If the Bills start out 1-3......

[Thurman#1]

He did fire a few coaches during the season... Collier, Kay, Bullough... so it can be done. If we are 1-3, 1-4 and look bad, he might not have a choice.

 

 

 

The last few years, Ralph is on record as saying that he has learned from the debacles that resulted from getting rid of Collier, Kay and Bullough in mid-season and that he does not want to do that again.

 

Besides, Pats, Bucs, Saints, Fins, we could play very well and end up 3 - 1 with that schedule. Particularly with an all-new o-line, which you have to assume will not play well together at the beginning of the year.

 

I don't see Jauron getting fired during the year. If we have a bad year, it will happen after the season.

[Thurman#1]

Replace him with Tony Dungy, best man available. He would bring great character and the players would play for him. He has just as many Superbowl wins as Mike Holmgren.

 

 

Holmgren, Dungy? Yeah, Dungy has said they are retiring from football to do other things and Holmgren looks like it's the same. I'm sure that both guys would love to change their plans and come in at midseason onto a team in free fall.

 

I don't think he fires Jauron during the season, but if he does, April will take over for the rest of the year.

[Thurman#1]

If he fires DJ, he'll just appoint April head coach and make him do special teams at the same time. Won't cost him a cent, but it'll make fans think he's turned a corner. Ralph's smart...and cheap.

 

 

 

Bringing in a new head coach in mid-season is a ludicrous idea. You can't bring in a guy who knows nothing about the team, the personnel, hell, the schedule. You can't blame a guy for promoting from within if you fire a guy in midseason. It's the ONLY way to go.

 

Besides, what decent coach would be desperate enough to come completely unprepared into a no-win situation without even having any say in personnel, playbook or philosophy? Nobody.

 

The only way we get one of the high-level, proven good coaches out there like Schottenheimer, Gruden or the Chin, is if:

 

1) The Bills suck this year. And remember, that might not happen.

2) Ralph waits till the end of the year to go hunting outside the team

and

3) Ralph pays much more money than he has ever paid for a coach before. People tend to forget this sticking point.

 

He wasn't willing to pay an extra 10% or so to get the best LT available. Why would he be willing to, probably, double any coach salary he has ever paid.

 

I think it's too early to assume that the Bills fail this year. They have a pretty decent shot at playing well. But if they do, it would be a significant change in behavior for Ralph to get one of the available big boys. Not impossible, but unlikely.

[Thurman#1]

Why do some of you insist on thinking RW will not fire Jauron!

 

He has fired coaches during the season in the past. He fired Wade Philips and never paid him the balance due on his contract.

 

Al Davis is most noted for firing coaches and then not paying them also, ask Mike Shanahan if he ever got paid the last few years on his contract, or Lane Kiffen

 

I'd have to say Ralph Wilson will only fire Jauron if there is enough public outcry for his head, he would have to go 0-8 at least, perhaps 1-9 might do it also. Knowing he wasted 6+ million on TO might just irk him enough to make a change.

 

 

He fired Wade Phillips AFTER the season.

 

But I agree, WILDRABBIT, the only way Ralph would fire him would be an absolute free fall, like 0 - 8 or 1 - 9, as you suggest.

[offde-fence]

I thought for a time that Wilson was cheap... I still don't know what the "inside" scoop is on which owners are cheap and which aren't, but, I came across an article somewhere recently - think it was buffalorumblings - that said the Bills as a franchise lost a lot of players when the salary cap and free agency began, that they were in the top five or so teams in spending until then. That being said, I think Wilson knows acknowledges he's on his way out, and I think he really wants to see a winning team here before he goes. So, I'm thinking if Jauron's team looks inept five or six weeks in - considering they had five preseason games, giving them ten or eleven by then, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jauron gone. Who'd be replacing him, though, is a mystery. I think, though, that by saying Wilson wants to win before he's gone, is close to saying he's probably got a plan B in place, considering he might not have another two or three years to wait - which means he'd probably go ahead and hire a permanent replacement instead of a temp, for the sake of quickening the process.

[tennesseeboy]

KRC might correct me on this, but it seems the only times Wilson lets coaches go during the season is where the have had horrid seasons (less than 5 wins) and go out of the gate with horrid games (blow-outs to lesser teams) Joel Collier and Harvey Johnson come to mind. I suspect that Jauron may go 1-3 with a couple of close gamesand still finish the season 7-9. However, I also think that hewould be let go after the season.

 

Hopefully neither of the above will happen and we get into the playoffs...a strong possibility if the o-line gels.

[spartacus]

Ralph won't fire Jauron because he'd still be on the hook for the salary.

Jauron signed an extension last season

 

We're stuck with DJ for at least 2 more seasons

 

you are correct

 

the fans are stuck with Dick for the duration of his contract

 

get the random excuse generator cranked up

[spartacus]

That would depend on how the Bills lose 3 games. Close games no, embarrassment yes!

 

If the Bills are embarrassed, I have no doubt Ralph will replace the corpse.

 

My very first Bills game was when Joe Collier embarrassed by Oakland 48-6 in 1968 at the Rockpile and the fans where singing Good-bye Collier and of coarse Ralph had little choice but to replace him and it was only the 2nd game of the season.

 

Just my worthless opinion, but I believe Ralph would hire Jon Gruden.

 

Turk probably gets promoted because Ralph will get him cheap with no one else looking to promote him

[spartacus]

Besides, what decent coach would be desperate enough to come completely unprepared into a no-win situation without even having any say in personnel, playbook or philosophy?

 

Marv

 

is desparate enough to jump at the chance to coach again

[Flbillsfan#1]

Holmgren, Dungy? Yeah, Dungy has said they are retiring from football to do other things and Holmgren looks like it's the same. I'm sure that both guys would love to change their plans and come in at midseason onto a team in free fall.

 

I don't think he fires Jauron during the season, but if he does, April will take over for the rest of the year.

John Clayton is based in Seattle & reported that Holmgren wants back in next year. He was not sure if it would be a Coach or GM position.

[The Jokeman]

Sept. 14 @ New England 7:00 LOSS 0 - 1 Ouch.

Sept. 20 Tampa Bay 4:05 LOSS 0 - 2

Sept. 27 New Orleans 4:05 WIN 1 - 2

Oct. 4 @ Miami 4:05 LOSS 1 - 3

 

1 - 3 after four games

 

Old Ralph is essence has put this franchise on auto-pilot with the 3 year contract given Jauron.

 

The Front Office will spin tough schedule, or new O-line, or QB injuries, or "2010 is the new make or break year", or

solar flares, or rookies didn't produce, or not enough talent.

 

Take your pick.

Last time I checked the Saints have arguably the second best offense of the first four teams we play (behind New England) I think it's more realistic we could beat Tampa or Miami. That said 1-3 is a possibility. In terms of the initial question, I stay stick with Jauron for the entire season as honestly don't think we have a viable replacement on the current coaching staff and can't see us bringing in any former HCs in season unless Ralph chooses to go back to good old Marv.

[billsfreak]

He did fire a few coaches during the season... Collier, Kay, Bullough... so it can be done. If we are 1-3, 1-4 and look bad, he might not have a choice.

You are correct in that fact that he did fire those coaches, but that was back when Ralph actually cared about winning and not just making/saving money. Also, Stone Face is making alot of money where those other coaches were probably drawing food stamps. Plus, I don't really think those guys back then were as bad as Jauron has been lately. These current teams underachieve badly, where as the teams in the 70's under those previously mentioned coaches were just plain bad teams with little talent at all, where I don't the Lombardi could have made a difference with those teams.

[billsfreak]

Last time I checked the Saints have arguably the second best offense of the first four teams we play (behind New England) I think it's more realistic we could beat Tampa or Miami. That said 1-3 is a possibility. In terms of the initial question, I stay stick with Jauron for the entire season as honestly don't think we have a viable replacement on the current coaching staff and can't see us bringing in any former HCs in season unless Ralph chooses to go back to good old Marv.

I think you could make the argument that the Saints offense is as good if not better than the Patriots' offense is. I don't think Marv would come back to be HC, although if someone like Shanahan was available at Ralph's price range (which is why it is improbably), he might replace Jauron in mid/early season.

[nucci]

The last few years, Ralph is on record as saying that he has learned from the debacles that resulted from getting rid of Collier, Kay and Bullough in mid-season and that he does not want to do that again.

 

Besides, Pats, Bucs, Saints, Fins, we could play very well and end up 3 - 1 with that schedule. Particularly with an all-new o-line, which you have to assume will not play well together at the beginning of the year.

 

I don't see Jauron getting fired during the year. If we have a bad year, it will happen after the season.

That may be true but I think it was the debacles that caused the firings in the first place.

[Chandler#81]

ralphie is way too stubborn. if that happens it will make more sense to me as to why i didn't buy season tickets this year.

 

Very funny avatar! Left-handed even..

 

Wasn't Rauch booted in-season as well?

 

1-3? No. But if we're out of the picture by Thanksgiving, I'd say yes. Going by the Levy hire, he claimed it worked well to come in mid-season and get a real feel for the team and players. We hit the road running in '87 before the strike.

 

With guys like Holmgren, Gruden, Schotzy and Shanahan sitting out there waiting for a job, it behooves us to get a jump on what will certainly be an active off-season carousel next year.

JMO.

[BuffaloBill]

If the Bills start out 1-3, which is very possible, and look bad in doing so, does the old man try to save face and let go of the corpse in trying to save the season. I say, of course not.

 

What do you think?

 

 

I think Jauron has 8 games to prove himself - if the Bills are legitimately in the playoff hunt after 8 games he stays - if not - he's gone. What may be more telling is if they finish 8-8 or 8-7 and miss the playoffs - if so, i personally think Jauron should be exited but it will be interesting to see if Ralph is of the same mindset.