Choice calls out team after SF loss

[BuffBill]

This should be taken in concert with Stevie's announcement that Why So Serious will be making a comeback.

 

Say what you want about the stunt in NE last year, but it backfired on Gailey in the game and seems to be backfiring on him this year. I understand his desire to hold players accountable and not to play dumb. But then he needs to deliver on his end of the bargain. He can't expect the players to line up in a straight single file, yet reward them with boneheaded coaching moves and not taking accountability in his coaching ranks - whether it's the mess on special teams or the defensive game planning.

 

To me, Choice's and Stevie's actions are the players taking over the team. That may be good to light a spark, but Gailey better know how to reign it in because he risks the proverbial inmates running the asylum tagline. The Arizona is a must-win game for this team. I agree with Choice, if they lose (and badly), then you can kiss the season goodbye.

That is all we need with Stevie, along with an invisible defense and terrible quarterbacking, we will give add some misconduct penalties to the mix. Good one.

[Captain Hindsight]

He sounds like a malcontent... trade him!

[QB Bills]

Substitute Choice for Reggie Torbor, and we have the exact same thread from a couple of years ago.

 

Fact is, one fringe player calling out his teammates isn't going to do anything. The problem is, there is a severe lack of talent at two key areas of this team (QB and defensive coaching) and its impossible to call out either one without seeming like a douche.

[boyst]

Many responses...

 

That Choice is our 3rd RB does not matter. Anyone who has ever been on a team, especially a large one, knows that the "stars" or starters are not the ones who always take the character roles. Case in point is my HS Wrestling team. I was never the best wrestler on the team but I was the one who would quickly call anyone out for not pulling their own weight, for not giving all they could. If we were doing king of the mat and I saw a 103 lbs. who was slacking I would make him wrestle me (189) and I would not just fold him up. You have to make sure guys are getting their workouts - remember Rudy? If you aren't hitting hard enough you're damn sure Rudy is going to hit you. If you are slacking and you put yourself on the field and Choice is there it sure sounds like he's going to make you play.

 

Often times the stars and starters are not the big emotional leaders because they know are too fragile. If LeBron James misses a game then every other player on the team knows they have to step up, but if James is playing and playing lackluster everyone around him just is not sure what to do. They stumble. The big leaders are not always the players.

 

As for SJ13 I think he is smart to go back what works for him. Just like the hot for Australian runner - you need your groove to be effective.

 

When we take the field this Sunday it will be the biggest game to date. Years from now this will be the game we point at to define the 2012 Buffalo Bills. Like Trent was defined by Arizona, like SJ13 defined the year with the drop against Pburgh, this game will show this team has a heart or will show this team is going through the motions. It is all a reflection of the team and not the coaching. Some great teams are bigger then their coaches and they have to be, the coach is a manager of the team whom employs the players to perform at their optimum level. Whether or not Gailey is doing this does not matter, players who want to win, players who want to play do so without limits. That does not mean we should accept SJ13 acting boneheaded, or Fitz throwing to a wide open LB, or the DL getting man handled.

 

tl;dr, Choice does not have to be the best player on the team or even a starter to be a leader. Leaders are leaders and they always hold you accountable. Whether SJ13 is showing his leadership role or not is not important as long as he maintains himself in a positive way to promote the team. They need to play better then Gailey coaches.

 

Substitute Choice for Reggie Torbor, and we have the exact same thread from a couple of years ago.

 

Fact is, one fringe player calling out his teammates isn't going to do anything. The problem is, there is a severe lack of talent at two key areas of this team (QB and defensive coaching) and its impossible to call out either one without seeming like a douche.

 

And another point. Unless we are in that locker room we do not know what Choice means to it.

[GG]

That is all we need with Stevie, along with an invisible defense and terrible quarterbacking, we will give add some misconduct penalties to the mix. Good one.

 

Would you rather have a 1,000 yard season, 16 touchdowns with 15 yard misconducts, or 3-4 catches for 40 yards and no TDs?

[BuffBill]

Would you rather have a 1,000 yard season, 16 touchdowns with 15 yard misconducts, or 3-4 catches for 40 yards and no TDs?

That is a lame ass excuse for his non-production because Gailey won't let him get misconduct penalties. Trying a little too hard for excuses for the lack of chemistry between him and Fitz. A real #1`receiver can get those numbers and not put his team at a disadvantage by getting moronic penalties just to get personal attention.

[zow2]

And another point. Unless we are in that locker room we do not know what Choice means to it.

 

Just from hearing various Bills interviews during training camp and early this season, it sounds like Choice is a bit of a loudmouth and trash talker. I'm not sure he is the most respected guy from the defensive players perspective but hey, he's still a teammate.

[GG]

That is a lame ass excuse for his non-production because Gailey won't let him get misconduct penalties. Trying a little too hard for excuses for the lack of chemistry between him and Fitz. A real #1`receiver can get those numbers and not put his team at a disadvantage by getting moronic penalties just to get personal attention.

 

You can attribute it to whatever you want, but the fact remains that the production is down. These guys are performers. You're not. The whole point of being the prima dona WR is to get personal attention. These guys are wired that way. So to apply an assembly line worker mentality on a star is ridiculous. If Stevie feels that needs the act to play better, then by all means let him put the act on. You don't know if acting like a clown adds another dimension to his game. I don't know either. But he obviously feels that it's the missing ingredient in his game.

 

It's not a coincidence that all of a sudden you have more rumblings from players about the team quitting and not giving it their all. The players gave Gailey the opportunity to build the team and the rhetoric was positive at the beginning of the year. Now it's obvious that it's spinning out of control. Can you imagine a real head coach saying "I don't know" to what's happening with his team?

[Heitz]

To me the most telling line is:

 

“Instead of being friends with each other, we need to be more like brothers. Brothers can fight. Brothers tell each other, ‘you gotta pick it up.’ And it’s never against somebody, it’s just to build the team, to make the team better,”

 

 

While it's great that our team has really good chemistry, sounds like it's a little TOO good. While I want our team to be friends and helping each other along (better than the infamous Bickering Bills) they also need to be willing to call one another out, when its needed. Hopefully Tashard's speech will help everyone hold one another responsible AND will light a fire that desperately needs to be lit...

[2003Contenders]

What this team sadly is missing is a guy like Ray Lewis, who the other players on the team fear answering to -- even more than the coaches. During the Golden Era guys like Kelly and Talley were such leaders. It's been a long time...

[BuffBill]

You can attribute it to whatever you want, but the fact remains that the production is down. These guys are performers. You're not. The whole point of being the prima dona WR is to get personal attention. These guys are wired that way. So to apply an assembly line worker mentality on a star is ridiculous. If Stevie feels that needs the act to play better, then by all means let him put the act on. You don't know if acting like a clown adds another dimension to his game. I don't know either. But he obviously feels that it's the missing ingredient in his game.

 

It's not a coincidence that all of a sudden you have more rumblings from players about the team quitting and not giving it their all. The players gave Gailey the opportunity to build the team and the rhetoric was positive at the beginning of the year. Now it's obvious that it's spinning out of control. Can you imagine a real head coach saying "I don't know" to what's happening with his team?

And you are an NFL receiver? Your point is ridiculous? How many of these penalties does Reggie Wayne, Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Wes Welker or even a young ego like Percy Harvin-none that is how many. Who says the #1 receiver has to be a prima donna? Do you want me to keep naming names of people who are 10X better then Stevie and don't get these penalties or feel the need for so much attention? Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Cris Carter, etc. Point made. Quit making excuses for him. I like Stevie, but the chemistry has nothing to do with him not getting to write some assinine saying on a T-Shirt or mock Plaxico Burress in the endzone. I am a Bills fan too, as much as anyone, but I am not going to make statements that make me look under educated just to show support.

[tennesseeboy]

Its nice that Choice is calling them out. However I would think if the team is grossly underperforming I would expect THE FREAKING COACH would call them out. Would Vince Lombardi, Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin or Belichick wander around like a drunken hobo while a team scores 45 unanswered points? I kind of doubt it. I can only imagine if the team followed it up with a game like San Francisco.

 

This is team with no one guiding it.

[dpberr]

Tashard Choice is something guys like Kelsay and Fitzpatrick aren't.

 

He's not complacent.

 

Choice can be cut at any time. He's got no guaranteed contract. He's not guaranteed to be here next year. He's been cut by several teams because he didn't perform. He's motivated.

 

These other guys have their contracts. They haven't been benched or cut for being horrible. In fact, they keep starting and playing no matter how horrible they play, no matter if the team wins or loses.

 

Even Jackson and Spiller can become complacent. At worst, they share carries. It's not like Gailey will ultimately award one of them all the carries and the other one sits indefinetly.

 

For most of the guys you'd turn to for leadership, there is nothing that *personally* motivates them. They have the money and job security locked up.

 

It's one of the reasons the Bill up in New England is successful. He's a total *What Have You Done for Me Lately* kind of coach. Players know that if you don't perform, you'll be benched and/or cut, regardless of who you are.

 

That Sword of Damocles doesn't exist under Gailey.

[Fan in Chicago]

What frustrates me is that these are players, most making multiple million dollars to come and play their heart out each and every Sunday. They should not require the proverbial fire under their rears to be lit by someone else. I can understand a couple of players having down days but te large majority of players needing to be 'fired up' by speeches ? Come on !

If it is lack of motivation and a general lack of desire to win, it has to come from the coaches. It is quite telling that several players, especially on D, who have performed well in the past happen to suddenly suck or are out of position. Something deeply is wrong with this team.

[Erik Flowers]

Tashard Choice is something guys like Kelsay and Fitzpatrick aren't.

 

He's not complacent.

 

Choice can be cut at any time. He's got no guaranteed contract. He's not guaranteed to be here next year. He's been cut by several teams because he didn't perform. He's motivated.

 

These other guys have their contracts. They haven't been benched or cut for being horrible. In fact, they keep starting and playing no matter how horrible they play, no matter if the team wins or loses.

 

Even Jackson and Spiller can become complacent. At worst, they share carries. It's not like Gailey will ultimately award one of them all the carries and the other one sits indefinetly.

 

For most of the guys you'd turn to for leadership, there is nothing that *personally* motivates them. They have the money and job security locked up.

 

It's one of the reasons the Bill up in New England is successful. He's a total *What Have You Done for Me Lately* kind of coach. Players know that if you don't perform, you'll be benched and/or cut, regardless of who you are.

 

That Sword of Damocles doesn't exist under Gailey.

"yeah!" say Mooreman, Dwan Edwards and Shawn Merriman.

[apuszczalowski]

Tashard Choice is something guys like Kelsay and Fitzpatrick aren't.

 

He's not complacent.

 

Choice can be cut at any time. He's got no guaranteed contract. He's not guaranteed to be here next year. He's been cut by several teams because he didn't perform. He's motivated.

 

These other guys have their contracts. They haven't been benched or cut for being horrible. In fact, they keep starting and playing no matter how horrible they play, no matter if the team wins or loses.

 

Even Jackson and Spiller can become complacent. At worst, they share carries. It's not like Gailey will ultimately award one of them all the carries and the other one sits indefinetly.

 

For most of the guys you'd turn to for leadership, there is nothing that *personally* motivates them. They have the money and job security locked up.

 

It's one of the reasons the Bill up in New England is successful. He's a total *What Have You Done for Me Lately* kind of coach. Players know that if you don't perform, you'll be benched and/or cut, regardless of who you are.

 

That Sword of Damocles doesn't exist under Gailey.

Really? The Hatred for this guy is unbelievable sometimes.

There are so many players you could have used instead of Kelsay, one of the players who comes out and I don't think has ever been complaicent. He may not be the most skilled players, but the guy never appears to just come out and "go through the motions" or not try.

 

 

As for Stevie, I would hope that if he ever decided that he is bigger then the team and takes stupid personal penalties again for celebrations he has been warned would result in 15 yard penalties, that there would be teammates lining up to bench him for the rest of the game or put him on IR. I would like to think that no one would be stupid enough to believe that his lower production this season is because he can't celebrate TDs the way he wants to.

[Mr. WEO]

Jeez, who do we hear from next? Easley? Troup?

[Buftex]

I don't know why the Bills locker room has always been quiet. No one's asking for crazy outbursts, but Tashard Choice should be one of the last guys to get up and say something. Where's Kelsay, Kyle Williams, and a few others?

 

IIRC, Aaron Schobel said something about the team after the Tennessee loss in 2009, which was DJ's final game. I'm not demanding the HC go right now, but I believe a veteran speaking up could get people out of their comfort zones. Problem is, Gailey seems in shock right now over what's transpired.

 

I remember that .... though, I think it was Terrell Owens who spoke up the loudest after that loss to Tennessee...as someone who was not a fan of bringing TO to Buffalo that year, I gotta say, the act of expediting the end of the Dick Jauron era of Bills football earns him a special place in my ever-jading Bills heart.

[GG]

And you are an NFL receiver? Your point is ridiculous? How many of these penalties does Reggie Wayne, Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Wes Welker or even a young ego like Percy Harvin-none that is how many. Who says the #1 receiver has to be a prima donna? Do you want me to keep naming names of people who are 10X better then Stevie and don't get these penalties or feel the need for so much attention? Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Cris Carter, etc. Point made. Quit making excuses for him. I like Stevie, but the chemistry has nothing to do with him not getting to write some assinine saying on a T-Shirt or mock Plaxico Burress in the endzone. I am a Bills fan too, as much as anyone, but I am not going to make statements that make me look under educated just to show support.

 

Hey it was a great sentiment for Gailey to try to instill team discipline and he had them for the training camp with the whole "You rank on one, you rank on all of us." Great for headlines, yet it's one thing to say it to a bunch of drunken fans and another when you're standing clueless on the sidelines while your team is getting the snot beat out of them by other NFL players.

 

What you're witnessing is a start of a player revolt, and Gailey seems to be unable to stop it. I'm not an NFL receiver, but I have been around a lot of entertainers & artists that I know their motivations are different than for ordinary people. What seems obvious is that Gailey is unable to find what motivates his players. Every coach has a different demeanor. The difference between the good coaches and the bad ones is that they're consistent in the application - thus a controlling screamer like Parcells will get his players to listen, as will a a hands off guy like Levy. Greggo's hardnosed bluster worked with his defensive players when he was a defensive coordinator, but he lost the full team as a head coach. Gailey had the same experience in Dallas when the team turned on him. He better have learned from that episode.

 

As for Stevie's antics, I'm not as bothered by them as long as he keeps producing. I still say that the 15 yarder in NE was a bullcrap call, because the refs never called a personal foul on those antics before. And Jerry Rice, Andre Reed & Chris Carter weren't prima donas? I must have been watching a different NFL all these years.

[The Voice of Truth]

It's pretty much a fact that this team has committed the worst sin in football; played like a bunch of pu****s and did it knowingly. They laid down. They gave up. They didn't want to finish plays and take that extra nick that putting emphasis behind your hits results in. They went through the motions. The evidence is very clear.

 

While I'm glad at least somebody spoke the truth in that locker room and called them out, I don't know if Choice was the right guy to do it. It sounds like he has some locker room respect so maybe it was ok, but why the hell didn't a prominent player on the team do it. We're lacking leadership, character and most-of-all toughness on this team. They better turn this trend around or I seriously think even Buffalo fans (extremely die hard) will stop paying attention.