Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Is Nathaniel Hackett as poor a coordinator as he seems? I have to follow the Bills online and rarely see a game, but my impression is that he is way over his head, a small-time college coach basically faking it and hoping no one notices. Is it that bad? Yes, he had to deal with young quarterbacks, but I saw (or rather read) no flare, no surprises, no imagination. He reminded me of an offensive version of Dave Wannstedt.

 

Was it that bad?

  • Replies 120
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted

Is Nathaniel Hackett as poor a coordinator as he seems? I have to follow the Bills online and rarely see a game, but my impression is that he is way over his head, a small-time college coach basically faking it and hoping no one notices. Is it that bad? Yes, he had to deal with young quarterbacks, but I saw (or rather read) no flare, no surprises, no imagination. He reminded me of an offensive version of Dave Wannstedt.

 

Was it that bad?

Frankly, the whole front office/coaching staff on paper is JV relative to the rest of the league, although I think they have had a great offseason and things look good for this season. Here's to hoping, for the 15th time.

Posted

Last year he was over his head in that Marrone should have done last year what he did this year in hiring an Assistant head Coach in Hostler, and a QB coach for a rookie, and inexperienced back ups.

 

Because of such inexperience, teams will often rely more on a running game, and safe and easy passes. Compound this with your starter missing half the pre-season, and getting hurt two more times in the year missing 6 regular season games.

 

There were times where Hackett looked sharp like in the KC game. It's not his fault Tuel throws a critical INT in the end zone, and when Graham drops a ball on our 10 yard line causing a 14 pt. swing in the game. I'm not willing to throw him under the bus yet, but he should be able to open up the passing game this year.

 

If he was that bad, and all of these teams who had good front 7's knew we were going to run the ball, and our bad O-Line, and we still ended up 2nd in the NFL in the run.

 

That's not an accident. I'm just saying give him time this year with new tools, a better line we hope, a more mature QB and see how he calls plays this year.

Posted

Adding 2 good RB's and beefed up OL means back to "ground chuck" (Knox) , take some pressure off EJ . Gives our defence some rest by control time of possession.

Posted

You don't call a pass from the one or two yard line with an inexperienced rookie qb. You have to put people in a position to succeed, not fail.

Posted

You don't call a pass from the one or two yard line with an inexperienced rookie qb. You have to put people in a position to succeed, not fail.

Oh really? So no other team does this? it's against the rules? I must have missed the memo on that one, because that is what many NFL teams do to counter the defense stacking the line against the run.
Posted (edited)

Is Nathaniel Hackett as poor a coordinator as he seems? I have to follow the Bills online and rarely see a game, but my impression is that he is way over his head, a small-time college coach basically faking it and hoping no one notices. Is it that bad? Yes, he had to deal with young quarterbacks, but I saw (or rather read) no flare, no surprises, no imagination. He reminded me of an offensive version of Dave Wannstedt.

 

Was it that bad?

 

Thanks for playing.

 

Edit: I was chastised for my tone, so I'll answer seriously. How can you come up with that sort of opinion when you admit you don't even watch the games? I tire of this stuff.

Edited by eball
Posted

Oh really? So no other team does this? it's against the rules? I must have missed the memo on that one, because that is what many NFL teams do to counter the defense stacking the line against the run.

With the 3rd string QB? I'll take a seat while you find all of the examples.
Posted

You don't call a pass from the one or two yard line with an inexperienced rookie qb. You have to put people in a position to succeed, not fail.

He didn't call the pass. He called for a run play, and the play had a run/pass option in which Tuel chose the pass. This was explained by Marrone or Hackett at some point after the game. I suppose you could question why they allowed him to exercise options on plays.
Posted (edited)

Is Nathaniel Hackett as poor a coordinator as he seems? I have to follow the Bills online and rarely see a game, but my impression is that he is way over his head, a small-time college coach basically faking it and hoping no one notices. Is it that bad? Yes, he had to deal with young quarterbacks, but I saw (or rather read) no flare, no surprises, no imagination. He reminded me of an offensive version of Dave Wannstedt.

 

Was it that bad?

 

I don't really have the expertise to figure it out.

 

However, what I do know is that with rookie QBs(injured and down to 3rd & 4th string), hobbled RBs(both at the same time), a hobbled #1WR(who missed 4 games....should have been 5) & rookie #2 & #4 WRs, a turnstile RG and a porous OL in general.........his offense still produced to similar levels( run, pass & scoring) to the previous year where we apparently had an offensive genius HC/OC.

Edited by Dibs
Posted

Last year he was over his head in that Marrone should have done last year what he did this year in hiring an Assistant head Coach in Hostler, and a QB coach for a rookie, and inexperienced back ups.

 

Because of such inexperience, teams will often rely more on a running game, and safe and easy passes. Compound this with your starter missing half the pre-season, and getting hurt two more times in the year missing 6 regular season games.

 

There were times where Hackett looked sharp like in the KC game. It's not his fault Tuel throws a critical INT in the end zone, and when Graham drops a ball on our 10 yard line causing a 14 pt. swing in the game. I'm not willing to throw him under the bus yet, but he should be able to open up the passing game this year.

 

If he was that bad, and all of these teams who had good front 7's knew we were going to run the ball, and our bad O-Line, and we still ended up 2nd in the NFL in the run.

 

That's not an accident. I'm just saying give him time this year with new tools, a better line we hope, a more mature QB and see how he calls plays this year.

 

There's a school of thought that the guy calling the play shouldn't have called those particular plays at that time, especially when our running game was working well.

Posted (edited)

 

 

I don't really have the expertise to figure it out.

 

However, what I do know is that with rookie QBs(injured and down to 3rd & 4th string), hobbled RBs(both at the same time), a hobbled #1WR(who missed 4 games....should have been 5) & rookie #2 & #4 WRs, a turnstile RG and a porous OL in general.........his offense still produced to similar levels( run, pass & scoring) to the previous year where we apparently had an offensive genius HC/OC.

This +100

 

Not to mention that, with all of the above going on, I believe 9 of their games were against teams ranked in the top ten defensively, and only 2-3 of their opponents were above the 15-20 defensive rank range. Add to that the fact that it was a brand new coaching staff from top to bottom.

 

Above average talent, playing to the level of that talent, playing consistently, and remaining healthy are as critical as the coach's abilities. Most of us felt Pettine was a good DC; yet, when his secondary was injured and hobbled, the defense was torched in the passing game. And, a linebacking corp of overall less than average talent contributed greatly to a less than average run defense.

 

I have no idea if Hackett will be a good OC. I just know it is unfair to make any conclusive judgements from last year.

Edited by billsfan1959
Posted (edited)

I think the fact we scored a ton of points last year with 3 different QB's proves that Hackett is more than capable. If we had a proven starter, we would likely be picked as a SB contender. I feel very good with Hackett at OC. Now, as for the terrible pass at the 1 yard line, that was a rookie mistake by two rookies (QB and OC). Although at the time I did want to break my TV.

Edited by RyanC883
Posted

It's hard to say yet because he was working with a rookie qb who worked through two injuries, installing a new offense, had a serious problem at left guard that constantly broke up plays and momentum, and CJ had a major issue with his ankle for most of the season.

 

There are many facets to the OC job, and they go much further than play calling. He chose to play TJ Graham over larger receivers with better hands and ball skills which was questionable because it became apparent that EJ isn't a super accurate passer, he became predictable at times but began to loosen up as the season went on (2nd Jets game was very well called).

 

This season will tell the tale on both hackett and EJ. they need each other to succeed in this league and hopefully they can find a way.

Posted

 

 

Thanks for playing.

 

Edit: I was chastised for my tone, so I'll answer seriously. How can you come up with that sort of opinion when you admit you don't even watch the games? I tire of this stuff.

 

Eball: I know a guy, who has a cousin that was told about an article written about why the Bills won't have success this year... He didn't have all the facts, but the title of the article alone was enough to prove to me that we are destined for failure again this year...

Posted

There's a school of thought that the guy calling the play shouldn't have called those particular plays at that time, especially when our running game was working well.

It was working so well that Fred Jackson got stuffed on the 1 yard line TWO TIMES prior to that interception! Hindsight rocks! No one was complaining when Tuel was playing well prior.
Posted

I'm confused. If OP "follows the Bills online" thereby relying on the information there within, how have the never ending debates on this topic eluded him/her since September?

Posted

Thanks for playing.

 

Edit: I was chastised for my tone, so I'll answer seriously. How can you come up with that sort of opinion when you admit you don't even watch the games? I tire of this stuff.

 

Your snark was well deserved in this case, IMO, especially when we've seen this question posed a million times in other threads.

 

FWIW, many of the former NFL players and FO types on Sirius have had nothing by praise for both Hackett and Marrone saying things like "they're the guys", etc.

 

I'll take the opinion of the experts (and, even more importantly will see what the guy can do with healthy players, a full off-season, etc) before passing judgment...

×
×
  • Create New...