COMMENTARY
Bills’ play an extension of their coach
Dick Jauron’s pronouncements have become as predictable as his schemes. But after more than three weeks, I figured it was worth a try. Once more, Dick, can you say anything about the contract extension?
Jauron on Wednesday: “The only thing I can say is, as you well know, we don’t discuss those matters here.”
Fine. If the Bills insist on being coy, if they refuse to give a simple “yes” or “no” on their head coach’s rumored new deal, then so be it. As far as I’m concerned, there is no contract extension.
If there’s a new deal, why haven’t they made it public? The Bills were riding high when reports of an extension broke before the Miami game. Why not announce the happy news? The only conclusion one can draw is it was a verbal agreement that Jauron never signed.
All this evasion only invites speculation. Is there a clause in the deal that requires Jauron to make the playoffs, or get them to at least .500 this season?
Ralph Wilson won’t comment. But if a contract is on his desk, awaiting Jauron’s signature, he should hide the pen.
Jauron is a lame duck, Gregg Williams without perfect hair. Until a press release crosses my desk, telling me otherwise, he is coaching for his job.
If the Bills continue their slide and fail to finish at least 8-8, that’ll mean Jauron has been under .500 all three years here. Even he admitted it was a critical year. Is it possible to string together three 7-9 seasons and get a three-year extension? What sort of standard is that?
It’s understandable if Wilson wanted to work on a new deal when the Bills got off to a terrific start. But the losing skid has resurrected questions about Jauron’s ability to win in the NFL.
Jauron has led the Bills through some difficult times, and they never quit on him. But this isn’t a day camp. An NFL coach has to show a command of football’s finer points, and a razor-sharp ability to make snap decisions on game day.
The man simply doesn’t think well on his feet. How many timeouts does he have to waste? How many challenges must he lose, or fail to execute with conviction? How many times can his players talk about opponents being prepared for exactly what they’re doing? He has one winning season as a coach. Jauron’s teams rarely beat the top teams. Their seven wins last year came against teams that finished a combined 31-81. Their five victims this year are 14-36.
The Bills have come to reflect Jauron’s personality. Passive and unsure of themselves. Jauron can’t utter a sentence without qualifying himself or evading the issue.
Trent Edwards is in a major slump, and he played scared Monday night. Edwards has some naturally cautious tendencies. But if he has been quick to take the safe option, it is in no small measure an indictment of his coach.
Lee Evans bolted out of the locker room Monday night without talking, no doubt because he was afraid of being too honest after failing to touch the ball. On Wednesday, Evans took some veiled shots at the play-calling.
Players are well-paid and have to take responsibility. But the NFL is a coaches’ league, and the coaches need to find answers. Jauron and his staff aren’t finding many.
Jauron is a reputed defensive whiz who talks about dictating to other teams, but has little to show for it. The Bills have 10 sacks in their last nine games. In their five losses, they have forced three turnovers. When does the defensive genius kick in?
Wilson wanted to believe in Jauron. He elevated Russ Brandon to general manager, rather than hire an outsider who might want Jauron gone. Wilson wanted continuity. I doubt that three straight 7-9 seasons is what the owner had in mind.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments
Learn more about our moderation system.