ChanOverChin Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 One of the things that I think Marrone brings to the table as a former NFL player is that he knows what it takes to be prepared for the season and he knows the importance of motivating players to perform at their best. After all, the two most important factors in coaching are: 1. Preparation and 2. Motivation. One of my favorite quotes from Marrone as he attempts to build the Bills into a consistent winner reads as follows: ‘On a good team, a coach holds his players accountable. On a great team, the players hold each other accountable.’ This is so very true and I love it that Marrone is instilling this virtue into his players.
Mr. WEO Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 You mean he's going to bench starters (say, Mario) who are playing poorly?
VanCity Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 You mean he's going to bench starters (say, Mario) who are playing poorly? No, he wants the team to be great. This means that the other players will bench Mario if he plays poorly. I kid, I kid. But, seriously, this is the absolute truth in every team sport. A coach can set the plays, mentally and physically prepare you for the game and give their players the knowledge to do what it takes to succeed. But, the guy playing beside you can do a lot more to motivate you to perform by getting in your face and letting you know when you mess up, encouraging you when you are playing the game the right way and giving you feedback right away on the field/court. Not all players respond the same way to coaching or to on-field leadership, but the majority of players take a lot more accountability when the guys that they are going to battle with are letting them know that they are or are not doing their job the best they can. (Jared Gaither aside....)
RocBuffalo Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 The most important things in coaching are......1.) winning and 2.) winning.
KeisterHollow Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 These "intangibles" are truly underrated - big time. Something I love about football, and the reason I watch the NFL so closely - if you take the measurables of every team right now (weight, height, speed, strength), of all the players at every position, and compare them to every other team, you'd have, I suspect, just about an even set of figures for each team. In fact, I'd guess the teams with the best combination of size and speed are not necessarily the best teams. So, what factors are inherent in the better teams that are absent in the lesser teams? Well, coaching - the schemes - and also playing as a team, that brotherhood, that knowledge of teammates that allows guys to play off each other, desire, motivation, heart. I truly believe most any team has enough talent to be a playoff team, and one of the best teams in the NFL, if they are coached right, if their players are giving it their all, and if players and coaches alike do not accept losing. That is a big one - and that is what makes guys like Tom Brady so good; he's got ordinary measurables, but he HATES losing, and he wants to be the best to such a degree that just winning regularly isn't enough - he wants perfection. Bill Walsh was the same way. I say that is the key that distinguishes the best teams from the rest - the best teams WILL NOT ACCEPT LOSING, and therefore will do whatever it takes to be the best. In today's NFL that is disappearing, as so many of the players are playing for money, and whether they win or lose makes little difference to them, as the home team isn't usually their home, either. That's why creating an environment where the players are a second home - they are a family - and each player wants to win for his teammates, and his focus is on being the best he can possibly be - that ends up really showing up on the field on sundays. Again - most good defenses are good because they're on a storied team with a history of great defenses, and coupled with good coaching, the players play to the identity of that team toughness - like the Steelers, Ravens, like the Jets became when Pettine and Rex arrived. That is what we finally have the good fortune to see coming to Buffalo, and I am so excited about it!
San Jose Bills Fan Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 ^^^^^^^^^^^ Head Coach and quarterback. Biggest factors in NFL success. I'm very optimistic about Marrone and EJ Manuel.
Lurker Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 On a great team, the players hold each other accountable.’ At this level, the players have to be accountable to themselves. If it takes a 'fire and brimstone' speech (or air horn), you've got the wrong guys...
CodeMonkey Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 (edited) These "intangibles" are truly under overrated - big time. It's been stated before, but at the elite professional level like these guys are, if it takes a coach, other players, their wives, other players wives, their mothers, or anyone else to motivate them then you simply have the wrong guys. The Bills have had enough intangible bull **** the last 13 years mainly because when teams fans talk about intangibles it almost always means the team sucks. How about something tangible for a change, something refreshing like oh .... maybe winning more games than you lose. Edited May 9, 2013 by CodeMonkey
hondo in seattle Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 These "intangibles" are truly underrated - big time. Something I love about football, and the reason I watch the NFL so closely - if you take the measurables of every team right now (weight, height, speed, strength), of all the players at every position, and compare them to every other team, you'd have, I suspect, just about an even set of figures for each team. In fact, I'd guess the teams with the best combination of size and speed are not necessarily the best teams. So, what factors are inherent in the better teams that are absent in the lesser teams? Well, coaching - the schemes - and also playing as a team, that brotherhood, that knowledge of teammates that allows guys to play off each other, desire, motivation, heart. I truly believe most any team has enough talent to be a playoff team, and one of the best teams in the NFL, if they are coached right, if their players are giving it their all, and if players and coaches alike do not accept losing. That is a big one - and that is what makes guys like Tom Brady so good; he's got ordinary measurables, but he HATES losing, and he wants to be the best to such a degree that just winning regularly isn't enough - he wants perfection. Bill Walsh was the same way. I say that is the key that distinguishes the best teams from the rest - the best teams WILL NOT ACCEPT LOSING, and therefore will do whatever it takes to be the best. In today's NFL that is disappearing, as so many of the players are playing for money, and whether they win or lose makes little difference to them, as the home team isn't usually their home, either. That's why creating an environment where the players are a second home - they are a family - and each player wants to win for his teammates, and his focus is on being the best he can possibly be - that ends up really showing up on the field on sundays. Again - most good defenses are good because they're on a storied team with a history of great defenses, and coupled with good coaching, the players play to the identity of that team toughness - like the Steelers, Ravens, like the Jets became when Pettine and Rex arrived. That is what we finally have the good fortune to see coming to Buffalo, and I am so excited about it! I wouldn't go so far as to say that talent is roughly equal in the NFL. But I do agree that coaching and leadership tend to be undervalued by modern fans and modern owners. I find it odd that the best players on a team will make more than their coach. A coach has to be a leader of men, but he also needs to be good tactically with X's and O's. He also needs to know this business well enough that he makes all the right decisions when putting together his staff, his off-season plans, his preparations in the week leading up to game day, etc. There's a huge disparity between the great coaches and the bad ones and it shows up in wins and losses. The Pats dynasty is as much about Belichick as it is about Brady. That's what makes this Bills season so intriguing. We have all new coaches and we don't really know how good they are. Pettine ran a good defense with the Jets - or did Rex run it? Marrone ran a good O for the Saints - or did Peyton run it? Can these new coaches transform our formerly mediocre players into high-performers? I don't know, but I'll watch every game until I find out.
FLFan Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 Obviously you need talent but anybody who has watched the Bills has surely noticed something missing I think Marone's approach as pointed out by the OP is dead on. There is a reason the supposed "leaders" of the team are no longer there
CodeMonkey Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 That's what makes this Bills season so intriguing. We have all new coaches and we don't really know how good they are. Pettine ran a good defense with the Jets - or did Rex run it? Marrone ran a good O for the Saints - or did Peyton run it? Can these new coaches transform our formerly mediocre players into high-performers? I don't know, but I'll watch every game until I find out. Agreed that the complete coaching turnover plus all new QBs will make it interesting, particularly at first. But admit it, you will watch every game even after you find out like the rest of us
FluffHead Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 All these feel good stories roll in whenever a new coaching staff takes over. We should be used to it by now
eball Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 All these feel good stories roll in whenever a new coaching staff takes over. We should be used to it by now Incorrect. Dick Jauron? Nothing felt "good" about that. Chan Gailey? We tried to convince ourselves. The last HC hire that provided any measure of "excitement" was probably Mularkey, with his "my password is Super Bowl" stories. But even then, we were soured by the expectations and then flop of Greggo. Marrone's hire reflects a real change in direction; there are legitimate reasons for optimism.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 All these feel good stories roll in whenever a new coaching staff takes over. We should be used to it by now Yes and they're all exactly the same.
CodeMonkey Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 (edited) Incorrect. Dick Jauron? Nothing felt "good" about that. Chan Gailey? We tried to convince ourselves. The last HC hire that provided any measure of "excitement" was probably Mularkey, with his "my password is Super Bowl" stories. But even then, we were soured by the expectations and then flop of Greggo. Marrone's hire reflects a real change in direction; there are legitimate reasons for optimism. Lots said the same of Gailey if memory serves. And it was true, unfortunately the direction was down Gotta love the off season Edited May 9, 2013 by CodeMonkey
eball Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 (edited) Lots said the same of Gailey if memory serves. And it was true, unfortunately the direction was down Gotta love the off season I don't think so. The "oh, crap, a retread" initial reaction was followed by attempts to convince ourselves Gailey deserved another shot at the NFL (after quotes from Jerry Jones and Bill Cowher). The bottom line is that nobody was "excited" about the Gailey hire. Remember, we were still stinging from Shanny's rejection and the fact nobody worth a damn wanted the job. Edited May 9, 2013 by eball
San Jose Bills Fan Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 I don't think so. The "oh, crap, a retread" initial reaction was followed by attempts to convince ourselves Gailey deserved another shot at the NFL (after quotes from Jerry Jones and Bill Cowher). The bottom line is that nobody was "excited" about the Gailey hire. Remember, we were still stinging from Shanny's rejection and the fact nobody worth a damn wanted the job. Yep.
Rubes Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 I don't think so. The "oh, crap, a retread" initial reaction was followed by attempts to convince ourselves Gailey deserved another shot at the NFL (after quotes from Jerry Jones and Bill Cowher). The bottom line is that nobody was "excited" about the Gailey hire. Remember, we were still stinging from Shanny's rejection and the fact nobody worth a damn wanted the job. If you want a good reminder of the reaction when Gailey was hired, just go flip through the Stadium Wall Archives and read a few of the thread titles. They currently start somewhere around page 640 in the Archives. Here are some great examples. And really, this is not cherry-picking. What would salvage this disaster? Anyone Else Just Feeling Numb about this Hiring? Let the Doom & Gloom reign Terrible News Even Dallas fans feel bad for us Chan Gailey-more of the same-We will never be a winning team Also, a great quote from an ESPN.com article from January 2010: "It appears that the Bills swung for the fences -- and then settled for a weak grounder to short. To label this an uninspiring hire is an injustice to the uninspiring men who preceded Gailey in Buffalo." Some people tried really hard to convince themselves they should get excited, but most instincts were correct, it seems.
FluffHead Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 Incorrect. Dick Jauron? Nothing felt "good" about that. Chan Gailey? We tried to convince ourselves. The last HC hire that provided any measure of "excitement" was probably Mularkey, with his "my password is Super Bowl" stories. But even then, we were soured by the expectations and then flop of Greggo. Marrone's hire reflects a real change in direction; there are legitimate reasons for optimism. Not saying you felt good about them. But the PR stories put out by the Bills sing the same tune for every new regime that comes in. They were preaching accountability and a more business like mentality in the workplace when Gailey came in as well
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