Bills WR Coach Chad Hall presiding over league’s most productive WR corps

[YoloinOhio]

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In two seasons under coach Chad Hall, the Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver room has morphed from a laughingstock into one of the best in the NFL as the team enters its bye week at 7-3.

 

 

From 2017 to 2018, Buffalo wide receivers ranked dead last in the NFL in yards, receptions, first downs and receptions per target and 30th in receiving touchdowns. They have made huge strides in two seasons under Hall. This season they lead the NFL in receiving yards (2,371), receptions per game (19.4), first downs (114) and receptions per target (72.1%). They're second in touchdowns (14).

GM Brandon Beane deserves credit for adding veterans Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley. Each has enjoyed the best season of his career with the Bills. But there's a reason: They all have resounding respect for Hall, his coaching, the energy he inspires and experience he brings as a former player.

His immediate success with the Bills after being traded from the Minnesota Vikings in March has been one of the biggest stories in the NFL this season and comes after Brown set career highs in catches and yards last season. And Beasley is on pace for the first 1,000-yard season of his nine-year career.

Diggs credited Hall with helping him acclimate.

"I give almost 100% credit to Chad Hall," Diggs said. "He puts a lot of extra time in. I just told him recently, he's probably one of the best coaches, if not the best coach, I've ever had as far as mentally preparing me and mentally getting me ready for the game."

Edited November 20, 2020 by YoloinOhio

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I was wondering who that surfer dude was on the sidelines. 

[Seasons1992]

Surrounding a quarterback with talent and good coaching seems to be a good thing.

[RyanC883]

13 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I was wondering who that surfer dude was on the sidelines. 

 

I thought it was Beasley in the picture!   

 

Dancing:  TD dances have improved. 

 

Also, if you look at stats Beasley is a legit pro bowl contender.  If you watch the games, you know for sure he is. 

[YoloinOhio]

20 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I was wondering who that surfer dude was on the sidelines. 

Fun fact: his sister is Matthew Stafford’s wife 

6 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

I thought it was Beasley in the picture!   

 

Dancing:  TD dances have improved. 

 

Also, if you look at stats Beasley is a legit pro bowl contender.  If you watch the games, you know for sure he is. 

Bease is a beast. X factor. 

[Logic]

Diggs calling him “one of, if not the best coach I’ve ever had” is extremely high praise.

 

The proof is in the pudding. Hall appears to be getting the most out of the WRs.

[ngbills]

Haha. One reason why...Chad Hall. Try a few reasons why but number one reason is a guy names Stefon Diggs. Number two is an improved Josh Allen. Not trying to hate on Chad Hall but there are a ton of WR coaches that would be successful with the throwing the ball as much as we do, this QB and WR's. 

[YoloinOhio]

2 minutes ago, ngbills said:

Haha. One reason why...Chad Hall. Try a few reasons why but number one reason is a guy names Stefon Diggs. Number two is an improved Josh Allen. Not trying to hate on Chad Hall but there are a ton of WR coaches that would be successful with the throwing the ball as much as we do, this QB and WR's. 

It says that in the article. I only put in a few snippets. 

[Kwai San]

40 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

Surrounding a quarterback with talent and good coaching seems to be a good thing.

 

Who woulda thunk it?????

[warrior9]

15 minutes ago, ngbills said:

Haha. One reason why...Chad Hall. Try a few reasons why but number one reason is a guy names Stefon Diggs. Number two is an improved Josh Allen. Not trying to hate on Chad Hall but there are a ton of WR coaches that would be successful with the throwing the ball as much as we do, this QB and WR's. 

 

Well, in football, players run plays and execute based on coaching. Diggs is doing things he never did in the past, his stutter routes for example. Bease and Diggs developed these in the past year. I wonder if..... wait, no.. coaching has nothing to do with it. 

 

Their mesh points, their break points, top of route releases, etc. That can all be natural but become better with good coaching. I don't think Diggs is saying he's the best coach he's ever had, just to say it. It's ok to give some positive comments on our coaching. 

Edited November 20, 2020 by warrior9

[LeGOATski]

I guess the most important part of his job is probably mental preparation, like Diggs says. Just keep the guys focused and their talent will take care of the rest.

[GunnerBill]

I had heard good things about him before the Bills hired him. Smart, natural charisma, a guy people gravitate to and a potential future head coach (though maybe a more natural college Head Coach than NFL Head Coach) was what a guy in the know told me about him.

[Doc]

Barring some amazing performances, Diggs should be 1st in receptions and 2nd in yards (by 6, to Hopkins) after week 10.

[Warcodered]

31 minutes ago, ngbills said:

Haha. One reason why...Chad Hall. Try a few reasons why but number one reason is a guy names Stefon Diggs. Number two is an improved Josh Allen. Not trying to hate on Chad Hall but there are a ton of WR coaches that would be successful with the throwing the ball as much as we do, this QB and WR's. 

I mean I remember wondering how much he had to do with Foster's resurgence in 2018 when he came back from the practice squad.

[Stank_Nasty]

I’m remember watching him run all over everyone in the mountain west as a RB at Air Force. That was back in college when I was a young buck and could stay up for the late night west coast games! Funny how things workout. 

[Cruiserplayer]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

GM Brandon Beane deserves credit for adding veterans Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley

^

[UB2SF]

No one brings more energy to the Bills sideline on gameday than Chad Hall.   Dude is 100% fired up 100% of the time.  I love it.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Funny how all these guys are overachievers in one way or another. 
 

udfa, 3,4,5 rounders.  Small schools, lack prototypical size speed 

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Over 29 years of fanhood

[ProcessAccepted]

2 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

Surrounding a quarterback with talent and good coaching seems to be a good thing.

Very true but don't totally discount providing talent and coaches a quality quarterback.

[Seasons1992]

12 minutes ago, ProcessAccepted said:

Very true but don't totally discount providing talent and coaches a quality quarterback.

 

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Love Chad Hall! Glad he is a coach for us!

[Buffalo716]

2 hours ago, warrior9 said:

 

Well, in football, players run plays and execute based on coaching. Diggs is doing things he never did in the past, his stutter routes for example. Bease and Diggs developed these in the past year. I wonder if..... wait, no.. coaching has nothing to do with it. 

 

Their mesh points, their break points, top of route releases, etc. That can all be natural but become better with good coaching. I don't think Diggs is saying he's the best coach he's ever had, just to say it. It's ok to give some positive comments on our coaching. 

Diggs is definitely doing a lot of nuanced things

 

But I saw a lot of him in Minnesota and he definitely already had the stutter stop in his route development

[Hapless Bills Fan]

7 hours ago, Warcodered said:

I mean I remember wondering how much he had to do with Foster's resurgence in 2018 when he came back from the practice squad.

 

Chad Hall didn't become Wide Receivers Coach until February 2019

 

7 hours ago, Logic said:

Diggs calling him “one of, if not the best coach I’ve ever had” is extremely high praise.

 

FWIW, Beasley has said similar high-praise things, saying that because Hall has played he can see what's going on in the field in a different way and make specific, useful suggestions about how to counter it.

 

 

 

[Warcodered]

1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Chad Hall didn't become Wide Receivers Coach until February 2019

Right but he was the assistant working primarily with WRs and was promoted with the guy ahead of him getting fired, and the only real positive thing for WRs coming out of 2018 was Foster.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

21 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Right but he was the assistant working primarily with WRs and was promoted with the guy ahead of him getting fired, and the only real positive thing for WRs coming out of 2018 was Foster.

 

OK, but if he gets credit for Foster stepping up after being benched in 2018, does he get blame for Foster falling off in 2019 after he became WR coach?

[Punching Bag]

2 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

OK, but if he gets credit for Foster stepping up after being benched in 2018, does he get blame for Foster falling off in 2019 after he became WR coach?

 

No he got depressed after his mentor LeSean McCoy left.

[Richard Noggin]

10 hours ago, RyanC883 said:

 

I thought it was Beasley in the picture!   

 

Dancing:  TD dances have improved. 

 

Also, if you look at stats Beasley is a legit pro bowl contender.  If you watch the games, you know for sure he is. 

 

Can we agree that Beasley has individually improved his hands this season? The guy snatches passes this year in ways I never saw from him before. Amazing catches almost every week.

 

I wonder if that's some of the Diggs effect. The entire position group came out in the first four weeks on fire. Really helped their QB in ways I hadn't seen out of a Bills WR group in almost 20 years. Think of how many times now Beasley has gone UP for passes and snagged them in spectacular fashion (like a #1 type guy). He does it basically every week. 

[warrior9]

16 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Diggs is definitely doing a lot of nuanced things

 

But I saw a lot of him in Minnesota and he definitely already had the stutter stop in his route development

I meant his little stutter off the line, not at the top of the route. I think he learned a little bit from Beas too. He absolutely did it on occasion but like you said, his added nuances, I believe come from coaching/ being around Beas, etc. 

 

His route running has always been insanely good... i just think it's at another level now. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

20 hours ago, ngbills said:

Haha. One reason why...Chad Hall. Try a few reasons why but number one reason is a guy names Stefon Diggs. Number two is an improved Josh Allen. Not trying to hate on Chad Hall but there are a ton of WR coaches that would be successful with the throwing the ball as much as we do, this QB and WR's. 

 

Diggs is amazing, and Josh Allen improving is a big factor, sure.  But I think Chad Hall likely does deserve props.  I'm seeing a different edge to the Bills WR this year.  They go up for and throw themselves down for catches they didn't make last year.  They turn upfield and go for a few extra yards in a way they didn't last year.  They come back to the QB.  They seem better aware of where the sideline is and get their feet down more often.  As a late round rookie, Gabriel Davis has done better than I ever expected. 

It's hard to know what else is a factor - recovery from injuries and so forth - but I've been impressed by what I've seen and I'm fine with laying some of that on the coaching.