Sports Illustrated coaching change article

[Bills59]

Nix and Gailey both need to be fired.

[thewildrabbit]

I like Chan, but he made a horrible decision to put his career on the line with Fitzpatrick. If Chan goes, the bearded QB better be close behind.

I think Gailey will be defined more by his choice of defensive coordinators rather then his QB.

 

People will look back at the stats and say 3000 yards passing and 1000 yard rushers, pretty good.

 

OTOH, His defenses setting both franchise and NFL records for being bad is what killed his teams the last 2 years

[BuffaloBillsMagic1]

Hope we get destroyed by Jets so it make this a fact rather than hope....

[ALF]

Giving up record points this year has to be corrected

[TheZone78]

John,

 

I feel bad for Chan. I know they went from a spread offense to more of a dink and dunk short horizontal passing game this year. Since teams have caught on to the screen game they haven't had an answer. Now that Chandler has gone down the Bills are very easy to defend against offensively. I know Chan's abilities have been severely limited by his personnel at QB and lack of supporting cast at WR. Either way it's irrelevant what I think because it will have absolutely zero bearing on what happens early next week. I think what frustrates Bills fans the most is the organization just doesn't show itself as a first class organization. They have done bizarre things in the front office after Donahoe was ushered out. I hope they are able to capture lightning in a bottle again sooner rather than later.

[thewildrabbit]

Wawrow,

 

I don't think it's anywhere near as awful in the local sports media as you're making it out to be. It could be a lot worse. Message boards? Maybe, but that is not sports media, just a reflection of our culture.

 

Can you imagine the NY, Boston, or Philly media with Chan and Fitzpatrick as their pinatas? Add in the national media, because right now nobody outside of Buffalo even cares about the Bills. I heard John Clayton refer to Ole Fitzy as "Fitzgerald" in an interview on Sirius NFL radio (not with local guys when he pretends to have some knowledge of the team). The Bills are literally irrelevant to ESPN and the like (which is good for Chan). Try coaching in NY. They still don't treat Coughlin like an elite borderline Hall of Fame level coach. Instead, they ruthlessly tear the Giants, the QB, and the coach apart.

 

A guy like Nix (who has accomplished nothing here) would give his little "we can let this thing go dead" line to the NY media and they would absolutely destroy him. It would be all over the national sports media, on Jim Rome, on ESPN, etc. It barely made a ripple nationally because it's the Bills. These guys have it easy here.

 

The Buffalo media is tame by comparison. Doesn't make it right, but pro sports is a brutal, cutthroat world full of ultra-aggressive alpha males. The only way to survive is to win more than you lose.

Amen, It would be so much worse in other cities.

 

I don't feel bad for the man at all as he was paid millions to do a job that very few people on this earth get a chance to do. Three years is more chance then many NFL coaches get to show what they can do.

[jjmac]

Why wait till Monday do it now

No, no, no.

 

We need continuity.

 

It's hard to win in the NFL.

[Nanker]

The fitz deal isn't near as damning as some make it sound. What I will say is I agree with zone - the first two years it seemed like he had a philosophy (like it or not, and sure he made some changes but a broad stroke philosophy on football and operations). This year he's been just all over the place. The FG stuff, spiller, the comments implying he had nothing to do with the D, situational playcalling (a 2nd and 20 wildcat run down big late in the game? That's not just getting too cute). I questioned a few weeks ago if it was possible that age or health or stress finally overcame his decision making this year. It's weird to see someone with so much established philosophy just all over the place.

I think the accumulation of losing games finally overwhelmed him. He began grasping at straws. He hired a ZERO for a DC twice. He did not have quality coaching assistants, and his insistence on being the OC and not giving Curtis the game day responsibility left him with too much to do and it wore him down.

 

Firing a HC and even a GM is not a good sign. We keep doing it every few years.

Can anyone name any coach on the staff that should be retained?

They need to have someone in the GM role that can hire talented coaches.

 

I think there's a nucleus of decent players here - which goes largely unspoken in threads like this.

The Bills definitely need new blood in their coaching ranks.

[Maury Ballstein]

yes then we can start all over and bring in _____________ and we'll have no patience for him either in 2016 well be here again.

 

Thats the spirit! Come on let the new coach bring a little light to this place.

[peterpan]

I still like Shaw or Roman as HC.

 

If we couldnt get Harbaugh then lets get someone just like him!

 

I also couldnt argue with Arians from Indy, but I think he will get a better offer than the Bills job.

[Maury Ballstein]

why, are you a loser, too?

 

jw

 

your attempt at cheapshot humor has left me whelmed.

 

i'm not kidding. i'm attempting to make one last stand at the far too many cheapshots that have been taken at a person's expense. this is wrong and mean and shameful.

 

Failin Gailey is off limits now?

 

These things happen when coaches fail, nothing new IMO. You should go to the Jets board and tell them how cheap and low class they are under the Sanchez threads.

 

its the cost of doing buisness, some random posters garbage comments don't mean much.

 

whatever is in Gailey's garbage probably cost more than mellamans house for the record, Chan will be fine

 

Gailey has failed and "it is what it is" Namecalling etc. is expected IMO.

 

I think for as bad as Chan has been,most have been nice to him as he seems like a nice old man and people have been somewhat respectable because of that. If Lane Kiffin had the same results as Chan we would have ran him out of town weeks ago and burned him in effigy.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Ryan L Billz

[BillsVet]

I like Chan, but he made a horrible decision to put his career on the line with Fitzpatrick. If Chan goes, the bearded QB better be close behind.

 

Was that all Chan or could it have been a decision made with Nix. Pure speculation, but I've often wondered why the Bills used so many resources, both in the draft and in free agency, toward trying to stock a 3-4 and then 4-3 defense. Perhaps one or both thought this was more important and Gailey being the offensive minded HC, they agreed to work around their QB.

 

Regardless, whatever plan was made between the GM and HC was inherently flawed, not forward looking, and unsuccessful.

[mrags]

none of this makes sense. something called the no spin zone reporting that "it's friends" at Si are reporting that a coach is going to be fired in Buffalo even though the article it references is speculative at best.

i hope this isn't some dog chasing its tail.

 

it's a self-fulfilling prophecy that is based on nothing concrete. i'm not saying it might not happen, but to base any conclusions on this is questionable.

 

and i'm tired of folks piling on on Chan. this witch hunt has gone on long enough. let's have a little empathy here. Gailey's been swinging in the wind for far too long without any support from ownership, the CEO or Buddy Nix, who's suddenly gone silent. this topic has been beaten for far too long, with far too many people taking far too much pleasure out of it.

 

let's remember this is an actual person who has tried his best to turn this franchise around and to a degree failed.

 

i'm not saying Chan's not open to criticism but i'd hate to think no one here has never been wrong.

 

i'm tired of this boring, dull topic, with one dozen threads popping up at a moment's notice. good god, have some respect.

 

jw

 

and yeah, i'm in a mood to start taking people on because enough of this is enough, and i'm tired of the mob-rule mentality that some in the media have taken.

 

i'll remain contrarian and objective and question why this is being viewed through a 13-year prism and not a 3-year one.

 

the team has been dysfunctional for longer than Chan and Buddy have been here. but few seems to want to acknowledge that, and instead lay all the blame on the current regime for the troubles past.

 

for shame. for shame. i thought people here had better perspective.

You sound like Tom Donahoe right there. Lol. But your right. Not about the media and people calling for Chans head. I feel he's earned it. But about all the stupid rumor posts. The "who's got a bigger D*%K" stuff has to stop.

 

[CodeMonkey]

No reason to be scared, almost impossible to be any worse

I bet you said the same thing when Jauron was fired.

 

I like Chan, but he made a horrible decision to put his career on the line with Fitzpatrick. If Chan goes, the bearded QB better be close behind.

I expect the fate of Fitz will be left to the HC, be it Gailey or someone else.

 

But about all the stupid rumor posts. The "who's got a bigger D*%K" stuff has to stop.

What is interesting to me is that no one, and I mean no one, seems to be interested in the game Sunday.

All the posts are about who might or might not be fired Monday. And all with seemingly no credible basis in fact, just rumor or speculation.

Edited December 28, 2012 by CodeMonkey

[inkman]

The "who's got a bigger D*%K" stuff has to stop.

My vote is for Mario Williams.

[BuffBill]

I certainly hope it turns out to be more then a dumbfounded rumor. In fact, I hope Ralphy is in an agreeable mode when Brandon talks to him and he cleans out the entire front office also, which is what apparently Brandon is hoping for.

 

I like Chan, but he made a horrible decision to put his career on the line with Fitzpatrick. If Chan goes, the bearded QB better be close behind.

No doubt. I have been saying that for over a year, that his insistence to stick with Fitz, would ultimately cost him his job. Might just cost Nix his job also for not bringing in a replacement.

[bigK14094]

Well, I guess I am a serious minority opionion here, but I think Chan is slight favorite to stay. Ralph won't listen to the media (Brandon will, though) IF past practice is followed, there will be a review next week with Mr Wilson, with Nix, Gailey and Brandon present. We will know after that meeting Who is staying in the management of the team. I remember Chuck Knox coming back from Detriot after that meeting, and announcing after 5 years that he would not be retained. (no playoffs) So, could be next week, but might run into the following week, depending on when they do their review. If NIX goes, Whatley is a favorite, as THAT would constitute continuity, which IS Mr Wilson's style.

Edited December 28, 2012 by bigK14094

[mrags]

John,

Not let me get this out there first. I'm not piling on. I feel Gailey has earned the criticism. He HAS mad numerous mistakes. He HAS mismanaged the team, roster, talent, play calls, play clock and game time decisions. I don't think it's piling in because all of it is true. Whether myself or anyone else in that position could do better, is irrelevant. Nobody else is in that position but Chan. When people suck at thier jobs, and we all know a 15-33 record SUCKS, they get fired. They get talked about at company meetings as far as where the company is falling behind. They are looked at as an incompetent person. Now that could be the companies fault for not training that person properly. Or giving them enough tools to do the job. Or maybe it's just that persons fault because they are lazy, only there to collect a check, and spend more time on computer games than making sales calls.

 

Now of course Chan is trying. Won't deny him of that. But he also got paid a lot of money to turn this thing around and his incompetence has failed us. His lack of respect for the fans and players to play certain individuals more, example CJ, anyone else at QB. That's where his incompetence comes into play. As little national attention as we get being the Bills, we sure do get a lot of ESPN and other media people talking about how great Spiller would be with more touches. We certainly hear about how bad Fitz is and all The bad ints he throws. It feels like Chan has made this personal. Like he needed to prove he could win with certain people and or certain schemes. Just as a "ill show everybody" kind of way. That's just my opinion.

 

But throughout the year, he has constantly lied to media, to fans, and to the players on this team. How many times has he said its his fault we lost? And how many times has he made the same game day mistakes he commented about no more than the week before? How many times has he said he needs to find ways to get CJ the ball more? And how many times has CJ had under 12 carries the following week. IMO, the CJ situation alone should get him fired. CJ was Chans first draft choice as head coach. He made comments very early on about getting the running game back in Buffalo. Said we were missing that "Waterbug" type of back. He couldn't have been more wrong about Him. CJ is quick and moves with great lateral quickness, but he is not a situational back like a "Waterbug" back. He made him his first choice overall and barely uses him Dispite CJ leading the league in YPC. He has only attempted twice to give CJ over the 20 carries mark. If CJ was in another team with a competent coach, he'd have 20 TDs and 2,000 yards combined. With those kind of numbers, it would be hard for our winning % not to increase.

 

That's all I got for now. I feel he should get the brunt of the criticism but not be humiliated while doing it. With that said, he's been a BAD coach, and anyone with a 15-33 record in 3 years would be fired as well and talked about like we and media talk about Chan. It's really not as bad as you make it out to be. Just my opinion.

[stinky finger]

I just want to know what the heck happened to Chan this year. His attitude changed and his play calling looked like he had a big glass of crack to drink before the game. The first two years I didn't have an issue with him. What the heck changed?

 

The pressure to win and the fact he couldn't meet the challenge.

[BuffaloBill]

Whether or not there's any basis for the SI prediction, many here have been firm in the conviction that Gailey will be fired.

 

Amazingly there are numerous very good posters here who don't seem to think he will be.

 

For weeks I've considered his firing to be a foregone conclusion.

 

I would have disagreed before the Seattle game but since Gailey has appeared to lack conviction and a sense of confidence. His team has been outplayed and he along with his staff have been out coached. Having a turnstile in the front office and among the coaching staff is not productive. However, Nix and Gailey have been given time. They put their bet on Fitzpatrick in a QB driven league clearly a mistake in hindsight.