Wayne Arnold
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Posts posted by Wayne Arnold
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Good post! I 100% agree on retaining Taylor as the best current QB option. Try to improve from there, if you like.
What I would like to see the Bills do is similar to the option you suggest Whaley favored - bringing in an offensive-minded HC and trying by every means possible to retain Schwartz.
I would like to bring in a defensive-minded HC or a neutral HC (like ST coordinator Toub) and try by every means to retain Lynn.
I am concerned that it's difficult for the HC to serve as de-facto coordinator on one side of the ball and often seems to hinder their performance in both roles.
I am also concerned that it might be too big of a step to go from RB coach to HC in 1 year, which would be bad for Lynn as it would hinder him getting another shot.
I believe that by hiring a defensive-minded coach such as Sean McDermott or Teryl Austin or a coach who is more of an executive type, like perhaps Toub, retaining Lynn as OC, and picking up Tyrod's option, the Bills would grow Lynn's career by letting him take a step that would help him become a HC, and the Bills would have the best chance to take that next step themselves.
Anthony Lynn has been an Assistant Head Coach for five years. That's more experience than anyone on the list right. He understands the intricacies of being a HC in the NFL.
Yes, and you should thank the O line, McCoy and Gillislee.
The passing game sucked.
The offense, in tight games/late in games ... sucked.
But yeah ... let's keep going with that. Great idea.
Tell me how the OLine, McCoy and Gillislee did on Sunday.
Also, provide real information that proves that the offense sucked in tight games/late in games using the other 31 offenses as a comparison.
I don't care about your own personal preferences or agendas. 10th best is 10th best.
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I don't understand how our RB coach from last year, who was promoted to OC after a bull **** firing, who then proceeded to use a dumbed down version of said fired OC's offense ... becoming the HC, would be considered continuity.
What are we looking to continue, exactly?
A top 10 offense - which is a rarity for this franchise.
DVOA
2016 - #10
2015 - #9
2014 - #26
2013 - #25
2012 - #20
2011 - #16
2010 - #26
2009 - #29
2008 - #24
2007 - #23
2006 - #22
2005 - #30
2004 - #21
2003 - #29
2002 - #18
2001 - #21
2000 - #14
1999 - #7
First Top 10 offense since Bill Clinton was POTUS - but let's throw it away like we did with the defense two years ago.
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As a QB he had to know every play and where every player was supposed to be going on every play. So likely that makes Frank a good candidate for an OC at least. With that part down and a good ST and D Coordinator, he likely could grow into a decent HC. That doesn't mean he will, but he's got 1/3 of the team down.
The head coach will choose his OC and Reich isn't an option anyway because he's the OC of the Eagles.
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I think the key, here, is that Whaley appears to have one foot out the door.
A new coach and a (presumably) new QB, historically, means no playoffs. I think it's safe to say that if the Bills miss the playoffs again, Whaley's done.
Whaley was just given full responsibility of hiring the next head coach. I think that's the complete opposite of "one foot out the door."
If the new head coach is dumb enough to install a system that doesn't fit Taylor then he's not a good head coach.
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I think Reich would be fine after learning from Marv how to handle a team.
He would need a good OC to call plays. Reich could help develop a QB JMO
Learning from Marv how to handle a team? He wasn't the assistant head coach of those teams. He was backup quarterback. His job was to be a quarterback, not to learn how to be a head coach.
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What was patient and methodical about the hiring and firing of Rex?
By not firing him after one year.
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Great point brought up on Mike and Mike this morning:
Chip Kelly took the SF job with a lame duck GM. With a new GM likely comes a new coach, which is why Kelly got canned after a year.
Whaley is clearly hanging on by a thread. Any coach who comes to Buffalo would be a dead man walking.
This is looking more and more like a tank season coming up.
It might be exactly what we need.
But this doesn't make much sense because if the coach is good and successful, then Whaley will stay as will the coach.
A coach who knows he sucks won't come here. Is that bad?
If you look at average he is about 20th, but I doubt looking just at 2017 that 27.5 for that single season is 20th.
Or, Polian thinks that TT is overpaid even at 20th.
Polian is old school. Only #tallwhitequarterbacks are worthy of Top 20 contracts, regardless of results.
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The coach who punted from OUR end of the field and also needed to win that game as well to control his own destiny - unless he got help the next day. The fact that they got beat against the Pats emphasizes why the Dolphins would not have wanted to take their chances trying to beat the Pats or hoping to get all of the help that needed from other teams.
Yes, that coach.
Should they have fired Gase this week or should they wait until after the Steelers game?
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On ESPN Radio Polian said the the Bills head coaching opening is the least appealing. He reasoned that we either have a QB problem if Taylor is released or a QB with too large of a salary if he is kept. He also said that several of our defensive players only fit one scheme. I apologize if this was stated earlier, but I don't have time to read all 9 pages of this forum.
The old man has gone senile.
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I'd be okay with keeping Tyrod at a reasonable contract as a bridge, but I don't think he would go for that. He will want to test the market.
You don't consider the 20th highest cap hit among QB's to be reasonable for a quarterback that has finished 8th (2015) and 18th (2016) in passer rating for an offense that has finished 9th and 10th respectively in DVOA in his only two seasons as a starter?
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So did the winning coach in that game on the previous drive.
That coach is in the playoffs, which cancels out his poor game decision.
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Reich was on the coaching staff in Indy when Polian was there. Then he was a QB coach and OC in SD for Polian protege Tom Telesco. He's still part of the Polian tree. I'm not at all surprised he would pump him up.
This is my worry about Reich. Being a great guy and great QB isn't the criteria I'm looking for in a HC of the Bills. He was just fired one year ago because he wasn't even a good enough OC . He's not calling the plays in Philly and I think he's a glorified QB coach. I'm not sure what makes him HC material but would like to hear if anyone has heard?
Because he was on the Super Bowl Bills teams! Isn't that reason enough to be head coach?
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Didn't you hear? Russ Brandon has turned it all over to Whaley...in terms of accountability.
Meaning that in the next two years if the team still isn't winning more than losing and not in the playoffs all the blame is ALL on Whaley's shoulders!
And yet, the owners will have the last say in who ultimately gets hired and who do you think is still advising them? http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/03/russ-brandon-still-looms-over-bills-football-operations/
Nothing on the Buffalo Bills has changed in any way shape or form except Whaley gets all the blame and will get fired should the team not succeed. Then, Jim Monos gets hired to replace Whaley and becomes Brandon's new yes man!
The ONLY way this thing gets blown up and Brandon will be shown the door is if the team goes into the toilet at 4-12 or worse and even then Brandon will probably dodge all responsibility. Previously I didn't want the SOB gone from the team, just away from the football side. Now I realize that this man is a such a selfish bastard that he refuses to allow the owner to bring in a team president of football operations to help build a super bowl contender because it would mean he would need to give up some power.
Let's hope that at some point Terry wakes up from Grima Wormtongue's spell and cleans house!
Russ Brandon rubs me the wrong way too but let's think logically about this just for a second then you can resume the insanity if you'd like.
Do you really think Brandon doesn't want the Bills to be a Super Bowl contender? And do you think this team is a "team president of football operations" away from being a Super Bowl contender?
I just think in the end it comes down to good players and good coaches working well together. We haven't have a good coach. If Whaley can find a diamond in the rough then the team will be fine and Whaley will be GM for a long time.
But I do find the "Russ Brandon is pure evil sworn to destroy the mental well-being of Western New York sports fans forever" theories to be entertaining.
I believe we have great ownership. The Pegulas will, ultimately, restore glory to this franchise. But they're going to do it their way, patiently and methodically. It's going to take time.
Absolutely.
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For the life of me, I don't understand why Pegula does not fire Whaley.
It is obvious to us fans, the rest of the NFL, and the common person that Whaley is a horrible GM and will lead the franchise deeper in ruin.
I know it's not as simple as I stated, but is Terry that blind?
Also, how can Terry be so blind about Russ Brandon while the rest of the world can see so clearly that Russ and Whaley needs to go? What incentive does Terry have to keep Whaley and Brandon?
I've been a fan for 25 years, and this time around, I just don't get it.
As GM, Whaley has to be good at exactly two things:
(1) Acquiring quality personnel via the draft and free agency
(2) Hiring a good head coach
Is kissing the butts of the media on that list? Take another look if you're not sure.
Is speaking well on that list?
No? Okay then.
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Polian is dead to me now.
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Nope. But 20th is actually a bit below average. And that's Tyrod's passer rating ranking.
And 26th is too. And that's Tyrod's YPA ranking.
21st is. And that's his completion percentage.
We could talk about fourth quarter comebacks and game winning drives and the inability to throw over the deep to intermediate middle of the field, the frequent urgency to leave the pocket while it's still holding, the reluctance to throw to receivers till they're already open, yadda yadda yadda.
But what you have with Tyrod is a guy who keeps the INTs low and runs very well and runs a passing game that's a bit below average.
Not sure what you mean by 10th? Total QBR, the ESPN stat that's basically opaque about how they come up with a number? That's come up with a bunch of bizarre numbers from the beginning, and this year too unless you think Dak Prescott is the 3rd best QB in the league, Stafford is only 8th and Carr is 16th. I mean, a system that has Tyrod as better than Roethlisberger this year is pretty wacky.
Hey Thurman I'm glad to see you over here.
The quote I responded to was "TT is one of the guys who is good enough to give you average and keep you average." So my interpretation of this is that Taylor is incapable of leading an above average offense. Which is wrong, of course. The Bills offense finished 9th in DVOA offensive efficiency in 2015 and 10th this season. I don't consider 9th and 10th to be average. And I'm sure you know that DVOA takes all factors into account, including starting field position.
I consider 9th and 10th out of 32 teams better than "average."
As for Taylor's individual rankings, I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers from (maybe you're including backups?) but Taylor finished 2016 18th among starters in passer rating, 8th in interception %, 19th in completion %, 11th in QBR, 21st in YPA and 18th in ANY/A.
He's also 2nd in the league among starting QB's in Air Yard Percentage - which means his receivers don't get much YAC and his numbers aren't bloated with screens and what not.
This after finishing 2015 ranked 8th in passer rating, 5th in interception %, 15th in completion %, 7th in QBR, 5th in YPA, and 9th in ANY/A.
Have you taken a gander at Sam Monson's piece about Tyrod? I recommend you open your mind before reading.
It's not an either-or. Yup, EJ sucked. That didn't make Tyrod better.
What it did was show us all what the offense looks like when there's not a good quarterback behind center.
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Look....in the end: this is Whaley's baby. If he has one year so be it. He will sink or swim with this. If he's smart (for himself) he goes win now and keeps Tyrod.
IF IF IF IF IF we go to the playoffs he's just going to drop his balls on the desk at the next year wrap up. His back was against the wall this time....all lose. No matter what he said he was screwed. I don't think he wants anything more in his life right now. He will work; and hopefully he can serve some crow.
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Whaley's MO--he doesn't want to be included in the "we" when bad decisions are made. Only the good ones.
But firing Rex was a good decision. If what you're saying about Whaley is true then why would he not want to be included in the "we" for a good decision?
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Blown out of proportion? He claims he didn't know Rex was in trouble, and that he didn't know Rex was going to to be fired.
If you believe, you have to conclude he's beyond clueless. Who did not think Rex was doomed??
If you don't believe him, you have to conclude he's lying (he obviously is).
How do you blow either of these conclusions "out of proportion? That's nuts.
And why was Whaley afraid to say what you proposed? Easy-because he was the one who convinced the naive owners to pull the trigger on Rex> You think he's now going to say "we" were wrong? He's shameless.
I said Whaley was foolish for saying that because it was such an obvious lie that it reached the point of absurdity. That said - who cares? It wouldn't be the first time an NFL figurehead would fib to the media. NFL coaches do it every day. The media blew it out of proportion by using that fib as evidence that the team is dysfunctional.
Why would Whaley say "We were wrong"? Not sure where you're going with that one.
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I have known for awhile that the Bills are a poorly run organization. The emphasis they put on drafting QB's will tell you that alone. But what I saw yesterday showed me exactly why the Bills have gone 17 years without making the playoffs, and things are actually much worse than I imagined.
This organization has absolutely no structure. Yes the owner should have conversations with the coach, GM, etc, but there needs to be someone (football czar) that holds power over both the coach and GM and gives them direction. What is the direction of this team? Whaley is nowhere near ready to be the top football guy in an organization and it shows. Russ tried to prop him up when Russ failed as GM but it didn't work. Russ himself created the whole persona as Whaley being some up and comer but show me the baby as Nix used to say.
Doug Whaley wasn't "privy" as to why Rex Ryan was being fired? Well, that seems reasonable. Why would the General Manager of the team be advised as to whether the coach will be fired? "I get the directive from my owner and don't ask questions." Really??? You are trying to build a winning team but the GM doesn't know when the coach is about to be fired? Even if this is not the case and the are trying to frame it a certain way, why in the holey hell, would you want the fans and media to think the GM is out of the loop when it comes to the firing of the head coach. Poor communication is part of the problem.
What happened yesterday was one of the biggest **** shows in the history of sports press conferences. Our worst fears confirmed. The Bills are as incompetent as the continuous failure would lead you to believe.
This team needs a purge in the worst way. Say what you want about a new regime, but all of the upper management of the Ralph Wilson Era is still in place except for Jeff Littman. Russ Brandon, Jim Overdorf, Scott Berchold, etc. All the guys who have been there forever, all the guys the saw over the drought and made sure it was running strong.
Doug Whaley is the top football guy in the organization. How crazy is that? We don't have anyone in an advisory roll to Pegula that has proven anything in the NFL. Just all the former Ralph guys and a proven average GM at the very best in charge of everything to do with the team on the field. It is freaking insane and Pegula is telling us this is not dysfunctional.
Pegula is about to wast 2-3 years. We need a purge from top to bottom, and if Pegula decides after he fires Whaley in 2-3 years, that he still wants to keep wonderboy Brandon, he needs to bring a football guy with a proven track record into upper management, who can tell Terry and Kim when the old regime has no clue what they are talking about.
What the Pegula's are doing with Brandon is insulting. They are trying to wash away the Brandon stain and pretend like he has no responsibility for the drought and it is insulting to fans. Sal Cappachio flat out said on the radio yesterday, that Russ Brandon was the GM of the Buffalo Bills for a 1 1/2 years to 2 years. Whaley is an extension of Brandon. I have no confidence that he is going to field a winning football team. We are about to waste 2-3 years because the Pegula's are not willing to do what needs to be done. Before they figure it out we will be trying to keep it from getting to 25.
As GM, Whaley has to be good at exactly two things:
(1) Acquiring quality personnel via the draft and free agency
(2) Hiring a good head coach
Is kissing the butts of the media on that list? Take another look if you're not sure.
Is speaking well on that list?
No? Okay then.
Thank you for your post. You captured the situation and the thoughts of us Bills fans perfectly.
Yes, that Pegula is doing is insulting to us Bills fans.
So many drama queens within this fanbase.
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It seems everyone has forgotten Whaley's ties to Todd Haley. That is who I think it will be and I think it is taking time because Pittsburgh is preparing for the Playoffs
Nah. We would have heard about him by now.
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It clearly was BS. And just stupid for Whaley to say. That was by far the worst part of the press conference.
Yes it was blown out of proportion by the media but Whaley was foolish for saying that. What's wrong with saying "We all decided to fire Rex because the defense wasn't good enough and we just didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel." ? Why was Whaley afraid to say that? So frustrating.
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It was more than just the Miami game...but lets address your last statement. You said he wont be calling plays anyway...so what value does he have as a HC? The only thing he really has going for him is the offense...if he isn't going to be installing the offense and calling the plays, what else does he have on his resume that says he should be a HC?
Don't get me wrong, its not unusual for a HC to not call the plays...I am just saying I haven't seen enough to just feel he is the best guy for the job by default. And lets go back to the Miami game...in his biggest moment of the season, with the season and the playoffs on the line, he absolutely blew it. When you don't have a long resume, these moments stand out more. And it wasnt the first time this season where the game was on the line and questionable play calling came out at the end of the game. These are things I look at when seeing if I feel this guy is ready to lead a team and be in charge of ALL decisions.
It's going to be the same offense we saw this season. Which is a really good thing.
Play calling is so terribly overrated. If the players execute and the play works it's a "great play call!" If the players don't execute and the play doesn't work it's a "horrible play call!" Play-callers are a dime-a-dozen. The system and scheme and gameplan/adjustments are tremendously more important. Kromer will be just fine calling the plays.
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So where did you read me post those guys were my choices because I never posted them. I have said I would rather see us find a proven HC over an unproven coordinator, but thats always easier said than done.
And again, all my point was is that if you add Lynn to that list, he has had the least experience of anyone. And while I do think Lynn did a good job as OC considering he was thrust into it in week 2, I was also concerned of some his play calls with games on the line and even the season on the line in Miami. By no means did he blow me away as a guy to not let out of the building. Would I be pissed if we hired him...of course not, but he would not be a guy I would just give the job too. If I was Whaley, if I had a list of 5 guys, I would pencil him as #5 on that list until I conducted all the interviews and he would need to convince me he was the right guy.
Those are the candidates. I'd be surprised if any more than one or two are added, and I doubt we see anyone on the list with prior HC experience.
Lynn has been a player or coach in the NFL since the early 90's. Has worked with and under a large number of very accomplished coaches. Least experience of anyone?
You keep talking about Lynn's play calls as if they're a negative - first of all, it was one bad play call vs. Miami in an otherwise brilliant game by him. Secondly, he won't be calling plays as the head coach anyway.
Do the Bills realize it is 2016, not 1976?
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
I take it you missed the Dolphins game.