Chan Gailey questions Buffalo Bills' toughness after loss

[BillsFever21]

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) coach Chan Gailey (http://www.nfl.com/player/changailey/2514536/profile) questioned his players' mental toughness on Monday, one day after the team's embarrassing -- and near-historic -- second-half collapse against the New England Patriots. (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2012093000/2012/REG4/patriots@bills)

Placing the blame on everyone, including himself, Gailey called it his responsibility to address how the Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) squandered a 14-point lead, by allowing the Patriots (http://www.nfl.com/teams/newenglandpatriots/profile?team=NE) to score 45 second-half points in rallying to a 52-28 win.

"You can't be ahead 21-7 in the third quarter. And if we're mentally tough like we need to be, that game doesn't end up the way it ended," Gailey said. "And that's my responsibility, to work on the mental toughness and the mindset of this football team."

Gailey was unhappy with how his high-priced defense missed too many tackles and was pushed around in allowing 580 yards of offense -- the second-highest total allowed in Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) history.

Gailey dismissed a question of how the Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) now have given up 100 points in two games against AFC East foes.

"You can throw statistics and numbers out all you want," he said. "I'm more concerned about how we play, the intensity and quality of play than I am the numbers that are thrown out there right now. Our quality of play is not where it needs to be."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000068495/article/chan-gailey-questions-buffalo-bills-toughness-after-loss?module=HP11_headline_stack

[BertSquirtgum]

Do something about it Chan. I have no faith he will though.

[Skooby]

I'd fire this guy right now if I had the authority.

[BLeonard]

I'd fire this guy right now if I had the authority.

I wouldn't have hired him to begin with... But, that's who the Bills could get for the money that they were willing to offer...

Anyone that thinks the Bills offered Shanahan, Cowher or any coach $10 million and they turned it down is delusional.

Guys like Brian Billick (a Super Bowl winner) and Marty Schottenheimer didn't even get so much as a phone call...

Nope, the Bills pick the guy sitting at home on his couch, after Kansas City fired him before the season even started... Kinda like how they hired their GM out of retirement, because Ralph saw his name on a piece of paper and recognized him.

13 years without a playoff appearance... To put that in perspective, a person who was born on the day of the last Bills playoff game will be heading to High School next fall.

-Bill

[BillsFever21]

The playoff drought will be hurting their fan base in the long run. Most people develop their love for a team when they are a kid. Most kids aren't going to fall in love with a team that hasn't made the playoffs most of their childhood years.

[BLeonard]

The playoff drought will be hurting their fan base in the long run. Most people develop their love for a team when they are a kid. Most kids aren't going to fall in love with a team that hasn't made the playoffs most of their childhood years.

The hell with the long run, they're losing people that have been fans for 50 plus years. They had to spend $100 million on one guy just to get their season ticket base back over 40k...

They finish with a piss-poor record yet again, they might have to start paying people to come to games... Yet, Russ Brandon has the audacity to ***** about the Miami game in November not being sold out yet.

-Bill

[BillsFever21]

The hell with the long run, they're losing people that have been fans for 50 plus years. They had to spend $100 million on one guy just to get their season ticket base back over 40k...

They finish with a piss-poor record yet again, they might have to start paying people to come to games... Yet, Russ Brandon has the audacity to ***** about the Miami game in November not being sold out yet.

-Bill

If we keep this up and end up 3-6 then the last several games at RWS might be pretty empty. We only have 2 road games left after that and everyone knows how the November and December games go. If we're out of it and playing bad then the game doesn't sell out. There might not be very many Bills games on television the final weeks of the season.

We're guaranteed at least 4 of the 7 games on TV since one of them is on the NFL Network, another one is is Toronto and two of them are on the road. The other three will be up in the air though.

What's that say for this team when we rarely ever get a nationally televised game and it still isn't sold out especially against a divisional opponent? People would rather wait and see how we're doing before they fork over hundreds of dollars and I don't blame them one bit.

[Skooby]

If we keep this up and end up 3-6 then the last several games at RWS might be pretty empty. We only have 2 road games left after that and everyone knows how the November and December games go. If we're out of it and playing bad then the game doesn't sell out. There might not be very many Bills games on television the final weeks of the season.

We're guaranteed at least 4 of the 7 games on TV since one of them is on the NFL Network, another one is is Toronto and two of them are on the road. The other three will be up in the air though.

What's that say for this team when we rarely ever get a nationally televised game and it still isn't sold out especially against a divisional opponent? People would rather wait and see how we're doing before they fork over hundreds of dollars and I don't blame them one bit.

How we're doing ?? 13 straight years of crap is how we're doing.

[YardRat]

The intensity and quality of play is something that should've been already established in the first year, year-and-a-half of his tenure.

[coastal]

Signing a guy with a history of questionable toughness for $100 million?

that doesn't have something to do with a lack of toughness?

yeah... Let's put Chan in the Brazen Bull! That'll solve this organization's problems.

[Historian]

13 years without a playoff appearance... To put that in perspective, a person who was born on the day of the last Bills playoff game will be heading to High School next fall.

-Bill

It's funny.

My wife and I were talking about where we were watching SB XXVII, and my 15 year old daughter chimed in:

"The Bills were in a Super Bowl???"

I had to chuckle.

[Turf]

The decision to play two injured half backs while the backup amassed over 100 yards rushing pretty much tells me hes out of touch with his team. Not only that he set those guys recovery back even further.
Why doesn't he call out the stach? Could it be he still doesn't know why he lost?

[GingerP]

Right, toughness. Playing a dime defense against a double-TE set wasn't the issue, those defensive backs should be able to take on and shed blocks from guys they give up 100 pounds to.

Maybe they would be tougher if they got some LB on the field when teams are running the ball.

[OpIv37]

If we keep this up and end up 3-6 then the last several games at RWS might be pretty empty. We only have 2 road games left after that and everyone knows how the November and December games go. If we're out of it and playing bad then the game doesn't sell out. There might not be very many Bills games on television the final weeks of the season.

We're guaranteed at least 4 of the 7 games on TV since one of them is on the NFL Network, another one is is Toronto and two of them are on the road. The other three will be up in the air though.

What's that say for this team when we rarely ever get a nationally televised game and it still isn't sold out especially against a divisional opponent? People would rather wait and see how we're doing before they fork over hundreds of dollars and I don't blame them one bit.
They will black out the game locally on NFLN if it doesn't sell out. You aren't guaranteed that game.

The Toronto game won't be shown in Buffalo if it doesn't sell out, but with Rogers Center being so small, it shouldn't be an issue.

[OpIv37]

Also night games are always a tough sellout for Buffalo because so many people come from places like Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto, etc. Rochester is an hour away- the games usually don't end until midnight- throw in a walk to your car and stadium traffic and it's 1 am before you're on the road and 2 am or later before you're home. Syracuse- add at least an hour onto that. That's tough for anyone who has to work the next day, anyone who has kids in school, etc.

Hell I hate night games because I'm too mad to sleep if they lose, and if they win.... well I don't really know. It's been a decade or so since they've won a night game so I can't remember.

[BertSquirtgum]

Also night games are always a tough sellout for Buffalo because so many people come from places like Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto, etc. Rochester is an hour away- the games usually don't end until midnight- throw in a walk to your car and stadium traffic and it's 1 am before you're on the road and 2 am or later before you're home. Syracuse- add at least an hour onto that. That's tough for anyone who has to work the next day, anyone who has kids in school, etc.

Hell I hate night games because I'm too mad to sleep if they lose, and if they win.... well I don't really know. It's been a decade or so since they've won a night game so I can't remember.

It's not tough at all. You request a day off from work to recover from the loss.

[jdaltroy5]

This team needs a Ray Lewis or Patrick Willis just as much as it needs a new QB.

They should bring back Bennett to ***** slap some toughness into these pansies.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I'd like to see that this team responds by beating the 49ers on the road. That would give me a lot more hope.

[Bill Cody]

People ask- is it the lack of QB or the lack or a top coach that's the major root of the problem. In our case it's both but you can't solve the coach problem until you solve the QB problem. Money is fine but any top coach worth his salt wants to have a chance to win. That's impossible when you're starting a backup QB. Nothing is ever going to change unless we get a QB. Will it solve everything? Depends. You still need to find the right coach and know how to build a team. Next year's draft is it for me- we need to find the guy either by sucking sufficiently this year or pulling a Ditka and doing whatever's necessary to move up. Then fire Gayley's ass. If not I'm taking up gardening.

[OpIv37]

and btw- with all these toughness questions, is anyone having flashbacks to Club Jauron? Ugggh.

[RedEyE]

In Chan's defense, what is he to do about execution exactly. These players are professionals playing at the top level. Either they do their job or they don't. I don't think there is a single thing that Gailey can say to them to get them motivated. I expect motivation to come from the individual at this level of play. Each and every player on this team should be motivated my the amount of money they receive in their paycheck. Its BS to say otherwise.

Unless they have lost faith in the system. Then I can see where Gailey is at fault. For instance the poor scheming and lack of adjustment on defense. It is up to Gailey to get that **** under control and pieced backed together.

[mjt328]

In Chan's defense, what is he to do about execution exactly. These players are professionals playing at the top level. Either they do their job or they don't. I don't think there is a single thing that Gailey can say to them to get them motivated. I expect motivation to come from the individual at this level of play. Each and every player on this team should be motivated my the amount of money they receive in their paycheck. Its BS to say otherwise.



Some coaches are able to get the most out of their players almost every week. Others don't.

Look at San Francisco, for example.
For years, it seemed like no matter how much talent they added - they were a mediocre team. Even before Jim Harbaugh came along, they had Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, etc. They already had the right players. But from 2007 to 2011, they finished 5-11, 7-9, 8-8 and 6-10.

Harbaugh brought in a couple veteran castoffs (Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner) and got great rookie production from Aldon Smith.
But for the most part, Harbaugh was able to take the EXACT same squad that under-achieved every year - and got a 14-2 record out of them. Not to mention taking them to the NFC Championship game.

I'm not sure what IT is that Harbaugh has... that Gailey doesn't. But the point is, Gailey just doesn't have it.

[PTI]

Need a HC with a winning attitude, Gailey is delusional as to who he even is. This team under Gailey is even more a pushover then the Jauron teams ever were.

I am starting to question whether guys can actually believe they can win in Buffalo, if they even care, and this is not a good thing.

This was a soft team of talented players even under Marv Levy, they ran the same Jauron soft style, they just had way betters.

[trapezeus]

sadly, this article misses a greater point. That the bills were gifted a lot more than just 21 points. They had the patriots miss two fieldgoals putting the bills in good field position. Bills scored 0 times off of that. It wasn't until they got two turnovers and had a couple nice plays was it that they took the lead.

their ability to outtough a team (get the ball and just grind out hte clock) was none existent. regardless of how they went up 21-7, they should have had the ability to get the ball and push the patriots around and pick up yardage. but they didn't. And some of it is injuries to the line, but where is the collective, we can get stuff done attitude that a 53 man roster needs?

and in some bizarre world, let's assume it's fine that the defense completely melted down. But the offense was completely incapable of keeping up. Even at 21-21 or 21-28, it was still a game. The bills still got the ball. Do something with it. And they walked off the field faster than ever. Turnovers and 3 and outs. I got the sense the Bills offense simply likes Fitz as a person and desperately want him to succeed, but they know what we know. he can't get it done. and as a result when the game got tough, they are all trying to overcompensate to take care of his weakness. it shows up in fumbles, in missed blocking assignments, receivers that have no idea where the placement of hte ball will be.

T Jackson needs to start in San Fran if a smart coach was in charge coaching for his life. And even if he doesn't, if the bills are down by more than 2 scores in the 3rd quarter, and fitz has had more than 1 interception, it's time for a change.

[Jeff1220]

Chances are, TJax will be inactive again on Sunday. :cynic:

[BillsFever21]

They will black out the game locally on NFLN if it doesn't sell out. You aren't guaranteed that game.

The Toronto game won't be shown in Buffalo if it doesn't sell out, but with Rogers Center being so small, it shouldn't be an issue.

I thought the nationally televised games were on TV whether they sold out or not. Guess you don't have too much to go by when we rarely ever have them though lol

I live about 80 miles outside of Buffalo so I get the Toronto games even when they don't sell out. They have always been on in my area when they didn't sell out unlike the games at RWS. I guess maybe in Buffalo they are still within the blackout range of the stadium and the game wouldn't be on TV. Where I live they always have been though.