Monday, January 25, 2010

My glass is half full. The question is: with what?


My initial reaction to the Chan Gailey hiring was "I want to die." Perhaps I over-reacted. Scott Pitoniak wrote about Gailey at Two Bills Drive. His notes on Gailey make me optimistic about the Bills' 2010 season:

◦He has NFL head coaching experience, having guided two so-so Dallas Cowboys teams to an 18-16 record and two playoff appearances in the late 1990s;
◦He is regarded as an innovative thinker whose work as an offensive coordinator with the Steelers, Dolphins, Chiefs and Cowboys was lauded by his players and peers;
◦He comes to Buffalo on the recommendation of Cowher, who reportedly was going to bring Gailey along as his assistant head coach/offensive coordinator when he returns to the NFL sidelines;
◦He won’t be queasy about having to work with mediocre quarterbacks such as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm (I left Trent Edwards off this list because I believe he’s a goner). After all, Gailey was able to make it to four Super Bowls and 11 playoffs in 15 NFL seasons with the likes of Mike Tomczak, Kordell Stewart and Jay Fiedler.


Then I decided to do my own research. According to Gailey's old Chiefs bio page, he was an offensive coordinator or head coach for 10 NFL seasons. Here's how his offenses ranked:



In general, his teams have above average offenses. But his best seasons came while working with Elway, Bettis, Aikman, Emmitt, and Irvin. Things weren't as rosy with Fiedler, Thigpen, Cassel, Lamar Smith, and Oronde Gadsden.

The Bills go into 2010 with Trent Edwards and/or Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB, TO and Lee Evans at WR, and Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson at RB. They're closer to latter list of scrubs than the former list of Hall of Famers,but I like to think they aren't quite as bad as the scrub list.

So I have hope that the offense will be better than it was in 2009, when it ranked 28th in points and 30th in yards. Or that it simply won't be as putrid as it's been since Jim Kelly retired (notwithstanding one good year from Doug Flutie and 8 good games from Drew Bledsoe).

This does nothing to address a defense which would have been dead last against the run, but for the Colts' decision to roll over in week 17. Of course, this also means that the run defense can't be any worse than it was last year.

Gailey's Georgia Tech teams were 7-6, 7-6, 7-5, 7-5, 9-5, and 7-6 from 2002 to 2007for a 57% winning percentage. He didn't set the college ranks on fire, but he never had a losing record. It would be nice if the Bills win 57% (i.e., 9) of their games next year. Their best record since 2000 was 9-7 in 2004; it won't take much to make me feel better about this team than I did this year.


I'm going to be optimistic about next season and take a "glass is half full" approach. Hopefully my Bills stein is half full of Delirium Tremens, or even Miller High Life, as opposed to the past decade's overflowingly full vats of urine. I'll do anything for an MF Doom segue.

30 comments:

zman said...

I screwed up the automatic publish feature. I meant to post this tomorrow. I guess I'm still stupid.

T.J. said...

Would you like me to make it go away?

rob said...

leave it up. we'll find something else for tomorrow.

postcount!

rob said...

i hate that people have to see the seamy underside of the gtb corporate operation, though.

zman said...

It's better than seeing my pasty backside. See, my glass is half-full! Bizarro Zoltan.

T.J. said...

It's "Positivity Week" at Z-man and the Teej.

zman said...

Tootie, see if Positive K is available for Thursday's show.

T.J. said...

And Tony Robbins.

zman said...

Tom Robbins would be cooler.

T.J. said...

What about their Uncle Baskins?

zman said...

Hank Baskett and Kendra?

Geoff said...

With respect to Chan Gailey and SAT questions, first instincts are usually right.

zman said...

Geoff will not be a guest for Positivity Week.

Geoff said...

I couldn't have made it any way. I'm speaking at a women's conference.

zman said...

Neither SB team has a 1,000 yard rusher. Weird.

Mark said...

Indicative of the direction the NFL is heading, I say.

Chan Gailey went to Florida. He was a backup QB and (wait for it) long snapper.

Positive K just emailed me about your appearance request. He'll do it for a cheeseburger and a blunt. I told to go fuck himself.

Mark said...

This really is a terrific game between Syracuse and Georgetown. It's just too bad the Syracuse crowd isn't into it...

rob said...

i went to put my kids to bed with georgetown up 14-2. what happened?

Mark said...

Syracuse pulled their heads out their asses, made some shots, forced some turnovers. Voila.

d-train said...

deep blue sea on spike...the scene where samuel jackson gets taken by the shark is about to happen...pretty bad movie, but that scene is worth the price of admission
derrick coleman lookin all sharp.

zman said...

Fuckin' ... voila! I whited the shit out of that man in there Larry!

Mark said...

That scene is off the charts comedy, Dan. So bad it's good.

Mark said...

You got some long balls, Larry. That's your new name. Long ball Larry!

rob said...

hoyas have nothing for the cuse zone

zman said...

82 degrees, that's my shit.

Mark said...

I gets mine Larry! I bring the ruckus to the ladies.

zman said...

I'd bend that bitch like Beckham. Have that ass twisted up like a pretzel.

Mark said...

Joe Peppitone in this motherfucker!

rob said...

cole aldrich is going all king kong on missouri

zman said...

Roddick/Cilic in a few minutes. I know you're all waiting for it.