Why is Hackett still employed?

[The Big Cat]

 

 

I agree with this. They are supposed to be reviewing all coaching positions including Marrone for a period of a couple of weeks...but if the organization was going to move on from Hackett, you'd want to be doing that NOW, wouldn't you? While a replacement is still available?

 

You can't really take your time with this and still have your pick of top candidates.

 

There seems to be no urgency over at OBD with evaluations which makes me think they are prepared to maintain the status quo this off-season.

 

Who knows.

 

I'm curious what you think "urgency" looks like and also what you believe is so urgent.

[CardinalScotts]

because most realize it's not the play calling, in the inability to execute the play.

[YoloinOhio]

I actually don't want to get rid of Hackett. I want better offensive personnel. Give him another year with a decent QB, OL, and every down RB.

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

I am loving that we have such threads as this. Marrone is an idiot for keeping Hackett, but will automatically become a genius coach whose loss is a killer if he takes his opt-out and walks. And it will probably be the same posters making both arguments.

[Nick the Greek]

With every second that passes, I get more nervous that we are keeping him. If we miss out on someone like trestman or someone else because we are dragging our feet, I'm going to be pissed.

 

I get that he didn't have an elite qb, but neither did gailey and he made something work. There's just no excuse for this performance and how his unit failed this team.

Patience.. look at the article at WGR. The coaches are being "evaluated" as we speak.

[Joaquin1119]

When Marrone was name bills new HC I was afraid that he would bring in his buddy Hackett. Only way we get a new OC if Marrone fire his buddy Hackett and we all know that not going to happen. Mike smith as OC

[Fadingpain]

I'm curious what you think "urgency" looks like and also what you believe is so urgent.

 

Urgency is acting in a few days, not a few weeks. What is urgent? Dumping our not-boy-genius OC for a real one.

 

because most realize it's not the play calling, in the inability to execute the play.

 

What if it's a little of both?

 

The easier move is to replace the OC with a real one. That's 1 person. Not easy to teach an entire team to execute properly all the time, especially when you don't have a QB.

[Jauronimo]

How about Mike Martz as co-Assistant to the Regional Offensive Coordinator. QBs hate him...

[starrymessenger]

Expecting Marrone to fire Hackett is like asking him to commit suicide.

For all we know Hackett might actually be a genius OC but for the fact that he is charged with implementing Doug's 19th century philosophy of offense.

I hope this "evaluation that's going on is more than just a pro for a due diligence.

[Proteus]

Unfortunately we have one of the few NFL franchises where the fans understand the game better than the front office. It's freaking pathetic. If Hackett is here next season our offense will suck again and we will be hoping we can make the playoffs in year 17.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

I doubt anything happens before this 3 day window ends and you know Marrone's status.

 

All this talk of there's no way Marrone fires his buddy, it's like committing suicide, etc is completely stupid and what evidence does anyone have to support that. He may be asked to fire him and not agree and get fired himself, he may agree to it, or he may decide on his own to get rid of him. Any of these things can just as likely happen.

 

Marrone didn't hire Hackert because they are buddies, he hired him because he felt they shared a smart offensive philosophy and this common bond is why they'd worked together in the past.and were comfortable together. People at these levels don't get to where they got hiring their buddies, they hire people they work well with. Every season every coach hires people they are comfortable with and often these guys will follow each other from job to job. Over the past years there's also been plenty of evidence of coaches hiring their so called buddies and then firing him a couple years later when things didn't work out, in fact you rarely hear of a coach refusing to fore an assistant with the exception of our old buddy Wade.

 

I have no idea what will happen, but the one thing I'm 100% certain of is Marrone will either dump Hackert or keep him only if he feels he gives the Bills the most likelihood of offensive success next season. Not saying I agree with that or not, but he's not keeping him here because they are friends. Admittedly the line can get blurred easily as often the reason friendships develop is due to shared values and concepts, so yes they both very well may like eachother, but they also both understand this is business first.

 

People need to stop thinking like 1st graders around here.

[Pirate Angel]

If he stays he needs help, not just with player personell but some one that can come up with gimmick plays and formations to create miss matches.

[starrymessenger]

I doubt anything happens before this 3 day window ends and you know Marrone's status.

 

All this talk of there's no way Marrone fires his buddy, it's like committing suicide, etc is completely stupid and what evidence does anyone have to support that. He may be asked to fire him and not agree and get fired himself, he may agree to it, or he may decide on his own to get rid of him. Any of these things can just as likely happen.

 

Marrone didn't hire Hackert because they are buddies, he hired him because he felt they shared a smart offensive philosophy and this common bond is why they'd worked together in the past.and were comfortable together. People at these levels don't get to where they got hiring their buddies, they hire people they work well with. Every season every coach hires people they are comfortable with and often these guys will follow each other from job to job. Over the past years there's also been plenty of evidence of coaches hiring their so called buddies and then firing him a couple years later when things didn't work out, in fact you rarely hear of a coach refusing to fore an assistant with the exception of our old buddy Wade.

 

I have no idea what will happen, but the one thing I'm 100% certain of is Marrone will either dump Hackert or keep him only if he feels he gives the Bills the most likelihood of offensive success next season. Not saying I agree with that or not, but he's not keeping him here because they are friends. Admittedly the line can get blurred easily as often the reason friendships develop is due to shared values and concepts, so yes they both very well may like eachother, but they also both understand this is business first.

 

People need to stop thinking like 1st graders around here.

The only insightful comment in your post is that Marrone feels (indeed knows because he is calling the shots) that he and Hackett share the same (smart?) offensive philosophy.

They have been together for five years.

They are the same guy.

And unfortunately the philosophy is not smart. It's dumb and pathetically antiquated.

I don't think Marrone is capable of working with a fully empowered OC who is his own man.

Firing Hackett is a red herring anyway. His boss is the problem.

[Agent 91]

Expecting Marrone to fire Hackett is like asking him to commit suicide.

For all we know Hackett might actually be a genius OC but for the fact that he is charged with implementing Doug's 19th century philosophy of offense.

I hope this "evaluation that's going on is more than just a pro for a due diligence.

 

Exactly... I said in another post... im start I to think this is Marrones offense. I wonder what Hackett could do... if her were back in college with a young head coach... maybe Anyone but marrone, who could turn it up and get the boys playing... I find it hard lot believe he is just that bad.

[bobobonators]

I haven't liked the Hackett signing since Day 1. I like it less today, December 30, 2014.

[TAinLack.]

there were several offensive players who underachieved this season as a result of our ordinary/play it safe o.c.

[5 Wide]

Over 5 yds per carry running out of 3+ wrs this season. Unfortunately there were 3 tight ends on the field more often than 3 wideouts. Offensive design was lacking.

[thewildrabbit]

In the fans perspective the difference between the defense and the offense is that there is no QB on the defensive side to point the finger at when things go bad. So the DC gets all the blame. On the offensive side its usually everything but the OC getting the blame, its the QB's fault, the RB's fault, the WR's fault, the TE's fault, the O lines fault.

 

You really, really gotta be a crappy OC to get the blame when things go bad on the offense, and yet the last two years in the top ten worst offenses in the league.

 

Last season the Bills finished the year with 3 rookie QB's on the roster, and the Bills were the #2 team in the league in rushing while being #1 in rushing attempts. At 6-10 all it got them was a lot of meaningless rushing yards, as the team was one of the worst in three downs and out percentage. One of the worst in third down efficiency. 31st in first down statistics. The O line was bad, the team had one decent WR that was hurt a lot of the year, and three rookie QB's.

 

Never mind that all that running the Bills did was 71% of the time right up the middle in a very predictable run, run, pass offense that garnered the nickname the "hurry up and punt offense". Lot-0-blame to go around, so the OC stays.

 

Care to recall what Marrone stated about his team after 2013? "We must be doing something right to be the #2 team in the NFL in rushing".

 

 

Now for 2014 the Bills started the season in great fashion by rushing more then they threw it the first two games against Chicago, Miami, and it worked very well. Then for some unknown reason the Bills OC went pass happy for the Charger game, and never stopped. The Bills finished 2014 with 579 passing attempts vs 402 rushing attempts.

 

The Bills passing game this season lacked the same things they lacked in 2013, and that's ingenuity, imagination along with the inability to adjust to what the defense was doing. As Mike Williams stated after the Texans game that on offense "we adjusted a little to late" He mentioned that the Bills had game planned for a specific defense, and the Texans were in a completely different coverage. It wasn't until late in the 3rd quarter that the offense properly adjusted to the coverage the Texans were in. How lame is that the Bills OC doesn't even know what defense he is looking at or doesn't know enough to make proper adjustments asap.

 

 

I think we Bills fans are screwed for another season of having a championship defense, and a very bad offense again. I don't see any QB coming in and having the success of Orton in going 7-5.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

Doesn't matter how long they've been together or not. My point is that all this dribble that Marrone will never fire his buddy based on past history of other coaches is nonsense. They may be the same guy as you say, that's OK, but I think Marrone is smart enough to see that one of them isn't pulling his weight and would part ways. Maybe not, he may also recognize that the problems in his opinion lie elsewhere, i.e. personal, either way he he's not going to keep Hackert around because they are buddy's, not at a high level position.

 

The only insightful comment in your post is that Marrone feels (indeed knows because he is calling the shots) that he and Hackett share the same (smart?) offensive philosophy.

They have been together for five years.

They are the same guy.

And unfortunately the philosophy is not smart. It's dumb and pathetically antiquated.

I don't think Marrone is capable of working with a fully empowered OC who is his own man.

Firing Hackett is a red herring anyway. His boss is the problem.

[Just in Atlanta]

Hackett coming back equals insanity.

 

We went from lesser talent and a top offense to more talent and the worst in the league, two years running. Also, this offense just doesn't pass the eye test. No rhythm. No imagination. No space. This guy should be an assistant. I truly can't believe Hackett wasn't fired a year ago, let alone last week.

 

From a mere PR perspective, bringing this guy back with our historically bad offense would be asinine. From a football one, there really shouldn't be any argument this guy's game planning and play calling aren't ready for primetime.