JohnC

I thought this was a fair and balanced analysis of what happened this season. In this BN column he offers what he thinks is the best approach to take this offseason. Tyler Dunne was very thoughtful and objective in his article. I would be interested in how others view his analysis?? http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/ten-things-the-bills-should-do-to-get-a-jump-start-on-2016-20160109

I recognize that it is a different era now where "personality" is part of the package. But one of my all time favorite football announcers is Ray Scott---the embodiment of brevity and clarity. Another person who would fit in that efficient and no frills mode is Verne Lundquist. Both value the quality of their words more than the quantity of their words. Vince Scully (baseball) is another announcer who doesn't overwhelm you with superfluous commentary. Each of these three TV/Radio legends crisply describe what is happening on the field. Without a doubt my view is antiquated in a world of loud noise. .

I don't root against the Bills or root against the players or coaches. In this case I would rather be wrong than be right. However, I know what mediocrity is when I see it. I know what buffoonery is when I see it. I know what immaturity is when I see it. I know what a lack of discipline is when I see it. When someone does a bad job I'm not going to say that they did a good job for the sake of loyalty. Time for excuses is over with. Isn't a generation of lame excuse making enough? There is nothing inappropriate in holding people accountable. Too many people prefer blind loyalty over making judgments based on actual performances. Not I. This season set my fuse. I hated the hire but was willing to see how things worked out. Mostly on defense I witnessed a season replete with dumb-assss coaching decisions. Who do you think was most responsible for such foolishness? If you don't know find out who is the biggest blowhard in the organization is and then you will correctly identify the primary source of the problem. I'm not naive. I recognize that the Bills were not a complete teams. They had roster short-comings as do all teams. But there is little doubt (in my view) that this was an underachieving team on defense, and that was the difference in not making the playoffs. Being a wild-card team isn't a crowning achievement in of itself. But it is a positive step in moving forward. The fans deserved better than what the loquacious HC had to offer.

My point is that not only didn't he coach well in Buffalo (obviously so) he didn't coach well in NY. He was not only a bad hire he was a peculiar hire. He had early success in NY but for the last four years in New York his team faltered. I'm not making up anything in pointing out his record. Again, the coach who under performed in Buffalo was the same blustering coach who performed in NY. We got exactly what we bought. I find that not only very foolish but also very sad.

There is nothing unusual about HCs and GMs having differences. They are approaching their jobs from different perspectives. The bottom line is that Rex had a losing record during his extended stint with the Jets. You might call that a success but I don't. Let's put Rex's performance in NY aside. If you are making the argument that he coached well this year with the Bills then we have irreconcilable positions. I'm a Buffalo Bills fan. My tolerance for never ending manufactured excuses has been exhausted. You judge people on their performances. If you can't handle and accept that basic concept then what is the point of engaging in this discussion. I'll repeat what I have said more than once: The Rex Ryan that ludicrously performed as a HC for the Bills is the same Rex that we hired. You may be comfortable with that but I find it to be infuriating. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/08/19/rex-ryan-jets-real-sports-lichtenstein/

Why am I encouraged about TT? Let's compare our situation with him to Washington's situation with Cousins. Over the last half dozen games Cousins is the second ranked qb in the league. Is he the second best qb in the league? Absolutely not! What happened in Washington is that they had a good balance between the run and passing game so that there wouldn't be too much pressure to force passing plays. Even if the running game wasn't clicking they maintained the balance so the defense wouldn't sell out to attack the qb. There was also a lot of safe swing and underneath passes that allowed Cousins to stay in rhythm and keep the chains moving. The best way to describe Cousins's situation is that their coaches devised an approach that put their qb in the most favorable position to succeed. The growth in Cousins's play was evident. As the season advanced he gained more confidence and steadily got better. Last year and in the beginning of this season Cousin's played with fear. He very often was emotionally crippled after throwing interceptions. Once he learned to handle adversity and forget about the bad plays he took off as a qb. Is TT better than Cousins? Which qb has more talent? That isn't the point or question being posed here. My point is that smart handling of qbs is a major factor in the development of qbs. I believe that Roman understands how to handle qbs and how to develop them. He didn't throw the voluminous book at the qb (as was done on defense) he fed him a page at a time. The coach knew what he was doing and he had the receptive and diligent pupil in his classroom. That's is why I am optimistic about our qb's prospects.

That was Rex's roster. He was with the team for six years. Need I remind you that he was the HC and responsible for the overall on-field operation. Do you deny that the HC has a major say in shaping the roster? If there was an imbalance between the offense and defense then how could he not to a major degree (not solely) be responsible for it? Think about it: You are doing what battered Buffalo fans have a tendency to do. They make excuses why the Bills lose and make excuses why other teams win. You are adding a new twist to this syndrome by making excuses why our current coach lost when he was with another team. My recommendation is to simply judge on performance without the innumerable "what ifs" explanation to rationalize a poor performance. The bottom line in NY was that Rex was fired for good cause in NY.

I never said he wasn't putting in the time. I have said that his conduct at the podium and his incessant blustering was embarrassing, especially considering how his team performed. Talking big and producing small are not a good combination.

Marrone went 9-7 in his second and last year with the team (some would say it was really 8-8 due to the Pats sitting players in their last game.) Marrone did more with less talent compared to Rex doing less with more talent with their respective Bills' rosters. Rex had a losing record with the Jets. That is a fact.

What you call OVER-thinking I call STUPID-thinking! If what you are doing is not working then stop doing it. Common sense 101.

That was then and now is now. He needs the lime light like a cocaine addict needs to be left alone in a room with a bucket full of powder. Being a champion at the podium means nothing if you are a bumbler on the field. He needs to tone down the vaudeville act and get serious with his coaching responsibilities.

I vividly remember your original post. It made an impression on me after I saw TT in his first preseason game. I was very surprised at how good of a passer he was. My preconceived impression of him was that he was a scatter-armed running qb. I couldn't have been more wrong. What makes me optimistic about TT is that he has a feel for the game. You can't teach instincts. You either have it or you don't. EJ and Losman both demonstrate the point that physical attributes will never compensate for a lack of a natural feel to the game. Roman handled TT very smartly this season. He understood where TT was as a player and development stage. With an offseason of quality preparation and continued good coaching I am optimistic about his prospects. I'm not sure if he is going to take a quantum leap next year but if with more playing time he should at the minimum steadily improve. By next year we should have a great deal of clarity regarding the questions you pose about him.

The Bills and Rex don't need to be on "Hard Knocks". That is not a way to go. Your Dad is smart and wise. He should be listened to.

I don't have a tendency to have an inflated view of the players on the Bills. But with TT I am going to jump the gun. I believe that he is capable of being a Russell Wilson lite type of player. What isn't there to like? He throws a beautiful ball, especially the long pass, he is accurate, is smart and has good instincts. He is a high character person and commands respect from his teammates. My only concern is his durability. While others encourage him to run (stop it NYC Bill) I want him to be more cautious. This next season should be very telling as to whether he will make the leap forward. If he shows that he can work the hole field including the middle and work with an expanded playbook then my optimistic level would exponentially rise.

I made this point before so I apologize at the repetition. Let's not forget that the organization went out and hired an experienced HC . That was their intention for obvious reasons. They wanted to hit the ground running with an experienced coach who didn't have much of a learning curve to contend with. The owners, and most notably the GM, believed that they had a playoff (wild card) roster that was ready to break the no playoff barrier. My basic contention in all my scathing commentaries about Rex is that the Rex who coached this year is the same Rex that we hired. We got what we bought. That is why I am so discouraged and infuriated over.

Rex Ryan is an accomplished showman (huckster) who trumpets his role in his team's successes while attributing blame to others for his team's failures. Don't believe the Rex deflection of responsibility that the team assembled wasn't his team. The owner had little to do with the roster other than being blamed by the HC he supported. Let's not also forget that Rex Ryan was a HC in NY. He wasn't merely the coach of the defense. If there were limitations to the offense then he as the boss on the field had a significant role in assembling talent on both sides of the ball. Again, it needs to be emphasized that Rex was the HC with all the encompassing responsibilities associated with that boss/leadership role. He had the authority to hire and fire his coaching staff and he had a major say in the acquisition of free agents and input on draft selections. The net result is that overall he had a losing record in NY and left the team in shambles. That is an astute observation. Rex was slow to respond to an obvious problem. If you can't see the elephant in the room you are either blind or stupidly stubborn. I respectfully disagree with your assessment. The problem isn't that he is going to cause a downward spiral (your words); the problem is that the team is going to continue to be mired in the muck of mediocrity because he is a mediocre HC. The system is designed for parity. He isn't good enough of a coach to advance the team faster than other teams are advancing. It isn't only about getting better. It is about getting better compared to the opposition. Wretched mediocrity in coaching simply isn't good enough. I challenge you to compare the boisterous Rex to the coaches who are in the playoffs this year. Where does he stand in that grouping? Ask yourself if Bruce Smith was handled the same way as Mario was how do you think he would have responded? There is no doubt that Mario is a self-centered athlete. What's surprising about that? It isn't unusual that that Diva attitude prevalently exists in the high stakes environment of professional sports. However you want to characterize Mario as a person and his psychological and emotional state lets not forget that this odious character was a dynamic player the previous year. What changed? Obvious answer. You coach who you have. Schwartz excelled in taking the players he had and maximized their assets and minimized their liabilities. Rex was wedded to a scheme that did the opposite. It isn't about exhibiting one's brilliance---it's about using common sense. Coaching 101. One thing that Schwartz was adept at was rotating his linemen. You are over-analyzing and over-rationalizing the situation. I can assure you that Pegula doesn't prefer a team that lacks discipline, intelligence, maturity and under-achievement. Those are the characteristics of a Rex Ryan coached team. It happened in his stint in NY and it was very apparent in his first year in western NY. I readily admit that I am not the smartest person in the room. But one thing I know for sure based on experience is that keeping an incompetent fool on a job longer than need be doesn't resolve problems. It only gives more time for the faker to cause more damage. Trust me on this.

I strongly believe (sadly so) that Rex set this franchise back. I'll even go so far as predicting that under Rex this team will never make the playoffs. One way of looking at the Rex effect is comparing it to the GM era of Levy/Brandon/Nix. Because their level of competency was so low compared to the rest of the league there was little chance that the Bills could reasonably compete against franchises that were normally run. It is apparent to everyone that I have a harsh view of the bombastic Rex. As a HC I consider him to be a fraud. Overall his stint in NY was a failure. He lost more games than he won. The team he was fired from was in a shambles when he left the scene. Under a new regime that was more mature and disciplined the team quickly rebounded. The team that Rex went to took a precipitous fall on defense, the side of the ball where it was supposed to be his specialty. His handling of the defense was the difference between making the playoffs and not making it. The Mario issue is directly related to the Rex issue. Under Rex his utility and value are dramatically diminished. High end pass rushers have value while castrated pass rushers do not. Without a doubt Mario under no circumstances could be kept under the terms of his current contract. But there was a chance that a scaled down deal could have been worked out with a productive Mario, especially as a designated pass rusher with limited time on the field. Any chance of that happening has vanished.

This was a playoff team that especially on the defensive side of the ball underachieved. That was the difference (in my opinion) between making and not making the playoffs. This team had flaws, as do most teams do. So I'm not going to exaggerate their talent level. The GM for the most part focused his attention on upgrading the offense. Which he did rather successfully. Some people can make the case that he paid too much for the acquisitions but they all (Incognito, McCoy and Clay) made important contributions to the offense. Did Rex's approach on defense draw explicit and internal dissension? Yes. That is the prime source of my unhappiness on this topic. The talent level didn't fail this team---the coaching level did on the defensive side of the ball. Mario Williams will probably not be back next season. The player replacing him (even as he gets older) will not be as good as he is when utilized properly. Or another way of looking at this situation is that by hiring the HC that the Jets fired we set our franchise back again just when we were in a position to move forward. That is the source of my frustration!

Excellent point and post. The margin of error between success and failure is small. A sizable drop off by your most dynamic pass rusher is a consequential.matter. What is not measurable but is a factor in a team sport is a team's attitude, reflected collectively and individually. It was apparent that Mario was not on board with what was being asked of him. I understand why he was disgruntled. But I don't accept the manner in which he responded through his lack of consistent effort. Whether it was intentional or not I can't say for sure. But what I can say for sure that it was clearly evident.

What's acceptable? Giving up on 10%, 20%, 30% of the plays? He was a shadow of what he was the prior two years. Certainly the scheme stunted his performance but it was evident that he didn't maintain consistent effort this season. That's the core of my criticism of him. He was put in an unfavorable/uncomfortable position by a dumbasss HC. His attitude in general in response to his situation was not professional. He was unhappy with the situation he was placed in and he showed it through his effort.

I agree with you that he is not a top 10 qb but he is an emerging qb. Some of the traits that make him very appealing as a player are not necessarily measurable. Putting aside his physical tools his on field acumen is apparent. He has an instinct for the game that can't be taught. Compare how he adjusts and reacts to the defense to the more mechanical EJ? Everyone who works with him and is around him point out that he is a high character guy, a leader and possesses a high end work ethic. I'm very confident that next year his game will be expanded and that he will be on an upward trajectory. I am cautiously optimistic about him and what he can do for the team.

The Mario saga was a season long saga. It wasn't simply an "incident" type situation. It was rebellious behavior by a player who didn't agree with his role in a defense that he didn't want to play in. Mario is a talented me player who is also very headstrong. The HC let him stay on the field all season long despite all season long the insubordinate player played with a lack of effort. It's not surprising that the Bills were an undisciplined team. It's not surprising that they were one of the most penalized teams in the league. It is not surprising that the team intelligence was dismal. That happens when the HC doesn't hold the players accountable for their play and conduct. The tough talking HC allowed himself to be trampled. That isn't leadership and good coaching. When you act in a manner not worthy of respect don't be surprised that you don't garner respect. This wasn't a very complicated situation. You have an insubordinate player who quit on the team. There is only one appropriate response: get this arsehole off the field, and if necessary off the active roster. If it causes you to lose (his desultory play wasn't causing you to win) at least you haven't lost your dignity and the respect from the rest of the team.

There was a void of leadership on the defense, especially when Kyle Williams got hurt. In the beginning of the season I thought MW was hurt after watching him play with so little energy. The reality is that he checked out. It was in your face insubordination. The tough talking bully coach meekly and passively failed to confront this poisonous malcontent player. There was a simple way to handle this highly paid obstinate fool. Take him off the field and direct him to the bench. If he continued to stew then don't dress him for the next game or until he plays with more integrity and vigor. One of the primary responsibilities for the HC that is not quantifiable but is evident when it exists or doesn't exist is creating an environment of accountability. Mario blatantly demonstrated a lack of respect for the HC. The tough talking HC walked away without standing up for himself and the team. And everyone in the locker room witnessed this season long Mario saga. You earn respect by acting in a manner worthy of respect. It was a pathetic display of a lack of leadership and control by the loquacious HC!

Mario Williams clearly quit on the team. It was blatantly obvious by his lackluster effort and horrible body language. Even a number of teammates directly and indirectly pointed out his lack of effort and disinterest. The HC kept him on the field. That was a demonstration of a lack of leadership and control by the HC. The way to jolt a headstrong player who is sabotaging the team is to take that player off the field, and if necessary not dress him for games until he shows that he cares. If the HC would have acted appropriately and showed some spine to this unprofessional and malcontent player a message would have been sent not only to the player in question but to the rest of the team that players would not only be held accountable for their play but there also would be consequences for their bad play and disruptive behavior. How do you think a Belichick or a Tomlin or a Bruce Arians would have handled a Mario situation compared to the manner in which RR handled it? If you put up with shiiiit you will continue to get shiiiiit!

Bandit and Astro, What are your thoughts on Sudfeld from Indiana?