Mularkey vs. Williams

[BillsNYC]

I know its early...but 8 games into the season, but I think Mularkey is having a better rookie season than Williams did. You can argue personel differences, but Mularkey hasn't made a lot of the rookie mistakes Williams did.

 

Like bad instant replay calls, putting the game on Drew's shoulders, sticking to the game-plan, and being an overall respected leader.

 

I think Mularkey's patience is key, where Williams had none.

[ofiba]

I know its early...but 8 games into the season, but I think Mularkey is having a better rookie season than Williams did. You can argue personel differences, but Mularkey hasn't made a lot of the rookie mistakes Williams did.

 

Like bad instant replay calls, putting the game on Drew's shoulders, sticking to the game-plan, and being an overall respected leader.

 

I think Mularkey's patience is key, where Williams had none.

113009[/snapback]

 

Didn't Williams have RJ as his qb in his first season, thus making it impossible to put the game on Drew's shoulders?

 

That being said, I fully expect MM to be a better coach than GW.

[Dan Gross]

You can point to one or two WTF?! plays in each game, but that's a given. Heck, even the "geniuses" have them. The key to this coaching staff is adaptiveness. They are not afraid to tinker with the depth chart to add spark or improve the team overall. And they aren't afraid of going game-by-game (or even play-by-play) with positional assignments as well, though in the play-by-play case you can give away too much when you have "situational" players (Bannan comes in at guard, D says "It's a run play guys").

One of the other things I saw as a knock early on was that Williams seemed to talk like "players are players" and there's no difference between 1st and 3rd string on the depth chart. Again it's about adaptability. Where Williams would say "I don't care if he's the 3rd stringer, he's a pro football player, he should be able to play the plays that are called in just like the 1st stringer," Mularkey says "Okay, we have to put the 3rd string in. What can we do to provide help to him?"

 

Overall, I like what I see. But I'm a positive pollyanna homer, so what do I know.

[Kelly the Dog]

Look at who they surrounded themselves with.

[BillsNYC]

Didn't Williams have RJ as his qb in his first season, thus making it impossible to put the game on Drew's shoulders?

 

That being said, I fully expect MM to be a better coach than GW.

113017[/snapback]

 

My bad...but you know what I mean...

[bills_fan]

I think MM is already a better coach than Gregggggo ever will be. I had my doubts about MM, but with each flare up, and make no mistake about it there have been many this year for a rookie coach to deal with, he has handled himself with class, dignity and consistency. He seems to really have the respect of the players, something Greggggo never had, and admits when he is wrong. I really like him.

[BuckeyeBill]

Look at who they surrounded themselves with.

113040[/snapback]

 

You hit the nail on the head. Williams struggled mainly because of the crap placed around him. The team turned out to be three great defensive coordinators (who now boast the number 1,2, and 3 defenses in the NFL) and with them... very little else.

 

MM has placed people around him, that will outshine him. Williams was afraid to do that. That's why MM will do better.

[flomoe]

You can point to one or two WTF?! plays in each game, but that's a given.  Heck, even the "geniuses" have them.  The key to this coaching staff is adaptiveness.  They are not afraid to tinker with the depth chart to add spark or improve the team overall.  And they aren't afraid of going game-by-game (or even play-by-play) with positional assignments as well, though in the play-by-play case you can give away too much when you have "situational" players (Bannan comes in at guard, D says "It's a run play guys"). 

One of the other things I saw as a knock early on was that Williams seemed to talk like "players are players" and there's no difference between 1st and 3rd string on the depth chart.  Again it's about adaptability.  Where Williams would say "I don't care if he's the 3rd stringer, he's a pro football player, he should be able to play the plays that are called in just like the 1st stringer," Mularkey says "Okay, we have to put the 3rd string in.  What can we do to provide help to him?" 

 

Overall, I like what I see.  But I'm a positive pollyanna homer, so what do I know.

113038[/snapback]

 

I agree completely with everything you said here Dan. This coaching staff Adapts to the situation more than probably any coaching staff in Bills history that I can recall. Even the days with Marv had their game plans that they stuck with even though they didn't work. MM and staff adapt from the 1st play of the game. The biggest difference is the 2nd half play of the defense in any game. The D has pretty much shut everyone down in the 2nd half. That's adaptability. With all that said, I don't think it's fair to compare MM to GW as to who is doing a better job as a rookie. MM is taking over a team loaded with talent while GW took over a team loaded with nothing except headaches. I have to give GW credit for what he did with the hand he was dealt. I don't think all the problems of the past 3 years should be laid directly at the feet of GW but ultimately it is the head coach who does accept the blame.

[Kelly the Dog]

I agree completely with everything you said here Dan. This coaching staff Adapts to the situation more than probably any coaching staff in Bills history that I can recall. Even the days with Marv had their game plans that they stuck with even though they didn't work. MM and staff adapt from the 1st play of the game. The biggest difference is the 2nd half play of the defense in any game. The D has pretty much shut everyone down in the 2nd half. That's adaptability. With all that said, I don't think it's fair to compare MM to GW as to who is doing a better job as a rookie. MM is taking over a team loaded with talent while GW took over a team loaded with nothing except headaches. I have to give GW credit for what he did with the hand he was dealt. I don't think all the problems of the past 3 years should be laid directly at the feet of GW but ultimately it is the head coach who does accept the blame.

113525[/snapback]

I like the way MM will adapt, too, but all of the defensive coaches excluding the DB coach were here last year and calling the signals. Perhaps, or even likely, Gray is having a bigger say in making some changes, which daddy-looking-over-his-shoulder Gregg Williams may not have been in favor of. I'm not sure. Gray did say some things to the effect that it is his defense now and he will make some changes that he wasn't able to do before. If this is it, he is doing one hell of a job. This is something we will likely never know, though.

[BillsNYC]

Even the days with Marv had their game plans that they stuck with even though they didn't work.

113525[/snapback]

 

You mean they did work...probably 90% of the time!

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

My sense of GW is that he was bit to addicted to his schemes and instead shoul have altered his scheme to allow players to make the best plays they can make.

 

I was willing to give GW the benefit of the doubt when he was first hired, but from the point where he unrealistically insisted that the Bills were fighting for the playoffs (the rebuilding team fininshed 3-13) I began to have and express doubts.

 

While some argued that what else could he say because giving up was unacceptable, I think a good HC finds a way to split the bady and demand excellence even when he is realistic about the task which confronts us. The irony for us TSW folk is that we had already seen the power and effectiveness of "realistic optimism" with the Sabres. They built an ethic and promoted themselves as the hardest working team in hockey. Such an approach would have suited the Bills perfectly in the 2001 season as GW could have instilled and demanded hard work from the players who like it or not were going to produce something like a 3013 record.

 

I began to give up on GW when he started taking a line which wasn't realistic and ended up revolving around him making excuses for why his scheme didn't seem to work rather the emphasize players getting better.

[KnightRider]

Look at who they surrounded themselves with.

113040[/snapback]

 

To be fair, TD waited till after the SB to hire GW, when the McNallys were already taken.

 

That said, MM >> GW for the way he handled the McGahee/Henry situation.

[ganesh]

I like the way MM will adapt, too, but all of the defensive coaches excluding the DB coach were here last year and calling the signals. Perhaps, or even likely, Gray is having a bigger say in making some changes, which daddy-looking-over-his-shoulder Gregg Williams may not have been in favor of. I'm not sure. Gray did say some things to the effect that it is his defense now and he will make some changes that he wasn't able to do before. If this is it, he is doing one hell of a job. This is something we will likely never know, though.

113531[/snapback]

And don't forget Grandpa LeBeau :-)

[Kelly the Dog]

To be fair, TD waited till after the SB to hire GW, when the McNallys were already taken.

 

That said, MM >> GW for the way he handled the McGahee/Henry situation.

113556[/snapback]

True but that really isn't the point. GW took all kinds of inexperienced guys his first year when he needed the experience around him and MM took all kinds of experienced guys. GW started with someone he didn't know well to run the offense, running a west coast offense but not having or getting the players to run it, then replaced him with another unadapting, stubborn OC who also didnt have the players doing what they do best. GW may not have been able to get McNally but he chose his best man at his wedding who never really coached the OL before at this level. MM also got guys like Sam Wyche to do the things that MM wanted to do and had some head coaching experience. GW brought the guys with the HC experience (Gilbride, Steckle, LeBeau) in his second year but never really was someone that listened. MM welcomes the experience.

 

MM hasnt won yet so we cannot say he is even a good coach let alone a very good or great one, but MM has seemed to done well with the press, the fans, the players, the other coaches, and it is starting to show on the field. GW turned off some fans, the press, some players and never really did it on the field.

[Guest Guest]

Look at who they surrounded themselves with.

113040[/snapback]

 

 

best point out there when comparing the two, nice one Kelly

[Fan in San Diego]

My bad...but you know what I mean...

113041[/snapback]

 

Just out of curiousity, what is up with the 'My bad' thing? It is bad english and means absolutely nothing?

[Guest Guest]

Just out of curiousity, what is up with the 'My bad' thing? It is bad english and means absolutely nothing?

113764[/snapback]

 

 

youre kidding right? yeah, you have to be kidding because i thought picking apart spelling and grammer on message boards ended in 2001.

 

on the other hand, get a load of what the kids call music these days. its just a bunch of noise if you ask me...

[TigerJ]

Look at who they surrounded themselves with.

113040[/snapback]

 

 

Let's see, Jim McNally versus what his name. I can't even remember the dufus' name.