Polian - McD, "he's Marv-like".

[QuoteTheRaven83]

Talk is cheap. I want results.

[teef]

Culture changes take time. Like seasons. No way can anyone say McD has changed the culture yet. He may have started to put his foundation in place but he isn't even close to changing anything yet. If this was a building he'd still be digging for the footers. Culture changes start at the top and work their way down to the janitor mopping the floor. It takes time to change culture. Combine that with a business where you need to win now and it's hard to predict the outcome so I will wait and see

this is a great statement. i'm with ya on this.

[QuoteTheRaven83]

Culture changes take time. Like seasons. No way can anyone say McD has changed the culture yet. He may have started to put his foundation in place but he isn't even close to changing anything yet. If this was a building he'd still be digging for the footers. Culture changes start at the top and work their way down to the janitor mopping the floor. It takes time to change culture. Combine that with a business where you need to win now and it's hard to predict the outcome so I will wait and see

 

Tell that to Jim Harbaugh.

 

If you have the pieces in place, it shouldn't take all that long.

[Fan in Chicago]

You mean as in Marv was a delegator who let his coordinators run both the offense and defense themselves and let his GM get him players just like McD wants total control and runs his defense and wants to be in the offense and demands he picks his players himself?

was my first reaction too. I dont see how McD's demeanor is anything like Marv's. We will have to wait and see the on-field performance. Also, how he handles an off-field player situation such as weed, DUI etc.

 

There's the overreaction I was waiting for when I started reading this thread...

Where was the 'over' reaction ?

 

Tell that to Jim Harbaugh.

 

If you have the pieces in place, it shouldn't take all that long.

You are talking about behavior change. Culture, on the other hand, is embedded in everything a team does. That takes time to develop, internalize and become second nature.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

I haven't heard a Bills head coach compared to Marv since Dick J!

[KDIGGZ]

let's just hire Marv again. what is he like 92? i bet he's still got it

[I'm Spartacus]

Just win, and all speculation about McD will end.

[Ron Burgundy]

I like him so far but some of the rumors are concerning. IF the rumors that he had a lot of control of the draft are true will that continue with the next GM?

 

Would strong candidates want to share what is typically GM power with their coach? Maybe it will stop and that was only because Whaley was on his way out but it'd be something i would question if i were interviewing.

[Figster]

I thought HC McD taking time out to visit with the leaders of the team that went to 4 straight superbowls showed just how far McD is willing to go in search of a Champion.

 

The attention to detail, the demand for respect, the high priority in obtaining players of good character, all very Marv Levy like in my humble opinion.

 

but is McD as good in the X's and O's department is the question...

[BillsVet]

Talk is cheap. I want results.

 

I think everyone wants results.

 

At the same time, the first evidence is there to show this isn't the same old same old. This isn't status quo packaged as new. This isn't Marrone pointing at the lifers 3 years ago and Russ stepping in to protect them. It's the closest to real substantive change there's ever been at OBD.

 

It's going to be a new regime both in terms of coaching AND in the front office next season. Sure, McD could be unsuccessful. But he won't be unsuccessful because RW cronies were still pulling the strings from behind the scenes. He's the first HC in some time who'll control his own destiny. He wouldn't have taken this job without that assurance.

[CanadianFan]

This is a retort to the person who "can't see McD being a good Bills HC".

 

Bill Polian, who has been very reluctant to endorse anybody over the years for the Bills' HC position has clearly endorsed Sean McDermott. He believes that McD is basically a younger version of Marv Levy......and he thinks the world of the HOF Bills HC who he hired when he was the Bills GM way back when.

 

Polian says that McD is "cerebral, low key, and right on the money". He said that McD has a pretty good pedigree having learned under Andy Reid (Phily) and Rivera (Carolina).

 

Here's the link: http://buffalowdown.com/2017/03/05/buffalo-bills-bill-polian-sean-mcdermott-marv-levy/.

 

That's a pretty hefty endorsement if you ask me.

 

From what I've seen thus far I would think you would have to be impressed with McD. He basically ran the 2017 draft and likely picked up three 2017 starters by trading up and down the board and may have found Buffalo's QB of the future in Nate Peterman. Even the ESPN analysts (Kiper & McShay) have raved about Buffalo's draft.

 

McD has also won the power battle with former Bills GM D. Whaley. With Whaley now gone it's likely that McD will be able to hand pick the next Bills GM. That's a very rare occurrence.

 

McD is likely to push for someone he knows and trusts very well.....and that may turn out to be the best way to rebuild this team.

 

I know that coach Levy is highly revered. But when I hear Marv Levy and I think "old school". He didn't change nor adapt during that 4 year run. So sorry no, that's a bad analogy. And their personalities are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. I don't see it. The man sounds like a detail oriented control freak. We can best hope for Belicheat.

Edited May 3, 2017 by CanadianFan

[Kelly the Dog]

 

I think everyone wants results.

 

At the same time, the first evidence is there to show this isn't the same old same old. This isn't status quo packaged as new. This isn't Marrone pointing at the lifers 3 years ago and Russ stepping in to protect them. It's the closest to real substantive change there's ever been at OBD.

 

It's going to be a new regime both in terms of coaching AND in the front office next season. Sure, McD could be unsuccessful. But he won't be unsuccessful because RW cronies were still pulling the strings from behind the scenes. He's the first HC in some time who'll control his own destiny. He wouldn't have taken this job without that assurance.

Yep. He's the man now, and even though anyone may not like the way he is acting, or it's too much to bite off, or other guys and teams it hasn't worked for, he is our guy and this is how he works and the buck stops here and we don't know how it's going to turn out yet. No one does. But the best thing in the world for a Bills fan to happen is if this guy is right. And that's yet to be determined. So go McD!

[eball]

You mean as in Marv was a delegator who let his coordinators run both the offense and defense themselves and let his GM get him players just like McD wants total control and runs his defense and wants to be in the offense and demands he picks his players himself?

Maybe McD has a large vocabulary?

[Kelly the Dog]

Maybe McD has a large vocabulary?

He has all the best words.

[Wayne Arnold]

I like him so far but some of the rumors are concerning. IF the rumors that he had a lot of control of the draft are true will that continue with the next GM?

 

Would strong candidates want to share what is typically GM power with their coach? Maybe it will stop and that was only because Whaley was on his way out but it'd be something i would question if i were interviewing.

 

Considering it is McDermott who will basically be choosing the GM, I don't see it being a problem. Communication will be open and honest in the interviews.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Considering it is McDermott who will basically be choosing the GM, I don't see it being a problem. Communication will be open and honest in the interviews.

Yep. McD is just going to say, "We are are team here, no ego, we don't have a leader, so do what I say."

[BuffAlone]

I also like the fact that he is McOppositeOfRex.

Cheese is extra...and not worth the cost.

[Fan in Chicago]

 

I think everyone wants results.

 

At the same time, the first evidence is there to show this isn't the same old same old. This isn't status quo packaged as new. This isn't Marrone pointing at the lifers 3 years ago and Russ stepping in to protect them. It's the closest to real substantive change there's ever been at OBD.

 

It's going to be a new regime both in terms of coaching AND in the front office next season. Sure, McD could be unsuccessful. But he won't be unsuccessful because RW cronies were still pulling the strings from behind the scenes. He's the first HC in some time who'll control his own destiny. He wouldn't have taken this job without that assurance.

I guess you and I have flipped personalities here, but you dont see the continued presence of Brandon as a hindrance to the execution of this plan ? That Brandon wont keep his sticky fingers out of the football operations ? Also, we dont have confidence that the new GM wont be a McD puppet in effect reversing the structure of the past but with pretty much the same power problem.

[ChanOverChin]

At some point, the Bills are bound to get it right.

 

At the very least it is very encouraging to see someone with Polian's NFL acumen say the things that he has about McD. McD has a LOT to prove, no doubt about it.

 

He does seem to be on the right track. He's made a lot of very good moves. He's even convinced the Pegulas to go with him over Whaley.

 

Let's give him a fair chance to do things HIS way.

[TPS]

This is a retort to the person who "can't see McD being a good Bills HC".

 

Bill Polian, who has been very reluctant to endorse anybody over the years for the Bills' HC position has clearly endorsed Sean McDermott. He believes that McD is basically a younger version of Marv Levy......and he thinks the world of the HOF Bills HC who he hired when he was the Bills GM way back when.

 

Polian says that McD is "cerebral, low key, and right on the money". He said that McD has a pretty good pedigree having learned under Andy Reid (Phily) and Rivera (Carolina).

 

Here's the link: http://buffalowdown.com/2017/03/05/buffalo-bills-bill-polian-sean-mcdermott-marv-levy/.

 

That's a pretty hefty endorsement if you ask me.

 

From what I've seen thus far I would think you would have to be impressed with McD. He basically ran the 2017 draft and likely picked up three 2017 starters by trading up and down the board and may have found Buffalo's QB of the future in Nate Peterman. Even the ESPN analysts (Kiper & McShay) have raved about Buffalo's draft.

 

McD has also won the power battle with former Bills GM D. Whaley. With Whaley now gone it's likely that McD will be able to hand pick the next Bills GM. That's a very rare occurrence.

 

McD is likely to push for someone he knows and trusts very well.....and that may turn out to be the best way to rebuild this team.

I assume he's the one you have to credit for managing the cap better than in the past couple of years. By passing on Gilmore, the Bills can more easily go after people cut (for cap reasons) by other teams between now and Week 1.

[Dragonborn10]

Does he mean the Marv that let Kelly keep throwing the ball when Thurman could have had the greatest SuperBowl a RB has ever had?

 

Marv was outcoached in every SuperBOwl.

 

Let's hope McD is a better coach,.

 

And now we have to hope he is a much much better GM as it appears he has all the power...

Edited May 3, 2017 by Dragonborn10

[BillsVet]

I guess you and I have flipped personalities here, but you dont see the continued presence of Brandon as a hindrance to the execution of this plan ? That Brandon wont keep his sticky fingers out of the football operations ? Also, we dont have confidence that the new GM wont be a McD puppet in effect reversing the structure of the past but with pretty much the same power problem.

 

I think TPegs has found his football man and, to borrow a favorite Brandon word, "empowered" him to make substantive changes. We don't know how that'll work out, but I'm confident that McD and whomever the GM is will be ownership's true football people. And Russ will remain in his role. If Smithers attempts to interfere, I think unlike with the Whaley front office, there will be push back because saving their skin isn't the primary objective anymore.

[Bangarang]

Thats my point. The GM should be in total control of rosters, but work well with the head coach. you shouldnt draft players to fit a system. Just draft good quality football players.

Who is to say they can't be quality players that also fit the system?

[Bill_with_it]

You mean as in Marv was a delegator who let his coordinators run both the offense and defense themselves and let his GM get him players just like McD wants total control and runs his defense and wants to be in the offense and demands he picks his players himself?

Of course you are angry and uninformed. You have no clue what Mcdermott will do r wont be involved in regarding the offense or defense or draft. The only thing tou know is that he clearly wasnt tolerating a GM that was fired pick his draft for him.

[Billzgobowlin]

You mean as in Marv was a delegator who let his coordinators run both the offense and defense themselves and let his GM get him players just like McD wants total control and runs his defense and wants to be in the offense and demands he picks his players himself?

I'm not sure where you heard he wants total control.

[Kelly the Dog]

Of course you are angry and uninformed. You have no clue what Mcdermott will do r wont be involved in regarding the offense or defense or draft. The only thing tou know is that he clearly wasnt tolerating a GM that was fired pick his draft for him.

I know a lot. I'm not angry at all. I like McDermott. He said himself he is going to involve himself in the offense a lot. The first day on the job he said it in his press conference.

 

You, sir, with no apologies to DC Tom, are an idiot.

[KellyToughII]

Does he mean the Marv that let Kelly keep throwing the ball when Thurman could have had the greatest SuperBowl a RB has ever had?

 

Marv was outcoached in every SuperBOwl.

 

Let's hope McD is a better coach,.

 

And now we have to hope he is a much much better GM as it appears he has all the power...

You mean the only coach in NFL History to get his team to 4 straight superbowls? I can live with that.

[Kelly the Dog]

I'm not sure where you heard he wants total control.

He has control over the roster, he controlled the entire draft, he is helping choose the GM, he is the face of the franchise to the media, and is the one voice, which he preaches himself, he has said himself he is going to involve himself deeply in all three phases of the game, and the rumor is he wants to be the guy that runs onto the field and grabs the tee after kickoffs.

 

But he is not in control.

[KellyToughII]

I'm not sure where you heard he wants total control.

Its an incorrect presumption. McDermott wants a personnel guy and scouts worth a damn something we haven't had since Polian. Someone he can trust to find the right players for our systems.

[nucci]

You mean the only coach in NFL History to get his team to 4 straight superbowls? I can live with that.

Can you live with the 4 losses? I'm a big fan of Marv but we lost all 4 and I still struggle with it

[KellyToughII]

He has control over the roster, he controlled the entire draft, he is helping choose the GM, he is the face of the franchise to the media, and is the one voice, which he preaches himself, he has said himself he is going to involve himself deeply in all three phases of the game, and the rumor is he wants to be the guy that runs onto the field and grabs the tee after kickoffs.

 

But he is not in control.

I don't care if he is or not, in fact I LIKE IT! Nice to see someone come in, who has worked in successful franchises, take control and implement a brand new way of doing things and has a clear vision. Let the man have a few years before railing on him about it, it just might work out well.

Can you live with the 4 losses? I'm a big fan of Marv but we lost all 4 and I still struggle with it

I don't. People now realize how hard and how huge an accomplishment it was and that it will never be done again. Would I have liked to have won 1-2 yes, but I wouldn't trade one win for the nearly 5 seasons we got to enjoy

[Heitz]

Love that the first line in the article is "Taking a general consensus around the web, it’s very difficult to find anyone doubting Sean McDermott with the Buffalo Bills this season."

 

Welllllll, obviously he didn't poll TBD's part of the web...

[Bill_with_it]

I know a lot. I'm not angry at all. I like McDermott. He said himself he is going to involve himself in the offense a lot. The first day on the job he said it in his press conference.

 

You, sir, with no apologies to DC Tom, are an idiot.

Hey guy this should help you out a bit read it slowly and quit calling people idiots when you are wrong:

Second, Taylors movement appears to mesh with the scheme McDermotts offensive coordinator Rick Dennison will presumably run: a West Coast Offense. According to Vic Caruci of The Buffalo News, McDermott said he would need the full length of the allotted time with the media in Phoenix to explain why Taylor was a great fit in Dennisons offense.

DENNISON'S OFFENSE

[Kelly the Dog]

Hey guy this should help you out a bit read it slowly and quit calling people idiots when you are wrong:

Second, Taylors movement appears to mesh with the scheme McDermotts offensive coordinator Rick Dennison will presumably run: a West Coast Offense. According to Vic Caruci of The Buffalo News, McDermott said he would need the full length of the allotted time with the media in Phoenix to explain why Taylor was a great fit in Dennisons offense.

DENNISON'S OFFENSE

Did you watch McDermott's press conference? Of course it is Dennison's offense. That is self-evident.

[Bill_with_it]

Did you watch McDermott's press conference? Of course it is Dennison's offense. That is self-evident.

I absolutely did watch his conference.

I heard him say hire people with experience that he trusts. He hired Dennison to be the offensive coordinator. Hes not going to micromanage the offense or defense. He will be as involved as a hc should be. Thats why you hire experienced coaches you trust. Will they be times on the field that he says blitz or go for it on 4th down? Of course thats whst hcs do, to insinuate hes going to be diving in head first offensively and defensively well thats just impossible. Hes one person overseeing o, d, ans st all while attempting to right the ship.

[Big Curt]

I get the high praise for McD, but he's still a rookie head coach. Marv Levy was a very experience head coach in the CFL and the NFL before he was a hall of Fame coach. To say a 5th round pick in the 2017 draft who hasn't even taken a snap is the QB of the future is a bit much. If he's go great why did he last until the 5th round? We currently have a 4th round QB with all the arm talent in the world who's won a national championship on the roster and we're giving the QB of the future to Peterman? Please... As Lee Corso would say "Not so fast my friend"

Edited May 3, 2017 by Big Curt

[Hapless Bills Fan]

This is a retort to the person who "can't see McD being a good Bills HC".

 

Bill Polian, who has been very reluctant to endorse anybody over the years for the Bills' HC position has clearly endorsed Sean McDermott. He believes that McD is basically a younger version of Marv Levy......

 

With all the respect in the world for the GM responsible for the Bills past glory years, there have been a number of recent instances where Mr Polian has seemed a bit out-to-lunch in what he's said.

So I have to take it with a bit of a grain of salt, like when in past years Jim Kelly has stepped in with a word of praise for our current QB or whatever.

[Heitz]

Did you watch McDermott's press conference? Of course it is Dennison's offense. That is self-evident.

 

Wait, isn't part of the "control" narrative that McD wants to be deeply involved in the O? Now it's self evident that it's Dennison's Offense? O_o

 

 

Regardless, had he said "I'm Head Coach and a Defense guy - I'll let the Offense take care of itself!" everyone would have freaked the opposite way

[Kelly the Dog]

I absolutely did watch his conference.

I heard him say hire people with experience that he trusts. He hired Dennison to be the offensive coordinator. Hes not going to micromanage the offense or defense. He will be as involved as a hc should be. Thats why you hire experienced coaches you trust. Will they be times on the field that he says blitz or go for it on 4th down? Of course thats whst hcs do, to insinuate hes going to be diving in head first offensively and defensively well thats just impossible. Hes one person overseeing o, d, ans st all while attempting to right the ship.

Q: You’ve been a coordinator and called plays. As a head coach, what is your plan going forward in terms of calling defenses and still taking all the responsibility of a head coach?

SM: That’s a great question. I‘m going to be involved in all three phases of this football team, offense, defense and special teams. When you’re a defensive coordinator, you spend a heck of a lot of time looking at the offensive side of the ball so I feel comfortable in my background of the offensive side of the ball and then my special teams background being around John Harbaugh for years in Philadelphia, Dave Toub, some of the great special teams coaches over the years, Bruce DeHaven. And so I’m going to be involved aggressively in all three phases. Defensively, whether or not I’ll call the plays, we haven’t decided on anything like that yet just from a management standpoint. That will come at the right time.

 

Wait, isn't part of the "control" narrative that McD wants to be deeply involved in the O? Now it's self evident that it's Dennison's Offense? O_o

 

 

Regardless, had he said "I'm Head Coach and a Defense guy - I'll let the Offense take care of itself!" everyone would have freaked the opposite way

See above.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

Can you live with the 4 losses? I'm a big fan of Marv but we lost all 4 and I still struggle with it

 

as do I and feel marv played a part in those losses with his lack of discipline.

Edited May 3, 2017 by DaBillsFanSince1973