BillsVet

Harbaugh declined to interview. And he wasn't the only one during early 2010 before Gailey became their emergency choice. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/01/cbs-stanfords-jim-harbaugh-turns-down-bills-offer-to-become-head-coach/1#.VEP8PSi3njQ

Normally saints aren't canonized until after they've left this world. But being that it's Saint Doug we're talking about, he should probably confess his sins in order to receive absolution. For his penance, he can play Urbik and sit Pears.

Well, it looks unlikely that Brown will meet the playing conditions to warrant a 2016 3rd round pick. Ergo, you're looking at a 2015 4th rounder. http://espn.go.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/5277/bryce-brown-trade-thins-crowded-backfield And Buffalo already dealt their 2015 4th rounder to Cleveland in the Watkins trade. It still doesn't deflect from the fact Buffalo is betting their future for this season.

Cleveland owns Buffalo's 1st and 4th in 2015. Buffalo owes another 4th to Philadelphia for Brown, presumably the one received for Johnson. I suppose if Johnson's performance makes it a 3rd, the Bills will have to get creative because they don't have a second 4th. Regardless, the point remains: Buffalo, specifically Brandon and Whaley, mortgaged their future so that they might keep their jobs.

Or, a certain GM was in career survival mode and started trading future picks in hopes they'd win this year. And, if Brown doesn't play this year (and it's looking like that's a no) then Whaley just traded a 4th for a guy who'll be in the final year of his deal in 2015. Four years of Nix and Whaley. And they're still unsure how good the team is to the point they've give up 3 of their top 5 picks next year.

Actually, the Bills have dealt both of their 4th round picks in 2014 (the other is a conditional acquired from SF for Stevie). And how the heck does the Bills college scouting department know that far in May 2014 that the 2015 RB class would not have a better player available? But the issue is whether there is poor coordination between the front office and coaching staff. I'd say there's an issue when you trade for a guy (the front office) and then he doesn't dress (coaching decision). I don't understand how people quibble about this.

Who trades a 4th round pick for a player you don't plan on playing an entire season? If stands to reason if they liked Brown enough to deal for him, he'd dress. Well, at least there's precedent in Buffalo. Nix traded a 7th for Tarvaris Jackson, and Gailey refused to play him the entire (EDIT: 2012).

The front office and coaching staff aren't in the same book in terms of personnel. Whaley gave up a 2015 4th which can become a 3rd (that is if Brown plays) for a player who doesn't play. And then there's the Mike Williams trade. Not to mention that Kouandjio is deemed not even good enough to dress as a 2nd round pick. And then there's the disagreement between the front office and coaching staff regarding the trainers from February. It seems like the relationship between the personnel and coaching departments is pretty toxic and disorganized.

It's been said you're not allowed to evaluate drafts until 3 years. But I have a feeling there's going to be evaluation of a front office and coaching staff who participated in those drafts after only 2 years on the job. I wonder if Nix likes hearing he's been blamed for everything that's gone wrong.

Agreed. Perhaps with better ownership in place (including removal of people like Littmann and Overdorf) and Brandon shuffled off to business only responsibilities they'll be able to find better coaching candidates. Because unless Marrone, Hackett, Schwartz improve dramatically over the final 10 games, I think those guys are the first on the chopping block. Just once I'd like to see a front office and coaching staff on the same page with regard to personnel. Even something just short of the relationship between Schneider and Carroll would suffice.

Who's to say that a competent HC wants to work for Whaley? Removing Brandon from the equation is only a partial solution. HC's are usually fired before the GM who hired them, so it stands to reason that they either start from scratch with a new GM and HC or they continue with the same personnel people and coaching staff. I don't think fans (not you CT) understand how closely linked personnel is to coaching. If there isn't absolute coordination between the two, chaos will reign.

The continuity angle is one that's been played up for years. It was used at the end of the 2008 season after DJ started 5-1, only to win 2 games the rest of the year. They held a pow-wow shortly after the season in Detroit featuring RW, Littman, Brandon, and Overdorf. The voted to ensure DJ remained (he had been re-signed in October 2008), Buffalo started 2009 3-6 and the HC was fired. Look at the HC's and GM's hired since Donahoe: Levy, Brandon, Nix, and Whaley. Or the HC's: Jauron and Gailey. Not one of them has a job in the NFL at their current level if it's not for the Buffalo Bills. The problem is Buffalo can't hired qualified people to lead, not that those people haven't had enough time.

Who were the 3 interior OL NE lined up on Sunday? I would imagine most serious Bills fans couldn't even name them, yet the Bills could not put pressure on Brady (what else is new?) The point remains that Buffalo could not take advantage of NE's personnel issues. Meanwhile, NE took full advantage of Buffalo's personnel (the result of injuries) in the secondary. It's coaching combined with bad personnel evaluation above that level. I cannot wait for Accorsi or Wolf or someone with demonstrated success in the NFL to begin their evaluation.

1-3 in their last 4 and averaging less than 17 points per game. They're trending down, even with the improvement at QB.

You have to love in-game adjustments. We've rarely seen that in the past 15 seasons.

Or the fact that they fired LB coach Chuck Driesbach, only for him to be hired shortly after by Cleveland. One gets the impression there were disagreements between Pettine and Marrone with moves like this. He was adept at toeing the company line and going along with whatever Brandon and Overdorf wanted. That loyalty and bad decision making at QB and on draft day may well cost him his job after 2014, save for a playoff appearance and probably a win.

I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of buses going by OBD in the coming weeks. And more people ending up under those buses, both coaches and front office types.

In one respect, I think Marrone's group is just like previous coaching staffs that couldn't get it done in Buffalo. These coaches are wedded to a philosophy come hell or high water and they're going to go down trying to make it work. That's OK if there's synergy between the personnel group and coaches like there is in Seattle where Carroll gives Schneider a personnel "shopping list" and they get the right players. The Bills don't have that, nor will they anytime soon. And so you get a massive OL that can't move to block for scat-backs like Spiller. Or passing plays that the defense know is coming. Or lining up 3 DL on 3rd and 15 and getting no pressure on a QB who's playing behind a very questionable NE OL.

The owner needs people he can trust who will advise him on how to get his team out of 15 years of irrelevance. That includes finding personnel people who'll get him the QB. Conducing a top down review will give him fresh perspective as opposed to hearing the buzzwords of Brandon or listening to the OBD lifers and toe-liners blame departed types. And of course, TPegs needs to know which dead weight to cut and how to re-organize the franchise. It sounds like they're starting by moving Brandon over to the financial side with no input into anything football related.

The personnel and coaching decisions going back to 2013 (when Whaley took over) make little, if any sense. And for the record, I recognize he wasn't the official GM until May 2013, but Buddy was being eased out of the decision making process during the 2013 off-season. They're staring at busts with their 2013 1st round QB and perhaps the 2014 2nd round pick OT who doesn't dress. They just IR'd (for a back problem) their first UFA signing in 2014, who has a history of back injuries. They failed to adequately replace Levitre in 2013, doing so with castoffs who hurt the team. This year, they're starting 2 rookies on the OL and a displaced RT at RG who flat out stinks. They never tried to acquire a proven veteran QB until the final week of their 2nd pre-season. That led to lost games in 2013 when they started a rookie UDFA and a journeyman QB (on 4 teams in 4 years and now out of the NFL). They got what looks like an outstanding WR in the 2014 draft, but not before selling off their top pick in 2015 to do it when they weren't 1 player away with a QB who has major accuracy issues. As for the coaching staff, the rookie HC in 2013 proceeded to hire several SU cronies, notably the OC who had never served as a position coach in the NFL. And last year the rookie OC was charged with being QB coach to a raw rookie as well. This worked so well that they finally broke down and hired a QB coach and an offensive assistant (who previously had failed as OC in SF) in 2014. Whaley owns this now and I hope Accorsi or Wolf advocate for massive changes at OBD that are accepted. Either Whaley gets overruled frequently, or his acumen isn't as high as some would like to believe.

So many things to discuss after this loss. But I still don't understand, if this is a team with marked improvement in talent, why they can't have all phases of the game working at the same time. It's the NFL and teams are always scheming to stop what you do well, but when the defense is excellent, the offense isn't good. Or, today, the offense was passable and the defense broke down. If the talent is improved, then is it coaching? It ain't the Big East and NE is no Rutgers or UConn. We coach like it is though sometimes. The Bills continue to be pretenders and aren't ready for prime time either.

Ernie Accorsi or Ron Wolf consulting would be a welcome relief after years of the OBD lifers running the show. I'm sure Accorsi or Wolf can provide what is needed to fix what's wrong at OBD. If LaCanfora is correct, the Pegula's already understand the financial side of the house has interfered with the football side. As has been said numerous times, you don't invest 1.4B into a NFL team and then not evaluate what's going on. There will be changes after this season regardless of the result.

Their first UFA signing this year...and he's on IR, but not before getting 5.5M guaranteed. Not a huge contract, not a good decision either considering the back injury history.

Sorry. Looks like Vikings and Lions. Only got to see one game in country that 2004 season...the season finale loss at home to Pittsburgh. Ughh.

Right now that coaching staff is looking outstanding. Philip Rivers has rebounded back to being a top 5 QB, but credit also has to go to Mike McCoy, Frank Reich, and John Pagano.