Koufax

So this weekend we need to win (obviously) And have the Raiders, Steelers, AND Chiefs win home games they are favored in (but three probably things doesn't add up to a probable outocome). And we need either (preferably both) Jags at home to upset the Titans, Bengals to upset the Texans in Houston. Those two are needed after they almost weren't, as both the Texans and and Titans had come from behind last minute wins yesterday that they could have should have lost. So why does this all matter? Because packing up lockers early and heading home with tails between our legs is BAD for the 2017 Bills. Fighting until the end, and then having Rex fired makes our 2017 team better, ready to focus on the little things that cost them, and take that next step under a rookie head coach starting in September. So if we can enter our final game of the season against the Jets while still in it, which is pretty possible, that matters even if the Bills don't get a week 17 miracle to get in. And I think the team missing the playoffs by multiple games at 7-9 opens up a wide variety of excuses and increases Rex's chances of the finger pointing to someone else. But finishing 9-7 and knowing that the little differences a head coach really can and should be able to make cost us I think strengthens the very strong case to fire Rex.

If this game or either of the next two change your opinion of TT or RR then you should not be a talent evaluator or personnel decider. Maybe a tiny bit for Tyrod the next two to show that he can make the right decision and accurate throw against good defenses, but today does nothing towards his case because of the opponent. Rex is out because he can't coach in this modern day NFL, and whether 9-7 or 6-10 that was decided before these last three games and based on the first 28. Continuity whenever you have something that plausibly won't suck, but decisive turnover to move on from anybody who doesn't have a chance at being very good at what they do.

Yes, we are outside of the top 6 where potentially tanking has some value. Picks 7-17 depend on being smart and lucky, not just a better player always the higher you go. And "we need to lose or they won't fire Rex" stuff is crazy. If the Pegula's think this season and a failure to reach the playoffs is any brighter because of some garbage time wins, and think Rex is the answer as a result, but would fire him at 6-10....the bad news is we are really screwed because that would mean they are horrible decision makers, and even if they fired Rex they wouldn't be ready to make the necessary decision to win. We need to get a great coach for the 2017 NFL reality, period. Rex is not it. Marrone is not it. If the Pegulas don't already realize this we are in more serious trouble than I imagined. Why do you want Jones to "play and gain some experience"? This isn't Dax (picked three picks before Jones). This is a guy who in a preseason and 15 weeks of the season, couldn't skip over EJ on the depth chart? Maybe that is just a failure of Rex to recognize it, but you have to think there is a reason Jones is still #3 and usually inactive for our games, and that getting reps with the #2s is probably going to be more helpful a stepping stone, rather than face the Fish and Jets first (forget the Browns...I'm sure he would be fine).

Need more than that. Titans beat us at 9-7, so they need to be 8-8 too. But the key right now is we don't need much help this week. We need Miami to lose to the Jets, and we need to beat the Browns. If we do that we look at the final two weeks with hopes alive. Eagles beating the Ravens would be nice and Tennessee isn't going to win at Arrowhead, and again we want Marsha to help us out in Denver. Week 16 doesn't have a lot for us to worry about either, but Steelers beating the Ravens and the Broncos losing in Arrowhead would both be nice. If we get to week 17 with hope alive, that is of course a positive, at which point we need several plausible things to go our way (depending on what has happened up to that point, but definitely Ravens losing at Bengals). If you think 6-10 somehow beats 9-7 and helps decisions be made that otherwise wouldn't, and the Pegulas don't have the guts to evaluate coaching just because we beat the Browns, feel free to root against the Bills, but if the Pegulas aren't smart enough to can Rex after this season regardless of 6-10 or 9-7 we are in deeper trouble than a loss to the Browns can fix. And if you think the draft position of a 6-10 team beats that of 9-7 team by more than losing games hurts players, I think you are wrong historically and conceptually. So, while things are bleak and I have given a vote of no confidence to our coach and our QB after the last two weeks (prior to which they were holding on to my support just barely), I will not root against the Bills for any game period.

My primary issue right now is after watching two seasons of the little things (individual plays, decisions, drives, adjustments), and the big things (wins and losses), I don't think Rex is great at coaching in the 2016 NFL reality. I'm not interested in having someone who isn't great at coaching lead our team. Call it a carousel, but as soon as you identify that a player or a coach isn't good at what they do, you need to try to make a change and find someone for that role who is good at what they do. Tyrod lost my faith by his inability to progress on his weak areas of finding the open receiver, throwing accurately, and using the middle of the field. He doesn't get five years to show us if he can or can't, and the sample is big enough that we can see he can't. Rex lost my faith in many ways over the last two seasons. Both get a year 1 pass and can raise red flags in their first year, but can't be fired. Year 2 is the burden on them to show important progress, and year three show real results. I don't see progress on the red flags raised last year, so you move on. The Patriots did the same with seven head coaches in 21 seasons, and the only two who lasted more than three years won Coach of The Year in their first two years. The reason they have stability is that they found a great coach (and a great QB), not that they were patient in favor of stability. Sticking with mediocrity is not a recipe for success as frustrating as blowing things up is. If you think Tyrod or Rex can really be great, then make a better case, and I could be wrong, but each have failed at the job they are supposed to do as clearly visible in the little things and the big things.

The Buffalo Bills. Playoff machine, start with win %, change Miami losing to Jets, Miami losing to Buffalo, Ravens losing at Bengals, Texans beating Tennessee. Okay, so that isn't going to happen, but with the Ravens loss last night we are down to three weeks of games to go our way, and the only one we need to happen this week to push this into the final two weeks is Miami without their QB losing on the road to the Jets. So next Monday I will reconsider, but this weekend I want the Bills to win and the Fish to lose...but maybe also Det, KC, Oak, Packers as a football fan...

But we have now lost tie breakers with all other 9-7s. So we can only get in if Ten, Bal, and Mia all end up 8-8. It could happen, but looking a lot less likely. The key is Miami losing to the Jets next week. With the new wrinkle of being without their QB makes it seem more likely. A Miami win mathematically eliminates us. Otherwise they have head to head with us (so an assumed loss for them or the scenario doesn't matter) and against the Pats who could be battling for homefield. Ravens need to lose three of four facing @Pats, Phi, @Pit, @ Cin, so plausible. Tennessee needs to lose two of three @KC, @Jags, Hou Just to be clear, I'm not even remotely thinking that this actually happens. But I think that the path to the playoffs was there and wide open when we were up 24-9 to the Raiders, and Rex coached us right out of it. But how cool would it be if they bench Tyrod, fire Rex, promote Lynn, and start Jones, and we win a very winnable game against Cleveland while Ten loses @KC, and Jets beat Miami? Regime change AND (faded) hope heading into the Miami matchup?

Why call the timeout if you are going to walk on the field with a second left? Mail it in Rex.

New kind of failure. Wow.

Need a strike next week if changes aren't made tomorrow. Easy for me to say from San Diego, but time for an empty stadium. You won't miss much.

Well, check clock management off the list of things Tyrod can't do competently. Wow.

Throw it away!

Two big run after catch plays...but Carpenter couldn't even let us have the moment.

Didn't he have the check down on the Steelers sideline?

Why is Jones a worse option or less prepared than Dax? With big run game and Shady? Especially against the Browns?

Can we get some serious Boos if Tyrod goes out there please?

So EJ the rest of this game and Jones next week?

EJ or Jones?

Just for the record, he wasn't open in the middle because Tyrod doesn't have a middle of the field.

That should be Tyrod's last snap.

Because we would have stopped Bell? Thanks Tomlin. Giving us three more plays of false hope, but Tyrod with a chance. Just have to stop running Shady up the middle. Gillislie power up the middle and Shady on screens where he is wide before getting the ball and can make a single cut.

Coaches don't have a cap hit and the Pegulas are good for it. Time to pick a winner though as a replacement.

Could have had Schwartz and continuity...I brought as much optimism as I could to this, but hoping next up on the carousel is a winner.

Fire Rex. Bench Tyrod. Win three games. Sneak in at 9-7. Change course of franchise.

Bye bye Tyrod. Can't find Woods right there, can't play for my team. Done.