The team's success will depend on two people:

[apuszczalowski]

Here's something we probably won't argue about:

 

DJ is the first actual PROFESSIONAL and NFL credentialed head coach we've had since Wade Phillips. He's better than Meathead, and way better than !@#$ (Greggggggg Williams).

I would take back Greg Williams anyday over Mularky.

 

Williams could be a good coach, but he just failed in his first try. Mularky has failed to stay an OC since leaving the Bills while Williams has done very well going back to being a DC and has been talked about as getting a second chance at HC

[BillsWatch]

Jauron's hiring of Schonert is the most questionable move this team made in the off-season. To me, it's understandable that no prospective OC wanted the job, because Jauron might be in the final year of his deal. That's not a lot of job security for an incoming OC. With that in mind, Schonert was probably DJ's only option.

 

Not likely only coach who would be interested in OC position despite final year. That kind of "reasoning" is found on sites like RealFootball365.com.

 

The biggest question with Schonert will be whether or not he's allowed to call his own game. If he his, it could disrupt Jauron's team gameplan which emphasizes strong defense, special teams, and no big risk taking on offense.

 

Schonert will be allowed to call his own game for Jauron does not get involved in offense for it is not is expertise. Schonert is still offense coordinator and a rookie at that and any head coach is going to call his own game taking input from coordinators.

 

I would agree that this season hinges on how much Edwards progresses, and if Jauron departs from his uber-conservative gameplans. DJ's got the players, especially on defense, to do things he hasn't been able to do in a long time. If the Bills consistently line up in 2 TE sets like last season, it'll be another long year on offense.

 

Bills will line up in whatever formation the Bills think allows the Bills to exploit whatever flaws they see in opposing games no matter what uber-knowledgeable fans think.

[ax4782]

WRONG: You answers are incorrect. Thank you for playing. Next contestant.

 

Ah, the old, when someone lines up reality and logic against your argument, dismiss and ignore them as if they didn't exist. The problem is, P-Girl is right. There are a lot of coaches who, by your logic should never have gotten a second chance to coach in the NFL. I'm not saying that Jauron is the next Belicheat or Marv Levy, but let's see what he does this year with his best team in years on the field. If Buffalo tanks, and there aren't really a lot of injuries, then it is certainly legitimate to criticize Jauron and call for his head. Until we see how the team he has put together performs, it's a bit early to judge.

 

To address the original post, I think TE's play will dictate how the season goes. I think if he can be an average starting QB this team can win 9 games. If he plays just a bit better than average, we could win 10 or 11 games and make the playoffs. I expect the D will play well. Jauron's decision making the play calling strategy of TS will also dictate. I think you hit the issue right on the money. I do, however, have that same feeling that the Bills might surprise some people this year and make the playoffs.

[Heels20X6]

I prefer a coach who plays to win football games, not plays them to not lose them. His ultra-conservative game-planning strikes absolutely no fear in opposing coaches and barring that one 13-3 season as head coach of the Bears, Jauron has proven nothing other than a coach who can get you to mediocrity. I will say that few coaches prepare a team for game day like Jauron, he always had the boys ready to play and be competitive...but by the time the kick was off, the Bills went into a defense-first, keep-it-close plan that let us beat bad teams, and let us get thumped by good teams. What is the Bills record during Jauron's tenure against teams that are playoff-bound? That record speaks for itself...

 

As for Trent, he's still green. I am hoping for a season where he gets steadily better and can actually play in cold weather.

[San-O]

Ah, the old, when someone lines up reality and logic against your argument, dismiss and ignore them as if they didn't exist. The problem is, P-Girl is right. There are a lot of coaches who, by your logic should never have gotten a second chance to coach in the NFL. I'm not saying that Jauron is the next Belicheat or Marv Levy, but let's see what he does this year with his best team in years on the field. If Buffalo tanks, and there aren't really a lot of injuries, then it is certainly legitimate to criticize Jauron and call for his head. Until we see how the team he has put together performs, it's a bit early to judge.

 

To address the original post, I think TE's play will dictate how the season goes. I think if he can be an average starting QB this team can win 9 games. If he plays just a bit better than average, we could win 10 or 11 games and make the playoffs. I expect the D will play well. Jauron's decision making the play calling strategy of TS will also dictate. I think you hit the issue right on the money. I do, however, have that same feeling that the Bills might surprise some people this year and make the playoffs.

 

WRONG: The answers are 1, 1, and 0.

 

I'm trying to be funny obviously. There was no logic or anything else in the questions: they're questions.

 

I basically lost all confidence in D.J. with that Dallas loss. My opinion.

 

Based on D.J.'s track record, his ultra-conservative game management, and a rookie O.C. with a first time starting QB, Buffalo

will miss the playoffs again. 10-6 may not get you in, and I think a three/four game improvement THIS year is asking a lot.

 

I really think (the thread topic) that T.E will improve, and D.J. will continue his ways and hold the team back. We'll see.

[BillsVet]

Not likely only coach who would be interested in OC position despite final year. That kind of "reasoning" is found on sites like RealFootball365.com.

 

Really? Who else showed at OBD for an interview?

 

Schonert will be allowed to call his own game for Jauron does not get involved in offense for it is not is expertise. Schonert is still offense coordinator and a rookie at that and any head coach is going to call his own game taking input from coordinators.

 

According to whom? Schonert's never been an OC before. Jauron's been a HC for 7+ seasons. Who do you think has more say in the final gameplan? I'd say Jauron's going to have control when all the dust has settled.

 

Bills will line up in whatever formation the Bills think allows the Bills to exploit whatever flaws they see in opposing games no matter what uber-knowledgeable fans think.

 

Yes, last season when the Dolphins secondary was led by street free agents and missing key players, those 2 TE's sets were the finest way of exploiting any holes Miami had. And yet the offense managed to find new depths to how bad it could be. Ask Lee Evans. Fairchild was not the only reason this offense was bad. Jauron was a part of the problem, not solution. He has final say, and when push comes to shove, draws up the ultra conservative plans which produce 7 offensive points against DEN, 3 against Dallas, 13 at NYJ, 13 at Miami, 14 at JAC, no TD's and 5 FG at WAS, 3 FGs at PHI. Record in those games was 3-4, right along with DJ's career record.

 

If you think the reason for offensive ineptitude was Fairchild alone, you're not seeing the whole picture.

[Pyrite Gal]

WRONG: The answers are 1, 1, and 0.

 

I'm trying to be funny obviously. There was no logic or anything else in the questions: they're questions.

 

I basically lost all confidence in D.J. with that Dallas loss. My opinion.

 

Based on D.J.'s track record, his ultra-conservative game management, and a rookie O.C. with a first time starting QB, Buffalo

will miss the playoffs again. 10-6 may not get you in, and I think a three/four game improvement THIS year is asking a lot.

 

I really think (the thread topic) that T.E will improve, and D.J. will continue his ways and hold the team back. We'll see.

The problem hear is for the most part basing predictions on DJs past track record in other situations.

 

I agree there is a lot of logic in using the recent past track record as an INDICATION of what he likely will do. However, this would be a much stronger indication if he had much success with this mode of operation in the past. However, DJ is coming of a situation where the lack of an attacking offense was an obvious problem for this team.

 

The right question is not a simple dissertation of his past record, but whether there is any indication that DJ or Schonert are going to adopt a more successful style of play with this offense. One indication is that he likely has much better players to work with than he had before (Lynch, a more stable OL, and what Edwards has shown in his brief appearances.

 

This is far more impressive than what we had with a choppy OL, a disgruntled WM, and the uncertainties around JP. Someone who presents the past record as fully predictive of the future comes off as someone predicting that a coin will come up heads because it came up tails the last three times.

 

While the football prospects are far more nuanced than a 50/50 coin flip, simply expecting the future to be the same as the past lacks credibility.

 

It is amusing that it was the Dallas game which caused you to lose confidence because the problem in that game was actually DJ was not conservative enough. If he had gone 3 times in a row for a yard and a cloud of astroturf and had Lindell kick a chipshot FG to give the Bills 3 more points instead of asking Edwards to throw the ball, there is a fair chance we would have won the game.

[Whites Bay]

Ah, the old, when someone lines up reality and logic against your argument, dismiss and ignore them as if they didn't exist. The problem is, P-Girl is right. There are a lot of coaches who, by your logic should never have gotten a second chance to coach in the NFL. I'm not saying that Jauron is the next Belicheat or Marv Levy, but let's see what he does this year with his best team in years on the field. If Buffalo tanks, and there aren't really a lot of injuries, then it is certainly legitimate to criticize Jauron and call for his head. Until we see how the team he has put together performs, it's a bit early to judge.

 

To address the original post, I think TE's play will dictate how the season goes. I think if he can be an average starting QB this team can win 9 games. If he plays just a bit better than average, we could win 10 or 11 games and make the playoffs. I expect the D will play well. Jauron's decision making the play calling strategy of TS will also dictate. I think you hit the issue right on the money. I do, however, have that same feeling that the Bills might surprise some people this year and make the playoffs.

 

Not meaning to throw gasoline on a flame, but let me posit a scenario. We're talking about (a) Jauron and (b) Edwards being the key to the upcoming season. Fair enough. Let's stop treating them as though they're separate outcomes, because they're not. Here comes the twister.....

 

What happens if JP simply lights up training camp? What happens if he shows an uncanny ability to get rid of the ball under pressure? What happens if his "short game" improves? What happens if he shows the same laser-lock long bombs he showed LAST training camp?

 

Let's make it MORE interesting. Maybe....just maybe....Trent takes a step back. Not "sucks", just "takes a step back", such that there is a clear, uninterrupted ray of light between the two quarterbacks.

 

(Side note - I know this post will result in the usual vomit of "JP sucks", or "I'll fuggin' kill myself". Serious posters only need apply).

 

JP lit it up in training camp last year. You know it. I know it. What if it happens THIS year? You're Jauron, and you have an "Oh, schit" on your hands. Won't THAT tell you a few things about the coach? About the direction of the team? And, again, please refrain from the "Oh, God, if JP takes the helm there will be a return to world communism, starvation, and locusts". Put some thought into it.

[bananathumb]

Ah, the old, when someone lines up reality and logic against your argument, dismiss and ignore them as if they didn't exist. The problem is, P-Girl is right. There are a lot of coaches who, by your logic should never have gotten a second chance to coach in the NFL. I'm not saying that Jauron is the next Belicheat or Marv Levy, but let's see what he does this year with his best team in years on the field. If Buffalo tanks, and there aren't really a lot of injuries, then it is certainly legitimate to criticize Jauron and call for his head. Until we see how the team he has put together performs, it's a bit early to judge.

 

To address the original post, I think TE's play will dictate how the season goes. I think if he can be an average starting QB this team can win 9 games. If he plays just a bit better than average, we could win 10 or 11 games and make the playoffs. I expect the D will play well. Jauron's decision making the play calling strategy of TS will also dictate. I think you hit the issue right on the money. I do, however, have that same feeling that the Bills might surprise some people this year and make the playoffs.

 

 

Thanks. What I find amusing is that the old steel town of Buffalo, blue-collar as can be, finds itself waiting for the performances of two intellectuals from Stanford and Yale.

[Flbillsfan#1]

I would take back Greg Williams anyday over Mularky.

 

Williams could be a good coach, but he just failed in his first try. Mularky has failed to stay an OC since leaving the Bills while Williams has done very well going back to being a DC and has been talked about as getting a second chance at HC

Dan Snyder had Gregg pegged to be head coach when Gibbs retired. He paid him more money as a defensive coordinator than some head coaches make to keep him on board until that day. The day came, Gibbs retired, and Danny changed his mind about Gregg. I think the reason he did is he knew his players would not put up with Williams crap. Gregg has the type of personality that can just wear on a person, his act gets old real fast. I would be surprised with his reputation if he gets another HC opportunity. It will be interesting in Jville next season. Williams system is totally different than what the Jags ran in the past. It will be interesting to see if Gregg can adjust his system to fit the players on the Jags, or do what he did in Buffalo, run off GOOD players to bring in others who are not as good but fit his system better.

[nero47]

1. How many winning seasons has D.J. had.

 

2. How many playoff seasons has D.J. had.

 

3. How many playoff games has D.J. won.

it would be better if you looked up Marv Levy's 43% NFL winning percentage before he got to Buffalo and the first two years here, before the Bills became the great team of the early 90's. This team has been built as that team was through the draft.

 

jauron hopefully is on the same track, using the same formula.

[nero47]

Not meaning to throw gasoline on a flame, but let me posit a scenario. We're talking about (a) Jauron and (b) Edwards being the key to the upcoming season. Fair enough. Let's stop treating them as though they're separate outcomes, because they're not. Here comes the twister.....

 

What happens if JP simply lights up training camp? What happens if he shows an uncanny ability to get rid of the ball under pressure? What happens if his "short game" improves? What happens if he shows the same laser-lock long bombs he showed LAST training camp?

 

Let's make it MORE interesting. Maybe....just maybe....Trent takes a step back. Not "sucks", just "takes a step back", such that there is a clear, uninterrupted ray of light between the two quarterbacks.

 

(Side note - I know this post will result in the usual vomit of "JP sucks", or "I'll fuggin' kill myself". Serious posters only need apply).

 

JP lit it up in training camp last year. You know it. I know it. What if it happens THIS year? You're Jauron, and you have an "Oh, schit" on your hands. Won't THAT tell you a few things about the coach? About the direction of the team? And, again, please refrain from the "Oh, God, if JP takes the helm there will be a return to world communism, starvation, and locusts". Put some thought into it.

A thought that has been rumbling around for awhile. JP has no pressure to secure the number one this year. Dopn't know what he has been doing during the off season, but working on his deficiencies would have been a good idea.

[San-O]

It is amusing that it was the Dallas game which caused you to lose confidence because the problem in that game was actually DJ was not conservative enough. If he had gone 3 times in a row for a yard and a cloud of astroturf and had Lindell kick a chipshot FG to give the Bills 3 more points instead of asking Edwards to throw the ball, there is a fair chance we would have won the game.

 

Well, yes, it is rather ironic. The reason I lost confidence over the Dallas game was exactly as you point out: just run the ball a couple times. Simple.

It's right there in front of them, and they still found a way to mess it up. It is also another example of the coaching staff just simply not getting it done.

You're comments are hardly a glowing endorsement of D.J..

 

He can't win being conservative, and doesn't play it conservative when he should. Don't blame me.

 

BTW, this is not a discussion of chance, or a probability experiment. If it were, chances are the Bills would have been

back to the playoffs by now. They haven't been, and have one of longest current playoff droughts in the NFL.

[Rockinon]

There is no doubt we have more talent this year.Yes Trent must be more manlike and stop folding up inside the 20....BUT----we still have our mediocre DEs--lets hope the new guy has some talent.

Mediocre my a$$. Do you even watch football?

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Perhaps DJ's ultra conservative style is a product of the hand he's been dealt--i.e., the players he's had.

 

Tony Dungy is an ultra conservative coach too--but things sure changed when he landed a job coaching Peyton Manning and co.

 

The question is: do we have the playmakers and OC to have a high-powered offense? If so, I think DJ will unleash it.

[kota]

Words of Doom......

 

"Bend but don't Break"

 

This is the kind of defense we have had since Pat Williams left. Every year i see the playoff teams with strong attacking defenses. Teams that blitz on a regular basis. WE haven't had that in a few years. You could chalk it up to not having the players to do that sort of thing until this year. There is no reason to not be an attackign defense this year. All the pieces are there assuming no significant injuries occur. If the Bills do a "Bend but don't break" attitude type defense with the players we currently have we are screwed.

 

Dick Jauron to me is way to conservative of a coach who doesn't believe enough in his team to take chances.

 

 

 

Trent Edwards isn't an issue if you ask me. Trent Edwards play is going to be based upon a few things.

 

1) Offensive Coaches letting him be a QB fully. This means letting him make his own adjustments at the line.

2) James Hardy - Can he not be a typical WR and learn the NFL game quickly enough to be a factor. Will his size automatically make defenses shift coverage to him enough if he is a rookie. If Hardy can prove to be a threat early on the offense will improve dramatically in all areas.

3) Offensive Line - This line is probably the best since the Kelly years. I would like to see them become a bruiser of a line that just manhandles the opponent. If Marshawn Lynch can drag 3 people with him i think they can help some more.

 

Trent Edwards to me has all the tools to be a good if not great QB in the league down the line. He has size, some mobility, quick release, strong arm, and the brains to do it. Yes a JP losman fan is speaking wonders of Trent Edwards. Even as a JP Losman fan i know that Trent's upside as a QB is much higher.

[keepthefaith]

it would be better if you looked up Marv Levy's 43% NFL winning percentage before he got to Buffalo and the first two years here, before the Bills became the great team of the early 90's. This team has been built as that team was through the draft.

 

jauron hopefully is on the same track, using the same formula.

 

You're right. In the absence of any indication that Jauron can lead into the playoffs and win, there is always hope.

[Dibs]

There is no doubt we have more talent this year.Yes Trent must be more manlike and stop folding up inside the 20....BUT----we still have our mediocre DEs--lets hope the new guy has some talent.

Yep.....coming off back-back pro-bowl seasons......that Schobel is mediocre.....average at best.....liability for the team....needs replacing NOW!!!

[ieatcrayonz]

Let's make it MORE interesting. Maybe....just maybe....Trent takes a step back. Not "sucks", just "takes a step back", such that there is a clear, uninterrupted ray of light between the two quarterbacks.

Wouldn't "sucks" actaully be a step forward?

[thebug]

Not meaning to throw gasoline on a flame, but let me posit a scenario. We're talking about (a) Jauron and (b) Edwards being the key to the upcoming season. Fair enough. Let's stop treating them as though they're separate outcomes, because they're not. Here comes the twister.....

 

What happens if JP simply lights up training camp? What happens if he shows an uncanny ability to get rid of the ball under pressure? What happens if his "short game" improves? What happens if he shows the same laser-lock long bombs he showed LAST training camp?

 

Let's make it MORE interesting. Maybe....just maybe....Trent takes a step back. Not "sucks", just "takes a step back", such that there is a clear, uninterrupted ray of light between the two quarterbacks.

 

(Side note - I know this post will result in the usual vomit of "JP sucks", or "I'll fuggin' kill myself". Serious posters only need apply).

 

JP lit it up in training camp last year. You know it. I know it. What if it happens THIS year? You're Jauron, and you have an "Oh, schit" on your hands. Won't THAT tell you a few things about the coach? About the direction of the team? And, again, please refrain from the "Oh, God, if JP takes the helm there will be a return to world communism, starvation, and locusts". Put some thought into it.

 

 

Yah what happens if maybe, just maybe Jimbo comes back and plays like he is in his prime.........JP, the most awesomest pre-season QB ever...yah! We should sign him long term just to play in the pre-season....