Grading Chan the Man

[ColdBlueNorth]

Some differences that I have noticed over our decade of impotent HC's:

 

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• Chan can develop a QB
  

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• Has on offensive system that he is gradually building that his players buy into.
  

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• He and his staff teach the players well - that is the only way you can plug in so many Free Agents and rookies and still have success.
  

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• The team truely looks prepared each game (the Vikings game aside with the injuries, etc...)
  

 

Last year was a joke with how bad our offense played - the mistakes, the play-calling... Remember the Steelers laughing at our

attempt early in the year to run the no-huddle and joking about how easily they beat that "scheme", I believe the comment was "maybe they

should have huddled". The coaching staff was never on the same page - how can we forget the firing of our offensive coordinator Turk

Schonert during preseason and his verbal barb at Jauron wanting to run a pop-warner offense?

 

Not to ignore the W/L records...

 

Jauron was a defensive-minded coach and ran the 4-3 and cover-two well. We had decent personnel to run that scheme (even with the injuries)

and a true pass-rusher in Schobel. With our offense eeking out an average of 15 points a game, our defense under Perry, field position from

Bobby's Special Teams, and Ryan's leg kept us in a lot of games where Trent never even fired a TD pass. The players really responded

to Perry and worked hard for him down the stretch.

 

The things that led to our slow start this year were starting Trent, the switch to the 3-4, and we lost a special coach in Bobby April. I was

glad that we were able to get a proven comodity like DeHaven, but Bobby April was special. Someone can look it up, but I think we had the number

one Special Teams unit 3 out of his last 5 years and the other years they were right up there. Look at the job he is doing for the Eagles.

 

The 3-4 switch needed to be done if we were going to be competitive in this division. All the teams in our division run it as their

base package and one need not look too much farther than that to know we needed the switch. It is worth the change alone just to have the

ability for the offense to practice against the look they are going to see when playing our conference rivals.

 

I am cautiously optimistic about what Chan and this defense can do with a solid Nix draft and some FA signings. I give them a pass this year, but

like most of you here, I will have much higher expectations for next year.

[metzelaars_lives]

I think Curtis Modkins is more responsible for the development of Fitzpatrick and the passing game than anyone. After all, he is the offensive coordinator.

Edited December 21, 2010 by metzelaars_lives

[ColdBlueNorth]

I think Curtis Modkins is more responsible for the development of Fitzpatrick and the passing game than anyone. After all, he is the offensive coordinator.

Modkins is more of a positional coach. He has followed Chan around, but from his bio he is generally credited with developing

and serving as a running backs coach in his past whereas Chan is known for developing the QB game and serving as HC. They certainly

know eachother well and work well together, but I highly doubt he has as much to do with Fitz's success as Chan.

[Webster Guy]

My favorite thing that Chan brings is strong play calling. Whenever you have a head coach that calls the plays, there is no disconnect with what the OC wants and the head coach wants. For example, are we in 4 down territory right now? That's going to affect what I call on 3rd down and maybe even 1st and 2nd down if I know we're going to go for it in a 4th and short situation. We saw that work in the Miami game when we went for it on 4th with Freddie and we didn't have to take a timeout in order to decide what to do. Chan decisively called it in like any other play, the fins don't have time for major substitutions and we get the 1st and keep rolling on to score.

 

When I see stuff like that happen its evident that this team is not only well coached in practice, but we have a strong gametime coach who knows what the hell he's doing. He puts Fitz in a position to succeed and plays to his strengths.

 

Like Belichick said, we move the ball on everybody. It's nice to see and it makes this a really fun team to watch. Don't forget Fitz still hasn't played a full season yet in his career, so he's got tons more upside and will be even better next year.

[DreReed83]

Agreed

[Talley56]

I just read a few articles on grading Chan, and man what a waste. I understand the Bills have a worse record than last year, but Chan the Man in my eyes is going to turn this team around. If he didn't take the time to try to improve Trent (which I thought he would), then the Bills might be in the hunt for a playoff spot. We should have swept Miami, and should have beat the Pats, and Fitz would have had more time to build chemistry with the starters sooner. I liked the fact that Chan did everything in his power to bring Trent around. It showed to me that he was willing to try and gave him time to grow. Trent couldn't cut it, and I really think that blow in AZ really took it out of him. Chan tried and I feel the players saw this and it gave him mad props and showed the team that it's not about what we say, it's about what he Billieves. We should have beaten Pitt, Baltimore, the Chiefs, Miami, and the Pats. Even though we lost, he and the Bills showed they do not give up, and they are much more entertaining than last year. He has instilled an atmosphire of not stopping and Billieving, not just in themselves, but in each other. Most critics said we would be lucky to win a game. To have a team with no names and be as competitive as they have been shows me that Chan the Man can win, and has it under control and will build a winning team. He finds a way to make it happen, and that alone deserves an A in my book. Chan or any one of the Bills who may read this, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT YEAR AND SHOWING US FANS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BILLIEVE AGAIN!!!!

 

GRADE A+++++++

Sorry, but an A in a 4-10 (at best 6-10) season? I'm impressed with how the team has played better since about mid October and yes we have come very close to beating some good teams. But 4-10 is still 4-10 and we even had some Jauron and Mularkey years where had some close losses gone differently we may have been a playoff team. The record may not be the only criteria you need to judge a coach but it's a big part of it. It was his first season I will give him that but since we still only have 4 wins and we didn't even start winning until we were basically already eliminated from contention he really doens't deserve much higher than a C, maybe C+.

 

Also, you mentioned that if he hadn't taken so much time with Trent we might be a playoff team but isn't that a knock against Gailey? It shows he wasted so much time on a QB who only ended up playing the first two games and then got cut after week three and he didn't take enough time with another one who could have been really great this year with some better pre-season fine-tuning. If you're trying to make a case for Gailey you shouldn't even be touching that as that was a major mistake by Gailey.

 

That said, I really hope Gailey does turn out to be the right guy after he's had a few years to turn things around. I was not a fan of the hire but if he does turn us around I will gladly admit I was wrong.

[metzelaars_lives]

Modkins is more of a positional coach. He has followed Chan around, but from his bio he is generally credited with developing

and serving as a running backs coach in his past whereas Chan is known for developing the QB game and serving as HC. They certainly

know eachother well and work well together, but I highly doubt he has as much to do with Fitz's success as Chan.

 

Obviously I was kidding. I do think George Edwards has made some nice adjustments this year though.

[offsides#76FredSmerlas]

I have said all along that I'll believe it when I see it. And while it's too early to jump on a bandwagon (remember when Jauron started the season 4 - 0?), I must agree that the Bills have been much more competitive for the last nine games. They are definitely more entertaining and now look like a middle-of-the-road NFL team. I like most of the calls Gailey is making, Fitz is having a solid year, and some players (Kyle Williams, Steve Johnson, Fred Jackson, etc.) have shown that they would be players on most NFL teams. So I am definitely enjoying the games more this year. Giving them an A is a stretch, but I understand why you are entusiastic.

 

Let's hope that the biggest challenge (adding quality players to the team) happens this off-season. Nix hasn't done anything exciting yet and the question remains whether Wilson would let him if he wanted to. The "old school" philosophy that you can build an elite team just through the draft is long dead because of free agency. People point to extreme spenders like Snyder in Washington as proof that FAs don't make a great team. But a close look at the modern era top squads shows that a combination of wise drafting, trading and free agent acquisitions can keep a team among the elite for many years. It is the weakness of the Bills front office in this area that has let the fans down and unless the staff is stocked with knowledgeable judges of talent who are allowed to spend the bucks to build a contender, theses flashes of hope will continue to be fleeting and frustrating.

 

I 100% disagree with you. You can't make free agents play for you. When you are losing and don't have a QB for over 10 years no player worth a damn will ever come to your team because they don't want to be stuck with a loser. If you land a few key players when drafting, especially a QB and free agents see there is something to build around "some promise" then they might come. Buffalo spends money bud, quit with that dumb line already. When Buffalo had Kelly they had no problem picking up other studs in free agency like Paup and Loften. We have been doing a horrendous job drafting and that has led to a terrible decade of football. That's the #1 reason why we don't have good free agents and why it looks like we don't spend money.

 

I 100% disagree with you. You can't make free agents play for you. When you are losing and don't have a QB for over 10 years no player worth a damn will ever come to your team because they don't want to be stuck with a loser. If you land a few key players when drafting, especially a QB and free agents see there is something to build around "some promise" then they might come. Buffalo spends money bud, quit with that dumb line already. When Buffalo had Kelly they had no problem picking up other studs in free agency like Paup and Loften. We have been doing a horrendous job drafting and that has led to a terrible decade of football. That's the #1 reason why we don't have good free agents and why it looks like we don't spend money.

Let me back that up by saying that we probably have a good chance to finally get some higher level free agents next year because the team does look like it's on the upswing and Fitz is playing well. If I'm a player on the outside looking in I might want to be one of the missing pieces that can bring an up and coming team to the playoffs.

[thewildrabbit]

My problem with the guy is he wasted an entire off season on Trent Edwards and then cut him after two games.... it took him 6 weeks into the season before he knew what he had in Fred Jackson. The Bills started the season with Cornell Green at RT and took how many weeks before they realized what a mistake he was to begin with and finally cut him. The Dolphins are a worse team then the Bills, and have a worse offense and a horrid QB and managed to win 3 more games then Buffalo. Right now most of you are so enamored with Fitz and the offense that you fail to see his, Buddy Nix's and the teams short comings.The Bills have won games against some really bad teams this year and lost to the better teams.

 

How are they that much different from the team that almost beat the Patriots at New England in the season opener last year 24-25 with Trent Edwards at QB? Answer: The offense is worlds better this year under a real offensive minded coach who actually knows how to game plan an offensive attack, tutor a QB, build a passing game that actually works. The Bills have a QB who hasn't been beaten down and and become so gun shy he is afraid to throw deep, they have a guy who looks like he can be the future of the franchise at QB.

 

Still, I'm still very skeptical about this HC-GM and team...who in last years draft is worth a damn, can you trust Nix to build the team thru the draft and free agency knowing he gave 3 million to Cornell Green and thought the guy was the answer at RT. This HC takes way to long to recognize what he has in players and only seems to be able to evaluate them after many games. Sorry, I'm not giving the guy a pass this year because is is an experienced NFL head coach-offensive coordinator and it shouldn't take him 1/2 a year to understand what he has in players.

 

 

 

Chan Gailey gets a C+.... Fitz gets an A+.... Nix gets an F-

 

 

 

 

You guys think he is the answer, I don't. Lets not forget he wanted to bring in Donavan McNabb over Edwards and Fitz, would he have cut Fitz if that had happened?

[The Senator]

I'd give Chan a D-minus for the OTA/training camp/preseason/first-half of the season - mainly because of the Trent Edwards decision, Gailey's vile canard of an open competition for the QB spot, and his cockiness in pronouncing Edwards winner of said faux-competition and our starting QB. (I'd have given him an F had he not acted decisively in dumping the cowardly Fanning-Boy after 2 losses that could have been wins.)

 

Clearly Gailey has improved as a coach as the season progressed, just as the team has improved - he gets a B+ for the second half of the season, finishing his freshman season as Bills HC with a C grade.

 

He's found his way - took longer than it should have, but we're now on the right track. We could have done better this year if not for Gailey's early mistakes - especially the almost incomprehensible selection and endorsement of Trent Edwards as an NFL QB.

[silvermike]

I think Chan deserves a B on the season. He's done a lot with a low-talent team, but I'm still not convinced about all of his decisions, and there have been some major mistakes (Cornell Green, Trent Edwards as day one starters). And some of his game management has been flawed - particularly our playcalling in the overtime games.

 

But a B is a good grade, and better than most of the coaching we've seen since Marv. Next year, he'll really know what he has and what he can build, and I'm excited about what he can do.

[Jerry Jabber]

I don't get why people are knocking Gailey for having an open competition not only at QB, but at all positions. With the QB position, did anyone seriously consider Jauron a good developer of QB's? Gailey gave his QB's a fair shot. Trent Edwards is a perfect example of guys who look great in training camp & preseason, but fail miserably when it counts in the regular season. There are tons of Trent Edwards & Chad Jackson types in the NFL. If Jauron was still the coach, Hardy would still be the #2 WR, Steve Johnson might be the 5th WR, Maybin would be starting, A. Moats would be on the practice squad, and D. Nelson, D. Jones & N. Roosevelt would have been preseason cuts.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Jerry Jabber

[HARCO186]

It's not a knock on Chan to take time with Trent. I say this because he never worked with these guys and had no idea what he was getting into. He had to decide if it was the play calling or the player calling the plays or the player. He was given a pile of horse dump, and turned it into a respectable team. What Chan has done in one year is give us faith and a chance to Billieve again. I truly believe he gave every chance for Trent to develop, and get his confidence up. When Trent couldn't get past it, he just cut ties completely. He never thought twice, and it shocked a lot of people. Chan is a power house of a play caller and he knows what to do next and plans for it. It shows and it will turn around eventually. Just think if we still had Perry as our defensive coordinator. Buffalo didn't have that bad of a defense last year. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. This year we have an offense that can put up points, next year we will have a defense that will make a difference, by 3 years we will have a very competitive team is what I'm talkin about...........

[nucci]

My favorite thing that Chan brings is strong play calling. Whenever you have a head coach that calls the plays, there is no disconnect with what the OC wants and the head coach wants. For example, are we in 4 down territory right now? That's going to affect what I call on 3rd down and maybe even 1st and 2nd down if I know we're going to go for it in a 4th and short situation. We saw that work in the Miami game when we went for it on 4th with Freddie and we didn't have to take a timeout in order to decide what to do. Chan decisively called it in like any other play, the fins don't have time for major substitutions and we get the 1st and keep rolling on to score.

 

When I see stuff like that happen its evident that this team is not only well coached in practice, but we have a strong gametime coach who knows what the hell he's doing. He puts Fitz in a position to succeed and plays to his strengths.

 

Like Belichick said, we move the ball on everybody. It's nice to see and it makes this a really fun team to watch. Don't forget Fitz still hasn't played a full season yet in his career, so he's got tons more upside and will be even better next year.

Excellent point.

[reddogblitz]

AT 4-10, the best I can give is a C. Until the wins start rolling in from the beginning of the season and continue to the end, that's about the best he can get. He's got to at least out do Coach Jauron's 7-9 which ain't happening this year.

 

The offense is much improved and we have a lot of potential. But until it comes to fruition, it's a C. Wins is ALL that counts. There are no style points in football.

 

The defense though has cost us a decent season. We'll see if he can be a good head coach and get the defense much improved for next year.

 

I too give him a BAD MARK for the Trent debacle. A lot of time was wasted on something that should have been obvious to anyone who watched films of the the 2007 - 2009 seasons.

[jonramz]

Chan gets a B. The offense has little talent, the defense has even less... I always said that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken "poop" but Chan is trying to prove me wrong. He doesn't get an A b/c he badly whiffed on the starting QB decision at the beginning of the season and switching to the 3-4 w/out having any sort of talent to run it.

 

But I am sooooooo much more optimistic right now than I have been in the past couple years

[Joaquin1119]

even tho the bills record aint that great, but a lot of those games these players play very hard to win games.. Im really happy how chan is doing with the bills.. I'm also happy how these players that we drafted are playing their best they can.. I'm looking forward to see what going happen in the off season and the draft pick again.. we as fans forever going to love our bills no matter what!!

[Fan in San Diego]

I would give Chan an F for the first half and A+ for the second half. So the average would be a C for the year. Next year should be great and I cant wait for next year already.

[The Senator]

I would give Chan an F for the first half and A+ for the second half. So the average would be a C for the year. Next year should be great and I cant wait for next year already.

Yeah I was gonna fail him the first semester too, but he saved his ass (in my grading system, FWIW) by cutting Edwards.

 

If the Bills beat NE* and NJ, I'll up his second semester grade from B+ to A- and if we knock the Jets out of the playoffs, Chan can earn extra credit and raise his 1st-year grade to a B

[sllib olaffub]

It was mentioned on here about how we need more superstars, more talent, and that until we get it we'll continue being teased, being given a little, and left hoping for more.

 

That is what I hope doesn't happen. It has been all too easy for Wilson to get a little taste of success and to assume everything is fine as is. We still have a very poor team, talent wise, in some very critical areas. If we don't make a push to get better quickly, then, to me, it is a clear sign Wilson still doesn't give a @^$# about really contending. I mean, we only need two linebackers, one DE, and maybe upgrade a safety position, and our D would be able to compete with anyone's. Give us a good Tight End, maybe a good tackle, and our offense should be able to compete with anyone's. That is like 6 starters. There is no reason we couldn't get six starters this coming offseason.

Here's to hoping.