2020 Our Year For Sure

I think your mind has greatly offensive thoughts for Mike Leach.

As awful as Jauron is, I'd rather listen to him talk for 2 hours than Belichick for 5 minutes.

Fair enough.

Yes, coaches do "win" and "lose." Coach W/L records and winning percentage are both official NFL statistics. The coach is not on the field throwing, catching, kicking, running, blocking, covering or tackling...but he's even more important than any single player...he spends a whole week preparing 52 players and a dozen underling coaches to go win a game on Sunday. This is what people don't seem to understand. Things like timeouts, playcalling, challenges, 4th down decisions-- things classified as "gameday management"-- are a miniscule part of a head coach's job. Again, if a team wins a football game, it is in part because the coach got them prepared to play that particular opponent well enough for the players to be in a position to succeed. Additionally, if you're right and a coach doesn't "win", he can't "lose" either...because even if he did a poor job, its all up to the players, anyway.

Nine wins is exactly what I've been expecting, but now I might have to change my prediction.

Didn't gordong break the Stroud story before we heard it anywhere else? If not Stroud, it was something else. I remember we all told him to fck off.

Its gonna be Jauron.

I can't answer for anyone else, but I was worried about it because of how aggressively the Bills pursued name running backs during the offseason...Fred Taylor, Deshaun Foster, Kevin Jones, before finally settling on Rhodes. It seemed a bit weird that they'd be so deadset on a running back who might only play during Lynch's suspension at the beginning of the year. That coupled with Freddie's age and the short shelf-life for RBs, had me a bit worried that the Bills had decided he wasn't worth it. I'm beyond relieved to find out that isn't the case. This guy can play, and we're a better offense with him.

Uh...where in the article does it say Johnson's role to expand? Whats up with the thread title? Jauron didn't say this...all he said is "he will compete." Which isn't really saying anything at all.

Me and LSI are in the Stadium Wall Chopper scoping the area, nothing yet! On a side note though, should I be a bit creeped out that every 30 seconds or so, LSI looks at me with a weirdass smile and gives me a thumbs up???

Ellison's size is only "one of the gripes" about him among fans who don't understand what we're going for on defense. Its annoying to read over and over people complaining about weights, when these are the exact players we're supposed to be going after. We're trying to be the Buccaneers under Dungy/Kiffin, the Bears under Jauron. I'm sure you understand this. Anyone complaining about size just doesn't have their head in the game. Its a very small segment of the board, I think. Most fans realize we're going after smaller, quicker defenders who can fly to the ball. Most fans even grasp, amazingly, that players of the same weight can play at completely different levels. Further, its hardly worth pointing out that he played at 220 last year, when he lost that weight for the team, played at 240 most of his career, and can put some of that weight back on if given the word. Not that weight should matter, anyway.

Great news, what a relief that text was. Go Bills!

And while he isn't a playmaker (turnovers, sacks), he IS a tackling machine. Though it was overshadowed by pass rush issues, the run defense was still a problem last year. And Schobel's return is the only personnel difference that has a chance of improving the run D from last year to this year...Pisa would be a nice signing with this in mind. The run D might not hold up if both Kyle Williams and Keith Ellison are starting on this team.

Don't be modest, SB! I see you have even deleted the post now...do not be afraid of your own success, my friend. But not to worry, not to worry! I made sure another poster quoted you not long after you composed your masterpiece. We can not take the risk of time stealing from us these sage words. I just want to thank you for everything you do around here. It would be a real disaster if you weren't around to point out that Derrick Brooks never existed or that a player whose weight goes from A to B can never return to A. Otherwise, I'd probably allow myself to feel good when I think about my football team. Thank you a million times over for preventing that near disaster time and time again. I'm not sure I can ever repay you in full, but I vow with every fiber of my being that I will never stop trying. Now enough delay, give us a speech! Come now! Give us cause to raise our glasses in celebration! We all need a hero in these troubled times...allow not modesty to get in the way of what you do best: helping your fellow fan. Post on, Sisyphean Bills. They need your message.

Right now, I'm just talking about the guy not getting credit when he does win, because thats what Tipster is asking about...the perception of Jauron among Bills fans IF he were to start winning more games this year. It really has nothing to do with his track record, or whether we actually expect him to do it. Its just this "we won in spite of him!" garbage I read about after every win, its enough to drive a guy up the wall. When the team wins, the coach got the job done.

We also ran for 140+ in the second Pats* game last year, so I wouldn't want Richard Seymour or Ty Warren, either.

Relax there, champ. My post consisted mostly of questions, and upon a re-read, I don't see any of them as particularly stupid. But thanks for the snarky response, and the eye-rolls.

I was excited about this until I read Sisyphean's post. He reminded me that (1) a player who used to be 240, then went down to 220, can NEVER go back up to 240, and (2) Derrick Brooks, the perennial Pro Bowl LB who played most of his career around 230 anyway, obviously never existed. Thank you, Sisyphean Bills, for continuing to be the voice of reason around here. Its beyond refreshing, its downright thirst-quenching.

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.

My mistake!

Seriously though OC, we're not allowed to use statistics to critique our quarterback because we play in bad weather? What about Cutler in Denver, Favre in Green Bay? Or is it only Buffalo quarterbacks that deal with wind? Losman put together a decent statistical season, and he sucked. If Edwards is worth a crap, he'll be able to do the same.

Somehow, I'm not surprised a Pats* fan can't grasp that.

Tony is extremely badass right now.

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.