Influence of Good Coaches (Bills vs. Pats)

In the NFL, stability is key, if you look at all the great team, they all have one thing in common, STABILITY. In the past decade, the Buffalo Bills have had 4 head coaches, which gives us an average of 2 1/2 years per coach. Now, compare that to the most recent dynasty of the NFL, the New England Patriots. The Patriots have only had 2 head coaches in the past 10 years. Most of you fans are probably saying that it is easy to keep your job, if you are winning, but as the Bills shown, it is not always wins that lets you keep your job.

 After coaching legend, Marv Levy, left the Bills, at the end of the 1997 season, the Buffalo Bills handed the coaching job over to Wade Phillips. Most Bills fans remember Wade Phillips for his starting Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie, who lead us to a 10-5 record in 1999, however, what most Bills fans would not be able to tell you, is that Mr. Phillips, in 3 years, went 29-19. In his tenure with the Buffalo Bills, the Bills did not have a single losing season, including the Bills last playoff appearence, and yet, after 3 years with the team, Ralph Wilson decided to let Mr. Phillips go. In comparison, in Bill Belichick's first 3 years with the Patriots, the team went 25-23, although he did lead the Pats to a superbowl. Imagine how different the NFL would have been as a whole, if the Patriots would have let go of Belichick after he failed to make the playoffs in his 3rd year as head coach. Also, Wade's record after 3 seasons, was a half-game better than Bills great Marv Levy, who went 28-19 in his first 3 seasons (In 1987, players went on a 24-day strike making the season only 15 games, instead of the full 16). Ever since this time, the Buffalo Bills have hired 3 head coaches, and only once have finished above .500, 9-7 in 2004 under Mike Mularkey, and have not once been in the playoffs.

Ralph C. Wilson Jr., is the founder, and current owner of the Buffalo Bills, and, as much as I hate to say it as a fan, the blame falls here. I am sorry Bills fans, but in the past decade, the Bills have had 7 starting QB's, and 6 different leading RB's. Mr. Wilson Jr. has tried bringing in veteran leadership to lead us back to the promise land (ex. Drew Bledsoe), and Ralph Wilson Jr. has also tried bringing in a young new face to give this team the "kick" this team needs (ex. J.P. Losman). So, instead of trying to hire a different head coach ever other year, or a new QB basically every year...it's time to look up at the top, and say it is time for a change. Now the only problem is, will that change include a change of location?