pick Ronald Darby? Now, think back to 2010-2011 with George Edwards as the Bills DC when neither the 3-4 or 4-3 worked. Now think back to 2012 with Dave Wanstedt as the Bills DC, and you will find similar results as this season with elite defensive talent. Its all in the lame scheme Rex Ryan is asking his players to run this year, and it is stinking up the league. Just last game at KC Alex Smith had all day to throw with very little pressure on him, and suddenly he becomes a great deep passer. Read what Vic Caruccui wrote after the week two game against New England. http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/10/07/bills-d-line-experiencing-disconnect-with-scheme/ There was also a huge thread on the subject. http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/181760-carucci-disconnect-exists-between-dl-and-scheme/page-14 Bottom line the current defensive scheme Ryan is running is not working with the elite defensive talent he has on the defensive line or the elite defensive backs on the roster. Cover scheme over pressure scheme never works. Rex Ryan = George Edwards / Dave Wannstedt!!

Man, for a team that was about to fire their HC.... Be nice to see the Bills play with this much fire the lions are showing, and glad Buffalo doesn't play them.

The ineptitude this man has shown this year in so many facets leads me to think that there is no way Ryan stays if this team finishes 7-9 or worse. He might get by with an 8-8, and even that is iffy in my view. This isn't a first time head coach as the guy had 6 years with the Jets, and they basically got worse every year to 4-12 last year. Ryan was a laughing stock to Bills fans after Marrone / Schwartz owned him in both games. 43-23, 38 -3 ring any bells?Then he blamed his failure on the GM for not getting him players, and his QB who threw a whole lot of INT's. After 7 seasons you should know how to get the players disciplined enough to not lead the league in penalties! The man is a supposed defensive guru, and he castrated the #4 defense, the #1 in sacks from last year with his inept scheme. Game management, and not knowing when to throw the red flag are forgivable for first time head coaches, and rookie staffs. However, this crew has mostly been together for 7 years and should know wtf they are doing as professionals!!! Rex Ryan comes off as a big mouth clown who gets his players to love him despite all the losing, and his inept scheme. Funny how Marcel Dareus was saying in pre season Ryan was using him incorrectly, and now we all finally see why. 20th in total defense, and 30th in sacks WTF!! Everything will depend on how badly these new owners want to win because the team is making a healthy profit even if the team ends up 5-11. Its hard to ignore this kind of ineptitude in a professional making 5 mill a year. These new owners didn't become Billionaires by hiring stupid people or keeping stupid people on the payroll. While Rex Ryan might be a very likable guy to the players, and fan base. I think he is has shown he is exact opposite that a family like the Pegula's want to see as a figurehead of their new franchise. Whoa, Promo fired up at a first year Bills HC! I like it!! You know he completely effed up the defense when they go from 1st to 30th in sacks. #4 in total defense to #20 now. Ryan was saying earlier in the season sacks don't matter...and they don't if you want to give the opposing QB all day to throw. If Ryan insists on running this particular scheme the Bills will need better safeties, and linebackers which might take a few years to obtain.

My viewpoint differs somewhat. Cleveland 2-9 - Mike Pettine- GONE Tennessee 2-9 already fired Ken Wisenhunt Interim HC Mike Mularkey- GONE San Fran 3-8- Jim Tomsula - does he get another year? I dunno with GM Trent Baalke one never knows. my guess is GONE Dallas 3-8 Jason Garrett - I have a tough time thinking Garrett survives this season. Maybe gone! It really is to bad for the Cowboy fans that have to put up with the owner as GM. GONE San Diego- 3-8 Mike McCoy- I think he stays. St Louis 4-7 Jeff Fisher -@ 7 mill per, and 4 years with the team 24-34-1 I'd be surprised if he stays. considering what Bruce Arians has done for Arizona so quickly. GONE! Jacksonville-4-7 Gus Bradley gets another year with Bortles at QB. Miami 4-7 Fired Joe Philbin- Dan Cambell interim GONE I think they go after Jim Schwartz hard this off season Baltimore 4-7 John Harbaugh- safe Philly 4-7 its all up to Chip Kelly if he is offered the Titans job to coach his boy New Orleans 4-7 Sean Payton safe unless he wants to leave. The Saints defense is complete crap Detroit 4-7 Jim Caldwell- so much depends on how the team finishes this year, as they have won 3 straight, and have 5 to go. 9-7 or 8-8 is conceivable. If so he stays. Buffalo 5-6 Rex Ryan- like Detroit so much will depend on how this team finishes this season. With 5 games to go the team could still finish 10-6 or 5-11, and anything close to the later he is history with his crappy defensive scheme! Indy 6-5 Chuck Pagano- its the defense that is letting the team down more then the offense with an injured Luck. Besides they have won three straight. He stays.

It will end when new ownership wakes up and stops listening to the marketing guy, and hires an actual football man to run the football operations side of the team. This team is in desperate need of a team president that actually knows football, and how to build a winning NFL team. The Bills had a guy like that back in the late 80's early 90's with Bill Polian, and the Pegula's reached out to him in the off season but he declined the job. It was reported that the new owners would hire a senior football adviser (football czar), and they never did. I'm hoping the do that after this season, hire a man like Packers GM Ted Thompson and promote him to team president. The hiring of a 4-12 Jets head coach is looking more, and more like a huge mistake, and the real conundrum is with this years defense. The #1 sacking team in the NFL last season is now 30th!! The defensive guru has fallen, and he can't get up! This years offense with last years defense, and this team is 9-2. JMO

Its not just about the stats because if you watched him beat the NE Patriots in overtime in Denver you would have seen the talent in this young man. Broncos GM doesn't make many mistakes, and I have to think there is a solid reason that he drafted this kid, and is allowing him to replace Payton Manning. He is 2-0 in his starts @ Chicago, and his team just beat the undefeated New England Patriots! While the Denver defense has been great all season so far they sure didn't stop Brady with 1:09 left in the game to drive the NE offense down the field to tie the game. Then Osweiler managed to score 17 points against that NE defense in the 4th quarter. That last TD pass he threw in the 4th was perfect. I like the kid a lot and am interested to see how the Broncos progress with him at QB.

Perhaps if the Bills 5-6 were out of playoff contention this might be true, but they aren't. They are the tenth seed behind KC 6-5, Jets 6-5, Houston 6-5, Pittsburgh 6-5, Oakland 5-6. This team was built to win now, and 2 or 3 drafts isn't going to help McCoy get any younger, or Sammy Watkins or the defensive players currently on the roster. As long as Rex Ryan continues to run his cover over pressure defensive scheme the team will struggle greatly to win games. Look at Houston WR DeAndre Hopkins to have a record setting game should the Bills not get any pressure on Hoyer. Houston 31- Bills 17.