Steely Dan Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 To those who think Jauron sucks; Even Pets* fans respect Jauron Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron could have blamed spygate, injuries or alost anything and had a point in the Bills' first loss to New England. He chose not to. Instead he worked hard at keeping his team focused, and now they're one of the AFC's pleasant surprises. It's not luck, it's Jauron, and a scrappy , gritty Buffalo team that refuses to quit. CBS Sportsline Credit should go to Dick Jauron for keeping this injury-plagued team battling until the final week. They could be an AFC sleeper next season. Adam Schein Fox Sports OK, so who predicted the Buffalo Bills would be in the thick of the chase for the final playoff spot in the AFC? One of the magnificent coaching jobs in the NFL this year is what Dick Jauron is doing in lovely Western New York. In a season headlined by a flurry of major injuries starting with a near death on the field, a quarterback carousel and the possibility of playing regular-season games in Canada, Buffalo is playing meaningful games in December. That's coaching. Writes ESPN’sLen Pasquarelli: And attempting to parse the merits of the performances turned in -- to determine whether the surprising 7-7 record fashioned by Dick Jauron with a Buffalo Bills franchise that has 15 players, including five defensive starters, on injured reserve, is superior to the Patriots' relentless pursuit of history -- is a daunting challenge. These people who know more about football disagree with you but, I'm sure you know a lot better.
1billsfan Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 To those who think Jauron sucks; Even Pets* fans respect Jauron Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron could have blamed spygate, injuries or alost anything and had a point in the Bills' first loss to New England. He chose not to. Instead he worked hard at keeping his team focused, and now they're one of the AFC's pleasant surprises. It's not luck, it's Jauron, and a scrappy , gritty Buffalo team that refuses to quit. CBS Sportsline Credit should go to Dick Jauron for keeping this injury-plagued team battling until the final week. They could be an AFC sleeper next season. Adam Schein Fox Sports OK, so who predicted the Buffalo Bills would be in the thick of the chase for the final playoff spot in the AFC? One of the magnificent coaching jobs in the NFL this year is what Dick Jauron is doing in lovely Western New York. In a season headlined by a flurry of major injuries starting with a near death on the field, a quarterback carousel and the possibility of playing regular-season games in Canada, Buffalo is playing meaningful games in December. That's coaching. Writes ESPN’sLen Pasquarelli: And attempting to parse the merits of the performances turned in -- to determine whether the surprising 7-7 record fashioned by Dick Jauron with a Buffalo Bills franchise that has 15 players, including five defensive starters, on injured reserve, is superior to the Patriots' relentless pursuit of history -- is a daunting challenge. These people who know more about football disagree with you but, I'm sure you know a lot better. Come on. You didn't just sight NFL reporters as proof Dick Jauron is a good coach. If there was ever a sport where writers and talking heads are much more wrong than they're right it's the NFL. These are the same jokers that said Favre was finished last offseason and should retire. The same ones that thought the Giants had no shot in the Superbowl. Sorry, but the NFL media's opinions generally mean less than nothing to me. It just goes to show you that Jauron's master plan of being a nice and classy guy which in turn will get him at least five years no matter how bad of a coach you are. That team in Chicago can certainly attest to this. Look, Dick is a fine gentleman but he plain sucks as a head coach. His overall coaching record says so, his coaching record against good teams says so, his one winning season in seven total seasons says so. That Patriots story was written before the nation embarrassment of the Bills second meeting with the Pats and the subsequent free fall at the end of the season when wins were desperately needed and his team looked clueless and uninspired. I'm quite sure that the Pat fans and Bill Belichick love Dick Jauron and hope he stays as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a very long time. The CBS sportsline story is bu__sh__. The Bills did not battle until the final week. Yes, Jauron did a good job of beating on the teams that sucked on their schedule in the middle of their season. Hooray! But they played like wimps at home against the Pats, Dallas begged Jauron to beat them by giving his team six turnovers still couldn't do it, and they played like crap the final three games of the season. Bad coaching, doesn't cut it in my book. The Schein story was written the week before the Bills fell like water over Niagra Falls starting with the Cleveland game. I doubt he even watched a Bills game last season. I highly doubt that Len still thought that Jauron was coach of the year material after those last two losses. He was just throwing his former team a bone before the team quit in it's last two games. Len will not crap on the Bills until the writing is clearly on the wall. He is not going to burn any bridges with the Bills. Let me just say that of course I hope I'm wrong about this and that Jauron pulls a 180 and becomes a winning head coach. I clearly don't think that will happen though and I'm just sharing my opinion on this important subject heading into the 2008 season.
Marv Levy Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 Just went to the casino last night. BUFFALO BILLS are 60/1 to win the SuperBowl. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Might be nice to lay $25 on 'em!! GO BILLS!!
Tipster19 Posted April 10, 2008 Author Posted April 10, 2008 Very well put. Since your assessment of the players was well done, would it be possible, if you have time, to add your assessment of the Bills coaching staff for each position, thanks. I'd be happy to try and oblige. I really can't give an "expert" overview but I can try and find some stats and add an opinion or two on some of the facts. Fair? HC Dick Jauron- The man definitely has tons of football knowledge and experience. I believe that Marv wanted Jauron annoited for three equal parts. First because they share similiar football philosophies. Secondly because of Jauron's demeanor. Coming into a overhaul of a roster is upsetting enough but to have a man who is just a nice guy and treats people/players with respect is a calming influence in trying to round a corner. I guess we could of have had someone come in and swing an axe with regard to anyone who was in the way, aka Parcels, but that would be in direct contrast to who Marv is and what he stands for. Jauron is a natural compliment to Levy. Thirdly is similiar in many ways to the 2nd part and that is image and the public face of this organization was at a very fragile point of this franchise's history. Wilson is ancient and may have felt that in his twilight years there is division that could widen or could be spanned between the fans and the organization. I don't believe that this weighs too heavily into the equation but at some point it was one of many factors. I also believe that this whole Toronto thing was not just bourne yesterday and having a middle of the road option for coach wouldn't lose too many games and hopefully might even surprise with some extra wins would bring a better return for the marketing aspect of the franchise. Well, enough of this crap. Here's the link to some FACTS about Jauron. I like the part about the team being most disciplined in team history by setting a record for the least amount of penalties, down by 13 since last year. Jauron has this team headed in the right direction but I don't expect that to be recognized by some. I will go on record and state that I like Jauron but I'm not convinced that he is the right coach for the future but he is for the present. I do agree that this is a make or break year for him. There should be no more excuses or alibis from here on out. I do think that he does well and stays our coach for the next few years but we'll see. DC Perry Fewell- The Bills and Jaguars were tied for fourth in the AFC with a plus-nine takeaway-giveaway ratio. Is this the same Jaguar team that was one of the teams that were expected to knock off the Patriots and still landed up playing a heck of a game? David Garrard was on thin ice (even before his illness, so don't go there) just a couple of years ago, teetering on this roster but now is their star QB. Hmm, our rookie is a bum, he should of kicked New England's @$$ in both games, I must be a little dreamer. The defense was also among the most effective in holding opponents out of the end zone while operating inside the 20-yard line by yielding a 44.6 touchdown percentage to rank fourth in the NFL in red zone defense. ST Coach Bobby April- I'll reserve comment because none is needed, we have one of the best STs in the league. DB Coach George Catavolos- He coached a secondary that was getting on the job training and overcame a plethora of injuries (4 DBs out). McGee led the team with four interceptions and ranked third in the NFL with 25 passes defensed and had converted a WR ( George Wilson) start 9 games. While many here were hoping that CB Jabari Greer could fill our nickel package going into the season he landed up STARTING 13 GAMES. SS Donte Whitner was 3rd on the team with 102 tackles. This was on the heels of coaching a first ever in the league of starting two rookies at the safety positions in 2006. The Bills also ranked 1st in the NFL in 2006 by yielding just 10.14 yards per completion and ranked No. 3 allowing 6.40 yards per pass attempt. Buffalo ranked 6th in the NFL in passing net yards per play and 7th in passing net yards per game. Draw your own conclusions with this secondary but I expect big things for this unit in the upcoming season. OL Coach Sean Kugler- Four things to say about Kugler, he's mostly responsible for Jason Peters' developement, he's a local boy, his unit set a franchise record for allowing the least amount of sacks (26) since 1982, when it first became an official stat and this was the same offensive line that started 15 consecutive games – longest team streak since 1989. DL Coach Bill Kollar- This former first rd DL (#23 overall) played for eight years, he's got plenty of experience. Out of his unit four of the team’s leaders in tackles-for-loss came on the defensive line. In his first season with the Bills in 2006, Buffalo’s defensive ends ranked tied for fourth in the NFL with 26.5 sacks. Imagine having another playmaker or two like DE Derrick Harvey and newly aquired LB Kawika Mitchell will do for the pass rush? Kollar held the same position for the Atlanta Falcons. in 1998, the Falcons' defensive line tied for the NFL lead by giving up only six rushing touchdowns and set a team record by allowing an average of 75.2 rushing yards as Atlanta won the NFC Championship and earned a trip to Super Bowl XXXIII. When he left the Falcons he went to the Rams in the same capacity for five years ('01-'05) His unit quickly emerged as one of the toughest and most relentless front fours in the NFL. During his tenure he helped DE Leonard Little emerge as a premier sack artist with 57 sacks in five seasons. LB Coach Matt Sheldon- Sheldon came to Buffalo in 2006 from the Rams also. In his first year London Fletcher led the Bills in tackles (157), interceptions (4) and defensive touchdowns (2); His four interceptions and 11 passes defensed led all NFL linebackers; Angelo Crowell also continued to grow into a play-making force as he posted 95 tackles, 2 INTs, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble despite missing the final five games. In his second year the guy was coaching rookie and a nobody. Second-year middle linebacker John DiGiorgio started the final 13 games and produced 137 tackles to rank second on the team and rookie MLB Paul Posluszny totaled 26 tackles before breaking his forearm and being placed on injured reserve in the third game of the season. Adding another LB in this year's draft would most definitely help serve our cause but in the meantime Posluszny is coming back and DiGiorgio has a lot more experience going into this season. By the way, my buddy at work went to college and played football with DiGiorgio's older brother. He knows John good and he's going to get him to sign a jersey for me. How cool is that?! Running Game Coordinator/RB Coach Eric Studesville- He has been with the Bills for 5 years and in that time he has provided a RB to go over the 1,000 yd mark 4 out of the 5 years. Under Studesville, Marshawn Lynch produced 1,115 rushing yards – the second-most for a rookie in team history but he also led the NFL in rushing attempts per game at 21.5 and ranked fifth in the AFC with 85.8 yards per game. Lynch also led the team with seven TDs. I'm glad that we have Fred Jackson because that is a good amount of carries for a RB game in and game out. I'd like to see Lynch catch a little more out of the backfield and have Jackson to carry a little more. I think that it's important to keep Lynch fresh towards the end of the year and Jackson to be more prepared. WR Coach Tyke Tolbert- Man, this guy is underappreciated and I think that that we'll see a big difference in production out of this unit in the 2008 season. Working under Tolbert, Lee Evans has become the most prolific pass catcher in Bills' history. Evans has more receptions, yards and receiving TDs than any Bills receiver through his first four seasons with the team. In 2007, Evans became the first receiver with back-to-back 50-reception seasons since Eric Moulds (1998-2005). In 2006, Evans continued his tremendous improvement while working with Tolbert. Evans posted a career-best 1,292 yards and 82 receptions in 2006 and led the Bills with 8 TDs. Evans also posted the most prolific receiving day in team history with 265 yards against Houston in week 11. In his first year Evans led all NFL rookies and set a Buffalo rookie record with nine touchdown receptions. Lee Evans also led NFL rookies with a 17.6 yards per catch average. Under Tolbert’s tutelage, Cardinals rookie receiver Anquan Boldin earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2003 and was the only rookie to make the Pro Bowl. Tolbert guided Boldin to an NFL rookie reception mark with 101 catches for 1,377 yards. OC Turk Schonert- In 2007 as QB coach Schonert oversaw the development of rookie QB Trent Edwards who produced five wins, the second-best total by a Bills rookie QB in team history. Edwards also finished the season ranked second in completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes among Bills rookies. Trent Edwards was the most productive rookie passer in the NFL in 2007 and produced more passing yards since the common draft began in 1967 than any QB drafted in the third round in his rookie season. This upcoming year Schonert is expected to incorporate the FB position more and this should contribute to not only to Lynch and the running game but also the passing game. What I like about our coaches is the fact that they have been with the organization for a few years now and there should be a continuity in this year's results. In addition, most of them are from just a couple of franchises and the fact that we grabbed a couple of them at a time out of these places. QB Coach Alex Van Pelt- Hey man, he's one of us. This should be a very natural transition for him and for us. TE Coach Charlie Coiner- Coiner comes to us from the Bears and under him our two TEs, Michael Gaines and Robert Royal, combined for 50 catches and 448 yds. Within our offense the tight ends play an important role in both the running and passing game for the Bills but don't expect for us to all of a sudden look towards our TEs to have the same kind of production that the Chargers and Chiefs get. It's just not our forte, it never has and never will be. Marv never made it one of our biggest aspects and Levy and Jauron do share an awful lot of common football philosophies. Our TEs last year were a force blocking in the running game and in pass protection though. Here's a prime example of what Buffalo has done with the TE position historicly. Robert Royal became the first Bills TE to catch a touchdown pass in three consecutive games (weeks 13-15) since 1963. What does that tell you? Well, I didn't overview ALL the coaches but I think that I got most of them. Although I did alot of cut and pasting, this was still a ton of freaking work, I hope you enjoy it.
ExpertOpinion Posted April 10, 2008 Posted April 10, 2008 Just went to the casino last night. BUFFALO BILLS are 60/1 to win the SuperBowl. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Might be nice to lay $25 on 'em!! GO BILLS!! You'd be far better of spending it on pizza and beer.
Steely Dan Posted April 10, 2008 Posted April 10, 2008 I know a guy who claims he put down $100 on the Pets* in the pre-season before the Pets* first SB win and he said he won $17,000. That can't be right. He must have meant $1000.
Chandler#81 Posted April 10, 2008 Posted April 10, 2008 Robert Royal became the first Bills TE to catch a touchdown pass in three consecutive games (weeks 13-15) since 1963. What does that tell you? That Ernie Warlick was good? Congrats Tipster, you've outdone Pyrite. I need a new perscription..
Dibs Posted April 11, 2008 Posted April 11, 2008 I know a guy who claims he put down $100 on the Pets* in the pre-season before the Pets* first SB win and he said he won $17,000. That can't be right. He must have meant $1000. From memory it is probably correct. The Pets* were massive 100:1 longshots that season.....I recall that at one point early in the season some Vegas bookies had them in the realms of 400:1.
Thunderstealer Posted April 11, 2008 Posted April 11, 2008 If we can make defensive play's on third down, the season could be glorious.
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