The Moulds situation

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

No, we pretty much went into a shell with a 21-0 lead, not counting tiny little gadget plays like Roscoe's 2 yard pass. It wasn't completely stupid to get out of the "game plan" and run a little more. Clearly, the game plan was to isolate Evans and get the ball downfield deep. It produced the quickest 21 points passing in years. The first time ever a Bills player has scored three TDs in a quarter. It was by far the best game plan this season. Because it worked. It was only when they went away from that strategy with a 21-0 lead that they bogged down. And 21 points on the road should have won that game easily. While Evans may not YET be as good a player as Moulds was in his prime, Moulds is nowhere near the player Evans is right now. It's not even close. Evans gets open short and long, catches everything, scores more TDs than Moulds ever did in his career, rarely if ever drops a ball (I recall one since he got here), tries his ass off, blocks (though not as good as Moulds yet but he's getting there), and catches with his hands better than Moulds ever has.

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I aggree that it appeared to be the gameplan to isolate Evans and go deep to him as Miami has been routinely burned by Moulds in the past and dt'ed him. You are also right that this obvioulsly worked as 3 TD passes went to Evans in short order.

 

However, your key point and my thought as to why we lost was that we went into a shell when we were up 21-0. I think the conclusions you seem to draw after this are where my thinking departs from yours.

 

1. Even if Evans is a better player than Moulds right now (certainly a debatable point if only due to Moulds experience and Evans being a second year guy and how they are covered due to their reps) it does not mean at all that Moulds sucks completely.

 

2. The great failing of the Bills Sunday was that the passing game lacked balance overall. Aggod passng attack would have followed up the great use of Evans scoring his TDs with use of Moulds when the MI coverage shifted to help out on Evans.

 

Instead, the Bills shifted to the run game to take advantage of MI helping out in pass coverage, but really failed to effectively capitalize on the running attack )i was OK but not good enough). It might have worked better if they completed 2 or 3 passes to Moulds to force MI to cover both sides of the field for passes giving WM more room. However, they shifted to take Evans out of the game, stopprf WM well enough and we took Moulds out of the game.

 

It was going into the shell and our lack of balance (our starting TE was gone due to injury) that allowed MI to come back because we they were reeling we did not kill them.

[JDG]

This entire situation...to me at least...sounds like a Head Coach who just is no good at properly communicating his Game Plan to a Vet Player...The Vet Player then gets pissed off because he thinks he's being cast aside, and the HC gets pissed off because he feels the Vet is being disruptive...

 

Again, it may be just me, but this situation reaks of a guy who is simply not ready to be a HC, and does not know how to handle situations based on personality, ego, etc...And I know I'm definitely not an NFL HC, but I have been Managing people for over 20 Years, and I certainly understand how difficult it can be to try to keep 50 plus people happy in their Jobs...

 

Exactly. Managing personalities is a key component of the HC's job, and he's not getting it done. Moulds has been here for 10 years, and has hardly been a malcontent during that time. Even now, on the verge of getting suspended, he is giving a sensible "no comment" to the media.

 

And yet, Mike Mularkey is apparently wanting to give Moulds the same treatment that has previously been reserved for Keyshawn Johnson and Terrell Owens? It doesn't make sense...... and I think Mularkey has to shoulder his share of the blame.

 

JDG

[bills_fan]

And to further compliacte things...the AP picked up on it and reported that the final decision rests with Ralph.

 

Now Ralph is in a tough spot, do you back your neophyte moron coach or your star receiver. Either way he sends a message to either the vet players who may cvome to Buffalo as free agents or possible coaches around the league that is not good. Moulds didn't do anything like TO, so EM, a respected vet and team leader, could be suspended for ticky-tack BS. Or, Ralph won't back a coach who wants to suspend a disruptive player. Ralph is truly between a rock and a hard place here.

 

Thanks MM for not having a clue how to deal with players and putting Ralph in this situation. Thanks TD (you jackass) for giving us another coach without a friggin clue, and forcing Ralph to step in and resolve things.

[KOKBILLS]

I wholeheartedly agree with you my friend. mularkey has been handling this liek a woman. he is the whiny woman who cant take criticism. even in the press conferences he's so damn smug and high on himself when he hasnt accomplished didly squat. I hate how TD or MM try to find idiotic ways to praise our team even in the face of a horrible loss. TD was commending eric king and jabari greer and all these guys and players (basically feeding his ego so he could feel good about the minial draft class he had in 2004/2005) I say minial because he didnt address the issues with dier need like the lines on both sides.

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It is a bit laughable though you have to admit...Well TD...If the Scouting Department has done a good Job of filling Needs, if the Coaches are always well prepared and put together good Game Plans, if despite the way it looks the Bills are definitely making progress, and if we are always well prepared for an opponent, how exactly do you explain the fact that we are 4-8????

 

Don't get me wrong, I understand the Spin Game that GM's feel they need to Play...But you have to admit it is a little funny sometimes...

[splinter21]

Bring up his multiple children off the field with multiple women???,,,, if he was a women you would be calling him alot of other names that don't include the word selfless, team player ect ect...........What he does off the field speaks alot more of his inner manhood then anything he has done on the field.....He is a pig ,,,, period!!!! He's a real character alright , boy what a man he is!!

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thats his private life and its none of our business. who are you gloria alred? ellen degeneres?? he is not all so bad ok? to say he is a cancer is way out of line in fact comparing him to TO is way out of line. and as for your remarks for him hypothetically being a woman. i am quite sure there are players in the wnba that have multiple kids with different guys. if i was a fan of the wnba i wouldnt care cause as long as the team was winning id be happy and as long as they were a team player i would be happy.but i am not a fan of the wnba because it doesnt interest me. EM is a team player. he has proven that by taking paycut after paycut. the real guy you should be dogging out is mike williams a lazy sack of **** who is paid even more than moulds and does nothing for our team. TD should be dogged out for being a coniving weasley deceptive little **** who claims we are on the cusp of something that in reality is way out of our grasp. but no lets dog out our best player who gives us the best chance to win. not productive?? he leads the team in receptions morons. do the math. im sick and tired of people being so quick to judge and so quick to just turn on a player like that. I agree with you i dont aprove of his off field stuff with multiple women but to tell you the truth you're being ridiculous becuase even the married players mess around. heck if you feel so passionate about sexual escapades in sports, why dont you go to the vikings board and do some research and do your dissertation on sex and sports.

[Guest BackInDaDay]

and forcing Ralph to step in and resolve things.

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This is a big thing. This is why Ralph made TD the GM and Club President, so he could play tennis.

 

Just when he thought he was out... they puuuuuull him back in.

[Kelly the Dog]

Keep telling yourself this and don't pay attention to the D coordinators that still rotate coverage to Moulds.

 

The fact that you're trying to compliment Evans' blocking ability shows how irrational you are on this subject.  Evans is a HORRIBLE blocker.  The guy either doesn't try very hard or he gets called for holding, one or the other.

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Glad you pay attention. I just looked back on all the stats. The Bills have run 674 plays this year. Lee Evans has two holding calls. Eric Moulds has two.

[Mile High]

I don't think that EM will be suspended. I think that Ralph has alot of love and respect for the guy. He is a role model and used to be a great football player. I really do feel that when they meet today, (EM and Ralph) EM is going to lay it on the line about the management and the coaching..... And Ralph will listen due to his respect for Moulds. This imo is the end of the Donahoe era. Mark me words.

[thisiskeith12]

Like I have said, as long as TD goes, MM goes with him. Even if Modrak becomes the new GM.

 

I really like Polian's son to be a candidate for GM.

[plenzmd1]

And to further compliacte things...the AP picked up on it and reported that the final decision rests with Ralph. 

 

Now Ralph is in a tough spot, do you back your neophyte moron coach or your star receiver.  Either way he sends a message to either the vet players who may cvome to Buffalo as free agents or possible coaches around the league that is not good.  Moulds didn't do anything like TO, so EM, a respected vet and team leader, could be suspended for ticky-tack BS.  Or, Ralph won't back a coach who wants to suspend a disruptive player.  Ralph is truly between a rock and a hard place here.

 

Thanks MM for not having a clue how to deal with players and putting Ralph in this situation.  Thanks TD (you jackass) for giving us another coach without a friggin clue, and forcing Ralph to step in and resolve things.

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Made even worse as by all accounts from the so called "insiders" Ralph really likes MM, and I would assume really likes EM as well, after having been here for 10 yrs.Like someone said in an earlier thread, this will tell us which way the wind be blowing at OBD

[splinter21]

It is a bit laughable though you have to admit...Well TD...If the Scouting Department has done a good Job of filling Needs, if the Coaches are always well prepared and put together good Game Plans, if despite the way it looks the Bills are definitely making progress, and if we are always well prepared for an opponent, how exactly do you explain the fact that we are 4-8????

 

Don't get me wrong, I understand the Spin Game that GM's feel they need to Play...But you have to admit it is a little funny sometimes...

523484[/snapback]

yeah im glad you can find some humor in such dark times. very commendable. i too have become numb

[Kelly the Dog]

The only reason why Evans was open was because Moulds was double teamed.  Lets see how he does as the #1 taking the double teams.

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So why was the safety the closest man to Evans on at least one of the bombs and three guys were on Evans on his third TD. Yeah, right.

[splinter21]

Like I have said, as long as TD goes, MM goes with him. Even if Modrak becomes the new GM.

 

I really like Polian's son to be a candidate for GM.

523493[/snapback]

I think the chimpanzee from the buffalo zoo would do better than TD

[Kelly the Dog]

I missed that.  Where was that reported? Was it said in the context of planning an O line, or was it a muse from the Mouse?

 

He plays too tall for OG.  Doesn't drop his hips enough to get the kind of leverage necessary to drive a 6'1" 330lb interior D lineman.  Anyone who's ever coached the position can see that.  Now if McNally remarked that he thought Williams could be coached into that spot, and then was pressed into actually doing it, he found out in a hurry that he was wrong. 

 

Just cause these guys collect checks, doesn't make them the end-all, be-all.

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McNally said it a couple times I think. And then said that it was already into the season and the coaches didn't want to make the change just then and disrupt everything. Which is, of course, what they are doing now. But I have always thought that the move to OG was simply to get peters on the field because they like him and think of his as one of their future OTs more than a total demotion of MW. And if he wouldn't have been hurt, he wouldn't have been benched.

[dave mcbride]

So why was the safety the closest man to Evans on at least one of the bombs and three guys were on Evans on his third TD. Yeah, right.

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dog, until the kc game, evans was having a horrible season production-wise. he's still on pace for a sub-50 catch and sub-800 yard season. i do agree with you, however, that he's a real talent -- unbelievable speed plus really soft hands. he'll be a great one. he's not there yet, though, and notwithstanding the miami game, the double coverage has generally rolled towards moulds most of the season. he also has yet to show that he can park himself in the middle and assert his will against headhunting safeties, which is what moulds, TO, keyshawn johnson, hines ward, etc. do on a consistent basis.

[Rubes]

Damn, this is a painful thread to read. Really bringing out the emotions in everyone.

 

You know, I'm disappointed that EM was apparently not put into the game plan. I'm disappointed that he whined to the point of disruption. I'm disappointed that MM took steps that potentially alienated a senior veteran of the team. I'm disappointed in the players, I'm disappointed in the coaches, and I'm disappointed in the season. There really isn't anybody or anything I'm not disappointed with.

 

I will say this: It sounds to me like MM is trying to take the high road and to put together a team which, like the Pats, does not focus on individuals but rather the team. When individuals do things that are against the team concept (whether it be Adams or Moulds for, apparently, being upset with the scheme that they are asked to work within) I would expect the coach to have some nads to stand up to them. I don't know what actually happened or how things were really handled, but it's unfortunate that things turned out this way. I really don't know who is to blame for that.

 

However, I'm pretty sure that the frustration of this season contributed in large part to the way this eventually played out.

[Ray]

Have your best offensive player used as a decoy? Great game planning!

[JDG]

So why was the safety the closest man to Evans on at least one of the bombs and three guys were on Evans on his third TD. Yeah, right.

523499[/snapback]

 

I don't have the luxury of being able to review game film, but two very simple _possible_ explanations:

 

1) Most NFL teams line up two safeties in most formations. In this case, they could have called Double-Moulds, Cover-1, where one safety double-covers Moulds and the other safety plays in a deep zone.

 

2) They could have been playing a basic zone defense, such as a Cover-2 or a Cover-3, so the corner released Evans to the deep zone, which was the responsibility of one of the safeties - this is often what QB's look for in deciding whether to throw the bomb, or check down to an outlet receiver underneath. So, Losman sees the corner release Evans to the safety in the deep zone and heaves it deep. Meanwhile, Moulds could be double-covered if it was, say a Cover-2, man-Moulds, where one corner sticks with Moulds wherever he goes, while the rest of the defense plays a zone.

 

JDG

[splinter21]

I don't have the luxury of being able to review game film, but two very simple _possible_ explanations:

 

1) Most NFL teams line up two safeties in most formations.  In this case, they could have called Double-Moulds, Cover-1, where one safety double-covers Moulds and the other safety plays in a deep zone.

 

2) They could have been playing a basic zone defense, such as a Cover-2 or a Cover-3,  so the corner released Evans to the deep zone, which was the responsibility of one of the safeties - this is often what QB's look for in deciding whether to throw the bomb, or check down to an outlet receiver underneath.    So, Losman sees the corner release Evans to the safety in the deep zone and heaves it deep.  Meanwhile, Moulds could be double-covered if it was, say a Cover-2, man-Moulds, where one corner sticks with Moulds wherever he goes, while the rest of the defense plays a zone.

 

JDG

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very insightful post thanks

[Fan in San Diego]

TD, MM and and the whole crew should be benched and fired ! Not Moulds !