Grading Chan the Man

[HARCO186]

I just read a few articles on grading Chan, and man what a waste. I understand the Bills have a worse record than last year, but Chan the Man in my eyes is going to turn this team around. If he didn't take the time to try to improve Trent (which I thought he would), then the Bills might be in the hunt for a playoff spot. We should have swept Miami, and should have beat the Pats, and Fitz would have had more time to build chemistry with the starters sooner. I liked the fact that Chan did everything in his power to bring Trent around. It showed to me that he was willing to try and gave him time to grow. Trent couldn't cut it, and I really think that blow in AZ really took it out of him. Chan tried and I feel the players saw this and it gave him mad props and showed the team that it's not about what we say, it's about what he Billieves. We should have beaten Pitt, Baltimore, the Chiefs, Miami, and the Pats. Even though we lost, he and the Bills showed they do not give up, and they are much more entertaining than last year. He has instilled an atmosphire of not stopping and Billieving, not just in themselves, but in each other. Most critics said we would be lucky to win a game. To have a team with no names and be as competitive as they have been shows me that Chan the Man can win, and has it under control and will build a winning team. He finds a way to make it happen, and that alone deserves an A in my book. Chan or any one of the Bills who may read this, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT YEAR AND SHOWING US FANS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BILLIEVE AGAIN!!!!

 

GRADE A+++++++

[CodeMonkey]

They are grading him on the only thing they can grade him on ... the teams performance.

No one but some Bills fans grade him on billieving he is going to turn the team around in a year or two.

[PromoTheRobot]

It's like someone is in a coma during the entire football season, wakes up now and sees they are 4-10 and figures it's a bad year. What's the point of writing an article if all you do is look at the W-L record and nothing else?

 

PTR

[TPS]

It's like someone is in a coma during the entire football season, wakes up now and sees they are 4-10 and figures it's a bad year. What's the point of writing an article if all you do is look at the W-L record and nothing else?

 

PTR

Half empty=4-10

Half full=4-2 since starting 0-8.

Count me in the latter.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

In Sal and Leo's little discussion, Leo criticizes the Bills for getting off to a slow start:

 

"The grade would be higher had he not taken nine months to put a competitive team on the field...say what you want about the Bills being 4-2 in their last six games, had Gailey and Nix figured out their roster quicker and made the appropriate moves, the Bills would not have started 0-8."

 

Then Leo laments the fact that the Bills have won too many games to have the top pick:

 

"I'm impressed with the way the Bills have played for the past two months. But this turnaround only leaves fans wondering "What if?" What if the Bills had finally bottomed out and finished with the worst record in the NFL and gotten the opportunity to draft a quarterback prospect such as Andrew Luck? They're picking sixth overall right now."

 

In other words he criticizes the Bills for not winning enough games and then he criticizes them for winning too many games. Just like some of the "fans" around this board.

[billsintaiwan]

i've been watching the bloody bills since chuck knox. i know there are plenty on here who go farther back. outside of the kelly no huddle days, this is the best offensive scheme i have seen. ground chuck was boring as hell and, like marty ball, never got it done in the big game.

 

the rest of the 80's was forgettable. then you had one of the best offenses i've seen in the nfl. then a bit of flutie being clever. then rj. then eight games of good bledsoe. that is about it as far as the offense goes.

 

i'm not saying this offense is anywhere close to the k-gun, but it works and it will work even better with more playmakers. they move the chains and make plays on third down. it is still a weekly revelation after so many horrid years of qb play to watch fitz. gailey did that in a year. he is the best coach we have had in a very long time.

 

of course defense and special teams are the other parts of the equation. there is certainly room criticize gailey there, but there the lack of talent is harder to hide. i think we see some new linebackers next year and an effective unit from the get go.

 

we finished decently last year and that didn't turn out to mean much. i have a different feeling about this year. our qb position is settled. maybe we draft a guy, maybe we don't. but there will certainly be continuity on offense next year and with improved d, we'll be a contender from the start. hard to beat NE, but we're right there with the jets and the dolphins.

 

good job mr. gailey.

[Dorkington]

I like the way the team is playing. I like some of the schemes being drawn up. I like Chan as a person better than Dick from what I can tell.

 

But fact is, unless the Bills win out, the team got worse record wise than when Dick was coach.

 

It's hard for me to give too much praise our team gets worse. Hopefully though... after starting 0-8, and since going 4-2, we are hitting some sort of turn around point.

 

If we win either of our final games (if the opponents play their starters), I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

[CardinalScotts]

I've said it at least a dozen times in my prior posts. You cannot throw out the schedule of who we have played and how well we've hung in with the top teams. If your going to base it on wins and losses your an idiot- maybe if take over an 11-5 team then you might compare records. We are such better position right now it's eye opening, we are on the way to being good for a while

[BillsfaninFl]

 

GRADE A+++++++

 

I have said all along that I'll believe it when I see it. And while it's too early to jump on a bandwagon (remember when Jauron started the season 4 - 0?), I must agree that the Bills have been much more competitive for the last nine games. They are definitely more entertaining and now look like a middle-of-the-road NFL team. I like most of the calls Gailey is making, Fitz is having a solid year, and some players (Kyle Williams, Steve Johnson, Fred Jackson, etc.) have shown that they would be players on most NFL teams. So I am definitely enjoying the games more this year. Giving them an A is a stretch, but I understand why you are entusiastic.

 

Let's hope that the biggest challenge (adding quality players to the team) happens this off-season. Nix hasn't done anything exciting yet and the question remains whether Wilson would let him if he wanted to. The "old school" philosophy that you can build an elite team just through the draft is long dead because of free agency. People point to extreme spenders like Snyder in Washington as proof that FAs don't make a great team. But a close look at the modern era top squads shows that a combination of wise drafting, trading and free agent acquisitions can keep a team among the elite for many years. It is the weakness of the Bills front office in this area that has let the fans down and unless the staff is stocked with knowledgeable judges of talent who are allowed to spend the bucks to build a contender, theses flashes of hope will continue to be fleeting and frustrating.

[youngjebrey]

Compare us to our division... okay the pats are superior to us in almost every way (expect for maybe special teams) but i look at us on offense and we're a hell of a lot better than the jets and dolphins in certain areas. You cant tell me that Fitzpatrick Isn't better than Chad Henne who looks like T.E. on sedatives and Sanchez?!? Without his supporting cast hes no better than Matt Lienart. Chan can easily outsmart that fat dying manatee of a coach Rex Ryan and after tony Sporano's coaching in last weeks win, the bills coaching staff looks brilliant. Like everyone has said before, if we pick up some more support on defense and some extra weapons on offense, were faaaarrr better than the jets and dolphins and can compete with the Patriots. Its actually Remarkable what we've done this season considering what the bills have been working with. Chan is doing just fine and give him even better personnel and you got yourself one dangerous team.

[Jerry Jabber]

I like that the 2010 Bills are not blowing 4th quarter leads like they did during the Jauron era. This team is playing hard for 60 minutes. Also, Chan has gotten rid of the players he feels can't make a difference on the team. Both Chan & Buddy have stated they are always looking to upgrade their team and are true to their word by constantly bringing in new players (especially on the O-line). I like that Chan recognizes the O-line has to get better in the run game, IMO once we get more dominating players on the O-line, the Bills will be serious contenders in the NFL. Once the Bills can get Jackson and Spiller in open space, they will do some serious damage to the opposing team.

 

I give Chan an A so far.

[Dorkington]

Oh, as far as my grade...

 

I say a C.

 

He hasn't really made the team worse, we've had a tougher schedule this year and have changed schemes, and look to finish with around the same record.

 

Earlier in the year, I would have graded him a D or F, but the team is improving. Hopefully by the end of the year I can give him a B.

[metzelaars_lives]

I love Chan Gailey. I wish he was my Uncle or something and he was coming over for Christmas. I'm sure he has a nice Christmas sweater or two he'll be wearing wherever it is he'll be.

[nucci]

I have said all along that I'll believe it when I see it. And while it's too early to jump on a bandwagon (remember when Jauron started the season 4 - 0?), I must agree that the Bills have been much more competitive for the last nine games. They are definitely more entertaining and now look like a middle-of-the-road NFL team. I like most of the calls Gailey is making, Fitz is having a solid year, and some players (Kyle Williams, Steve Johnson, Fred Jackson, etc.) have shown that they would be players on most NFL teams. So I am definitely enjoying the games more this year. Giving them an A is a stretch, but I understand why you are entusiastic.

 

Let's hope that the biggest challenge (adding quality players to the team) happens this off-season. Nix hasn't done anything exciting yet and the question remains whether Wilson would let him if he wanted to. The "old school" philosophy that you can build an elite team just through the draft is long dead because of free agency. People point to extreme spenders like Snyder in Washington as proof that FAs don't make a great team. But a close look at the modern era top squads shows that a combination of wise drafting, trading and free agent acquisitions can keep a team among the elite for many years. It is the weakness of the Bills front office in this area that has let the fans down and unless the staff is stocked with knowledgeable judges of talent who are allowed to spend the bucks to build a contender, theses flashes of hope will continue to be fleeting and frustrating.

Wow. Big risk taker.

[bills9140]

Posted on the Miami Board…answers to some oftheir questions

 

 

I'm glad you brought that up; I was going tomake it my first point. Moats was a 6th Round Pick as a Defensive End, but Chanmade him a 4-3 Outside Linebacker because of his size.. He started playingabout 4 weeks ago, and he has come on like gangbusters. He was the player thatended Bret Farves Playing Streak, with a wicked tackle on the first play of thegame. He has become a force, and he gets better every day. Against the fins, hehas 1.5 sacks. I don't know how many tackles he made.

 

I know you read the post I made about the intensity these kids play with, andas I watched the game, that was the element that cost the fins a chance to getinto the playoffs. The Bills played harder than the fins, and that's common inthe NFL when your record is bad, but as I said already, they leave it all onthe field.

 

Buffalo was underestimated, and the Fins thought that they could just run theball down our throats, but the Bills took to the Air while the Fins wererunning the ball, and they grabbed the lead, and kept it.

 

I was going to offer my opinion about the game tomorrow, but the only thing Icould I could come up with was the level of intensity. The Bills wanted it morethan the Fins, and the Bills played harder. The Fins conservative game plan wastoo predictable.

 

It really hurts these kids to be ridiculed by all the pundits in the FootballWorld, and their pride was on the line. Buffalo was rated #32 in the league forthe first 8 weeks, but if you look at our schedule it was loaded with top ratedteams. The Pundits never looked at the details, just the 0-8 record, which theyused to ridicule the Bills.

 

These kids have a lot of heart, and a lot of pride. Even after we beat the Browns,without allowing them a single touchdown, the pundits still rated the Bills 4notches below the Browns. Most of the Coaches know the score, and when theyplay the Bills, they comment on it.

 

I will post tomorrow, when the other guys are online, so we could compare ourobservations from both sides. If we put our heads together we might get abetter perspective about our teams strengths and weaknesses...or, we couldagree to disagree.

<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">ACB

 

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Responsefrom a Dolphin Fan

 

Congratulations on the win. Your teamdominated from start to finish.

 

A lot separates our teams right now. You have a real QB. Even with threeFA rooks and one 7th rounder at WR, you guys played the NFL game the way it issupposed to be played, with throws downfield, pushing the ball, forcing theopponent to defend the entire length of the field. By contrast, ouroffense is the pop-gun dink and dunk. Marshall caught a lot of balls butonly averaged like 9 yards a catch. No danger there. The Bills hadthree plays of over 20 yards, Fins had one.

 

And the Dolphins didn't give up on the running game either, the Bills dominatedthe line of scrimmage and took them out of it. Now you know why we told you notto worry about our offensive line.

 

And I think you noticed the scared coaching and play calling? End of the1st half, Miami has the ball on their 48, three timeouts, 32 seconds left andwe burned all three TOs to gain like 8 yards. Then attempted thatridiculous 61 yard field goal.

 

Then again at the end of the game, we are driving, the QB is in rhythm, we areclosing in on FG range to tie but things are clicking, a TD to win is possible.What do we do? We take the QB out of the game on 2 and 9, bring in the WCthat hasn't worked in years, and gain 1 yard. The QB comes back in andthrows incomplete, not even for first down yardage. We miss the FG.

 

Then we stop you, we get the ball back, we need 3 to tie, no TOs, and the Finsonly can know to throw short passes underneath, burning the clock and wind uptrying one of those silly band plays.

 

In neither series did this so-called NFL team attempt a long pass downfield.

 

The coaching and leadership here are lacking. The mentality is play safe,so that when you need to air it out they don't know how.

 

But the silver lining is that this defeat and your victory will help this teamturn the corner. Changes will have to be made. What we have therenow isn't working and it is becoming ever so obvious to those in power.

 

But be careful if we do make changes. The next time these Fins may not beas accomodating.

 

LOL.

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Responseto Dolphin Fans Message

 

I just read your post, and in my opinion, it is exactly correct. Not only isthe Head Coach reluctant to take chances, but, IMO, he has your QB runningscared, (afraid to take chances).

 

We had that problem with our two previous coaches, Dick Jauron, and hispredecessor whose name I already forgot.(coaching morons). Both were defensivecoaches, that wouldn't take chances, (the recipe for a loser in the making).

 

They ruined two of our rookie QB's ... JP Losman, first and then ... TrentEdwards second. Both QB's had very good first year games, and each had whatlooked to be a bright futures, and both of them bought expensive homes in theBuffalo area.

 

Both players were restricted by their coaches, and both became too cautious tothrow into coverage. Both QB's became failures, after very good rookie years.

 

A Quarterback must play on his instincts. If you take that away, you end upwith with a tentative decision maker, that won't let it fly unless he has asure thing. By that time, it's too late, and it gets picked off.

 

If your head coach is anything like the 2 we had, you will never win a SuperBowl. Good QB's are often times referred to as Gunslingers.

 

A "Gunslinger" must practice until he is able to pull it out andshoot with his instincts. That's exactly what Fitz did when the threw that balljust over the linebackers head in the end zone. The LB was looking at theReceiver, and couldn't see the ball coming so Nelson made the catch.

 

After the Game, the Chan said he couldn't that believe Fitz even threw thatball.

 

Fitz, a Harvard Grad has been schooling all the rookie receivers in runningroutes, etc. He's a coach on and off the field, and a "Gunslinger"too.

 

ACB

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bills9140]

Sorry about the run ons, but it was a cut and paste off the Dolphin Board, and the run on came when I pasted it.

[Big Turk]

I like the way the team is playing. I like some of the schemes being drawn up. I like Chan as a person better than Dick from what I can tell.

 

But fact is, unless the Bills win out, the team got worse record wise than when Dick was coach.

 

It's hard for me to give too much praise our team gets worse. Hopefully though... after starting 0-8, and since going 4-2, we are hitting some sort of turn around point.

 

If we win either of our final games (if the opponents play their starters), I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Chan and Buddy have done a lot to give hope for us fans. Nix and Gailey seem to have plan, and they keep talking about working their plan and how things will be improving. Definitely an upgrade over the previous regimes where it seemed they went with whatever way the wind was blowing that day.

 

This year is only a stepping stone for next year and the year after it as they continue to improve and shape the roster...

[RkFast]

Hes put a good football program in place, hes got his team playing hard and "buying what he's selling" and hes restored accountability and credibility.

 

Based purely on the record, he wouldnt get a good grade. But looking a bit deeper...about 3/4 of an freaking INCH deeper.... you can see that Chan Gailey has done a REAL nice job with this team.

 

 

[Dorkington]

Chan and Buddy have done a lot to give hope for us fans. Nix and Gailey seem to have plan, and they keep talking about working their plan and how things will be improving. Definitely an upgrade over the previous regimes where it seemed they went with whatever way the wind was blowing that day.

 

This year is only a stepping stone for next year and the year after it as they continue to improve and shape the roster...

Totally agree. But until there are results, I can't just hand him an awesome grade. I have hope that there will be results, and when that happens they will get super A+ gold star head of the class.

[DreReed83]

I like the way the team is playing. I like some of the schemes being drawn up. I like Chan as a person better than Dick from what I can tell.

 

But fact is, unless the Bills win out, the team got worse record wise than when Dick was coach.

 

It's hard for me to give too much praise our team gets worse. Hopefully though... after starting 0-8, and since going 4-2, we are hitting some sort of turn around point.

 

If we win either of our final games (if the opponents play their starters), I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Our record has gotten worse, but the production from our players has improved IMMENSELY. He's assertive in his decisions and doesn't dck around like Jauron did. He knows what he wants and goes with it and doesn't play the QB roulette game. He didn't like what he saw in Edwards so he got rid of him. He developed Fitzpatrick into a starting caliber QB and look at what he's done for this WR core. Steve Johnson and Parrish are being utlized VERY well and D. Nelson is coming along very nicely. He put Woods back in his natural position and our o-line is much improved from what they were before. Our offense is moving the ball, and is putting up points. The only thing i fault him for was hiring George Edwards to run this defense and the drafting of Spiller.

 

Other than that, I'd give him a B+ or A-.