Mudflap1
10-03-2005, 10:58 AM
Obviously this won't happen because he just got a contract extension, but these are my top 10 reasons that Ralph Wilson should fire Tom Donahoe today.
10. Gregg Williams' 3+ years.
9. Neglecting the offensive line. Yes, Mike Williams was drafted high (although he looks like he may never get over the hump from average to slightly above average lineman to stud). There is no excuse for this. The first thing you do when your rebuild a football team is to build a solid offensive and defensive line. That doesn't necessarily mean all first round draft picks, but a mix of high draft picks, solid veterans, and lower round draft picks with that might be overlooked. He has consistently patchworked the offensive line and it gets every quarterback killed and produces an inconsistent running attack.
8. The Drew Bledsoe/quarterback situation debacle. First he trades a 1st round pick for Bledsoe, who is then knighted as the savior to the franchise, then 3 years later he cuts him, stating that Losman will take us farther. We'll see about Losman, but so far, disastrous. Someone brought up a great point about this. If we were terrible last year, or Losman was annointed the starter last year and Bledsoe was gone, we would probably all be a little bit more lenient, because the team was 6-10 in 2003, and was not looking good. However, the 9-7 season last year really did raise expectations for everybody. MM and TD then state the Losman is starting and he will take the team farther. What else are you supposed to think? You think that he is ready, or at least ready enough, to manage the offense and that the team will win games. If the Bills were looking to win THIS YEAR (which they should at least for the fans' and Tom Donahoe's sake, because the fans have put up with enough mediocrity, and Tom Donahoe has had enough time), then Losman should not have started this year. He should have learned the offensive behind a capable veteran, gotten some spot duty, and taken the reigns next year or the year after.
7. Neglecting the defensive line. Yes, this is something we haven't talked about much. Big Pat and Sam Adams were a fine combo, however when Pat was here, Aaron Schobel was a decent pass rusher, but was mediocre against the run, and we had no other defensive end. Now Pat is gone, we have no suitable replacement, and the defensive ends are still very inconsistent overall. No pass rush yesterday against a very mediocre Saints team.
6. The smoke and mirrors. Donahoe seems to have an excuse every year (see the excuses thread). No more excuses, it's been 5+ years. Now his new thing is that he went into the locker room and ranted and raged to the team to play better. Hey genius! You're the one who put everyone in this position.
5. Hiring mediocre coaches. Granted, the book isn't closed yet on Mike Mularkey, but it's certainly fair to say that Tom Donahoe seems to pick "good 'ol boys" that he's comfortable with, instead of coaches like Cowher who are fiery and are born leaders. Gregg Williams is a great defensive coordinator, but he didn't have the leadership or charisma to lead. Mike Mularkey may have been a good offensive coordinator, but he doesn't appear (as of yet) to have enough to motivate the players to get the seasons off to good starts, and may in fact lose the team completely this season. Look at the guys that were hired or available in the years that Williams and Mularkey were hired -- John Fox, Marvin Lewis (although, in all fairness to TD, he didn't want to come here), Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Dennis Green, Jim Mora Jr., Lovie Smith, Mike Nolan, Nick Saban (although he probably wouldn't have come here), etc. With the possible exception of Nolan, and MAYBE Lovie Smith, I'd take all of those guys over Mularkey and Williams. What do most of those guys have in common? They are leaders who probably wouldn't roll over for Tom Donahoe. Who did we interview? Guys like Fassel and Jauron, because they are pushovers.
4. Our drafts have been very hit and miss. Drafts in general can be hit and miss, but if we aren't going to pursue any big-name free agents (or free agents in general), we have to make the drafts count. Again, some good picks, some bad ones.
3. He has put the business end of the team ahead of wins and losses. Why do you think he just (shhhh! quietly) got a contract extension? It's because 'ol Ralph is getting fat and happy while the suckers (us, the fans) pay lots of dough to see this mediocre product perform year in and year out, without them ever getting any better. Maybe if he fielded a good team we would be even more excited about shelling out money and they could make more of a profit?
2. Our opinion of Tom Donahoe shouldn't change whether this team gets to the playoffs or not this year. He should go anyway. He's had enough time. If this team squeaks into the playoffs (which looks like a distant miracle right now), he has still had enough time.
1. His record in 5+ years is 27-41 with no playoff appearances.
Please add your thoughts. We should mail this completed list (along with the Tom Donahoe excuses) into the Buffalo News Sports mailroom, and maybe buffalobills.com.
Jon
10. Gregg Williams' 3+ years.
9. Neglecting the offensive line. Yes, Mike Williams was drafted high (although he looks like he may never get over the hump from average to slightly above average lineman to stud). There is no excuse for this. The first thing you do when your rebuild a football team is to build a solid offensive and defensive line. That doesn't necessarily mean all first round draft picks, but a mix of high draft picks, solid veterans, and lower round draft picks with that might be overlooked. He has consistently patchworked the offensive line and it gets every quarterback killed and produces an inconsistent running attack.
8. The Drew Bledsoe/quarterback situation debacle. First he trades a 1st round pick for Bledsoe, who is then knighted as the savior to the franchise, then 3 years later he cuts him, stating that Losman will take us farther. We'll see about Losman, but so far, disastrous. Someone brought up a great point about this. If we were terrible last year, or Losman was annointed the starter last year and Bledsoe was gone, we would probably all be a little bit more lenient, because the team was 6-10 in 2003, and was not looking good. However, the 9-7 season last year really did raise expectations for everybody. MM and TD then state the Losman is starting and he will take the team farther. What else are you supposed to think? You think that he is ready, or at least ready enough, to manage the offense and that the team will win games. If the Bills were looking to win THIS YEAR (which they should at least for the fans' and Tom Donahoe's sake, because the fans have put up with enough mediocrity, and Tom Donahoe has had enough time), then Losman should not have started this year. He should have learned the offensive behind a capable veteran, gotten some spot duty, and taken the reigns next year or the year after.
7. Neglecting the defensive line. Yes, this is something we haven't talked about much. Big Pat and Sam Adams were a fine combo, however when Pat was here, Aaron Schobel was a decent pass rusher, but was mediocre against the run, and we had no other defensive end. Now Pat is gone, we have no suitable replacement, and the defensive ends are still very inconsistent overall. No pass rush yesterday against a very mediocre Saints team.
6. The smoke and mirrors. Donahoe seems to have an excuse every year (see the excuses thread). No more excuses, it's been 5+ years. Now his new thing is that he went into the locker room and ranted and raged to the team to play better. Hey genius! You're the one who put everyone in this position.
5. Hiring mediocre coaches. Granted, the book isn't closed yet on Mike Mularkey, but it's certainly fair to say that Tom Donahoe seems to pick "good 'ol boys" that he's comfortable with, instead of coaches like Cowher who are fiery and are born leaders. Gregg Williams is a great defensive coordinator, but he didn't have the leadership or charisma to lead. Mike Mularkey may have been a good offensive coordinator, but he doesn't appear (as of yet) to have enough to motivate the players to get the seasons off to good starts, and may in fact lose the team completely this season. Look at the guys that were hired or available in the years that Williams and Mularkey were hired -- John Fox, Marvin Lewis (although, in all fairness to TD, he didn't want to come here), Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Dennis Green, Jim Mora Jr., Lovie Smith, Mike Nolan, Nick Saban (although he probably wouldn't have come here), etc. With the possible exception of Nolan, and MAYBE Lovie Smith, I'd take all of those guys over Mularkey and Williams. What do most of those guys have in common? They are leaders who probably wouldn't roll over for Tom Donahoe. Who did we interview? Guys like Fassel and Jauron, because they are pushovers.
4. Our drafts have been very hit and miss. Drafts in general can be hit and miss, but if we aren't going to pursue any big-name free agents (or free agents in general), we have to make the drafts count. Again, some good picks, some bad ones.
3. He has put the business end of the team ahead of wins and losses. Why do you think he just (shhhh! quietly) got a contract extension? It's because 'ol Ralph is getting fat and happy while the suckers (us, the fans) pay lots of dough to see this mediocre product perform year in and year out, without them ever getting any better. Maybe if he fielded a good team we would be even more excited about shelling out money and they could make more of a profit?
2. Our opinion of Tom Donahoe shouldn't change whether this team gets to the playoffs or not this year. He should go anyway. He's had enough time. If this team squeaks into the playoffs (which looks like a distant miracle right now), he has still had enough time.
1. His record in 5+ years is 27-41 with no playoff appearances.
Please add your thoughts. We should mail this completed list (along with the Tom Donahoe excuses) into the Buffalo News Sports mailroom, and maybe buffalobills.com.
Jon