Mario Williams released

[eball]

He gave up half way into the year essentially. His numbers along with the entire defensive lines numbers were not where they were used to being even up to the point where Mario quit.

 

Rex and his system played a significant part in the downfall of the pressures/sacks/overall productivity of the defensive line.

 

Rex has accepted responsibility for not fully implementing his own scheme; hence my comment that we should wait until this fall to make judgment as to whether he has ruined the Bills' defense. There is no excuse, however, for Mario quitting on his teammates.

[hondo in seattle]

I had no emotional response when I saw the headline. This was a foregone conclusion.

 

I thank him for the good years.

 

Whether he could have excelled in Rex's system - and whether or not Rex misused him - I guess will remain subjects of debate.

 

Whatever the reason, he sucked last season and needed to go.

[The Big Cat]

100%.

 

There is no excuse for that. Especially with the amount of money he was making.

 

But Rex coached the defense last season. And he is mostly responsible for ruining the defense last season, IMO.

 

And the part that you won't come off, the part that eball (like me) is stuck on is your choice of the word "ruin."

 

It wasn't a disgrace. It was an epic failure. They weren't "literally castrated." And it's not "ruined." All of these descriptions are woefully inaccurate hyperbole. They were average. They were decimated by injury, they had some growing paints with scheme installation and the unit's most expensive player quit. All of these things add up to a disappointingly mediocre performance.

 

There is no direct line between Rex Ryan and "failure" as you keep insisting. We can continue arguing why it's not as linear as you'd prefer it to be, but one thing we must first agree on is the destination: failure. That just wasn't the case.

[Marv's Neighbor]

In some ways, I feel sorry for him. Sure, he's got a big contract, but I feel that he's invested in the community, and planning on being here longer. Money aside, if you have enough faith in an employer, to make a move, and then because management has changed, you no longer "fit" in their plan, that's bad. The guy is still a great player, but couldn't transition into a new/different system. His stats took a huge hit last season, and the BILLS did not utilize him to his potential.

 

I have to hope that this is not another of those situations that comes back to bite us in the as* in the future. Hopefully he will not end up in another AFC East team.

[26CornerBlitz]

It was a failure coming from where it was. Absolutely.

 

They beat the **** out of teams in 2014. Destroyed QBs. Played fast. There was none of that in 2015. And yes statistically they were an average group coming from very good the year prior. To me that is a failure.

 

And It was a failure before the injuries started piling on later in the year.

 

So how would you like me to term it? Rex was a very big part in the "regression" of the defense. Is that better?

 

There you go again! Exaggerating to make a point. Ask Andrew Luck about this.

[3rdand12]

Lets see how Mario plays for the Cardinals or the Ginats next season, and then also see how the Bills look on Defense.

That will be the best time to reach conclusions perhaps?

Mario will give it his all i suspect, and i expect Rex will do the same.

[The Big Cat]

It was a failure coming from where it was. Absolutely.

 

They beat the **** out of teams in 2014. Destroyed QBs. Played fast. There was none of that in 2015. And yes statistically they were an average group coming from very good the year prior. To me that is a failure.

 

And It was a failure before the injuries started piling on later in the year.

 

So how would you like me to term it? Rex was a very big part in the "regression" of the defense. Is that better?

 

If you're going to deem it a failure by comparison, then you have to do an honest comparison of the 2014 defense.

 

Failure before the injuries started piling up? Specifically which game are you referring to? Week 2 against the Pats. If that's your benchmark, and if 2014 is the control, how do you account for the track meet that was the Pats game last October?

 

The 2014 defense was very very good. But I also think you're conflating HOW good it was to make 2015 look worse by contrast.

[John from Riverside]

What I would like to know is why is everyone soooooo sure that Schwartz defense would have worked in 2015?

 

Teams were quick passing us to death......does anyone think that might have been a huge problem with the Schwartz D?

[filthymcnasty08]

http://www.bigblueview.com/2016/3/1/11140290/2016-nfl-free-agency-mario-williams-released-olivier-vernon-transition-tag-ny-giants-rumors

 

GMen - There's definite interest and need there for their 4-3 and JPP is probably gone. Comments are split but the fans seem up to speed on the 4-3/3-4 system issue, the quitting on the team, and the previous 3 years of production. They also want to block Schwartz in Philly from getting him!

[The Big Cat]

 

The Cincinnati game was awful. Specifically letting Andy Dalton sit in the pocket all day and do whatever he wanted for the entire game.

 

The 2014 was top 5 in just about every statistical category. The 2015 defense didn't crack the top 10 in any category.

 

It was certainly a problem when the corners are playing 10 yards off the LOS for whatever reason....

 

Yeah? You didn't like how we matched up against the 12-4 Bengals? Who came into that game with the hottest offense in the league? Then proceeded to have their worst statistical performance to that point?

 

You're talking about the game when the offense had four consecutive three and outs while the Bengals scored 17 points starting drives from our 45, our 49, their 45, our 36?

 

You want to isolate the defense from all these factors?

[C.Biscuit97]

 

There you go again! Exaggerating to make a point. Ask Andrew Luck about this.

Luck was pretty bad most of the year. See his games against the Jets and Panthers. Luck wasn't a top flight qb this year whether it was because of injuries or his teammates.

[PO16FFS]

 

Yeah? You didn't like how we matched up against the 12-4 Bengals? Who came into that game with the hottest offense in the league? Then proceeded to have their worst statistical performance to that point?

 

You're talking about the game when the offense had four consecutive three and outs while the Bengals scored 17 points starting drives from our 45, our 49, their 45, our 36?

 

You want to isolate the defense from all these factors?

There is always an excuse to everything.

 

BILLS BLOW and WILL BLOW MORE WITHOUT MARIO!

[Deranged Rhino]

Luck was pretty bad most of the year. See his games against the Jets and Panthers. Luck wasn't a top flight qb this year whether it was because of injuries or his teammates.

 

Pretty sure it was because the Bills lacerated his kidney in Week One. But we'll find out for sure in a few months.

[The Big Cat]

Yup. Just like those 12-4 Packers in 2014 with the hottest offense in the league.

 

Lol worse statistical output? In what way? Yards? Probably because as you stated they had very good field position in the first half.

 

And the 2nd half of that game? When they went 90 and 78 yards for TDs on their first two possessions of the 2nd half.

 

Where's the excuse? Keep em coming.

 

If you're just going to diminish salient and relevant details of a game to "excuses" then you don't care to discuss.

 

Also, at no point before or after their game against the Bills was the Packers offense in 2014 as productive as how the Bengals begun in 2015.

 

Nobody's making excuses. Dalton connected on some long throws to start the second half. **** happens.

[Chandler#81]

The first 2 guys were before my time so I can't really comment on them. Phil Handen got double digit sacks once in his career and got the benefit of playing across from one of the greatest DEs in the NFL. And I was a big Schobel fan but he wasn't close to as dominant as Mario was.

Puhleeze. Schobel amassed 78 sacks in 9 seasons, 2nd all time. Hanson had 61.5 sacks, 3rd All-time. Phil likely had more upfield tackles chasing plays than Bruce and Mario combined -Always going snap to whistle -full out! Mario will have played for 3 teams in the same time frame with a collage of peak & valley seasons, depending how he 'felt'. His 1st 2 teams having let him go.

[The Big Cat]

 

Lol. Likewise bro.

 

Just notify me the first time I do.

[GaryPinC]

http://www.bigblueview.com/2016/3/1/11140290/2016-nfl-free-agency-mario-williams-released-olivier-vernon-transition-tag-ny-giants-rumors

 

GMen - There's definite interest and need there for their 4-3 and JPP is probably gone. Comments are split but the fans seem up to speed on the 4-3/3-4 system issue, the quitting on the team, and the previous 3 years of production. They also want to block Schwartz in Philly from getting him!

The quote in this article sums up my feelings about Mario Williams:

 

Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings told us last month that Williams is still an elite player -- when he is invested:

 

"The book on Williams is the same as when he was a free agent prior to the 2012 season: when he wants to be great, he's great. He just doesn't turn on the juice as often as he could, and as a result, he's often invisible for long stretches. But when he's invested, and buys into a team and a scheme, he can still play at an elite level."

I feel this was so true about Mario even in his best years. I think he could have been on a level with Bruce if there had been a consistent fire in his belly. I'm ok with him being released, despite the talent, his poisonous attitude had to go.

[CommonCents]

Puhleeze. Schobel amassed 78 sacks in 9 seasons, 2nd all time. Hanson had 61.5 sacks, 3rd All-time. Phil likely had more upfield tackles chasing plays than Bruce and Mario combined -Always going snap to whistle -full out! Mario will have played for 3 teams in the same time frame with a collage of peak & valley seasons, depending how he 'felt'. His 1st 2 teams having let him go.

Effort level goes a long way for a fan :

 

Bruce,Talley, Biscuit, TKO, Cowart, Paup, Hansen, H. Jones, Speilman, Fletcher, Winfield, Washington are all guys I think of before I think of Mario Williams. Some of those guys lack tenure and or stats due to injury and contracts but they all laid it out for this organization. If I had a closet full of Bills jerseys those would be the 12 and I'd have a Mario jersey on the floor to wipe my feet with while I model the others in the mirror.

[Mr. WEO]

The quote in this article sums up my feelings about Mario Williams:

 

Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings told us last month that Williams is still an elite player -- when he is invested:

 

"The book on Williams is the same as when he was a free agent prior to the 2012 season: when he wants to be great, he's great. He just doesn't turn on the juice as often as he could, and as a result, he's often invisible for long stretches. But when he's invested, and buys into a team and a scheme, he can still play at an elite level."

I feel this was so true about Mario even in his best years. I think he could have been on a level with Bruce if there had been a consistent fire in his belly. I'm ok with him being released, despite the talent, his poisonous attitude had to go.

 

 

Elite players don't take long stretches off. That disqualifies him from "elite" description. JJ Watt, for instance, is truly elite.

[GaryPinC]

 

 

Elite players don't take long stretches off. That disqualifies him from "elite" description. JJ Watt, for instance, is truly elite.

Agree, I don't consider him an elite player. Capable of playing at an elite level? Definitely.