The Bills culture of losing

[Orton's Arm]

Coaching is nothing. The Pats* won because Tom Brady makes plays when the game is on the line. The Steelers win because Ben R. makes plays when the game is on the line. The Bills used to win because Jim Kelly made plays when the game is on the line.

 

We had the ball with 45 seconds to go, two timeouts, and only needed a field goal to win. You give the ball to Brady, Ben R, or Peyton Manning under those circumstances, it's game over. Trent played a great game on Monday; but he's not the kind of franchise QB that separates average teams from great ones.

Trent made a nice play to get Owens the ball and a 20 yard gain. Things were looking good! But then the offensive line allowed a sack. There was almost no time between when the ball was snapped and when the sack occurred. It's a lot easier for a quarterback to look good when he can count on his line to protect him in crucial situations. On that play, Edwards couldn't.

 

I agree that Trent isn't in the franchise QB category; and that you'll see guys like Tom Brady do things Trent doesn't do. But I think that if we'd had Brady back there instead of Trent on that play, it still would have been a sack.

[BillsVet]

The true shame is that Jauron doesn't communicate with his staff or players , provides no leadership when it's needed and continues to fail repeatedly as a game manager.

 

This is the central issue re: DJ. I can't stand micromanagers, but certain situations which can result in catastrophic errors require a degree of this. I've never coached a NFL team, but there were times that I, as the supervisor, have micromanaged things which could not under any circumstances be screwed up. DJ has to go directly to McKelvin after the first Watson TD and tell McKelvin he must go down or out of bounds before NE can strip the ball.

 

I personally don't care if DJ is unemotional, because I don't need a yeller. But I want someone who is situationally aware and knows when to communicate what to which people. DJ has never done that, with the other bad example being the waning moments of the MNF game in 07 when Crayton was allowed to catch a 4 yard out with CB's giving at least 10 yards.

 

This is why this team loses close games, among other DJ shortcomings. Lack of situational awareness.

[spartacus]

This article is total bull.

 

He's complaining about how Jauron should have had confidence in his offense to kill the clock, but how he shouldn't have had any confidence in his kick returner? What is he basing that decision on?

 

what would he base not having confidence in his kick returner?

 

 

 

how about the kickoff before this one where he also fumbled

 

He should have been pulled from the game and not allowed to screw up.

Not to mention he was exhausted from chasing WRs all over the field on the previous drive

[TPS]

I mean, look at us as fans. Many, if not most of us, were sitting at home wondering how we were going to muck this up with 5 minutes left and up 11?

I wasn't. It says a lot about you though.

[billnutinphoenix]

It comes and goes. They were saying the same stuff about Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills in the early 90's -- how Kelly could always manage to pull out a victory from seemingly obvious defeat. This team WANTS to win. I think that is clear. Edwards clearly is aiming for the playoffs. Yes, they still need to prove it by actually winning games and winning close games, too -- and they will I think this year. I think this is the year that the team develops a winning culture.

 

 

A new coach will put them over the top!!!

[extrahammer]

Many, if not most of us, were sitting at home wondering how we were going to muck this up with 5 minutes left and up 11? If Leodis didn't fumble, maybe Trent throws a pick or Freddie puts it on the ground. Who knows..

 

If you watch this team in expectations for them squander each week, you are truly pathetic. Maybe following TMZ celebrities will suit you better!

[LancasterSteve]

I think this is the year that the team develops a winning culture.

This only happens if "Disappointment You every Sunday" Juron and "Prevent" Fewell are locked up every gameday. The football smarts of these two combined doesn't even make it to zero let alone a blip on the "guts" meter of playing to win. Dumb and Dumber are what we got and thanks to "Shoestring" Wilson this is what we will continue to have.

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

Yeah. Whatever. Ho hum.

 

Here's the deal: the so called culture of losing can TURN ON A DIME.

 

EXACTLY TRUE.

 

Which is why I think so many of us are so annoyed/upset/angry/distraught because Monday COULD HAVE BEEN THAT GAME. But nope, we shall continue to suck...until we don't.

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

I wasn't. It says a lot about you though.

 

You're entitled to your opinion, and nice try at a smear. However, I will say though, with someone else at the helm (Marty, The Chin, whomever) I don't think I would have thought that. And, it's not like the Bills have proved us wrong recently (with the ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory).

[AF88Bills]

Wow. I think this article really addresses an issue with the Bills. It's that sinking feeling you get as a fan when the othe team is going for that game winning drive or when the bills are on trying to close somethign out.

 

I have more memories of Losman or Bledsoe fumbling the ball at critical moments. Or of Jacksonville (the Ernest wilford catch), NE, the Jets, the Browns, Broncos, or the cowboys winning games that were in our grasp...they were games that the Bills should have won.

 

This team needs to exude winning confidence, because it's been a while since they've had it. This comes from coaches putting players in positions to win, and giving the players a chance to execute in the most favorable conditions. Remember how the Bills didn't gaurd against the sideline routes in the Dallas MNF game...or how Losman was bootlegging while holding the ball too long against the Jets....how many times have we seen Jauron simply watch the game unfold instead of coaching up his guys for the situation at hand.

 

I think this team has the talent, but they have to be coached to play smart and be put in a position to win...it's only been one game, but it looks as if AVP might bring that...for Jauron, I think we're stuck with him and his coaching is going to cost us games.

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

If you watch this team in expectations for them squander each week, you are truly pathetic. Maybe following TMZ celebrities will suit you better!

 

Well, I have been well conditioned as a Bills fan to expect the worst. And no thank you, I will pass on that swill known as TMZ.

[Big Turk]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...&id=4478620

 

Sums it up nicely, I think:

 

"If Brady and the Patriots have crafted for themselves an aura of confidence, transforming gnawing, admirable persistence into a culture, the Bills have managed something quite the opposite: a suffocating pathology from an organization-wide dynamic of playing losing football by making losing decisions."

 

Yes, that pretty much sums it up for me too...bad teams find ways to lose, good teams find ways to win...seems lucky a lot of times, but bad teams get into "Oh no, here we go again" mode when things start going the other teams way, while good teams get into "lets shut the door right now" mode when things start going bad. The Bills always seem to go into "chicken little" mode when bad things happen. He is absolutely right...there is no way they should have lost that game, but they did...we know all too well that could be said 2 or 3 times a year for the past several years...

[LancasterSteve]

in 07 when Crayton was allowed to catch a 4 yard out with CB's giving at least 10 yards. This is why this team loses close games, among other DJ shortcomings. Lack of situational awareness.

 

Well our Conerbacks now play in a different zip code; 10 yards off would be an improvement. "Prevent" Fewell has even out done my worst nightmares of how he might neuter this defense. Pathetic.

 

"Awareness" to know where you are in relation to your surroundings. Something McKelvin needs a big dose of; plus a bottle of super glue. For him to come out and say that he didn't know where he was on the field is just another in the long list of dumb jock statements. He couldn't see that BIG white stripe (the one that separates the playing field from the endzone) in front of him? IM convinced that he has sawdust for brains until he proves otherwise. The late John Butler at least went after in his opinion players who had "football smarts" on top of everything else.

[C.Biscuit97]

Amazing.

 

Jauron has his obviously out-manned team (You guys wanna argue the Bills are more talented than the Pats?) execute a great gameplan on both sides of the ball to near-perfection, putting this Bills team in the fantastic position of beating the Pats on the road, on Monday Night Football, in Tom Brady's return.

 

And you guys are bitching about how the coach sucks.

 

 

This a great post but will be lost because there is a mob mentality here. Jauron coached a great game with a great game plan and people kill here. Even dumber than that, people trash him for having the nerve to defend McKelvin afterwards.

[Big Turk]

Amazing.

 

Jauron has his obviously out-manned team (You guys wanna argue the Bills are more talented than the Pats?) execute a great gameplan on both sides of the ball to near-perfection, putting this Bills team in the fantastic position of beating the Pats on the road, on Monday Night Football, in Tom Brady's return.

 

And you guys are bitching about how the coach sucks.

 

Good teams win when the chances of them winning based on the score and time left in the game are 95%+. Period, end of story. Moral Victories don't count in the NFL. Doesn't it seem kind of strange that the 3 teams who experienced horrible, gut wrenching last second losses this past week are Cincinnati, Oakland and Buffalo? Funny how you never see Indianapolis, New England, or Pittsburgh losing games like that...

[KOKBILLS]

 

This a great post but will be lost because there is a mob mentality here. Jauron coached a great game with a great game plan and people kill here. Even dumber than that, people trash him for having the nerve to defend McKelvin afterwards.

 

Mob mentality? Seriously Biscuit the guy is 20 freaking Games under .500 as an NFL HC...20 freaking Games!!!...It does not take a mob to figure out that sucks...Does not take a genius either...And admittedly I'm no genius...

 

Jauron is not without his strengths (standing up for Leodis after the Game was most definitely the right thing for a HC to do...No question), but they don't result in WINNING Football games consistantly...Yes his Players play hard, and yes they are prepared for Games going in...But I think, in a way, it's a further indictment of Jauron's inability as a Game Day Coach...His Teams seem well prepared often and jump out to a lead only to see things crumble in the end over and over again especially against good Teams...He's not making enough WINNING decisions...We can argue all day what is the right or wrong call...But in the end the right decisions are those that WIN Games...Not those that keep You close only to see You lose in the last 2 mins...Tell Me overall what is the difference between Jauron's 1st loss in NE as The Bills Head Coach and the loss this past Monday Night? Cause in the end all it really boils down to is The Bills lost a Game, vs. a VERY good Team, they could have won...It's all the same...Just a new Season that's all...

 

Hell...At least he got The Bears one winning Season...I doubt we'll ever get that out of him...

 

But this is not a Mob mentality at work...Not at all...Just Buffalo Bills Fans who want a legit NFL Head Coach...That's all...

[C.Biscuit97]

Mob mentality? Seriously Biscuit the guy is 20 freaking Games under .500 as an NFL HC...20 freaking Games!!!...It does not take a mob to figure out that sucks...Does not take a genius either...And admittedly I'm no genius...

 

Jauron is not without his strengths (standing up for Leodis after the Game was most definitely the right thing for a HC to do...No question), but they don't result in WINNING Football games consistantly...Yes his Players play hard, and yes they are prepared for Games going in...But I think, in a way, it's a further indictment of Jauron's inability as a Game Day Coach...His Teams seem well prepared often and jump out to a lead only to see things crumble in the end over and over again especially against good Teams...He's not making enough WINNING decisions...We can argue all day what is the right or wrong call...But in the end the right decisions are those that WIN Games...Not those that keep You close only to see You lose in the last 2 mins...Tell Me overall what is the difference between Jauron's 1st loss in NE as The Bills Head Coach and the loss this past Monday Night? Cause in the end all it really boils down to is The Bills lost a Game, vs. a VERY good Team, they could have won...It's all the same...Just a new Season that's all...

 

Hell...At least he got The Bears one winning Season...I doubt we'll ever get that out of him...

 

But this is not a Mob mentality at work...Not at all...Just Buffalo Bills Fans who want a legit NFL Head Coach...That's all...

 

I don't think he is a great coach by any means, but he certainly isn't as bad as others made him out to be. I've done it 100 tiems but Belichick had a slightly worse record than Jauron before Brady with a lot better QBs.

 

Bottomline is that we upgraded the talent level and have a QB who isn't braindead and would have beat the best team in the NFL minus one player. I think this is a playoff type team and it isn't because Jauron suddenly got better. It's that now he doesn't have the worst starting Qb and subpar talent.

[CFLstyle]

I wasn't. It says a lot about you though.

I was watching this game with another Bills fan, a Pats* fan, and 3 neutral fans. As soon as Fred Jackson scored the touchdown to go up by 11, me and the other Bills fan looked at each other and said "what are they gonna do to f*ck this up this time?"

 

If all of their meltdowns in the past didn't come into your mind then I'm amazed.

[CFLstyle]

That said, I thought that Jauron coached one of his best games yet. He coached up to the level of Belichek for once, and I was impressed. The players just couldn't get the job done this game. Not sure why people are blaming coaching.

[BuffaloBill]

It comes and goes. They were saying the same stuff about Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills in the early 90's -- how Kelly could always manage to pull out a victory from seemingly obvious defeat. This team WANTS to win. I think that is clear. Edwards clearly is aiming for the playoffs. Yes, they still need to prove it by actually winning games and winning close games, too -- and they will I think this year. I think this is the year that the team develops a winning culture.

 

 

Let's hope you are correct.