A couple of interesting stats from the Chan Gailey era:
1. His win losss record with the Buffalo Bills was 16-32.
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a starting record of 16-29.
3. The run to pass ratio under Gailey was 1234:1608
4. Gailey has had 2 defensive coordinators during his time.
5. The Bills have allowed 400+ points in the past 3 seasons under Gailey.
6. The offense ranked 14th in the NFL last year, the highest since 2003.
7. No Bills coach has successfully completed 4 years in a row since Marv Levy.
8. Chan Gailey mustered a 4-18 record against AFC East opponents.
9. The time of possession average for the past 3 seasons was under 30minutes.
10. The Bills will have drafted 4th, 11th and 8th after a Gailey led team.
What Happened:
Coaches around the league are fearful of Black Monday. Norv Turner, Ken Whisenhunt, Andy Reid, Lovie Smith, Pat Shurmer, Romeo Crennel and Chan Gailey were all let go. Mike Mularky and Ron Rivera are on the hot seat. General Managers are also fearful today as AJ Smith, Gene Smith, Mike Tannenbaum and Rod Graves have all been let go.
Buffalo just didn’t hand Gailey his walking papers though, as the entire coaching staff was told they were not needed next season. The Bills need change and this is the way to do it. The results weren’t there despite having a roster of very talented players. Ralph Wilson is getting older and most would assume he would like to see a championship before his time is up and Gailey didn’t provide any proof he was the leader this team needed in order for that to happen.
After Thoughts:
The Bills are not starting over, they are starting fresh. Mike Tomlin guided the Steelers to the playoffs in his first season as head coach and a Superbowl victory in his second season. 3 teams made the playoffs this year after coming of losing seasons the season prior. (Minnesota, Washington and Indianapolis) The Bills have talent, they just needs a leader to guide the players to the promised land. CJ Spiller averaged more than 6 yards per carry. Mario Williams, Jarius Byrd and Stephon Gilmore are bright spots on the defense. This change was overdue and needed.
So who will lead the 2013 edition of the Buffalo Bills? The candidates will be tossed around in the next couple of weeks, but one thing will be for certain, the job opening looks way more attractive than 3 years ago.
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