jad1

I agree. He seems immature, but the Bills have some HOFers who were considered immature early in their careers. Buffalo hasn't had a decent LT since Wolford. There has been a non-stop parade of bums at that position over the last 16 years. Peters wasn't good as his two All Pro selections, but he's a helluva better option than the current players on the roster, or any rookie drafted to fill the position. The gamble here is that paying him market value would mature him enough to become a dominating tackle, which would be a huge help in getting the Bills to the playoffs. Considering the options and the 10 year playoff drought, I wish the Bills 'brain' trust would have taken the gamble, like the Eagles did.

I don't agree. No team in this league should be shredded by Ted Ginn like the Bills were. Many might blame McGee's injury for Ginn's blowup, but it's well documented that Ginn can be pushed ten yards off his route with any contact at the line of scrimmage. The Bills seemed to miss all that footage and hung back in their worthless Tampa 2, letting Ginn run wild, costing them a win in Miami. When you look at the talent of the Bills defense, it's back-loaded, especially with their injuries up front. The back four (or 5) are stronger than the front 7 (or 6). The CBs could have handled more man-coverage and bump and run. The safeties were effective the few times they blitzed this season. The coaches could have used CB and S blitzes more, which could have resulted in much-needed turnovers. They could have put 8 or 9 in the box to stop the run, which was a huge weakness for them. In the end, the problem is that the coaches were more married to their scheme exploiting than the matchups they faced each week. Chad Pennington, Brady Quinn, and Shaun Hill shouldn't be defensed like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. But that's what the Bills coaches did by stubbornly sticking to the Tampa 2.

Frank Reich just canceled his plans to attend Wilson's induction ceremony.

Exactly. They did a nice job against the pass, but couldn't come close to stopping the run. It's amazing how that thing breaks down at critical points of the game, especially when Manning can't protect it with 30 points a game.

Game management is exactly what I'm talking about. Game situation should dictate playcalling to a great extent. The Colts call that play on their 30 with the same result, not such a big deal. Manning isn't hemmed in by the goal line, and they still have room to punt if it fails. But losing yards inside the 10, with the lead late in the game is completely unacceptable. The playcall, or rather the formation, raised the risk of that happening. I have a hard time agreeing with the concept of trying to win a game that you are leading late into the fourth quarter by calling risky plays in shadow of your own goalposts, especially on the road. Good coaching understands this. The Colts have good coaches, so this call, whether it was made by Manning or Moore, was a brain fart.

Well that's the problem with the play, right? A TE misses the assignment and the season basically ends because the called formation doesn't protect the QB against a missed assignment. Keep a back in and Manning has a blocker or an outlet in the flat. The crowd noise is also loudest near the end zone, so the possibility of a lineman not hearing the count and getting off the blocks late is even greater. The Chargers front seven must have loved that call. Watch the snap, head directly for Manning. No run responsibility at all. The Colts couldn't have made it easier for them.

Under the right circumstances, sure. But if you don't protect the QB, and calling a no-back formation inside the ten (on the road) is not protecting the QB, the defense doesn't have to guess or read the play. They know it's going to be a pass, and at that point they cease to be the worst pass defense in the league. It was a pretty stupid playcall, no matter who the QB was.

Exactly. Spending first and second round draft picks for DBs to play the cover 2 is just plain stupid. Better to use it on a passing rushing DT, which seems to be the hardest position/skill to find (which is why the cover 2 just plain sucks).

I don't think that Miami, Baltimore, or Atlanta are paying top dollar for coaches right now. Money is not the key issue. The issue is that the current decision makers cannot identify strong candidates for the coaching position. Decisions are being based on the comfort-level our ancient owner has with the current hires, without a whole lot of thought being placed upon competence.

No, it shows that no matter the QB is, you don't put your team in a position that one breakdown can lose you the game. You play the percentages, and on that play the percentages called for a run. The old saying that only three (really four) things can happen on a pass, and only one of them is good still holds true whether your QB is a sure-fire Hall of Famer or a never-was/has-been.

Not to rain on your parade, but: 1. Sure they can run, they have two really good backs. The problem has been is that they don't run when they should. 2. Pass rushers aren't easy to find, and it's not very likely that they'll sign a top flight pass rusher in FA or draft one. They could generate more of a pass rush with a blitzing scheme, but that's not Jauron's style. 3. I like Edwards a lot, but there was that problem with him not being prepared against 3-4 defenses. On more than one occasion he made a statement that he was not prepared for the opponent's defensive scheme. 4. The team has had the best special teams for the last few years, none of which have been winning ones. So points 1-3 can be improved by coaching, but Jauron has shown that adaptability is not one of his strong suits. I love the Bills and will watch every minute of next season's game, but at this point, with their upcoming schedule, I'm afraid that 7 wins will prove to be a high-water mark for Jauron's tenure in Buffalo.

Actually, you can. Well coached players understand game situations. If the call was to run the ball and get off the field, there's no excuse for Preston not being on the same page as the rest of the offense. In the 16th game of the season, Preston had no awareness what was going on in the game, a classic sign of a poorly-coached player. I agree with you on Peters, but he seems to be an extremely immature player, one who needs a tough coach to help him focus and rise to the next level. Jauron is ultimately responsible for managing the young players on the roster. Too many of these young players seem to be backsliding under his guidance. As for Jauron, his record is there for all to see. He has not shown any evidence that he is in the same league as Bill Belichick, much less Mike Singletary. In addition to some stupid game decisions, his players did not show up for several games this season. There are many better options for the Bills going forward next season. Miami, Baltimore, and Atlanta are all going to the playoffs with first year coaches. None of those coaches are big-names with big contracts. Smith and Harbaugh are also coaching rookie QBs. Jauron has not proven that he can beat teams with winning records, that the cover 2 works in the poor weather, that he can run a power running game, or even that he can generate pressure on the QB. I'll always have patience with the Bills. I was a fan long before Jauron darkened their door, and will be one when Wilson makes his final exit and Jauron is scounting for Arena football teams. But that doesn't change the fact that under Jauron, 2009 will be another lost year for the Bills.

Yes.

Look, if you want to put a positive spin on Jauron's tenure in Buffalo, or even Chicago, please do. But get off the whole 'players love him' crappola. Players who truly love their coach play hard for him, and it's impossible to argue that the Bills players played hard during their coma-inducing efforts against San Francisco, Miami (twice), Cleveland, and New England (twice). Players loving a coach is bull sh--, plain and simple. Duke Preston loves Jauron because he isn't benched when he can't tell the difference between a QB standing behind him (with his hands under his ass) and a QB standing in the shotgun. I'm a fan and have been one for over 30 years, and I watched this team play 16 games. The majority of their effort was subpar. So I really couldn't give a crap what they think about their coach. So if you think that Jauron has a brilliant defensive mind (he doesn't), or is able to prepare his team each week (he can't), or is some brillant tactician (yeah, right), or make smart game decisions (hahahaha), post them. Becasue we could care less what Preston or Kelsay say about their enabler, I mean coach, Dick Jauron.

If the Bills schedule turns out to be as difficult at it looks now, Buffalo will be lucky to win 6 games next year under Jauron. Things could change, but Wilson has brought back a coach that was 0-6 against the division, and who has never really come close to beating Belichick. Honestly, the best thing that could happen next year for Bills fans is that Wilson finally comes to his senses and agrees to sell part of the team to some local owners.

What can Jauron do? Dump the cover 2. Bring in the biggest DT available to play next to Stroud to stop the run. Play Poz at the line of scrimmage, instead of dropping him into coverage 80% of the passing plays. Install a blitzing scheme using the speed of the linebackers to attack the defense. Become a true run-first offense. Scrap the 2nd down, empty backfield, shotgun formations and install a play-action passing game. Establish a smash-mouth mentality by actually calling run plays in short yardage situations. Actually gameplan against opponents. Play bump-and-run against Ted Ginn. Blitz inexperienced QBs. Play 8 and 9 in the box in bad weather (and play bump and run gainst WRs). Of course, there's no chance that he's going to do any of this. He'll continue playing his own brand of brain-fart, soul-sucking football. 2009 will be a lost season for the Bills.

No, I still would pick Davis over Wilson. Davis hasn't cried poor while refusing to sell the naming rights of the stadium because he wants a taxpayer-funded monument to himself. Davis didn't sell a division home game against a hated rival to another city and then brush off the profit from that game as only a 'drop in the bucket.' Outside of Buffalo, honestly, who respects Wilson? Davis looked like a clown in firing his coach, but at least he realized that his coach was incompetent. Wilson can't figure out that Jauron is not an NFL quality coach. Wilson's a fool who shows every year that the rare success that his franchise has experienced was more of a happy accident than the result of his management. This franchise deserves better than Wilson.

No, I still would pick Davis over Wilson. Davis hasn't cried poor while refusing to sell the naming rights of the stadium because he wants a taxpayer-funded monument to himself. Davis didn't sell a division home game against a hated rival to another city and then brush off the profit from that game as only a 'drop in the bucket.' Outside of Buffalo, honestly, who respects Wilson? Davis looked like a clown in firing his coach, but at least he realized that his coach was incompetent. Wilson can't figure out that Jauron is not an NFL quality coach. Wilson's a fool who shows every year that the rare success that his franchise has experienced was more of a happy accident than the result of his management. This franchise deserves better than Wilson.

I have no problems with season ticket holders keeping their seats and even buying more. People in Buffalo love their sports teams and shouldn't be forced to abandon them because of !@#$ owners. But there is no way in hell a this team will have a winning record under Jauron. His game management skills have stagnated at "awful," he has no ability to gameplan against an opponent's weakness, and his cover 2 scheme will never be able to stop the run in November and December. It's safe to say that the best thing about the Bills next year will be its fans, who will be screwed once again by their moronic owner.

I agree. They certainly have enough talent to beat Cleveland and San Francisco at home. They should have beaten the Jets on the road, and if you scrap the cover 2, find an OC that can scheme against a 3-4, and find a head coach worth a damn to manage the clock, you could argue that they could win one or two of the four games against Miami or New England.

I doubt he would come here. He's already met his crazy-old-fart-owner quota.

More like Buffalo Bills Fan syndrome: "They've sucked over the last 10 games, but they won today, so maybe they'll make the playoffs next year."

Two things about this game. First, the offensive gameplan was built around the running game. Why this hasn't been the case every game this season is mind-boggling. How many touches did Fred Jackson get against Miami in Toronto? Second, the way that the DBs fought today you have to wonder if they would be better in a man-to-man pressure defense. Playing man-to-man would enable the Bills to blitz on just about every play, improving their pass rush. You have to wonder how this team would perform under a more experienced and aggressive coaching staff.

Off the top of my head, it happened in the 80s during one of the seasons they went 2-14 (the year they beat the Cowboys and Oilers), and that was 8 divisional losses, not 6. I don't know if it has happened since them. Even in their worst years they usually managed a win against the Jets.

If Belichick is really as arrogant as we believe he is, he will trade BOTH Brady and Cassel in the offseason. He'll then draft Oklahoma's backup QB in the 7th round (I don't who that is, but it doesn't matter, as long has he hasn't started a game since Pop Warner) and name him starter. He'll use all the first round draft picks he receives to draft tight ends and DTs (who he will move to defensive end). Somewhere in the first three rounds, he'll pick a LB that he'll start at fullback. During the draft he'll deliberately ignore running backs, preferring to sign a former Bills RB to a league-minumim contract (my guess is that it will be Omon). Yep, Bellichick is that arrogant.