DFITZ1

It's from 8 years of no playoffs, and seeing the same problems in a regular 2-3 year cycle. Every 2-3 years we recycle coaches, QB's, and RB's. The problem is we can't (won't) build an offensive line a la teh 90's, the electric company, or the AFL Champions. Our team revenues get squeezed at the front office, meaning we have bargain coaches and talent evaluators. Result, a mediocre team.

Last year when Mike Singletary took over teh Niners, he changed a bunch of roughshod losers into a competitive NFL team (including making Buffalo look stupid). Not only his football prowess, but his attitude. Singletary called out the slackers publicly and motivated the rest to raise their game and it showed. A lot of teams eventually take on the personality of their coaches. Since DJ has a laid back, listless personality, the Bills players have collectively acquired the same. If a real coach came in pushed these players (a la Parcells or teh late-great Lou Saban), had low tolerance for screw ups, and made smart game-day decisions (DJ's game day decisions lost 3-4 games last year), we could make a run for the playoffs. I can't see this team winning 6 games this year in its current state. Turner Gil, on the other hand, is a motivator and a strong leader, and his teams show it. He took a div 1A laughingstock and put them in a bowl game. Watching him on the sidelines is a joy compared to Jauron (who looks lost).

If you can't find anything else to do on a Sunday afternoon in Sept-Oct, you're not looking hard enough. You might want to take up golf. However, if you want Saturdays and some week days to fill your football needs, I suggest UB football. It's better, cheaper and has a real football coach.

On offense, no way. They barely have time to run vanilla plays, let alone throw a ruse. I hope on defense that they've played conservative all pre-season and plan to be aggressive against the Pats. Otherwise, Belichek sticks another pin in teh rear of his Jauron voodoo doll (not that he needs the doll).

However, I couldn't believe DJ spanked the players when they got into a fight. Heck, I was thrilled, as well as the whole of WNY, I wish it could've been an all out brawl just to get some football mentality into these guys.

I completely agree with you and Lofton80. TO doesn't have it in him to lower himself to DJ's standards. The best thing he does for this team could very well be off the field if he leads a player uprising against this lame football strategy. We can only hope that DJ-Schonert don't see this as a threat and treat it like Levy-Marchibroda where they knew they could elevate their game by letting Kelly call plays. Like Colin Powell used to say, "Never hold back enthusiasm," Of course, our players need to get the enthusiam first. TO, do your thing!

If so, then let it begin now. I'd rather we lose by being aggressive, than by being passive. Every time we play the Pats, Jauron plays scared, and the players do the same and back off, giving the Pats free reign on offense. So many quick underneath passes going for 5+ yards because the CB's are playing 15 yards off. The Giants showed that you beat the Pats by being aggressive and going after them. Sit back, like Jauron, and they pick you part.

This pre-season, neither has the running game. As far as I can tell, our offense CANNOT run the ball. Lynch and Jackson have done nothing consistent, and Omon is playing against back-ups. Trent is not going to convert TD's if teh running game goes backwards in teh red zone. Our opponents open bigger holes than our o-line does.

I've only watched one preseason game (HOF) and read the play by play and "Crime Scene Investigation" of the others and its easy to conclude that Jaurons personality has simply morphed its way into all the players. Heck, Edwards never made excuses like this last year. He's now sounding like Jauron, and so is teh rest of the team. Jauron is conservative, passive, unaggressive, lax, accepting of bad fate (remember Bobby April screaming at a ref after a bad call, but DJ just stared like a deer on headlights), everything you can't have in a head coach. Sure the players love playing for him, because he doesn't hold them accountable. Hey, players didn't like playing for Parcells, but they did because he made them winners. The time to can Jauron is now while there is still time for someone, anyone, to step in and light a fire under this team. My bet is they would even welcome it. Remember what Mike Singletary did to the Niners' last year. His theatrics were over the top, but he put the slackers on notice to step up or step out, and he wasn't afraid to call you out. Do it now Ralph, while there is still time to prepare for the Pats. I am sick of Belichek showing the rest of the NFL that Bills coaches aren't even fit to carry his clipboard. Perhaps Bobby April can step in or someone. Heck, see if Turner Gill would mind working a few Sunday afternoons at teh Ralph. Right now, if Jauron stays, look for the UB Bulls to be the standard of excellence in WNY football (not that I mind that).

WNY'ers will eventually buy tickets more out of civic duty, than entertainment. With the threat of moving always looming large, a fair number of fans/businesses will be seats/suites to keep the franchise viable.

This was true in earlier games where the defense began giving up a lot of yardage in the 4th quarter. Losing Rusty Jones was one of those "patronage" losses where he was moved out because he wasn't part of the Donahoe/Williams club. Apparently who you're aligned with is more important than your ability on the NFL island. If RW knew what he was doing, he would have told Donahoe/Williams that Rusty Jones stays where he wants, no matter what. The guy liked Buffalo, too, so it made no sense to lose him.

Is that the Detroit Lions, BC Lions or Penn State Nittany Lions.

I think the BIlls would win 3 more games, and the Pats would've had 2 more losses, both to the Bills because Belechek outcoaches Jauron every time. Jauron plays timid and conservative against teh Pats and gets run over by them. Teams that beat teh Pats attacked them, and through curves at them. The Wildcat used by teh Fish is an excellent example, and something Jauron would never have thought of here.

No doubt, rebuilding/strengthening the lines will do wonders. That's how Parcells builds a team, from the trenches outward. Lynch/Jackson could have doubled their yardage with a more athletic o-line. Not enough holes, and no containment on sweeps.

Like Arnold Schwartzenagger, you'll be back at the first sign of hope. I have a feeling it'll be like '84-'85, when the "Buffalo Wave Cheer" was the joke of the league. Empty seats until a proven football savior shows up.

I've been harping about the O-line for 7-8 years. Lynch/Jackson running this year reminded me of OJ before the electric company; no holes, tacklers in teh backfield, no containment on sweeps. A athletic o-line (as opposed to overweight) could make these two dominate the league. Right now, the o-line holds them back. This still doesn't help the coaching issue. Jauron's teams underperform, and Jauron makes poor game day decisions. In close games, that tilts the game in favor of our opponents, and we'll be 7-9 again in 2009. The only group that's relieved Jauron's retained are CFL fans. This ensures at least one team will embarrass "the 4-down game" for at least one more year in Toronto.

I remember the John Rauch and Harvey Johnson days. If it hadn't been for Lou Saban's 1060's tenure I don't think anyone would've followed this team come 1972. In all do resoect to Harvey Johnson, he was really a front office type and not a coach. He was really put into a bad position.

In close games, YES! Especially when the critical play occured at the end of teh game. In close games, it may come down to the team that plays smarter, is the one that wins. In the Jets game, DJ's supporters can claim the play wasn't executed, but hey, it is the object of the opposing defense to prevent the play from being executed. If all plays were executed we would have NBA scores in teh NFL. A defensive coach (like DJ), must know that. Therefore, it's prudent to run a play with the least risk for the goal that has to be accomplished. The Bills goal was to hold onto the ball and run as much time off the clock. ANY coach would tell you that that situation called for a running play, especially since Lynch was moving the pile and teh Jets D was worn. Sure ther was a risk of a fumble, but a pass adds the risk of a sack, an interception and a fumble (QB and receiver). It was a dumb play call. Do you believe that we would have still lost that game if a running play had been called. Bottom line: DJ failed to keep the Bills in a position to win. He cost us that game.

I wouldn't call the talent on the O-line close. None of them could have started with teh SB teams, the Electric Company, or the AFL Champions. Reason - they are immobile and fat. Ralph seems to have the idea that big is the only criteria for O-lineman, when it is really momentum (Force x velocity for those who forgot physics). Guys like HOF's Billy Shaw and Joe D weren't just big (for their time) but fast. Shaw used to tease his RB's that he had to slow down on sweeps for them to catch up. Anyone watching OJ, the Pre-Saban years knows what I'm talking about.

Agreed, but I think this goes back to Donahoe/Williams for letting Rusty Jones get away. Jones was teh best in the business, but those guys felt having "their guy" was more important than having the best. They sound more like the NY Legislature than competent football staff.

Agree completely. I've always liked Roth's commentaries. Much better than teh barstool rants written by the Buff News. Although, Mon-Sat is still important. I remember after the Niner's game that Mike Singletary spent most of the week prepping for red zone defense, and it worked. If DJ had done the same on offense, we might have pulled that game off. I don't know if Singletary is a bonafide long-term coach, but he exemplified everything DJ should have done in Buffalo. Singletary got higher performance out of the same group of players by getting them to respect and fear him, not love him. The "love" comes from winning. I wonder how many Bills players who "love" DJ also love being 7-9.

You're right. I missed teh 49'r game. I was in a bar watching teh second half and everyone was just frustrated that we weren't running the ball. Jauron took responsibility for the bad call in teh Jets game. It can be argued that if that play had been executed as planned it shouldn't have mattered, but no coach can count on all plays being executed as planned. At that time, the coach should go with teh play that has the best chance of success and minimize risk. A pass play is normally more risky than a run, and at 2nd and 5 with Lynch tearing up yards, there was no reason to add more risk. Perhaps rather than saying Jauron cost the game, it could be said that his decisions put the game at a higher risk of losing, and in some cases, that's what happened.

Looking at play calling or game management decisions, I see DJ directly cost us 2 games, 1 - Cleveland, choosing to "settle" for a 47 yd FG when the prudent thing to do was to move closer (and the O was moving the ball) 2 - NY Jets@Buff - the all-time classic blunder. Calling for an ill fated JP pass when a working running game could have run out the clock. Play calling and game management played a key role in 1 - Miami@Toronto - ill fated JP pass (there seems to be a theme going) to the end zone intercepted. Run was the way to go. 2 - NE@Buff - the recent "favorite" with the end of first half debacle. Game strategizing move would be 1 - Miami@Miami - starting an injured Terrence McGee at CB lined up against Ginn who had a field day since McGee was by his own admission only 75-80%. After getting burned once, Jauron still kept McGee in and was burned to a crisp. One McGee fully recoved, no surprise he wasn't burned like that again. I've noted 5 games, and believe at least 3 would have been won had DJ's decision followed conventional wisdom. As a stretch, one could say 4 games were lost on his account, and that would mean playoff berth. A coach costing 20-25% of your games like that cannot be on the sidelines of a championship team. Time for DJ to go. If you can think of any DJ blunders I missed, fill us in. I'm sure there's more.

You sound like Dick Jauron. Every point is important and squandering points or the chance for points should be considered intolerable. The FG was makable, plus the 3rd and 5 should've been called a pass play to teh end zone. A TD and a 7-3 lead would've been great momentum going into halftime. Even tying the score at 3-3 is a great momentum booster. Squandering a red zone drive killed our momentum, and energized the Pats; not to mention gave them another belly laugh at teh expense of our inept coaching staff.

I wonder if the players who say they like Jauron also like being 7-9. They shouldn't, and they can't have it both ways. We need players who want to win more than want to play for a likable coach. It's amazing how many tough coaches earn a lifetime of respect from players how they pushed, harassed, or did whatever it took to get them to play their best and be champions. Mike Singletary showed in SF what needs to be done with this group. For what Duke Preston did, he would've been dressed down in front of 70,000+, benched, and called out during the post game press conference. I'm not necessarily in favor of Singletary's antics, but he put the players on notive that discipline and 110% performance was the bar he set. DJ doesn't even have a bar.