Carucci doesn't expect any offseason changes...

[snafu]

I wish you would not paint with such a broad brush. I had plenty of misgivings about Rex and his system from the moment he was hired. I thought it was stupid to hire him and insure a change of D scheme when the D was not broken, the O was broken. I wanted them to hire an offensive-minded coach and keep Schwartz on, and I said it at the time.

 

I even thought, idly, that the Bills would have been better off with Gailey as head coach and Schwartz as D coordinator, thought of course that was impossible.

 

As I've already said several times, my instinct is not to change things for change's sake. We'll see how much any of us are willing to stay the course with Rex after another season or two.

 

I'm with you on all of this (except the Gailey part, but I get your point). I'm in NYC and saw Rex's show here for 6 years. I was disappointed when they announced the hire. I was hoping that he would have had some amount of introspection about his flaws and perhaps tried to fix them. I'm talking mostly about the fact that you can count on a Rex team to make at least three really bad timed, stupid mental errors every game. The fact that he can't manage a clock very well and the fact that he struggles with in-game awareness.

 

I'm resigned to the fact that he's coming back next year. Let's see how it goes. Can't control it. Can only hope he starts to "get it". He is about to complete his seventh year as a head coach, so my hopes certainly aren't high. They're going to have to win in spite of his crappy game management. I've seen him focus on getting defensive guys he wants in his off-seasons. I expect him to get the defense to play better. If he can't, then it should be one more year and gone.

[YoloinOhio]

 

I'm with you on all of this (except the Gailey part, but I get your point). I'm in NYC and saw Rex's show here for 6 years. I was disappointed when they announced the hire. I was hoping that he would have had some amount of introspection about his flaws and perhaps tried to fix them. I'm talking mostly about the fact that you can count on a Rex team to make at least three really bad timed, stupid mental errors every game. The fact that he can't manage a clock very well and the fact that he struggles with in-game awareness.

 

I'm resigned to the fact that he's coming back next year. Let's see how it goes. Can't control it. Can only hope he starts to "get it". He is about to complete his seventh year as a head coach, so my hopes certainly aren't high. They're going to have to win in spite of his crappy game management. I've seen him focus on getting defensive guys he wants in his off-seasons. I expect him to get the defense to play better. If he can't, then it should be one more year and gone.

as far as who he brings in, I would not be surprised to see UFA NT Damon Harrison from Jets and 1st rd pick of a stud MLB who can cover. The NT will free up Dareus to be Dareus. I also think they will sign a safety in FA, I.e.Reggie Nelson. Edited December 18, 2015 by YoloinOhio

[snafu]

as far as who he brings in, I would not be surprised to see UFA NT Damon Harrison from Jets and 1st rd pick of a stud MLB who can cover. The NT will free up Dareus to be Dareus. I also think they will sign a safety in FA like Reggie Nelson.

 

And probably a safety. Especially if A. Williams hangs it up.

[YoloinOhio]

 

And probably a safety. Especially if A. Williams hangs it up.

probably does depend on that (as far as how high they take one). I don't expect him to actually retire based on his comments, unless he is forced to, but you never know. Edited December 18, 2015 by YoloinOhio

[BillsVet]

Always amazing to see the same people defending coaches, management, et al. and predictably citing injuries as the issue. Happens every year. All after the QB has been healthy to start 11 games with Whaley's boy starting the other 2.

 

Besides what teams aren't banged up by this point in the year?

 

Then there are teams like NE who lose much of their OL, receivers, linebackers throughout the year and still beat quality teams.

 

Buffalo gets to play the two weakest divisions in the NFL and people cite injuries.

[The Frankish Reich]

Always amazing to see the same people defending coaches, management, et al. and predictably citing injuries as the issue. Happens every year. All after the QB has been healthy to start 11 games with Whaley's boy starting the other 2.

 

Besides what teams aren't banged up by this point in the year?

 

Then there are teams like NE who lose much of their OL, receivers, linebackers throughout the year and still beat quality teams.

 

Buffalo gets to play the two weakest divisions in the NFL and people cite injuries.

That's another reason why 2015 was the year to make a playoff run. And even more so in retrospect. Oh, it could still happen next season, but the planets were aligned this year until Rex kicked them out of alignment.

[BobbyC81]

Rex is responsible for a huge chunk of this offense by hiring Roman, getting Tyrod, and adding speed (aka McCoy), so yeah, it is a positive.

 

In the Bills organization, the GM acquires the players and the head coach coaches these players. WIth the acquisitions of some ex-Jets, Ryan may have some influence with Whaley but we don't know how much. Speculation about the handling of Cassell leads one to think they may not be completely working well together.

[3rdand12]

I don't get it. Why does anyone think continuity is everything? Particularly, continuity in a staff (RR/DT) that has destroyed this defense.

 

 

Help me understand your logic. Please.

Rex is going to be retained so he can release an All-pro DL. That can't learn his "scheme".

 

He is going to replace the best Defensive line in the league with his type of players that he thinks are going to learn his complicated scheme.

 

Sooooooo how long will this take, hmmmmm? Sounds to me like old Rexy is blowing it up and doing a rebuild his second year.

 

I thought that good coaches maximize their players abilities and utilize them accordingly. Instead, this Bozo makes no adjustments all year and when he misses his playoff playoff guarantee. The clown says it must be the coaching.

 

I got it now. Yup. Great plan. Continuity at its finest.

 

someone please get me some popcorn, I want to watch this freaking circus.

 

We know who clown is.

I want popcorn too. with extra butter.

[thebandit27]

I want popcorn too. with extra butter.

Don't forget salt, italian seasoning, and a bit of cayenne

[3rdand12]

I agree 100% with your post. But Big Cat is all in on Rex. We'll see how he does once he's purged the front seven and gets his own kind of players. I don't see how that is going to remedy the lack of accountability and discipline, and I am skeptical his defense next year is going to rise to the level of the defense he destroyed pretty much single handedly (with some help from injuries, to be sure).

maybe the players won't buy in?

That really is their choice.

Mario ain't buying for sure, and Dareus came back from the suspension sluggish.

I might guess Rex actually needs to bring in fresh eager players. Its hard to get the old guard players to switch up to extreme degrees. They just fight it.

 

Whether he is right or wrong or stupid dont matter. the players have to be immersed in the scheme and be willing to play the roles.

do not compare to D Wannstadt either, unless you want to admit the players quit on him in preseason.

[BobbyC81]

That's another reason why 2015 was the year to make a playoff run. And even more so in retrospect. Oh, it could still happen next season, but the planets were aligned this year until Rex kicked them out of alignment.

 

The to-date results are that the Bills finished 3-1 vs the AFC South, with a very disappointing loss to Jacksonville, but are 0-2 vs the NFC East. A .500 record vs those weak divisions.

 

They are currently 3-2 vs the AFC East with 2 close wins vs N.E. where a win vs the Jets in the last game puts them at 4-2. The other conference losses were to Cincy & KC, 2 likely playoff teams.

 

So, their current 6-7 record comes from an inability to beat the better teams and some disappointing losses to weak teams.

[Nihilarian]

That's another reason why 2015 was the year to make a playoff run. And even more so in retrospect. Oh, it could still happen next season, but the planets were aligned this year until Rex kicked them out of alignment.

I look at things from a different point of view. I want to see my team play the best, and beat them so then they will be the among the best at the end of the year. Be good enough to win the division, and home field throughout the playoffs, and only then do you have a real shot at a championship.

 

The best team in this division is the New England Patriots, and until this team gets a head coach who can beat Bill Belichick, Tom Brady. They really don't stand a chance to go to the final if they can't beat the best.

[3rdand12]

Simply remind them to re watch that first Patriots game, and then re watch the second game. Two drastically different schemes all game long with two drastically different results.

 

That first game is mostly what we have seen all year with Ryan's scheme in that the defense was in a soft 10 yards off the ball pass cover scheme with almost no blitzing. Aaron Williams, Kyle Williams, and Mario Williams all played in that first game, and the defense still allowed a franchise worst 466 yards passing to Brady.

 

"Rex Ryan, Dennis Thurman and defensive coaching staff: Ryan told his team that this loss was on his shoulders, and so he's a natural place to start in the "down" column. Ryan's defensive game plan couldn't put pressure on Tom Brady-- the Bills disrupted (a sack, batted ball, passed defense or interception) only 9.8 percent of Brady's dropbacks, a lower rate than in any of the Bills' 2014 games -- and he never seemed to have an effective plan for stopping either Rob Gronkowski or Julian Edelman."

http://espn.go.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/21042/bills-breakdowns-vs-patriots-start-with-rex-ryan-defensive-staff

 

The second game was a totally different story as the Bills were able to put pressure on Brady to the tune of 20 of his 40 drop backs, that's 50% vs 9.8%. The reason being is the Bills played up on the line, and stacked the box. The Bills rushed 6 or more all game long it seemed. The Bills brought so much pressure on Brady, and so much so that he was literally screaming at his offensive linemen. That last game the Bills managed to take Gronk right out of the game, and he only had 2 receptions for 37 yards! The Bills also held the Patriots high scoring offense to the lowest point total for the year in 20 points.

 

The Bills managed to do this without Aaron Williams, without Mario Williams, without Kyle Williams. Its not injuries, its not the players, its 100% the scheme! JMO

So since you are putting enough effort in.

 

 

second game. Brand new owners coaching staff having had the previous HC walk off in a huff.

 

Everyone was hittin the pipe after Colts.

Your point about how the Bills played the Pats the second time unfurls any reasoning that Rex cant make a adjustments or scheme is to blame.

My only question is why we dont play every team like the 2nd Pats game.

Its the players, and the learning curve

[The Frankish Reich]

I look at things from a different point of view. I want to see my team play the best, and beat them so then they will be the among the best at the end of the year. Be good enough to win the division, and home field throughout the playoffs, and only then do you have a real shot at a championship.

 

The best team in this division is the New England Patriots, and until this team gets a head coach who can beat Bill Belichick, Tom Brady. They really don't stand a chance to go to the final if they can't beat the best.

Hey, Rex was brought in here because he was the man who had the secret formula for beating Belichick and Brady. He was 4-9 against them. Then. 4-11 now. Maybe they didn't really think this out so well ...

[3rdand12]

Don't forget salt, italian seasoning, and a bit of cayenne

indulgent much? Its freakin popcorn.

 

i want my stroke from movie theater " butter"

and some junior mints washed down with high test soda Pop

 

carzy bastards here..

I look at things from a different point of view. I want to see my team play the best, and beat them so then they will be the among the best at the end of the year. Be good enough to win the division, and home field throughout the playoffs, and only then do you have a real shot at a championship.

 

The best team in this division is the New England Patriots, and until this team gets a head coach who can beat Bill Belichick, Tom Brady. They really don't stand a chance to go to the final if they can't beat the best.

This is Exactly and Perfectly Correct.

We are in agreement on one thing

 

Funny thing is that Rex has said that same mantra we all know. Gotta beat the Pats. and know that teams gets designed win the division first.

Ryan knows as well as we do. and i suspect that is what he is trying to build. and maybe it was not the team we had last year??

Hey, Rex was brought in here because he was the man who had the secret formula for beating Belichick and Brady. He was 4-9 against them. Then. 4-11 now. Maybe they didn't really think this out so well ...

they did. maybe i should give the fire enough time to heat up, before i toss on the steaks?

[Manther]

The continuity of the organization is a valid point. However, I think it's time to let Rex go. He's fallen on his sword by admitting he is the weakest link, he got outcoached at least twice and the team follows his lead and isn't very disciplined. Will Rex suddenly change his stripes next year? I doubt it. Fire him now and get on with continuity starting next year. If Rex stays, most likely we see more of the same next year and miss the playoffs. He might get a third year, but there's no reason to expect that the results will be any different. Rex doesn't seem able to make adjustments in how he coaches, Prime example is this year's defense. He seemingly refused to adjust his scheme to the talent and the defense took a huge step backwards. Get the pain over with now and move on. Continuity is only good when you have the right people in place. Rex has done nothing to indicate he is the right coach.

Agreed

You're probably right that they won't fire him.

 

But I want to ask you honestly, with sincerity and no hostility, what do you like about Rex Ryan? What has he shown this season that makes you confident he will do better next season. Do you believe that the Bills under him will ever be consistently good over a season, let alone five or ten years, the way the Pats or Steelers or Broncos have been?

I asked my Bills buddy the same question. He doesnt do anything well. Nothing that provides any hope for long term success.

I am so sick of the continuity argument. Do you truly want to continue to destroy a great defense?

 

I have absolutely no faith that even if Rex personally selected every defensive player, that the end product would be any any different from what you got from him this this year.

 

In his presser upon being hired he stated that the 4th ranked defense was not good enough, he said they should be 1st. He did not say, the players don't fit my scheme, so I am going to have to evaluate the personnel and make the necessary adjustments in the off season.

 

Rex is a Clown. Always has been and hopefully he will join his brother in the very near future. If Rex is the coach of the Bills next year, I am going to take a one year hiatus (the first since 1972) as a fan. And if the 8-8 or worse record they achieve in 2016 don't lead to Rex being fired I hate it for all Bills fans.

 

Seriously, why wait. Rex did not come here in a rebuilding mode. He guaranteed playoffs. He failed. This is a multi - billion dollar business. If I were the Pegula's, I have seen enough. I would cut my losses and move on. The writing is one the wall. The state of this organization after 2-3 more years of this clown is going to be devastating.

 

Flame away.

Agreed. This is the worst I have felt about being a Bills fan ever! With Rex I feel hopeless.

[3rdand12]

maybe he is pining

 

 

you folks have more room for a sense of humor in life,' because irony abounds

[The Big Cat]

You vs the entire message board... I wonder who's right....

 

First off, that's not true.

 

Second:

 

If there's one thing Internet message boards are known for, it's their preference for reasonable, thoughtful analysis over knee-jerk emotional outcry. Any remotely intelligent person would take your observation as a compliment.

[PlayoffsPlease]

The Bills are in mediocrity purgatory. Pretty good roster, half way decent coach and an equal number of older guys who have likely peaked, and younger guys who might get better. They are poised to be 8-8 for the foreseeable future.

[Wayne Cubed]

No offense but I hate the fact that the Bills went from Number One in the NFL in sacks to now thirtieth. Yea, that's right from 1st to an astounding now 30th! Those stats come with consequences either good if doing the sacking or bad if getting sacked.

 

I'm really very amazed that this years defense is only ranked 20th in total defense, and then 14th against the run with all the gap control they utilize. It really is a tribute to the Buffalo Bills player talent on the defense that they are only ranked 22nd against the pass considering how little pressure they get on the QB. How spectacular is Ronald Darby as a rookie to be starting and playing so well in such a bad scheme.

 

Its seriously laughable anyone here is lauding or defending the 2015 Bills stats when they near the worst defense in the NFL in sacks, and yet have 250 million in their front four. This is like last year when fans defended the near worst offensive line in the NFL, and yet three of the five players on the O line were scrubs. This D line had three pro bowlers on it, and the fourth guy was such a pass rush terror last season that he should have gone too.

 

So many positive things can happen for a defense when it can apply pressure on the opposing QB, and conversely it gives that opposing QB all day to throw with little or no pressure. Allow me to remind everyone that the Bills currently have only 19 sacks with three games to go. 19 sacks, really? My god, no wonder it looks like opposing QB's have all day to throw every game... because they do.

 

Even Dave Wannstadt wasn't this bad in sacks, as his team finished with 36 sacks. George Edwards under Chan Gailey even had more sacks with 27 in 2010, and 29 in 2011, and that was without Dareus in 2010, and without Mario Williams, and Jerry Hughes in 2011!

 

Its not the injuries, its not the players, its 100% the scheme!

 

 

Apparently you are hell bent on driving home the Sacks statistics and didn't actually read what I wrote. Let me ask you this, who was the #1 "total defense" last year and where did they rank in Sacks? Oh, it was Seattle and they ranked 20th in Sacks.

 

If you read what I wrote to you, looking at Sacks isn't an end all be all to determining how good or bad a defense is. Is this years defense as good as last years? No. I said that. Is this years defense as bad as you keep stating with the "total defense" stat? IMO, no they aren't. I'll say it again, total defense is just total yards given up. That, IMO, isn't a very good indicator of how good or bad a defense is. If Team A has a bad offense and therefore sees more plays or drives against than Team B whose offense can sustain longer drives and their defense doesn't see as many drives against, can you honestly just look at Total Yards Against(Total Defense) and determine who the better defense is? It's a little more complicated than that.

 

According to Total Defense, Dallas is ranked 9th. Do you really think Dallas is the 9th ranked defense? Advanced statistics say they give up a higher percentage of scoring drives than the Bills do. They also have less yards total because they've had 40 less plays and 20 less drives against than the Bills defense. That's almost a whole games worth of plays/drives! Their average drive yardage is 2 yards more than the Bills defense. If you add 20 more drives with their average yards per drive to equal what the Bills defense has seen, their "Total Defense" would be 24th in the league.

 

Like I said, this years defense, IMO, is somewhere between 11-15. Not as good as last years and definitely disappointing in terms of expectations.