BillsVet

I've been ready for the 2008 season since free agency started in February. When Stroud, Mitchell, and Johnson came via trade and UFA this was an energized fan base. The draft, mini-camp, training camp, and pre-season only heightened expecations. But as in the previous few seasons, we're left with a monumental let-down which has demonstrated how far the Bills are from respectability. Over the past eight seasons, the marketing department has done a fine job of creating hype which ultimately is never met. Perhaps it can't be, but 56,000+ season tickets sold is evidence that a lot of people bought into a team without as much talent in the front office, on the field, and coaching like we thought. Right now, I still think this team is in rebuilding mode, and it's going to take more than cosmetic changes to get this team on track for success. I resolve to never again get too hyped up about a team that hasn't demonstrated any success since the 20th century. I will also not get hyped if Jauron is fired, a real GM is hired, and the team makes personnel moves that look good in the off-season. Only when they can physically beat good teams consistently and gain a playoff berth will I start to think optimistically about this franchise. Until then, it's best to keep expectations low. Especially when you consider the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the future of this franchise isn't going away anytime soon.

Tell that to the 56,000+ season ticket holders. I think they expected a good team, and the marketing folks clearly played that angle well.

As long as you keep on the anti-DJ bandwagon.

Murra, you've seen the light. I listended to Jeff Fisher this morning on Colin Cowherd's show. What a stand up guy, who despite that 10-0 record, admitted the team played poorly in the first half against Chicago. Obviously, it's easier to admit something's wrong when the overall record is 10-0, but Fisher tells it like it is, and I think that's all you and I are asking for DJ. I'm not asking for him to throw his players or coaches under the bus, but admit that they've been bad and that they know they must win every week to see the post-season.

Maybe he's a paid fireman who loathes volunteers.

Did you, by chance go to an Ivy-league caliber school? That would clinch it.

Thanks for posting that. I was happy to see AW being that frank about what's going on at OBD. Most of his pieces have centered around keeping things even-keel. I think even the writers are beginning to wonder if there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Turk has already told everyone if they knew football like he does, not to mention the quote about kneel-downs at the end of games skewing running stats. It's nice to see someone in the media question the direction instead of playing cheerleader.

This thread has obviously been hijacked by the pro-Jauron crowd, a gradually shrinking audience that is content with mediocrity. Every coach on that board had potential, and eventually met that: Jimmy Johnson won a SB in his 4th year in the league. Bill Walsh in his 3rd. Dick Vermeil went to the SB in his fifth. He took the Rams to the SB in his third in STL. Jeff Fisher went to the SB in his sixth. Bill Parcells had already won 2 SB's by the time he started with NE. He won a SB in his fourth with NYG. He went to the SB in his fourth with NE. Tom Coughlin had four playoff wins in his first five years as a NFL HC. Mike Holmgren won a SB in his fifth season as a HC. Tom Landry inherited a brand new franchise in 1960. And it was a far different era back then. Cherry-picking stats has become the norm around here. Unfortunately, only about a 5-11/6-10 record will influence the Jauroniacs how truly bad and mediocre his entire career has been. And it would take another 2 years of that garbage which Jauron has given this proud franchise to prove it to some of you. If you think DJ is the man to lead this team to the SB, I want to hear why, not mindless stats which tell me nothing. I want to hear how his gameday decisions on the field are superior. I want to hear why drafting DB's will make this team better. I want to hear how calling runs into the interior OL to set up a lengthy FG is the way to go. I want to hear how he motivates his team. And lastly, I want to know how it's possible that a coach could have a winning percentage of .433 over his entire career of 9 seasons and still not win a playoff game. You'd honestly want to hold onto a coach like that?

You cannot be serious. This is a HC who's been in the role now more than 120 games in the NFL. Many HC's never get that far because front offices realize they can't get it done. He's 54-68 in those games. How much more evidence do you need to declare this guy as unsuccessful. According to pro-football-reference.com, only Dom Capers, John McKay, Joe Kuharich, and Norm Van Brocklin have coached as many games with a worse winning percentage. Being a HC is like being a fighter pilot. Either you're successful, or you're not doing it anymore. For DJ to have survived after the Chicago stint is remarkable. And one more thing, if DJ is responsible for acquiring players like we all know, then isn't it his fault when a great many of them can't perform? Stop making excuses.

There was a lot of good said when DJ's young 06 and 07 teams struggled and he kept a calm demeanor. I can't believe that in the midst of a four game losing streak, that we act the same way on the sidelines. When you're not doing well and acting calm, it tells me you don't care or are just trying to ignore those problems. I think in this case it's the latter.

I'm not arguing for a GM with absolute personnel control. And I know Levy was part of the draft process during the Polian era. But in 2006, Levy had been out of the league for more than 9 years when he was hired for a job he'd never held in the rough and tumble NFL. That's not a criticism of Marv, but how many 80+ year old GM's are working in the NFL? I believe Levy is a good enough man to know he was behind the curve personnel-wise, and had all of a few months to get up to speed on the draft. Levy is a good enough delegator of tasks to have handed DJ control. Would Levy have advocated drafting all defense, most of whom were DB's and only 3 late OL? I know Levy wouldn't allow that if there wasn't some good reason. If he learned anything from Polian, he knew how important the OL was.

Polian was fired because he didn't get along with Jeffrey Littman, Chief Financial Officer for Ralph's companies. Apparently, you can find GM's all over the place, yet CFO's are rare. Front office wise, everything is done with business in mind. Don't get me wrong, the NFL is a business imitating a sport, but Ralph takes it to new levels. Making the former business/marketing guy the COO/quasi-GM, letting Polian go for the aforementioned reason, and spending 20-25M less in dollars are the reasons this team is in a huge quagmire. And unless the owner makes real moves and stops making moves based only on money, we'll be where we are every season.

Thank goodness Ralph had Polian here as GM through 92. To think RW wanted to take Flutie is unbelievable and I thank my lucky stars Polian knew to take Bruce Smith. You have to wonder what's going through Ralph's mind. He's 90, and I understand he wants to keep small markets alive with revenue sharing and other items which the big boys like to exploit. OTOH, I can't understand why he wouldn't want to have a winner before he passes. Bill, you and I know Levy gave DJ the freedom to handle personnel, with research from Guy and Modrak. Levy must have convinced RW that DJ was the real deal, and could be trusted. We know that to be wrong, but if DJ stays (and he shouldn't) perhaps they bring in a GM a la 2001 in Chicago when the McCaskey's realized they needed someone overseeing the front office. RW has gone with the quick fix far too many times in attracting a fan base. Nothing, however, trumps having a winning team. You can have 53 nobodies that can't make pro bowls and go 11-5 and people will come.

I'm not so sure that's the case. On the surface, perhaps. But if this team keeps losing in the style it has over the past two years, even Ralphie has to make the business move and keep the fan base interested. I'd wager that there hasn't been a lower morale among Bills nation since probably 2004 when they lost to Pittsburgh and missed the playoffs.

For once I agree with you VOR. If Alex Mack is available, I wouldn't waste much time getting his name on a card and up to the podium. The question is, if Buffalo drafts between 12-16 again, do you use that pick on a center or look to trade down and risk losing him. Jonathan Luigs is there, but Mack appears to be a blue chip talent. Centers do not normally bust, as evidenced by recent picks at the position: Chris Spencer, Nick Mangold, Jeff Faine, and Damien Woody. Andre Gurode has also excelled. Buffalo's weakness on the OL and DL is a product of drafting smaller players far too often.

One positive that from last night is more Bills fans are beginning to realize how weak Buffalo is at DE. Schobel and Denney are both over 30, and Kelsay is useless. It's amazing that DJ invested a third rounder on a guy who isn't even good enough to dress. That alone is an indictment of how poor the personnel department has been. If Buffalo drafts in the middle of the first it won't be impossible, but finding quality pass rushers there may be difficult. I have a feeling they'll be going defense in the first, despite a middle of the OL which is pathetic.

Back in January when Schonert was hired, I wasn't optimistic. Mainly, because he'd been in the league for so long and hadn't been anything more than a QB coach. At the time, DJ's lack of job security probably meant he couldn't attract the best candidates. As bad as Fairchild was, I don't see Schonert as the improvement many on this board heralded him as. Trent deserves blame for throwing three picks last night, but where was the offensive creativity? Moreover, there is a trend which isn't being brought to light. All Jauron teams, especially after Crowton left in 2000, are horrible offensively. He's had three different coordinators since 2001, and none of them have been able to get his offense into gear. It's becoming a HC-OC thing rather than just players and OC.

Make no mistake, the Bills don't have to hire Bill Cowher. I think Mike Tomlin is an excellent HC and continued the winning tradition the Steelers have. Ralph's insistence on turning over responsibility to people like Brandon is head-scratching. I made the statement last night that unless things change next season, i.e. the coaches and in the front office, I won't attend another Bills game. I can watch at home and be disappointed.

It's the greatest injustice within this franchise that DJ has as much personnel control as he does. Levy's hiring almost necessitated him ceding personnel control over to the HC. While I don't have an issue with the HC having input into the draft and FA, just abdicating most of it to a guy like DJ is suicidal. In a division which features the Patriots and their front office, a Jets team who has spent a lot and is so-far reaping rewards, along with a Miami team which hired Bill Parcells, you have to wonder how serious the Bills are about winning. The Bills must hire a GM and put Brandon back to being the marketing/business guru. The final step of course depends on Ralph putting his ego aside, although that may happen somewhat when season ticket holders decided against renewing. I've always had the feeling RW won't change unless he starts seeing the dollars go away.

Two years later "Da Bearsss" were in the Super Bowl. I can't get over how people won't research DJ's first go-round in the NFL. Those five seasons are a huge indication of who he is, and he's not changing one iota. In many ways, DJ took over a rebuilding team, got them somewhat respectable, and then had an amazing season in which every bounce went the Bears' way. For the first 2 seasons and 4 games, that was the case. Now we're seeing it was a fluke, and talent wise we're still drafting little people in favor of picking talented big men on the OL and DL.

Hopefully the comparisons continue and the HC is fired, along with his staff minus April. I don't think it's a knee-jerk reaction to demand some change be made. Similar to Gregg Williams, DJ has had 3 seasons to rebuild this team and get them to the playoffs. They had two seasons to get things right, and now in Year 3, we're not seeing improvement.

And Chris Ellis still isn't on the field. Not once did I see Kelsay do anything. Being at the game, it's amazing how a player on the DL can do nothing. Before the kick return, McKelvin was out there waving his arms up and down to get the crowd going. This happened after the Browns RB ran for a long score. I remember yelling "do something" and moments later I watched from the tunnel side EZ as he galloped to the TD. Needless to say, he did something. I was impressed with him. There are those calling for Trent's head, and after that first quarter, I wasn't happy. One thing I expect a coach to do is motivate the troops, like a leader must do when things get bad. We've been told that Jauron works well when he's teaching young players. Apparently, that doesn't extend to the field. His handling of a young QB (and Turk deserves blame too) is completely negligent. I cannot believe how little confidence they had in him. My friend I go to the games with told me after the 3rd and 1 when they went shotgun, that the OL went over to DJ and really gave him a hard time, presumably about the call to pass. Players don't do that unless things are ridiculous. My fear/hope is that some players start getting irate with this gameplanning and voice their displeasure. I know they don't have all the horses, but it's clear the coaches aren't putting the players in a position to perform. Yes, the players deserve some blame, but ultimately we're witnessing what occurred in Chicago between 99-03.

That's one way to put it. Unfortunately, DJ's influence extends far from the field of play in this organization. He has definitely had a great deal of input on which players this team acquires. I don't believe it's a coincidence that the 06 draft featured all defense, minus three late OL. Overall, Buffalo selected 7 DB's out of 26 picks. If you think it's only his coaching that is suspect, you're selling yourself short.

I would prefer Alex Mack at this point, although Jonathan Luigs will be another decent option. It's 5 and a half months away, but it would be criminal not to draft linemen with their first two picks. Both lines need an infusion of talent.

I think it's ironic that both Tennessee and the Giants are very physical football teams that excel at running the football. The Titans have LenDale White (and Chris Johnson) while the Giants can throw Brandon Jacobs (along with Ahmad Bradshaw) against opposing defenses. Both teams have big OLineman and DLineman that control the line of scrimmage. And both have efficient if not very good QB's. When the Bills do this, they'll be successful. Until then, it's going to be a struggle.