The Big Cat

You might see it that way, and yes, they squandered the opportunity to get three more chances following first. But the choice to scramble on first, then throw short of the sticks on second: those are both on TT. Rex could have called the timeout after the scramble, sure. TT could have also. They had two. TT has the freedom to blow timeouts in the second half when he doesn't like the play clock. Don't try to argue that he doesn't have the same freedom during a 1H 2 min drill. And he's a professional quarterback, he doesn't need to be taught about clock management. These aren't, by and large, 'coaching' issues, they're inexperienced player issues. Then why didn't TT use one of them after he scrambled? Or when the subsequent play was taking too long to develop?

I believe you're referring to this sequence: 2 0:56 1 10 DAL 13 Tyrod Taylor right end for 6 yards (tackle by Barry Church and Nick Hayden) 6 6 4.71 5.15 81.0 2 0:15 2 4 DAL 7 Tyrod Taylor pass complete short left to Sammy Watkins for 3 yards (tackle by Brandon Carr and Terrance Mitchell) 6 6 5.15 5.01 80.7 2 0:08 2 4 DAL 7 Timeout #2 by Buffalo Bills 6 6 0 0 2 0:08 3 1 DAL 4 -- 6 6 5.01 -0.28 62.3 I'll rescind "run to perfection" but they still positioned themselves to score a TD, from inside the five yard line, with the clocked stopped, with enough time to kick a FG if they missed, with a TO left in case they didn't get the incomplete or OB and without enough time for Dallas to do anything to end the half. That's far from a failure. EDIT: wtf, table pasted in then reformatted upon posting. To read the sequence much more easily: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201512270buf.htm

No. And the Dallas 2 min drive at the end of the first half was executed nearly to perfection...until Tyrod threw a pick. They still had a TO give. If you're going to fault anyone for how that went down, it's TT.

I understand. But would you agree it's fair to say that there's only talent certainty RIGHT NOW at four of the 11 defensive starters heading into 2016? Those things didn't happen every game. And having to go to the sideline during 2 min THAT ONE TIME was the result of a malfunctioning headset. There were just as many times, possibly more, in which the 2 min drill was run effectively. You keep harping on this point, and I can't understand why.

What you're meaning to insinuate is that anybody who watched all 16 games and can say yes is a fool. I would argue that anybody who watch all 16 games and can definitively say no is just as much of a fool. Because the real answer is sometimes yes sometimes no sometimes both. But the reasons for why they were and the reasons for why they were not our frankly unknown to us all if we are really being honest with ourselves. What I think we can agree on is that that level of inconsistency was predictable.

Blows a gaping hole in the theory you've been pounding these last couple of days. I might. This has been a very bizarre year. It's tough to know anything for certain about this team, IMO.

To some, what I'm about to say is either "changing the argument" or "an excuse," neither is true, but, as far as evaluating Rex based on the notion that this roster is, as you say, "as talented as any in the NFL," I have to stop you right there. I simply don't believe that's true because of two very important factors: The middle of the defense was gutted by injuries and the loss of Brandon Spikes and Unlike 5-12 other NFL rosters, we are without the one position that can and does, by and large, mask talent deficiencies everywhere else on the field: QB. I believe factor (2) alone shuffles us to "roster talent" that, on paper, at best, as it pertains to personnel good enough for wins and losses, shuffles us to the back end of the top third league wide. Add in what the defense suffered this year in terms of injuries AND the fact that we had a backup QB literally give a game away, and I can't sit here and say "with the talent this team has Rex had no excuse to go 8-8 and the fact that we did must mean he's a lousy coach."

I'm on record detailing my concerns about this very issue last offseason. I know you weren't thrilled with the Graham story in airport hanger, but to me it was very telling. I'm not a huge fan of Graham's, and much of what he says, writes and tweets makes me roll my eyes since we've all seen what kind of double-back he does to catch you on a technicality, semantic or otherwise, and this was precisely the beef with Marrone in the hanger. At the same time, though it illuminated other aspects of Marrone's personality and way of doing things that are curious indeed, and were certainly perceivable during his time in Buffalo. Included in that MO was his meticulous planning and Bellicheat-esque rigidness. And, to your point, it worked pretty well last year. And when Rex came on the scene, I was very vocal about what we stood to lose in subsequent sea change to Rex and HIS way of doing things. Any Bills fan with two brain cells to rub together could/should have seen the massive gamelong whiffs that accompany Rex's style. It's always seemed as though Rex doesn't understand the concept of a jab, that he lives and dies by the haymaker. However, I don't think Marrone's method of jabbing and grinding your opponents/players to a nub is sustainable in the NFL, and that eventually his personality will clash with locker room leadership, at least to the extent that veterans would rather play elsewhere and be treated like a man. That is a problem Rex has never had, or least didn't have until this year. The concern that I made very clear last year about Rex was that lack of stability, that fans should be braced for dingers and K's. I do, however, believe he has an OC and QB now that, in theory, should have drastically minimized some of those epically head-scratching performances that he had in spots in NYJ. I never thought that the defense would flatline the way it did. But, as I've said continually for weeks now, I trust history and that those mistakes will sort themselves out. When he was in New York, at the very least, his defense was consistently good and didn't trend toward the liabilities that his coaching style might breed. So, as Bills fans, knowing that Rex isn't the kind of micro-managing hardass in the same realm as Marrone, Bellicheat, etc, we either have faith that the one thing he does do well returns to form. Then, coupled with what appears to be his best and most stable offense (and it's not even close) the outlook seems bright. But, admittedly, not being a micro-managing hardass leaves the door open for a turd or two over the course of the season. Let's hope he's building the kind of locker room leaders (and I actually believe that he is) who will minimize those. That's the give and take of being a "players coach." They're vulnerable to being weaker when they're not being babysat like they were under Marrone. But they're positioned to be stronger when they accountability comes from within. This is a vast summary of everything I've said about this team for the last year, and what I will continue to believe to be true.

And some of you (not you you, you're cool) have awfully funny ways of showing that.

I'm fully aware of what's causing what you refer to as a resistance. And anyone who wants to make this about me moving forward, I'm all for it. I love me some me. I'm also open to constructive criticism in the PM box.

You're laughing at me? Because the professional football team you profess to like underperformed? Nice life.

You don't read good.

That's not even remotely what I was responding to in the quoted reply.

You gotta give Joe B some credit. He's consistent. Consistently wrong. But consistent. He must have wanted to be the first person to say Nigel Bradham was an inevitable All-Pro. That's the only explanation for how often he repeated that in August.

I answered your question. Per always, your cockamamie inferences are of virtually no relevance.

No. I'm not saying that. At all. Because he is.

I actually legitimately wonder what kookie deflategate scandal the NFL (an entertainment conglomerate) will cook up between February and August.

Aside from the fact that he was fired in Denver after we hired Rex?

No. Ha, should have scrolled just A LITTLE BIT further.

https://twitter.com/AndrewBrandt/status/685144990536736768

Last year the Bills entered into a coaching search involuntarily. And got the best available one, on paper. I never said the two camps were equal. I'm also not admitting they aren't. But there are most certainly Jets fans who miss Rex. And quite frankly, with the roster Bowles had this year...and WITH CONTINUITY OF HIS DEFENSIVE SYSTEM...and with the addition of Chan, they would have been a force this year. If you think otherwise, then fine. Tomsula is a terrible example. Anything the Niners have done over the past 18 months would be a terrible example for how things should be done. Being mentioned as solid HC candidates? Yet: https://twitter.com/AndrewBrandt/status/685144990536736768 It would be impossible to argue otherwise! The decision to micromanage or not micromanage is a coaching one. Neither is right, neither is wrong. But Bills players most certainly had an abrupt change in this department from 2014 to 2015.

I blow a gasket whenever the Bills call a time out in the second half before the two minute warning. And I'm baffled when EVERY OTHER TEAM does it too. But if you just look at time of possession in some key wins, notably week 17, clock management was not a problem for this team. They successfully ran a four minute drill 20 yards from the end zone against NYJ. Did nobody else notice that!? They bled the clock almost perfectly before Tyrod threw the INT before the half against Dallas. Did the same thing the week prior against WAS. I won't say the team was WITHOUT clock issues, but it's consistently talked about, league wide, how inexplicable it is that every team does weird **** with the clock. Can you name some specific examples of when clock management was to our detriment, and for which Rex was responsible?

But seriously, DUCK!

I was there for Christmas. That's where my aunt/uncle live!

And yet they were still top-10 last year and the year before. I'm not sure what sort of person you think I am that I need to vanquish notions of me posting some thoughts to the internet deemed by consistent naysayers as a 'failure.' Perception is reality. This thread is about whatever responders choose to make it. That's the democratization of the internet. What it has become has no bearing on, nor is it any way an indictment of its intent, in spite of what you doggedly (to a bizarre extent) insist. So, I'll tell you, flat out, one final time, what the intent of this thread was: People calling for Rex's head, as I believe then, failed to see the forrest through the trees. Doesn't matter if it was Rex or Santa Claus. Ousting a coach after one year is flat dumb, and there isn't an intelligent mind in any realm of NFL commentary that would argue to the contrary. But we just HAD TO FIRE REX! Well, we didn't. If we had, that would make eight coaching vacancies. And while some here insist that there are some viable candidates, the supply falls short of the demand. So, not only would we have made the short-sighted knee jerk reaction of firing a one-year coach (no matter who it was), we'd also now be competing for scarce resources to set down the already uncertain path of rebuilding --for the third time in four years-- a new system. THAT was the intent of the OP. And I won't defend it further. If you continue to interpret it differently, you have no other rationale short of willful ignorance. You're flatly wrong that clock management has been a problem. But okay.