Speculative article on friction between McDermott and Staff?

[Saxum]

18 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Why are people upset at Dunne for this? 

 

I'd guess that some do not like speculative fiction article which fits author's point of view passed as news but those who do not have issue with article do like cheap attacks but that is just my opinion.

[Aussie Joe]

20 hours ago, eball said:

What a hack job by a writer trying to become the next Timmah Graham.  He’s done this in other pieces as well.  Take nameless quotes and orchestrate them into his narrative to get clicks, follows, and subscriptions.

 

 

Welcome to NFL “ journalism”…

 

He is hardly on his own ..

[Southern_Bills]

6 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Thanks for bringing that up, had been meaning to mention it.  I took it to mean it's been happening for years under McD.  And yet they've managed to overcome it and succeed.  Hopefully less friction going forward.

 

I'll be honest, I like some friction. Comfort is one of the worst things for success, if you are constantly uncomfortable and overcoming you will be surprised where you are 3 months down the road.

 

Constructive of course, but the lounge doesn't build champions.

[Steptide]

I don't think there's anything earth shattering in this article, but could be part of the reason players/coaches are frustrated. 

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2022/3/5/22962831/bills-players-fans-continue-to-be-kept-in-dark-on-final-13-seconds-of-regulation-vs-chiefs

[Mr. WEO]

2 hours ago, Southern_Bills said:

 

I'll be honest, I like some friction. Comfort is one of the worst things for success, if you are constantly uncomfortable and overcoming you will be surprised where you are 3 months down the road.

 

Constructive of course, but the lounge doesn't build champions.

 

Where have the Bills been 2 years in a row now "3 months down the road"?  Sent home too soon--this year under chaotic circumstances.  

 

I'd rather have a coaching staff that was unified and"comfortable"  under a well defined plan/philosophy, not one that has members b-wording to those who are not in the FO.

10 minutes ago, Steptide said:

I don't think there's anything earth shattering in this article, but could be part of the reason players/coaches are frustrated. 

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2022/3/5/22962831/bills-players-fans-continue-to-be-kept-in-dark-on-final-13-seconds-of-regulation-vs-chiefs

 

All these extra details won't stop the true believers from continuing to insist  that it's all made up clickbait...

Edited March 5, 2022 by Mr. WEO

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Publically stating it was execution is laying the blame on the players. It's obvious the coaching staff wasn't on the same page on the kickoff and the defensive scheme was terrible on the final two plays. 

Worst thing you can do when you preach accountability is not hold yourself accountable.  Leadership 101. 

Our only hope is Allen can overcome McDermott's screw ups. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

5 hours ago, Steptide said:

I don't think there's anything earth shattering in this article, but could be part of the reason players/coaches are frustrated. 

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2022/3/5/22962831/bills-players-fans-continue-to-be-kept-in-dark-on-final-13-seconds-of-regulation-vs-chiefs

 

The source for this piece is the same Ty Dunne article that is linked upthread

So it isn't a second source saying the same thing or independent confirmation.

[Big Blitz]

A loss that historically bad had to be dealt with the right way or he was going to never live this down (only a SB does that anyway), make it worse, and he would lose the players and fans who will forever blame him.

 

He dealt with it the wrong way.  

 

He essentially lied after the game.  All he had to say was "I called for it to be kicked deep."  The end.  

 

Shrowding it in mystery indirectly threw players (Bass) and coaches (Special Teams) all under the bus. 

 

The players (especially our QB) always say its starts with me I needed to be better.  Right after the game they say it. 

 

Because every player and coach knew what happened....because guys would eventually start talking...McD had to say this immediately after the game:

 

"I called it to be kicked deep."

 

"I didn't have our defense in the best chance to secure a win.  That's on me not them."

 

Instead they heard "execution.  We just didn't execute."  

 

Please tell me (especially if you believe these reports are at least somewhat true) that a coach doesn't lose his players by saying that.  

 

It's unfortunate.  I don't know how this plays out from here we'll know when they start playing.  But it was not a good look to handle it like we did.   If.....if these reports about the calls, players yelling at each other after the game, and that McD called for kicking it deep. 

 

You own that.  There is no other way.  The players will rally behind that even if a lot of fans won't.  

Edited March 6, 2022 by Big Blitz

[Doc Brown]

On 3/4/2022 at 9:42 PM, Doc said:

So McD told just Bass to kick it deep and no one else on STs?  Does that sound believable?

If that did happen McDermott would've said it was my call to kick deep at the after game press conference.  There's been nothing in the last five years that makes me believe McDermott is a liar.  Communication broke down at the most crucial time and McDermott didn't want to throw anyone under the bus.  I don't know how he could've handled it any differently without damaging his in house reputation as frustrating as it is for Bills fans.

[transplantbillsfan]

I'm confused about what this thread has turned into, but if the following is true...

 

1) Farwell wanted to squib kick and told the Special Teams guys (except Bass) that's what we were doing.

 

2) McDermott told Farwell we were kicking a touchback and taking no time off the clock, so Farwell said nothing to Bass.

 

3) Buffalo was focused on preventing a KC TD at the end of regulation without focus on a FG.

 

...that's terrifying moving forward as a Bills fan. Sean McDermott might be on a similar path to Mike McCarthy if that's true.

 

That doesn't bode well for Buffalo.

 

Has there been anything to refute the main points made in all that "speculation?"

[billsfan1959]

50 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

If that did happen McDermott would've said it was my call to kick deep at the after game press conference.  There's been nothing in the last five years that makes me believe McDermott is a liar.  Communication broke down at the most crucial time and McDermott didn't want to throw anyone under the bus.  I don't know how he could've handled it any differently without damaging his in house reputation as frustrating as it is for Bills fans.

 

100% correct. It's as if some posters here haven't observed a single thing about McDermott over the last 5 years that defines his character. Or, they just have no ability whatsoever to accurately interpret the behavior of others. 

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by billsfan1959

[Buffalo_Stampede]

4 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

100% correct. It's as if some posters here haven't observed a single thing about McDermott over the last 5 years that defines his character. Or, they just have no ability whatsoever to accurately interpret the behavior of others. 

 

McDermott has been very consistent. He did include himself though. 

 

Listen, we're going by what's been said by people who claim they have sources.

 

How exactly the kick ended up in the end zone is a mystery. What's not a mystery is who made the decision. The kickoff and defensive calls at the end of regulation are head coach decisions. I've said that all along. 

[Doc Brown]

On 3/4/2022 at 4:39 PM, Einstein's Dog said:

Do people, like Dunne, use the term squib kick and pooch kick interchangably?   Because a squib kick, which had always been a kick along the ground, would certainly have been a risky call - and generally no better than what they ended up with.

 

A pooch kick that goes high and comes down at around the 10 is what should have been the call.  So, IMO, squib kick or out of end zone are no different - both bad calls.  The right play was a pooch kick.

An onside kick would've pry worked.  Nobody would've expected that.  

[John from Riverside]

18 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Yep… people want to shut their eyes and ears and pretend McDermott didn’t look like a complete ass after that game in which he completely blew it…. Only recently has he at least accepted accountability… and yet still blames execution.😅

 

Again, it will be interesting to see how this team responds at the first sign of similar adversity next season. 

We overcame the Cardinals thing and we will overcome this

[Buddy Hix]

The Dunne piece paints McD in a horrible light. Next season could be bumpy…

[mannc]

21 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Yep… people want to shut their eyes and ears and pretend McDermott didn’t look like a complete ass after that game in which he completely blew it…. Only recently has he at least accepted accountability… and yet still blames execution.😅

 

Again, it will be interesting to see how this team responds at the first sign of similar adversity next season. 

A manager “accepting responsibility” for a major mistake is a flexible, almost meaningless concept in our modern society. In Japan, it used to mean hurling yourself off the roof of the nearest skyscraper (and before that, ritually eviscerating yourself); in other societies, it means—or meant—at a minimum, resigning your position.  Nowadays, it just means uttering the words “I accept responsibility”, and little else, no real consequences.  

McDermott “accepts responsibility” for those 13 seconds only in this latter, modern sense. Maybe that’s why people are not satisfied with his stance on this whole fiasco…

[billsfan714]

The "execution" line is just a cop out.   It was strategy and communication which both fall under coaching.   Plain and simple.   The three plays occurred with a TV timeout and Bills timeouts.  Plenty of time to get things right.   They were the 3 plays you wouldn't want to run in the  situation.  KO into the end zone followed by deep outside technique defense.   The Bills never got the ball back to another great offense.   Sean crapped the bed after a heroic effort by Josh and the offense.  The offense was given a task, score a TD within just over a minute of time.  Check done, and the KO team and D was given the task of preventing a FG in 13 seconds and they couldn't get it done.   Its squarely on our head coach with a defensive coordinator background.

 

'

Edited March 6, 2022 by billsfan714

[Hapless Bills Fan]

8 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

I'm confused about what this thread has turned into, but if the following is true...

 

1) Farwell wanted to squib kick and told the Special Teams guys (except Bass) that's what we were doing.

 

2) McDermott told Farwell we were kicking a touchback and taking no time off the clock, so Farwell said nothing to Bass.

 

3) Buffalo was focused on preventing a KC TD at the end of regulation without focus on a FG.

 

...that's terrifying moving forward as a Bills fan. Sean McDermott might be on a similar path to Mike McCarthy if that's true.

 

That doesn't bode well for Buffalo.

 

Has there been anything to refute the main points made in all that "speculation?"

 

So the idea is that Farwell, the one who wanted to take time off the clock, communicated one thing to his kicker and something else to the rest of the ST unit (who were clearly running in a way that suggested they expected a kickoff return and were taken by surprise when it went through the end zone?

 

Therefore, after this screw-up by Farwell (not communicating the head coach's call correctly to the entire ST unit), he voluntarily decided to leave a championship contending team for a lateral move to a bottom-of-the-league team like the Jags

 

I don't know who Dunne's sources are so it's hard to evaluate, but this doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

 

I think there are people on the Bills who know what happened, and they aren't talking, including to Ty Dunne.

 

4 hours ago, Buddy Hix said:

The Dunne piece paints McD in a horrible light. Next season could be bumpy…

 

If you believe it. 

 

Keep in mind Ty Dunne is trying to sell a product - his "Go Long" writing - and to do that he has to generate enough controversy to attract buyers.

 

That also means he is no longer held to the standards of more mainstream journalism like AP, which requires two independent sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

10 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

A loss that historically bad had to be dealt with the right way or he was going to never live this down (only a SB does that anyway), make it worse, and he would lose the players and fans who will forever blame him.

 

He dealt with it the wrong way.  

 

He essentially lied after the game.  All he had to say was "I called for it to be kicked deep."  The end. 

 

So let me get this straight. 

 

You want to believe an anonymously sourced piece by an independent football writer who is no longer bound by organizational standards like "I must have two independent sources with direct personal knowledge of the situation".

 

Therefore, because of this situation, you want to believe that McDermott, who by all other sources has been a man of deep integrity and character who says 'it was my decision' when in fact, it was his decision, actually called for a deep kick and lied.

 

The "Occum's Razor" call here is that McDermott is a straight shooter who would own a decision he actually made.  If he called for a deep kick, he would own it.  McDermott has made other controversial calls and has owned every one.  It's not actually a controversial call, Championship Winning coaches like Sean Payton are on the record as pointing to a deep kick as the correct call and explaining why he thinks so. 

 

The other approach still paints the ST coach as having incompetent communications (since the entire ST unit obviously still expected a kickoff return, so in this scenario the HC call for a deep kick wasn't communicated to 10 guys on the unit), AND paints McDermott as a lying weasel, so obviously that must be the correct scenario.

 

 

 

[Buddy Hix]

13 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

So the idea is that Farwell, the one who wanted to take time off the clock, communicated one thing to his kicker and something else to the rest of the ST unit (who were clearly running in a way that suggested they expected a kickoff return and were taken by surprise when it went through the end zone?

 

Therefore, after this screw-up by Farwell (not communicating the head coach's call correctly to the entire ST unit), he voluntarily decided to leave a championship contending team for a lateral move to a bottom-of-the-league team like the Jags

 

I don't know who Dunne's sources are so it's hard to evaluate, but this doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

 

I think there are people on the Bills who know what happened, and they aren't talking, including to Ty Dunne.

 

 

If you believe it. 

 

Keep in mind Ty Dunne is trying to sell a product - his "Go Long" writing - and to do that he has to generate enough controversy to attract buyers.

 

That also means he is no longer held to the standards of more mainstream journalism like AP, which requires two independent sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

I believe Dunne. The way to build what he’s trying to build isn’t by creating sources and/or lying. And the story Dunne tells jives with what we saw happen…incompetence.