Dick Jauron: What a Leader

but his coaching and game planning leaves much to be desired. he would be (in my opinion) a very good D coord. but he wont stay with the bills at a lesser position i dont think.

This post quite accurately sums up what I think of Jauron. That’s why he would make a fantastic Assistant HC and why his coordinator days were quite successful. He’s a great guy, a good motivator and he will never let you get down on yourself for a mistake. With slightly better coaching abilities game-wise, he would be a monster to deal with for opposing squads. Unfortunately he’s just not cut out to be an HC in the league.

Nobody would question that. And if they do, they are wrong.

But if his goal is to keep the team united in order to accomplish a goal (winning), then he is doing a pretty poor job. So he can keep the team united, which is admirable, but he can’t lead them to what matters most. Wins. You can use all the superlatives in the world to describe Jauron as a man, but as a head coach, he just hasn’t gotten the job done. Don’t you think these players have some pride and that’s why they were playing hard and working to get a win yesterday?

Just as we reflect our parents and our mentors that shape our lives, the Bills’ players reflected Jauron. When Edwards walked off I saw Evans going up to Fitzpatrick and giving him words of encouragement in that dire situation. I saw Eric Wood picking up our RB’s off the turf, and quick to stand up for his QB when they got hit. I saw Paul Posluszny play with pride and passion that diffused throughout the entire defense.

I’m sorry, but no head coach deserves any credit for this. Let’s say Jauron had been fired last week, do you really think that in the same situation Evans wouldn’t have gone up to Fitz to make sure he’s ready? You don’t think Wood would be picking up the RB’s? And Poz would play any differently? Come on. That’s what these players do. They are leaders and they were just doing what they usually do. They want to win and those characteristics and actions support that. It’s not because they reflect Jauron. When the team has come out flat and played listless football, I suppose they weren’t reflecting Jauron at that time?

The Bills misfortunes are an organizational problem, not a HC problem.

No. It’s an organizational problem and a Head Coach problem. There have been too many blunders, game/time mismanagement, poor schemes, poor decisions, blah blah blah to say there isn’t a HC problem. The proof is in the mediocre, tasteless pudding.

But feel the need to hit on a few points.

I know I’ll get bashed if I write anything pro-Jauron, but I have no issues defending this man. Regardless of whatever you think of Dick Jauron, one thing you can never say is that he is not a great leader. What is leadership? Defined by Webster:

“process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”

Anyone who is a coach, and is in it for the right reasons, knows the right reason is to accomplish goals as a team. It’s not for individual success to gain in their profession, or any other reason, but simply to accomplish the goals they set out. Each coach will have different ways of motivating his players, each coach has unique personalities, and each coach is shaped by their experiences as a player/coach, mentors and their overall coaching/teaching philosophy.

There is a difference between a good leader and a good head coach.

There are 3 leaders on a NFL coaching staff.

HC, OC, and DC.

I think Jauron would be a fine DC.

I think he is a lousy HC because he knows zilch about offense.

Definately not enough to hire a quality OC.

And definately not enough to help his OC hire.

He has not woked with an offensive guru that has been able to give him enough knowledge to be a good HC,

When Lindell missed the kick in regulation many of you, including most of the nation said “typical Bills, just can’t pull through.” However, what I saw yesterday despite the ugliness of the win was a team reflecting their coach.

When Lindell mised that field goal, I was thinking why did they let 30+ seconds tick off the clock and not try to get closer.

I was asking myself, why did they run the power pitch to Marshawn to the right AGAIN!, when they used a play to try to get closer.

I asked myself why did they telegraph the power pitch to the defense by lining up the fullback on the side they ran it each time.

I asked myself why they didn’t have a counter play to the weakside that was used once so the defense couldn’t just play the power pitch.

I asked myself why Jauron couldn’t recognize what I did and relay it to AVP so he could make adjustments.

I think most of us here will agree Jauron is a class act.

Heck I even felt sorry for him when he was asked today about the Billboard.

But he just does not know enough about offense to be a good Headcoach.

I think he is best at leading a defense, until he can work with someone who could really help him learn about offense, and have enough knowledge to hire a quality OC.

about how impressed I was that, despite all our talk during the week about how this team lacks passion and how its not enough for a team to like its coach, if you watched the Jets game you can not deny that it looked like every single player out there looked like he was playing 120% for their coach.

From Terrence McGee running down plays, to Poz getting on the field at probably 80% and making big tackles and a pick, to Byrd flying all over the field, Marcus Stroud disrupting the backfield, Lee Evans and TO fighting for yards when they got the ball and Freddy and Marshawn fighting for yards – heck, even the relatively (for us) mistake free play of the o-line, it seemed to me that this team laid it on the line for Jauron. It shows you that the loyalty he engenders in his players does translate into action. Hopefully they keep it up. Even Trent Edwards looked like he was playing better for his coach.

This, folks, is exactly what a FanPost should be.

Dick Jauron is a class act and I would give really like him to succeed. But why did he keep so many Defensive backs, decide to draft Maybin when our pass rush is actually better than we thought, this without seeing how Chris Ellis might have fared in his 2nd season, not to mention drafting or signing more depth at linebacker or an offensive tackle. All the Bills fans are giddy because they beat the Jets, but they barely did so against a QB who threw 5 interceptions.
I compare Jauron to Levy, and Marv always had his teams prepared. How else can you explain 8 false starts against the Browns, or the fact that he now decides to not go with the no-huddle. In the Jets game, Jauron decided to settle on a 48 yard field goal with 50 seconds left, rather than try to get closer and in better field goal range – Lindell missed, but made up for it later.
Look at McDaniels for the Broncos, they have a completely revamped defense that was 29th last year and is now 1st!!!!!!! He is fiery and a winner, plus nobody gave him a chance of winning this year after trading for Cutler and it looks like Orton might be just as good, if not better – That folks, is a winner!

You are correct, Jauron is pure class. However, in the NFL, you are judged by wins and losses. It does not matter if your players respect you and play hard for you if you dont win. The bottom line is that Jauron does not win. He has one winning season in his career as a head coach.

This article right here, explains why the Bills, in a nutshell, will never be more then what they are.

Are you freaking kidding me?? The guy has a losing record has a HC, his clock management is poor at best, he coachs scared, and the reason why the players “love him” is b/c he holds no player accountable for there actions.

Jauron is mediocore and it reflects on his porous coaching staff and players.

Stop trying to get excited over a 16-13 OT win vs a Jets team that ran for 300+ yards, and committed 6 TO’s and the Bills, lead by your boy, Jauron nearly lost. And probably should’ve lost if Sanchez didn’t throw his 5th pick.

I do agree firing him now and letting Fewell or April take over would be a mistake, b/c there is no difference.

There is no silver lining in the Jauron cloud. 3 straight years of 7-9 doesn’t cut it for me or any other Bills fan.

I don’t know what your motives are, but at times you write like you work for OBD or your trying to position yourself for a job there.

You wrote a great piece on the GM and front office, and you follow up w/ this crap.

Brian I thought you wrote this, but it was MARVelous.

Brian, I apologize I didn’t read the fine print.

MARVelous, this article is garbage.

Dick: The Coach Who Couldn’t Win.

I wrote a Fanpost about this after the New England loss, and Jauron has don’t nothing to convince me otherwise to this point.

On Leadership

Some things to consider from the win:

Did we win the game as much as the Jets lost the game? If Sanchez doesn’t implode, we probably don’t win. If Weatherford fields the snap cleanly, we may not have won. There was a lot that went wrong for the Jets that enabled this win.

I don’t discount the idea that players are playing hard for Jauron, and that they realize that Jauron’s job is on the line. But that’s the point- avoiding let-ups and playing hard all the time. Being focused all the time. Leaders make that happen. Trap games are sometimes unavoidable, but we’ve seen lack of effort against Miami, and lack of focus against Cleveland. Focus, discipline and motivation all the time, not just when the coach you like has his job on the line.

Adjustments- why did it take Edwards going out for us to switch to a power offense? We constantly see other teams adjusting what they do to be effective. Jauron is a master at preparing the team to play, but he’s terrible at in game adjustments. EG: the game plan for Cleveland could have work, but when it didn’t, we didn’t change much. It took Edwards’ injury for us to change. Does anyone really think Edwards couldn’t have been, at a minimum, as effective as Fitzpatrick in that offense?

I don’t discount Jauron’s perseverance. Believe me, it’s a huge deal for leaders. But there are limits. Trying hard doesn’t cut it. Einstein’s definition of insanity applies here. Sure, they dumped the no-huddle, but that’s it as far as changes, as compared to what’s going wrong?

Until I see the players focused, disciplined and motivated all the time; until I see smart and timely in game adjustments as the norm; until I see optimal changes along with perseverance as the norm, I’m just not going to be convinced.

And I really haven’t even talked about sideline presence as a leader, or leading in key moments- but my fanpost covers that.

It’s appalling to me how many people have spewed some version of “but he’s a sucky head coach!”, as if MARVelous’ point was to say how perfect Jauron is, and how many games he’s won is an anomaly of some sort. That’s missing the point entirely. There is a fair way to criticize someone, and there are lines to be drawn between what to criticize and what not to criticize. I think Marv’s piece does a great job helping to define that line – and that’s all it does. That’s why I bumped it to the front page – not to say “Dick’s the best coach ever!”, but to help define the arguments for and against him.

Seriously – nobody’s opinions on whether Jauron should go (or, in the very rare instance, stay) should change based on reading this article. That’s not why Marv wrote it.

No matter what anyone else might say.

Dick Jauron does seem to have trouble picking the right assistants, especially on offense. As far as the rest of the Bills problems, I’m not sure the buck stops with him.

Also, rec’d!

Jauron the man > Jauron the coach………….but that doesnt = wins…….

Last time I checked the Vinny Lombardi doesnt go to the guy who is a great leader of men……….it goes to the guy who is a great leader of men who win.

Going into week 7 of the NFL season, Dick Jauron is the best coach for the Buffalo Bills football team. This does not mean that he is the best coach long term or even for next season but a lot of Marv’s points make sense.

No other coach will be able to keep this team together in order to compete week after week because that act is an indicator that the season is lost. Being 2-4 is different than being mathematically eliminated. Dick Jauron’s ability to keep this team together and playing hard is the biggest advantage we have. It will allow us to remain competitive when arguably injuries are ravaging us.

Although he has finished 7-9 each year with the Bills, somehow we play a meaningful game in December. The only problem is that we have not won them.

Once the season ends, I anticipate an overhaul of the team. However, with that said, I believe that Dick Jauron gives us the best chance to win, from a head coaching perspective, for the rest of the season.

Let’s just sum up what we all (hopefully) think this way:

- He’s a great man, a guy you hope to see win as he never hangs anybody out to dry, but he’s a proven loser in this league and he’s – no matter how you put it – just a bad HC.

This team is a very clear combination of the exact assets and liabilities of the HC, OC and DC. And not just this year, but over the last three. So you can throw in RW, RB and TM and their staff into the mix as to why the Bills are laboring.

So far this year we have seen the success of the HC in leading in tough times. We have seen the semblence of an effective defense despite a substantial array of injuries on a young team with no real depth. Our OC has half a dozen games under his belt, equal to most of his offensive line. And now the starting QB is out.

Assessing the givens, how on earth is anyone else going to do a better job coaching? The defects are obvious and not easily overcome. The players need to keep playing hard and learning, reducing the amount of their mistakes.

DJ understands the need to not play stupid football when you don’t have the best talent set in the NFL. But understanding doesn’t compensate for the play of the players. DJ has already had a substantial number of chances to prove his worth. He has the balance of the season to try and turn this team around to stay. The players have to perform or the coach is gone. It’s that simple.

I read this post earlier today trying to formulate a comment without the influence of the other arguments. I must say I did enjoy reading this and it made me think. As an Operations Manager I like to use sports analogies all the time. I realized my management style is very similar to DJ’s. Granted I get a little more animated at times (okay a lot more animated), but when the pressure is on, and my team is looking at me, they see no fear as I am poised. I know that we are prepared and can handle any situation. One thing I have learned as I’m sure most could agree with, a bad hire can set you back tremendously. I have seen my peers, who are great managers, make poor hiring decisions and their operations have suffered for it. While I agree Dick is a good leader, I think he hasn’t made the best hires in his coordinators.

He does not have the skills to be a HC. Let’s not forget that many of Buffalo’s heartbreaking losses are due to the HC not positioning/preparing his team to make the right moves to close out wins. He just doesn’t prepare this team to WIN.

When Trent Edwards left the Jets game and the other injuries kept piling up, as a fan I’m sure many of you were saying “seriously, what else can go wrong?”

Nope, I said, “yes, here’s our chance to air it out to TO & Evans!”

I think Jauron and this crew have done one heck of a thankless job. They’ve rebuilt a team and now we see light at the end of the tunnel. 5 years of the previous administration ended in disarray. This leadership team took the difficult step of rebuilding from scratch.

I certainly hope Mr Wilson keeps Jauron on. I know it may cost him a few season tickets at first, but I think this team is on the verge of being specials and as the wins come so will the ticket sales.

I was at an airport and watched the Saints spank the Giants. Drew Brees ate them for lunch and it confirmed a thought that I’ve had for a while. Our defense is pretty darn impressive and it’s what this leadership group has started with. Say what you will about us backing into a victory (NE did in week 1) or that it took 5 ints to win, either way, we got 5 ints and they made Sanchez look like a rookie.

I was at the Atlanta airport when they switched from NE v the Volunteers and finished up with the Bills-Jet game and I could not have been more proud of the Bills defense. The looked pretty darn tough, fast, and skilled. Everyone watching at the terminal was impressed.

We all know that our Bills’ lives depend on the growth of this very, very young O-line. And for the record, I think we have a shot at a wining record this year.

Great fanpost. I’ve come to avoid reading fanposts in general because it’s all gotten pretty nasty. But I have to say I enjoyed the heck out of this post.

Kudos to you for defending Jauron in this time. I agree with almost everything you wrote. Not many coaches could have handled all of the things he has had to deal with while in Buffalo the last few years. He deserves credit when his team wins. I don’t agree with his coaching style, or his schemes. But his players respect him and they play hard for him no matter what. Even when we got shellacked by the Pats over the years, they never seemed to completely quit on him like the Titans did in Foxborough on Sunday

I may not agree with it’s premise or conclusions, but it generated such thoughtful commentary by the Rumblings community.

success is not materially defined not by wins or losses my friend. I take it as the Wooden definition of success: “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

The Achievement you are talking about is due to lack of personnel success, mainly finding a QB. There was zero chance wtih Losman, Holcomb, Edwards, and now Fitzpatrick.