Patriots' offense is a disaster per The Athletic's beat reporter

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, mjt328 said:

It took 2-3 seasons before people got used to the Bills being good.  It's just as hard for people to get used to the Patriots being BAD.

 

 

Fixed it.

[Patrick Duffy]

40 minutes ago, BigAl2526 said:

But Mac Jones impressed Belichick with the improvement he's made.

 

Rumor is his improvement is largely due to Matt Patricia's creative top notch offensive scheme that was kept secret and finally after many years of so much success at DC  , Coach BB deciding to unleash and declassify Patricia's Offensive genius upon the rest of the NFL

Edited August 24, 2022 by Sheneneh Jenkins

[Last Guy on the Bench]

1 hour ago, folz said:

 

Sorry to jump on an old post, but I'm always surprised by how many Bills fans think Marv Levy is overrated, lucky (due to personnel), or just not that great of a coach. I assume a lot of this sentiment is from younger fans who didn't actually watch those '90s teams and only see 4 Super Bowl loses with a loaded roster.

 

But, you say Marv Levy was fortunate---i.e. he only has a good record because of the talent he coached on the Bills (Kelly, Bruce, Thurman, Andre, etc.). And that "Head Coaches that have had success at multiple locations..." As if Marv never did anything before coming to the Bills. Here is an abbreviated list of what he did before coming to Buffalo. I hope you and other fans who think Marv is overrated read this.

 

 

- In his first coaching job (2 years coaching football and basketball at a high school in St. Louis), he coached their basketball team to a championship.

 

- He then returned to Coe College (his alma mater) for two years as asst. football coach and head coach of the basketball team. He led the basketball team to a championship.

 

- At his next stop, University of New Mexico, he was an asst. for 4 years before being named head football coach. In two years as the top man, he had a 14-6 record and won Conference Coach of the Year.

 

- Didn't do great in his stint with UC Berkeley, but did hire and groom Bill Walsh on his staff.

 

- In 5 years as head coach of William & Mary, he won a Conference Title and Conference Coach of the Year twice.

 

- Four years in the NFL as Special Teams Coordinator under George Allen.

 

- Became Head Coach of the Montreal Allouettes in the CFL. In 5 seasons, he took the team to the playoffs and the Eastern Conference Finals all 5 years. And made it to the Championship game 3 times, winning it all (the Grey Cup) twice and earning CFL Coach of the Year in 1974.

 

How many coaches can say they took their teams to 4 Super Bowls and 3 Grey Cups? He made it to the big game 7 times with two different teams.

 

- Five years Head Coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. People knock his record here, but he took over a 2-12 team, the worst team in the league, that just had their best two defensive players retire. Not counting the strike year, his record was 28-36. Not great, but there was improvement every year (from that 2 win season before he arrived) to 4 wins, then 7 wins, then 8 wins, and to a 9-7 record in 1981. And remember, this was pre-free agency. Rebuilds took a lot longer back in the day. It wasn't like today where teams can go worst to first in one year with a good free agency class.

 

With the Bills, besides the Super Bowl runs and his record, he was also named NFL Coach of the Year in 1988; and AFC Coach of the Year 3 times (in 1988, 1993, and 1995).

 

And fans really underestimate how he was able to bring that collection of alpha, ego-driven, big personalities of the '90s Bills together as a team. A lot of coaches wouldn't have been able to bring that group of guys together no matter how much talent they had. It took Marv's wisdom, experience, and demeanor to do that. Not to mention how hard it is to coach one team to a Super Bowl, but to keep getting a team back there despite losing every year is a major coaching feat in its own. The character, commitment, perseverance, and fortitude to do that is rare. And Marv did have success in multiple locations with different players---maybe not multiple NFL teams (as HC), but then, he only had two opportunities as HC in the NFL and at least his KC team was improving each year.

 

If anything, Marv is now underrated by too many Bills fans.

 

End of rant. 😊

This is my favorite post of the past five years. Thank you.

 

You're fighting the modern current of smug opinion that labels anything with an imperfection (i.e., everything, eventually) as "trash" and that overlooks the many, many talents and character traits it takes to succeed in even the smallest way at the highest level. Marv had a number of remarkable qualities, and you do a great job showing how those qualities helped him win consistently in many contexts. And that's ignoring the other positive effects he undoubtedly had on many people beyond the football field.

 

And sure the Bills were talented in the 90s, but it is no easy trick getting talents like that to align effectively for a year or two, let alone multiple years in a row. Marv is completely deserving of his HOF recognition, and we were beyond lucky to have had him as our coach.

[Meatloaf63]

1 hour ago, Last Guy on the Bench said:

This is my favorite post of the past five years. Thank you.

 

You're fighting the modern current of smug opinion that labels anything with an imperfection (i.e., everything, eventually) as "trash" and that overlooks the many, many talents and character traits it takes to succeed in even the smallest way at the highest level. Marv had a number of remarkable qualities, and you do a great job showing how those qualities helped him win consistently in many contexts. And that's ignoring the other positive effects he undoubtedly had on many people beyond the football field.

 

And sure the Bills were talented in the 90s, but it is no easy trick getting talents like that to align effectively for a year or two, let alone multiple years in a row. Marv is completely deserving of his HOF recognition, and we were beyond lucky to have had him as our coach.

We lost to the Giants in the first super bowl because he couldn’t control Jim Kelly's ego and run the ball. Look at Thurman Thomases ypc and asked why he wasn’t used more to force the Giants out of their defense? I for one will never forgive him for that…

[Warcodered]

 

[wppete]

[Rocky Landing]

1 hour ago, BigAl2526 said:

But Mac Jones impressed Belichick with the improvement he's made.

And last season it was "an open competition between Mac and Cam." Belichick is an effing liar!

[dollars 2 donuts]

6 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

I’m with you MGK. 20 years of angst over one team has a way of letting things get pent up to now I will never wish them well no matter who’s on the team or who they’re playing (even if it’s one of our erstwhile SB opponents). I was so disappointed we knelt on the final drive in the playoffs last year and didn’t hang a 50+ point burger on them, thus handing Belicheat only his 2nd worst ever loss…😉

 

HUDS, no lie, my buddy in New England said a few weeks ago on Boston area sports talk tv the topic one day…

 

…

 

…

 

…was about whether Mac Jones will be a Hall of Famer.

 

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Listening to one of the sports 📻 shows whilst driving and some guest was saying Mac was THE best rookie last season. 
 

I know the QB crop wasn’t stellar,

but the Mac “Tua” Jones was the best of the class…. 
 

 

the experts were right 

the QB crop wasn’t stellar

[Captain Hindsight]

3 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Listening to one of the sports 📻 shows whilst driving and some guest was saying Mac was THE best rookie last season. 
 

I know the QB crop wasn’t stellar,

but the Mac “Tua” Jones was the best of the class…. 
 

 

the experts were right 

the QB crop wasn’t stellar

Mac was better than I expected him to be, but with his limited skill set, hes probably reached his ceiling or close to it. With limited weapons, I dont expect much improvement and with a year of tape, I expect more struggles

[BuffaloBills1998]

On 8/10/2022 at 7:49 PM, aristocrat said:

Devante Parker can’t get open on that secondary?  They’re in trouble 

Wait till he gets hurt game 2 and is out of action for 5-6 weeks

[Scott7975]

5 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

A much better day today, apparently.

 

 

Belichick to defense:  Hey guys ease up on the coverage a little today.  I dont need this kid in my offfice crying all night again.

[BillsFan130]

Mac is a reasonable average QB IMO.

 

The problem?

 

I don't think his ceiling is that high.

 

And when you have Josh Allen, Mahomes, burrow, Herbert, Rus Wilson in the same conference, you are going to need to play better than average.

[Captain Hindsight]

3 minutes ago, BillsFan130 said:

Mac is a reasonable average QB IMO.

 

The problem?

 

I don't think his ceiling is that high.

 

And when you have Josh Allen, Mahomes, burrow, Herbert, Rus Wilson in the same conference, you are going to need to play better than average.

Exactly. Right now their ceiling is wild card team. Their floor is probably 6 wins  they remind me a lot of the drought era Bills 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

1 hour ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

HUDS, no lie, my buddy in New England said a few weeks ago on Boston area sports talk tv the topic one day…

 

…

 

…

 

…was about whether Mac Jones will be a Hall of Famer.

 

 

You don’t need to watch McCorkle play football to know that he’s a shoo-in HOFer…

[dollars 2 donuts]

38 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

You don’t need to watch McCorkle play football to know that he’s a shoo-in HOFer…

 

Shut the board down now.  It’s over for the evening.  Thank you, HUDS.  Thank you. Simply outstanding.

Edited August 25, 2022 by dollars 2 donuts

[Success]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Listening to one of the sports 📻 shows whilst driving and some guest was saying Mac was THE best rookie last season. 
 

I know the QB crop wasn’t stellar,

but the Mac “Tua” Jones was the best of the class…. 
 

 

the experts were right 

the QB crop wasn’t stellar

 

It needs time.  Mayfield was considered the best of Allen's class after year 1.

 

Mac Jones would have failed miserably on the Bears, Jets or Jags.  He was in a perfect situation for a young QB, and they designed the safest possible offense for him.

 

[Stank_Nasty]

53 minutes ago, Captain Hindsight said:

Exactly. Right now their ceiling is wild card team. Their floor is probably 6 wins  they remind me a lot of the drought era Bills 

I personally think the floor is probably lower than that. I would be less surprised with them winning only 4 or 5 games than I would be if they somehow snuck into the playoffs again. 

[ColoradoBills]

4 hours ago, BigAl2526 said:

But Mac Jones impressed Belichick with the improvement he's made.

 

He should.  Mac Jones was a "Pro Bowl" QB in 2021 and the Bills QB was not.

BB is judging his QB on another level.  

[Last Guy on the Bench]

3 hours ago, Meatloaf63 said:

We lost to the Giants in the first super bowl because he couldn’t control Jim Kelly's ego and run the ball. Look at Thurman Thomases ypc and asked why he wasn’t used more to force the Giants out of their defense? I for one will never forgive him for that…

Cool. Let's say you're right in your analysis of SB XXV. (There are a lot more variables at play in a complex phenomenon like a football game than your simple reduction can possibly do justice to, but for the sake of argument, let's say you're right.) You are holding up one bad decision or failure against the LONG pattern of success that @folz outlined. And to you, that means he's a bad coach and can never be "forgiven." You completely erase all the decisions he made along the way to get them to that Super Bowl. I just can't think that way.

 

If you want to argue that Marv wasn't perfect, I'm right there with you. But of course no one is perfect, so that's not much of a discussion. If you want to argue that Marv's failings significantly outweighed his strengths, then I refer you back to @folz's original post.