The Whaley hysteria

[WIDE LEFT]

The WNY media has to rank among the worst. Many, especially those employed by the Buffalo News, have been calling for Ryan to be fired most of the year. They have, at various times, called Ryan a buffoon, a liar, a total incompetent etc etc. They are now hysterical over the fact that Whaley won't hold a press conference THIS week, ( he has one scheduled for this coming Monday) to explain to them why Ryan was fired; something they have themselves been calling for all year.

 

Whaley is not going to trash Ryan (as the media has). And some of the very good reasons for his dismissal are detailed in the national media, specifically today's MMQBSI. And I will detail a few here:

 

His defense is a complete, dysfunctional train wreck. That was Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus anchoring the middle versus Miami center KRAIG URBICK for christ sakes. Steamrolled for the umpteenth time this season. His defense has been getting worse as the season progressed. But that's not why he should have been fired.

 

Ryan had complete disdain for analytics. After all these years of coaching in the NFL he didn't have a clue about in game management/strategy. Last years debacle in Kansas City, ie his failure to challenge calls, revealed that he had a primitive and totally inadequate system for review challenges, this after all his prior NFL experience. After the game he vowed to fix it. After the loss.

 

But Sunday's game said it all. Coaching for a potential playoff spot, and his job, he turned in an in game coaching disaster of historic proportions. Did he get anything right? Could not call a time out in time to properly set his defense for tying field goal kick. Ten guys on the field then too. Ended regulation time with three timeouts in his pocket. Completely unaware that a tie eliminates playoff chance; and even if he was aware, would have still made the disastrous decision to punt. Etc etc. Dysfunction squared.

 

Clear as a bell he had to go. All that NFL head coaching experience and he turns in a coaching performance like that? He demonstrates that he just doesn't get it, and never will. And I don't need Whaley to conduct two separate press conferences in the space of six days to explain the obvious. One presser will do. It was all on display last Sunday anyway.