Vic C's BN piece--really rips Rex as defensive coach

[jimmy10]

 

If my boss hired a new guy with my title and moved him into my office, I'd "choose to leave on my own".

Well, yeah. I'm just saying, I thought that was the narrative at the time. Of course it could've been damage control/PR mode BS. But why the hit piece with the "real story" now?

[K-9]

After Marrone quit, Schwartz made it crystal clear in his interview for the job, that he wasn't interested in staying unless he was named HC. That was before they ever even interviewed Ryan, let alone hired him. Perhaps he should have made his assistant coaches better aware of that fact.

 

This implication that Schwartz was caught off guard or otherwise disrespected is totally revisionist.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[hondo in seattle]

In retrospect, we all understand that Rex should have swallowed his ego and let Roman run the offense and Schwartz run defense.

 

But as soon as Rex was hired, many knew Schwartz would be gone, despite what someone from OBD may have been tweeting to the BN. It was hard to imagine two men with such differing defensive philosophies working together.

 

Vic did write a good article but he's guilty of a little sensationalizing too. His main source for the different defensive philosophies is a disgruntled ex defensive assistant who was fired.

 

And I thought this line was a little funny: "Finally, on Jan. 13, 2015, Ryan and Schwartz had their first conversation." Rex was only hired on Jan 12. Vic is implying Rex ignored Schwartz too long after he was hired. Not true.

[chris heff]

We already knew all of this. All one had to do was watch the games. The interviews with former players and coaches just confirmed it.

[nucci]

 

I think that's the wrong question. As reported in that article, someone at OBD believed Ryan was going to keep Schwartz.

 

The question is "who?" and "what was the basis for that belief?"

good point

[JoeF]

I didn't expect Schwartz to stay on when I heard Rex was hired. I don't know why anyone else would have thought he would.

 

Like you Doc, I never expected Schwartz would stay. If they wanted Schwartz to stay they would have made him HC or hired their #2 choice which was Hue Jackson. Hue is close with NFL.com's Mike Silver. According to Silver, Hue would have kept Schwartz and the D staff.

 

To be fair here..the O improved under Roman significantly--yes the team invested heavily -- trading for McCoy, signing Clay, Harvin, Incognito...if we could have matched Roman's O with Schwartz's D this was likely a playoff team...but ifs and buts were beer and nuts everyday would be a Bills tailgate....

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

Well surprisingly, some on this message board would like to blame everyone but the obvious culprit in Rex.

+1 Coaching always gets back to using the personnel to maximize potential.

Edited February 14, 2016 by The Thurmanator

[Mr. WEO]

Seems a little one-sided, and I don't buy that the Pegulas thought Schwartz was staying. If they really wanted him to stay they wouldn't have hired Rex. That's not a match at all. Even if Rex had kept him it wouldn't have made sense. Not how Rex coaches.... He calls the plays. They have very different defensive philosophies. The anonymous coach may be accurately portraying some things. I have no idea. Otherwise, nothing new was presented in the article that hasn't been hashed and rehashed a thousand times.

 

I have never thought Vic was a poor writer. I have thought he may have a poor source on some things.

 

 

What makes you think he has a "poor source" on this story?

 

It was inevitable that some posters would attack Carrucci as either gullible or sloppy with his sourcing. I don't see anything suspicious about the story his source is relaying. The Pegulas weren't going to tell Rex who to hire on his staff and who to fire---for chrissakes, they just let him hire his brother! They don't care!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

After Marrone quit, Schwartz made it crystal clear in his interview for the job, that he wasn't interested in staying unless he was named HC. That was before they ever even interviewed Ryan, let alone hired him. Perhaps he should have made his assistant coaches better aware of that fact.

 

This implication that Schwartz was caught off guard or otherwise disrespected is totally revisionist.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Interesting. Well, this wouldn't be the first instance where Carrucci's source doesn't seem plugged in to what others in the building understand.

What makes you think he has a "poor source" on this story?

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/185017-vic-cs-bn-piece-really-rips-rex-as-defensive-coach/?p=3871688

[Billsmovinup]

Playoffs or he's gone.

Absolutely. The bozos at WGR keep going on and on that it's only been one year. He's been a head coach for six and he's been a 500 coach for six. Found it interesting how Denver defensive players praised Wade for the simplicity of their D yet we have a guy who insists that you need a defense that is as complex as an MIT physics doctorate thesis. I love the Pegulas but I think they got snookered on this hire. They fell in love with his mouth during the interview. Hope I'm wrong but a six year track record of mediocrity is pretty substantial evidence IMO of what to expect next year.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Billsmovinup

[JoeF]

I think any offensive coach hired would've kept Schwartz and company. They'd be dumb not too after the 2014 season results.

 

With that said, the real person to blame is whoever thought it would be a good idea to hire Rex Ryan... All reports suggest it was Pegulas decision.

 

Well let me clarify. From a football standpoint it was a bad hire. From a marketing and sales perspective. Great hire. Which seems to drive this organization more then it does winning.

Based on all evidence to date Scott, this statement is a solid opinion. The Pegula's have a pretty long runway with me because I know the team would likely be the LA or Toronto Bills without them. When I say a long runway...one !@#$ed up coaching choice is okay...just don't let the impact linger past this year. You have a great head coach in waiting on the staff -- get rid of the used car salesman and hire the coach.

[Doc]

Good question. Carrucci is reporting that a "high ranking Bills official" not only thought so, but said so:

“Have every intention of keeping” Schwartz, a high-ranking Bills official texted a Buffalo News reporter on Jan. 11, 2015, as the team was finalizing an agreement to make Rex Ryan the new head man. “Rex wants to win, whoever is doing the ‘D’ doesn’t matter,” the high-ranking team official insisted in another text on Jan. 11, 2015. “It’s what’s best for the team.”

 

So why would that "high ranking Bills official" whoever he may be, think so?

 

No idea. Maybe they were "hopeful."

 

Like you Doc, I never expected Schwartz would stay. If they wanted Schwartz to stay they would have made him HC or hired their #2 choice which was Hue Jackson. Hue is close with NFL.com's Mike Silver. According to Silver, Hue would have kept Schwartz and the D staff.

 

To be fair here..the O improved under Roman significantly--yes the team invested heavily -- trading for McCoy, signing Clay, Harvin, Incognito...if we could have matched Roman's O with Schwartz's D this was likely a playoff team...but ifs and buts were beer and nuts everyday would be a Bills tailgate....

 

I thought JS would likely be gone merely for the fact that he was passed-over for the HC'ing position. With them hiring a defensive-minded HC, I knew he was a goner. I thought with an offensive-minded HC there was a chance he'd stay and that that would have been the best solution.

[TheFunPolice]

By not hiring Schwartz as the head coach the owners made it clear that keeping him was secondary.

 

So is the consensus now that Rex Ryan can't coach defense? Really?

 

I trust Rex to fix the defense. A year ago every commentator said he knows defense but his problem is that his offenses stink. Now suddenly Rex Ryan forgot how to coach NFL defense.

Edited February 14, 2016 by TheFunPolice

[JoeF]

Your referring to Roman?

 

I was surprised he didn't get more(did he even get one?)calls for head coaching vacancies.

Yep...also surprised he didn't get interviews

[hondo in seattle]

Clearly Rex effed up last year. But before we go too far down the Schwartz-is-a-genius-and-Rex-is-a-buffoon road with Vic, let's think about a few facts...

 

One year doesn't define a coach. In 2006, when Schwartz was the DC of Tennesee, his defense was ranked #32. The same year, Rex's Baltimore D was ranked #1. I guess in that season, Rex was the genius and Schwartz the buffoon. So why did we hire Schwartz in 2014?

 

Both Rex and Schwartz had the opportunity to run defenses as both HC and DC. Rex has the far better record.

 

Schwartz's best year was his last year with the Bills. Rex's worst year was last year with the Bills.

 

In 8 years with Tenn, 5 years with the Lions, and one year here, Schwartz's defenses earned an average rank of #18. About every other season, he finishes in the bottom half of the league.

 

In 4 years as DC of Baltimore, 6 years with the Jests and 1 with us, Rex's defenses averaged #6. Almost every season, he's in the top 10.

 

When both were HC/DC in the NFL at the same time, Rex led the better defense 8 of 10 seasons.

[BrooklynBills]

 

 

What makes you think he has a "poor source" on this story?

 

It was inevitable that some posters would attack Carrucci as either gullible or sloppy with his sourcing. I don't see anything suspicious about the story his source is relaying. The Pegulas weren't going to tell Rex who to hire on his staff and who to fire---for chrissakes, they just let him hire his brother! They don't care!

He has two inside sources for this story:

 

1. An ex-coach no longer with the team.

 

2. A high ranking FO official with questionable info.

 

If you read this piece with a critical eye, it isn't very noteworthy. Just more Schwartz ball washing to stir up the section of Bills fans who thought Schwartz was going to stay on as DC no matter who was the HC, despite the fact that he had no intention of being anything but the HC once Marrone was gone.

[nucci]

By not hiring Schwartz as the head coach the owners made it clear that keeping him was secondary.

 

So is the consensus now that Rex Ryan can't coach defense? Really?

 

I trust Rex to fix the defense. A year ago every commentator said he knows defense but his problem is that his offenses stink. Now suddenly Rex Ryan forgot how to coach NFL defense.

Maybe not suddenly but he did not do a good job this past season.

[DriveFor1Outta5]

Seems a little one-sided, and I don't buy that the Pegulas thought Schwartz was staying. If they really wanted him to stay they wouldn't have hired Rex. That's not a match at all. Even if Rex had kept him it wouldn't have made sense. Not how Rex coaches.... He calls the plays. They have very different defensive philosophies. The anonymous coach may be accurately portraying some things. I have no idea. Otherwise, nothing new was presented in the article that hasn't been hashed and rehashed a thousand times.

 

I have never thought Vic was a poor writer. I have thought he may have a poor source on some things.

Great points. EVERYONE under the sun knew that if Ryan was hired Schwartz would be gone. To think the Pegulas weren't one of those people would be to say they aren't very smart. That's quite hard to believe. Seems like more sensationalized journalism to me.

[boyst]

great article.

 

without the arbitrary speculation there is a lot that can be learned from this article and used in conjunction with many other articles to how ryans scheme failed.

 

as a result failed. he also lied about meddling iwth the defense. now he has no choice but to change over to his entire defense, you know its perfectly good reasoning since we failed last year.

[hondo in seattle]

These are based on yards per game allowed?

 

The Rex versus Schwartz records I posted earlier were based on total yards allowed.

Edited February 14, 2016 by hondo in seattle