Wade Benching Flutie

[links18]

Who remembers Wade Phillips' bone-headed decision to bench Flutie Flakes and replace him with Robo Sack Johnson in the Music City Miracle playoff debacle? It was on the NFL network's "10 Biggest One-Hit Wonders" show a few nights ago in the context of the bit on Rob Johnson. I hope he doesn't make any of those types of moronic decisions in Dallas!

 

[coach316]

Who remembers Wade Phillips' bone-headed decision to bench Flutie Flakes and replace him with Robo Sack Johnson in the Music City Miracle playoff debacle? It was on the NFL network's "10 Biggest One-Hit Wonders" show a few nights ago in the context of the bit on Rob Johnson. I hope he doesn't make any of those types of moronic decisions in Dallas!

And if not for a fluke play, that is still to this day debated if it was a legal play or not, the Bills win that game and Wade is a genius.

 

[AbeBeta]

And if not for a fluke play, that is still to this day debated if it was a legal play or not, the Bills win that game and Wade is a genius.

Wade got fired.

The next season Greg Williams runs the team. Who is his starter? Rob Johnson. Flutie is cut at the end of the year.

Seems less boneheaded in that context, huh?

 

[AtlCB]

Who remembers Wade Phillips' bone-headed decision to bench Flutie Flakes and replace him with Robo Sack Johnson in the Music City Miracle playoff debacle? It was on the NFL network's "10 Biggest One-Hit Wonders" show a few nights ago in the context of the bit on Rob Johnson. I hope he doesn't make any of those types of moronic decisions in Dallas!

To be fair to Wade Phillip, Flutie wasn't exactly lighting up the league at the end of the 1999 season. Flutie was also getting up in age, and the team needed to see what it had at QB with Rob Johnson. Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[joseephuss]

To be fair to Wade Phillip, Flutie wasn't exactly lighting up the league at the end of the 1999 season. Flutie was also getting up in age, and the team needed to see what it had at QB with Rob Johnson. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Even with 20/20 hindsight it doesn't look like a bad move. The myth of Flutie is much greater than the reality. He was an overachiever that had some moments, but he was far from a top QB in the NFL.

 

[AbeBeta]

Even with 20/20 hindsight it doesn't look like a bad move. The myth of Flutie is much greater than the reality. He was an overachiever that had some moments, but he was far from a top QB in the NFL.

Also, Johnson was a guy they had given up a first rounder for -- Ralph Wilson was chomping at the bit to get some return on that.

 

[AtlCB]

Also, Johnson was a guy they had given up a first rounder for -- Ralph Wilson was chomping at the bit to get some return on that.

Rob Johnson was also great most of the following year. He had 12 TD's and 3 int's. In week 14, he had a horrible game against Miami and never recovered.

 

[links18]

Direct quote from Phillips: "If Flutie would have started, we would have won the game." It made no sense to start Johnson, who had been on the bench for many weeks prior to the game, against an aggressive sack happy defense sporting Kearse on the other side.

Wade admitted it was a dumb move. I just hope he learned his lesson.

 

[Stash]

I have but one word:

Agenda

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I have but one word:

Agenda

Yep.

I thought it was speculated, if not confirmed, that Wilson was the one pushing for Johnson to be put in as the starter.

If that's true, then maybe it was a valuable lesson if Wade ever had to fight Jerry on a player the owner wanted to play.

 

[links18]

There's no agenda. It just came up in the context of the NFL Network's show. I remember thinking it was a really dumb move before the game and Wade confirmed that it was in fact that in his quote during the show.

The titans had a very agressive over pursuing defense that made Johnson a sitting duck and that is precisly the type of defense a guy like Flutie could have punished.

 

[joseephuss]

There's no agenda. It just came up in the context of the NFL Network's show. I remember thinking it was a really dumb move before the game and Wade confirmed that it was in fact that in his quote during the show.

The titans had a very agressive over pursuing defense that made Johnson a sitting duck and that is precisly the type of defense a guy like Flutie could have punished.

Rob Johnson was a good athlete. He could move pretty well. He was no more a sitting duck than Flutie would have been.

 

[AtlCB]

Direct quote from Phillips: "If Flutie would have started, we would have won the game." It made no sense to start Johnson, who had been on the bench for many weeks prior to the game, against an aggressive sack happy defense sporting Kearse on the other side.

Wade admitted it was a dumb move. I just hope he learned his lesson.

Rob Johnson started the final regular season game against Indianapolis. He threw for 287 yards that game.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Every coach makes mistakes somewhere down the line in their career. Romo has shown he can handle the job now it's just the matter of taking his game to the next level.. Totally different situation than the Buffalo mess.

 

[gimmesix]

Who remembers Wade Phillips' bone-headed decision to bench Flutie Flakes and replace him with Robo Sack Johnson in the Music City Miracle playoff debacle? It was on the NFL network's "10 Biggest One-Hit Wonders" show a few nights ago in the context of the bit on Rob Johnson. I hope he doesn't make any of those types of moronic decisions in Dallas!

I don't believe that the decision was completely Phillips' to make. There was considerable pressure from the front office to change to Johnson from what I understand.

Unless we have a complete understanding of who was behind the move I don't think we can give the discredit all to Phillips.

Plus, the last coach we had made his share of bad QB moves, but usually corrected them when given time.

 

[AbeBeta]

I don't believe that the decision was completely Phillips' to make. There was considerable pressure from the front office to change to Johnson from what I understand.

The team had given up a first for Johnson and they were starting a 37 year old QB who was mediocre. Sure, Flutie was a nice story but reality was that he was an over the hill QB who had a 75 passer rating that year.

 

[MonsterD]

Our Robosack was Bledsoe, the entire pocket came crashing down on him and there he was oblivious staring down his receiver. I'm still frustrated he couldn't just "feel" the pressure and gun it out.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Also, Johnson was a guy they had given up a first rounder for -- Ralph Wilson was chomping at the bit to get some return on that.

Being from Syracuse, it was pretty common knowledge...even most Bills fans agreed...that Wilson forced Phillips to start Johnson. Phillips did it begrudgingly. That's actually a big thing since most Bills fans never say anything bad about Wilson. Wilson then forced Phillips to fire Dehaven, which he begrudingly did and when Wilson wanted Phillips to fire his replacement (can't remember), Phillips got sick of Wilson and said no and then was fired himself.

There's a reason why the Bills have struggled over the years.




YAKUZA