Why did the Bills hire Jauron?

[Tipster19]

I believe that it was mostly due to his cost, demeanor and of course Marv's big recommendation.

 

In his first year he was given a mulligan and ended up with a 7-9 record. The following year the Bills gave a valiant effort after they were hit by the injury bug and then they had a great start in the first 6 games last year and the future was looking great but when last season ended with another 7-9 record his popularity took a severe hit. Needless to say that he needs to get the Bills in the play-offs this year or it's bye-bye to Jauron. Do you think that is fair or unfair? If he/Bills do make the play-offs and does fairly well, then how do you think the Bills' fans will perceive him? Do you think that the fans will still want to run him out of town? I'm asking these questions sincerely.

[Endless Ike]

lost a bet

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

Do you think that is fair or unfair? If he/Bills do make the play-offs and does fairly well, then how do you think the Bills' fans will perceive him? Do you think that the fans will still want to run him out of town? I'm asking these questions sincerely.

Answering with equal sincerity, if the Bills win 10 games and go out in either the Wildcard or Divisional round, I have no doubt that at least half of The Wall will still want him out. You've got people on here who, when faced with the point that Jauron is widely criticized when the team loses yet recieves little to no credit when the team wins, suggest that this lunacy is somehow justified. As if a coach can win a game in the NFL without doing anything right.

 

After debating this topic extensively with my fellow Wallers, in complete honesty, I feel a Superbowl Championship would not change the minds of many Bills fans about Dick Jauron. We'd have "won in spite of him," just as we supposedly did 7 times last year.

[Thurman#1]

Answering with equal sincerity, if the Bills win 10 games and go out in either the Wildcard or Divisional round, I have no doubt that at least half of The Wall will still want him out. You've got people on here who, when faced with the point that Jauron is widely criticized when the team loses yet recieves little to no credit when the team wins, suggest that this lunacy is somehow justified. As if a coach can win a game in the NFL without doing anything right.

 

After debating this topic extensively with my fellow Wallers, in complete honesty, I feel a Superbowl Championship would not change the minds of many Bills fans about Dick Jauron. We'd have "won in spite of him," just as we supposedly did 7 times last year.

 

 

Nicely put.

[thewildrabbit]

Answering with equal sincerity, if the Bills win 10 games and go out in either the Wildcard or Divisional round, I have no doubt that at least half of The Wall will still want him out. You've got people on here who, when faced with the point that Jauron is widely criticized when the team loses yet recieves little to no credit when the team wins, suggest that this lunacy is somehow justified. As if a coach can win a game in the NFL without doing anything right.

 

After debating this topic extensively with my fellow Wallers, in complete honesty, I feel a Superbowl Championship would not change the minds of many Bills fans about Dick Jauron. We'd have "won in spite of him," just as we supposedly did 7 times last year.

I disagree completly, If Jauron somehow manages to get the Bills into the playoffs he would become an instant god in Buffalo.

 

WINNING SOLVES EVERYTHING! Let me repeat that, WINNING SOLVES EVERYTHING!

I supported Jauron when he was hired because his background was that he ran a stout defense in Chicago, and he drafted Brian Urlacher, he also used a power running game with Anthony Thomas. His problem with the bears was he never did find a decent QB to run the offense, Jim Miller and Shane Matthews didn't get it done. Jauron did manage to win the division in 2001 and went 13-3 while scoring 338 points and allowed only 203. That one great year alone gave him some credibility to be a head coach again. But was it just pure luck, you know like the blind squirrel finding an acorn once?

 

From my point of view Jauron did well his first two years in Buffalo considering the injuries that plagued the team. It was last season that opened my eyes as to what type of head coach he actually is...

 

Famed offensive line coach Jim McNally retired last season and Steve Fairchild left to go be a head coach in college and instead of bringing in experienced coaches to replace those two, he hired from within the organization. The offense managed to get better in some regards but that was because of the play of Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch. Had Jauron hired someone like Cam Cameron (who was available) I believe the Bills would have made the playoffs last season.

 

Those two rookie coaches didn't get the job done, the line played horrid at times and the play calls were the most bizarre at times.

 

Now the entire O line is reshuffled and two rookies are supposed to start, and one at a position he didn't play in college,

not to mention a backup free agent is the starting center. Which brilliant coach is supposed to get them to coached up in technique to play properly, the line coach who didn't get it done last season?

The Bills have no real idea how these players will perform once the season starts,they are just hoping that line can get the job done somehow

 

Should those two 2nd year coaches, Schonert and Kugler, manage to preform some miracle's and the line plays great, and the play calls change for the better, and Jauron manages to get the Bills to 13-3... fans in Buffalo would line up to smooch his buttocks

[dib]

Repeat after me: "Dick Jauron has had ONE winning season as a head coach, EVER"

regardless of where he was.

[Chief D]

Dick came CHEAP!!!

[thewildrabbit]

Dick came CHEAP!!!

and as we all know in this life...you get what you pay for!

[Haven Moses]

I think that the year we hired Dick, there wasn't a lot to choose from. Mike Sherman??

 

We had just gone through the two "hot" coordinators and didn't want to go that route again.

 

And Marv held the power at that time. Dick was fine with that.

[SouthGeorgiaBillsFan]

The Bills issues these past years have so obviously been personnel issues that if you can't see that you are too stupid to hold a valid opinion. I'm not saying I think Jauron is a great coach because he certainly has never shown that, but to try and blame him for the Bills mediocre performances is mind bogglingly ignorant. You simply cannot compete in the NFL without competitive talent and the Bills don't have that. Vince !@#$ing Lombardi would have went 7-9 with recent Bills teams, so just shut the flip up about DJ already. Stop trying to make excuses for the fact that your favorite team JUST PLAIN SUCKED. They sucked because they didn't have good players, period. For the Bills to go 7-9 with the rosters they had during Jauron's tenure, in my mind, is an amazing testament to his coaching ability. Get the f*** over it already.

 

You people who think it's Jauron's fault the Bills lose are probably the some ones who think Jason Peters isn't good and who think Roscoe Parrish is, once again highlighting the fact that your opinion is not valid.

[billsfreak]

He was another "Yes Man" and company guy, just like Ralph wanted. It doesn't matter how bad it gets, or how little support he gets, they know he isn't going to get up in front of a podium and tell the world. I don't think I have even heard him speak more than a couple times.

[zazie]

I believe that it was mostly due to his cost, demeanor and of course Marv's big recommendation.

 

In his first year he was given a mulligan and ended up with a 7-9 record. The following year the Bills gave a valiant effort after they were hit by the injury bug and then they had a great start in the first 6 games last year and the future was looking great but when last season ended with another 7-9 record his popularity took a severe hit. Needless to say that he needs to get the Bills in the play-offs this year or it's bye-bye to Jauron. Do you think that is fair or unfair? If he/Bills do make the play-offs and does fairly well, then how do you think the Bills' fans will perceive him? Do you think that the fans will still want to run him out of town? I'm asking these questions sincerely.

It is unfair we were sadled with this guy in the first place. Didn't we intervew a winning coach, the guy from Green Bay, also? Mike Sherman?

 

Marv sadly was personal friends with Jauron and therefore, we were stuck with him. As soon as I heard they wre bringing him in, I know it was inevitable we would hire him despite better candidates being avail. That is the story of the Buffalo Bills.

[zazie]

Answering with equal sincerity, if the Bills win 10 games and go out in either the Wildcard or Divisional round, I have no doubt that at least half of The Wall will still want him out. You've got people on here who, when faced with the point that Jauron is widely criticized when the team loses yet recieves little to no credit when the team wins, suggest that this lunacy is somehow justified. As if a coach can win a game in the NFL without doing anything right.

 

After debating this topic extensively with my fellow Wallers, in complete honesty, I feel a Superbowl Championship would not change the minds of many Bills fans about Dick Jauron. We'd have "won in spite of him," just as we supposedly did 7 times last year.

If they win with DJ, it is purely luck. It will never be savvy coaching, or good play-calling, etc. If we get very lucky, like the Bears in 2001, we can have a decent season.

 

But it will never be because of DJ, always in spite of him.

[mousetrap08]

I believe that it was mostly due to his cost, demeanor and of course Marv's big recommendation.

 

In his first year he was given a mulligan and ended up with a 7-9 record. The following year the Bills gave a valiant effort after they were hit by the injury bug and then they had a great start in the first 6 games last year and the future was looking great but when last season ended with another 7-9 record his popularity took a severe hit. Needless to say that he needs to get the Bills in the play-offs this year or it's bye-bye to Jauron. Do you think that is fair or unfair? If he/Bills do make the play-offs and does fairly well, then how do you think the Bills' fans will perceive him? Do you think that the fans will still want to run him out of town? I'm asking these questions sincerely.

BECAUSE THE FRONT OFFICE IS SO STUPID

[2003Contenders]

Actually, I think some of the venom spewed at Jauron (not to mention OBD for bringing him in) is unwarranted. There were numerous reasons why DJ was an appealing coach to the Bills in 2006.

 

The team was looking for an experienced head coach after having whiffed on the two former coordinator before who had no prior head coaching experience. While it is true that DJ's tenure in Chicago was a mixed bag, he was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2001. The next two seasons, the Bears were plagued by a ridiculous number of injuries and having to play all of their home games on the road. In DJ's final year in Chicago (2003), he managed to get a team that was totally decimated by injuries and saddled with a horrible QB situation to 7-9. That was better than the Bills did (6-10) which a roster loaded with much more star power. In fact, many observers felt at the time that DJ got a raw deal, and the Bears GM (who had inherited DJ) wanted to bring in HIS guy.

 

Recall, that DJ had actually been RW's first choice to replace Gregg heading into 2004. As we all know, TD convinced RW that they should hire Mularkey instead. Marv, who had worked as a member of the Chicago media prior to coming back to Buffalo in 2006 was certainly very familiar with DJ. Their styles, demeanor and Ivy league education were very similar. I believe that RW was on board with the hiring, feeling that the team had lost out on DJ's services two years before, and Marv saw in DJ a kindred soul and someone he could work closely with.

 

In a way, the first two years of the DJ era were very similar to the final year in Chicago. Namely, the team went 7-9 both years despite a messy QB situation, a roster lacking in key areas and a slew of injuries. It is REALLY hard to fault a head coach for posting a 7-9 record when he has JP Losman starting at QB for all 16 games, as he did in 2006. The same can be said for a coach who has to deal with placing a near-record number of players on IR as was the case in 2007. I know some will point toward what a coach like Bill Belichick has managed to do under similar situations, but I am not pretending to argue that DJ is in Belichick's league. No one is, for that matter.

 

Thus, I would personally give DJ a passing grade for his efforts in 2006 and 2007. 2008, of course, was another story. And it could point to what I believe could be DJ's fatal flaw. That is, we have seen that he does a fine job with damage control. He can take an undermanned team and get them to perform at a a better-than-expected level. However, last season when the team was on a roll (and Jauron was a serious candidate for NFL Coach of the Year again) at 5-1, the wheels came off the wagon. When playing as front-runners, his players succumbed to the pressure and faded badly, losing to inferior teams like San Francisco and Cleveland -- not to mention both Miami and NY Jets twice, two teams that really were less than special.

 

While I agree that he deserves a failing grade for his complete 2008 body of work, I do understand why OBD decided to keep him in the fold. Money was certainly part of the equation, given that DJ had signed the contract extension when times were good earlier in the year. However, I do believe that the front office was sincere when they said that they were tired of constantly changing directions. The players like DJ and play hard for him. He also enters the season for the first time since he has been here understanding that he doesn't enter the season with the luxury of patience. The team needs to win NOW. If he and the team collapse under this pressure (as they did last year) then he will deservedly be looking for work elsewhere at the conclusion of this season. However, if he does a good job of staying the course (not necessarily making the playoffs, as we can not predict what will unfold this year) and helping this young team continue to get better, I for one will not be calling for his head.

[DrFishfinder]

Answering with equal sincerity, if the Bills win 10 games and go out in either the Wildcard or Divisional round, I have no doubt that at least half of The Wall will still want him out. You've got people on here who, when faced with the point that Jauron is widely criticized when the team loses yet recieves little to no credit when the team wins, suggest that this lunacy is somehow justified. As if a coach can win a game in the NFL without doing anything right.

 

After debating this topic extensively with my fellow Wallers, in complete honesty, I feel a Superbowl Championship would not change the minds of many Bills fans about Dick Jauron. We'd have "won in spite of him," just as we supposedly did 7 times last year.

There isn't any lunacy here. What we've got is a head coach who has had one (1) winning season in 8 years, had an average of 7-9 over his 5 year career in Chicago and continued to produce 3 more consecutive 7-9 clunkers in Buffalo. Feel free to correct me if any of these facts are wrong. Let's call his record consistently sub-mediocre.

 

The "won in spite of him" is an opinion shared by many. Agree or not as you so choose.

 

Watching the last 8 games of the season was mostly a painful and frustrating experience. Coaches coached badly and players played badly. Hard to watch. Hard to explain. Hard to justify.

 

When Mr. Jauron coaches this team into the playoffs, I reserve the right to reassess my opinion of him. Not until.

[thewildrabbit]

Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result

CHI 1999 6 10 0 .375 5th in NFC Central - - - -

CHI 2000 5 11 0 .313 5th in NFC Central - - - -

CHI 2001 13 3 0 .813 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Philadelphia Eagles in NFC Divisional Game.

CHI 2002 4 12 0 .250 3rd in NFC North - - - -

CHI 2003 7 9 0 .438 3rd in NFC North - - - -

CHI Total 35 45 0 .438 0 1 .000 -

 

DET 2005* 1 4 0 .200 3rd in NFC North - - - -

DET Total 1 4 0 .200 - - - -

 

BUF 2006 7 9 0 .438 3rd in AFC East - - - -

BUF 2007 7 9 0 .438 2nd in AFC East - - - -

BUF 2008 7 9 0 .438 4th in AFC East - - - -

BUF Total 21 27 0 .438 - - - -

Total 57 76 0 .429 0 1 .000

 

One winning season in 9 years speaks for itself...

 

Jauron has had 3 years to bring in the proper talent, so don't blame it on the talent when the Falcons go from worst to first in one year, AND THE DOLPHINS won 1 game 2 years ago and the next year they take the division. It all about the coaching and it is always all about the coaches.

[DrFishfinder]

He can take an undermanned team and get them to perform at a a better-than-expected level. However, last season when the team was on a roll (and Jauron was a serious candidate for NFL Coach of the Year again) at 5-1, the wheels came off the wagon. When playing as front-runners, his players succumbed to the pressure and faded badly, losing to inferior teams like San Francisco and Cleveland -- not to mention both Miami and NY Jets twice, two teams that really were less than special.

If that first sentence was true, he wouldn't have a 5 year combined record of 7-9 at Chicago and another 3 years of the same thing in Buffalo. Unless of course, you accept that Jauron had nothing but crap to work with for 7 out of 8 seasons.

 

Saying that "his players succumbed to the pressure" is conjecture and opinion, is it not? Not to be argumentative here, but I think that blaming "front runner pressure" on the players for the 5-1 nose dive is a bit of a fishing expedition.

 

The Bills were either outplayed and/or out coached by San Fran, Cleveland, Miami and NY. Neither case is in Jauron's favor. And the AFC East was won by My Yami's rookie HC Tony Sparano. I doubt you'll ever hear "Dick Jauron" and "AFC East Champion Buffalo Bills" in the same sentence.

 

OTOH, if that does happen, I will be the first to publicly admit that I was wrong. Gladly.

[Tipster19]

Actually, I think some of the venom spewed at Jauron (not to mention OBD for bringing him in) is unwarranted. There were numerous reasons why DJ was an appealing coach to the Bills in 2006.

 

The team was looking for an experienced head coach after having whiffed on the two former coordinator before who had no prior head coaching experience. While it is true that DJ's tenure in Chicago was a mixed bag, he was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2001. The next two seasons, the Bears were plagued by a ridiculous number of injuries and having to play all of their home games on the road. In DJ's final year in Chicago (2003), he managed to get a team that was totally decimated by injuries and saddled with a horrible QB situation to 7-9. That was better than the Bills did (6-10) which a roster loaded with much more star power. In fact, many observers felt at the time that DJ got a raw deal, and the Bears GM (who had inherited DJ) wanted to bring in HIS guy.

 

Recall, that DJ had actually been RW's first choice to replace Gregg heading into 2004. As we all know, TD convinced RW that they should hire Mularkey instead. Marv, who had worked as a member of the Chicago media prior to coming back to Buffalo in 2006 was certainly very familiar with DJ. Their styles, demeanor and Ivy league education were very similar. I believe that RW was on board with the hiring, feeling that the team had lost out on DJ's services two years before, and Marv saw in DJ a kindred soul and someone he could work closely with.

 

In a way, the first two years of the DJ era were very similar to the final year in Chicago. Namely, the team went 7-9 both years despite a messy QB situation, a roster lacking in key areas and a slew of injuries. It is REALLY hard to fault a head coach for posting a 7-9 record when he has JP Losman starting at QB for all 16 games, as he did in 2006. The same can be said for a coach who has to deal with placing a near-record number of players on IR as was the case in 2007. I know some will point toward what a coach like Bill Belichick has managed to do under similar situations, but I am not pretending to argue that DJ is in Belichick's league. No one is, for that matter.

 

Thus, I would personally give DJ a passing grade for his efforts in 2006 and 2007. 2008, of course, was another story. And it could point to what I believe could be DJ's fatal flaw. That is, we have seen that he does a fine job with damage control. He can take an undermanned team and get them to perform at a a better-than-expected level. However, last season when the team was on a roll (and Jauron was a serious candidate for NFL Coach of the Year again) at 5-1, the wheels came off the wagon. When playing as front-runners, his players succumbed to the pressure and faded badly, losing to inferior teams like San Francisco and Cleveland -- not to mention both Miami and NY Jets twice, two teams that really were less than special.

 

While I agree that he deserves a failing grade for his complete 2008 body of work, I do understand why OBD decided to keep him in the fold. Money was certainly part of the equation, given that DJ had signed the contract extension when times were good earlier in the year. However, I do believe that the front office was sincere when they said that they were tired of constantly changing directions. The players like DJ and play hard for him. He also enters the season for the first time since he has been here understanding that he doesn't enter the season with the luxury of patience. The team needs to win NOW. If he and the team collapse under this pressure (as they did last year) then he will deservedly be looking for work elsewhere at the conclusion of this season. However, if he does a good job of staying the course (not necessarily making the playoffs, as we can not predict what will unfold this year) and helping this young team continue to get better, I for one will not be calling for his head.

 

This is probably the most comprehensive evaluation that I could hope for. Thanks for contributing your input, it was well thought out, accurate and a most refreshing perspective, unlike a lot of the venom that splews around here on a daily basis.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

There isn't any lunacy here.

Yes, there is. No coach has ever, nor will ever, win a game in the National Football League without doing anything right.

 

When the Bills win a football game, it means Dick Jauron did his job that week. The problem, obviously, is that he hasn't won enough football games. Thats no reason to deny credit for the wins he has gotten. To do so IS lunacy.

 

Teams don't win in the NFL when coaches don't get them prepared to play-- particularly young teams.