2021 Bills ST coach Heath Farwell joins the Jags

[Punching Bag]

1 minute ago, TFBillsfan said:

Maybe I’m in the minority but the defensive scheme the last 13 seconds is much worse than kicking the ball into the end zone especially with calling two timeouts and still screwing it up. If the ST coach is let go then the same criteria should apply to the DC.

 

You are part of the vocal minority organizing protest.  BYOP (Bring your own pitchfork).

[YoloinOhio]

More like Heath FAREwell amirite 

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

29 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

Matt Smiley has been an Assistant ST coach since 2013 and with the Bills since 2017.

Maybe it's time for him to get his shot.

That would make me happy

[Captain_Quint]

26 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

Good news IMO.

 

Now we can dump all these ST only guys like Matekavich who probably wasn't going to be here anyway given his contract.

I think we move on from Taiwan Jones, but keep Metakavich and Siran Neal around as core special teamers and backups on defense.

 

Jones is up there in age, at the end of his contract, and has not shown that he can contribute elsewhere even in a backup role. 

[JohnNord]

18 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

He talks to players 

It definitely appears that he does. 

[Doc Brown]

I don’t even think it was supposed to be a squib kick but a kick landing around the 10 yard line.  Wires got crossed.  
 

I can live with Mahomes/Kelce/Hill getting down their with three timeouts despite only 13 seconds.  They’re stars that had perfect execution.  There’s no justification in punting it through the end zone.  See ya Farwell.

[Captain_Quint]

Just now, ScottLaw said:

Rumor has it Heath took over defensive play calling those last 13 seconds as well. 

I thought the team chaplain made that call???

[Process]

Just now, Doc Brown said:

I don’t even think it was supposed to be a squib kick but a kick landing around the 10 yard line.  Wires got crossed.  
 

I can live with Mahomes/Kelce/Hill getting down their with three timeouts despite only 13 seconds.  They’re stars that had perfect execution.  There’s no justification in punting it through the end zone.  See ya Farwell.

Disagree very strongly about this. The defense was much worse then any kick decision. 

 

I think there are pros and cons to all three options on the kickoff.

[Jerry Jabber]

Considering the blocked punt which cost us the Steelers game and not kicking the ball short of the goaline against the Chiefs with :13 seconds left in the game, I’m not sad to see him go. Hopefully McDermott hires an upgrade over Farwell.

[RoyBatty is alive]

45 minutes ago, Process said:

Was his contract up or did they fire him?

We will likely never know.

[YoloinOhio]

 

[ColoradoBills]

4 minutes ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

That would make me happy

 

When Heath was hired he brought very little ST coaching experience.  I thought it was a bit strange McDermott went with him.

I mean Matt Smiley brings a lot more experience than Heath does.

 

Like I said if they don't have anyone who is much more qualified I'm fine with Matt getting a chance too.

[GunnerBill]

52 minutes ago, Process said:

Was his contract up or did they fire him?

 

Contract was up.

[WotAGuy]

43 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

It’s hard to say.  Last month it was announced that Bobby Johnson was leaving.  He wasn’t technically fired but his contract was expired.

 

Considering that Farwell was also hired in 2019, it’s possible the same thing happened to him.  Regardless, whatever happened in KC definitely had an affect on this decision  

There’s some key details we don’t know.  Was Farwell just so disorganized that he couldn’t get the call to Bass in time?  Did he simply not double-check with Bass and assumed he was going to kick short?  Or did Bass simply fail to execute a short kick?

 

So many questions we will likely never know  

Waiting for Bass’s book: “How I Flubbed the Kickoff - IF I Did”. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

4 minutes ago, Jerry Jabber said:

Considering the blocked punt which cost us the Steelers game and not kicking the ball short of the goaline against the Chiefs with :13 seconds left in the game, I’m not sad to see him go. Hopefully McDermott hires an upgrade over Farwell.

Also the Bojo blocked punt cost us a game versus the Pats in 2019 and that WAS on the ST coach.  The pats had overloaded one side to block the punt and the Bills did not make adjustments or call a time out.  It was inevitable that punt was going to be blocked as we didn't have enough blockers, That all falls on the ST coach and our then special teams ace Patrick Demarco, both should have called a timeout.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

Here's proof that the speculation regarding Bass not getting the squib memo was likely true. 

 

[billsfan1959]

53 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I have to give the team credit for not making a public thing out of this separation. He gets to start new with dignity intact. 

 

This is one of the traits of both Beane and McDermott that I respect the most.

[Coach Tuesday]

11 minutes ago, The Firebaugh Kid said:

Here's proof that the speculation regarding Bass not getting the squib memo was likely true. 

 

 

I'm sure it wasn't just that.  Special teams has not improved under Farwell - they've had to overpay veteran utility players like Taiwan Jones just to maintain mediocrity. Their punting has sucked for 3 years with two different punters.  He was an uninspired hire who didn't work out.

[YoloinOhio]

1 hour ago, Process said:

Was his contract up or did they fire him?

He may also have still been under contract and encouraged to look for a new role - “resign” instead of be fired 

[thewookie1]

50 minutes ago, TFBillsfan said:

Maybe I’m in the minority but the defensive scheme the last 13 seconds is much worse than kicking the ball into the end zone especially with calling two timeouts and still screwing it up. If the ST coach is let go then the same criteria should apply to the DC.

I think you have to look at it this way, yes Frasier made 2 bad calls but it ends up both on the players and the coach.

 

If Farwell was told to kick it short and somehow failed to make sure that all 11 players got the message then that’s almost entirely on him. He has arguably the smallest number of players to keep informed on every ST play and yet he somehow failed to give his kicker the play

[billsbackto81]

1 hour ago, Process said:

I'd the reports about the kickoff were true the Bills didn't have a choice but to let him go. No way you can keep him after that all time bad blunder.l, no matter how good of a coach he is. 

If the D made a stop in any of their last 3X on the field it wouldn't of mattered. By that reasoning Frazier should've been fired after the game unless of course it was McD calling the shots.

[SectionC3]

5 minutes ago, billsbackto81 said:

If the D made a stop in any of their last 3X on the field it wouldn't of mattered. By that reasoning Frazier should've been fired after the game unless of course it was McD calling the shots.

Both things are true.  The loss has more than one cause. 

[PrimeTime101]

Joe Judge still around?

 

 

[Southtown Tommy]

Matthew Smiley named special teams coordinator per Bills. 

[Returntoglory]

Buffalo Bills

@BuffaloBills

·

5m

We’ve promoted Matthew Smiley to Special Teams Coordinator. Congratulations, Matt! #BillsMafia

[Coach Tuesday]

Somehow an even less inspired hire.  McD underappreciates the role STs play in outcomes.

[Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD]

Its always good for morale to promote from within. Congrats to Dorsey and Smiley!

[FilthyBeast]

Seems like a weak move by McDermott to promote from within when you are trying to fix a problem.

[BuffaloBillyG]

25 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I think you have to look at it this way, yes Frasier made 2 bad calls but it ends up both on the players and the coach.

 

If Farwell was told to kick it short and somehow failed to make sure that all 11 players got the message then that’s almost entirely on him. He has arguably the smallest number of players to keep informed on every ST play and yet he somehow failed to give his kicker the play

I agree...but at some point if I'm Bass and don't know what was called...may be good to ask. Ask the coach before running out there. Ask a teammate before lining up and kicking it. Heck, he likely could have asked fans in the stands and gotten an answer.

 

As much as we pin it in coaching...Bass has to shoulder some blame. 

 

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

I have to give the team credit for not making a public thing out of this separation. He gets to start new with dignity intact. 

When everyone Immediately went silent the next day I figured no one is going to be "outed". On a kickoff that critical,  Sean should've done what Belichick would do. Gather your entire ST including Bass at the sidelines and tell them yourself exactly what you wanted. Not rely on someone screwing up a communication to Farwell. And yes McD should've told Frazier exactly what coverage he wanted.  

[TheFunPolice]

McDermott might have trusted his coordinators a little too much there. 

 

You are the HC. Nobody even knows who the Special Teams coordinator is. I'll bet 50% of Bills fans couldn't have named the ST coordinator at the time of the 13 seconds kickoff. 

 

All anyone knows is that "McDermott blew it." Some blame Frazier too, but who was Andy Reid's OC/DC/ST for all of his big game blunders? All anyone remembers is Andy Reid lost. And yes I know I made a big thread about Reid recently. Dude had it all set up for him and blew it. I thought he was past that. 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by TheFunPolice

[ColoradoBills]

Congrats Matt.  Please use the "Doctor's Creed" in your ST coaching.

"First do no harm".  I mean this not only from the squib kick controversy.

 

I have always believed in solid, safe, ST play trumps trying to have big plays on STs.

There is way too much turnover of players on ST so teach them to be smart first.

[TheFunPolice]

1 minute ago, ColoradoBills said:

Congrats Matt.  Please use the "Doctor's Creed" in your ST coaching.

"First do no harm".  I mean this not only from the squib kick controversy.

 

I have always believed in solid, safe, ST play trumps trying to have big plays on STs.

There is way too much turnover of players on ST so teach them to be smart first.

 

Agreed!

 

surest way to lose a close game is to muff a punt and give the other team free points. 

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

1 hour ago, Big Turk said:

 

I mean why wouldn't the BIlls call timeout in that situation then to make sure they were on the same page??  Unless they cannot call a TO before the kickoff

I’m ashamed to admit it, but given the way everything played out I think they did it to ice the kicker! 

[ColoradoBills]

1 minute ago, TheFunPolice said:

 

Agreed!

 

surest way to lose a close game is to muff a punt and give the other team free points. 

 

Blocking in the back (and losing 10 yards) when the PR is calling a fair catch drives me nuts too.

[TheFunPolice]

Just now, ColoradoBills said:

 

Blocking in the back (and losing 10 yards) when the PR is calling a fair catch drives me nuts too.

 

that drives me nuts too. There's basically a flag on every punt return these days. It totally ruins the play. 

 

90% of the time if there is a runback of nay significance it's cancelled out by a penalty and now you're at your own 10 yard line instead. Kills 1/3 of the game. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

24 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Somehow an even less inspired hire.  McD underappreciates the role STs play in outcomes.

I mean he's been an assistant for years. What were your choices?

[Blank Stare]

22 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Somehow an even less inspired hire.  McD underappreciates the role STs play in outcomes.

You really feel this way? If anything I think he favors special teams too much with some of his roster decisions (both 53 and game day). If you mean from a coaching perspective, hard to disagree. Some of the ST coaches haven’t been of the highest pedigree. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

19 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

I agree...but at some point if I'm Bass and don't know what was called...may be good to ask. Ask the coach before running out there. Ask a teammate before lining up and kicking it. Heck, he likely could have asked fans in the stands and gotten an answer.

 

As much as we pin it in coaching...Bass has to shoulder some blame. 

 

Unless Bass has the IQ of a fencepost, it either should have been drilled into Bass to ask if he isnt aware of what is going on and if here were faulty communication, either one both on Heath.

[FilthyBeast]

Just now, Buffalo_Stampede said:

I mean he's been an assistant for years. What were your choices?

 

At some point you need fresh perspectives and it's almost like McDermott lives in his own little bubble and looking for mindless lackeys to do as their told.

 

There's a whole other world in the NFL landscape besides Orchard Park and the Carolina Panthers organization in terms of finding player and coaching talent.