In defense of Rex....

[Peter]

That may be true. But their opinion will wane quickly if enough fans are outraged and the Pegulas realize how outraged they are. This sport is still highly political don't forget. The owners may defy the fanbase for a while, but eventually they will cave to them assuming fan opinion remains negative enough long enough. Of course that is also assuming a high enough percentage of the fanbase wants it to happen and they express that desire strongly enough. Not sure that is going to happen though. Plenty of people still want to ride the Rex train.

It depends on which fans you talk to. This board is divided.

 

I am an out-of-town season ticket holder and I want Rex to CONTINUE as head coach.

 

In any event, I would hope that ownership makes this and every other decision based on what they - rather than the pitchfork crowd - think is in the best interest of the team.

[T master]

I think Rex should stay another season here's 5 reasons why:

 

1. Our defense did not get rolled these past few games because of coaching. We simply could not execute on the field. Bell was running through an 8 man front all day, what the hell do you expect the DC to do when his team can't tackle? Or what about the Jets, Raiders games when our cb's WITH safety help still can't physically cover their guys? Is a new head coach supposed to fix their technique?

 

2. We don't have a franchise qb. Look at the good playoff teams, they all have one. We took the best guy Whaley could find for Rex and surrounded him with a pretty good Oline and 2 great RB's but he didn't pan out. Not the head coaches fault. If you believe TT is not the answer, how can you possibly expect the coach to consistently win in this league with him at qb?

 

3. Making the change from Roman to Lynn took a lot of balls and showed me that Rex isn't afraid to

admit he was wrong and make a bold change at the top to better his team. This offseason Lynn can install his own system and get even better.

 

4. This is just a hunch, but I think Kyle Williams retires if we get another HC. The guy still is a force and we need him on this team, but at this point he's set for life financially, his family lives in the south, and there's a lot of wear and tear on the guy. If anyone could sell him on one more season it would be Rex, not some new guy who is going to "fix" everything with another new system.

 

5. I think Rex's history is decent considering he's had a bunch of .500 or better seasons with never having a franchise qb. Can you name any other coaches that played in a division with a perennially dominant team like the Pats that had playoff success without a top 10 qb? If you can't, then what do you really expect a new guy is going to do here that all the previous head coaches failed to do?

 

I think Pegula understands that a good year for a coach without a stud qb in this league is around .500 and he keeps Rex here for another season at least.

 

And Rex needs to make another huge move ! Fire Thurman & bring back Pettine & let him run the D because i don't think Thurman is all that !!

 

He sure hasn't proven it & isn't going to get any HC ing nods for his work as a D coordinator that's for sure !!

[T master]

No he shouldn't. I don't know how many coaches have 27 assisting coaches.

 

"No NFL coach can match the size of Ryan's staff of 27 assistant coaches." "Mike Tomlin on has 17" Geez Rex, 10 more coaches and you still look like the team has none.

http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/13/vic-caruccis-bills-wake-call-rexs-resources-heart-undoing/

 

I mean as a Head Coach, do you really need 27 assistants? I mean really, I thought we hired a HC, but it does look like the Bills in the last two years have only learned from these assistants. I'm not taking away from the fact that assistant coaches are important, just don't think we need a HC who's so lousy at coaching that he needs 27 assistants, AND has 2 straight years of regression from Doug Marrone.

 

Was Rex really an upgrade for the team? No. Doug Marrone went 15-17 in his two years here, with one season being a "winning" record, despite no playoffs.

BUT I MEAN COME ON! Rex is 14-15 so far. I bet if anything Doug Marrone looks like a better HC than Rex does when this season is over. This my friends, is why the Front Office should be fired. Plain and simple. It's like the same repetitive moronic decisions, one after another.

 

 

Marrone had a 8 & 8 year in his "winning season" the Patriots game at the end of that season was a throw away game for them they sat all their starters so (even though the Bills won) how can you consider Marrone as better ?

 

Rex came in & had the team play at 8 & 8 his first year since then if his record is any worse then you can say Marrone had a better record but until the season is over i'm not saying that Marrone was better !

 

I guess your basing it off of what he has helped do in Jacksonville

Edited December 15, 2016 by T master

[genosmith]

Just go back to Schwartz and Marrone and everything will be good. Don't need healthy Sammy or first round pick or quarterback. Doesn't matter your safeties are the worst in the league. If you can be number 4 defense and win the superbowl, then obviously you'll get better the following year even if your defense is based on your front four THAT CONSISTS OF TWO PLAYERS OVER 30 YEARS OLD and a pothead. Did anyone consider that maybe Jerry Hughes getting 10 sacks is easier when he has 3 guys who are playing in their prime and not injured? I wonder why Marrone would walk away from superbowl team.

Again, not saying Rex has done good job with this defense but this team overall has not severely underperformed their record and assuming a team that has a bottom half of the league QB and lots of injuries/suspensions should be an automatic playoff contender is not that accurate. And if you want to blame Rex for Tyrod then please say who the quarterback should have been the past two seasons?

[Peter]

Divided?

There's about two people here that want Rex back

Two?!?

 

You must be one of those guys who thinks that those that whinge on sports radio (or here) are a scientific reflection/poll of the fan base.

 

Typically the guys who spend their lives crusading here or on sports radio are the haters and just happen to be the loudest.

 

Sorry, I did not mean to interrupt you from leading the pitchfork brigade.

 

Carry on.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

No.

 

You defend Rex if you like, I was done defending him the evening after the Ravens game, when the Bills came out flaccid on both sides of the ball.

That evening, I watched the Brady*-less Pats*, missing multiple starters beyond Brady*, defeat Arizona which was supposed to be a SB contender.

I hate the Pats*, I really do, but they know how to get it done.

 

Winners make it happen, losers make excuses, and Rex made Hopeful, Hapless

 

 

 

 

 

Bad snap on a chipshot field goal at the end is the only reason they won that game... In fact - if you include the bills game, the cardinals have lost 3 games because they can't kick field goals.

 

 

Marrone had a 8 & 8 year in his "winning season" the Patriots game at the end of that season was a throw away game for them they sat all their starters so (even though the Bills won) how can you consider Marrone as better ?

 

Rex came in & had the team play at 8 & 8 his first year since then if his record is any worse then you can say Marrone had a better record but until the season is over i'm not saying that Marrone was better !

 

I guess your basing it off of what he has helped do in Jacksonville

 

Well the original argument was - with Tyrod/Shady and Schwartz defense, we would've made the playoffs. Now its becoming clear that Tyrod is no good, or at the very least no better than orton.

 

Last years 8-8 is worse than this years IMO. We had a cupcake schedule. We lost winnable games to jax, KC, and philly. Win those 3 and we're 11-5 and in a wildcard game.

 

This year we dropped the dolphins and jets. Those 2 we really should have had - those teams aren't that good (or are just straight bad). Those 2 would have put us at 8-5 going into a winnable final 3. Play better in baltimore and ur 9-4. Steal 1 on the road in seattle and you're 10-3...

 

My conclusion - we may have snuck in with marrone/orton/schwartz last year... but i don't think we would've made the playoffs this year regardless.

 

Not sure if this is "defense of rex", or just looking at it realistically. We're not a top 10 team because we drop winnable games.

 

Marrone's team's also dropped plenty of winnable games. Chargers, Texans games were both winnable. He blamed Manuel.

Edited December 15, 2016 by dneveu

[CodeMonkey]

 

That may be true. But their opinion will wane quickly if enough fans are outraged and the Pegulas realize how outraged they are. This sport is still highly political don't forget. The owners may defy the fanbase for a while, but eventually they will cave to them assuming fan opinion remains negative enough long enough. Of course that is also assuming a high enough percentage of the fanbase wants it to happen and they express that desire strongly enough. Not sure that is going to happen though. Plenty of people still want to ride the Rex train.

 

How will they realize that? You don't seriously think the number of season tickets sold will go down significantly next season, do you? Not a chance. How else would they know? Plus, are the majority of Bills fans outraged? Or even unhappy? The majority, in my opinion, are happy they have a team to go tailgate then watch. You can't judge Bills fans in general from this board.

[BringBackOrton]

Two?!?

 

You must be one of those guys who thinks that those that whinge on sports radio (or here) are a scientific reflection/poll of the fan base.

 

Typically the guys who spend their lives crusading here or on sports radio are the haters and just happen to be the loudest.

 

Sorry, I did not mean to interrupt you from leading the pitchfork brigade.

 

Carry on.

There really are only 2 regular posters who want Rex back, you and alpha.

[PolishDave]

 

How will they realize that? You don't seriously think the number of season tickets sold will go down significantly next season, do you? Not a chance. How else would they know?

 

Do you think the owners live in an igloo isolated from the rest of the world?

 

Like any other business owner, NFL owners are not oblivious to what their customers think of their product. Business owners do tend to pay attention to such things, especially if they want to stay in business.

 

Here is one of the more likely ways it would happen IF it was to happen:

 

Fans become disgruntled and keep voicing the same dominant topic over and over again week after week for months. That topic - When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?

 

Local media realizes they can get eyeballs, ears and clicks by continuously talking about "When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?"

 

Pegulas get asked by media over and over again - "When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?"

 

NFL network and ESPN people jump in and start talking about "When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?"

 

National media and local media keeps reaching out to Pegulas for comment - "Can you give us an explanation as to why you have decided not to fire Rex yet?"

 

Pegula is out to dinner with long time business friend - Business friend asks - how are you guys managing to deal with all this hatred for Rex by the public?

 

Do you honestly even think it would need to get that far before the Pegulas realized - Wow, a lot of our fanbase must really, really hate Rex.

 

Pegulas would find out the way that everybody finds out about every major issue that is happening. When enough people start talking about it or when people talk about it long enough. That is all it would take. In fact, I am 99% positive they already have some idea about how sentiment has already turned against Rex by an increasing number of local fans.

 

And just to indemnify myself - I'm not saying that is what is going to happen. I am simply pointing out that is one way it could happen. I thought these types of things were/are intuitively obvious to everyone.

[CodeMonkey]

 

Do you think the owners live in an igloo isolated from the rest of the world?

 

Like any other business owner, NFL owners are not oblivious to what their customers think of their product. Business owners do tend to pay attention to such things, especially if they want to stay in business.

 

Here is one of the more likely ways it would happen IF it was to happen:

 

Fans become disgruntled and keep voicing the same dominant topic over and over again week after week for months. That topic - When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?

 

Local media realizes they can get eyeballs, ears and clicks by continuously talking about "When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?"

 

Pegulas get asked by media over and over again - "When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?"

 

NFL network and ESPN people jump in and start talking about "When is Rex going to be fired for sucking?"

 

National media and local media keeps reaching out to Pegulas for comment - "Can you give us an explanation as to why you have decided not to fire Rex yet?"

 

Pegula is out to dinner with long time business friend - Business friend asks - how are you guys managing to deal with all this hatred for Rex by the public?

 

Do you honestly even think it would need to get that far before the Pegulas realized - Wow, a lot of our fanbase must really, really hate Rex.

 

Pegulas would find out the way that everybody finds out about every major issue that is happening. When enough people start talking about it or when people talk about it long enough. That is all it would take. In fact, I am 99% positive they already have some idea about how sentiment has already turned against Rex by an increasing number of local fans.

 

And just to indemnify myself - I'm not saying that is what is going to happen. I am simply pointing out that is one way it could happen. I thought these types of things were/are intuitively obvious to everyone.

 

Boy if the head coaching decision is decided this way, the Bills are far worse off than I thought. But it would explain a lot about the last 17 years.

[PolishDave]

 

Boy if the head coaching decision is decided this way, the Bills are far worse off than I thought. But it would explain a lot about the last 17 years.

 

There isn't a front office in the NFL that would admit it, but...

 

I bet the a large percentage of coach firings in the NFL are heavily influenced by fan opinion. That doesn't mean that the fans make the decision for the front office. That doesn't mean that the front office/owners only care what the fans want. It just means that the owners do care immensely about what their customer(s) (a.k.a. fan base) thinks about the product.

 

Of course, that is just my opinion based on my understanding of human nature and business in general from being a business owner.

[Just in Atlanta]

I can't say I agree or disagree, but the one thing that perennially bad teams (Browns, Bills) have is coaching changes every two years and the one thing good teams (Steelers, Pats*, Seahawks) have is coaching consistency.

 

I always think of how much Steelers fans hated Haley. The first two years of this offense were a disaster. He wanted to make Roethlisberger into something he wasn't, fans said. They wanted him fired. Roethlisberger turned into that QB two years later, and have one of the best offenses in the league two years standing.

 

Having said, that, Rex has worn me thin. He took a top 5 D, which now gets rolled on. One week it's the secondary. The next it's front seven. Does he need another year to make this work? Or have we seen the best he can offer? None of you know for sure, unless you're in the huddle. That is the only fact.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Divided?

 

There's about two people here that want Rex back

1. Rob

2. Rex

[CodeMonkey]

 

There isn't a front office in the NFL that would admit it, but...

 

I bet the a large percentage of coach firings in the NFL are heavily influenced by fan opinion. That doesn't mean that the fans make the decision for the front office. That doesn't mean that the front office/owners only care what the fans want. It just means that the owners do care immensely about what their customer(s) (a.k.a. fan base) thinks about the product.

 

Of course, that is just my opinion based on my understanding of human nature and business in general from being a business owner.

 

Sure, give the public what they want in order to get them to frequent your business makes perfect sense. Except in this case the fans are going to buy tickets either way, IMO anyway.

[3rdand12]

Divided?

 

There's about two people here that want Rex back

3 actually.