Same Coaches Next Season:

[WG]

Based on a cap assessment here on these boards, it appears that we can count on 2 or 3 big name FAs signed this offseason. Presumably all defensive.

Assume that we sign a DT, LB, and DE.

Also assume that none of the coaches get the axe.

How confident will you be going into next season?

[PA Season Ticket Holder]

I'm willing to give GW another chance if ONLY he agrees to some changes in the defense.

[BillC]

Coaches suck. Must Fire. No elaboration needed

[LtBillsFan66]

I like Gilbride. I'll stand by that!

The main question is if GW goes, who comes in?

[BillsMan80]

The following coaches I am ok with right now...

Gilbride-Tenous though.
Kragthorpe
Fairchild
Graves
Neal
Vinklarek-Good job with a young line.
Lester

That's about it though.

[PA Season Ticket Holder]

Unless we bring in somebody proven I don't see the reasoning in getting rid of GW and all the coaches.

All we would get is another 1st time coach and another crapshoot hoping to pay off. We'd be starting all over again. We'd be looking at another 2 year plan.

That's one of the reasons teams like the Bengals suck every year. They go through adversity and fire their coaches ever couple years. You can't build any continuity that way.

The only way I would start calling for GW's head is if we totally bottom out the next 5 games and it's apparent he's lost the team.

[LtBillsFan66]

Originally posted by PA Season Ticket Holder
Unless we bring in somebody proven I don't see the reasoning in getting rid of GW and all the coaches.

I agree 100%. It's easy to say fire this guy and fire that guy. It's harder to actually find a suitable candidate.

[clumping platelets]

I wouldn't be overly interested in FA unless teams release some good players because of cap problems. FA market is getting thinner by the day

[Novacane]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
Based on a cap assessment here on these boards, it appears that we can count on 2 or 3 big name FAs signed this offseason. Presumably all defensive.

Assume that we sign a DT, LB, and DE.

Also assume that none of the coaches get the axe.

How confident will you be going into next season?


If Jerry Gray is still coaching this defense I will not be very confident.

I think TD will give GW a chance to fire Gray. If he refuses he will be gone too. If he throws Gray to the wolves he will get another year.

[Typ0]

This is the defense that GW wants and JG fits in because he wants to run it as well. We don't have the talent to run the defense we are trying to run. They are hoping our players will play in and get comfortable with the system so next season they will get some talent and hopefully be much improved. I don't see Grey going anywhere if GW is still here because I don't think it's fair to hold him responsible when he is clearly being put in a position he won't be successful. If GW goes so will Grey.

I am very sceptical about Williams. He does not know how to manage a game and we don't know if he will ever learn and stop making the mistakes he's making. If we can't get someone with experience as HC we should stick with Williams as he has been here for two years and trying to work up his system. I have seen a lot of good things from Williams but screwing up gametime decisions is not acceptable for a coach...especially some of the no-brainers he has screwed up. As a replacement, Dennis Green comes to mind he's available and probably wants to coach again. He had a lot of success at Minnesota until everything fell apart there and he was smart enough to get out while he could.

Gilbride does not deserve to be an OC on this team. It might look good at times but there is no way he is ever going to change. He has never solidified Henry as a running threat and that fact alone has caused the offense to look like crap the past month. If we had a proven running attack Drew would be able to play to his strenghts a lot more. Instead, teams just come against us and take Drews strengths away and we look like crap. I'm sorry but I cannot support Gilbride as OC no matter what people say about him. I have no question an inexperience OC who just knew enough not to screw things up would look like Bill Walsh with this offense. Gilbride is throwing it all out the door. The only place he will look good is on a team with mid level talent where he can take a lot of chances and help them win some games instead of losing every game. Having a highly talented offense that can perfrom as one of the best in the league his style just drags it down into mediocrity.

[venis2k1]

we are getting out coached on both sides of the ball, we got too much talent to let them go to waste, cut em all.

[Jman]

-This year wasn't supposed to be the Bill's year.
-Next year we will see dramatic improvement
-Within the next 5 years the Bills will strike DEEP into the playoffs.

Regardless, the coaching BLOWS with a capital everything, and the defense is running like crap because of Greg "the ignorant dumbass" Williams great scheme...

"Hey lets take phillips' old top 5 defense and screw around with it!!!"

[Novacane]

Originally posted by Jman
-

"Hey lets take phillips' old top 5 defense and screw around with it!!!"


Really! That quote is probably one of the top reasons I never liked Williams. To talk trash about a top 5 defense was a really dumb. That set the standard really high if he did not want to eat crow. I bet he wishes he never said that.

[timfromjersey]

Jerry Gray has to go. If GW doesn't like it then he goes too. In almost two seasons now, I haven't seen squat out of JG's game planning or scheme. Even the worst teams put in at least one really good defensive effort from a clever Def. coordinators sheme. Somebody in this thread said that Gray and GW are running the defense they want and that they just need more talent. Are you serious? You would need the '85 Bears defense to make these two coaches look good.

Look, the Bills can't stop the run. You mean to tell me that after 3/4 of the season gone by, Gray and Williams can't devise a better scheme to shore that area up! I mean really, it's not rocket science. Herm Edwards was able to do it with a mediocre line. The bills can't get pressure on the qb. Ya think JG might be able to come up with more and more creative blitz calls. He shows no ingenuity or "feel" for when and how to blitz. Don't tell me it's not the coordinator. Freakin Wade Phillips in less than one year has made Atlanta's defense one of the top 5. with an undersized line and only one bonafide star in Keith Brooking.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Originally posted by BledsoeTOreedfor6
I think TD will give GW a chance to fire Gray. If he refuses he will be gone too. If he throws Gray to the wolves he will get another year.
Sounds like the Wade Phillips situation. GW is a smart man, he'll dump Gray in a heartbeat. Maybe Dick Juran (sp?) in Chicago could come in as a DC.

[WG]

venis,

Totally agree w/ ya bro! The theme of our coaching staff, on both sides of the ball, particularly the offense, should be "Doing less with more!"

I don'y know what Gilbride wants or expects. He's got a solid skill position player everywhere and an OL that is very good and will only improve. There should be no excuses for Gilbride's O not putting up at least 24 PPG. Regularly.

[timfromjersey]

Yeah well, without confidence in your defense, that put's a lot of pressure on your offense to perform with their hands on the ball a lot less because your defense is giving up yardage on the ground, letting the opponent sustain long drives.

For the rocord, for the season, the bills offense are still averaging over 24 points, in fact around 28ppg.

Because of the defense, the Bills have been losing the battle for field position, stretching the field for the offense. Special teams are not helping in that regard.

You didn't think teams weren't going to adjust to the Bills offense all year long did you?

[Typ0]

Tim: The wys statistical methodology excludes all point totals greater than the one he calls the hurdle rate. It's important to understand this to get a grasp on what he is trying to say.

[The_Philster]

We're getting a new DL coach regardless. John Levra is retiring after the season.

[justasportsfan]

like I said in a different thread, We got rid of Sheppard after 1 year b/c he was married to a system. JG is on his second year and he too is married to a system, GW's system. As for Gilbride, seems to me that other teams have caught up with his passing system despite the bills having what I still think is the biggest passing combo in the league, Drew-Moulds-Reed. Our O-line should be better in the next years to come but if they are limited to certain repetitive schemes, all the talent will go to waste.

Imagine what the Bills would be like if we had a coach like Bellichik with the weapons we have. We've lost almost all the chess games that GW played.

[ArcticWildMan]

I don't buy the line that teams have caught up to our passing system. The Rams had the same kind of weapons we had (I know, I know...plus Marshall Faulk) and they dominated for an entire year and won a SB. I think it is a combination of our defense giving up so many points we have to abandon our original gameplan and our Offense having lost it's confidence after the GW slap in the face when we punted on the 32 yard line.

There are other factors as well (Drew changing too many plays at the line, Gilbride trying for the big play too much, poor line play resulting in hurries and sacks, etc....). You really can't point to one thing. It's a combination of things that will continue until we win a game and get back in a winning groove.

[justasportsfan]

We have a type of running system that simply waste time when we are way ahead. Henry is not to blame but he's not big scoring threat. This should be enough to win games for us if the D didn't give up points faster than finfans switching teams come playoffs.

Right now the bills can only win games through Drew's arm. There is no other option when there is no D or a running gamw than can score at will when given the chance. If that doesn't work than we are in trouble like what happened last week.

[TigerJ]

The problem with the Bills offence is they haven't proven they have the ability to counterpunch. Defences have focused on taking away the deep pass. Buffalo hasn't yet hurt other teams with a short passing game instead. The Rams, during their Super Bowl runs, were good enough that they could make other teams pay in other ways when those other teams tried to take away something. I think Buffalo has the talent to do that, they just lack the will and the discipline. The good news: discipline can be taught and will can be acquired. If it was a matter of talent, there wouldn't be much reason for hope.

[timfromjersey]

Please typo,

don't insult my intelligence.

I understand about wys "hurdle rate." He's been using that theme since the Flutie Days.

What that methodology always seems to ingnore is the Law of averages. With extremely few exceptions, no teams goes through the season scoring 24 or more points every game. Plus, the law of averages states if you have to go 80yards every drive as opposed to 60 or 65 to score a touchdown, you will score less a game. Same thing if you get behind in the score. If you have to constantly play from behind, you will lose more games. The defense affects the offense. Can't stop the running game? That means your offense spends less time on the field and gets less numerical chances to score, thus you score less.

That's not even counting the human factors involved in why they're scoring less. Plus this is a game of adjustments, with coaches always making them. That will change what will and won't work. You take that St. Louis Rams example by AWM. Yeah, they had a downfield passing system that no defense could stop or adjust to, but it is no small thing that they have Marshall Faulk in the passing game. Both he and the other Ram's recievers are better in Yacs then the Bills receivers are, so they will still hurt you in the short passing game, when a defense takes away the long pass. They are a rare example.

[TigerJ]

Yesterday on <www.profootballtalk.com> Mike Florio was reporting that a source inside the Bills org. claimed GW needs two more wins (a 7-9 record) to keep his job. Click on Florio's rumor column link and scroll down a bit to the Tuesday notes.

[TedMock]

I do think Jerry Gray has to go. I'm not convinced that GW sucks though. We were told by him and by TD before the season started that we shouldn't get our hopes up and that we need one more year. I think Gray has the same problem as Spurrier in DC. In college you have a system and you teach it to the kids. In the NFL a good coach utilizes his talent and creates a system based on that. Although Parcels was primarily a power guy he did use a mid range passing game in NE, Joe Gibbs constructed the "Air Corriell" sp? offense in San Diego and when it didn't work in Washington he went to power with Riggins and wins the Superbowl in his 2nd season. Shula was a great coach for reasons like this too. Use the talent you have wisely. Keith Newman is their best pass rusher....Why is he not rushing the passer? He had 8 sacks as a rookie and JG has thrown him into coverage since...WHY?!!! Chris Watson plays well when on top of the WR but obviously struggles playing off the guy in the slot so why continue to play him there? Put him on top of the guy where he actually showed skill the last few seasons.