Sean McDermott: "Culture Trumps Strategy" ?​​​​​​​

[MJS]

48 minutes ago, iinii said:

Williams didn’t build a defense that win a Suber Bowl?

 

As a head coach? We're not talking about coordinator's here. He is obviously a good coordinator, but you don't want that guy running your team.

[RiotAct]

[teef]

11 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

The OL is so strange.  If you go over to the All-22 thread, there are links to 3 Coach Sal tweets about the Bills 2nd series.

 

1st down: 21 personnel.  Good protection, though Matthews doesn't test Lee, instead dropping back.

2nd down: 11 personnel.  Mills and Miller beaten like drums.  It's difficult to describe how totally inadequate Mills is against Matthews.

3rd down: 10 with Shady kept in to block.  Good protection, this is a semi-throw-away (no one really open, but ball could be placed better so Benj had a shot)

 

It's like the OL takes every other play off or something.  Really strange.

 

I have watched run plays until I feel nauseous.  About 1/3 of the time, it's so bad I can't figure out what the blocking was supposed to look like if it had worked.

it is confusing, and i'm assuming that why mcdermott made the comment.  he must know that even with limited talent, there's an opportunity for improvement.  as @ColoradoBills stated, it's not entirely fair to put it on coaching, but i'm not sure what else to attribute it to.

[Dr.Sack]

Belichickian

[gobilz]

Process culture gee what next 

[billsfan_34]

3 hours ago, Elite Poster said:

 

So when we get blown out in 30% of games we play in with McDermott, this BS doesn't hold true. 

 

The Patriots have Tom !@#$ing Brady, that's the correct answer to your question. Belichick was a .500 coach (just like Rex) before Brady. They had a gang banging murderer on that team. Take that culture point and shove it where the sun don't shine. Hardwork and talent wins every single time, even if your an !@#$.

 

This dumbass philosophy is how you end up with Kevin Benjamin and not AB or OBJ. 

See Incognito as a prime example- boy do we miss him

[John from Riverside]

37 minutes ago, wppete said:

I liked McDermott but this year and the way he is handling himself in the media is embarrassing. Coach speak all the time. He is trying to be clever and sounds like a fool. Trying to be Belichick too bad he is a loser with a loser record. 

 

Whats the purpose of having media Q&A if he answers all the questions like a fool??? Does he think that the fans dont deserve a straight up answer? This guy has a HUGE Ego.

 

 

 

He doesnt owe you a damn thing

[87168]

Just now, John from Riverside said:

He doesnt owe you a damn thing

he actually does, very much.

 

keep this performance up and those very fans will ignite the fire for his termination.

[wppete]

2 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

He doesnt owe you a damn thing

 

No S*#T genius! He doest owe anyone anything. Just be straight up, thats all the fans want. We have heard enough of the Coach speak. 

[John from Riverside]

1 minute ago, 87168 said:

he actually does, very much.

 

keep this performance up and those very fans will ignite the fire for his termination.

Pegula could care less...you know the ones he actually reports to?

 

You have way less importance to this you you think you do....Pegula saw his team make the playoffs last year....you really think he gives a damn what you think this year?

 

He doesnt

Just now, wppete said:

 

No S*#T genius! He doest owe anyone anything. Just be straight up, thats all the fans want. We have heard enough of the Coach speak. 

So you agree that he owes you nothing....but then you say what you are owed?

[NoHuddleKelly12]

3 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

It's pretty evident we can't win with the lack of talent on this roster.   I'm going t wait and see what he and Beane do this offseason.  If they get linemen and wrs, improve the defense and get rid of Peterman in favor of an actual QB at backup them I'm still trusting the process.     

 

But the process better start protecting the QB better and catching the ball. 

Clock is definitely ticking. I feel like I'm solidly behind the regime and have been so from day 1, and won't jump ship over issues that I can see are not totally on them (e.g. career ending injuries, retirements, bad cap room situation from before, etc.) in between some of the good things that have changed from previous administrations (emphasis on accountability, culture, increased draft capital and future financial room for FA's), but I also don't have blinders on, and they can't count on like-minded fans not to turn on them eventually if things don't noticeably trend up over time--this still isn't Cleveland, after all. 

[ColoradoBills]

18 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

The OL is so strange.  If you go over to the All-22 thread, there are links to 3 Coach Sal tweets about the Bills 2nd series.

 

1st down: 21 personnel.  Good protection, though Matthews doesn't test Lee, instead dropping back.

2nd down: 11 personnel.  Mills and Miller beaten like drums.  It's difficult to describe how totally inadequate Mills is against Matthews.

3rd down: 10 with Shady kept in to block.  Good protection, this is a semi-throw-away (no one really open, but ball could be placed better so Benj had a shot)

 

It's like the OL takes every other play off or something.  Really strange.

 

I have watched run plays until I feel nauseous.  About 1/3 of the time, it's so bad I can't figure out what the blocking was supposed to look like if it had worked.

 

13 minutes ago, teef said:

it is confusing, and i'm assuming that why mcdermott made the comment.  he must know that even with limited talent, there's an opportunity for improvement.  as @ColoradoBills stated, it's not entirely fair to put it on coaching, but i'm not sure what else to attribute it to.

 

Not getting any inside info (leaks) we all don't know what the coaching is looking like.

 

Let's take the run game.

Daboll is the OC but Castillo is the Run Game Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach.

Is this Castillo's blocking scheme during running plays?

Does both Daboll and Castillo agree on the scheme?

Does one coach agree and one disagree?

What input does Kelly Skipper have as RB Coach?

It's tough to answer this without the knowing the details.

 

Hap has broke down a lot of 22's with good evaluations.

My above questions apply.

 

Then you got the same questions about the pass blocking.

[wppete]

1 minute ago, John from Riverside said:

Pegula could care less...you know the ones he actually reports to?

 

You have way less importance to this you you think you do....Pegula saw his team make the playoffs last year....you really think he gives a damn what you think this year?

 

He doesnt

So you agree that he owes you nothing....but then you say what you are owed?

 

[Paulus]

46 minutes ago, CountDorkula said:

Or they just lost their Legion of doom defense and were not able to play all their good players.......

 

What is the Patrirot way?

 

Please define it.

"DO YOUR JOB"

 

Pretty simple.

[John from Riverside]

Just now, wppete said:

 

this response....while pretty cool....is exactly what you are putting in your posts regarding this......nothing

[Warcodered]

 

Seriously what did people expect him to say my OL/WR/OC are terrible and need to be replaced. He's never going to say that.

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, teef said:

it's a combo of both.  i know some people that really don't buy into the culture idea, but i do.  i'm not talking the bean/mcdermott culture specifically, but just in general rather.  if you have a winning culture, i think a lot of the other points begin to fall in line.  i wouldn't say it's more important that strategy, but it's the holy trinity of culture, talent, and strategy.  

Well, that's well put, and I agree to some extent. 

 

They've said it before - they will take not take a guy with talent who doesn't fit the culture.   So that means, I think, that they want to fill the locker room with guys who fit the culture, and they will improve the talent as they can.  I get that. 

 

However, I don't see why it should mean that you have to do that with coaching.   Why can't you have coaches who fit the culture and who ALSO are good at Xs and Os.   What some of us have been talking about is that the offense seems remarkably ineffective, and I think that's more about coaching than talent.   I mean, this talent on offense isn't going to light up everyone, but it should at least be able to SCORE once in a while.  Is McDermott telling us that  Daboll isn't so good at strategy, but he's good at culture and that's all the Bills need right now?   If so, I think McDermott is wrong.   This is his second offensive coordinator in two years, and he shouldn't have swung and missed twice at hiring someone who actually could figure out how to move the ball.  

[CountDorkula]

6 minutes ago, Paulus said:

"DO YOUR JOB"

 

Pretty simple.

I beleive McDermott says the same thing, all the time.

 

So do the bills have the patriot way, just less patriot-y??

[BigBuff423]

2 hours ago, Trogdor said:

Zay isn't good and Allen still needs time, so where do you get "a fairly good job" from? You basically disprove your own point. 

 

Um, Zay is in his second year with a Rookie QB and a poor Offensive line. Additionally, I didn't realize McD and Beane didn't Draft Tre White, or Dawkins, or  Milano or Edmunds (who is growing with every game), or T. Johnson (who is also getting better with each game)..? So, yeah, it's only first and second year players, but they're all showing real signs of promise and um, it's only the first quarter of their second year...? Is that point lost on you? Additionally, Beane wasn't part of the first Draft and yet McD did a pretty solid job all things considered. He helped guide the first Draft with the aforementioned players and acquired real Draft capital for the year when they were going to take their QB AND they got him. Whether Allen becomes the Franchise QB we're all hoping for remains to be seen, but they did get their guy (as best they could with all factors considered). So, no I didn't disprove my own point, you just refuse to acknowledge the other Draft picks they did make that have been good thus far. 

[TheFunPolice]

The "Patriot Way" is Brady throwing 5 yard passes to a QR who nobody is within 10 yards of when he catches the ball, and that WR then running for another 5-7 yards before being tackled. Once you stop that Brady throws screen passes to a RB who has nobody within 10 yards of him. If you stop both of those plays he tosses it up to a 7 foot tall TE for 20 yards a pop.

 

PEDs, cheating scandals, etc. are just footnotes.

 

This is why every season feels like a waste of time. Mahomes! Can you believe this kid! Trubisky! Watson! Baker!

 

The "young guns" throwing for 6 TDs a game and a billion yards, making insanely dramatic, athletic plays that defy physics!

 

And yet, we all know how it ends: a completely unathletic 41+ year old QB throwing screen passes all day to a 5 foot 10 WR who nobody can get within 10 yards of before he catches the ball. Then they run the same 3 plays over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....

 

and nobody can stop it. "maybe NEXT YEAR for the young guns..." LOL

 

So have your cute little "culture" or have great strategy... It is going to take the PERFECT GAME or close to it to beat the machine known as NE. And I'm 100% convinced it is never going to end.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by TheFunPolice

[That's No Moon]

Sean McDermott: Six Sigma Black Belt

[billsintaiwan]

So stupid. The cherry picking, I mean. It is actually rather blasé, the whole quote.

[PlayoffsPlease]

He did not say "coaching trumps talent" which would seem to relate to players 

Strategy is  a coaching function.   When he says "culture trumps strategy" , the only logical assumption is there is something so important "culture" that we just have to live with occasional or more than occasional crappy game plans (strategy)

 

Strategy is  a coaching function.   When he says "culture trumps strategy", he is saying the coaching is good. The problems lie elsewhere. 

I am not saying he is wrong or right.  But that is what he pretty clearly saying. 

7 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

The "Patriot Way" is Brady throwing 5 yard passes to a QR who nobody is within 10 yards of when he catches the ball, and that WR then running for another 5-7 yards before being tackled. Once you stop that Brady throws screen passes to a RB who has nobody within 10 yards of him. If you stop both of those plays he tosses it up to a 7 foot tall TE for 20 yards a pop.

 

PEDs, cheating scandals, etc. are just footnotes.

 

This is why every season feels like a waste of time. Mahomes! Can you believe this kid! Trubisky! Watson! Baker!

 

The "young guns" throwing for 6 TDs a game and a billion yards, making insanely dramatic, athletic plays that defy physics!

 

And yet, we all know how it ends: a completely unathletic 41+ year old QB throwing screen passes all day to a 5 foot 10 WR who nobody can get within 10 yards of before he catches the ball. Then they run the same 3 plays over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....

 

and nobody can stop it. "maybe NEXT YEAR for the young guns..." LOL

 

So have your cute little "culture" or have great strategy... It is going to take the PERFECT GAME or close to it to beat the machine known as NE. And I'm 100% convinced it is never going to end.

 

 

This is depressingly accurate. 

12 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Well, that's well put, and I agree to some extent. 

 

They've said it before - they will take not take a guy with talent who doesn't fit the culture.   So that means, I think, that they want to fill the locker room with guys who fit the culture, and they will improve the talent as they can.  I get that. 

 

However, I don't see why it should mean that you have to do that with coaching.   Why can't you have coaches who fit the culture and who ALSO are good at Xs and Os.   What some of us have been talking about is that the offense seems remarkably ineffective, and I think that's more about coaching than talent.   I mean, this talent on offense isn't going to light up everyone, but it should at least be able to SCORE once in a while.  Is McDermott telling us that  Daboll isn't so good at strategy, but he's good at culture and that's all the Bills need right now?   If so, I think McDermott is wrong.   This is his second offensive coordinator in two years, and he shouldn't have swung and missed twice at hiring someone who actually could figure out how to move the ball.  

Real question.  Why does anyone thing "strategy" means "talent"?  Am I the only one who thinks strategy refers to coaching? And that whatever culture means, it is more important than game planning ?  

[Lurker]

3 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

I don't buy this. 

 

Me neither.    The band on the Titanic had great culture, but their strategy should have been to grab something that floated...

[TheFunPolice]

I am also convinced that NE doesn't mind their typical slow starts to the season, just so everyone on sports talk will pronounce them done, fans will start to believe that, and that way it all hurts even more when they go 13-3 and win the Super Bowl, or at least get there so you feel nauseous the entire game at the thought of them winning.

 

Odd that Nick Foles and Eli Manning are the two QBs who stopped them from winning 8. Thank God Foles had the game of his life at just the right time!

 

[Ol Dirty B]

Anyone talking about winning culture and stuff like that just doesn't know what they are talking about.

 

If anyone knew how to create a winning culture, everyone would just replicate it. It is complete bull ****. No one wants to lose, none of these guys are losers. Everyone on the 53 is an elite athlete who probably had a ton of success all through their childhood growing up, through high school, and probably some collegiate success. They're all competitive, it's all bull **** to me.

 

Strategy, and tactics absolutely trump that, every time. If the other team is smarter, has a better game plan, better prepared. I don't care how many times you have guys yelling on the sideline never say die.

 

Look at Josh Allen going over to the defense after they scored in the chargers game and yelling. Yea that was really !@#$ing cute, but they were never in that game. That image and moment alone proves McDermott wrong. No one has ever given LA credit for their winning culture.

 

Send this !@#$ing gym teacher packing. I can't stand listening to him talk.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Ol Dirty B

[Búfalo Blanco]

Putting "culture" and "strategy" in the same sentence as "trump" was his first mistake...

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, teef said:

it's a combo of both.  i know some people that really don't buy into the culture idea, but i do.  i'm not talking the bean/mcdermott culture specifically, but just in general rather.  if you have a winning culture, i think a lot of the other points begin to fall in line.  i wouldn't say it's more important that strategy, but it's the holy trinity of culture, talent, and strategy.  

 

 

Yeah I value culture as well........but the problem with a culture based re-build is that a seamless transition then requires someone that the players trust will put them in position to win.

 

You hire a Marty Schottenheimer type who has proven he can win to do a culture based re-build and then hope the football evolves.

 

You hire a Sean McVay type to do a football based re-build and hope the culture develops FROM winning.

 

McD obviously felt that he didn't have the cred to pull off what he wanted to do without ridding his roster of skeptics..........and naturally your more talented players.....who are the least concerned about their own job security....... are the most likely to be openly skeptical of a lackluster hire.

 

So here we are.

 

A wanna-be Schottenheimer trying to fake it til' he makes it before his expiration date arrives.

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

37 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

Pegula could care less...you know the ones he actually reports to?

You have way less importance to this you you think you do....Pegula saw his team make the playoffs last year....you really think he gives a damn what you think this year?

He doesnt

 

Well, I don't know. 

Pegula might be all "Wooo!  Team made the playoffs last year!  Party!  This year, Anything Goes!"

I don't think Pegula cares what the fans per se think.  But then again, Pegula  (based on various) does seem to care if he's a laughingstock in the media.

 

I've said it elsewhere, and I'll say it here.  I think Pegula was prepared for a losing season this year, and had no intentions of making any changes.

But I think that intention was based on the assumption of fielding a competent team that played hard and just lacked the full talent to close the deal each week.  Sort of like AZ, which is 0-4 but, their 2 last games were decided by 3 points or less and where their offense last week under Rosen moved the ball and looked pretty good.

 

If the weekly embarrassments where the Bills are a laughingstock continue,  I think all bets are off.

 

 

[Coach Tuesday]

Again, McD speaks like he's been given the reigns to a collegiate program.  I think he really believes this to be the case.  I also think the Pegulas never signed up for a 10 year cultural experiment and things are going to reach a fever pitch in November if linemen are still colliding with each other on running plays and their highly-invested young QB is on the sideline wearing a cast... 

 

I don't see McDermott lasting through next season, unless things change drastically and soon.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Just now, Coach Tuesday said:

Again, McD speaks like he's been given the reigns to a collegiate program.  I think he really believes this to be the case.  I also think the Pegulas never signed up for a 10 year cultural experiment and things are going to reach a fever pitch in November if linemen are still colliding with each other on running plays and their highly-invested young QB is on the sideline wearing a cast...

 

This is an interesting point.  The fan-obvious aspects of McBeane's strategy was to do personnel rebuild starting with heavy investment on D in draft and FA except for going all-in on a high draft pick QB. 

 

But, if that high draft pick QB is injured or stunted by the lack of investment/competence around him on offense, it's an obvious dud as a "business plan"

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

But, if that high draft pick QB is injured or stunted by the lack of investment/competence around him on offense, it's an obvious dud as a "business plan"

 

 

And you'll be able to cast that judgement before it even has a chance to come to fruition?

 

 

[Coach Tuesday]

5 minutes ago, joesixpack said:

 

And you'll be able to cast that judgement before it even has a chance to come to fruition?

 

 

 

He already has taken more sacks than any other QB in the league and he started the season on the bench.  If this was the plan, it's a bad one, especially if it gets him injured.  Rosen would've been killed by now - if they had drafted Rosen he'd be filling out law school applications by this point.  Allen is built sturdier but this is madness.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Coach Tuesday

[billspro]

12 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Well, I don't know. 

Pegula might be all "Wooo!  Team made the playoffs last year!  Party!  This year, Anything Goes!"

I don't think Pegula cares what the fans per se think.  But then again, Pegula  (based on various) does seem to care if he's a laughingstock in the media.

 

I've said it elsewhere, and I'll say it here.  I think Pegula was prepared for a losing season this year, and had no intentions of making any changes.

But I think that intention was based on the assumption of fielding a competent team that played hard and just lacked the full talent to close the deal each week.  Sort of like AZ, which is 0-4 but, their 2 last games were decided by 3 points or less and where their offense last week under Rosen moved the ball and looked pretty good.

 

If the weekly embarrassments where the Bills are a laughingstock continue,  I think all bets are off.

 

 

 

I agree, we have had our share of blow out losses the last couple years. That needs to end now. 

 

McD also needs to show he can develop Allen, if he can’t we need a young and innovative offensive head coach.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

He already has taken more sacks than any other QB in the league and he started the season on the bench.  If this was the plan, it's a bad one, especially if it gets him injured.  Rosen would've been killed by now - if they had drafted Rosen he'd be filling out law school applications by this point.  Allen is built sturdier but this is madness.

 

So what's your plan?

 

[kota]

I agree with him.  We haven't had a culture of winning since Levy.  It will be rough for a few years but if Allen can develop it's a starting block.

[Gugny]

3 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

He already has taken more sacks than any other QB in the league and he started the season on the bench.  If this was the plan, it's a bad one, especially if it gets him injured.  Rosen would've been killed by now - if they had drafted Rosen he'd be filling out law school applications by this point.  Allen is built sturdier but this is madness.

 

This is all on Dabol, if you ask me.  And if McDermott doesn't either make Dabol take his head out of his ass, or fire him, then it's on McDermott.

 

It doesn't have to be as bad as it is.  Asinine play calling has a) set Allen up to get killed and b) set the Bills up to lose.

[26CornerBlitz]

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz

[Coach Tuesday]

6 minutes ago, joesixpack said:

 

So what's your plan?

 

 

My plan now?  Or my plan heading into the season?

 

My plan now would be to fire Juan Castillo if the blocking isn't fixed this Sunday.  I'd put McDermott on notice that he's not going to be the one hiring another offensive coordinator - the next coach will be doing that, so the offense had better shape up.  And I'd tell Beane (if they haven't already) that we're not in the business of building a church choir, and they've already pissed away $3M on a lottery ticket WR while there are street free agent WRs who would at least demonstrate some effort on passing downs, such as Kendall Wright, Rashard Matthews, and several others - the GM and his highly-touted (and well-paid) personnel department better find some players or they'll be looking for jobs in January as well.

 

In the meantime I'd also make it clear that if they don't fix the blocking and the scheme, they need to sign a QB who can manage this thing and absorb the pounding for the next 2.5 months.  If Matt Moore is too smart to subject himself to that, pick one of the other schlubs on the street and let them run the offense until the blocking situation is sorted.  But getting Allen injured is a one way ticket to pink slip land.

 

Also, I'd pull John Miller ASAP and put Teller in the lineup in his place.  John Miller is an abortion of a guard.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Coach Tuesday

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

My plan now?  Or my plan heading into the season?

 

My plan now would be to fire Juan Castillo if the blocking isn't fixed this Sunday.  I'd put McDermott on notice that he's not going to be the one hiring another offensive coordinator - the next coach will be doing that, so the offense had better shape up.  And I'd tell Beane (if they haven't already) that we're not in the business of building a church choir, and they've already pissed away $3M on a lottery ticket WR while there are street free agent WRs who would at least demonstrate some effort on passing downs, such as Kendall Wright, Rashard Matthews, and several others - the GM and his highly-touted (and well-paid) personnel department better find some players or they'll be looking for jobs in January as well.

 

In the meantime I'd also make it clear that if they don't fix the blocking and the scheme, they need to sign a QB who can manage this thing and absorb the pounding for the next 2.5 months.  If Matt Moore is too smart to subject himself to that, pick one of the other schlubs on the street and let them run the offense until the blocking situation is sorted.

 

Also, I'd pull John Miller ASAP and put Teller in the lineup in his place.  John Miller is an abortion of a guard.

 

So basically, threaten to fire him, if not fire him outright. More of the same. Thanks for the effort, I do appreciate you putting something forward, but it's kind of clear where your feelings about the current regime lie. You want to repeat the pattern of the past 20 years and give people three years or less. Nah, I'll pass.