mularkey -- what are your thoughts?

[eball]

mularkey never had that "deer in the headlights" look last year, but this preseason i think it's obvious that he is very comfortable in the position of HC and has complete control of this team.

 

the guy just impresses me with his presence and demeanor -- he has a touch of wry sarcasm and has shown the ability to deflect questions from the media without giving the impression that he's hiding something.

 

for example, the way the bills have decided to address injuries so far this year -- i believe this is a brilliant move. sure, it frustrates the hometown fans, gamblers, and fantasy football players, but i respect that we're trying to get an edge and keep our opponents guessing.

 

GW never inspired confidence while he was here, and he never appeared comfortable with the media. his PCs were essentially a barrage of cliches and he frequently got defensive.

 

MM, on the other hand, seems to enjoy his interactions with the media. it's as if he's playing a game with them. he doesn't come across as arrogant, but there is no questioning his confidence or leadership.

 

TD schitt the bed with his first HC hire, but i think he has hit one out of the park with his 2nd. i hope we've got our HC for the next 10-15 years on the sidelines.

[Bill from NYC]

I have liked MM since his arrival. Poor GW could not seem to get it together as the offense got close to the endzone. True, he was saddled with Gilbride, but I am not sure who to blame for this.

MM reminds me of Parcells in terms of his usage of trick plays.

 

I am happy with the entire staff. Watching Gray standing there looking totally serious and cerebral and Krumrie running aroung screaming (with no coat in 20 degree weather) is a sight to behold.

 

I am not saying that it never happens, but I didn't see Krumrie get too close to MM during the game at which I sat directly behind the defense.

[Keuka]

I agree. MM may turn out to be the best coach Buffalo has ever had. He seems level headed and smart. I don't buy into the idea that we will struggle this year because of JP. I think there are three characteristic of this team that will offset JP's learning curve. I call these three characteristic the x-factor.

 

The first one goes back to MM and his staff. I love the twisted plays these guys put together. They keep defenses guessing. It seems like the Bills were so predictable during the GW/DB era. Fans and opposing defenses knew the play before the snap. This team will keep people guessing.

 

The second characteristic is JP's mobility. I hope he takes off once a game for big yardage (only once a game, not once a series). This will help to keep defenses on their heels.

 

The final characteristic the speed of this team. This is especially true of the defense and the special teams. TD deserves credit for bringing in these guys. Fast recievers, fast defensive backs, and what looks to be a great group of running backs.

 

I think the x-factor will make this one of the most exciting seasons in years.

[buckeyemike]

MM certainly seems like a bright guy. However, the coach can only work with the players that he has on the field. The trick is to get the whole to be more than the sum of the parts.

 

MM has good assistants (esp. Gray and Krumrie, so I agree with Bill from NYC), but he is the man in charge. I never got that feeling with GW...maybe it helps that MM played quite a few years and can relate to both the players and coaches better. I really believe that GW was TD's last available choice in 2001, and that's a big reason why it never worked out (TD really wanted Marvin Lewis, who in retrospect, is not as good a game-day coach as MM is already).

 

This bunch is not going to the Super Bowl this year, but I think they are a playoff team now, and will compete for bigger and better things in the years to come.

 

Mike

[BuffOrange]

I like what he's done so far as well.

In addition to having a better offensive mind, he has the feel for the game that GW never had with respect to gametime decisions. He took some heat early last year from some results-oriented 20/20 fans - such as the punt at the end vs. Jacksonville, and the 4th&1 TD attempt vs. Oakland - but those were clearly the correct decisions.

[VABills]

You you want only opinions that agree with yours? Or do you want an honest opinion?

[Bill from NYC]

You you want only opinions that agree with yours?  Or do you want an honest opinion?

409601[/snapback]

 

Go ahead VA. Give it what you got!

[VABills]

Go ahead VA. Give it what you got!

409602[/snapback]

Well..........

 

I am neither too high nor too low on him. He seems to have a very likable personality and seems to have been able to help recruit some good "named" coaches. He also seems to be able to control the locker room problems and ensure problems like the Travis whining and issues with Drew, the oline and with the defense stay in the locker room and not in the news media. So for all of those I like him, because he seems to have that respect.

 

However, it is very obvious to me at least that he also is over his head at times both in day to day coaching and even on game day. He seems to be unable to adjust well during the games, very obvious against Jacksonville, Oakland, and especially Pittsburgh last year. I wonder if some of the "respect" doesn't get in the way of either over riding his on field coodinators to resolve game time bad play calling or he just is stunned and is a deer in headlights.

 

His handling of player concerns and injuries also bothers me. He doesn't seem open to either giving a true status or any status. Which IMHO is unfair to the fans in at least having an idea of whats going on and what to expect.

 

Thirdly, while he is supposed to be an offensive expert, he seems to be outmatched and unable to really prepare this guys as quickly as I expect. I was very disappointed in the offensive line play the other day and with MM and Mcnally I would have expected a much better showing. I know it;s only the first game, but Indy doesn't have a good defense and they had 7 starters not even play a down, makes me wonder. The center of our line looked horrid in my opinion and really has me questioning our coaching. In addition with all the praise he has garnered on Losman, I was expecting somewhat of a polished QB, not perfect, but a little bit refined, and IMHO, Losman other than the short field TD after the INT, didn't show me anything.

 

So to be honest other than the locker room handling and apparant respect of his coaches and players, I do not feel MM is doing a good job to this point.

 

Now I will say, I am impressed with what Grey has done with the defense and the Bobby April with the STers. And I know MM gets some of that credit, but he is supposed to be the offensive genius and Grey and April, according to MM last year were give a long leash to do things on their own so MM could work a lot with the O. So I believe Grey has earned a lot more respect from me than he had under Williams.

[obie_wan]

I have liked MM since his arrival. Poor GW could not seem to get it together as the offense got close to the endzone. True, he was saddled with Gilbride, but I am not sure who to blame for this.

MM reminds me of Parcells in terms of his usage of trick plays.

 

I am happy with the entire staff. Watching Gray standing there looking totally serious and cerebral and Krumrie running aroung screaming (with no coat in 20 degree weather) is a sight to behold. 

 

I am not saying that it never happens, but I didn't see Krumrie get too close to MM during the game at which I sat directly behind the defense. 

409574[/snapback]

 

You can blame one of the worst QBs in the league when the ball is in the red zone.

 

It's tough to score when your QB is in a continual melt down and is committing turnovers instead of scoring points

[Bill from NYC]

Well, he WAS taken to school in the Pitt. game by a seasoned, experienced coach. I don't think anybody would doubt this. Still, he was a rookie. I am pretty sure that the year of experience he gained will only serve to help him.

 

As for the OL, I don't know what MM CAN do, other than maximize the less than stellar hand he was dealt. McNally is surely a giant step in the right direction, but I have always thought it unfair to expect Coach Mac to do so much with (at times) so little.

If MW gets his head together, the right side is looking real good. Teague is about average imo, and it is too early to tell with Anderson. If MM and McNally can make Gandy into something more than a serviceable journeyman, they are to be given untold kudos.

 

In any event, it is often very hard for a rookie to step right in an excel, right?

[Reuben Gant]

I have liked MM. The guy had enough self-assurance to go out and get competent

Coaches, unlike GW. I think two things from last year were telling: the six wins in a row after the bad start, and 3rd quarter play, the first half is usually game planning, the 3rd quarter is usually adjusting.

 

I think game planning can improve, but you can't argue with what happened last year in the 3rd quarter.

[Bill from NYC]

You can blame one of the worst QBs in the league when the ball is in the red zone.

 

It's tough to score when your QB is in a continual melt down and is committing turnovers instead of scoring points

409621[/snapback]

 

Good work. You seem to have reached uncharted waters wrt hating Drew.

Now it is HIS fault that GW did a poor job as a head coach?

Don't stop....blame Drew for Gilbride as well!

[VABills]

I have liked MM. The guy had enough self-assurance to go out and get competent

Coaches, unlike GW. I think two things from last year were telling: the six wins in a row after the bad start, and 3rd quarter play, the first half is usually game planning, the 3rd quarter is usually adjusting.

 

I think game planning can improve, but you can't argue with what happened last year in the 3rd quarter.

409631[/snapback]

I agree that half time adjustments where great. What I said was in game, and by that I meant 4th quarter. Seems like we really we always were doing stupid things in the 4th quarter and not adjusting as needed.

[eball]

However, it is very obvious to me at least that he also is over his head at times both in day to day coaching and even on game day.  He seems to be unable to adjust well during the games, very obvious against Jacksonville, Oakland, and especially Pittsburgh last year.  I wonder if some of the "respect" doesn't get in the way of either over riding his on field coodinators to resolve game time bad play calling or he just is stunned and is a deer in headlights. 

 

His handling of player concerns and injuries also bothers me.  He doesn't seem open to either giving a true status or any status.  Which IMHO is unfair to the fans in at least having an idea of whats going on and what to expect.

 

Thirdly, while he is supposed to be an offensive expert, he seems to be outmatched and unable to really prepare this guys as quickly as I expect.  I was very disappointed in the offensive line play the other day and with MM and Mcnally I would have expected a much better showing.  I know it;s only the first game, but Indy doesn't have a good defense and they had 7 starters not even play a down, makes me wonder.  The center of our line looked horrid in my opinion and really has me questioning our coaching.  In addition with all the praise he has garnered on Losman, I was expecting somewhat of a polished QB, not perfect, but a little bit refined, and IMHO, Losman other than the short field TD after the INT, didn't show me anything.

 

So to be honest other than the locker room handling and apparant respect of his coaches and players, I do not feel MM is doing a good job to this point. 

409615[/snapback]

i don't think it can be overstated, how much the bills' offense was hamstrung by having bledsoe behind center last year. before judging MM for the team's offensive production, we need to let a season play out in which he has some decent material (losman/holcomb) to work with.

 

i also believe your conclusions about the line play and losman after one preseason game are a little short-sighted. give the team some time to gel -- there are a lot of new pieces here and your expectations are a bit unrealistic at this point.

 

regardless, thanks for your opinions. i don't agree with them, but they make for lively discussion.

[Kelly the Dog]

I like MM a lot. And think he will be a very good coach for us, and likely stay here quite a while. The city and organization and (for the most part) the fans are a good fit for him.

 

He definitely made some mistakes last year, but IMO his players let him down as much as he failed as a coach (like Clements in the Jax game). He went through some growing pains. A head coach is not some job you apprentice for, and the only way to really learn is to be on the field in charge, there is nothing to prepare you for all the things that a HC must do. And while I am looking very forward to this year and to a lot of years of MM, I still think that last year's roster was a 10-6 or 11-5 team, even with Bledsoe and all his limitations, and we finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs. A lot of that can be attributed to a learning curve but a lot of things went right for the Bills, too, and certainly that Pitt game was a major disappointment.

 

We probably won't know for two or three big games from now whether being schooled by Cowher was just a growing pain or a trend/limitation. I am very optimistic it was a growing pain but until he proves he can coach well in a big game, he hasn't proved he has the mettle.

[KnightRider]

i don't think it can be overstated, how much the bills' offense was hamstrung by having bledsoe behind center last year.  before judging MM for the team's offensive production, we need to let a season play out in which he has some decent material (losman/holcomb) to work with.

409642[/snapback]

 

What he said. I was all for giving Bledsoe one more chance last year. He had some of the best offensive minds coaching him, and he was given the protection he needed, two of the things I thought were big reasons for his ineffectiveness. Turns out that the game has either passed him by or he has nothing left in the tank. The coaches made it very simple and conservative, yet he still was awful. It really says a lot about Bledsoe when the guys, who turned Stewart's and Maddox's careers around, could do nothing for Bledsoe.

 

Anyway, he was the albatross holding last years team back. I just can't picture JP being any worse.

 

Getting back to the real subject of the thread, MM shows a lot of potential. Mistake free defense and special teams (not necessarily evident in the Indy game, but definately last year) are his first priority. Not a bad plan, especially considering his background and rep. He definately isn't a Parcells or Bellichek yet, but I remember when BB was in Cleveland, and he wasn't very impressve at first either. I am looking forward to seeing some progress in this year's Pat's games. We'll see...

[Max Fischer]

He seems to have a very likable personality and seems to have been able to help recruit some good "named" coaches.

 

I think this says a lot. Everyone one of our coaches is as good as any in the league. They appear to work very well together and that's credit to their respect of MM. Pretty damn good for a first year coach. If you don't have the respect of best in the league you can't put together a good staff.

 

However, it is very obvious to me at least that he also is over his head at times both in day to day coaching and even on game day.  He seems to be unable to adjust well during the games, very obvious against Jacksonville, Oakland, and especially Pittsburgh last year.

 

I'm surprised by your comment. The first few games (Jax, Oak) I agree but that's to be expected from a 1st year coach. But afterward it was VERY clear to me that MM & Co. totally dominated the second halfs -- a great indication of adjustments. The PITT game was an overall disaster but I don't expect that to happen this year.

 

I wonder if some of the "respect" doesn't get in the way of either over riding his on field coodinators to resolve game time bad play calling or he just is stunned and is a deer in headlights.

 

I don't quite understand this point. I can't think of many instances whereby the Bills' had more bad plays called than any other team. This is not a concern at all --I think Gray, Clements and MM are well in sync.

 

His handling of player concerns and injuries also bothers me.  He doesn't seem open to either giving a true status or any status.  Which IMHO is unfair to the fans in at least having an idea of whats going on and what to expect.

 

Oh, please. You're smart enough to know that this is nonsense. I don't give a crap if the coaches don't tell me the truth about injuries as long as it helps the team win. Why do fans really think they need to know anything? That's nuts. You're a fan NOT the friggin owner.

 

Thirdly, while he is supposed to be an offensive expert, he seems to be outmatched and unable to really prepare this guys as quickly as I expect.  I was very disappointed in the offensive line play the other day and with MM and Mcnally I would have expected a much better showing.  I know it;s only the first game, but Indy doesn't have a good defense and they had 7 starters not even play a down, makes me wonder.  The center of our line looked horrid in my opinion and really has me questioning our coaching.  In addition with all the praise he has garnered on Losman, I was expecting somewhat of a polished QB, not perfect, but a little bit refined, and IMHO, Losman other than the short field TD after the INT, didn't show me anything.

 

Uh, it's PRE-SEASON. Essentially a practice. You PRACTICE things that you need to work on or want to try. There is no way you or I will know if they are "prepared" b/c we don't know what they want to try out. The goal of pre-season isn't to win the game it's to get your team ready for opening day. Geez, by this standard Levy was a bad coach and GW was good. Your opinion of Losman is certainly not in the plurality.

 

Now I will say, I am impressed with what Grey has done with the defense and the Bobby April with the STers. And I know MM gets some of that credit, but he is supposed to be the offensive genius and Grey and April, according to MM last year were give a long leash to do things on their own so MM could work a lot with the O. So I believe Grey has earned a lot more respect from me than he had under Williams.

 

Wait. Wasn't the offensive doing the job in the second half of last year? Couldn't that be b/c the O finally "got it?" Pretty damn good coaching if you ask me. Jeez Louise, even in the scimmage and 1st preseason game they showed more "looks" than I saw in the GW/KG era. More than I saw from GB and Indy, that's for sure.

[Sound_n_Fury]

I like his personality/demeanor a lot (a young Chuck Noll). He's not afraid to gamble, which I like as well.

 

Still, the "benifit of the doubt" comes off this year. He's going to have to build on the foundation from last year or TSW'ers will be howling at the moon. It'll be interesting to see how patient he is with JP if they loose a few winnable games early in the schedule.

[VABills]

Wait.  Wasn't the offensive doing the job in the second half of last year?  Couldn't that be b/c the O finally "got it?"  Pretty damn good coaching if you ask me.  Jeez Louise, even in the scimmage and 1st preseason game they showed more "looks" than I saw in the GW/KG era.  More than I saw from GB and Indy, that's for sure.

409689[/snapback]

 

No I don't really think the offense was all that in the second half. I think a lot of it was Mcgahee coming in and grasping things and helping out in the blocking. Notice that with Travis out the sack total plummeted. In addition Evans started getting it. But I still think the Oline had major issues and the defense and St's were still the most important piece to that cog. I think you folks under estimate how many games Henry really lost for us, because we basically were playing with 10 guys on offense most of the time. That one change IMHO made the offense much better. And if it wasnt for the injury I am not sure MM would hav been able to make that change.

[Bill from NYC]

No I don't really think the offense was all that in the second half.  I think a lot of it was Mcgahee coming in and grasping things and helping out in the blocking.  Notice that with Travis out the sack total plummeted.  In addition Evans started getting it.  But I still think the Oline had major issues and the defense and St's were still the most important piece to that cog.  I think you folks under estimate how many games Henry really lost for us, because we basically were playing with 10 guys on offense most of the time.  That one change IMHO made the offense much better.  And if it wasnt for the injury I am not sure MM would hav been able to make that change.

409700[/snapback]

 

Amen.