Please don't blame the coaches for yesterday's debaucle

[Forward_Lateral]

It lies on one person, and one person only. Jeff Tuel. That was the worst throw in Bills history. Stevie wide ***cing open. Game, set, match. Not to mention the 5 times (at least) that he made awful attempts at deep balls, that should've been big plays.

He's ***cing terrible. I don't care that he's undrafted and a rookie. I don't care how inexperienced he is. You don't need experience to throw a deep ball. Either you can do it, or you can't. He clearly can't. If he has to play another down as a Bill, I will puke.

[Typ0]

I thought that was the best coached game we have seen all season.

[Turf]

Watching this team compete, and at some part of almost every game say, hey, we're going to beat the hell out of these guys, tells me this coaching staff has really done a remarkable job with very little at the QB position. I still have an issue with their clock management skills, but I don't think any teams are licking their chops to play us anymore.

[TacklingDummy]

I thought that was the best coached game we have seen all season.

Except for the horrible coaching decision of starting Tuel over Flynnsanity.

[Typ0]

Tuel has been on the team since camp. They see him in practice. I can only think he was more prepared to play the game ... and he didn't do that poorly. Botched the play on the goal line or we probably win the game. It is what it is....

[Jry44]

Except for the horrible coaching decision of starting Tuel over Flynnsanity.

Have you not seen Matt Flynn play for his last two teams? He wasn't much better than Tuel. Also too, he's only been on the roster for something like three weeks. There's no way he knew enough of the play book.

If someone told me before the season that our QB situation would have been what it is at this point in the season, I would say that we would be 0-9 easily. The fact that we've still been some what competitive says wonders about the job the coaching staff has done in preparing this team through out game week.

[Forward_Lateral]

Except for the horrible coaching decision of starting Tuel over Flynnsanity.

I can't really blame the coaches. Flynn has been a tremendous disappointment for every team he's been on. Not sure how we expect that to change in Buffalo. I'll admit, I have no idea what kind of arm he has, and if he would've been any better stretching the field.

One of them will be cut when EJ comes back, and I'm betting it's Flynn.

[RedEyE]

I love this response by Marrone:

Q: How do you get over that hump?
A: I’m pissed. I’m going to use that type of energy. I’m going to go home, not talk to anybody, just shut it down. I’m going to be by myself, I’m not going to pet my dog and I’m going to get fired up. I’m going to come to work tomorrow, I’m going to watch this film, I’m going to be a pro, I’m going to be a man. I’m just going to look at it and what can we do better. How do we coach things better situationally? What can I do first? What can the coaches do second? Then we’re going to go to work and get ready to go. We’re not out of the playoffs. We’re a good football team that is not making the plays that we have to make. We play extremely hard, we fight through adversity, but we’re just not making the plays at the times that we need to make it. And that’s everybody.

[Forward_Lateral]

It's hard not to feel kind of sorry for Marrone. He has the team ready to bust their balls to win every week, but he just doesn't have the QB to make enough plays to do it. Thad starts to show promise, then he gets crushed. Tuel looks pretty decent, then he throws a terrible pick 6 that completely changed the game.

I would give my left nut to have Alex Smith right now.

[Meathead]

i will go to my grave saying it was mega-stupid to ask my never started before rookie to make that pass in that exact situation

going up by ten probably put their win chance at around eighty per cent. if they run the ball there they still have an excellent chance to get a touchdown. if you dont, you are still up by ten

that will be a massive gameday coaching blunder even when im dead and sitting in heaven. ah who am i kidding, ill be sitting in hell - where it will still be a bad call

[Meathead]

i mean, im literally standing in my dads living room BEGGING for them to run it one more time and FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY IN THE WORLD to please for the love of dog do NOT have him throw the god damn football

and then they did. oye fkg vey

[trapezeus]

the bills are becoming a better team, but they keep making mistakes. tuel should have thrown a better pass, but what coachings staff gets their teamdown to the 1 with the chance to go up 2 scores with a very effective run game and doesn't stuff it down their throat? And then doesn't run with their 4th option at QB playing.

i thought coaching looked good for the most part, but they get hyper aggressive at times when status quo would be fine. why throw a slant at the 1 insteawd of the corner where if it doesn't work, it's incomplete and you try again?

[Pinkerton Security]

i mean, im literally standing in my dads living room BEGGING for them to run it one more time and FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY IN THE WORLD to please for the love of dog do NOT have him throw the god damn football

and then they did. oye fkg vey

I understand your logic in wanting them to run, but when Stevie is literally WIDE OPEN, it was actually a decent play call. We caught them off guard and Tuel simply showed why he needs to be cut ASAP. Its a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg argument because Tuel sucks so we shouldnt throw, but they didnt expect us to throw so we should throw, but Tuel sucks so we shouldnt throw, etc etc.

[Forward_Lateral]

My wife, who knows nothing about football except that the Bills suck, was watching with me. She said "They'll blow it." I responded "Yep, probably a pick six the other way."

2 seconds later I'm in the laundry room sobbing and cursing at the same time.

I swear to Christ, I'm going to have a stroke watching a Bills game.

[Jan Reimers]

I swear to Christ, I'm going to have a stroke watching a Bills game.
I'm going to prevent that by not watching the rest of the season, and not buying the Sunday Ticket next year.

If they ever get their heads out of their asses - which I seriously doubt - I'll be pleased. But to expend so much emotional energy on one of the very worst franchises in NFL history is counterproductive, and damaging to my physical and mental well-being.

[pmoon6]

I'm going to prevent that by not watching the rest of the season, and not buying the Sunday Ticket next year.

If they ever get their heads out of their asses - which I seriously doubt - I'll be pleased. But to expend so much emotional energy on one of the very worst franchises in NFL history is counterproductive, and damaging to my physical and mental well-being.In other words.....

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BZwuTo7zKM8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Pinkerton Security]

I'm going to prevent that by not watching the rest of the season, and not buying the Sunday Ticket next year.

If they ever get their heads out of their asses - which I seriously doubt - I'll be pleased. But to expend so much emotional energy on one of the very worst franchises in NFL history is counterproductive, and damaging to my physical and mental well-being.

have you said that before? and did it happen before? not saying you did, literally just asking.

[X-Era]

I liked what the coaches did for the most part. I do disgaree with trying to have Tuel complete the long throw on 4th and 3 and a few other long throws. But (outside of Tuel), the team came to play and played well pretty much across the board.

[Forward_Lateral]

I'm going to prevent that by not watching the rest of the season, and not buying the Sunday Ticket next year.

If they ever get their heads out of their asses - which I seriously doubt - I'll be pleased. But to expend so much emotional energy on one of the very worst franchises in NFL history is counterproductive, and damaging to my physical and mental well-being.

I'm with you. I just can't do it though. I still live for Sunday afternoon. I can't quit watching. I am serious when I say they need rehab for sports fans.

[Typ0]

I'm not sure Tuel can't play though. He's not looked all that bad. He's an undrafted rookie isn't he? For that he's looking pretty good on the roster if you ask me. He's got to learn to not make the mistakes.

[pmoon6]

I'm with you. I just can't do it though. I still live for Sunday afternoon. I can't quit watching. I am serious when I say they need rehab for sports fans.I don't know about rehab, but there are 12 step programs.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference."

[Forward_Lateral]

I'm not sure Tuel can't play though. He's not looked all that bad. He's an undrafted rookie isn't he? For that he's looking pretty good on the roster if you ask me. He's got to learn to not make the mistakes.

He's good at short passes, but he's not so good at intermediate routes, and he's terrible at deep throws.

[jamze132]

I'm not going to blame the playcall for the horrible pick-6. It was execution. Would I have passed right there? Maybe. But I more than likely would have spread the defense out and ran a draw.

[bf1]

He's horrendous. He had one good throw to Goodwin. He lofts the damn ball over the middle. He's going to get someone killed.

[ServoBillieves]

Fred Jackson - UDFA who proved himself. 7 years experience
CJ Spiller - 1st round pick, incredible, 4 years experience
Tashard Choice - 4th round pick, proved himself, 6 years experience
Frank Summers - 2 years experience (and not in the game for the goal line)

Jeff Tuel - UDFA, 1st game started, 3rd/4th string QB

You're the coach. You have an experienced kicker, you are ahead, and you are at the 1 yard line of your opponent. You have a below average quarterback throwing to 2 rookies, a gimpy #1, a TE who bats down the ball earlier on, and a guy named TJ who sucks in crunch time (aside: so does Stevie in the crunch). What would the most logical solution be?

RUN THE ****ING BALL.

Now... you caught a good defense off guard with a throw, but you forget: they're a GOOD DEFENSE. Even if they are caught off guard, they will find a way to make a play, a 'la a pick-6. We tried to catch a good defense off guard in the Bengals. How did that work out?

Hindsight is 20/20, but I was screaming at the game when I saw Tuel drop back. You put ANY of your backs in the game, you put a beefy blocker in front of him... Hell didn't Kyle Williams block on a TD last year? ANYONE. You do NOT put your inexperienced quarterback in that situation. He wasn't good in college, he has potential, but so does out first round draft pick and his real backup in Thad Lewis. If you scrape the bottom of the barrel for a win, you will end up disappointed, much like we ALL are (other than the people begging for draft picks). You go for that throw with a good QB. I do not care who you are, stand behind 300 pound guys, then see 280-300 pound guys coming at you to kill you, and YOU find Stevie open when you know that thousands are depending on you when you're a clip-board holder.

This was a rookie mistake game where we drastically outplayed a team that got lucky on 3+ occasions and we got lucky on 1.

That one play was 99.9999% the coaches fault. This team should be 4-5 and have a good chance with a healthy starting QB coming back and a healthy backup, in the spotlight for beating the only undefeated team in the NFL, and we would not be having this conversation. Instead, Hackett thought he was playing Rice in the preseason and told his inexperienced, thought-lost QB to throw a touchdown to fire up thousands against a good defense.

A terrible, TERRIBLE, play call.

[Buckets]

Chandler didn't help much

[Turf]

Goal line formation with a FB and HB solves the problem. We have one back with no lead block to make 1 yard. Everyone knows who's getting the ball. Pretty simple really.

[WagonCircler]

Chandler didn't help much

He's usually the most reliable guy we have.

Sunday he looked like a guy who took a bribe.

[BillsFever21]

I guess the Tuel Timers should be extinct by now. If only we could've duped that other team into trading a 2nd round draft pick for him during his 30 minutes of good play during the first preseason game.

[kishoph]

i will go to my grave saying it was mega-stupid to ask my never started before rookie to make that pass in that exact situation

going up by ten probably put their win chance at around eighty per cent. if they run the ball there they still have an excellent chance to get a touchdown. if you dont, you are still up by ten

that will be a massive gameday coaching blunder even when im dead and sitting in heaven. ah who am i kidding, ill be sitting in hell - where it will still be a bad call


If it will help you sleep at night the play was not a called pass play, it was a run, pass, Tuel had the option to check out of the run into a pass play, depending on his read, which he did. He also had other options beside going to Graham, Stevie obviously being the best one. Having a play that can get Stevie Johnson in the back of the endzone all alone is a pretty good play in my book, just because the QB **** the bed doesn't make it a bad or wrong play call.

[DynaPaul]

I coulda threw that pass.

[Jan Reimers]

:;
have you said that before? and did it happen before? not saying you did, literally just asking.
Yeah, several times over 54 years. But I really mean it this time. :blush:

[Jan Reimers]

I don't know about rehab, but there are 12 step programs.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to not root for the Bills anymore."
Corrected.

[Meathead]

yeah but the fact that he DID throw that pick is the pefect evidence why a smart seasoned nfl coach would never consider letting a rookie or even lower end vets try that play

odds of winning if they went up by ten would be about eighty pcent there. odds of winning if they go up by fourteen is probably ninety pcent-ish

be honest with yourself, odds of winning after throwing a devestating pick 6 that instantly turns a second half two score lead into a tie game against the only remaining undefeated team when youre forced to start your fourth string rookie for the first time ever: close to zero

there was little to gain by forcing the issue for those additional four points and a huge amount to lose. and lets not forget, another plunge into the line certainly could have resulted in a one yard td run. a good nfl coach doesnt allow that ultimate badness to happen when it doesnt have to. they could have completely eliminated that risk and it only costs them a small additional chance to win on top of what is already a highly likely winning scenario

marrone and hackett obviously are doing a good job preparing the team to compete, but they are showing their rookie arrogance at the nfl gameday coaching level

[Lone Stranger]

It lies on one person, and one person only. Jeff Tuel. That was the worst throw in Bills history. Stevie wide ***cing open. Game, set, match. Not to mention the 5 times (at least) that he made awful attempts at deep balls, that should've been big plays.

He's ***cing terrible. I don't care that he's undrafted and a rookie. I don't care how inexperienced he is. You don't need experience to throw a deep ball. Either you can do it, or you can't. He clearly can't. If he has to play another down as a Bill, I will puke.

I disagree vehemently. I think it's arrogance on the part of the coaching staff to think they can put anybody on the field and make them an NFL quality passer. A guy who wasn't even drafted and they expect him to make all the throws. They have some sort of distorted image of Tuel thinking he is so good that they must protect him on the active roster rather than put him on the PS. I don't know where they got the impression he was so good.

[Frenchman]

Really don't blame Tuel. He can't do it all on his own. As he needs a supporting cast. Like every QB needs on a team. But the Chiefs just were way too good. It is only the beginning of a promising Bills team!

[JoeMama]

He's usually the most reliable guy we have.

Sunday he looked like a guy who took a bribe.

Dropping that 3rd down was really out of character.

Usually he's a reliable lug who comes through for us the 3 or 4 times he's called upon per game.

[BertSquirtgum]

I coulda threw that pass.

My grandpa would have saw Stevie and could have threw that pass. He's in a wheelchair.

[PromoTheRobot]

You don't put your 3rd string rookie UDFA QB playing his first NFL game in a situation that could blow up in his face. Terrible play call by Marrone/Hackett. I would have ran it and kicked the FG for a two score lead. There was no need to take chances there. Great games can go down the *****ter with one bad call. Sunday was an example.

PTR

[Meathead]

i didnt realize stevie was in a wheelchair

[pmoon6]

Corrected.Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. On either side.

[TedMock]

If I get a play for a QB, rookie or 10 year vet, and I am able to say "one guy is going to thave three defenders around him, but two guys will be open by more than 5 yards" I will take that scenario every time. Even though Tuel pooped the bed on that play, more often than not it's going to work. He made the right decision in seeing cover-0 and taking the pass option. He made the wrong decision in ignoring all other reads. Bonehead execution by him. Nobody else's fault at any level whatsoever. The play was wide open. You cannot ask for a better situation in terms of how it unfolded before the throw. Tuel just flat out made a bad decision. Even Tuel won't make that mistake again. I don't think Hackett had such little faith in Tuel's mental capacity as to consider never throwing from inside the three yard line again with him. We ran power on first down and it was stuffed. We ran single back on second and we lost a yard. I'd be okay with power 4 times in a row and taking 3 points if we don't score a TD. Hindsight. Still, the play as drawn was indeed the best play of the three. Tuel screwed the pooch and admitted it.

[Jan Reimers]

Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. On either side.

If you had invested as much time, energy and emotional involvement in the Bills as I have over the past 54 years, you might understand my disappointment, particularly over the last 14 years.

I have taken every loss personally since 1960, and simply need to take a break from their continuing foibles and failures. Losing is like dying for me.

[trapezeus]

I guess the Tuel Timers should be extinct by now. If only we could've duped that other team into trading a 2nd round draft pick for him during his 30 minutes of good play during the first preseason game.

optimist i see...there are still losman apologists on the board.

[pmoon6]

If you had invested as much time, energy and emotional involvement in the Bills as I have over the past 54 years, you might understand my disappointment, particularly over the last 14 years.

I have taken every loss personally since 1960, and simply need to take a break from their continuing foibles and failures. Losing is like dying for me.OK, I'm close. Watched my first game in '63 and then my Dad had to buy me a transistor radio so I could at least listen to every game. I have learned since the '90's to not get too upset with a loss, especially after '06 or so. I was only pissed off for 15 minutes after Sunday's game.

I understand though and I'm really just busting your balls.

[naugem]

For whatever it's worth, Easterbrook (TMQ) puts the blame on the coaches, all the way to the bottom, Single Worst Play of the Season (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9927893/the-indianapolis-colts-keep-beating-playoff-teams-emerging-one-nfl-best).

[stuckincincy]

For whatever it's worth, Easterbrook (TMQ) puts the blame on the coaches, all the way to the bottom, Single Worst Play of the Season (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9927893/the-indianapolis-colts-keep-beating-playoff-teams-emerging-one-nfl-best).

Heh - nice find.

TQM:

..."Single Worst Play of the Season -- So Far: Leading 10-3 in the third quarter, Buffalo faced third-and-goal on the Kansas City 1 with a fourth-string quarterback but a blazing-hot rushing attack. The crazy pass call not only resulted in an interception; the pick was returned 100 yards for a touchdown, a 14-point swing in a game decided by 10 points. The Bills would finish the contest with 241 yards rushing. Had Buffalo run on this down and run again if needed on fourth-and-goal, the Bills likely would have upset the league's last undefeated club.

Just to prove this was no fluke, from the time Kansas City took a 20-13 lead early in the fourth quarter until the double whistle, Buffalo coaches radioed in 16 passing plays and two rushes -- keeping the ball in the hands of the fourth-stringer, away from the effective rushing game. The bottom line was the Bills outgained Kansas City 470 yards to 210 yards, but two Kansas City defensive touchdowns on Bills passing plays decided the contest. Buffalo coaches, you are guilty of the Single Worst Play of the Season. So far."...


Ugh. :baghead:

[stuckincincy]

Bump for naugem's find.

[Iehoshua]

i will go to my grave saying it was mega-stupid to ask my never started before rookie to make that pass in that exact situation

going up by ten probably put their win chance at around eighty per cent. if they run the ball there they still have an excellent chance to get a touchdown. if you dont, you are still up by ten

that will be a massive gameday coaching blunder even when im dead and sitting in heaven. ah who am i kidding, ill be sitting in hell - where it will still be a bad call

This. Period. I do blame coaching.

[BillsFever21]

We should take bets on when Marrone will finally win his first challenge of the season. He hasn't won one all year.

At least the Goodwin play was a legit play to challenge even though it was probably going to be upheld. It's one of them plays where the call on the field was going to stand. I don't blame him for trying since it was a close play and could've gone either way.

Outside of that we have seen some of the worse challenges(and non-challenges) that I've ever seen. Nothing like challenging a fumble when the other team would've recovered it to begin with.

I always thought the worse challenge you could ever have was when Dick Jauron called a timeout to decide if he wanted to challenge a play. Then he eventually loses the challenge and we lose two timeouts from it. If you are going to waste the timeout to decide on it then you might as well throw the flag. The worse that could happen is you lose a timeout. The only way I could maybe justify that was with a close and important play and it was your last challenge. I didn't think it could get any worse then that until this season.

[Meathead]

If you had invested as much time, energy and emotional involvement in the Bills as I have over the past 54 years, you might understand my disappointment, particularly over the last 14 years.

so you became a bills fan when you were thirty

[Forward_Lateral]

so you became a bills fan when you were thirty

:rofl: