Tag Archives: Brian Flores

The Buffalo Bills Should Hire Bill Belichick

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With the ink drying in the record books for the end of the Buffalo Bills 2025 season and now the firing of Head Coach Sean McDermott, its time ot move forward and hire Bill Belichick. Keep in mind if you’re new here The Chancellor was calling for Sean McDermott’s dismissal the last few weeks here and in social circles since November.

Then my original question was “Has The Buffalo Bills Super Bowl Window Closed” believing it had with Coach McDermott at the helm. The disappointing part is GM Brandon Beane is still inhouse who built such a weak team around Josh Allen.

The epitaph on the McDermott regime is too many “Rudy try hard” types and not blue chip players especially on the defensive side of the ball. No momentum swinging playmakers with sacks, forced fumbles, or turnovers of any kind. Just a schematically sound defense that without playmakers has allowed 31.6 points per game in 7 of our 8 playoff losses. No one to stem the tide and crest momentum in the Bills direction.

Furthermore what is upsetting was the scapegoating then DC Leslie Frazier over the :13 playoff loss to Kansas City in the 36-33 divisional playoff loss in ’21 to KC. Override the DC if you believe something different should have been called. You’re both defensive coordinators…yet I digress.

Our plight has been one of not getting over the hump and winning a Super Bowl and now we’ve wasted most of Josh Allen’s career as he is now 30. The years are running out and the time is now for a quarterback that has taken more hits over the last 7 years than any in the NFL.

If this is all about bringing in culture, know how and intimate knowledge of your newest AFC East antagonist in the Patriots, go hire Bill Belichick before anyone knows what hit them. Yes the man who cultivated “The Patriot Way” that Coach Vrabel resurrected and is taking to the AFC Championship would do Buffalo some good. He knows the discipline and approach it takes to get to and win the Super Bowl that has not been in Orchard Park.

Do you realize he is 14 wins from becoming the NFL’s All Time winningest Coach?? How many times has he been mentioned as being a defensive genius for his morphing a 3-4 to just using Nickle in the ’90 NFC Championship Game?? His 2-5 defense he copied from the late Fritz Shurmer to win Super Bowl XXV?? Or the Ameoba defense also borrowed from Fritz Shurmer to confuse QBs with all standing personnel that he taught to & Brian Flores is killing it with in Minnesota?

Belichick struggled when Brady left because he couldn’t develop a QB like Mike Tomlin. The difference is Bill Belichick’s maintained his genius in crafting top defenses despite their offensive woes. Do you realize he had the 15th (2020), 4th (2021), 9th (2022), & 7th (2023) ranked defenses in the years after Tom?? This isn’t an out of touch Pete Carroll coming back a decade after leaving Seattle. Belichick fielded a top ten defense just 2 years ago. I’d go Tomlin but he wants to take a year off and just had the league’s 26th ranked defense.

The Bills window is now with a franchise quarterback who could use some short fields from a better defense. An offensive coordinator who can maximize an aging Josh Allen and prepare him for a legitimate Super Bowl run. What goes into each meeting, divisional dominance, and championship preparedness. Many people sent me messages and talked behind my back after proclaiming McDermott should be bounced, well he has and you might want to listen to The Chancellor this time as Belichick is key to a championship legacy. Its one of the reasons I used a Gatorade bath from the Giants ’86 playoff win to stretch your imagination. After all…I did mention what his overall legacy had grown to leading in to Super Bowl XLVI. Its high time to listen.

The Buffalo Bills mission…if you want to win one of these.

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Epilogue: So today I sit down to have lunch after having a series of Bills fans scream “No!” in hiring Bill Belichick and on First Things First Nick Wright offered this:

Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year 2024: Andrew Van Ginkel

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As we power toward the 2025 season, we have some unfinished business and its time to put it down on record although social media-wise many know who The Chancellor had selected: Viking Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkle.

At the start of 2024 many pundits had the Vikings finishing in the middle of the pack, having lost longtime QB Kirk Cousins and then rookie JJ McCarthy to a season ending knee injury. By the time  journeyman Sam Darnold took over at QB, no one knew what to make of this team or had a focal point Coach O’Connell could hang his hat on. Enter DC Brian Flores and his free agent LB he coached in Miami.

Here at Taylor Blitz we’ve chronicled defenses historically that thrive on speed, confusion and the ability to force turnovers. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores is a Bill Belichick disciple and brought Fritz Shurmer’s Zone Blitzing/Amoeba principles to this Twin Cities defense. The Chancellor chronicled “The Eagle Defense” featuring Kevin Greene rom the LA Rams 89 playoff run.

Weakside OLB

Van Ginkel was a wildcard on the defense and it was showcased from game 1. He lined up at OLB in a 3-4, double A Gap blitzing LB, in a 3-3 Nickle Backer, and the only ‘backer inside in the dime defense (red dot) and he terrorized Daniel Jones all day.

Dime “A” Gap ‘Backer

He finished with 4 tackles 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 pass break up and a game clinching 3rd quarter pick 6 of a bubble screen to ballon the Vikings lead to 28-6. This time he was lined up at Outside Linebacker on the Strong Side. A sudden lightning strike that brought the boo-birds out in Giants Stadium

3-3 Strong Side Outside ‘Backer

This play galvanized the team infusing belief and confidence in the 1-0 Vikings & sent the Giants into the tailspin that ended Daniel Jones’ tenure in New York as a starting QB. Ironically it was Van Ginkel who knocked him out of a game the season before when he was with Miami… yet I digress.

He finished off New York when in the season’s 5th week the surprising Vikings (4-0)  took on the reeling uncertain Jets (2-2) in London. With a 3-0 lead and Aaron Rodgers driving, Van Ginkel struck from an interior rush position baiting him into a “hot read” interception he took back 63 yards for a TD that had the Vikings up 10-0. Panic and dread came over the Jets sideline as Minnesota went on to a 23-17 win.

Wait.. finish off New York? Yes. Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh was fired just two days later after a disappointing 2-3 start.

The Vikings headed into their bye week at 5-0 and the defense was leading the NFL in sacks and ranked 4th overall. Van Ginkel & company stayed on The Chancellor of Football’s radar throughout the year.

For the season Van Ginkel finished the season with 79 total tackles, 11 1/2 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and an additional 19 hits on the QB. He tied for the team lead in tackles for loss which leads to punts to end drives and was 2nd on the team by 1/2 a sack. However he had 2 season changing interceptions for touchdowns that catapulted him to a 2nd team All Pro selection.

National recognition by the sporting press usually comes a year after a player has achieved a status where that doesn’t happen here.

The Vikings finished with a middle of the pack defense (16th) however a closer look shows they were tied for 1st in turnovers forced (33) and finished 5th (49) in sacks. Going into the winner take all finale the Vikings were 14-2 and had given up a lot of garbage yards in their wins. If they gave up just 201 yards less for the season they finish in the top ten defensively.

I wish he had more than the 1 forced fumble but this was a well rounded performance and worthy of Taylor Blitz Times Defensive Player of the Year.

Other Notable Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year

2023. TJ Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers

2022 Hasaan Reddick – Philadelphia Eagles

2021 TJ Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers

2020 Aaron Donald – LA Rams

2019 Shaq Barrett – Tampa Bay Bucs

 

2018 Khalil Mack – Chicago Bears

 

 

2017 Aaron Donald – LA Rams   

2016 Khalil Mack – Oakland Raiders

 

 

2015 Thomas Davis – Carolina Panthers

2014 J.J. Watt – Houston Texans

2013 Richard Sherman – Seattle Seahawks

2012 Navorro Bowman: San Francisco 49ers

2011 D’Qwell Jackson: Cleveland Browns

The 2024 Minnesota Vikings Are For Real

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We have an old axiom here at Taylor Blitz Times:  “At some point you have to believe what your eyes are seeing.” The Minnesota Vikings are for real! Sam Darnold is the early season comeback player of the year.


Everyone was giving Brian Flores hell for his treatment of Tua when he was in Miami and scoffed at his discrimination suit… yet he brought Van Ginkel (#43) from Miami and he had a pick 6 today. He has a Top 5 defense and is a Belichick disciple… and remember defenses stay well coached all season not just for stretches.
Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gillmore ended Aaron Rodgers last drive with an interception. It looked like the same route when he made a huge 4th quarter interception in Super Bowl LIII for Flores’ Patriot defense. Oh…you forgot Brian Flores and Gilmore were there together.

Time to believe it…Minnesota is for real.

There are many ways to excel on defense in the NFL. Right now they lead the NFL in sacks and are 4th in points allowed with 82 through 5 games, but where they excel is timely defense. As I have alluded to you can do it with brute strength or opt for speed and confusion. Cue the past …some history if you will.

Flores is a disciple of Bill Belichick who was a confidante of the late Fritz Shurmer. Remember my precious article “Birth of The Zone Blitz“? This was the 1989 run where the Rams 2-5 “Eagle Defense” almost stole an NFL title with a confusing defense with 5 linebackers on the field. Lets take you back to Aaron Rodgers 1st quarter pick six.

Isnt this Fritz Shurmer’s 2-5 “Eagle?”

Who is the Mike? Who is blitzing and who will drop out of those 5 linebackers? Notice 5 of the front 7 standing up as linebackers? All we need is Kevin Greeene’s blonde locks sticking out of his helmet on the corner. Well Van Ginkel will have to do… At the snap he dropped from his blitz ploy into the slant lane where Rodgers “hot read” should be.

The game Bill Belichick learned of the 5 LB concept when he was with the Giants and Fritz’s Rams ran it.

Pick six… 7-0 lead and complete strategic control and competitive advantage in the game. Flores opted for speed and confusion and Rodgers being hit often had his clock sped up. He tossed 3 interceptions with Gilmore’s game sealing steal.

At 5-0, this defense will be a problem all season as its a staple from the Patriots dynasty that lives on. However we should pay homage to the late Fritz Shurmer and the evolution of defensive concepts he pioneered.

The Vikings and this defense are for real and are confusing offenses

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