Jauron....second thoughts.

[TC in St. Louis]

After reading Ed Kilgore's essay on Dick Jauron, and having watched the tape of the press conference....I'm okay if Jauron stays. I think it was horrible for him to put the faith in the hands of Losman, maybe rewarding him for having gotten the team the lead. Truth be told, even had the Bills won, they didn't have much chance of making the playoffs.

 

He's a good man, and even Thurman says the players love him. So if his contract has to be enforced, let it be. But let's find some new direction.

 

We never should've let LeBeau go. He is the best DC in football. We had him, and we let him go.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

whoppps.... chalk up another bad decision the organization has made....

 

[Lori]

Asking LeBeau to choose between Buffalo and Pittsburgh? No matter how much money RCW might have offered him, I'm not sure the Bills win that argument.

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

I could be wrong, but I remember after that seaon LeBeau wanted more control over the defense, with the bills unwilling to accommodate him. It wasnt so much choosing Pitt over Buffalo, but the Bills not offering him a defensive coordinator job that the steelers did.

[Lori]

From the Post-Gazette, circa October 2004: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04276/389413-66.stm

 

LeBeau has never spoken publicly about his departure from the Bengals, where he was 12-33 in 2 1/2 seasons as head coach, and "it wouldn't be fair to a lot of people to do it now," he said. Also, he downplays any additional significance to the meeting between the AFC North rivals, except to say, "It's an important game for us, a division game ... we've already lost one division game and that makes this doubly important."

 

But those who know LeBeau know the game has just slightly more meaning than the Steelers trying to maintain their position atop the division standings with Baltimore. Or, for that matter, trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since December 2002.

 

Even if he doesn't show it.

 

"Coach LeBeau is so cool, you wouldn't know if he was amped or not," cornerback Deshea Townsend said.

 

This isn't the first time LeBeau will face his former team. Last year, when he was assistant head coach/defensive specialist in Buffalo, the Bills lost to the Bengals, 22-16, in Orchard Park. N.Y.

 

LeBeau, 67, had a chance to stay with the Bills this season when Mike Mularkey replaced Gregg Williams as head coach. But he chose to rejoin the Steelers as defensive coordinator, in part, because the Steelers play the Bengals twice a year."

 

And here's their story from when he signed: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04016/262080-66.stm

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

From the Post-Gazette, circa October 2004: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04276/389413-66.stm

 

 

 

And here's their story from when he signed: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04016/262080-66.stm

 

 

Lori, you are fighting the good fight, providing perspective against the masochistic self-hatred that is spreading among Bills fans. Excelsior!

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Asking LeBeau to choose between Buffalo and Pittsburgh? No matter how much money RCW might have offered him, I'm not sure the Bills win that argument.

 

I live in Pittsburgh. I remember when LeBeau was "interviewing" to come back here (more like he was interviewing Cowher)--LeBeau went to a Pitt b-ball game, and the fans in the crowd started chanting his name. That basically sold him.

[Fewell733]

as much as i've soured on Jauron I still am hesitant blowing it all up. I do think though that with a head coach like Jauron you need powerful coordinators.

 

Fewell is ok, but the defense is terrible at the start of games every week and is too conservative too often. I hope that with a few more pass rushers - and lbers capable of rushing the passer and cover - we'll take a more aggressive approach to bringing pressure.

 

Turk, well its his first year, he's made major playcalling blunders but that have been compounded by player's blowing it - JP most recently, Lindell missing easy fieldgoals - right there is 3 more wins easy. Also our offense as a whole is extremely young - youth and inexperience will always make more mistakes. Just look at what a difference Josh Reed makes. He is our only real vet on offense - even guys we think of as vets are still young players - Dockery, Walker, and Evans are all young.

[billsfreak]

You should never base your effort to win on whether you have a chance for the playoffs or not. Each game should be played at the maximum effort to win. Also, why would LeBeau have stayed in Buffalo, he wasn't even the Defensive Coordinator here, only as assistant or something like that. Jerry Gray was the DC and went to the Redskins with Greg Williams, and they both did just as well up there as they did in Buffalo.

[RayFinkle]

LeBeau left under Meathead's watch, not Jauron.

[Lori]

You should never base your effort to win on whether you have a chance for the playoffs or not. Each game should be played at the maximum effort to win. Also, why would LeBeau have stayed in Buffalo, he wasn't even the Defensive Coordinator here, only as assistant or something like that. Jerry Gray was the DC and went to the Redskins with Greg Williams, and they both did just as well up there as they did in Buffalo.

Official title: Assistant Head Coach. His bio was right behind Gregg's and in front of the coordinators' in the 2003 media guide. Mularkey wanted to add the DC job when he took over, but the way I see it, LeBeau not only preferred Pittsburgh, he also wanted to go back to running his beloved 3-4. Buffalo hasn't had a 3-4 team since Wade left and Gregggg started getting rid of "fat guys."

[Peter]

FWIW, although this is probably an unpopular view on this board, I am probaby ok with DJ staying as coach -- unless the Bills got a big time coach (e.g., someone like a Cowher, Billy B, Marty S, Parcells, etc.) which in all likelihood is not going to happen).

 

Rather than blow the thing up, we are probably better off keeping him rather than hiring someone other than a big time coach.