Final Thoughts on Wild Card Weekend

by Ryan

- I like the elongated moments of silence on the Fox broadcast, but not because they are useful. I just like that I don't have to listen to Joe Buck talk. Does he think he's being a good announcer by not describing anything that's happening, or does he realize that the majority of people tuning in hate him? Discuss.

- It was hard to watch the Vikings/Eagles game, because if the Bills ever make the playoffs under Dick Jauron (God forbid) it will play out just like it did for the Vikings. Poor clock management, a defense failing at the worst possible time, and a running back doing everything he can to win despite only twenty touches. The way the first half ended reminded me so much of Dick I probably looked like him while watching it.



- In the postgame for the Miami/Baltimore game the CBS crew mentioned that Miami had a mediocre offense that can't throw deep and good defenses can lock down. Doesn't that describe the Baltimore offense as well? In fact, you could make the same argument for the Tennessee offense, too. Does that mean we're looking at a 6-3 final next weekend? When I mentioned this to Rich he responded by saying, "Unless Big Ben is concussed enough to throw touchdowns to Ed Reed." Rich makes a strong point.

- Despite Philly's win over Minnesota I don't see them getting past the Giants. In fact, based on the way both New York and Carolina played two weeks ago I'd say I'm rooting for a rematch. It seems likely, but whenever anything seems likely in the playoffs the Chargers beat the Colts and screw everything up. Freaking Sproles.

- Say what you will about purple and yellow, but this is a cool horn. I want that horn to use in real life. Anytime something relatively good I want that to play. Win a dollar on a lottery ticket? Horn. Free sub on my Subway Card? Horn. Sound the feasting horn!

- Even though neither game yesterday was amazing, I'm going to miss football when it's over. No matter how far they push the Super Bowl into February, the off season in football is incredibly long. I'm just not ready to talk about the draft, so I'm going to enjoy the last seven games of the season while I can.

The Company Line

By Jon



The word of the day: continuity. Ralph Wilson wants continuity. Chris Kelsay wants continuity. Duke Preston wants continuity. What do the fans want? Definitely not continuity.

In other news, Lindy Ruff says the Sabres need to stick to the system.

Hey... at least we get another year's use of the "We got Dick for less..." tag.

UPDATE: Try reading a few of these without vomiting. I dare you.

Sort of Says it All

I feel like we are in a holding pattern of some sort until news of Dick Jauron's future is disclosed. Already we've seen some coaches get the axe today, so maybe it's not that far away. You could argue that some coaches better than him have been let go, including Eric Mangini. Say what you want about the guy, but at least he managed a winning record once or twice. Plus you can't blame him for his quarterback leading the league in idiotic (and total) interceptions.

Looking back on the season it's hard to properly describe what a letdown it was. A lot of us were wrong about this team, and I'll be the first to admit I am in that category. Five weeks into the season there wasn't much to hate about the Bills, and based on the odds the team had of making the postseason I still don't think there was anything wrong with the excitement most people felt. I will never apologize for hoping this team can turn the corner, but there is a point in which that hope is pointless.

There is reason to hope for Trent Edwards, and plenty of reason to get excited about Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. There are question marks on the defense once again, and a lot of worry about the durability of some players. Where there is no hope is the head coaching position, and having any hope that Dick Jauron can suddenly morph into a better football coach is absurd. We know what we are getting in him, and it's simply not good enough.

I know I'm restating what I said yesterday, and honestly Kevin says it better over at Bfloblog. The conclusion we are all coming to is that something needs to change, and we can only hope the brain trust at One Bills Drive notices as well. Until then we can only watch the postseason and notice what these teams have that the Bills do not. The have-nots watching the haves once again.

One Last Time

by Ryan

Your Dick Jauron Losing Face for the last time this season. It's been fun watching it progress from... actually, it's always the same.



I would hope this would be the last time we ever have to post something like this, but I'm not taking anything for granted. If Ralph Wilson is satisfied with another three 7-9 seasons then so be it. For me the biggest reason Jauron should go is this: there was never a doubt in my mind that he would get flatly outcoached today, but what actually went on was flat out ridiculous.

Looking back on the season there were only a handful of times in which Dick looked relatively in control: against Kansas City and against Oakland. Oakland fired their coach mid season, and Kansas City should have cut ties with Herm weeks ago. Dick couldn't even out coach the Browns, who haven't scored an offensive touchdown since.

As a fan we always seem to jump on head coaches quickly, but the complete collapse we saw this year and the consistent failure to win games within the division puts a whole lot of pressure on the front office to make changes. When you are watching on your couch you couldn't care less if the players like a guy. The consistent mediocrity his efforts have given you is reason enough to try something different. This was three years of opportunities and missed chances, with the same mistakes being made over and over again.

It will be interesting to watch what happens over the next few weeks with head coaching positions throughout the league. At times it seems like half the league has a coach on the chopping block, and Buffalo's decision will probably rank low on the totem pole no matter what route they take. The Bills will never go out and get that big name head coach, but if Ralph and company see progress being made I can't find it. To so many people it's apparent that a fresh start is in order. Settling on Jauron would look like a claim of indifference to so many people, and I'm not so sure the Bills can afford more bad PR after what we've seen this year.



I'm sure this guy is acting on behalf of a lot of Bills fans. Fred Jackson came to play today, and you can't say that about everyone on the Bills roster. Changes have to be made all around, that's for sure. Bills fans deserve better than 7-9 no matter what anyone else says. In a league full of parody and drastic changes from season to season the Bills have been stuck in the lower half for years.

Something has to change.

Jauron Officially Extended

From the Worldwide Leader:

Updated: December 15, 2008, 1:32 AM ET

Despite going on a 1-7 slide that left the Buffalo Bills out of the playoffs, coach Dick Jauron signed an extension on Sunday, sources told ESPN.

The deal runs through the 2011 season. ESPN and the NFL Network reported on Oct. 26 that the coach had agreed to the deal. The Bills were 5-2 at that point and in contention in the AFC East.

The Bills lost 31-27 to the New York Jets on Sunday, giving up the go-ahead score in the final two minutes.

Jauron, 56-74 in nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Bills, entered this season in the final year of his initial three-year contract with Buffalo.

I'm not sure we've used the "Mismanagement" tag for the Bills yet, but we are now.

Threepeat

by Ryan

One season.

Dick Jauron has made a career out of one football season in which his team went 13-3 and lost its first playoff game at home.

That's actually pretty impressive. Getting a few million dollars and employment with two football teams for a few months of incredible luck is about as good as it gets in life. Sure he has to work hard as a head coach, but if you take away that one 13-3 season our current head coach is 20 games under .500 for his career. Even with the 2001 Bears he is 56-73 with zero playoff wins.

When you think about it, he's the perfect football coach for this team. A team with lots of potential and flashes of brilliance while remaining perpetually mediocre needs a soft spoken, unassuming, below-average head coach to keep the rudder bouncing back and forth.

I'm not one to bang the "Fire Dick" drum all that often, but that's mostly because it sounds pretty gross. I really try to give head coaches the benefit of the doubt after the rapid fire succession we've seen here since Marv's departure. Still, the turn of events we've seen take place this year have slowly brought me to the point where I can say this team would be better off without Dick Jauron.

The case against him is pretty easy to make, but the same can be said for any head coach if you try hard enough. Whenever you are frustrated with your current head coach you look for the qualities that guy lacks and want them for yourself. With Dick Jauron you are looking for someone who has the ability to raise their voice an octave, doesn't talk at you like you're a remedial second grader, and looks and moves like a living creature. Wow, not looking for a whole lot there, are we?

I'm not looking for bizarro Dick Jauron here, in fact I think he does some good things with his team. His level-headedness is good at times, but when things go terribly wrong it would be nice to see he's capable of blinking. Changing nothing is not staying steady if the ship is only going down. That's an inability to adapt and change, and that's the sign of a bad head coach.

The problem is that Dick Jauron isn't a bad coach, he's just really, really average. He isn't going to suck our loud because he has some coaching ability. However, it looks more and more like that 13-3 season is an exception to the rule. He peaked as a pro football coach in 2001, and if that's the case what is he doing running a pro football team in 2008?

More than anything it is his press conferences that get to me. I know dealing with the press should not be the main concern of any head coach, but it is part of the job. Dealing with the media keeps you accountable with the fans and is the only way to get a real feel for the team from a primary source.

If that's the case, why is it that I've learned absolutely nothing from Dick Jauron since he took the head coaching position? His pressers read like the Madden tutorial we all skip because we understand the basics of football. Really, Dick, we do. You don't have to explain that running Marshawn Lynch 33 times per game would get him hurt over time. You also don't have to explain that when you are in the red zone the defense has less ground to cover. That's kind of a good thing because it means you have less ground to gain in order to score points.

Also, Trent Edwards has completely regressed as a football player. I know this because I have eyes. Sorry to break it to you. I also know that Marshawn Lynch had 16 carries on Sunday and was given the ball once in the red zone. That one carry was also after his longest run of the season, so if you are worried about "destroying" him you should have given him a break there. That would mean Marshawn could have carried the ball another, say, ten times, and maybe a few of those could have been in the red zone. It seems kind of difficult to score down there, so maybe you should give your best player a chance to punch it in instead of rolling out your fledgling quarterback with a sore groin.

The Bills lost to a 3-8 West Coast team at home on a day where they failed to score a touchdown despite a +300 yard performance on offense. There were plenty of questions asked by the media, and rightfully so. These are the answers Dick Jauron gives us, and if that really is the best he can do then perhaps he doesn't know the real answers either.

I'm not asking for honesty, we all know that's never going to happen. All I want is someone to lead this team that seems to understand the questions asked by the media. I know he's doing it on purpose, I get it; but what he needs to understand that it's getting old. I'm sick of expecting nothing from this head coach, and I'm starting to get sick of expecting nothing from this team.

Someone needs to take the blame for this clusterf*ck of a season. Maybe it should be on the players, but maybe it's time to look for someone with a bit more upside leading this team as well. The last two seasons under Dick Jauron have ended with a 7-9 record. Right now the Bills are at 6-6 with the playoffs out of the question once again. 7-9, 7-9, and it's looking like another 7-9.

One more strike sure looks like an out to me.

We Got Dick for Less...

by Ryan

Time is short today, but I really think you need to see this. I'll be honest, I never listen to what Dick Jauron has to say because he is one of the most boring people on the planet, but this was especially incriminating.



Dick Jauron makes John Madden sound like Rousseau. More on this later, but consider this as a prerequisite for further discussion later tonight.

Chin Up, Cheer Up

by Ryan

Just before 4:30 pm EST, we all looked a bit like this:


Oh s#$t

I find that when things go well it's hard to find a picture of Dick Jaruon to characterize what's taking place. Put a clusterf#$k in his hands, however, and he pretty much sums up the day.

We'll be back with some thoughts on J.P. and the bye, but for now try to get that look off your face.

The Hand of Ralph

By Chris

On the homefront, ESPN is reporting that Dick Jaruon is going to name Trent Edwards the starting quarterback for McGahee Bowl I on Sunday.

While it's not fair to Losman to take his job away because he was hurt, everyone has to remember that the NFL is not about fairness. It's about taking advantage of your every opportunity. So far this season, Edwards has taken the bull by the horns and has made the offense watchable.

And the kid can only get better, right? Right?

Now there's no way this was all Jauron's decision. Or even all Marv. This order came straight from the top.

Ralph Wilson has always liked Trent Edwards. He found his way into the locker room after the Jets' game (Edwards' first win) and made himself available to the media, gushing over the kid.

Yeah, he said that the "quarterback controversy" would be left in the hands of the coaching staff. But if you believe that, then you're the person who still hopes for a quarter under your pillow the morning after you lose a tooth. It's Ralph's money and his pen stroke that signs the checks.

Do you really think he wants to pay Losman a big money contract to keep him in Buffalo when his contract expires after next season? Me neither.

Ralph will go the cheap route and hedge his bets with the young guy he fancies that isn't due for a big contract for another couple years.

Personally, I want to see as much of Edwards as possible. I could care less about Losman, really. Let the kid develop and show us what he's capable of. Losman's development was hindered by Kelly Holcomb and Mike "Ralph Bucky" Mularkey's mismanagement of the whole situation.

Let's do this one right.

A moment to reflect

By Chris

I was caught up in a mix of emotions last night. I was so proud of an undermanned Bills team fighting it out against the Goliath that is the Dallas Cowboys. Five interceptions? Two defensive touchdowns? A special teams score? AND WE LOST????

I went to bed just satisfied that it was close. I woke up this morning and my stomach felt empty. This game should not have been close. The makeshift Bills should have carried that lead and momentum all the way to the end of the game.

DiGiorgio's pick should have sealed the deal, right? Greer's stop on the two point conversion should have sealed the deal, right? Countless other plays could have changed the outcome of the game.

Maybe you don't pass on 3rd and eight from the Dallas 11 with six minutes to go. Work for the field goal and stay up by two scores. Jauron and Fairchild wanted to go for the kill there, and since passing worked last week against the Jets, they tried it again. Except this time, it was an awful play call and Edwards made an even worse decision. While that play didn't close the coffin on the Bills' lead, they Bills never got a real chance to score again.

And what was with the offense? For what plays were being called, I thought Edwards looked good. Sure he may have shook off one two many receivers, but he made all the safe throws, kept the chains moving, and kept his defense off the field. Edwards did everything asked of him from the coaching staff, with the exception of that one throw in the red zone.

Still, they didn't score an offensive touchdown and scored just three points on six turnovers. Looking back, that's completely unacceptable. The play calling was terrible and only got worse as the game went on.

Dallas never should have been given the opportunity to get back in the game. The 12th Man was rocking. Everything was going right until that fourth quarter, when everything that could go wrong did.



Even after Owens completion was revered with :13 to go, the Bills still allowed Romo to throw a pass to Creighton to put them in field goal range. How do you let Creighton catch that pass ON THE SIDELINE??? He catches that ball in the middle of the field and the game is over. But, nope, bad coverage schemes led to that one, costing the team the game.

I'm not ready to fire Dick Jauron yet. But I'm close. Coaching up his players going into that game and have them go out and make a statement earlier was truly remarkable. But during the game, he stands emotionless and, it appears at times, clueless. The terrible play calling is something that's going to haunt this team.

The team needed a win last night. The entire city needed a win. And Dick Jauron let us down.

Maybe during the Baltimore game in two weeks, Chargers fans won't be the only ones chanting, "Marty."

Unbillievable

by Ryan


Did they show the Falls tonight? You know, going to or coming back from commercial? It's an open invitation for anyone too weak to stay on board. They should have given directions to get there, just so we can all go hurl ourselves into the Gorge.

Listen, I'm not going to sit here and BS with you guys, because you know what you saw. There were a lot of good things we saw from the Bills tonight, and a whole lot of bad. We also saw that America's Team has a lot of questions to answer next weekend against the New England Monster, and anyone who thinks Romo is the second coming should check their Bible again.

We all saw it, and we all felt it. The question is, are you still willing to do it? Are two humongous punches to the stomach enough for you to hang up the towel and move on to hockey season? From my view, I wouldn't blame you if you shut it down now. I'm certainly not condoning it, but what else can you do if you've had your fill five weeks in?

I only bring it up because no one shut it down out in those seats tonight. If you were in that crowd you know exactly what I mean. I hope you felt it on TV, because that was the loudest I've heard the Ralph in years. We stood the entire game, made noise every down, and never lost thirst for an upset. Every single Bills fan in that place forgot the standings tonight and put on a show on national television. It was beautiful, and made me proud of this area and the fans.

The on field result, however, is what makes our reputation ring true. They don't make commercials like this for just any team, and Dick Jauron did just enough to keep the universe in balance.

Listen, there are at least a half dozen times this game was won, and for everyone a different play will stand out. The fact of the matter is those players did everything they could to win that game, and the Cowboys did everything they could to give it to us. How we sit at a 25-24 final is just mind boggling, and when I think mind boggling, I think Dick Jauron and company.

Trent Edwards made four major mistakes tonight. Two were sacks, one was a fumble he recovered, and the fourth was an interception that wouldn't have happened if they don't call a five wide out package in field goal range. I know some people think otherwise, but there is a time to be aggressive, and a time to run the ball and make it a two score game. A half dozen decisions like this make the difference in a game's end result, and each one tonight went against us.

This isn't an aberration. Opening day our loss was a result of the same type of miscues, and to be quite honest, these decisions are balls. I highly doubt DiGorgio is the one who decided to play off late when the Cowboys needed a mid range sideline completion, nor did Schobel plead for a minimal rush on a quarterback who was flustered all night.

I guess in the end it doesn't matter. A bounce here, a stumble there, and we are 3-2 at the bye with a defense beginning to mesh and an offense doing just enough to win. Instead we are a 1-4 team devastated by injuries and an incompetence that saturates every genuinely outstanding effort this team puts forth.

There are no answers, only the question of whether you have enough in the tank to be there for the next eleven games. Tonight, for both for fans and this team, will either be the turning point of the season, or the pinnacle of our disastrous fate.

My heart says it's worth it, but on nights like this, my mettle is rocked to its very core.

Land of the Lost

By Chris

It's only Week Two but you can already feel it. The season is over.

"How this Bills team reacts will be key." That's what the Roost's own Ryan wrote this morning in our Pregame Post. We found out how they reacted this afternoon and the Buffalo Bills have given us reason to believe that football is on the back burner.

The offense was struggling, the defense couldn't stop anyone--especially on third down plays--and the thought of Kevin Everett lying in a hospital bed couldn't have been in the back of the team's mind. It was right there in front of everything.

Lee Evans' tirade in the fourth quarter was the tip of the iceberg. Maybe there was pass interference on that play, but that's irrelevant. To overreact over that play, and to do it after already taking an unsportsmanlike penalty for spiking the ball is just uncalled for. Evans is supposed to be a team captain and lead by example. His meltdown was symbolic of the entire team. All of this regardless of the fact that "Getting into the face of the official" is a real penalty.

J.P. Losman threw offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild under the bus in his postgame press conference. He said play calling was the reason for the poor performances. He has a point. His longest throw of the year came today on a 22 yard toss to Peerless Price. But watching Losman's game, it's not Fairchild's fault that he waits to long to make a read and decide what he's going to do. It's not Fairchild's fault that Losman is overthrowing his receivers. It would be nice to see Losman take at least some of the blame for his poor performance. Unfortunately he just wants to pass the buck.

This team was unfocused and undisciplined, especially late in the game. They played awful and imploded. Too many distractions have hurt this team and the sting of this loss isn't going to go away anytime soon.

Sometimes it seemed that the only players who cared were Marshawn Lynch, who runs hard on every play (something we haven't seen a Bills running back do in a long while) and Jabari Greer, who's out to show Dick Jauron and company why he deserves to start (even though he probably should have been starting all along).

A team with lost focus. A team with players lost to injuries. A team that will lose to everyone but themselves. In Buffalo, we're living in the land of the lost...for another 15 weeks, at least.