THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - On Scapegoats and Five and Five

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, Beast said:

Who hired these coaches McDermott has had to fire (or they took a break for a year LOL) the past few years?

 

Sean assembled this staff. I consider it a failure on his part. Especially considering where the Bills were as a team when he decided to give Dorsey the job of being the OC.

 

Eventually the buck will stop at the CEO of the coaching staff.

 

 

Exactly....in I'm a manager and I hire 5 people who all require to be dismissed due to performance issues, I'm probably going to be in jeopardy myself from my superior.  Look in the mirror Sean.

[HappyDays]

11 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

but then you have the same problem on the defensive side

 

I think you're safe if you have a great DC. I doubt Lou Anarumo, Steve Spagnuolo, and Jim Schwartz are getting head coach opportunities in the near future. It just isn't the way the league is trending. Demeco Ryans got the job with Houston, that was one exception. We'll see what happens when their OC Bobby Slowik inevitably gets hired as a head coach and CJ Stroud gets a new OC.

 

14 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I just think at this point in this season, the only move that made sense was the one they made.  Dorsey was failing and gone at the end of the season.  May as well try out Brady. 

 

Oh I completely agree. Just because McDermott has been the cause of a lot of team's issues, doesn't mean Dorsey was just a scapegoat. He didn't have his side of the ball working as well as it should. I do think though that firing him is somewhat of an act of desperation by McDermott. He knows his job security is slipping away and he was very close to losing the locker room and the fanbase, if he hasn't already. A big change in the middle of the season is, if nothing else, an announcement that McDermott knows his operation hasn't been good enough and needed some kind of spark.

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

It doesn’t really matter in my opinion.

 

There was no way Dorsey was going to survive past the end of the season.

 

Having to hang on for dear life against the Giants, then again against Bucs, and the tone changed after Cincinnati loss where it was 18 points.
 

The question now is whether McDermott survives this. 
 

I don’t think he’s earned that. 

No he hasn't....Sean is just as culpable to this situation as the poor performers he's had to dismiss.  This reeks of desperation. 

[LABILLBACKER]

57 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I was with you to the end.   As I just said, he hired Daboll, so why is it that the Bills won't get another good coordinator?   Good for you, truly, that you knew Dorsey wasn't the right guy, but the fact that you were right about one OC and McDermott was wrong doesn't mean that McDermott can't hire and thrive with a good OC.  

So Shaw let's say for the sake of argument that Brady turns out amazing.  Sean gets this one right like Daboll.  How does that help us eliminate McD's bonehead game day mistakes.  Or maybe Brady will turn Josh back into a confident elite qb and the offense will start scoring 30 again?  That will at least mask the never ending mistakes Sean's bound to make in the future. 

[Cash]

Great post @Shaw66 - you set a high bar and this one easily cleared it. 
 

Also some great counter-arguments in this thread as well with some valid points. 
 

My two cents: Firing Dorsey, in hindsight, was overdue. I would’ve been fine canning him after the Bengals game, or at least stripping him off play calling duties, but McD is more conservative than I am, so Dorsey got an extra week. I wish Dorsey the best, but he had to go. 
 

Will it help? We’ll find out soon enough. I think it’ll help at least somewhat, but I don’t think it’ll be a panacea. The defense and special teams are bad. The defense somehow manages to hold up for long stretches every week, but they don’t have the talent to get stops when we need them. We need an offense that can get 30 most weeks in spite of bad field position, and put us up 2 scores or more when the opposing team gets the ball for the last time. 

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

3 hours ago, blitzboy54 said:

McD preaches “accountability”, it’s his brand. Funny thing there is whenever it seems like he needs to be accountable though he ducks responsibility (at least publicly). After 13 seconds it wasn’t time to talk about it. He wanted to keep it in house. He pulled the same line yesterday, it’s never time to talk about anything that reflects badly on him or his coaching. 
 

“The process” is another thing. It doesn’t seem to apply to him. He is as bad a game day manager in year 6 as he was in year 1.  Timeouts, clock management, challenges etc. so learning from our mistakes is not for him. 
 

Im not a football coach but I was a Marine. I know what leadership looks like. I would imagine watching him throw the offense under the bus to the press the last 2 days while praising his defense and even throwing in the injury’s to prop himself up goes over about as well as a screen door on a submarine. 
 

I’ve lost faith and seen enough of his shtick personally. Ultimately it’s up to Terry but I don’t think we will get to the mountain top with him at the helm.  
 

 

This is simply not true, I've heard HC McDermott now going on 2 press conferences with him stating that "all phases need to get better and it starts with me". He even said "the defense hasn't been perfect but they played their asses off today". You can listen to both his press conferences and he says those lines about himself and about coaching the defense in both of them so I'm not sure where you're getting that he doesn't hold himself accountable, he clearly does. I'm not for or against him right now, I'm in a wait and see approach but you're spewing facts that just aren't true, go listen to both those interviews entirely and you'll hear him say those exact lines and I'm not calling you out or anything, maybe you didn't hear the full press conference but it's in there.

Edited November 16, 2023 by BuffaloBillsGospel2014

[LABILLBACKER]

20 minutes ago, Cash said:

Great post @Shaw66 - you set a high bar and this one easily cleared it. 
 

Also some great counter-arguments in this thread as well with some valid points. 
 

My two cents: Firing Dorsey, in hindsight, was overdue. I would’ve been fine canning him after the Bengals game, or at least stripping him off play calling duties, but McD is more conservative than I am, so Dorsey got an extra week. I wish Dorsey the best, but he had to go. 
 

Will it help? We’ll find out soon enough. I think it’ll help at least somewhat, but I don’t think it’ll be a panacea. The defense and special teams are bad. The defense somehow manages to hold up for long stretches every week, but they don’t have the talent to get stops when we need them. We need an offense that can get 30 most weeks in spite of bad field position, and put us up 2 scores or more when the opposing team gets the ball for the last time. 

Our defense is amazing in the 2nd/3rd quarters.  But the 1st & 4th are trainwrecks.  I don't know what the answer is to that but it's been going on for awhile. That's why it's so important to win the toss, pray you don't turn the ball over and score first.

[JerseyBills]

Solid points as usual 

These 7 games will tell the real story

 

[Dan Darragh]

I blame the blue pants.

[Figster]

40 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

So Shaw let's say for the sake of argument that Brady turns out amazing.  Sean gets this one right like Daboll.  How does that help us eliminate McD's bonehead game day mistakes.  Or maybe Brady will turn Josh back into a confident elite qb and the offense will start scoring 30 again?  That will at least mask the never ending mistakes Sean's bound to make in the future. 

 Why so adamant a man like Sean McDermott wouldn't/couldn't learn from his mistakes? Never ending?

 

You could say HC's make mistakes in every game they lose. So I suppose it is never ending. 

 

Everyone wants to point to the 13 seconds of madness only Mahomes could make, Get over it.

[Dan Darragh]

5 minutes ago, Figster said:

 

Everyone wants to point to the 13 seconds of madness only Mahomes could make, Get over it.

Get over it???  

[Figster]

7 minutes ago, Dan Darragh said:

Get over it???  

Yes, I get tired of reading about it, lol

 

I suppose the get over it wasn't necessary. Sorry about that LA

 

It felt good though Dan

Edited November 16, 2023 by Figster

[Chandler#81]

Imo, the Special Teams gaff was all on Hamlin. His 1st action of the season and he wasn’t listening to or understanding what was transpiring. It’s what happens when you’re not activated all season long. 
If there’s a silver lining, booting Dorsey to the curb had to happen and this started the search for his replacement. College football is nearly complete, so there’s many dossiers to peruse now.

[Dan Darragh]

4 hours ago, Figster said:

Yes, I get tired of reading about it, lol

 

I suppose the get over it wasn't necessary. Sorry about that LA

 

It felt good though Dan

Are you kidding?  13 seconds was the thing that helped me get over wide-right.

[CSBill]

11 hours ago, Reks Ryan said:

Letting Mac Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield,  Russ Wilson, and Zach Wilson go on long TD drives in crucial moments of the 4th QTR is not a formula for winning football certainly won't put you in position to make the playoffs. 

 

 

Shaw, that is an excellent post, and I am with you. It was the right move to replace Dorsey. All the difficulties of this team are not on him, but he had his fair share of it.

 

But I also agree with Reks. As frustrating as it has been watching the offense struggle in every game they have lost, it has recovered enough to get a lead or tie it (Jets, Patriots, Broncos) or get back in the game (Jags, Bengals) in the 4th quarter in each lose, only to see the Defense -- with a bit of help from Special Teams -- let the other team drive the field and win the game in the waning moments.

 

And think about this: Two incompetent Special Team plays at the end of the game have led directly to two losses. Without this, the Bills are on top of the Division and contending for the number 1 play-off position (Perspective = TWO STUPID ST PLAYS!). Not to mention the general malaise of ST play for the entire season. I do wonder why Smiley has not been let go along with Dorsey.

 

Conclusion: It's been "complimentary dysfunctional football." All three phases have contributed. The problem is the offense should be bailing everyone out, and it is not.

 

Hope: A slight improvement in all three phases, and this is still one of the best teams in the AFC. There is hope. Sunday will be telling.

[Beast]

8 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

If I'm an up and coming coach and I get a chance to be Josh Allen's offensive coordinator, I'm taking it in a heartbeat.  Jon Gruden rode Brett Favre to a great career - not with Favre, but that's how he built his reputation.  Hiring one isn't going to be the problem.  Finding the right one is the problem. 

Eventually, yes.  I don't think he's there yet.  He hired Daboll, and that worked out fine.  So, he's one for two.  

 

 

Nope.

 

This is now McDemott’s 4th offensive coordinator.

 

Rick Dennison, Brian Daboll, Ken Dorsey and Joe Brady.

 

He’s 1 for 3.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Beast

[Real McClappy]

Shaw you hit on all 3 phases of football with a solid post. With all that, in what world does a team failing at 2 out of 3 phases of the game not fall directly on your HC?

 

We have gone backwards on Offense and Special teams. We cannot stop teams on crucial final drives on D which looks like many want to give McD a pass on as well due to injuries?  O has been brutal but how many late 4th quarter drives this year has Allen positioned us with a winning score with the D needing 1 stop for a W?

[SoCal Deek]

8 hours ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

The point is the defense is holding their own keeping opposing points low, as decimated as they are, and this offense should be blowing opponents doors off. 

if you take out their 3 good offensive games, here is the run.., 

 

16, 20, 14, 25, 24, 18, 22 

 

under 20 ppg. 
 

that’s why they lose. Can’t score points on good defenses. 

I completely understand but the lack of offense is NOT what lost the Broncos game. Turnovers and a string of really bad coaching decisions did. Josh and his group gave the ball away FOUR times at no fault of the offensive coordinator. Did I like Dorsey? Nope. But this week McD, or somebody higher, needed a scapegoat….and they found one. 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

11 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I completely understand but the lack of offense is NOT what lost the Broncos game. Turnovers and a string of really bad coaching decisions did. Josh and his group gave the ball away FOUR times at no fault of the offensive coordinator. Did I like Dorsey? Nope. But this week McD, or somebody higher, needed a scapegoat….and they found one. 

can’t fire players or fire himself. Splitting hairs but I see him as more the sacrificial lamb. 

[SoCal Deek]

8 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

can’t fire players or fire himself. Splitting hairs but I see him as more the sacrificial lamb. 

Very true, but as a leader you CAN take full responsibility. It’s a really rare quality these days. So many say that they ‘take full responsibility’ but very few people do. My point here is all about the timing. Dorsey didn’t lose that game. McD, Josh, and others did. So the temper tantrum impact on everyone else in the organization is to pull their heads in like turtles lest they be next. Not a good way to get people motivated going forward. McD is completely lost.