hondo in seattle

When talking about continuity, I can't help but think of the Steelers. The've had 3 coaches over the past 46 years. They've won 60% of their games during that span and 6 Super Bowls. In the 1940's, Pittsburgh went through 6 coaches over the decade and won just 38% of their games. When they decided continuity matters, their fortunes changed.

DW is in the kitchen with Rex cooking up a stew. It'll be interesting to see what they serve us fans this season. Hope it's better than last year's cafeteria food.

Very true. I guess then if you compare TT with Kelly highlights, then TT falls far short. I do remember Kelly's rookie year. Despite Kelly playing pro ball in the USFL before coming to the Bills, he didn't yet look like a polished superstar. Some fans that year didn't think he was a franchise QB either.

Dude, TT also averaged 8.0 yards per attempt - better than Brady, Brees, Cam, Rivers, Mariota, Bortles etc. What this means is that when TT drops back to pass, you should expect a better outcome than when Brady drops back. You can't blame TT for Roman's run first philosophy. Roman isn't a run-first guy because he doesn't believe in TT. He's a run-first guy because that's who he is. Roman also has a better reputation - and track record - at coordinating a running attack than aerial attack. None of this is TT's fault. TT's done very well with his chances.

I understand the frustration with TT. He never looked like Jim Kelly in his prime. He didn't demonstrate an ability to carry a team on his shoulders. He didn't complete a lot of passes over the middle. He didn't look like a guy who could throw for 300+ yards if you needed him to. And yet, he was good at what Roman asked him to do. Good enough to get invited to the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starting QB. Like DW, I'm not ready to anoint TT as our new franchise QB. But to call him a failure is way premature. Most of history's great QBs got better after their first year.

I'm not giving up on the future of football. But I agree, it's not as fun as it used to be. I worry about these guys and don't cheer hard hits anymore. I used to be a soldier. Death and life-long injuries go with the territory. Sadly, until people learn to live together in peace, that's just the way it is. But football is just a game. Death and life-long injury shouldn't be part of any game. I hope rule-changes and technology can save my favorite sport.

Yeah, I didn't mean to say that Wade single-handedly won the game. Players matter and Denver's D has some talented guys. But it was good to see that Wade won the chess match - and how he did it. Wondering what the Bills coaching staff might learn from this.

Interesting article about how Wade Phillips outschemed the Pats O. Blitz-happy Wade only blitzed on 1 of 6 plays and yet pressured the hell out of Brady. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14642395/gary-kubiak-wade-phillips-dialed-gem-get-bill-belichick-tom-brady-nfl

I've heard, of course, that Rex tried - and failed - to merge systems. But I hadn't seen this article before. Thanks for posting. Unlike much of the schlop in the media these days, this was pretty well-reasoned and informative. I still think it's interesting that Schwartz could get good productivity from these players and Rex couldn't. No matter how you slice and dice it, this year's disappointment is all on Rex. While the article does make me a bit more optimistic about 2016, I'm a long time snake-bitten Bills fan and perpetually in the I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT mode these days.

I know he's been injury prone but I don't know why anyone would make the decision to cut him right now. Let's bring Goodwin to camp and see how he does in comparison to the other guys we bring in. His shortcomings may turn out to be less than some of the other guys we bring in, especially if we get a rash of injuries again. There's enough to him that I think it makes sense to let him compete for a roster spot. Though it wouldn't surprise - or dismay - me if he didn't make the squad this year.

Greed does rule the NFL... generally speaking. Businesses need profits the way you and I need food and water. But football teams, for some, are more than just business. As Pegs has said, if he wanted more money, he'd dig another well. The Pegulas didn't buy the Sabres or Bills to make more money. Neither is the best business opportunity out there. They bought them for the joy of owning a Buffalo sports enterprise. Their motivation was never greed. So no amount of losing will get them to consider moving. It will get them consider what they need to do differently to begin winning. Successful business people buy and do impractical things all the time. Their success allows them that luxury. Thank goodness the Pegulas allowed themselves the Bills as an impractical luxury. I'm not sure I'll see the Bills win a SB in my lifetime but I'm pretty confident I'll never see them move out of Buffalo.

Unlike many Bills fans, I don't hate the Pats. I'm just tired of them winning. I'd prefer to see the Bills win the SB. But minus the Bills, I'll root for almost any team that's not the Patriots.

Gruden once said he wanted to be an assistant coach for Chip, just to learn his system. Smart move by Modkins. If Modkins combines the best of Gailey with the best of Kelly, he'll be a good 'real' OC some day.

Most of us thought it was a bad trade at the time and still think so now. It used to bug me whenever I saw the 'hawks play but I'm finally over it.

I'm sure that's exactly why he took the job. Obviously, he knew he wouldn't be a fully-empowered OC. But he had the chance to get some familiarity in the role with a guy who's been at times a good OC. Congrats to Curtis. This should be another great learning experience for him.

That was my thought, too.

Awesome to see women make some inroads into the NFL these past couple years. My understanding is that QC coaches don't usually work with the players on technique. Instead they work with statistics and video to prepare for future opponents. It's an entry level coaching position that often leads to a job as a position coach. It'll be interesting to see how far she goes in the years ahead.

Levy? A lesser coach - and most NFL coaches aren't his equal - would have never gotten this team to the Super Bowl once, let alone 4 consecutive times. And all those HOF players? Some of them would have never earned a HOF bust without Levy's leadership. Think of the great players we've had since Levy - Eric Moulds, Aaron Shobel, Takeo Spikes, Fred Jackson, etc. - who might have had a shot at the HOF if they had the privilege of playing for Marv. Fortunately the experts on the HOF Selection Committee don't think like you.

Playing Devil's Advocate... lots of NFL coaches needed years of on-the-job training to become good HCs. Marv Levy, Peter Carroll, and Bill Bellichick, for example, all had losing records in their first HC gigs. I'm guessing the Titans feel like Mularkey has learned some valuable lessons since he was last a HC.

I don't loathe anyone. I certainly don't loathe coaches of other teams for winning and/or cheating. It's a waste of my time to think about them. The coaches that bug me the most are the ones that caused me personal anguish: Harvey Johnson 2-23 Jim Ringo 3-20 Hank Bullough 4-17 John Rauch 7-20 Kay Stephenson 10-26 Doug Marrone 15-17 Doug makes the list no so much for his losing record, but for being a jerk and quitter.

This is how I feel exactly. I guess if two guys were equal in production and skill, maybe I'd give the nod to the taller/bigger guy. Otherwise, show me who can play. Boykin's 4.7 makes you wonder how well he can create separation against NFL DBs.

That seems to be true. He might have been a true master of the wedge - how to run it and how to defeat it. With the wedge illegal, that expertise is now moot. Just speculating.

I live in Seattle so I root for them - in a mild, dispassionate kind of way. And I always hope to see Freddy do something good.

This is a really good analysis. (But I wish I knew more about actual assignments: two-gap versus one-gap: Is Rex really universally two-gap?). I can't agree with the sentiment in the last sentence however. If you blow up the coaching staff every year, you won't ever win many games and you won't be able to attract good coaches or players. Continuity is important for players - they need time to excel in a system. But it's also important for coaches. Coaches want to work some place where they'll be able to keep a job for a few years, settle into the community, allow their kids to enjoy normal friendships and after-school activities. No good coach wants to work for an owner with a one-year leash. Given's Roman's good track record with offenses, and Rex's good track record with defenses (last year's debacle excepted), it makes sense to keep these guys together to see what they can do in Year 2. Every coach has outlier years. No coach can be defined by his first or worst season. Marv Levy went 31-42 with the Chiefs. He went 9-13 his first season and a half with the Bills. Thankfully, Ralph didn't give Marv a short-lease and the following year the Bills went 12-4. Continuity matters.

My wife was rooting for the Pack too for the same reason: she likes Aaron Rodgers. Says he's cute. Sometime in the 3rd quarter, I told her my favorite player in the game was Fitz. "Fitzgerald is getting old, but he's one of the best receivers in the league, and one of the best people too." And Fitz came through - on both counts - impressively. Won the game for them; classy in interviews. Don't remember this.