As soon as the regular season ended, changes started coming all around the league. Black Monday was a busy day in the NFL world, as several head coaches, general managers, and coordinators lost their jobs. Three days into this busy time of the year, it was announced that Bills' head coach Doug Marrone has opted out of his contract. The Bills have failed to reach the playoffs the past 2 seasons under Marrone. This season, they went 9-7 and were in the running to make the playoffs as a wildcard, but negated that chance after losing to Oakland in week 16. While they didn't fulfill their ultimate goal, playing into the postseason, 9-7 is an improvement. Many people credit this improvement to Doug Marrone, but I give just as much, if not more credit to defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz. Did you see Buffalo's defense, this season??
With Marrone gone, and probably taking most of the coaching staff with him, who becomes the new head coach in Buffalo? My vote as a football fan in general, is Jim Schwartz. I love the guy. My vote as a diehard Patriots fan, knowing we play them twice a year, almost anyone but Jim Schwartz. But when I write about other teams than the Patriots, I try to be as unbiased as possible, and just view things from a football-nerd standpoint. Personally, I think Schwartz would be a great person to take on this role. I know many people will go back to his days as HC of the Lions and make the argument that if he couldn't win there, he won't win in Buffalo, either. But I disagree. Again, just look at what he's done with the Bills' defense in ONE season. Imagine what their defense will look like next season, and the season after that. Good...scary good if you're a Pats fan. After all, defense wins championships. With an NFL caliber quarterback (even better if he has some experience in the league), and a solid offensive coordinator, the Bills could almost immediately become a top 12 team. Pick a good head coach and they become a legitimate threat in not just the AFC East, but the entire AFC.
As of now, Buffalo has no head coach, no quarterback, and no first-round picks in this years draft. That's not much of a draw for potential head coaching candidates. So if I'm the Bills, I'm looking at Chargers OC, Frank Reich (which they are), or Jim Schwartz. And now that I think about it, Reich and Schwartz could turn out to be a scary-duo; one of the best defensive-minds in football and a good, offensive-minded HC, who's already proven he can be successful in the NFL. Bills fans should be excited about the potential opportunities that await.
As always, GO PATS.
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