How did Mularkey escape blame?

[OpIv37]

This may have been discussed already, but I was away so I missed all the threads. From what I've read, the coaching staff was purged of everyone except Mularkey, Bobby April, Sam Wyche and McNally.

ST was spectacular all season (except for one play against the Jets), so it's no big surprise that he's still around. McNally got better than expected play out of Gandy and Peters, plus had nothing to work with. Holcomb was a pleasant surprise and JP showed some signs of progress, so it's reasonable that Wyche is still here as well.

But how did Mularkey survive the purge? Mularkey is supposed to be this offensive genius- how did he allow the playcalling to degenerate to what we saw this year? I think he scapegoated TD's lack of talent and Tom Clements for the playcalling.

I think this team is taking steps in the right direction by getting rid of TD and some of these other jokers, but I'm still not convinced that MM is an NFL-caliber coach. Hopefully with some real talent, he'll prove me wrong.

[L.A. Playa]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

he's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Novacane]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

He escaped the purge because Ralph is to cheap to pay him for 3 more years for doing nothing.

[LtBillsFan66]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

That's what I think. MM is a bum. But he has 3 years left.

[Novacane]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

Another brilliant move by TD. Why do you give an unproven coach a 5 yr deal?

[Historian]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

He escaped the purge because Ralph is to cheap to pay him for 3 more years for doing nothing.

This is probably true.

I don't think he got off scott-free though. My guess is that Ralph read him the riot act last week, with particular emphasis on the playcalling.

It's just my opinion, but I think RW told him to prove himself this year, or you're out.

[OpIv37]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

well I know it's not a GM's responsibility to mentor a coach, but maybe Marv can help Mularkey pull his head out of his ass.

Sucks that money has such a huge effect on football decisions.

[Dont drink the water]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

This may have been discussed already, but I was away so I missed all the threads. From what I've read, the coaching staff was purged of everyone except Mularkey, Bobby April, Sam Wyche and McNally.

WR, RB, & TE coaches remained as well plus Rusty's inadequete replacement Brad Roll as well. It appears that Gray's entire staff was considerered inadequete (Chuck Lester while called Defensive Assistant is really a team assistant)

[gr8slayer]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

Ah guys. He is only going into his third year of his first ever HC job. The guy could be the best coach in the league and we dont even know it.

Kinda like Losman only getting six starts this year. How do we know how good he is that fast?

[OpIv37]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

WR, RB, & TE coaches remained as well plus Rusty's inadequete replacement Brad Roll as well. It appears that Gray's entire staff was considerered inadequete (Chuck Lester while called Defensive Assistant is really a team assistant)

our WR's sucked this year, so I don't understand that. It's tough to evaluate the RB coaches when the O line is so bad. TE suffers from lack of talent- just once I'd like to see a Bills TE catch the ball two yards short of the sticks and manage to get a first down. Campbell must be the worst YAC guy in the league.

Brad Roll sucks. I don't know why they let Rusty go in the first place.

[Kerr]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

All I know is that if we miss the playoffs next season, Mularkey is gone.

[Cleve]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

Kinda like Losman only getting six starts this year. How do we know how good he is that fast?

And whose fault is that? Looks like the blame is Mularkey's


If Losman is the "future quarterback", why was he benched during the last two games of the season, rather than giving him some play time and valuable experience with the pressure off? Mularkey coached like a guy trying to save his job, rather than a coach trying to build a winning team. Ralph kept talking "fresh start" but he choose to take the cheap route rather than spend the money to match his words.

Even if Ralph got bamboozled by Donahoe into having to pay for Mularkey's entire contract to get rid of him ($3 million), that's still less than MANY NFL head coaches make in one year. In 2003, the average salary for head coaches was 2.5 million a year!

http://www.forbes.com/2003/01/24/cx_aw_0124coaches.html

So Ralph could have spent some money, and truly started fresh. But he choose the cheap route - and continues to choose the cheap route by paying roughly 1/3rd of the going rate for a head coach.

Mularkey's had two full seasons as head coach. Are we to assume that he won't make extremely bad decisions like this with a third season under his belt?

[TigerJ]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

He escaped the purge for reasons already suggested, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn he's been read the riot act by both Wilson and Levy. He made some horrible decisions this season.

[DaBills]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

"but maybe Marv can help Mularkey pull his head out of his ass. "

I agree. To answer the original question though, all I can speculate is that when Ralph called out to Marv to help get the organization back on track, Ralph had to have asked him what he thought of MM the coach.

I'm not gonna doubt the guy's character. At least he didn‘t sell his SB tickets. But who better to judge his coaching than Marv, right here, right now? I'd further speculate that since Ralph previously expressed supprt for MM and JP, that he told Ralph he still believes in them, albeit with some changes. Maybe he said give 'em the year at least and try.

And I believe if Marv had wanted, he could've said jump and Ralph would've fired MM and told him to forgot about JP. Perhaps looking at who's available in terms of head coaches, or more importantly, who's not available, made the decision easier for Marv and Ralph. The assumption being it's easier to try and develop MM and JP more as coach and player than to bring new guys in?

Other than, I don't have a clue and it's anyone's guess.

;-p

[Dont drink the water]

Re: How did Mularkey escape blame?

Salaries are different for different markets. Markets like NYC, Dallas and Washington can pay more to get coaches because they get a lot more money via parking, stadium rights, seat costs, etc. And salary does not automatically nean a better coach (i.e. Spurrier).

Any Bills fans willing to contribute money to new coach fund? How about the Bills charge a fee to season ticket holders to keep seats besides ticket cost? Would fans go for that?

NFL ought to mandidate salary cap cover players AND coaches and then there would be parity.

P.S. Nice using dated article to try to back up your opinion