Wayne Arnold

Giving the Pegula's the benefit of the doubt, they knew they had a good thing on defense and wanted someone who could sustain success on that side of the ball for the long-term. Schwartz was only the DC and was getting HC interest. Why they didn't just promote Schwartz we'll never know, and I'm sure Kim and Terry have been kicking themselves for falling for Rex's schtick ever since. I guess Schwartz didn't tell good jokes like Rex did in his interview.

I can't imagine why n---oh, EJ no!!!

But they didn't hire Rex because the defensive system needed to change.

How do you know Reich and Patricia are good at time/game management? Absolutely.

So if they're to ignore coordinator accomplishments, what kind of qualities should a GM be looking for in a head coach?

Possible. But regardless, Marrone was a headcase who quit. He wasn't "forced out."

Yes, there is plenty of doubt. The defense would be much better but the offense would still suck. It's a wash. Rex had to go but let's not look back at Marrone with rose-colored glasses. His game management decisions made Rex look like a genius. And he was an offensive-minded head coach who was absolutely clueless at constructing a productive NFL offense. I'm not the biggest Whaley fan but he helped build that Top 5 defense before Rex arrived. And he helped build back-to-back Top 10 efficient offenses. So he might actually be doing something right, no?

Efficiency is so much more important than total yards. As to those who continue using total yardage, I don't know if that's due to laziness, ignorance, or stupidity. Passer Rating - 17th Yards per Attempt - 21st ANY/A - 20th Interception Percentage - 7th Touchdown Percentage - 20th DVOA - 14th

He appeals to the lowest common denominator in Western New York. Like this guy.

If they release Taylor and expect to replace his value with *insert name of unaccomplished tall white quarterback here* and/or some shot-in-the-dark draft pick then I will not be renewing and I will find another hobby. We all have our breaking points.

Thanks for saving our Bills. We will express our gratitude by crapping on you year after year.

Maybe they don't want to show fans how bad he is.

You and me both. Aaron Williams is not a Hall of Fame talent. It's not an excuse for Rex's poor D.

A Top 5 passing attack combined with this rushing attack would have obliterated NFL offense records. People have lost their minds. Taylor is a very good young quarterback who played in a run-first system. And that run-first system worked and he was a big part of it. Was he perfect throwing the ball this year? No. There was a lot of factors that contributed, but in the end he finished 17th in the NFL in passer rating after finishing 8th a year ago. That's far from terrible. I would put the odds of finding an upgrade over Taylor in one offseason at about 5%. If the Pegula's and Whaley are willing to gamble with those odds then good luck - I'm not going to support it by renewing my season tickets.

The odds are very small that someone would beat him out even if he was making $15 per hour.

It's not a gamble for Taylor. Top 10 PFF grade in his first two seasons as starter for a perennial loser. Top 10 offense both years (first time in over a decade). Top 10 passer rating in 2015, 17th this season. 7th QBR in 2015, 11th in 2016. Not every GM is as incompetent and dense as Doug Whaley.

Why is it so crazy to think the quarterback who had the 8th highest passer rating in 2015 and currently the 17th highest and has led the Bills to the 8th rated offense in the league this season would deserve a salary with a cap hit that is only 20th in the league among quarterbacks?

He's terrible tho!

Then the coaching staff probably shouldn't have told him he should be a 350 pound anchor nose tackle who occupies blockers. They thought he was Damon Harrison. That's not who he is.

https://www.facebook.com/JosinaAndersonESPN/posts/1313598585363788:0 via Josina Anderson: My full phone conversation with Buffalo Bills DT Marcell Dareus on Rex Ryan's firing: On his reaction to Rex Ryan being relieved of his duties: “I like Rex (Ryan) personally. I don’t like to see anyone get fired. At the same time I feel like everybody’s job is on the line. Everyone is fighting for their position. So, we’re at a point where we have to make a change—not everyone in the building.” “My prayers go out to his family, to him and his brother. I wish him the best of luck, but we got to make this run. It’s looking like next year is going to have to be that year, and I hope we make the best decision for that to happen.” On his thoughts on the Bills defense now: “I feel like we have a pretty good team on paper and we have phenomenal athletes, phenomenal players. We have to play. Just put us in the position, and let us play. His defense and the way he coached it was great, but his defense was a little much for the athletes that we have…Over the years that I have been here, there were just so many coaching changes.” On why the defense seemed to regress under Ryan: “I feel like we should’ve been just more aggressive on defense…because that’s the kind of players that we have. We want to put our foot on the pedal and keep it down knowing what we’re doing, and being strategic on what we’re doing. Not trying to matchup with this team, or that team. We want to have our identity (knowing) this is who we are, and what we’re going to do.” “It was just too much detail for a lot of guys, and I feel like for a lot of guys it was too much going on for them to check here and check there, if this happens and that happens. Then nine times out of ten, a team will throw something out there that we weren’t prepared for, and then the adjustment to it, we had to get use to and try to make it happen and make plays.” On when he thinks things turned for the worse for the defense during Ryan’s tenure: “I feel like things changed when Aaron (Williams) got hurt…communication just started to (fall) off, not just on the back end, but across the whole board for the defense. Then, people started getting hurt, injuries started occurring. We started to bring people in and communication was just thrown off.” “We’ve learned the defense this year and we have played it pretty fast and we have played it pretty good, but with injuries brings new players (and) younger players up; and from there you have more injuries. Then from there you simplify the defense to the point where everyone can play fast. There always was just constantly a change with whatever was going on and how everybody was playing it.” On his thoughts on Anthony Lynn being named interim head coach: ‘We have one game left and we have to go out there and end on a good note. We’re playing for our organization…and we’re also playing for our jobs, just as much as his.” “It was just too much detail for a lot of guys, and I feel like for a lot of guys it was too much going on for them to check here and check there, if this happens and that happens. Then nine times out of ten, a team will throw something out there that we weren’t prepared for, and then the adjustment to it, we had to get use to and try to make it happen and make plays.” On when he thinks things turned for the worse for the defense during Ryan’s tenure: “I feel like things changed when Aaron (Williams) got hurt…communication just started to (fall) off, not just on the back end, but across the whole board for the defense. Then, people started getting hurt, injuries started occurring. We started to bring people in and communication was just thrown off.” “We’ve learned the defense this year and we have played it pretty fast and we have played it pretty good, but with injuries brings new players (and) younger players up; and from there you have more injuries. Then from there you simplify the defense to the point where everyone can play fast. There always was just constantly a change with whatever was going on and how everybody was playing it.” On his thoughts on Anthony Lynn being named interim head coach: ‘We have one game left and we have to go out there and end on a good note. We’re playing for our organization…and we’re also playing for our jobs, just as much as his.” “It was just too much detail for a lot of guys, and I feel like for a lot of guys it was too much going on for them to check here and check there, if this happens and that happens. Then nine times out of ten, a team will throw something out there that we weren’t prepared for, and then the adjustment to it, we had to get use to and try to make it happen and make plays.” On when he thinks things turned for the worse for the defense during Ryan’s tenure: “I feel like things changed when Aaron (Williams) got hurt…communication just started to (fall) off, not just on the back end, but across the whole board for the defense. Then, people started getting hurt, injuries started occurring. We started to bring people in and communication was just thrown off.” “We’ve learned the defense this year and we have played it pretty fast and we have played it pretty good, but with injuries brings new players (and) younger players up; and from there you have more injuries. Then from there you simplify the defense to the point where everyone can play fast. There always was just constantly a change with whatever was going on and how everybody was playing it.” On his thoughts on Anthony Lynn being named interim head coach: ‘We have one game left and we have to go out there and end on a good note. We’re playing for our organization…and we’re also playing for our jobs, just as much as his.”

I just got banned on BBMB for criticizing Whaley. They're doing their best to squash any blame that may be attributed to their GM.

I still don't believe that report. Rex wasn't fired because he didn't make the playoffs. He was ultimately fired because he killed the defense.

Then he should stop getting his ass roasted for long touchdowns by dime-a-dozen wide receivers.

Dak is the final nail in Whaley's coffin for me. Dak carried Mississippi State to relevance during his time in that program. Cardale couldn't even start a full season before losing his job. Cardale isn't even in the same stratosphere as Dak. And this isn't hindsight. Whaley preferred to spend his 3rd rounder on an irrelevant defensive lineman as opposed to a franchise-changing QB talent. His indecisiveness with regard to drafting quarterbacks is beyond puzzling and the reason he needs to be canned.