JohnC

Why would we draft a fart if it stinks?

I don't understand your position. It is perplexing. He was hired to coach the Bills roster. He wasn't hired to coach a future team and a different roster that at a later time would be more suitable to him. Do you think that in his interview for the job that the glib talking coach told his future bosses that his highly ranked defense had to be de-constructed because it didn't align with his philosophy? Of course not. The fundamental job for coaches in all sports is to put their players in position to succeed. That entails devising a system that maximizes the players assets and minimizes their weaknesses. That is so basic and fundamental to the job. Your statement and point is what I am lamenting about. Instead of adapting to what he had to work with he in essence sabotaged the season so at a later time he might be able to do a better job with a different set of players. That is not good coaching. That is stupid coaching. That doesn't even qualify as being mediocre. You may not believe that I am being fair but I believe that I am more than being fair because I am basing my view on his record with the Jets (an extended tenure) and with his performance as a first year HC with Buffalo.

We have come to an accord.

The Bills hired a veteran head coach when they hired Rex. The expectation of growing into the job for a new HC without prior experience is a reasonable approach to take. But when you hire someone with six years experience as a HC you should expect less fluctuations and a smaller learning curve to contend with. I agree with you to a certain extent that going to a new team requires an adjustment period for the new coaching staff and the players. But the fundamental problem I have with this braggart HC is he is inherently too immature and undisciplined as a person and as a coach. After observing how he coach this team this year he has demonstrated to me that he is incapable of being thoughtful enough to adequately adjust in an environment of rapid changes requiring quick decisions. I'm not saying he is stupid but I am saying he is not smart enough. The Rex Ryan that coached the Bills last year is the Rex Ryan that we hired. Can he improve as a coach with the Bills.? Yes. But in my view he will not be anything other than a mediocre coach. You may be satisfied with that---but I am not.

Was Hue Jackson interviewed for the Bills' job last year?

When you make an argument that at least my girlfriend is not as ugly as yours you are not saying that your babe is a beauty. The best response would be to remain silent and make due with what you got, at least for now.

You don't have to be an idiot to be mediocre. You are creating a straw argument. If you believe that he did a good job coaching this year then I respectfully disagree with you. Knocking the Jets out of the playoffs isn't much of an accomplishment from an overall standpoint. It means little to the team that should be participating in the playoffs instead of watching the games from their coaches.

I never wanted RR hired. When you point out that this year's candidates for HCs are mediocre you are not making a ringing endorsement of our current HC who underachieved in his first year in western NY. I would very much have preferred Hue Jackson over the boisterous Rex.

The head scratching plays you referred to also had me puzzled, especially with EJ taking the snaps and TT playing as a wideout. Trying to be too cute got to the point of being ridiculous. I agree with you that I wouldn't consider Roman ranking near the top of OCs. But my stance regarding him is that he was the right OC to work with TT. He demonstrated an understanding of who TT was as a player, his limitations and the stage of development he was at. It would be fair to say (as you did) that he wasn't the premier OC in the league but for us he was the right person for this team. I'm confident that TT will work hard this offseason so he will be better prepared to work with a thicker playbook that has more plays for the whole field instead of segments of the field.

There was clearly a dramatic drop off in performance with Mario. But I have a different take from you as to why. I watched him in the games and it was apparent to me that the effort wasn't there compared to last year. His body language was awful. It was as if he was out to prove that the change in the defense and his role under Rex wasn't going to work. There are players who have prickly personalities who if they don't get their way prove to be challenging to deal with in a team setting. If they are not totally on board on what they are being asked to do they act out, sometimes blatantly so and sometimes seditiously so. Or another way of saying it is that they are out to sabotage the person they are rebelling against. In the NBA talented players such as DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo come to mind who fit this stubborn description. These types of headstrong players can't be coddled. Their reactionary behavior has to be immediately responded to with a strong response by the coach demonstrating that their foolishness is not going to be tolerated. The coach doesn't need to yell and make a scene. You take the player out of the game and direct him to the end of the bench. The message is sent not only to player acting like a brat but also to the team that certain conduct is not going to be tolerated. In my view Rex was too tolerant in the manner he dealt with Mario.

Whether Mario bought in or not is not the damning issue. Even his over sized contract isn't what will get him jettisoned from the team. His salary can be renegotiated. What disqualifies him from returning is his lack of effort and basically quitting on the team. I agree with the plaer that Rex's approach to the defense was not the best approach to take. But because there is a philosophical disagreement with what the coaches wanted him to do doesn't mean his effort should be lackluster. Rex Ryan allowed Mario to stay on the field even when it was apparent that he wasn't giving his best effort. A good coach in control of his team would have yanked the slacker off the field and sit him down. A coach in command would then have not allowed him to dress for the next game. That would be a demonstration to the recalcitrant player and the rest of the team that that poisonous attitude was not going to be tolerated.

I didn't say all the coaches I mentioned were great. Where did you get that from? What I did say is that all the playoff qualifying coaches this year are better HC coaches than RR. I challenge you to name any coach I referred to that Rex out coached this year? Please be objective in your evaluation and comparison between RR and the list of coaches I mentioned.

If you want to put things in perspective in this season and looking toward the future consider the caliber of coaching for the teams participating in the playoffs and compare it to how our HC ranks with them. Belichick, Tomlin, McCarthy, Arians, Carroll, Reid, O'Brien, Rivera, Lewis, Gruden etc. There is not one HC participating in the playoffs who any fair-minded person would judge to be a lesser HC than the one working in western NY. That is what our organization is competing against. And that is why I am troubled about our prospects in the future.

Tom Brady had nothing to do with our losses against the Jaguars, Eagles, Chiefs and Giants. We faced a very weakened NFL division. We still lost to the Eagles, Redskins and the Giants. Our failure was due to our failure.

I agree with your response. The most influential person in the organization, the GM, stated on numerous occasions prior to the season that he believed that this was a playoff team and that if it didn't materialize this year he would be deeply disappointed. Clearly his focus of attention in the offseason was addressing offensive needs. He signed Incognito, McCoy and Clay to bolster the offense. To top it off TT played beyond most of our expectations reasonably well as a first time starter. Each of his additions made important contributions to the offense. What the GM could not have expected is that the defense under this new defensive minded regime would drop off the cliff and negate the progress made on the offensive side of the ball. There is no way to look at this season other than as a failure.

Rex Ryan strenuously argues not to have his team featured on Hard Knocks.

I am an unabashed supporter of Taylor. Have been so since training camp and the preseason. If you gave me the choice of having the combo of Taylor and Rex or instead having a smart and mature HC without TT I would without hesitation prefer the smart and mature HC without TT and continue with the search for a franchise qb. Just because I have little admiration for this boisterous and obnoxious HC doesn't mean that everything he did was wrong. In my opinion if you ranked RR against the other HCs in the league he would rank near the bottom. You don't go far with a mediocre HC in this parity driven league competing against more competent and mature HCs. As was very evident this season coaching matters and makes a difference where the margin between success and failure is miniscule.

Rex selected Roman to be his coordinator so he should be given credit for making that selection. Rex may have been an influence in attracting TT to Buffalo but that can't be clearly determined. Taylor was going to use his free agent status to go to a team that would provide him with the best opportunity to compete for a starting job. Because of its qb void Buffalo was a prime location for him (with Rex or not) to get a legitimate chance to compete for a starting job. If Rex was the determining factor then he deserves credit. What is obvious to me is that Roman exhibited more wisdom and good judgment on managing the offense than Rex did in overseeing the defense. Roman did a masterful job in managing talent to scheme with the offense compared to what Rex did in managing his talent to scheme on defense. It's my opinion that Rex squandered a playoff opportunity because he grossly mishandled his favorite side of the ball.

I agree with you on your two points regarding the timing of those long throws and the over use of trick plays that accomplished little. But overall Roman did a terrific job in coaching TT and understanding where he was as a player and development. It was evident that TT's play book was limited and he was handled cautiously. That was the right approach to take. Next year the play book will be expanded and the whole field will be used in the passing game in comparison to mostly the safer sideline passes. Roman demonstrated a lot of wisdom, discipline and caution in his coaching and play calling. He was the perfect mentor for a young and emerging qb. The bottom line is that Roman was the right coordinator at the right time.for this franchise. He was a terrific hire for us.

The Jets reworked their roster in the offseason as did every team in the league did. They participated in the same draft and free agency, as did every team in the league, including the Bills. Fitz was their qb addition and Taylor was our qb addition. The fact of the matter is that RR had a six year stint with the Jets. Overall he had a losing record. He took over a roster that had a very good defensive unit and its offense was bolstered by the addition of Taylor, Clay, McCoy and Incognito. If you want to make the judgment that he did a good coaching job with the Bills then go ahead and make that claim. I'm saying otherwise. Every year it is the same thing. The apologists not only make excuses why the Bills lose but they compound their delusion by making excuses why other teams win. If you believe that Rex Ryan coached well this season then that is an opinion I very much disagree with. Coaching matters. Maybe not to you but to me it was very evident with this boisterous personality pacing along the sidelines.

No team is exactly the same from one year to the next. Rosters change to a degree for all teams, including the Bills. Rex Ryan was fired from the Jets after a four win season. That is a fact! Overall, Rex Ryan in his six year stint with the Jets had a losing record. That is a fact! The roster turnover for the Jets was not much different from the roster turnover that the Bills had. Rex Ryan took over an upgraded roster compared to what the unlikable Marrone had. Doug Marrone had a better record than Rex had this season with a lesser team. So let's recap: Rex is fired from the Jets and it dramatically improves. Rex takes over an upgraded team Bills team and accomplishes less with more talent. To make things even more obvious Rex had an easier schedule facing a weak NFC East and AFC Central Divisions. If you believe Ryan is a quality HC that's fine. You are entitled to your opinion. If you believe that he did a fine coaching job this year with the Bills that's fine. You are entitled to your opinion. I have a starkly different opinion. I consider him to be not only the dumbest HC in the league but also the most obnoxious HC in the league. If you want to be receptive to this blowhard's bullshiiiit that's your prerogative. I'm not and never will buy what this huckster has to offer. The Rex Ryan that this organization got is the authentic Rex Ryan. Check his record. That is what I find to be very sad and discouraging. I'm not only one who has this jaundiced view of him. He left a trail of carnage from his sloppy work as a coach in NY. Without him and his tiresome carnival act the Jets are doing fine.

Gotham Bill, Your comments on for the most part are spot on. I was in an LA airport and saw only portions of the game while waiting for my delayed flight. Side note: Older women who have had a number of procedures to look young have a tendency to look hideous as time goes by. Why do beautiful women have tattoos? I'm not a hipster and never will be! Troglodytes like me don't qualify to be in the category of "beautiful people." Let me start off by forcefully disagreeing with you over TT's proclivity to run and his success in doing so. Right now he is relying on his legs because he is not being asked to go through his progressions. You can be enamored with his running this season but next season teams will be adjusting to his running tendency. If you want a model not to follow it's the Michael Vick approach approach to quarterbacking. His scintillating runs that made him a compelling player to watch also made him a prematurely battered qb. He excessively relied on his legs because he didn't put much effort into learning how to play qb. That was a shame because he was an unbelievable passer. Vick didn't have the discipline and sophistication (in life) to understand that football was a profession and was a process that entailed constant learning. Your constant exhortations for him to run will be met with my reflexive reactions to challenge you on this issue. 2) NEVER be fooled by Rex. He is just an inept blowhard. This is a subject matter that gets my blood boiling. Rex Ryan is an obnoxious self-promoting huckster and a fraud. He left the Jets in shambles, concluding with a four win season. The mature but stolid HC who followed him took over mostly the same team and had a ten win season, missing out on the playoffs on the last day. RR took over an upgraded Bills team and accomplished less with more talent than the prior dour HC who accomplished more with less talent. He took a top ranked defense and made adjustments to it that minimized the best players' assets and accentuated their liabilities. Its bad enough that is he the dumbest HC in the game but his never ending need to draw attention to himself is in itself disgusting. Bill, this was a playoff team. The opportunity to qualify for the playoffs this year was squandered by this ludicrous HC. Do you think that this clown HC is going to get smarter next year"? Do you think this clown HC is going to act more maturely next year? Do you think this clown HC going to instill more discipline and football intelligence to his team next when he, himself, doesn't have it? What do you call a loser who talks like he is a winner? A fool! This organization gave him a rich five year contract. Explain that to me?

You are right that I have little regard for Rex. The hire made little sense to me. The roster that Rex inherited certainly had its flaws. There is no doubt about it. But every team has a roster that is incomplete. That's what happens in a cap system. The talent gets spread out. The measure of a coach is does his team play up to or close to its capabilities. You can't expect a coach to have his players play beyond their abilities and limitations. This team dramatically under performed. I don't know how you can come to a different conclusion. Will there be major roster changes to the roster to suit RR's preferences? Probably so. But as I said in the prior posts I don't believe that he has demonstrated an ability to instill an adequate level of discipline and intelligence to the team that he is currently coaching. When he was with the Jets he left a team that was struggling and in chaos. Was the status of that team all his fault? Of course not. But he certainly was a major factor how that team was assembled performed.

Too many people are emphasizing that the main problem with this team had to do with the scheme and the players suitability to fit within the scheme. No doubt that was a major factor that contributed to the regression of the defense. But for me that doesn't deal with the core of the problem associated with Rex as a HC. No one is going to associate a Rex team with being a disciplined team. No one is going to associate a Rex team with being an intelligent team. No one is going to associate a Rex team with being a cohesive team. No one is going to associate a Rex team with being a mature team. No one going to associate a Rex team that pays attention to detail. Those issues have little to do with scheme and everything to do with how he coaches. He is a sloppy coach so it is not surprising that his team is a sloppy team on the field. In the NFL of today players come and go due to cap reasons, injuries, free agency acquisition and departures. What Rex has demonstrated is a poor ability to adjust to roster changes and rapid changes in game situations. The issue of scheme is the focal point for many people. That isn't the issue I am most concerned with. My sense of him is that as a coach he simply doesn't have the wherewithal to compete against the better coaches in the league. With him at the helm there is always going to be a lot of "noise" that distracts from the task of coaching. Rex entered the western NY scene with a lot of fanfare. He literally parachuted in and drove around in his souped up truck painted with team colors. At the podium he blustered about what he was going to do. The reality is that the act didn't match his grand declarations. Do you want to know why? He's simply not competent enough. Next year the roster will be changed to better match his specifications. What does it matter when you still can't coach? The difference between a good coach and a mediocre coach isn't always demonstrated by the record. A good coach gets his team to play to its talent level (good or bad roster) and a mediocre coach gets his team to play below its talent level (good or bad roster). Can anyone say that Rex's team didn't grossly underachieve relative to its talent level? That's the heart of the problem.

Agreed. Moss complained about his contract situation after a game to the media. Belichick sent him packing. You get discipline by enforcing discipline.