Bills' major area of regression in 2009: penalties

by Brian Galliford on Nov 7, 2009 8:21 AM EST in Buffalo Bills News

It's fairly easy to blame coaching for every little problem with a given NFL team, and just as easy to ignore giving credit where credit is due to a coach for team strengths. For Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron, credit is hard to come by these days - his Bills are currently 3-5, and as they're also on the heels of three straight 7-9 seasons, consternation surrounding the coach and his team is at an all-time high.

For all of Jauron's faults and virtues, one fact was continually glossed over throughout Jauron's first three years in Buffalo: his Bills teams were some of the most disciplined and technically sound in the game. Jauron got little credit for that. This season, thanks to the Bills taking the youth route at key positions - admittedly, decisions that Jauron had heavy influence in - the Bills are uncharacteristically mistake-prone. Here's a quick history of Buffalo's discipline (or lack thereof) under Jauron.

In 2006, Jauron's first season in Buffalo, the Bills committed 87 penalties on the season - between 5 and 6 per game. That total was tied for the eighth-lowest in the NFL.

In 2007, the Bills improved in the penalty department under Jauron, committing just 78 on the season (4.9 per game). That total was tied for the seventh-lowest total in the league, and the Bills shared that honor with Bill Belichick's 16-0 New England team.

In 2008, the Bills once again improved in this area, dropping their penalty total to 71 on the season - 4.4 per game, and good for the second-lowest total in the NFL (tied with New England again, and behind Atlanta).

In 2009, we've seen a complete regression, thanks mostly to the youth issues along the offensive line. Through just eight games, Buffalo has committed 59 penalties - the highest total in the league at 7.4 per game, or three more penalties per game than they averaged a year ago.

The lack of discipline has undoubtedly been a key factor in the Bills' struggles this season. (Buffalo's opponents have been helpful, committing 36 penalties to the Bills' 18 in their three wins.) Jauron's decisions to make wholesale, youthful changes along the offensive line and in other key areas have led to these issues, and it may ultimately cost him his job. To his credit, however, the penalty issue has gotten slightly better as the season has worn on; after committing 28 penalties in Weeks 1-3, the Bills have totaled 31 penalties in their last five games, a difference of 3 per game. In addition, in their last two games, the Bills have committed just 7 penalties while going 1-1.

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Comments

I think it's a by-product of youth

With Wood, Levitre and Bell being rookies and/or first year starters, I’d argue that it’s something that has to be accepted as a second order effect. I’d rather have the three above than Peters, Dockery and Fowler/Preston (as a package, not arguing individual players). Jauron had to understand that the penalties were going to happen.

I don’t have the time to do this, but I’d be interested in what the non-OL penalties look like across the league. Eg: if we discounted OL penalties, where would the Bills rank? It may discount my point completely, but I’d be interested to know either way.

I do think that the OL is a future team strength and will be one of the best OL’s in the league in a year or two. This is just part of the road to get there, IMO.

by Der Jaeger on Nov 7, 2009 8:15 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

That’s the point we all need to keep in mind. This is a very talented group of young players on the o-line and they are going to make a strong unit in the future, so we need to be patient about all the penalties this year. However, the no-huddle surely was a major factor in producing all those penalties, and the blame for the crazy decision to use it with so many rookies taking their first NFL snaps lies squarely on Jauron.

by Macktruck on Nov 7, 2009 10:22 AM EST up reply actions

Fan Frustration

Which drives you more insane: defensive end lining up offside? wide receiver going offside? Other?

by jpheff on Nov 7, 2009 9:14 AM EST reply actions

DE lining up offsides: Maybin. Rookie mistake due to excitement, desire to prove that he is a good play. He’s learn, and I’d rather have that mistake by Maybin, with his clear high motivational level, than someone like Marcus Spears or Vernon Gholston.

by Der Jaeger on Nov 7, 2009 9:21 AM EST up reply actions

Ha! Bruce Smith used to do this all the time. It used to drive me bananas.

. 2010 Bills truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo

by thefourwinds on Nov 7, 2009 2:00 PM EST up reply actions

I forgot that! Even the best- the real best- have it happen to them.

by Der Jaeger on Nov 7, 2009 3:29 PM EST up reply actions

You live with it when the player produces

And is a superstar.

Maybin doesn’t even have a minor impact at this point.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Nov 7, 2009 10:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

You're arguing apples and oranges

Of course we don’t accept what Maybin is doing, but he’s doing it because he’s obviously an excited rookie.

We accept Bruce Smith because he was trying to jump the snap count, and he was the best DE in the NFL.

If Kelsay, Denney, or Schobel were doing what Maybin is doing, it’s unacceptable.

If Maybin is doing this in two years, it’s also unacceptable.

by Der Jaeger on Nov 8, 2009 2:03 PM EST up reply actions

no huddle

it also appears the shelving of the no huddle may have helped. IMO the no huddle suits a veteran, cohesive line moreso than 3 rookies making adjustments at the line/on the fly.

by fansince60 on Nov 7, 2009 9:24 AM EST reply actions

no audibles

The team was also using a lot more audibles in the first few games. I think that the reduced number of audibles being used has also resulted in fewer false starts etc. I don’t think that reducing the number of audibles has helped the team offensively however.

by Polish Lover on Nov 8, 2009 6:39 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks for making the point, Brian. Everyone is calling out Jauron for the penalties, calling them undisciplined. But that doesn’t explain why they were so good every other year Jauron was here.

Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG

by MattRichWarren on Nov 7, 2009 9:30 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, but who put them in that situation?

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Nov 7, 2009 11:59 AM EST up reply actions

Are you telling me it’s Jauron’s fault that these guys are jumping offsides?

Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG

by MattRichWarren on Nov 7, 2009 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

Yes

Just like it was to Jauron’s credit that the Bills were a disciplined unit during his first three years it is to his discredit that the Bills have been an undisciplined unit this year. Jauron chose to put all of those inexperienced players on the field at the same time, surely knowing that it would be difficult to maintain discipline.

Of course we could make things more challenging, Lisa, but then the stupider students would be in here complaining, furrowing their brows in a vain attempt to understand the situation--Seymour Skinner

by Ron From NM on Nov 7, 2009 7:32 PM EST up reply actions

Exactly, it’s Jauron who has choosen to play all these young players. Obviously an OL with this little experience is going to be more prone to penalties.

I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute

by kaisertown on Nov 7, 2009 7:59 PM EST up reply actions

I’m inclined to agree with kaisertown here. Yes, Jauron made the call to go with an inexperienced line, but the call was in the big picture one I could live with. Injuries have killed them. You have to figure a younger team is going to have more penalties.

I do think the no-huddle experiment hurt them in terms of penalties. I also think that was worth a shot. Granted the team has been bad in a lot of ways, but had the Patriots and Browns game swung just a touch differently, they would be 5-3 right now.

2010 Bills' truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo

by thefourwinds on Nov 7, 2009 8:25 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, what you and Ron said

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Nov 7, 2009 10:49 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Funny. Never heard anyone giving him credit for them playing disciplined. Never heard Jauron tell Bell it was OK if he jumped offside cause he’s young and inexperienced or Wood to hold. I still don’t get how it’s Jauron’s fault. Yeah he chose to put guys that, in all cases except Bell, have been playing football for a dozen years, on the field and told them to not break the same rules they have been living by since pee wee football.

Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG

by MattRichWarren on Nov 7, 2009 9:10 PM EST up reply actions

If I recall correctly

One of the few positives anyone has pointed out about Jauron is that his teams usually avoid penalties, so yeah, I think he got some credit there.

And yes, he chose to put all these youngsters in tough positions. Young players are much more prone to mistakes, so yes he should be criticized for it.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Nov 7, 2009 10:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

the mistakes are made due to the young players trying to keep track of a much larger playbook and more variable snap counts than they have encountered in their previous play. They are not being made because the players don’t understand the rules. Jauron influences the number of penalties by having his team well prepared (or not) so that there is no confusion about snap counts, assignments etc. Watch a Patriots game and you will very rarely see plays where it looks like a player didn’t know what was going on (running the wrong route, not knowing the snap count etc). That kind of mistake has been happening a lot on the Bills this year. Largely due to youth but also partly due to coaching and the fact that the Bills have had to play a lot of backup players.

by Polish Lover on Nov 8, 2009 6:43 PM EST up reply actions