Playing it safe VS swinging for the fences

[HappyDays]

This is what this coaching search was all about. Did the Bills want to try and hit a home run, or did they want to make some minor changes to try and get over the hump?

 

The line of thought in favor of playing it safe is that Allen is entering his 30s and the Bills have been close. If you swing big and miss, you'll have wasted his entire prime before getting another chance to try with a new coach.

 

The line of thought in favor of taking a swing is that playing it safe hasn't gotten us anywhere, and most of the successful new wave teams did it by taking big risks along the way. Instead of just trying to slightly raise the ceiling maybe it was worth trying to break through it completely with a unicorn like Allen.

 

I'm not totally convinced in either direction. What I do know is that the Bills with this hiring are saying they feel the team is too close to go all in on an unknown. They're telling us loud and clear that the offense as is was perfectly fine, and that all we are missing is better defense and better coaching decisions in critical moments.

 

In a roundabout way, because Brady is the most familiar choice he's also the most unpredictable choice. It's not like he had a lot of power here, he was a QB coach that got elevated and he was beholden to McDermott's vision of the team. We still have a lot to learn about Brady's own vision. But the organization believes he is the safest route to getting Allen a championship before his prime years are gone. They decided they didn't want someone learning on the job, they wanted a known quantity that already has the respect of the players and can hit the ground running. Right or wrong that is their chosen strategy and they know they will be under fire if it doesn't almost immediately work out.

[Sweats]

...........your "source" said this was supposed to never happen.

 

Answers, man........i need answers.

[T.E.]

They didn't have the balls to rip the bandaid completely off (which they should have done at least two years ago), and now it will cost them.

 

You know who didn't hesitate to shake things up? The two teams in the Super Bowl.

[gomper]

Thank you. A well reasoned response. Totally plausible. I guess we'll see. 

[Mark Vader]

Let's see how they form the staff. The OC & DC hires will be telling.

Edited January 27 by Mark Vader

[HappyDays]

3 minutes ago, Sweats said:

...........your "source" said this was supposed to never happen.

 

Answers, man........i need answers.

 

I'd rather not drag that into this thread so just to put the final word on it - nobody with connections to the Bills thought this was happening. I had two different people tell me Brady was as good as gone. Bills content creators and local media were hinting or outright saying Brady was not going to be the pick. This hiring 100% came out of left field. But I am sorry for putting the info out there and it turning out wrong.

 

Can we move on now?

 

Edited January 27 by HappyDays

[CircleTheWagons99]

Just now, Mark Vader said:

Let's see how they form the staff. The OC & DC hires will be telling.

not so much the OC, I can see Brady calling plays on game day.  The DC hire is HUGE.

[TheFunPolice]

2020: 13-3

2021: 11-6

2022: 13-3 (1 game not played due to the Hamlin injury) 

2023: 11-6

2024: 13-4

2025: 12-5

 

It is likely that we regress record wise, given that run of winning 12-13 games in 4/6 seasons. Especially given our 2026 schedule and the fact that it is unlikely that all of Mahomes, Burrow and Jackson will be injured for major portions of the year. 

 

If next year starts off slow it is going to be ugly. 

 

 

[Royale with Cheese]

I'm thinking the other candidates talked about a bigger overhaul.  Beane and Pegula feel what they have his good enough, with some additions to our weak areas and Brady could work with this team better as it is currently made up.

[Sweats]

1 minute ago, HappyDays said:

 

I'd rather not drag that into this thread so just to put the final word on it - nobody with connections to the Bills thought this was happening. I had two different people tell me Brady was as good as gone. Bills content creators and local media were hinting or outright saying Brady was not going to be the pick. This hiring 100% came out of left field. But I am sorry for putting the info out there and it turning out wrong.

 

Can we move on now?

 

 

 

 

I can forgive you this time

[Andrew Son]

It’s simply an attempt to middle it.  Change but not too much…

[Mark Vader]

1 minute ago, TheFunPolice said:

2020: 13-3

2021: 11-6

2022: 13-3 (1 game not played due to the Hamlin injury) 

2023: 11-6

2024: 13-4

2025: 12-5

 

It is likely that we regress record wise, given that run of winning 12-13 games in 4/6 seasons. Especially given our 2026 schedule and the fact that it is unlikely that all of Mahomes, Burrow and Jackson will be injured for major portions of the year. 

 

If next year starts off slow it is going to be ugly. 

 

 

Forget that! I'm calling it now for 2026.....20-0! GO BILLS!!!

[BVBILLS]

Exactly... They actually think all the pieces are in place

[Doc Brown]

It would be really funny if he hired Sean McDermott as the defensive coordinator.

[MasterStrategist]

Personally think Josh likes this current offense, and Joe alot.

 

Joe brings an energy and demeanor that is way different than Sean.

 

To that point, sometimes promoting from within just makes sense and you know what youre getting. 

 

Only those in 1 Bills Drive, know exactly what was happening behind closed doors.

 

This encourages me that they might go make a big move at WR, or at least focus there in FA - this is going to be a prove it year for Beane, and Allen to an extent (if you belive he was a driving force behind the hire).  No better way to reinforce your decision, than immediately provide more weapons there.

[TheFunPolice]

Last 5 seasons, most wins by team:

 

Bills 60

Eagles 59

Chiefs 58

 

It is likely that we have a down year, mostly because it hasn't happened in 6+ seasons. A "bad" year has been 11 wins. 

 

We've become spoiled. That is truly abnormal. 

 

Chiefs and Bengals both pick in the top 10 this draft to reload BTW. 

 

 

[Blank Stare]

2 minutes ago, Sweats said:

...........your "source" said this was supposed to never happen.

 

Answers, man........i need answers.

C’mon man. Don’t rip @HappyDays for relaying what he heard. Unless his source was Terrence Pegula, you’re never going to know how it’ll go.

 

 

 

Keep sharing your intel Happy!

[without a drought]

I guess with their championship roster, they could have picked anyone.

[HappyDays]

1 minute ago, BVBILLS said:

Exactly... They actually think all the pieces are in place

 

I don't think it's quite right to say they think all the pieces are in place... It's more that they thought McDermott wasn't maximizing the existing pieces or driving the organization to invest in the right pieces. They seem to believe that minor improvement from the top will be enough to break through. Like I said I'm not convinced it is the correct strategy, but I do understand the strategy.

[MDH]

Yep, they hired for the floor instead of the ceiling. Problem is, we’ve already seen the floor.

 

All we can hope for is that McD had the reigns on Brady and we haven’t actually seen his offense. Granted, even if the O was more conservative than we’d like, that doesn’t absolve Brady from the basic passing concepts we’ve seen for 2.5 years. That’s still on Brady…and it’s worrisome.