Shanahan to the Bills Is So Crazy, It Just Might Work

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the the Bills have contacted two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Shanahan about their head coach position, vacant after the firing of Dick Jauron on Tuesday. It's certainly a move that shows some promise to fans, or at least the hint of promise. Other names that the Bills could be interested in are Jim Haslett, Kevin Gilbride, and current CFL coach Marc Trestman.

But I believe that Shanahan might be the best coach for the job.

Fired from the Broncos in 2008 after an 8-8 season, Shanahan has only had two losing seasons in his entire career. While I wouldn't expect a winning season right away if he were to become the coach, he clearly doesn't stay with a losing record for long if he's given considerable control (which I believe is the only way he even thinks about coming in.) 

But let's consider Shanahan and his trademark: running the ball. While in Denver for thirteen years, his teams ran for over 2000 yards in a season eight times (61.5%), and over 1800 yards every year. He is famous for taking "no-name" running backs and deploying a potent rushing attack.

Now, when looking at the conditions that Denver and Buffalo play in during the season, its similar. In either environment it becomes much more productive to run instead of pass in the normal weather conditions. In Buffalo, this is usually sue to the wind, and later the snow, while in Denver this is usually due to the snow, and to a point, one could argue, the cold. The exact conditions don't matter, however. The point is that to be successful, the Bills need to have a good running game, something that Shanahan could foster.

This becomes more evident when looking at the talent situation that the Bills find themselves in. Lee Evans could be the most talented player on the offense, but beyond him, there's nothing. More talent resides in the rushing game with Lynch and Jackson. Throw into this a young (read: teachable) offensive line that has started three rookies (Bell, Levitre, and Wood) and Shanahan can almost mold his own attack. He can implement his blocking schemes into the line. He has his "flash" in Jackson and his "power" in Lynch, although both backs can be "flash" and "dash" at times. He has the pieces for a successful ground game.

After this, the question becomes the much weaker passing game of course. However, with a strong running game, the defense will bring seven to eight men in the box. This makes it easier for your quarterback of choice to pick out his targets downfield. Having a strong running game helps the passing game, helps the defense by establishing time of possession and keeping the defense fresh, and goes a long way to win a game.

But it all starts with bringing in someone who's proven they can develop a strong rushing attack, which Mike Shanahan has done.