About a 'players coach'

[Endzone Animal]

This is true. Obviously you're not going to get any real honest insight there. However, in DJ's case, we're hearing some strong stuff, way beyond the obligatory "yeah, we support the guy" rhetoric. It really makes me wonder what goes on behind the scenes.

 

At this point, I would not be against keeping DJ for now, as long as Turk is gone. From what I can tell, that's where the real failure is.

Dick would have had more passionate support if he bought the players cheeseburgers.

[Sisyphean Bills]

At this point, I would not be against keeping DJ for now, as long as Turk is gone. From what I can tell, that's where the real failure is.

Jauron's hiring of good offensive coordinators is more rare than his winning seasons.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I've never been a 'fire the coach' kind of guy. As you can see, I'm a new poster, and I've lurked around here for years. It just seems as though Dick Jauron lacks the human qualities necessary to properly motivate and coordinate a pro football team. The Patriots love their coach because they win. Players hated Parcells, but loved him in the end because they won championships. Our players love Jauron because he is like a doting parent. It serves their personal interests well, and they want to keep the status quo.

 

I'm another long-time Bills fan and lurker here. I agree, Tucker, good post

 

One definition of "insanity" is "doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome"

Like, Jackson saying he'd love Jauron back because they'll just keep the same system and fix their mistakes

The system seems busted, and part of the job is to COACH players to avoid mistakes and stay focused.

 

When Levy took over from Bullough, it was striking how the team's penalties and the mistakes dropped off even when they didn't win right away. Used to drive me nutz under Hank, breakthrough gain nullified by DumbAss hold or the like (sound familiar?).

Levy's motto "Don't be Dumb, Don't be Dirty". Not much dirty, but a big pile of Dumb going on under DJ

 

Bills don't seem well-coached in the fundamentals. Like Preston shaking his a** back to the line of scrimmage and not letting himself get into a scrap with the clock ticking. Like good fundamental ball-protection by QB and receivers. Notice how Edwards holds the ball when he decides to scramble? Like receivers putting their shoulders down and fighting to get an extra yard after a catch vs. "walked" out of bounds standing up. Or fighting to get out of bounds on short time. That's what good position coaching does -- keep players focused on the fundamental skills. And what about conditioning fundamentals? Some injuries avoidable by good S&C -- groin pulls for one. Take-aways, too. Bills receivers plain lose the fight with the DBs too often, notice that? Where's the arm strength?

 

It's the poor fundamentals 3 years into Jauron's watch, more than the W-L record that damn Jauron to me. Toss in the bone-head play and clock management, and it's insanity 4 sure to keep on. I agree that the team seems so poorly coached it's hard to evaluate the talent level. Its clear we're not making effective use of the players we have.

 

If Bills were showing good fundamentals and focus and effort, I'd say, sure, don't give up on DJ too early.

Maybe we are 2-3 key acquisitions away.

 

But that's not what I see.

 

PS Since it's the "Fashion" to judge us by cars, I drive a '98 Honda. Rate me "Accord"ingly, Hee!

[Dan]

I read a quote once that stated "One mark of a great leader is his/her team is willing to follow him to Hell with squirt guns." If we filter this quote through the Bills organization, my impression is that a lot of the Bills players would be willing to follow Jauron to Hell with squirt guns, however I think one of the bigger issues is that a lot of key position players would not know how to use their squirt guns once they got there (cf. Royal, Kelsay, Fowler, et al)!

 

Bottom line is this - it's not just the coach, it's not just the players, it's not just the owner - I think there are numerous problems with this team that all stem back to the time when John Butler left....and as fans, it has been a rough road watching and hoping that someone could put it back together again.

That's a good point. However, I interpret a statement like that differently.

 

A team is willing to follow a good leader into hell with squirt guns because they know/trust that their leader wouldn't lead them into hell unless he had a plan that would work. In essence, they know that he/she is going to develop a viable plan of attack and equip his team with the proper tools to accomplish that plan. So, a good leader would insist that they draft some Firemen and bring in some of those planes that dump water on the wildfires before heading off to hell with a handbasket of squirt guns.

 

So, in short, I don't want a guy that heads into games off with weak plans doomed to fail. I'd like to see someone coach this team that can properly assess our opponents and develop/implement viable plans to defeat them.

[Kelly the Dog]

That's a good point. However, I interpret a statement like that differently.

 

A team is willing to follow a good leader into hell with squirt guns because they know/trust that their leader wouldn't lead them into hell unless he had a plan that would work. In essence, they know that he/she is going to develop a viable plan of attack and equip his team with the proper tools to accomplish that plan. So, a good leader would insist that they draft some Firemen and bring in some of those planes that dump water on the wildfires before heading off to hell with a handbasket of squirt guns.

 

So, in short, I don't want a guy that heads into games off with weak plans doomed to fail. I'd like to see someone coach this team that can properly assess our opponents and develop/implement viable plans to defeat them.

The problem to me is that the Bills know they are headed into hell and Jauron hands them squirtguns.

[Dan]

The problem to me is that the Bills know they are headed into hell and Jauron hands them squirtguns.

Exactly my point! And the players have no choice but to walk into that fight completely unsure of how its going to work.

[Beerball]

The problem to me is that the Bills know they are headed into hell and Jauron hands them squirtguns.

Any truth to the rumor that the guns are loaded with gasoline?

[JPDontletthedoorhityourars]

"We love Coach Jauron, he takes care of us"

 

I take this to mean that he doesn't beat them up in training camp or practice. This also could refer to practicing indoors, not calling them out after making ill-advised plays, and taking the blame for their mistakes. You have to remember that these guys are in the twenties - how many of us were mature enough to discipline ourselves when we were that age? What kind of person do you grow into if there is always somebody there to clean up your mess.

 

"We were prepared well by the coaching staff, sometimes guys just do their own thing"

 

This is the mentality of the current professional athlete. The players have the power, and with a 'laissez-faire' coaching staff they are allowed to run free. Then when they do make egregious, ego-driven errors, they are not held accountable. There's no consequent for blowing an assignment.

 

"You expect things to go a certain way and then they get messed up", "we saw something completely different on Sunday that we saw in practice", "We practice that every Friday", etc.

 

This is a player's way of saying the we were so unprepared, we could not make enough adjustments to make the slightest difference in the outcome.

 

I've never been a 'fire the coach' kind of guy. As you can see, I'm a new poster, and I've lurked around here for years. It just seems as though Dick Jauron lacks the human qualities necessary to properly motivate and coordinate a pro football team. The Patriots love their coach because they win. Players hated Parcells, but loved him in the end because they won championships. Our players love Jauron because he is like a doting parent. It serves their personal interests well, and they want to keep the status quo.

 

 

The first sign you need a coaching change is when players like a losing coach. It tells you the players aren't that motivated--they are too comfortable, if anything!

[The Dean]

Polian wanted Levy because he knew what he did in the USFL. .

 

 

They also worked together, in Montreal, where they developed mutual respect and admiration.

 

As for Jauron, he needs to go. But, I'm not convinced his failure has much to do with him being a "player's coach". Jauron was unsuccessful because of his crappy decision making (mostly on gameday, but obviously in prep as well). He failed to develop any (positive) IDENTITY for this team.

 

IMO, while the team may need to work harder in spring training and such, the "too soft" label is almost always an over-generalization that misses the real the point.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Exactly my point! And the players have no choice but to walk into that fight completely unsure of how its going to work.

 

At least from the press clippings, Jauron seems to have the players persuaded they could win with squirtguns, if they just used them correctly -- you know, like they do on Friday