MIAMI — I know this is saying a lot, when you consider the numbing chronicle of mediocrity over the last three-plus seasons. But when you take all the circumstances into account, this one has to rank as the worst defeat of the entire Dick Jauron era in Buffalo.

The Bills rode into town with high hopes, looking to win their first AFC East game since

the 2007 season. They played a wounded foe, a winless Dolphins team that was without its two

most valuable players — starting quarterback Chad Pennington and linebacker Joey Porter.

So what happened? They got blown out, 38-10. Embarrassed. Humiliated. Eviscerated.

Trampled. Thumb through a thesaurus for your word. It'll surely apply. The quarterback was

bad. The Dolphins had 250 yards rushing. They had 17 rushing first downs. The Bills none.

Last December, when they lost to the Dolphins in Toronto, Russ Brandon called it

"unacceptable." Ralph Wilson was laughing. No one was laughing after this one, least of all

the Hall of Fame owner.

"You saw the game, just like I did," Wilson said outside the locker room. "What do you want

me to say? What do you say?"

Uh, is this unacceptable, like the Miami game in Toronto?

"No comment," he said. But you're never lacking for comment, Wilson was told.

"I am today," he said.

Then I asked the question that will be asked a thousand times or more in the days ahead, as

Bills fans contemplate the next showdown with a winless NFL team — Sunday at home

against the Browns.

Is Jauron's job safe it he loses to Cleveland?

"I'm worried about my job," Wilson said. Then a PR staffer ended the interview before we had

time to determine exactly what Ralph's job entails nowadays.

I hate to leap to conclusions, especially when it comes to the seemingly unbreakable bond

between Wilson and Jauron. But that did not sound like a vote of confidence for the head

coach. It sounds as if Jauron could be in some trouble if he fails to beat the Browns.

You never know, of course. I fired Jauron, oh, about half a dozen times last year alone. The

Browns game, the game in Toronto, the debacle in the Meadowlands, the finale against the Pats.

This one topped them all. And if it's the worst of the Jauron era, one can only ask how much

longer the era will continue. Maybe it'll go on forever. But the folly of keeping Jauron

around could not have been more evident Sunday, when his team got devoured at Land Shark

Stadium.

"This was embarrassing," said defensive end Aaron Schobel. "That's all you can say. It was

all-around. You give up 38 points, you can't say the offense is at fault. I don't think

anybody played worth a damn today. If they say they did, they're probably lying to you."

Trent Edwards was a singular embarrassment. Things look grim for Edwards, who got outplayed by

a backup, Chad Henne. He couldn't make plays against a Miami defense that was without Porter

and was leading the league in allowing 40-plus yard pass plays.

So what did Edwards do? He completed six passes to his wideouts, and three to the opposition.

Early in the second quarter, rookie cornerback Vontae Davis jumped a quick sideline pass for Lee Evans, intercepted it in stride and ran it back 23 yards for a touchdown.

Edwards played scared. He had the same shell-shocked demeanor he had in the Monday night game

against the Browns. When he threw that pick for six, it went right through his team, like a

stiletto under the ribs.

"It'll take the wind out of your sails," said defensive end Chris Kelsay. "But we've been in

that situation many times before. We're expected to play every circumstance. Plays like that

happen within a game and you've got to respond."

You have to feel a little sorry for Edwards, though. He was under siege for most of the game,

behind a young offensive line that has become more weak and inexperienced by the week.

Jonathan Scott, a journeyman, started at left tackle. Kirk Chambers, who was cut late in camp,

was at right.

Management has to take the blame for putting an embattled quarterback behind a raw offensive

line, and not bringing in a veteran backup or two to help out. All right, so Demetrius Bell

beat out Langston Walker in camp. But you can't tell me Walker couldn't help this line. In the

spring, they were telling us Walker was a better pass blocker than Jason Peters, a two-time

Pro Bowler. Suddenly, he's worse than Scott?

"We've looked; we've had workouts," Brandon said of the inability to find veteran line help.

"Those were the decisions we made and we stand by them."

Jauron was asked about the O-line on Sunday and said the Bills did what they thought was in

the best interests of the team at the time. He should walk into Brandon's office, pound his

fist on the table and demand that they find him some line help. And a decent backup linebacker

would help, too.

But why would Jauron cause a fuss when he got a three-year, $9 million contract extension for

losing eight of his last 10 games a year ago? He should bow down in daily thanks for the

privilege of working in the only NFL organization that would have retained him after '08.

That's the main problem here. Everyone in the operation is too content, too happy to rattle

any chains. Edwards' timid play has become a reflection of the entire organization: Safe,

unwilling to take risks or challenge the powers that be. Just take the paycheck and keep your

mouth shut.

They've done the impossible. They've even turned Terrell Owens into a dull, pathetic

milquetoast. T.O.'s sunglasses could be on fire and he'd tell you nothing was wrong. He'll

keep working hard and if you want to know his opinion on Edwards or Jauron or Brandon, just

ask them.

Wilson makes all of this possible by refusing to bring in an outside football man to provide a

harsh, objective look at his organization. What do you say? Evidently, no one in the

organization, including the so-called leaders, has the guts to stand up and say what needs to

be said.

Which pretty much says it all.