Bigger Bonehead? [Archive] - BillsZone.com

Novacane

11-07-2002, 09:23 PM

No contest. Phillips told his team he had given up on the season.

GW just told his team he had given up on the game!

Still does not mean he is not an idiot!

TigerJ

11-07-2002, 10:21 PM

Wade had his own episode of fourth and stupid in addition to his other gaffs. Wade has proven he's a good defensive coordinator, but a pitiful head coach. GW has made some mistakes, some of them pretty big, but overall, looks like he might learn how to be a decent head coach, IMHO.

11-07-2002, 10:24 PM

Tough call...

I went w/ GW's call. Who knows. Perhaps Wade was trying in his own demented way to incite the team. Doubtful, but you never know.

Halbert

11-07-2002, 11:21 PM

I don't agree with the call but you can at least make some reasonable defense of it by considering what it would have looked like had Mooreman slipped one out at the 5 yard line. NE had a field position advantage all day and it might have helped turn the tide to give us a short field. A weak call that he probably won't make again but not completely unreasonable. Wade's comments were coaching sacrilege.

I'm happy to remain one of the extreme few that think GW is growing rapidly into the job and will be an excellent head coach. Gilbride as OC is terrific but I'm not sold yet on Gray. Give him an off-season of FA dollars and let's see what he can do next year before giving him the heave ho.

Sabre Ally

11-07-2002, 11:43 PM

I could have sworn when GW called that punt on the 4th and 2 that they were going to fake it........I almsot fell off the couch when he actually punted it. :(

Typ0

11-08-2002, 03:25 AM

Halbert I understand that position but it doesn't make any sense when our defense has been horrible. If we had that top Titans defense Williams insists on reminding us of all the time it's the only way I can see any justification at all and even in that situation I still say punt. Our defense hadn't stopped NE all day not to mention all season so them starting at the 5 or 32 doesn't make a difference. Giving them the ball there like that they smell blood and put us away.

Phillips was sure demented wasn't he. What he did in the media was much more entertaining than most football games.

Halbert

11-08-2002, 05:45 AM

Remember, I wasn't defending the decision, just pointing out how much less rediculous it was compared to Wade's abysmal judgment with the writing off the playoffs call. I completely agree with your analysis, but in reality GW's decision probably only sabotages a series or two (might not have made it). Wade sabotaged the remainder of the schedule.

And let's give Wade his due. He's taken a sow's ear defense in Atlanta and in one season is turning it into something resembling a silk purse. If I could swap him and Jerry I'd do it in a heartbeat.

RedEyE

11-08-2002, 07:04 AM

...Wade - that was then, this is now. Since we are suppose to be better then we were then :rolleyes: I'm going with the 4th and 2 selection. I believe Wade Philips would have even went for it on 4th and 2, or at the very least, made a FG attempt.

Judge

11-08-2002, 12:12 PM

Originally posted by BledsoeTOreedfor6
No contest. Phillips told his team he had given up on the season.

Exactly- and that MNF game against the Colts was essentially a playoff game- the loser was for all intents and purposes eliminated, while the winner ultimately won a wild card spot, to my recollection.

RJ deserves an honorable mention for playing the worst game in the history of NFL quarterbacking in that game.

Ebenezer

11-08-2002, 12:15 PM

If the punt lands at the one then few complain about the punt (I can't believe I agree with CP)...Wade bludgeoned a season where they could have made the playoffs.

Typ0

11-08-2002, 02:33 PM

If the punt landed on the 1 I would be complaining and so would everyone else. We needed to score and they still would have marched down and scored from the 1.

That Indy game was horrible. I drove all the way there to see that pathetic performance. At least they deliver beer to your seat in that stadium. Rob Johnson didn't finish the game....as if you couldn't have guessed that.

Judge

11-08-2002, 04:56 PM

Rob Johnson's stat line for that infamous MNF game against the Colts:

12-22 for 188 yards, 2 INT, 0 TD, Sacked-yards lost : 9-42; Fumbles lost: Buffalo (Rob Johnson).

That was the worst QB performance ever by a Bill in my opinion- he made Joe Dufek look like Joe Montana.

And Scott wonders why I can't stand RJ- look at that! :madcurse:

Wade did commit the cardinal sin in that game- what he did make's GW's gaffe look minimal. Wade ruined the season. GW made a blunder- a major mistake, but the Bills' season isn't over as a result.:

shelby

11-08-2002, 05:38 PM

i still don't like GW.
:shakeno:

SABURZFAN

11-09-2002, 12:22 AM

tough call.i can't vote either way.

could you repeat the question?:biggrin:

northernbillfan

11-09-2002, 04:52 AM

Had to go with the 4th and 2.

A 17-14 game, or 17-10 would have changed the pace of that game, and the rest of the year.

Judge

11-09-2002, 06:37 AM

Originally posted by northernbillfan
Had to go with the 4th and 2.

A 17-14 game, or 17-10 would have changed the pace of that game, and the rest of the year.

I disagree that the entire course of the rest of the year has been necessarily changed as a result of that call- no guarantee that the Bills would have scored or then won that game, and the Bills are hardly eliminated as a result of the loss.

Wade's demoralizing comments led to a flat Bills performance and elimination from the playoffs. Big difference.

Typ0

11-10-2002, 09:15 AM

I don't know about that Judge. Certainly we may not have scored...we may have thrown an INT returned for a TD who knows. But in that situation you have to make the call. Period. Not going to get too much into the situation, but a punt there ends the game and sends a message to the players.

Wade had been demoralizing the team all season. They just plain sucked because he was a loser and Pendry was six times the loser Fade was. They weren't going anywhere that season.

Judge

11-10-2002, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by Typ0
I don't know about that Judge. Certainly we may not have scored...we may have thrown an INT returned for a TD who knows. But in that situation you have to make the call. Period. Not going to get too much into the situation, but a punt there ends the game and sends a message to the players.

Wade had been demoralizing the team all season. They just plain sucked because he was a loser and Pendry was six times the loser Fade was. They weren't going anywhere that season.

In 2000? W/ all due respect, did you watch the team that year? They were 7-4 at 1 point. They had a killer top-rate defense. That MNF game was a playoff game. The team was much better than you say.

That team was a legitimate playoff contender.

Typ0

11-10-2002, 11:23 AM

Yes. I went to 13 games that season and I was usually watching.

Bottom line, Fade sidestepped the Flutie Johnson thing and it hurt the team bad. He sucked. I don't care they had a 7-4 record they were in complete dissarray and those teams always fall apart in late november/december. That team was very talented. Phillips was ridding the wave of some damn good talent. If we had a better coach we would have won the superbowl the year before. 2000 just started to make it clear to everyone how much of a loser HC Phillips was. He should have hit Pendry over the head with a baseball bat as he was ushering him out the door some of the stupid crap he was pulling. Instead, he sticks up for his coaches. Next.

The_Philster

11-10-2002, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by Judge

In 2000? W/ all due respect, did you watch the team that year? They were 7-4 at 1 point. They had a killer top-rate defense. That MNF game was a playoff game. The team was much better than you say.

That team was a legitimate playoff contender.

HAD a killer top-rate defense at one point. They lost a lot when Carpenter, Cowart, and Rogers went down...Cowart to a cheap shot by Bucs G (currently with the Raiders) Frank Middleton. We were also without Hansen and Winfield at the time. With those losses, it's no surprise we went 1-4 the rest of the way.