Bills' Doug Marrone a fan of deferring to second half

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The pre-game coin toss in the NFL is far from an exact science. When given the choice, some coaches prefer to always get the ball first while others would rather have the fallback of a possession to open the third quarter.

Consider Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone in the latter camp.

"I like having the ball at halftime on offense because I think adjustments are big," Marrone said Wednesday during a phone conference with season-ticket holders, via The Buffalo News. "And I think that’s a big difference. You can win games by how you adjust not just at halftime but how you adjust during the game on the sideline."

The common argument in choosing to receive is that a team wants to get on the board first and put early pressure on the opposition, but Marrone's point is just as valid. And Marrone did cover all his bases by noting that weather and specific matchups could alter his approach.

Marrone's now divisional nemesis in Rex Ryan shares a similar preference in choice, though for a little different reason.

Ryan likes to send his defense out right off the bat to set the tone, as forced punts have been a common sight on the opening drive in Jets games since Ryan has taken over. Unfortunately for Ryan, the same can be said when his own offense is on the field.

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