Buffalo Bills: Playoff years to Present (Part 2)

Nov 11, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE

From 2001 – 2003 Greg Williams was the coach.  He started out a t 3-13 and then to 8-8 and then dropped again to 6-10.  Too much inconsistency lead to Williams’ removal.  Mike Mularkey then followed.  A former offensive coordinator, never coach took on the task of leading the Bills back to the playoffs.  Mularkey lead the first year with a 9-7 record in ’04.  Bills fans were excited for the next season, although it did not go so well.  Mularkey finished his Bills stint with a 5-11 and 7-9 records the following seasons.  Dick Jauron was next.  He was the only coach not to make it 3 full seasons as he was consistent and did not show improvement and was let go for Perry Fewell to come in and take over in 2009.  Jauron lead the Bills to back to back 7-9 season in ’07 and ’08, and with Fewells help a 6-10 season in 2009.

This brings us to our current coach, Gailey.  Gailey noted as a play calling genius and one to develop plays based on player’s abilities and also game situations.  Buffalo was excited three years ago.  We started out with a lowly 4-10 season in 2010.  Bills fans were understanding and knew it was a rebuilding year.  Last year the Bills increased their winning percentage from .250 (4-12) to .375 (6-10), an improvement, but was it enough to keep the fans at bay. With the signings of Mario Williams and Anderson to the defense, fans were back on the wagon and ready to go this season.  The Bills right now stand at spot that they can increase their winning percentage to a safe .500 (8-8) if not a best possible .563 (9-7).  Chan Gailey is the only coach to chow improvement in the past 13 years.  Every other coach has been up and down with inconsistency or there hasn’t been any improvement and too much consistency.  Gailey has at least improved by at least 2 games every year and improved the Bills.  Grant it Last year’s 6-10 left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth when the Bills went 1-8 in their last 9 games but it was still an improvement.  So is the answer getting rid of the only coach and front office to show consistent improvement over the past three years or do we want to completely start over with a new coach, which means there is a learning curve for everyone and deal with another losing season, which is not definitely to happen but likelihood of happening or do we stay on course and extend for another year and give Gailey and his staff 1 more year to make it to the playoffs?

Buffalo can finish with a winning record this year, something that has not happened since the year of 2004.