Before he returned to the NFL as offensive coordinator with the Chiefs in 2008 and later took over as the Buffalo Bills head coach in 2010, Chan Gailey spent six years as the head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Gailey might have a few flashbacks to those college coaching days this week, as he prepares the Bills to play a Saturday game against a Denver offense that’s integrated the option to its attack.
In a conference call Tuesday, Gailey was asked to recall if he ever thought the option could work at the professional level when he coached in college.
“I thought this: I thought the first team that had guts enough to try it, it was going to work for about two years, and then defensive coaches in the NFL would catch up to it a little bit. Then it would be a struggle,” Gailey said.
By mixing in the option with more traditional run schemes, the Broncos have excelled on the ground this year. Denver leads the league in rushing with just over 163 rushing yards per game. Last week the Broncos ran for 252 yards against New England, 93 of which came from quarterback Tim Tebow, who also ran for two scores.
Gailey said Tebow “creates a big problem defenses” with his ability to make plays in the passing game and with his legs outside the pocket.
But the Buffalo head coach’s overall assessment of Tebow boiled down to his win/loss record.
“The last time I judged quarterbacks—which has been every day of my life it seems like—you judge by winning football games, and that’s what he does,” Gailey said of Tebow, who is 7-2 as a starter this season. “He wins football games. It’s probably not in the fashion that everyone in the NFL is used to, but he’s leading his team to victory. That’s an important factor for playing the quarterback position.”
Bills Looking to End Skid
While the Broncos started the season 1-4, the Bills entered Week 6 riding high with at 4-1 record.
Both teams have gone in opposite directions since. At 8-5, Denver currently leads the AFC West division and the 5-9 Bills have lost seven straight.
“Everything that was going right early in the season has been going wrong as of late,” Gailey said.
Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has struggled, throwing 12 interceptions during the losing the streak. Fitzpatrick said it’s “fair to say” he’s been pressing as of late as the team has fallen out of playoff contention after a promising start.
“We really haven’t played well. Personally, I haven’t played well,” Fitzpatrick said in a conference call. “And we’re just working through it right now.”
“We’re not in the position we wanted to be in, but we’re in a position where we get to play the game of football and go out there and have fun and compete. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Tags: Chan Gailey, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tim Tebow, Week 16
I am very sympathetic towards the Bills. I know what it is like to be part of a losing effort. My heart bleeds!
In spite of that, I am all in favor of helping this New York team to their eighth straight loss!!!! LOL (Nothing personal to you NY fans, but I hate all things NY!)
Poor, poor Buffalo. It’s too bad Denver is going to come in against them in a fury after losing to New England. The Bills are going to take a serious beating. Go Broncos!!!!
I think the Bills are going to try and play spoiler we need to go out there and get it in often and early, but most importantly close it out strong.
For once this season I wanna see a complete TEAM effort, in all phases, I wanna see a BLOW OUT over the Bills (and Chiefs)
I seen this b/4 Just beat a bad SF team @ home and we are in 2006. We lost
Just beat a bad Bills team @ home in 08 and we win the AFC West. We lost.
Just beat a bad KC team @ home and maybe were in 09 We lost.
The fact that the Bills have not won in a long time scares me cuz the losing streak has to end some time. I have been hoping for the BIlls to win the past weeks.
The perfect weekend would be:
Denver wins KC is eliminated
Detroit wins SD is eliminated
KC wins Oakland is eliminated
So my pick is BRONCOS 23- Bills 20
Miller needs to get some sacks. There is talk that Smith from SF will be Def. rookie of the year. He plays for the #1 Defense and he now has more sacks than Miller. GO Miller take us to the playoffs!!!!!!!!!!
This is your classic trap game. A team that started of strong (and thus proved that it is a real threat), but has since lost seven.
The rule of averages says this team is due for a win. Of course, in 3 of the last four seasons we went into the final 2 weeks with every opportunity to win one more game to get into the playoffs, and we failed. So the law of averages also demands that we eventually stop that trend.
But this game is scary. A good buffalo team, down on its luck, desperate for one more win this season, just for pride. They would love nothing more than to make sure we our team is also watching the playoffs from there couches at home.
While I would like to see Tebow’s pasing ability continue to improve, I really want the ‘W’ most. Go back the ground and pound game this week and win it in the 4th. It is the formula that is working for us this year – in spite of the near hear attack I am getting!