Bills hire new Director of Analytics, Head Athletic Trainer & Video Director

[YoloinOhio]

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by YoloinOhio

[Ittakestime]

That Nate guy was fired from Chicago due to soft tissue injuries.  Sounds like a poor hire.

[Gugny]

http://www.chicagobears.com/team/staff/Nate-Breske/56fa80e9-63fd-4330-9304-de56e2d7efea

 

[BillsFan4]

Bio on Breske -

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/team/staff/Nate-Breske/56fa80e9-63fd-4330-9304-de56e2d7efea

 

 

 

[Kirby Jackson]

How much football did the analytics guy play?!? Terrible hire!! 

[Guest K-GunJimKelly12]

Nate Breske is a son of a B word.  He once sent me a video tape of him having sex with my wife... I'll tell ya, it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

Edited February 15, 2018 by K-GunJimKelly12

[Guest K-GunJimKelly12]

7 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

How much football did the analytics guy play?!? Terrible hire!! 

When you are talking how to judge how good any individual player is, I think there are a lot of people and some advance stats, that are giving the masses a total misrepresentation of how good some players are.  As evidenced by the repeated Tyrod Taylor threads.   Also, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that when ARod throws for 5 TD's, 333 yards and gets a negative grade from PFF, that some of these grades need to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

When it comes to in game situations.  Such as going for it on 4th down, I think the entire league should have been where the Eagles are now, 10 years ago.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Video Director?  

 

Is that like being the head of the Audio Visual Department in school?     Maybe I should have applied.  

[Kirby Jackson]

3 minutes ago, K-GunJimKelly12 said:

When you are talking how to judge how good any individual player is, I think there are a lot of people and some advance stats, that are giving the masses a total misrepresentation of how good some players are.  As evidenced by the repeated Tyrod Taylor threads.   Also, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that when ARod throws for 5 TD's, 333 yards and gets a negative grade from PFF, that some of these grades need to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

When it comes to in game situations.  Such as going for it on 4th down, I think the entire league should have been where the Eagles are now, 10 years ago.

It stemmed from a conversation last week on the role of an analytics person. I argued that it matters zero that they know football. It matters a lot that they know analytics. 

 

Analytics should be, and are, used in all aspects of sport. They are a giant piece to the puzzle. They just aren’t the only piece. All of these different pieces of information (scouting reports, numbers, coach feedback,  interview, etc...) are compiled and decisions are made. You need to factor in EVERYTHING not some things. That’s what every good team does. The more information that you have the better.

[Irv]

1 minute ago, Kirby Jackson said:

It stemmed from a conversation last week on the role of an analytics person. I argued that it matters zero that they know football. It matters a lot that they know analytics. 

 

Analytics should be, and are, used in all aspects of sport. They are a giant piece to the puzzle. They just aren’t the only piece. All of these different pieces of information (scouting reports, numbers, coach feedback,  interview, etc...) are compiled and decisions are made. You need to factor in EVERYTHING not some things. That’s what every good team does. The more information that you have the better.

I think you are partially correct.  But I think you do need to have some football knowledge.  If you are a pencil-neck-geek and think the temperature of the toilet bowl water at NEF can be an indicator of wins and losses then you are probably not cut out for the job.  

[Fadingpain]

Sounds robust!
 

 

[Mr. WEO]

34 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

How much football did the analytics guy play?!? Terrible hire!! 

 

How many games did the WR coach play as WR?  Crazy, huh?

 

7 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

It stemmed from a conversation last week on the role of an analytics person. I argued that it matters zero that they know football. It matters a lot that they know analytics. 

 

Analytics should be, and are, used in all aspects of sport. They are a giant piece to the puzzle. They just aren’t the only piece. All of these different pieces of information (scouting reports, numbers, coach feedback,  interview, etc...) are compiled and decisions are made. You need to factor in EVERYTHING not some things. That’s what every good team does. The more information that you have the better.

 

I think most people already understand and accept that multifactorial analysis is performed by every team every off/inseason., mainly by the HC/GM/FO/Scouts.  Adding a guy to do "analytics", at least for NFL football seems like a gimmick---especially when hiring a guy with  no sports analysis experience (as such).  The Browns hired one of the most well regarded pro sports analytics guy and it turned out to be an unmitigated, historic disaster.  The guy the Bills just hired did work for "Office Depot" and....wait for it....the Marlins!--a team that just completely disintegrated. 

[Kirby Jackson]

19 minutes ago, Badthingsman said:

I think you are partially correct.  But I think you do need to have some football knowledge.  If you are a pencil-neck-geek and think the temperature of the toilet bowl water at NEF can be an indicator of wins and losses then you are probably not cut out for the job.  

The best analytics guy that I know (and one of the best in the NFL) might be the worst athlete that I have ever encountered. He can barely walk and he runs like Napoleon Dynamite. He knows numbers and spreadsheets. He knows how to manipulate them and how to draw conclusions from them. 

13 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

How many games did the WR coach play as WR?  Crazy, huh?

 

 

I think most people already understand and accept that multifactorial analysis is performed by every team every off/inseason., mainly by the HC/GM/FO/Scouts.  Adding a guy to do "analytics", at least for NFL football seems like a gimmick---especially when hiring a guy with  no sports analysis experience (as such).  The Browns hired one of the most well regarded pro sports analytics guy and it turned out to be an unmitigated, historic disaster.  The guy the Bills just hired did work for "Office Depot" and....wait for it....the Marlins!--a team that just completely disintegrated. 

The most successful teams that I have seen have the most information. The Browns weren’t a disaster because of analytics. They were a disaster because they are the Browns. Their analytical approach last year landed them their best draft class in forever. It’s a part of the solution but just like scouting, everyone isn’t the same. You need the bat guys.

[Lurker]

6 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The best analytics guy that I know (and one of the best in the NFL) might be the worst athlete that I have ever encountered.

 

Just like Joel Buchsbaum was one of the the best draftnicks...

 

[corta765]

3 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

I think most people already understand and accept that multifactorial analysis is performed by every team every off/inseason., mainly by the HC/GM/FO/Scouts.  Adding a guy to do "analytics", at least for NFL football seems like a gimmick---especially when hiring a guy with  no sports analysis experience (as such).  The Browns hired one of the most well regarded pro sports analytics guy and it turned out to be an unmitigated, historic disaster.  The guy the Bills just hired did work for "Office Depot" and....wait for it....the Marlins!--a team that just completely disintegrated. 

 

It really depends on what they are having him do. If he is looking into formulas and simulations for situational analysis which would clearly show punting on 4th and 2 from the 40 is a poor decision or a certain formation for the team is more successful against X opponent etc.. then yea his background doesn't matter and that is information that can really help. The "gimmick" you refer to is a huge reason why the Eagles won the SB because the coaching staff realized with the numbers presented that playing it safe wasn't enough to really have a shot and it helped to shape the team of scheme and offense they ran.

 

Now analytics in regards to say the draft? Yea I have no clue how much that really would help because I am not even sure what the heck you would quantify.

[Mr. WEO]

14 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The best analytics guy that I know (and one of the best in the NFL) might be the worst athlete that I have ever encountered. He can barely walk and he runs like Napoleon Dynamite. He knows numbers and spreadsheets. He knows how to manipulate them and how to draw conclusions from them. 

The most successful teams that I have seen have the most information. The Browns weren’t a disaster because of analytics. They were a disaster because they are the Browns. Their analytical approach last year landed them their best draft class in forever. It’s a part of the solution but just like scouting, everyone isn’t the same. You need the bat guys.

 

 

And again, no QB. 

 

The worst NFL analytics guy in the NFL (whatever that means) would have walked into the Browns FO and said "yeah, you need to draft a QB and get a new HC".  Drop the mic.

 

Saying that the Browns were a disaster because "they are the Browns" isn't much of an analysis.  They had spreadsheets.  They had the same info available to all teams.   They had the analytics guy.  They one a single game in 2 years.

 

"Best draft"?  Maybe for a team that drafts badly---but, big deal.  What special analysis does that require?  Still  bad offense, bad defense.  They were better off when Mike Pettine was doing the "analytics".

 

 

6 minutes ago, corta765 said:

 

It really depends on what they are having him do. If he is looking into formulas and simulations for situational analysis which would clearly show punting on 4th and 2 from the 40 is a poor decision or a certain formation for the team is more successful against X opponent etc.. then yea his background doesn't matter and that is information that can really help. The "gimmick" you refer to is a huge reason why the Eagles won the SB because the coaching staff realized with the numbers presented that playing it safe wasn't enough to really have a shot and it helped to shape the team of scheme and offense they ran.

 

Now analytics in regards to say the draft? Yea I have no clue how much that really would help because I am not even sure what the heck you would quantify.

 

 

Thanks for making my point.  The HC made those decisions, not the gut form the spreadsheet department. 

 

The info comes form the coaching staff (with an understanding of football) putting in hours of film analysis, instead of having a stranger so it and tell them his findings.

 

This isn't the MLB---good thing too because the MLB is close to death by fan apathy.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Mr. WEO

[Kirby Jackson]

13 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Just like Joel Buchsbaum was one of the the best draftnicks...

 

Ha ha, that guy kind of reminds me of a skinnier version of him. 

11 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

And again, no QB. 

 

The worst NFL analytics guy in the NFL (whatever that means) would have walked into the Browns FO and said "yeah, you need to draft a QB and get a new HC".  Drop the mic.

 

Saying that the Browns were a disaster because "they are the Browns" isn't much of an analysis.  They had spreadsheets.  They had the same info available to all teams.   They had the analytics guy.  They one a single game in 2 years.

 

"Best draft"?  Maybe for a team that drafts badly---but, big deal.  What special analysis does that require?  Still  bad offense, bad defense.  They were better off when Mike Pettine was doing the "analytics".

 

 

 

 

Thanks for making my point.  The HC made those decisions, not the gut form the spreadsheet department. 

 

The info comes form the coaching staff (with an understanding of football) putting in hours of film analysis, instead of having a stranger so it and tell them his findings.

 

This isn't the MLB---good thing too because the MLB is close to death by fan apathy.

They got a potentially elite pass rusher (the next most desired position), had 2 more firsts and have 2 top 5 picks this year (where they can potentially land a better QB). The Browns are absolutely heading in the right direction in terms of talent acquisition. You are acting like they failed in the draft. Garrett, Barkley, Mayfield > Trubisky, Barkley and a future 1st (assuming that they would have traded out of 1 this year) 

[Heitz]

TBD, the only place in 2018 where people argue against the use of analytics! 

 

Good on the Bills, it can never hurt to have more info (and have more, in an organized way so that you can actually use it).  That probably goes to the Video guy as well!

[corta765]

12 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Thanks for making my point.  The HC made those decisions, not the gut form the spreadsheet department. 

 

The info comes form the coaching staff (with an understanding of football) putting in hours of film analysis, instead of having a stranger so it and tell them his findings.

 

This isn't the MLB---good thing too because the MLB is close to death by fan apathy.

 

WRONG THE DECISION WOULD NEVER HAD HAPPENED IF THE ORGANIZATION WOULD NOT HAVE HIRED AN ANALYTICS TEAM.

 

That is in caps because I literally listened to both the Eagles and the analytics company say as much. If you want to keep your head in the sand the same way a lot of baseball people did in the early 2000s be my guest and watch as others blow by you. No one is arguing that having years of knowledge in the NFL is invaluable and absolutely a major help to your team. For some reason people like yourself want to argue and deny that people who are numerically experts at formulating key numbers and predicting scenarios to help guide your decision making can add a tremendous value to any teams operation even though their background may not be in football.

 

Every sport these days is adapting in some fashion to using analytics in some capacity because it can help increase a teams chances of not only winning but constantly evolving to be in the best place for success. Hockey was a sport where being physical was key and now its a fast paced puck controlled game because of analytics. Basketball has become a 3 point shooting paradise with big mens value greatly lowered because the game favors good shooters instead. Baseball has been covered well on the analytical impact.

 

What's truly remarkable with this is no one is saying analytics is at all more important then having tremendous knowledge of the game, teaching fundamentals, and having a skilled coach. There is plenty of room for coexistence in a very healthy way that already has been proven to work. In regards to the draft the only thing major analytics people have said like Bill Barnwell is that having a lot of draft picks is key because the draft really is a lottery of luck and even he would say the Browns fundamentally messed up by continuously not selecting a QB.

[BuffaloRush]

Very cool to see Jaime Mueller get a shot to work for the company