sullim4

This right here is the problem. How can your GM make 'recommendations' on a HC? He's the one that should be ultimately accountable for the football operations of the team. This should have been his hire. That it wasn't is a serious problem with how the front office operates. Is Russ up to his old tricks? If this is true, then I think it's clear that Russ really did push Rex... and it should be Russ that gets sent packing.

I would normally agree that you should give a coach 3 years, but there are a few warning signs that this needed to happen now: - Terrible in-game coaching. Misuse of timeouts, improper personnel on the field, bad decisions on when to punt, etc. These are fundamental mistakes that happened again and again, and have nothing to do with putting in a system or having the right personnel. - Rex wasn't on the same page with Whaley and this caused all sorts of internal turmoil. This one is on Terry and Kim if the rumors two years ago are to be believed and Whaley didn't like the Rex hire (and Russ pushed the Rex hire on them). - The players gave up. That Pittsburgh game had "going through the motions" written all over it. With the playoffs on the line, the entire defense was just asleep. Kyle Williams not being on the field was a big part of the problem - he's the only guy with any heart... but not having someone step up is troubling. - Rex brought in coaches that were his friends rather than people best suited for the team. If I were Terry, I would have never allowed the Rob Ryan hire given his past performance, and yet Rex was given carte blanche to do it. These issues were not due to incorrect personnel - these were all signs that the coaching hire was the wrong one. We sadly had to get rid of him.

Defend Rex all you want, this is the kind of thing that's just inexcusable. Buffalo has lacked a head coach capable of making good decisions in-game for this entire streak. If I were interviewing head coaches, I'd present them that exact game situation and ask them what they would do - 4th and 3 in overtime in a must-win game with little time left to get the ball. Anyone that says "punt" would be immediately escorted out of the building. These are the kinds of things where coaches like Belichick are worth their weight in gold.

Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?

I'd rather see him in as a senior VP of football operations, directly advising the Pegulas. Kick Russ out and put Coughlin in. Marv was 71 when he left the team, Coughlin is now 70. He is an ideal candidate to change the culture of the team, but he's too old to shoulder the day-to-day duties of being a HC.

Brandon has to go. While I'm in favor of firing Rex, it will do no good unless the entire organization is kicked to the curb. People complained nonstop about Ralph meddling... Russ is doing the same thing and using his "marketing" position as a cover to claim he isn't involved. If I had to guess, I'd say Whaley is feeding info to LaCanfora. I'm not a huge Whaley fan but if Russ is meddling in football operations, then he has every right to be pissed off. It feels like the top three guys (Russ, Whaley, and Rex) are on completely different wavelengths and are playing the blame game between the three of them. If that's true, then yeah, I'd say that's toxic. Bring in an experienced football person, give the the President title like Donahoe had, and let them do what they want. We need a front office and staff that is completely bought in and on the same page. That won't happen with the clowns in power right now.

I would be fine with Coughlin in a senior advisory role, i.e. doing the football stuff that Russ Brandon claims he isn't doing. I actually think he would be a good fit in that kind of position. He knows how a winning franchise operates and how to foster that attitude. He knows his way around the league and knows the major players. The Pegulas need someone who can guide them on building a winner - Russ has proven over the last 15 years that he knows nothing about it. I would not want Coughlin as a head coach, or as general manager. At his age, he is not a long term solution in either slot.

I do believe the Pegulas have decided to clean house... they're not stupid and I agree with another poster on this thread that the "silence is deafening". I am a little surprised that they aren't vetoing this move given the implications that a TT injury have on the future of the franchise. That said, given how Ralph caught so much crap for meddling with the quarterback position, maybe they are thinking the better of it. I actually think Rex would have been axed today had someone been on the coaching staff that could have acted as interim defensive coordinator. The entire defensive staff is filled with Rex's cronies - if they fire Rex, they have to fire Rob. Given Thurman's close relationship with Rex, would they fire him too? Or would he refuse to work? Ed Reed is probably in the same boat. You can't lose half your defensive coaching staff with 3 games left in the season, even if the remaining three games are completely meaningless.

To me, it just confirms in my mind that Russ should be headed out the door as part of a top-to-bottom cleaning of the football department. What do we know? - Russ was a big Rex Ryan supporter and persuaded the Pegulas to hire him, despite the GM supposedly being against the move. - Russ is in a weekly meeting to discuss football with the coach, GM, and owner. - Russ claims he has no input at all on the football side of the operation. Per points 1 and 2 above, that is a lie. - Russ sold away one home game per year to Toronto, putting the team at a competitive disadvantage, and told fans to shut up about it when we complained. - Russ used the football department as a marketing tool. I'm old enough to remember when Russ signed a washed up Terrell Owens. Doug Marrone was another Russ hire that was nothing short of a train wreck. For all of the above, the man should be let go. I'd be fine with him as a marketing only guy, but it is clear that he can't help himself and insists on meddling with the football operations side of the franchise.

Intelligence isn't everything (look at Fitz), but particularly in today's game, it's an important thing. Let's take a look at the current set of top quarterbacks: Luck: 37 Rodgers: 35 Brady: 33 Brees: 28 Wilson: 28 Roethlisberger: 25 Prescott: 25 Newton: 21 Other than maybe Newton, those are all significantly higher than 15.

For all those of you suggesting Todd Haley - do you remember how awful he was in Kansas City? He has a career record of 19-26. He is a self absorbed hothead with a poor temperament. This is the guy that fired Chan in the preseason. I mean, what could you have possibly seen in the preseason that you didn't see in the offseason that would force you to make that kind of move? Rex fired Roman early in the season, but at least in that case he saw two real football games with the starters in the entire time.

Now you're thinking like Russ!

Matt Patricia would be my first choice.

Will Taylor be the starting QB next week? Rex: "We'll see"

Honest question at this point... if the team from the second half of the Oakland game, and the entirety of this abysmal performance shows up, I think Cleveland might actually win. I didn't think it would happen a few weeks ago, but Rex has lost the team and I don't see Taylor improving.

At this point, I would honestly clean house. Whaley might not be completely at fault, but you have to cut ties completely with the previous administration and purge this franchise of this attitude that it's acceptable to miss the playoffs year after year. I would also boot Russ. Not likely to happen, but I can dream, right?

The team hasn't played a postseason game (i.e. a meaningful game in January) at home since 1996 and has a bunch of players from the ACC and SEC... snow hurts this team more than anything.

I always laugh when teams insist on playing sound effects over the PA when the team is playing like crap. Nothing like hearing that bell for a first down when you're down 56-10 late in the fourth quarter against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football almost ten years ago.

Pegula is a Western Pennsylvanian... if you think he isn't taking this loss hard, think again.

Hunter was wide open on that play...

I'm all for firing Rex tonight, but you're going to have to fire Rob, and Thurman is Rex's lackey. So, who runs the defense for three weeks? Ed Reed is another Rex guy... is there anyone on staff that could do it for three weeks?

I really do wonder if they can beat Cleveland.

Can we please get a grass field, Terry?

This is an embarrassment...