Marrone

[OrangeDW]

Other coaches who turned around "disasters" by increasing a team's prior win total by 2 games in a season or two...

Mike Mularkey
Dick Jauron
Wade Phillips

The NFL fact is that Marrone can take a 6 win team and make it an 8 win team in 2 years. I mean, that's nice, but it's not exactly Brian Billick taking over a 6 win team and winnng a Super Bowl 2 years later with Trent Dilfer either.

I like how a few of you have decided the Bills won 8 games rather than 9.

 

[xc84]

I like how a few of you have decided the Bills won 8 games rather than 9.

Yeah...can't count the Green Bay game.

 

[Upstate]

Injuries are a part of the sport and had absolutely nothing to do with why the offense collapsed like it did as soon as Gailey left.

Running backs for the most part are a dime-a-dozen. Boobie isn't any better or worse than the vast majority. Of course when you have a running back that is out of the ordinary like say CJ Spiller, you hope your coaches know how to take advantage of his unique skills. And Marrone had not a clue.

You called winning 9 games in Buffalo a miracle. I'm telling you why it's not.

It's a miracle when there's only one non-Marrone winning season in the last 15. There is talent in Buffalo, I agree with you. There was also a lot of talent missing. And a whole lot of other talented teams, too. There's talent to be middling in the NFL, but there are no proven receivers, no consistent QB (Though, maybe I'm being harsh on Orton. It's a tough situation to be thrown into.), in a division with the Pats and arguably the best QB of all time, a strong AFC. There were a lot of things holding the Bills back, in my opinion, this season. With the team, the out of division schedule being tough, I thought 9 wins was a good showing. I don't think anyone other than Bills fans would have thought they'd be leaps and bounds better than last year. I was surprised they had a winning record. Every publication -- SI, ESPN, USA Today -- that I've seen had the Bills in last place, with a losing record. Where's all the talent that you're seeing that 99% of people are missing? Why do you refuse to give Doug any credit for making a winning team out of the laughing stock of the NFL in just 2 seasons?

 

[Toga]

I wonder what this latest move will mean for the market perception of Marrone, especially if he ultimately isn't successful at the next stop. Short term, it sounds like there's a lot of interest. But he's dangerously close [my opinion only] of being perceived as a job hopper after leaving both SU / the bills in relatively short timeframes. Wherever he lands next, he'll have to have a sustained run [again, IMO only] to change that perception.

And while I think there were extenuating circumstances at both SU and Buffalo to explain his clashes with upper management in both instances--that's a precedent that could work against him. Starting to look like a pattern. And for the record, I'm generally pro-Marrone.

Insofar as Buffalo is concerned, I think they are in danger of being worse off for losing him. As many have pointed out, the defense was stellar, and they've had to shoestring together QBs BOTH of the years he was in town. That's a big factor in my mind in terms of evaluating the team's offensive play these two years he was HC. If they could ever stabilize that situation and get a modicum of solid play offensively from a QB, they could build something. Now, they'll start over. If they make the right hire, they can build on the foundation. If not, they could slide back to that 6-10 range pretty quickly. Kind of like SU backslid.

Although another way of looking at it is he has already grossed roughly $15-16M between his SU and Bills' jobs and will probably get a 4 year contract for another $16M. Even if he stinks it up at his next job, he will have grossed about $32M for 10 years of work. By then he may well be burned out from "all the criticism" and retire somewhere on a beach.

 

[GoSU96]

Here is your OP.


You said he was considering coming back "because Marrone of there", which is a gross exaggerating of what Polian actually said. Marrone per se was not the reason - it was the lack of a QB and a HC.

"Polian told the Buffalo News he initially believed Marrone and quarterback Kyle Orton, who announced his intention to retire after 10 seasons on Monday, would still be with the team.

"Then, the quarterback goes away and the coach disappears," Polian said. "So the job, from my perspective, changed. It went from a mentoring and advising role, which would have been fun, to a real heavy lift -- hire a new coach, hire a staff, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

"The bottom line is the job description changed pretty dramatically and the most important thing is that it would have required a really long commitment to a new coach, who deserved a long commitment that I wasn't prepared to make. And that wouldn't have been fair to the organization or to whomever their new coach was. The coach is going to want to know that you're going to be there for a reasonably long time."​

I'm sure Schein is just making this up.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchein/status/550736554764029952

Polian turns down Bills. Wanted to work with Doug Marrone. Bill Polian is a smart man. Jets need to jump on Marrone.

 

[Scooch]

I like how a few of you have decided the Bills won 8 games rather than 9.

Nah, they won nine. I just don't know that it's a big feather in Marrone's cap that #9 was against a Pats team that sat Gronk, Edelman, Connolly and Gray, played Brady, Revis, Wilfork, etc. for a half, and heavily rotated in backups to keep the starter's snaps down. I mean, if that excites Bills fans then knock yourself out, what do I care.

 

[Crusty]

Mrs Crusty says Saint Doug is a "flat leaver" and a whiney face. So that settles that.

 

[Chip]

The Bills will forever be haunted by the curse of Doug Flutie after they benched him in favor of the quarterback of the future.

I loved that move. And if not for a once in a lifetime game ending play, it would have worked. On the road. Against a better team.

By the end of the regular season before Johnson took over in the finale, teams started exploiting the Bills inability to complete passes down the field.

Things like the Music City Miracle give people that are Flutie fans a good rallying cry. Much like what the Bills beating the Pats did for Marrone and his winning record (Raiders who?).

 

[Upstate]

Wonder if Doug would wait to see if Philly becomes available. Bad rumblings from the Eagles' front office.

 

[xc84]

Mrs Crusty says Saint Doug is a "flat leaver" and a whiney face. So that settles that.

Crustyville, USA - Mrs. Crusty Badmouths Doug Marrone: "Doug is a poopy-head!" As a result, Bill Polian is reconsidering joining Doug with the Jets.

 

[RF2044]

Orton was not terrible. He had a better QB rating this season than Fitzpatrick ever had under Gailey. Yet the offense was much less productive. That's not on the QB - that's on whoever is running the offense (Marrone).

If Orton was so bad then why was Marrone so shocked and seemingly depressed to learn he was retiring?

Where did I say that Orton was terrible? What I said was that the Bills have had to use duct tape to piece together QB play the two years that Marrone was there. Year one, dipping into being forced to play undrafted rookies due to injuries. Year two, having to claim a guy who'd gotten cut off of waivers after he was contemplating retirement because he was better than the rookie they'd drafted in the first round the previous year.

Orton was okay--not impugning him. But he was a stop gap. Clearly he wasn't a long term option, and in fact he retired after the season ended. So the Bills are back to square one [with or without Marrone] at QB, and still need to figure out what to do about that hole. Maybe Manuel's the guy. Probably not. Either way, they enter year three in disarray at QB now that Orton't gone.

 

[xc84]

I loved that move. And if not for a once in a lifetime game ending play, it would have worked. On the road. Against a better team.

By the end of the regular season before Johnson took over in the finale, teams started exploiting the Bills inability to complete passes down the field.

Things like the Music City Miracle give people that are Flutie fans a good rallying cry. Much like what the Bills beating the Pats did for Marrone and his winning record (Raiders who?).

I know. I loved the Rob Johnson years in Buffalo. Magical.

 

[jgeorge322]

Where did I say that Orton was terrible? What I said was that the Bills have had to use duct tape to piece together QB play the two years that Marrone was there. Year one, dipping into being forced to play undrafted rookies due to injuries. Year two, having to claim a guy who'd gotten cut off of waivers after he was contemplating retirement because he was better than the rookie they'd drafted in the first round the previous year.

Orton was okay--not impugning him. But he was a stop gap. Clearly he wasn't a long term option, and in fact he retired after the season ended. So the Bills are back to square one [with or without Marrone] at QB, and still need to figure out what to do about that hole. Maybe Manuel's the guy. Probably not. Either way, they enter year three in disarray at QB now that Orton't gone.

Orton essentially forced the cowboys to cut him. They wouldve liked to keep him as romo's backup.

 

[Scooch]

It's a miracle when there's only one non-Marrone winning season in the last 15. There is talent in Buffalo, I agree with you. There was also a lot of talent missing. And a whole lot of other talented teams, too. There's talent to be middling in the NFL, but there are no proven receivers, no consistent QB (Though, maybe I'm being harsh on Orton. It's a tough situation to be thrown into.), in a division with the Pats and arguably the best QB of all time, a strong AFC. There were a lot of things holding the Bills back, in my opinion, this season. With the team, the out of division schedule being tough, I thought 9 wins was a good showing. I don't think anyone other than Bills fans would have thought they'd be leaps and bounds better than last year. I was surprised they had a winning record. Every publication -- SI, ESPN, USA Today -- that I've seen had the Bills in last place, with a losing record. Where's all the talent that you're seeing that 99% of people are missing? Why do you refuse to give Doug any credit for making a winning team out of the laughing stock of the NFL in just 2 seasons?

Do Bills fans really think 6 win seasons are a "laughing stock"? I sincerely don't quite get that. The Raiders and Jags are laughingstocks it seems. The NFL is loaded with 6 win teams who drift up to 9 or 10 wins, then drift back down to 6.

 

[Chip]

I know. I loved the Rob Johnson years in Buffalo. Magical.

I forgot to mention that the Flutie fans also get to hang their hat on what Rob Johnson did in the years after that.

But no one likes to say that it was a good decision that should have won them a playoff game against a 13-3 Titans team, all, except, for a once in a lifetime play at the end.

 

[GoSU96]

It looks more and more like Marrone left because there wasn't going to be enough change in the front office, not necessarily a problem with Whaley.

 

[Millhouse]

Why does any head coach ever get respect then? It was Marrone's show, he hired a good staff and got wins in his second season for a reeling organization. The NFL comes down to wins and losses. It doesn't matter how you get them, just keep winning, baby. You can complain all you want about this that and the other thing, but when you're throwing Boobie Dixon out there for half a season with Kyle Orton manning the helm and you find a way to get 9 wins, I'd call it a success. I'm a Giants fan. Not having Jennings in the lineup during the middle of the season killed everything. Andre Williams is good, but not ready to contribute. Not to mention Victor Cruz. The offense and defense looked lost 50% of the time until Beckham made the Giants look respectable from the middle of the season on. Alonso was primed to be one of the best LBs in the league this year and to not have him hurt. An aging Fred and hurt Spiller doesn't help (inconsistent running game is an offense KILLER) -- plus, the overall youth on the offense will put the Bills in a hole. Eventually, the Bills will put it together and possibly take over the Pats. Thought it'd be 2015 with Doug. Couldn't say I'd be confident in that without him. Let's see what Rex Ryan does next year

You didn't watch that team. If you think the running games problems were the backs, you are high

 

[Millhouse]

It looks more and more like Marrone left because there wasn't going to be enough change in the front office, not necessarily a problem with Whaley.

That and a four million dollar bonus for finding another job.

He's never going to say it was the free money but Pegula would've had to pay millions more than anyone else

 

[SUFan44]

Why does any head coach ever get respect then? It was Marrone's show, he hired a good staff and got wins in his second season for a reeling organization.

The NFL comes down to wins and losses. It doesn't matter how you get them, just keep winning, baby. You can complain all you want about this that and the other thing, but when you're throwing Boobie Dixon out there for half a season with Kyle Orton manning the helm and you find a way to get 9 wins, I'd call it a success.

I'm a Giants fan. Not having Jennings in the lineup during the middle of the season killed everything. Andre Williams is good, but not ready to contribute. Not to mention Victor Cruz. The offense and defense looked lost 50% of the time until Beckham made the Giants look respectable from the middle of the season on.

Alonso was primed to be one of the best LBs in the league this year and to not have him hurt. An aging Fred and hurt Spiller doesn't help (inconsistent running game is an offense KILLER) -- plus, the overall youth on the offense will put the Bills in a hole. Eventually, the Bills will put it together and possibly take over the Pats. Thought it'd be 2015 with Doug. Couldn't say I'd be confident in that without him. Let's see what Rex Ryan does next year

Did you watch every Bills game this year? If you didn't, I'm not sure you are in any position to comment.

 

[Millhouse]

Did you watch every Bills game this year? If you didn't, I'm not sure you are in any position to comment.

I doubt he watched more than one

 

[Statesman1]

Do Bills fans really think 6 win seasons are a "laughing stock"? I sincerely don't quite get that. The Raiders and Jags are laughingstocks it seems. The NFL is loaded with 6 win teams who drift up to 9 or 10 wins, then drift back down to 6.

Yes but few have had the staying power that the Bills have enjoyed over the years. 15 years is a long time to not sniff the playoffs- in a league with a salary cap and inverted draft that's quite an accomplishment.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The whole tone of this post, especially the underlined part, and your constant harping on Buffalo's shortcomings in this fiasco, would make me think Marrone was fired.

He wasn't. He left on his own. And it's become pretty clear in the past few days that he had $4M reasons to leave, he was going to do it regardless of any extensions offered to staff, etc.

Any Marrone fans should be thanking the Bills. Their stupidity in contract negotiations let him pocket $4M for doing absolutely nothing. Sometimes I wonder if sports fans are so caught up in the monopoly money aspect of sports these days, that they don't stop and think about how much money that actually is, and how little needs to be done to receive it. What a country.

Managed correctly, that can be multi-generational wealth.

 

[OrangeDW]

Nah, they won nine. I just don't know that it's a big feather in Marrone's cap that #9 was against a Pats team that sat Gronk, Edelman, Connolly and Gray, played Brady, Revis, Wilfork, etc. for a half, and heavily rotated in backups to keep the starter's snaps down. I mean, if that excites Bills fans then knock yourself out, what do I care.

I'm no Bills fan and I get the rationale. It's just that I've seen you and a few others call it 8 like it's a factual thing. You can't just subtract wins because the other team didn't care/need it...that happens every year with a bunch of teams in week 17.

 

[Chip]

I'm no Bills fan and I get the rationale. It's just that I've seen you and a few others call it 8 like it's a factual thing. You can't just subtract wins because the other team didn't care/need it...that happens every year with a bunch of teams in week 17.

There's usually only 2-3 teams at the most where Week 17 is truly meaningless.

As a glass half full Bills fan, I say it's a 9-7 season and it's good to finally win at Foxboro. No matter how.

As a voting member of Marrone Sainthood, I think calling it a "winning team" is overstating it a bit. He took a 6 win team and in two years made it into what I would call an 8 win team. At least that's how I'd look at it if I were an owner trying to decide who my next head coach is going to be. And not something I could hand out wings for.

 

[BuffOrange]

I'm no Bills fan and I get the rationale. It's just that I've seen you and a few others call it 8 like it's a factual thing. You can't just subtract wins because the other team didn't care/need it...that happens every year with a bunch of teams in week 17.

It happens every year in the league, sure. It usually doesn't with the Bills - once in the last 9yrs vs Indy in 2009. Which is relevant given that the franchise's poor '05-13 record is the go-to (and seemingly only) point in the Marrone Sainthood fanclub chamber.