Sisyphean Bills

In some cases, it just makes the incompetence more glaring. See Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder.

Football is the ultimate team game. The coach is an essential catalyst in the overall formula because he is the leader. He sets the tone. He decides who can and who cannot do their job the way it must be done. He organizes a staff, is responsible for player development, game plans, and game day decisions. Putting the right team together, getting them on the same page, and making them execute in a system that accentuates their strengths and attacks the weaknesses of the opponent is the coach's job. When this is missing, a great player cannot actualize greatness. They are swimming against the current of apathy, forced to figure it out on their own, and/or caught trying to covertly fill the void of the coaching staff. Leadership is a delicate, deliberate dance where the circumstances and emotions of the led may require widely varying responses from the leader. Positive reinforcement is one tactic, but it is not the only tactic nor does it work in all situations. Sometimes, a leader has to carry a big stick and show he knows exactly how to use it.

I don't give a rat's a55 about having a coach that blows a gasket every Sunday. This team needs a leader and a vision.

Maybe people are just so used to the Bills "invisible zones" pass defense that they assume there are no defenders around when the Bills have the ball?

Mularkey was an offensive genius.

Mort is correct that this franchise is far too turbulent for success. If you ignore Marv Levy, the average Bills head coach lasts 2.3 seasons. That flat out sucks, folks. Where Mort didn't connect the dots though is that some of these coaches and front office people were not good. So, really there are two problems. Hiring the wrong people for the wrong jobs and firing/losing the people that might actually be competent. Hank Bullough being an example of the former. Bill Polian being a prime example of the latter.

Here you go!

You realize that Bill BELICHEK and Brian Billick are two distinct people, right? (And, yes, I'm ignoring the rumor of Bill Billick, Brian's evil twin.)

Kevin Boss might've been a decent pick.

But other than that, it's OK.

Can he still coach? Actually, he was a great guy. Best wishes to his family.

Is Richie Petitbon still alive? Eh, maybe we can dig him up on second thought.

The Bills had veteran leadership on D when the Levy/Jauron bus entered the city and they were all sent out of town on a rail. (Arguably, they were overpaid but the Bills have to overpay free agents to come to Buffalo -- see members of the current OL for examples.) And, 3 years later people talk about the leadership crisis on the team. The Bills have done a good job of treading water and replacing the players they ship out of town with younger draft picks without losing (or gaining) in terms of record. Under Mularkey, the Bills were a 7-9 team on average and under Jauron the Bills are a 7-9 team on average.

So, maybe Mort isn't totally making sh-- up?

It's hard to find fault with a guy scared of snow. The thing about "should've thrown the ball lower" fails the reality check -- hitting Roscoe in the numbers is the same throw as hitting James Hardy in the calves.

What is this? Another BCS computer thing? It is clearly flawed. The 9ers and Browns are 25th and 26th. The Bills should be slotted at between the Browns and Chiefs.

Well, there is a sort of comedic element to watching a team bumble and stumble through the motions in a vague attempt at mimicking those that can play the game well.

Sounds like the coaches were arguing on the headset with one another rather than giving the players clear directions. Hey, it's only been 12 regular season games and 4 pre-season; give it time.

Let me highlight all important words, then. We beat some of the teams we should have!

We beat some of the teams we should have!

Jauron is what he is and his problem is the same reason everybody really likes him. He's a really great guy and generally people really want him to succeed. He tries to stay positive, keep everyone looking for the silver lining, letting everyone do what they need to do to get better, etc. But, like Pollock said, this is a very young team without proven leadership and seemingly without accountability. When something isn't working, nothing seems to change.

Are we to believe that other coaches, especially other coaches that win more than they lose, do not face adversity? that they win simply because they always have overwhelming talent and everything goes swimmingly? The Patriots lost a Hall-of-Famer in the first quarter of the season, arguably the most important player in franchise history, (not to mention a slew of other injuries) and yet they continue to win, have a winning record, and are ahead of the Bills in the standings. We'll see what happens this last month of the regular season, but I for one am not counting the Patriots out of anything at the moment. Is that not adversity? What of the Colts? Or the Steelers? Or the Titans? Things haven't gone perfectly for any of the front-runners, in fact.

To be succinct: I don't think either QB is playing great. But, I also don't think it is all their fault that the offense struggles. There has been a lack of weapons / playmakers, inconsistent / weak play up front, and the schemes seem little more than ad hoc, knee jerk reactions.

From yesterday's PC, it seemed pretty clear that Trent Edwards pulled Trent Edwards out of the game because he had severely aggravated a groin injury at the end of the first half and the half-time treatments couldn't touch it. There was even doubt he'd be able to practice this week. It might be the case that this groin thing has been going on for quite some time and has been affecting Edwards play. A different sort of concussion...

We can trot out the same laundry list of rationalizations as this past off-season though. They haven't had enough time to get it done. Dick has never coached a team with any talent. Dick isn't the GM and therefore must have no input on draft day. The team just had too many names on IR to overcome. The offensive coordinator sucks. Trent is a rookie second year guy and can only get better. It's all JP Losman's fault. Whatever "it" is.