THIS is proof that coaching matters in the NFL

[dpberr]

Ummm… I understand the feelings and I've also criticized Gailey's coaching of late.

 

But you're not being quite fair.

 

When he was OC in Kansas City, Gailey resurrected the "Pistol Offense" which is a modified shotgun. He did so because he was down to his 3rd string QB (the infamous Tyler Thigpen) and it was an offense that Thigpen ran in college.

 

Gailey was actually able to extract some productivity out of Thigpen and The Pistol.

 

Point is, Gailey has shown in the past, that he can be flexible and innovative when necessary.

 

There's actually evidence that Gailey would be able to build an offense for Tebow.

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he's been coaching very well recently.

 

I agree to a point. Gailey is innovative. Problem is, in the NFL, you have to continue to innovate. Once he finds something that works, he sticks with it regardless if it remains successful.

 

That will be his ultimate downfall in Buffalo if he doesn't change that about himself as a professional coach.

 

In the NFL, it appears the coaches who do well have a skill to adapt to changing circumstances versus being innovative. For example, Andy Reid....probably an innovative coach, but a snail to adapt. Martz...innovative, but doesn't adapt to available personnel.

[The Big Cat]

Not sure what you're saying, BC.

 

Maybe he should hire a legitimate offensive coordinator.

 

You don't really think he'd accept a demotion to work under the new Head Coach?

 

Who says he'd have to answer to a "new" "head coach?" LINK

[Kipers Hair]

I agree to a point. Gailey is innovative. Problem is, in the NFL, you have to continue to innovate. Once he finds something that works, he sticks with it regardless if it remains successful.

 

That will be his ultimate downfall in Buffalo if he doesn't change that about himself as a professional coach.

 

In the NFL, it appears the coaches who do well have a skill to adapt to changing circumstances versus being innovative. For example, Andy Reid....probably an innovative coach, but a snail to adapt. Martz...innovative, but doesn't adapt to available personnel.

This is where I fall as well - there are coaches who innovate, but when the game plan is figured out, they are reluctant to change and start banging the "We have to execute better" drum as opposed to making changes in response to the opposition to keep your opponent off balance. From what I have seen, Gailey is adept at building something, but is slow to react to what the other team is doing when the bullets start flying.

[Got_Wood]

I think that Gailey could potentially be successful as our head coach IF he gets a legitimate DC in place. I've said this before: why are we willing to spend over $3 mil per year on a gadget player like Brad Smith, but we're not willing to go out and hire a top notch Defensive Coordinator??? That's not being cheap, that's being stupid.

 

And you know the Bruce DeHaven hiring wasn't Gailey's call. This came from Ralph because he knows the guy from the Jim Kelly era Bills.

[reddogblitz]

when your front four does nothing but run straight ahead EVERY down, then they're insanely easy to stop and the pass rush becomes virtually nonexistent.

Funny you should mention this. I've been thinking all year that since our front 4 can't get pressure maybe we should try some stunts. The one sack we got yesterday was due to Kelsay coming around up the middle on a stunt. But I didn't see us do it ever again the rest of the game. But yeah, on 99% of the plays the guys just rush straight in with little success. That's coaching.

[The Big Cat]

Funny you should mention this. I've been thinking all year that since our front 4 can't get pressure maybe we should try some stunts. The one sack we got yesterday was due to Kelsay coming around up the middle on a stunt. But I didn't see us do it ever again the rest of the game. But yeah, on 99% of the plays the guys just rush straight in with little success. That's coaching.

 

precisely. that play worked to perfection. dareus single handedly plowed the DOUBLE TEAM across the field and created a lane big enough for a mac truck to drive through. Kelsay had good timing on the play, came right up the gut, forcing Rivers into Dareus' waiting arms.

 

How hard is this?

[todd]

A hybrid defense means you do things and neither of them well.

 

Well, here's my reply to this. Nix decided it was OK to keep 4 MLB's on the roster (Barnett, Sheppard, Morrison, Davis), and only 2 actual OLB's. One in Merriman, who hasn't played a full season in years. And the other in Moats, who is a late round pick that is extremely inexperienced and unproven.

 

It was Edwards defense to build. He, Nix, and Gailey put this group together. And now they've got Kelsay and Johnson completely out of position in this so called "hybrid" defense. BAD decision making, and BAD coaching.

 

 

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Who says he'd have to answer to a "new" "head coach?" LINK

I didn't think you were suggesting that because AFAIK, it's never been done before.

 

Can a team really work with co-Head Coaches?

 

 

 

 

[Got_Wood]

I didn't think you were suggesting that because AFAIK, it's never been done before.

 

Can a team really work with co-Head Coaches?

 

Please cut the nonsense. A team needs a single leader as a coach, with a single philosophy. He generates the tone on the field, and the work ethic that his players need to achieve.

 

Gailey needs to bring in guys that can run the offense and the defense. Let's not get derailed here. Unless the end goal is to move Cowher in as the head coach over all of these guys at the end of the season, this idea will never happen.

[The Big Cat]

I didn't think you were suggesting that because AFAIK, it's never been done before.

 

Can a team really work with co-Head Coaches?

 

It has been done before. Just not in the modern era, that I'm aware of.

 

Can it work? Does a team really need a unifying force to gel the otherwise siloed offensive and defensive units?

 

Please cut the nonsense. A team needs a single leader as a coach, with a single philosophy. He generates the tone on the field, and the work ethic that his players need to achieve.

 

Gailey needs to bring in guys that can run the offense and the defense. Let's not get derailed here. Unless the end goal is to move Cowher in as the head coach over all of these guys at the end of the season, this idea will never happen.

 

Why a single leader? The offense and the defense operate almost entirely independent of one another...

[You herd it hear last]

 

 

Gailey was actually able to extract some productivity out of Thigpen and The Pistol.

 

 

 

 

Great band name.

[ny33]

I have to disagree here. Talent wise, we simply are NOT as depleted as you make it sound.

 

We're solid across the front. Barnett is more than capable in the middle, our safeties are the least of our worries. Florence is okay, Williams and Rodgers are both showing promise, McKelvin is a COMPLETE and utter disaster.

 

We're weak at OLB, that's about it.

 

We have average personnel at most positions besides, as you mentioned, OLB. That being said, we don't have anything close to the elite talent that those teams do. Houston, San Francisco, and Dallas all have top-five players at multiple positions. Buffalo's only players with that kind of talent are Barnett, Williams, and potentially Dareus. That's a huge difference.

 

Edit: Misspelled "Dareus" as "Darius."

Edited December 12, 2011 by ny33

[reddogblitz]

Buffalo's only players with that kind of talent are Barnett, Williams, and potentially Darius. That's a huge difference.

I would add Jarius Byrd to that list.

Edited December 12, 2011 by reddogblitz

[sllib olaffub]

San Jose Bills Fan - you make an excellent point about OLB talent. Man! When you put it in those terms - I knew Houston had invested in Defense a lot over the last three years, but I forgot they have Mario Williams/Brooks Reed/Connor Barwin as their OLB's. All of them - we know how good Dallas has it, but even San Fran with those guys - we don't have a single OLB who can match those team's second OLB.

 

The disturbing part to all of this, as I've eluded to around here lately, is the timetable that must be non existent, or very long, for our staff to assemble a good team, because they knew going into this season they were hanging their hopes on Merriman, and even I suspected, as an outsider, that without the use of HGH or whatever he was using, he just can't stay healthy. That's beside the point - the point is, they must expect to be able to go another couple seasons, at least, before they line up the right personnel, because we only have one of each high pick, and we're constantly in that pick one spot neglect another position.

On the bright side - I do believe the right men could turn this around in a year or two. There is hope. We'll just have to see what they do.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Great band name.

Indeed. For a box of yards and losses.

[BADOLBILZ]

There's no question in my mind (and most everyone's) that the Bills D is underachieving their talent level.

 

But the teams you used as examples have much more talent than the Bills.

 

It's not even close.

 

Cowboys, Niners, and Texans?

 

All you have to do is look at the rosters.

 

Yes Edwards and staff have sucked but also, look at what they have to work with.

 

I don't think the point of the OP is to compare those defenses to the Bills but to point out what a difference a good coach can make as opposed to a bad one. A bad one can really run you down.

 

I don't think anyone expects a jump like Houston has had (mostly without Mario Williams I would add)......but to go from the 2011 Bills who give up 20 straight TD's in the redzone to a middle of the pack defense is definitely possible.

 

I agree with Big Cat that the personnel is not as bad as it's been made to look. Edwards is a joke.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I was gonna agree to disagree with Big Cat but now that there's a group who think the difference in talent between the Bills vs the Cowboys, Niners and Texans is not significant, I'd better reply in more detail.

 

I think the other 3 teams are more defensively talented than the Bills but particularly at one position.

 

IMO the Bills major area of defensive weakness is the (in)ability to rush the passer. Secondly we are decent against straight-ahead runs but very weak on runs to the edges.

 

Basically our biggest defensive weakness is at OLB. I won't waste time going through the entire defenses… I'll just focus on OLB.

 

Hey, SJBF. Agree on the need for OLB.

 

I agree that all of the teams mentioned who "turned it around" in one season did more than change coaches - they did acquire more talent through the draft or FA, but no more than a couple key pieces, and no more than 1 season could accomodate

 

Without the coaching change, though, it's not clear those acquisitions would have resulted in a leap up in defensive quality, rather than an incremental step forward.

[Got_Wood]

We have average personnel at most positions besides, as you mentioned, OLB. That being said, we don't have anything close to the elite talent that those teams do. Houston, San Francisco, and Dallas all have top-five players at multiple positions. Buffalo's only players with that kind of talent are Barnett, Williams, and potentially Dareus. That's a huge difference.

 

Edit: Misspelled "Dareus" as "Darius."

 

I'm sorry but your talent assessment is misguided.

 

49ers: Willis was the only guy on this defense anyone talked about, outside of maybe Justin Smith. Aldon Smith was drafted this year, and has been phenomenal under this coaching staff.

 

Texans: Mario Williams and Brian Cushing were the only true star-like players on this team. And Williams has been hurt this year. Connor Barwin had ZERO sacks last year, and only 3 as a rookie. Now he's thriving under Wade Phillips. And they brought in JJ Watt in the draft, who has been pretty good this year.

 

Cowboys: Outside of Demarcus Ware, this defense is pretty bad on paper. Terrence Newman is OK, but past his prime. Sean Lee is decent.

 

The Bills have Kyle Williams (had early this year), Nick Barnett, Marcell Dareus, and Jairus Byrd who can all be very good players in the right defense. You're right though, we are sorely missing OLB's. And between Florence, McKelvin, and Williams we are fairly decent at cornerback. I can only attribute Mckelvin getting worse each year to bad coaching.

 

NO, we're not that far off. We need a coach to guide these guys in the right direction.

 

Hey, SJBF. Agree on the need for OLB.

 

I agree that all of the teams mentioned who "turned it around" in one season did more than change coaches - they did acquire more talent through the draft or FA, but no more than a couple key pieces, and no more than 1 season could accomodate

 

Without the coaching change, though, it's not clear those acquisitions would have resulted in a leap up in defensive quality, rather than an incremental step forward.

 

Agree 100%.

[NewEra]

1323734454[/url]' post='2334666']

I'm sorry but your talent assessment is misguided.

 

49ers: Willis was the only guy on this defense anyone talked about, outside of maybe Justin Smith. Aldon Smith was drafted this year, and has been phenomenal under this coaching staff.

 

Texans: Mario Williams and Brian Cushing were the only true star-like players on this team. And Williams has been hurt this year. Connor Barwin had ZERO sacks last year, and only 3 as a rookie. Now he's thriving under Wade Phillips. And they brought in JJ Watt in the draft, who has been pretty good this year.

 

Cowboys: Outside of Demarcus Ware, this defense is pretty bad on paper. Terrence Newman is OK, but past his prime. Sean Lee is decent.

 

The Bills have Kyle Williams (had early this year), Nick Barnett, Marcell Dareus, and Jairus Byrd who can all be very good players in the right defense. You're right though, we are sorely missing OLB's. And between Florence, McKelvin, and Williams we are fairly decent at cornerback. I can only attribute Mckelvin getting worse each year to bad coaching.

 

NO, we're not that far off. We need a coach to guide these guys in the right direction.

 

 

 

Agree 100%.

 

Not sure how much you know about other teams to be honest. I'm tired. I'm not gonna argue. You should watch more football and you'll know more about other teams good players: ie, bowman, Goldson, Rogers, McDonald, brooks, Ryans, manning, joseph, antonio smith, Jason Allen, Ratliff, Bradie smith, hatcher, spencer.

--P.S.: just because people aren't talking about a player, doesn't mean they aren't good.

I agree DCs make a BIIIIIIIG difference, but with our OLBs, we couldnt be successful, with any DC. We can be better, we can't be worse, but we wouldn't be a top 10 d with wade, fanzio or Ryan. No way. We need some OLBs badly.

Edited December 13, 2011 by NewEra

[bbb]

Is Wade Philips the great DC of all time, who didn't make it as a head coach?....I can't believe they went from #29 to #2 without Mario Williams.