2003Contenders

Yep. I suspect that if that fabled contract was actually signed without stipulations and that if Ralph refuses to fire Jauron because of it -- then Turk will become the sacrificial lamb to appease us all. The question then becomes: Who would Jauron replace him with?

Gannon suggested that the drop was at least partially Losman's fault. Namely, a veteran QB should understand who he is throwing the ball to and a TE like Royal is not going to be bale to handle a hot potato in the same fashion as a quality WR.

I don't think Ralph's age has a whole lot to do with his shortcomings as an owner. Aside from the Polian years (I view the early Butler years as a piggyback off the Polian years -- as once Butler's own moves started catching up with him, the team started heading south), this franchise has never been one of the most successful.

It almost seems crazy that JP is in the midst of his 5th season in the NFL. However, there is a precedent for n'er do wells whose light bulb suddenly went on -- and suddenly defied all logic by becoming a good QB. Rich Gannon and Vinnie Testeverde both come to mind. Wouldn't it be something if JP's light bulb turned on tomorrow afternoon? Not saying it will happen, mind you...

Some of that "character" talk when it comes to the Bills has been a myth. Kelly, Bruce, and Thurman weren't exactly choir boys. Let's not forget about Moulds, Henry, Willis, Hargrove...

Note also that the TD dynamic was a unique one. Yes, Ralph made him one of the highest paid GMs in the NFL with unprecedented authority, but the implication was that Ralph was unwilling to pay a top-flight coach. Meanwhile, after having just lost a power stuggle with Cowher in Pittsburgh, TD didn't want a high profile head coach, so we'll never know how much of that can be attributed to Ralph being cheap - or TD being hypersensitive. In Ralph's defense, I know numbers weren't astronomical like they are today even 10 years ago. But after taking the team to 4 straight Super Bowls, I would have to guess that Marv was probably one of the highest paid coaches in the league by the end of his tenure, no?

I don't know. I don't care about temperament or how well a coach performs in a press conference. I just want W's. Wade was a player's coach. Gregg was an in-your-face guy. Mularkey was brought in to help bolster mental toughness. Jauron was supposed to be cerebral. Funny enough, Bill Parcells' mantra when he enters a new situation is the following: "You need to identify the things you do that are making you lose -- and then don't do those things." It's so simple, it's almost elegant, isn't it? All three of the other teams in our division bear some semblance of his imprint. He took over each of these teams (Pats in 93, Jets in 97, Dolphins in 08) when there were literally the worst team in the league the year before -- and made an immediate impact. If I were Jauron (and staff), I would quit trying to show everyone how smart I am. And STOP trying to draw up plays that go counter to conventional wisdom! (Sometimes it is OK to run the ball on 3rd and 1!) In fact, I would REALLY dumb down the offense (in particular), and stick with a small playbook that isn't too difficult for the players to master. Think that would cut down on wasted timeouts? WRs running poor routes? Maybe get a guy like Hardy, who seems to have trouble knowing where to lineup on each play, more involved?

True. Actually, even with Trent's poor play, if Lindell makes those kicks against Cleveland and SF, we are looking at 8-4 and there is probably a somewhat even divide amongst Jauron supporters and haters. The record itself would lend a note of credibility to the supporters. ("How can you talk about firing a coach that is 8-4?") Of course, the reality is this: Would the team have been any better if Lindell had made those kicks? Yes, the record certainly would have been better, and these final 4 games wouldn't be as do-or-die. But would the team have really been any better?

It's funny how quickly perceptions change. Just 6 weeks ago, the team was 5-1. Not only did I think they were headed in the right direction, but I also thought that this could be a team that could be good for a long time given their youth and relative health in terms of the salary cap going forward. Trent also looked like a candidate for league MVP at that time. Funny how his going south seems to have coincided with Jauron's approval rating. It will be interesting to see how perceptions change after these last 4 games.

Sounds about right. Now, let's think outside of the box for a moment. Let's first assume that an extension was signed. Let's also assume that there were no contingencies (like a playoff appearance), which would absolve Ralph of having to pay Jauron should he elect to fire him at season's end. The rumor was a 3-year extension, right? The big question is: how much do we honesty think that contract totaled? The existing contract paid Jauron in the $1-2M range. It seems like forever ago, but when the offer was reportedly on the table, the Bills were 5-1 and Jauron was being mentioned as one of the 3-4 candidates for Coach of the Year. So it is certainly feasible that the contract could have been for something like $3 M per year. Firing him at the end of the season, would then mean that Ralph would be on tab for $9 M. Remember that Ralph was so cheap as to fight against paying Wade that final $750K he owed him...

Bruce didn't take the flu shot because he reportedly had a phobia about needles. Ralph actually had a private plane ready in Buffalo to fly Bruce to the game in Pittsburgh in the event that he should recover in time, since he was too sick to even travel. The offense struggled through much of the first half. When Kelly went down with a shoulder/neck injury, AVP came in and actually helped the offense get back on track. Funny enough, AVP was only the #2 man that day because rookie Todd Collins had stunk it up so bad in the season finale against Houston, who also started a rookie QB by the name of Steve McNair. The trainers shot Jim up with some pain relief meds and he managed to trot back onto the field in time to finish off a drive that put the team within a score (I think it was like 25-21 or something) late in the 3rd quarter. I remember after that TD, one of the announcers joked that they expected to see Bruce come flying in any second! Bruce never showed up, the Steelers did a great job of converting 3rd downs and pretty much won going away from there on out.

Even those that really like Trent will concede that it is the sheer nature of the beast that a 2nd year QB still has a lot to learn. I think his biggest problem in recent weeks has been confidence. Partly in himself -- but even more so in his teammates. In the game against Cleveland, Jaws pointed out that Trent had no yet mastered the fine art of knowing when to throw a pass BEFORE the receiver came out of his break. Part of me has to wonder if at least some of that has to do with the youth at the WR and TE positions (especially when Reed was out). I also do not think that it is by accident that he has struggled almost exclusively with the 3-4 defenses. It seems that defenses have adjusted to him, but he has yet to adjust to them. Throwing out the Arizona game in which he didn't even play a full series, this year Trent is 5-1 against teams that have never seen him before. He is 0-4 against teams that have. Hopefully he will learn to adjust. I also have to blame the coaching staff for not doing a better job preparing him each week.

The Lions' situation is an odd one. And it is hard to put your finger on exactly why they have sucked so bad for so long. Unlike stingy Ralph, the Fords have been willing to shell out large sums of money for players and coaches. Think Ralph would have ever shelled out the $ it took to bring in Mooch? Also, although their drafts haven't reaped large rewards, I couldn't argue with many of Millen's picks at the time. Of course, I get my intel from magazines and the sort -- perhaps that's what Millen was doing too? LOL I think the biggest thing is that the culture of losing has left many of the better players longing to go elsewhere. So even when the Lions do bring up a good young player, he ultimately wants to be traded or sign with another team when he becomes a free agent.

How about an on sides kick to start the game, since we know that Dick will surely defer to the second half?

I can't say that I disagree with anything Mort said there.

Spagnolo would be my first choice, but he was offered the head coaching job in Washington but turned it down because he wanted full control in the personnel department. I don't see Ralph giving him that kind of control or paying what Danny was willing to pay last year. Don't laugh, but Schottenheimer could be an interesting choice.

I think this "conspiracy" was all fueled by the sideline reporter who initially reported that JP's coming into the game was a "coach's decision". She then later corrected herself and said that is was due to a groin injury. Folks, let's use some logic here: 1. Trent's erratic accuracy (hitting more than one intended receiver in the ankles) certainly could have been brought about by an injured groin. 2. The slippery conditions were probably not ideal for a QB with a groin injury. What if Trent had gone in to play the second half and severely aggravated it? As galling as that 49er loss was, if we were going to lose ONE of the remaining games on the schedule that was the one to lose, given the out of conference opponent. 3. The score was still close at the time -- and as sloppy as Trent was playing, he hadn't bee truly awful. He certainly played worse in each of the other losses. 4. Let's face it: JP is in the coaches' dog house. I have a feeling that Jauron wasn't especially excited about calling his number.

Or, it could be that the team hasn't made an announcement because nothing positive has happened since he signed the contract? Not discounting what your friend told you, but I have a feeling that if Buffalo had beaten Miami back in Week 7, there would have been a formal press conference announcing the extension at that time. It's all about PR, you know.

That was the year that Chris Brown was in the War Room. He said that the front office viewed the draft as a particularly weak one and did not, for example, have ANY player with a 4th round grade when that pick came up. With no other team willing to make a trade, there was not a consensus pick. Wright was one of the top players they had on their board at the time, which is why Wilson suggested it. So, while Silver is factually correct with what he says here, I believe that there is some hyperbole involved. In other words, Ralph probably didn't demand the Wright pick. He probably suggested it and Marv and the other guys in the room said "Why not?" Besides, picking up a player of need at a specific position in the 1st round, followed by the same position pick in the 4th seems to be the team's MO. Whitner and Simpson (Safety) in 2006. Lynch and Wright (RB) in 2007. McKelvin and Corner (CB) in 2008.

Actually there are quite a few explanations... 1. Questionable coaching decisions down in the red zone. The team got down there 4 times. If they score a TD each time, that is 28 points. If they score 2 TDs and 2 FGs that is 20 points. Heck, even 4 FGs is 12 points. It is almost unimaginable to come away with a total of 3 points in those 4 situations. They probably couldn't do that again if they tried! 2. The diagnosis of Trent's groin injury is consistent with his less than spectacular play in the first half. Remember against the Chiefs that Trent made some plays with his legs, including scoring two TDs. The groin injury prevented him from doing the same against the Niners. 3. JP was clearly less than properly prepared to come in off the bench in the 2nd half. That used to be a strong suit of his (the Jets game last year and the KC game in 2005), but he has failed when called upon both times this year. 4. The weather conditions certainly played a factor. 5. The Bills are 6-1 against 4-3 defenses this year and 0-5 against 3-4 defenses. The Chiefs ran a 4-3; the 49ers ran a 3-4. 6. There were plenty of near misses as well. Both of Lindell's missed FGs hit the upright. For all of the criticism about passing the ball on 2nd and 2, Trent had Fine wide open in the end zone. It was just a nice job by the defender to tip the ball at the line of scrimmage. 7. Special teams were a contributing factor. The team had excellent field position all day against the Chiefs. Against the 49ers, Morman lost the punting duel badly -- and Roscoe made an incredibly bone-headed decision to field a punt at the 1. 8. One play that I haven't seen anyone talk about is the Lee Evans sideline reception. When he caught that ball there wasn't a defender anywhere near him. But he completely STOPPED because he thought he had stepped out of bounds. I wonder if he may have been able to score on that play if he had just started running with the ball? 9. Penalties. I don't recall many flags being thrown in the KC game. In the SF game, there were plenty thrown at the most inopportune times, many of them quite questionable. I wonder how different that early stalled drive would have been if Hardy hadn't been flagged with the holding penalty on Jackson's 20+ yard run?

Sounds like some of the same excuses that were being made for Jauron's Chicago experience. I'll pass.

Speaking of which... If he gets fired at the end of the season, he would be an excellent OC to bring in.

Agreed. Add in how short-handed the defense has been too because of injuries. With a healthy Schobel, Greer and Whitner, I have a suspicion that this would be a top 10 defense.

Perhaps it is just coincidence, but injuries also seem to follow Jauron wherever he goes. I know that injuries are just part of the game, but for whatever reason Jauron has been saddled with more than his fair share. Obviously these last two seasons have been very tough. Also, recall that after going 13-3 back in 2001, he got something of a pass for his final two years in Chicago because the team was so riddled with injuries.

If Ralph can afford to overpay players like Kelsay and Dockery, he can afford to pay for a top coach.