White Linen

Kinda being discussed already in the Ritchie saying it's a priority to sign with us thread.

Part of me wishes Mario didn't take it so far that healing couldn't be possible. I don't want him to go - and I have at least leaned towards his side - but even I understand he has to.

I agree. Everyone knows pass rushers in their prime are over priced - and are pretty easy to find on the cheap or you could just draft one. Hell teams hardly even pass anymore so it's really not even a premium position anymore. I mean 9 NFL players have 10 sacks or more - big deal Mario - consider me unimpressed.

Knowing what this extremely talented team has gone through this year - you'd turn the wheel over to a 37 year old offensive minded HC?

I know right. Our owners are stupid. Why won't they act like other successful owners that move on when they know it's not working after one year.

We have very very rich owners and they don't want anything other than a super bowl for Buffalo.

Exactly my point. If we can sensationalize Rex why can't we equally create crazy scenarios for Mario?

I wish it was just the pass rush which makes the discipline angle false also. He didn't ask players to be more disciplined and play more technical because they didn't. In 2014 we were 4th in yds against - 4th in points - 11th against the run - 3rd against the pass - 30 takeaways (6th in differential w/ 23 giveaways) In 2015 we are 20th in yds against - 16th in points - 15th against the run - 23rd against the pass - 22 takeaways (10th in differential w / 18 giveaways) Schwartz had this team disciplined in every area of the defense and if he had only 18 giveaways he would have had us tied for 3rd in 2014. My point is our pass rush obviously helped with the other passing stats - but even with Rex's so called stay in your lane philosophy it didn't work because we got ran on then the pass just opened up. I think everyone would agree that Darby and Gilmore saved Rex from being in the high 20's in every statistical category. There's all this talk about Rex having proved himself but so did our defensive players. They were both proven and he couldn't make it work. Rex has proven he's a players coach and we have loyal players - Rex couldn't make it work. I'm not saying he can't figure some things out but he is absolutely the one to blame imo. No one likes when players start speaking out especially to the extent Mario did and with the lost comments from Dareus as this thread brings up - but clearly they were upset. If it was Hughes and Dareus' contract years they would have gotten totally screwed. Mario probably figured I'm going to get cut because my numbers aren't there so I'm speaking out. I would bet whoever the anonymous person that spoke out about Mario isn't a player on the D line from last year - and I'd also bet most support his comments anonymously. The defensive players from last year must be pissed as every one of their resume's except maybe Gilmore were damaged.

I'd take Pettine back in a minute.

Rex needs to prove us wrong - and it has little to do with the jets game.

Or they set him up knowing it would be easier to cut him at seasons end.

So sick of this argument. As much money as Rex is guaranteed he should figure out how to use a star defensive end.

Not exactly. Go back and look at his career.

I could see Todd Haley or Josh McDaniels getting the head coaching job.

If I were them I'd hire Wade Phillips.

You're contradicting yourself. In one breath you say the word disappointment didn't comfort you as being strong enough - but then criticize Rex for talking about how great our defense is going to be. So which is it? Disappointment is exactly the correct word. Disaster is along the lines of Rex babbling prior to the season.

Obviously somethings not right. I see him trying - as has been talked about ad nauseum he locks horns with the o lineman and that's it. So it's either he's pouting or he's being asked to do that. For you to say he has quit and your eyes aren't wrong - I'm saying you can't know that.

Yeah he crushed Taylor on a close call of being out of bounds.

I think Belichick retires.

There's absolutely no way you know.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

This will most likely happen.

This is getting very bizarre. It's not a total lack of respect because many of the comments from the players are putting ownership on themselves too - but these are awfully strange open comments when the coach is still employed.

Isn't it pretty simple? We had a great defense last year - Rex has had great defenses in his career What happened? They couldn't get on the same page and it didn't work. Is it shared blame equally? Is it more Rex or more the players? How in the hell are we to know - but it's pretty clear the person ultimately in charge of making it work and the person that did all the talking is Rex.

If you watched this years Hard Knocks - it's ever clear that the coaches rule and the players don't. If you remember JJ Watt was starting to get aggravated with O'brien riding him - but he found a way on his own to say for the betterment of the team I need to suck this up and gather the players and stay behind the coaches. Well that didn't happen here. The coaches are the Gods and they can make life miserable for you and cost you millions of dollars. The secure players like Dareus and Mario spoke out - it still didn't work. That's on Rex. The players follow the coaches - it's most certainly a dictatorship. Rex's scheme didn't work and he didn't have players support - hence we suck.