I know there's a Georgia Tech fan on board

[Simon]

And I know he's a smart guy with a good eye for the game.

I may be wrong, but I don't think he was a big Chan Gailey fan and am guessing he was not a big fan of the hire.

I'd like to hear some of his thoughts in an effort to temper some of the overarching enthusiasm we're seeing that will undoubtedly lead to overarching scorn about 3 minutes after a tough loss or debatable call.

C'mon brother, level us out here.

[Sisyphean Bills]

I think the Steelers will level it out. It's a big step up to the big boys this week.

[Doc]

And I know he's a smart guy with a good eye for the game.

I may be wrong, but I don't think he was a big Chan Gailey fan and am guessing he was not a big fan of the hire.

I'd like to hear some of his thoughts in an effort to temper some of the overarching enthusiasm we're seeing that will undoubtedly lead to overarching scorn about 3 minutes after a tough loss or debatable call.

C'mon brother, level us out here.

Good college head coaches rarely make good pro head coaches and vice versa. Not to mention GT is back to being as bad as it was in Gailey's last year.

[JoeF]

We just suffered through 10 years of either "on the job training (Mularkey and Williams)" or whiter than vanilla (Jauron) in coaching.

 

We have also suffered through Rob, JP and Trent. 3 QBs with really good athleticism but 10 cent heads when it comes to the speed of decision making at the NFL level. Anything resembling an offensive scheme and a QB with an NFL speed mind is going to look really, really good right now.

 

Its only two wins...its only a few games...still not sure if this is an oasis or a mirage.

 

This week is a true test---if we can do to the Steelers what we did to the Bears and Ravens---the water and palm tree in the middle of the desert just might be real....

[PromoTheRobot]

What is it about Bills fans that makes them incapable of just enjoying the moment? Huge come back win? Eh, it was against the Bengals. We need failure. We don't know what to do with ourselves without it.

 

PTR

[Rockinon]

I hear ya loud and clear PTR.

[Simon]

I hear ya loud and clear PTR.

Can you explain it to the rest of us then cuz I have no idea what he's jabbering about now.

[BillsVet]

We just suffered through 10 years of either "on the job training (Mularkey and Williams)" or whiter than vanilla (Jauron) in coaching.

 

We have also suffered through Rob, JP and Trent. 3 QBs with really good athleticism but 10 cent heads when it comes to the speed of decision making at the NFL level. Anything resembling an offensive scheme and a QB with an NFL speed mind is going to look really, really good right now.

 

Its only two wins...its only a few games...still not sure if this is an oasis or a mirage.

 

This week is a true test---if we can do to the Steelers what we did to the Bears and Ravens---the water and palm tree in the middle of the desert just might be real....

 

It's hard to fathom a NFL franchise going 0-3 in coaching hires for a decade, but Buffalo's done just that. And even though Gailey is still in his honeymoon phase with many fans, he's still a 2-8 HC that went into the season wanting to run with 3 good backs and has now reverted to being a passing team. He picked the wrong QB to start, and the defense wasn't ready to morph from a 43 to a 34. Those are three of the biggest off-season decisions a HC (and GM) can make, and half-way through the season they've reversed course. Having said that, offensively they are indeed light years ahead of perhaps the worst offensive group in Bills history with DJ.

 

If they beat Pittsburgh, it'll somewhat assuage my concerns for the future. But that's a pretty tall task with this team.

[JoeF]

What is it about Bills fans that makes them incapable of just enjoying the moment? Huge come back win? Eh, it was against the Bengals. We need failure. We don't know what to do with ourselves without it.

 

PTR

 

Every week we win is a joy---but the question of the thread is "Is the bliss temporary?" or "Could we be setting the building blocks for future that includes a few years of having legitimate shots of playing into late January or dare I say February?"

 

A lot of that is based on the skill Coach Chan has in consistently coming up with ways to scheme to the talent of our players. For example, look how many times Roscoe was either in motion or behind some sort of screen/pick in the first 7 games--Roscoe can't get off the line very well when he is on the line and stationary--yet for 5 years we used him that way mainly...who in the firetruck knows why.....

 

The question is can Gailey take this talent, mold it with new talent we acquire and build a consistent winner.

 

I tipped an Irish Coffee on Sunday night at the Pig and Whistle in New York after the Furthur concert at MSG--I did live in the moment--but I want a long term winner.

[Steve O]

Can you explain it to the rest of us then cuz I have no idea what he's jabbering about now.

 

Believe he is saying you will be a lot happier in life if you learn to savor the moment.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Believe he is saying you will be a lot happier in life if you learn to savor the moment.

And here I thought he was just trying to pass himself off as somehow superior because he falsely assumes that he knows the feelings of other fans he's never met and hasn't a firetrucking clue about.

Edited November 24, 2010 by Sisyphean Bills

[Simon]

It's hard to fathom a NFL franchise going 0-3 in coaching hires for a decade, but Buffalo's done just that. And even though Gailey is still in his honeymoon phase with many fans, he's still a 2-8 HC that went into the season wanting to run with 3 good backs and has now reverted to being a passing team. He picked the wrong QB to start, and the defense wasn't ready to morph from a 43 to a 34. Those are three of the biggest off-season decisions a HC (and GM) can make, and half-way through the season they've reversed course.

Those are 3 valid criticisms but I think they all have valid counterpoints

 

1) Gailey has gotten good play out of a lot less talented QB's than Edwards. Spending 2 games trying to salvage him was not an unreasonable option and if anything I give him credit for not letting the attempt go any further. Cutting the string completely was a wise move and left no room for further doubt on the matter. Not a lot of coaches might have had the stones to do this.

2) They undoubtedly were not ready to switch to a 3-4 in one offseason. But that is where they intend to head in the future so I have no problem with going through the growing pains as soon as possible. They weren't delusional enough to believe they were going to be competitive this year so getting some guys experience in the new system was not an unreasonable decision.

3) They never had any intention of running with 3 backs. Ever. I'm sure it's hard to take on faith from a complete stranger but I can tell you with no uncertainty whatsoever that Marshawn was as good as gone from the get go. The new administration saw him as nothing more than trade bait from Day 1.

[atlbillsfan1975]

I have hoped and thought that Gailey would restore some order to the franchise. he is by no means a championship coach.

While at tech, his big knock was that he belonged in the pros.

he is a good guy, a smart football mind and while not a sexy hire, he has maybe stabilized the franchise.

The one positive i see is that he and nix are working together. If they go out and draft heavy D front 7, then we know we have some direction.

This team has heart. A comeback win like this past weekend proves that. No doubt. the bengals are still a pro team.

They quit on lewis, chans boys rallied. that tells you he has their heads and hearts. That is what any leader needs to be succesful.

Lets just hope they stay focused and win a few more games. Build on it for next season.

beat the steelers? nah. but lets see if they compete and take them to the wire.

[Simon]

While at tech, his big knock was that he belonged in the pros.

I don't follow the ACC so really have no idea what went on down there with Chan. What was the rational behind that thinking? Poor recruiter, unwillingess to deal with alumni, more focus on the field than off?

[McD]

Someone stole my profile pic!!!

[rpcolosi]

Good college head coaches rarely make good pro head coaches and vice versa. Not to mention GT is back to being as bad as it was in Gailey's last year.

 

strange, he was a winning and 2 time playoff NFL head coach before a college HC. so which applies to him then??

[Sisyphean Bills]

strange, he was a winning and 2 time playoff NFL head coach before a college HC. so which applies to him then??

I was wondering the same thing. He was a good NFL HC in Dallas. Not a superstar, but he did OK. He was a good NCAA HC in Atlanta. Not a superstar, but he did OK. Like Nix said when he introduced Chan, the guy has won everywhere.

[BillsVet]

Those are 3 valid criticisms but I think they all have valid counterpoints

 

1) Gailey has gotten good play out of a lot less talented QB's than Edwards. Spending 2 games trying to salvage him was not an unreasonable option and if anything I give him credit for not letting the attempt go any further. Cutting the string completely was a wise move and left no room for further doubt on the matter. Not a lot of coaches might have had the stones to do this.

2) They undoubtedly were not ready to switch to a 3-4 in one offseason. But that is where they intend to head in the future so I have no problem with going through the growing pains as soon as possible. They weren't delusional enough to believe they were going to be competitive this year so getting some guys experience in the new system was not an unreasonable decision.

3) They never had any intention of running with 3 backs. Ever. I'm sure it's hard to take on faith from a complete stranger but I can tell you with no uncertainty whatsoever that Marshawn was as good as gone from the get go. The new administration saw him as nothing more than trade bait from Day 1.

 

I would agree on counts 1 and 2. Wish that it hadn't taken the off-season, pre-season, and 2 regular season contests to figure out Edwards was not the guy. At this point that's in the past, and they now have a guy who'll throw it downfield rather than play it safe. Not saying Fitz is the next coming, but the HC and QB are one the same page, which is a far cry from DJ and TE. Classic case of a HC being head strong and thinking they can resurrect anyone.

 

On point 3, I don't understand the management of the RB's from Week 1 forward. Sure, Lynch and Jackson were banged up early, but they've had 3 starters in a matter of weeks to open the season. And to take things a step further, the offensive staff have not found a way to involve their top pick, who is averaging about 8 touches through the first 8.5 games. Sure, they may have had no intention of retaining Lynch, but get Spiller involved and give Jackson 15-20 carries per. Holding onto Lynch precluded them from getting the others contributing.

 

I still won't give anyone associated with the Bills the benefit of the doubt after these 11 years. It's great they've got 2 wins and rang up 49 against Cincinnati, but these final 6 weeks will tell more of the story. And then it's on to the off-season where we'll see how committed they are to rebuilding quickly.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Those are 3 valid criticisms but I think they all have valid counterpoints

 

1) Gailey has gotten good play out of a lot less talented QB's than Edwards. Spending 2 games trying to salvage him was not an unreasonable option and if anything I give him credit for not letting the attempt go any further. Cutting the string completely was a wise move and left no room for further doubt on the matter. Not a lot of coaches might have had the stones to do this.

2) They undoubtedly were not ready to switch to a 3-4 in one offseason. But that is where they intend to head in the future so I have no problem with going through the growing pains as soon as possible. They weren't delusional enough to believe they were going to be competitive this year so getting some guys experience in the new system was not an unreasonable decision.

3) They never had any intention of running with 3 backs. Ever. I'm sure it's hard to take on faith from a complete stranger but I can tell you with no uncertainty whatsoever that Marshawn was as good as gone from the get go. The new administration saw him as nothing more than trade bait from Day 1.

Just to debate these points...

 

1) The trouble is that they spent virtually all of their time on Trent and it was wasted time. Now, I think they got lucky that they had a rocket scientist as the #2 and a guy that has been able to pick it up very, very quick. One might say that was "all part of the plan", but I doubt it. Chan's not one to waffle on his QB and I don't think he'd intentionally throw away prep time with the hunch that the backup plan would become the real plan. The fact that Trent got ejected out of the cargo door while the plane was in the air suggests to me that Trent was someone else's idea.

 

2) I strongly suspect that the 3-4 was both the way they wanted to go and someone-in-the-building's idea to get some sort of return on the investment named Aaron Maybin. The brain trust that drafted Aaron Maybin is still in the building (less one Dick Jauron), and it is all a little too easy to put the whole selection of the Nittany bust as 100% Jauron's idea and that no one else had ever heard of the guy or were completely against the pick. While Edwards was kicked out of the plane, Maybin is still hanging on the landing gear... which also says something. If no one in the building had ever wanted Maybin, he'd have been trade bait and experimenting with positional switches wouldn't have been just another coaching exercise.

 

3) I don't disagree with that and drafting BPA can lead to a numbers situation that a team can leverage to their advantage. But, Nix bungled this one, if for no other reason than a 4th rounder did nothing to help his team get better today. Did he overplay his hand? Was he asleep? Who knows, but this was not a well handled play by our rookie GM and that's why he deserves the flack.