TBN's Skurski on coaching issues .....

[Mace]

Probably worth noting.

Bills thought Gostkowski (career long 54) had 60 yard range, played soft coverage before the half because they were, um, playing for NE to take a vertical end zone shot, usage of Watkins and Spiller. The first two bother me most. Imho, first is bad preparation, second is tunnel vision.

http://bills.buffalonews.com/2014/10/14/doug-marrone-thought-stephen-gostkowski-good-60-plus-coaching-blunders/

I like Marrone, really I do, but I just don't think he's on top of much or getting the hang of it too well.

[The Jokeman]

Probably worth noting.

Bills thought Gostkowski (career long 54) had 60 yard range, played soft coverage before the half because they were, um, playing for NE to take a vertical end zone shot, usage of Watkins and Spiller. The first two bother me most. Imho, first is bad preparation, second is tunnel vision.

http://bills.buffalonews.com/2014/10/14/doug-marrone-thought-stephen-gostkowski-good-60-plus-coaching-blunders/


I like Marrone, really I do, but I just don't think he's on top of much or getting the hang of it too well.

The Spiller fumble was as costly or Orton's turnovers or maybe even more costly because it gave the Patriots some added confidence.

[YardRat]

I dunno, ....

1. Don't think that is any reason for concern, would bet his 54-yarder cleared the bar by 6 yards or more, pretty sure the 53 yarder he made did.
2. That's a go for the kill opportunity for NE, if the Bills D hadn't been playing the deep ball, you know damn well Brady would've went for it...and, considering the officiating, would have least gotten a PI call. Better to risk a 53-yarder and three pts than a TD or a chippy.
3. If Marrone is telling the truth, and they did have some plays built in specifically for Sammy, kudos for not shying away from the potential after hearing he was going to be on Revis Island. If Orton wasn't looking his way in the first half, or his reads were dictating another WR, that's on the QB, not coaching. FWIW, I didn't see any noticeable signs from Sammy that he was disgusted or discouraged over not getting opportunities until later in the game.

[Buffalo Thriller]

The game is over. Can we look on to this week?

[Thurmal]

The Spiller fumble was as costly or Orton's turnovers or maybe even more costly because it gave the Patriots some added confidence.
That was the DUMBEST playcall in the world. If you're not going to take a knee there, take a shot downfield and hope for a catch or PI -- worst case is an INT that is essentially a punt. The run was completely unnecessary.

[Fletch]

I like Marrone, really I do, but I just don't think he's on top of much or getting the hang of it too well.

You're right, he's not on top of much or getting the hang of it. He's in over his head. Hackett is simply way out of his league.

Having said that, regarding these comments:


So was the team's usage of its two most explosive offensive weapons in running back C.J. Spiller and receiver Sammy Watkins. Twice during Monday's news conference, Marrone made reference to the coaching staff needing to do a better job with those two players.


Marrone was asked whether Spiller is the right fit for what the Bills want to do on offense.

"We can fit it into the scheme, that's not a problem," the coach said. "The problem is everything else that's going on around it, too, plays into this. So again, I'm not tyring to deflect criticism. Are there things that C.J. can do better? Yes. As well as everyone else.


"We'd go in trying to get him the ball on the perimeter at times and sometimes teams will let you do that. Everyone's aware when he's on the field of what's going on. You know, trying to get him in space with the ball. Hey, it starts with us. I wouldn't sit here and say it's all on him. We've got to do a better job, too, as coaches of finding a way to get him the ball in space."


Watkins, meanwhile, finished with just two catches for 27 yards. He was targeted only three times in the game.


There's far too much excuse making about this "getting Spiller and Watkins into space" ****.

When we drafted Spiller the most repeated thing about him was that he was a threat to take it to the house every time he touched the ball. Well the reality is that he's been anything but that and the fact is that he's had more fumbles than TDs during his stint here. Of the TDs that he has had only a few have been long ones. 0 (FR), 3P, 4, 5, 5P, 7P, 9, 10, 14, 15P, 17, 24, 32P, 36, 44, 54, 56, and 66P. It's time to move on, at least from using Spiller as the secondary role-playing RB that he is. Keeping him here imo merely creates unnecessary complexity in offensive planning.

As to Watkins the pub on him was essentially the same thing. He'll turn any old 2-yard pass into 15 or 20. Well same thing there, it isn't happening and that aspect of his game isn't likely to improve since it's all based on the speed and agility he has already. He's never going to get faster or more agile, period.

This idiotic notion of "in space" is a fallacy and falls under the general header of football for idiots. There isn't a skill position player out there that doesn't operate better "in space" that in traffic. But if you can't play in traffic to the extent that you're supposed to, your value simply isn't what many might say it is or should be. Most of the game is played in traffic and if the only way for a player to "excel" is for him to have the ball "in space" most of the time, well I would insist that that player really isn't as good as everyone says.

The fact that Marrone's not that good shouldn't be a surprise to anyone despite the fact that he has a good number of apologists here.

Hackett doesn't even belong in the NFL.

[Fletch]

The game is over. Can we look on to this week?

We can look on but we still have the same coaching staff that isn't getting it done.

[jdbillsfan]

Probably worth noting.

Bills thought Gostkowski (career long 54) had 60 yard range, played soft coverage before the half because they were, um, playing for NE to take a vertical end zone shot, usage of Watkins and Spiller. The first two bother me most. Imho, first is bad preparation, second is tunnel vision.

http://bills.buffalonews.com/2014/10/14/doug-marrone-thought-stephen-gostkowski-good-60-plus-coaching-blunders/

I like Marrone, really I do, but I just don't think he's on top of much or getting the hang of it too well.

This was very frustrating. I think NE was out of timeouts too, so they aren't going to take a shot with 6 seconds left with no timeouts, they are going to try and do exactly what they did. So dumb.

[casdhf]

If CJ doesn't cough up that ball we were one play away from FG range. We were down in a close game at home ... people are only pissy about it because it did not work.

[YardRat]

This was very frustrating. I think NE was out of timeouts too, so they aren't going to take a shot with 6 seconds left with no timeouts, they are going to try and do exactly what they did. So dumb.

NE took what Buffalo's defense gave them...if the D set up to take away the short pass and gave up the long ball opportunity, they would have taken that also.

[Fletch]

If CJ doesn't cough up that ball we were one play away from FG range. We were down in a close game at home ... people are only pissy about it because it did not work.

But he did, and he isn't any kind of threat every time he touches the ball, he's rarely a threat when he touches the ball.

He doesn't have the TDs to match his fumbles.

So why is he even a big factor in offensive planning. A waste of coach's time and time to move on from him. Time to move on from the coaches and GM too.

[jdbillsfan]

NE took what Buffalo's defense gave them...if the D set up to take away the short pass and gave up the long ball opportunity, they would have taken that also.

There were 6 seconds left. They weren't going deep and risk that being the last play of the half. No timeouts.

[Fletch]

NE took what Buffalo's defense gave them...if the D set up to take away the short pass and gave up the long ball opportunity, they would have taken that also.

We gave them quite a bit in the second half.

Here's what I don't get, everyone seems surprised by this. Why? Chicago put up more yards against us, more 1st downs, more time of possession. They ran better too and had more overall net yards. We still barely won that game despite a 3-1 TO advantage. Miami had similar success to Brady and the Pats in the second half of that game, they just couldn't score and like Chicago they turned the ball over. But all anyone was talking about here was our #1 and elite D. The play hasn't changed that much.

It's not like Brady needed Moss, Gronk, Herny, and Welker to do this damage. He did it with second rate receivers after Gronk who was hardly involved in their scoring drives.

Expect more of this from Schwartz's elite D. This is what happens when opinions are formulated on only partial evidence while ignoring some of the things that I've mentioned since the season started. Coaching may have something to do with it, but the real problem is that we just aren't as good as so many of you hope we are.

There's hardly any difference between this season and last. Spikes is the big addition on D which appears to have been only valuable on running plays in a passing league, and Watkins on offense who hasn't even made much of an impact. Orton it, Manuel out, same points scored, more exciting passing, rushing has disappeared. At the end of the day there isn't much difference in outcomes. More passing = greater chance for turnovers apparently. Who was it that said that when you throw the ball only three things can happen and two of them are bad.

This team is what it is. Last year Pettine went all-in on passing D, this year Scwhartz appears to have gone all-in on rushing D, which makes sense in 1993 but not in 2014. What we need is a Belicheat type that can take the talent on D and get the most from that talent. Not that it's going to be an elite D, but at least it won't be feast in one aspect and famine in the other.

Right now 3-7 to finish looks about right, maybe 4-6. This team is just not that good from a talent perspective. Forget coaching, which sucks.

Want changes? Start putting the pressure on Pegula to start making them, wholesale!

[Forward_Lateral]

That was the DUMBEST playcall in the world. If you're not going to take a knee there, take a shot downfield and hope for a catch or PI -- worst case is an INT that is essentially a punt. The run was completely unnecessary.

Not really. Spiller doesn't fumble and the bills have it on their own 40 with time for a play or two to try and get it in FG range for Carpenter. I thought the play call was good, but the fumble was completely on Spiller. I can't blame the coaches for calling a run there. Every coach does it. Instead of kneeling down, hand it off and see if your RB can break one for 15-20 yards.

[Mace]

I dunno, ....

1. Don't think that is any reason for concern, would bet his 54-yarder cleared the bar by 6 yards or more, pretty sure the 53 yarder he made did.
2. That's a go for the kill opportunity for NE, if the Bills D hadn't been playing the deep ball, you know damn well Brady would've went for it...and, considering the officiating, would have least gotten a PI call. Better to risk a 53-yarder and three pts than a TD or a chippy.
3. If Marrone is telling the truth, and they did have some plays built in specifically for Sammy, kudos for not shying away from the potential after hearing he was going to be on Revis Island. If Orton wasn't looking his way in the first half, or his reads were dictating another WR, that's on the QB, not coaching. FWIW, I didn't see any noticeable signs from Sammy that he was disgusted or discouraged over not getting opportunities until later in the game.

I can't really agree with you this time around, hombre. Gostkowski has been in the league 8 years and never managed a 55 yarder with the wind.

Last week I saw them run on 3rd and long backed up to their endzone, pass on 3rd and 1 near the other one, this week Marrone has also said Gay was a significant roster active, hasn't pushed for Urbik, said they "lost track" of Dixon after his week 1 success, and today voiced his displeasure at Mike Williams by saying something like someone elses problems were just made his (http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2014/10/15/6984419/marrone-annoyed-with-williams-trade-request)

I've never heard of an HC saying such a thing about one of his players on his team, or even regarding his organization. It's really odd imho that he doesn't realize the scope of what his problems can and should involve.

If he was being wily on a close game at the half with New Englands killer instinct, why was he allowing Hughes and Mario rotated off and soft coverage thinking they wouldn't have one in an 8 point game ? Why did he let Schwartz stick with ineffective man/safety on Gronkowski who was tearing it up ?

I don't think he has a handle on it.

[Mace]

Not really. Spiller doesn't fumble and the bills have it on their own 40 with time for a play or two to try and get it in FG range for Carpenter. I thought the play call was good, but the fumble was completely on Spiller. I can't blame the coaches for calling a run there. Every coach does it. Instead of kneeling down, hand it off and see if your RB can break one for 15-20 yards.

I guess I just don't, but it's a good point. You see it game after game, that's where teams flip short percentage passes against soft prevent defense to the sideline to get chunks of free yards. You don't hand it to a struggling back.

They talked a lot of smack about their intended use of analytics, but pay no attention to them.

[YardRat]

There were 6 seconds left. They weren't going deep and risk that being the last play of the half. No timeouts.

No way of knowing, but I'm still going to disagree. Going deep could get a PI and closer chance at three, even if there are zeros on the clock.