On Leadership
by Der Jaeger on Sep 15, 2009 3:33 PM EDT
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In the wake of last night, I wanted to share thoughts on leadership. Before I start, my reactions to last night's game are simple: the players did well for the most part. We have the talent to play with anybody. Our talent level is that of a playoff team. AVP did a tremendous job. If Edwards plays like this all season, we're fine and he's more than fine.
So why do we lose the big games? Sure, we had some nice comeback wins: against Houston in 2006, and in the first few games last season. But we can't seem to win the important games. Dallas in 2007. Tennessee in 2006. Cleveland and the Jets last year. We can't seem to close out big games. It's the same, year after year.
My theory is lack of leadership from the head coach. I'm not an anti-Jauron guy. I hope he does great this year. But I've seen enough of him standing idol during the decisive moments to believe that he's not the guy we need.
Leadership background. I'm a US Army officer, and my job is to lead reconnaissance and scout units into combat, which I've done. So my definition of leadership and expectations may differ from yours. However, football is an end-sum game, where wins and losses are all that matters. This is why, I believe, you see coaches that take a bit of a military-style leadership into their roles as coaches, and many are successful. This is basically the entire Parcells coaching tree, Cowher, Gruden, etc.
Military leadership is not what you see on, say, the basic training portion of Full Metal Jacket. Military leadership does not equate to screaming at people. I'm not much of a screamer, and have been fairly successful, some would say.
Military leadership is about the leader being accountable for the results. No excuses. Military leadership is about letting your subordinates lead and learn, but during training, not when lives are on the line. And military leaders identify the decisive point, and lead their organization at that critical time.
Decisive Point Tactics. There is a planning and operations description- we'll go with the operations version, since you can't plan a football game from start to finish like you can with a military operation. Operations, or the execution phase, decisive point tactics refers to the commander using instinct, experience, and education to identify the crucial moment on the battle field where the battle is going to be won or lost.
Think of it as a see-saw, or teeter-tauter. You start at one end, standing on the seat. That end is on the ground (eg: you're not winning). You walk towards the center. At the pivot point, the board evens out, and as you take the next step, the board starts to tip the other way. That's the decisive point, where you go from not winning to winning. Military commanders get paid, in part, to correctly identify when that is happening, and influencing everything they can to ensure victory.
It applies in a football sense. Fans do it all the time. It's the point of the game that we're all on the edge of our seats. Who wasn't as the Pats were kicking the on-sides kick? The head coach had to sense this too. That's when the influencing comes into play. Sure, Jauron can't catch the ball for McKelvin, and really can't do anything on the field. But you can influence it. Good military commanders can influence the battle without firing a shot personally.
Jauron tends to let things happen. He trusts the players and allows them to play, but he does this to a fault. After April finished his talk to the hands team, Jauron should have been in there, emphasizing key points that April talked about, and stressing the importance of the situation. You see Belichick, Cowher, etc. doing this all the time. It's not a rah-rah thing.
It's about willing your team to victory. A "if you get the ball, don't worry about gaining yards. Two hands on the ball and don't fumble" might have made a difference. Especially from a coach viewed as a leader, not the coach you like and want to try hard for.
You might not think so, but plenty of good Soldiers forget basic things under stress. A leader reminding them goes a long, long way. Trust me. You think the hands team was nervous last night? A leader calms them through leadership- talking to his team and getting their minds right.
No excuses leadership. That's what we're missing. You saw it last night. And every time we lose a close game.
Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.
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Good Post!
I have to agree. I also hope Jauron does well this year, but agree that the respect that a player tries to give a “players coach” and the respect that a player is demanded to give a “military/leader style coach” is quite different.
However, it’s not like Jauron is going to do a complete 180 degree and turn into a Bill Cowher by next Sunday.
However, it’s not like Jauron is going to do a complete 180 degree and turn into a Bill Cowher by next Sunday.
Same reason Wade Phillips couldn’t totally remake himself as he said he was going to do last year.
Wouldn't it be ironic if this team imploded and it had nothing to do with TO?
by thefourwinds on Sep 15, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you nailed it ...
and I’ve observed the lack of “anything” from Jauron at critical moments. I can’t think of another winning team in any sport where the coach isn’t engaging his players at the critical moment regardless of style.
Example: I’ll never forget Phil Jackson coaching the Lakers when they still had Shaq and were losing to Portland in the playoffs. Phil is not a control freak coach. He doesn’t stand on the sidelines and scream out every play or every movement. But when they were on the brink, he called them over and was literally screaming at them (partly due to crowd noise in the Portland arena). He said, “you guys need to RUN, not some of you, ALL of you … You and You and You…” and he proceeded until he emplored each one of them individually. I think it was a tipping point of the game and series and he got more out of them than they were giving. I have NEVER seen Jauron do anything close to that. These are young men and they need it in whatever style suits him, but it can’t be nothing.
Great post!
I hate that Jauron just sits back and lets the players do their thing in the most critical of moments. You are dead on that in big situations, the head coach needs to take over and lead his team to victory. That’s a good reason why we can never seem to beat good teams, nor win big games. I’m not saying it did yesterday, but for the most part our leadership fails us down the stretch.
~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."
And we're going to see it again.
December 3rd (Thursday night against the Jets). Or maybe the home game against the Pats or Dolphins. At some point, one of these games is going to be equally big and decide our playoff fate.
We’ll probably be well prepared. We’ll see what our leadership from Jauron brings.
Outstanding post! rec'd
I’m a US Army officer
No wonder we think so much alike…. :-)
Wouldn't it be ironic if this team imploded and it had nothing to do with TO?
Jauron lets things happen
Preparation to succeed. I understand where your coming from on this point, but in my opinion this is not a void of leadership on Jauron’s part. You prepare for these moments in training camp and practice. It’s called situational football, and it’s called being prepared for every situation. The more you prepare, the less risk you have of being “unprepared” for a situation. 2:06 left, could onside or could kick it deep. That’s a situation I"m sure the Bills talked about many times, and was reinforced by April to McKelvin before the kick. To think that if Jauron had said “Make sure you don’t fumble and keep two hands on the ball” could have done JUST THE OPPOSITE…and made Leodis MORE NERVOUS.
In that situation your instincts as an athlete take over because you’ve returned a million kicks. He did NOTHING wrong in returning the kick, the fact is he fumbled earlier in the game trying to gain extra yards and he did the same thing in a crucial moment. Players play, coaches prepare players to play. Telling a KR to “not fumble” is like telling a basketball player with a lead with :10 secs left to “not turn it over.” You don’t think of that as an athlete. I don’t believe this is a lack of leadership in any way, shape or form. Trying to use Jauron as the scape goat I think just doesn’t apply here. He’s a PROFESSIONAL football player. IF you want to blame Jauron, blame him for not preparing the team for that exact situation enough. But to think he needs to remind a KR to not fumble, is just not an excuse in my book
MARVelous - "I went from America's team to North America's Team" Terrell Owens
To think that if Jauron had said "Make sure you don’t fumble and keep two hands on the ball" could have done JUST THE OPPOSITE…and made Leodis MORE NERVOUS.
IMO, the kind of leader Der Jaeger is talking about knows how to do this without making his players more nervous, because his players trust his leadership. We’re NOT talking about a micromanager here, whose followers have no trust in. That’s the kind of leader that makes followers more nervous. How much you want to bet that Turk Schonert is a micromanager?
Wouldn't it be ironic if this team imploded and it had nothing to do with TO?
by thefourwinds on Sep 15, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Disagree, and I've seen it personally
I’ve had to remind Soldiers to buckle their helmets, because they we’re nervous and forgot to. Or load ammunition into their weapon, because they we’re nervous, and forgot to. Soldiers drill on their tasks to the same degree and intensity that football players practice…. yet they still forget. Why? Because they’re human… they are nervous because the situation is overwhelming and they want to do well.
So I disagree… you can tell a football player not to fumble, or a basketball player not to turn it over, or a Soldier to make sure he has batteries in his night vision goggles. The little things matter.
Also, there’s a simple answer to “how to remind someone without making them nervous.” It’s called leader confidence. The leader doesn’t seem worried, and displays confidence. That non-verbal sign is calming for subordinates.
agreed
all those things can be said. But it’s the team that is prepared that wins. I agree in the battle, or in this instance on gameday, a coach/leader needs to know when to say certain things and when not to but there is no substitute for preparation. In this example, the guy had 2 arms cradled around the football, he got stood up, it got ripped out, game over. hindsight is always 20/20. I can blame prepartion or lack thereof, but when you’re in the heat of the battle, when you are in the moment, that’s when your play must be instinctive and automatic not a time for reminder of basic fundamentals. It’s not about making that person nervous it’s about preparing that player through preparation and repetition. That’s teaching, that’s being a leader, thinking of every situation “in advance” of your team so while they may not know what to do always, you do. Jauron and April did that, the guy just did what makes him a great football player….he tried to make a play.
MARVelous - "I went from America's team to North America's Team" Terrell Owens
I'm focusing no attention on McKelvin's decision to leave the end zone...
… because the coaching staff had to believe that the Pats were going to onside kick the ball. Anything said prior to the team taking the field wouldn’t and couldn’t address something like the decision McKelvin made.
That doesn’t get Jauron off the hook. Take my statement from the original post. With the head coach’s word ringing in McKelvin’s ears, maybe he goes down as soon as he smells a Patriot. More than likely, he remembers to make the smartest play possible. Fighing for yards was not smart.
In the Army, we have set “plays” for small units that come into a chance enemy. It’s called a battle drill. And we drill them until the Soldiers memorize them. Then we drill the plan. Over and over again until it’s memorized. Our preparation would put Belichick to shame.
And guess what? It still gets screwed up. Commanders and leaders are still required on the battlefield because, as von Moltke said, “no plan survives first contact.” Preparation is key, agreed, but leaders are still required to make adjustments. And more importantly, instill confidence and ensure success during the heat of battle. Jauron doesn’t do this.
Again, Jauron does not take the bull by the horns during the decisive moment and ensure success. The Phil Jackson example by MrFurious1 is exactly what I’m talking about. I’m sure the Lakers, as professionals, shouldn’t need to hear what Jackson said. But the words were necessary. And effective.
We get great prep from Jauron, no doubt. It’s his on field leadership, or lack thereof, that dooms us during the big games.
you can tell a football player not to fumble, or a basketball player not to turn it over, or a Soldier to make sure he has batteries in his night vision goggles. The little things matter.
But not fumbling isn’t a little thing. The things that you have told your soldiers are routine things that could easily slip the mind. McKelvin forgetting that he cannot turn the ball over in that scenario is unfathomable. The Bills are winning with two minutes left and Jauron isn’t a good enough leader because he didn’t tell McKelvin to be safe with the ball? That needs to be beyond obvious for McKelvin and it’s not the same as forgetting to buckle a chin strap. The only thing that mattered on that return was not turning it over and anything else (good field position or taking time off the clock) was a bonus. McKelvin knew that, but screwed up anyways. I don’t understand how that can be the coaches fault or a failure of leadership.
They’re not routine things that slip the mind. I’ve had Soldiers ready to go on combat missions and forget their ammunition because they were nervous. Being safe with the ball for a football player and bringing bullets for a Soldier are about equivilent in how basic those two things are to each’s job.
But they happen. You think anyone should have to remind Soldiers to bring bullets to a fight?
My pre- onsides kick talk would have gone something like this:
We’re going to win this game. We’re making two first downs and then we win. You guys just have to get the ball. No heroes. Two hands on the ball, catching or running. Two hands on the ball when you get it. If you catch it and feel your getting hit, just go down and cover the ball. Keep the football. Let’s go win.
Kind of similar in its basics to some pre-combat things I’ve said:
Easy mission. Everyone got their ammo? Night vision? Water? When we get off the helicopters, everybody spreads out. How do we know which way is North? (Soldier’s give response). After the helos take off, form up. Find a buddy and stick with him. When we get to the top of the mountain, it’s ballgame. Easy mission
by Der Jaeger on Sep 15, 2009 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec’d.
I think that that little speech would calm me down big time and realize that my job is easy and my objective is clear.
Delightfully Ignoring The Truth since 1995.
by NeverendingOptimism on Sep 15, 2009 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I think loading your gun is routine. Or at least, it’s part of a routine. There has to be some kind of mental checklist for somebody going on a mission and it would be easy to forget one thing while going through that process. Ball security wasn’t one of a dozen things that McKelvin had to do, it was the only thing that was necessary. One first down wins that game, or at least leaves the Pats with a punt return or a 70 yard hail marry to win. Not understanding that situation or needing coaching for that one specific play is completely different than failing to do something like loading a gun, which would need to be done every time. Obviously, not loading a weapon would be as big of a mistake as the fumble (relatively of course, football isn’t life and death), but the amount of thought and focus that McKelvin needed to put into ball security vs. every other thought in his mind is much, much more than the amount of thinking that a soldier needs to check a battery or load a gun compared to the other thoughts he has leading up to a mission. It’s easy to forget something when there are a ton of things on your mind. When the only thing you have to do is not turn the ball over, it should be an easy one to focus on.
Well Leodis didn’t have both hands on the ball. He obviously needed to be reminded about ball security, I’d say….He obviously should have been much more aware of that, but some players need reminders, direction or focus more than others….
~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."
A lot of my logic here is that he had to be aware. How could he possibly not understand how important ball security was. I think he knew what was going on and screwed up anyway. He had every intention of getting a 2nd hand on the ball and he had every intention of going down without a fight, but for whatever reason he didn’t do it. It just seems so obvious and important of a situation and nothing else mattered on that play. I don’t think any of the analogies (military or baseball) do last night’s situation justice. There weren’t a dozen things to consider like there are in the analogies, how could McKelvin possibly not understand what needed to be done? And that is why I can’t consider this to be a coaching blunder.
There are times Jauron needs to be more vocal, but not in this case
April – “We’re going to win this game. We’re making two first downs and then we win. You guys just have to get the ball. No heroes. Two hands on the ball, catching or running. Two hands on the ball when you get it. If you catch it and feel your getting hit, just go down and cover the ball. Keep the football. Let’s go win.”
Jauron – ""We’re going to win this game. We’re making two first downs and then we win. You guys just have to get the ball. No heroes. Two hands on the ball, catching or running. Two hands on the ball when you get it. If you catch it and feel your getting hit, just go down and cover the ball. Keep the football. Let’s go win."
April – “Dick, I just said that”
see what I mean? Everyone has his role. April’s is to have the STs ready. If April misses something, then Jauron needs to step in. If Jauron repeats what April says, the players are going to start ignoring one of them.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Sep 15, 2009 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thank you
rec’d
"Next time I get the opportunity I am going to hold on and make a better decision." ~ Leodis McKelvin. (Can't ask for anythitng more than that)
by NolaBillsFan on Sep 15, 2009 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree one hundred percent MARVelous,
If Jauron told Leodis anything, It should have been “If you catch the kickoff in the endzone, just down it, I don’t care how good the blocking looks in front of you, we have a much better chance of icing this game with a first down from an offense that is fresh, and has played well, rather than hitting a home run on a kick off return when you have been chasing receivers for 37+ minutes of game clock and you have already fumbled once on three tries trying to get extra yardage.”
by The Buffalo Kid on Sep 16, 2009 4:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Other good things could have happened then a TD. If McKelvin takes up six seconds with that return (which he did, granted, while fumbling) then it basically takes a timeout away from NE. Ten yards of field position could have been a difference maker too. If McKelvin takes a knee and Buffalo goes three and out then NE gets the ball back with 1:35-1:40 left in the game and still has a timeout. What are the odds they win in that scenario? If McKelvin takes a knee and the Bills run three times without a first down and loses the game, Jauron is getting ripped to shreds on this board for not being aggressive enough. I think looking at it from a sheer statistical standpoint, the odds of Buffalo winning are better with McKelvin returning the kick and it’s something that a lot of coaches, if not the majority of coaches are telling their returner, who happened to lead the league in kick return average the season before, to make a play.
And there’s also the fact that McKelvin said after the game that he wasn’t sure where he was when he caught the ball. So, Jauron, April and the entire team could have formed a circle around McKelvin and screamed at him to take a knee and if he isn’t sure that he is in the end zone, he has to take it out. Jauron could have (and somebody might have, DJ defends his guys) told him to take a knee and it doesn’t matter, the same thing happens.
you hammered nail on head
I think Jauron has a very good football mind, and I think a lot of his ideas were evident in the game plan last night. You hear the players say over and over, Edwards in particular, how many helpful things DJ says leading up to game. I think Edward’s talked about comments DJ makes during the game, and I’m sure they’re good, but I think you’re talking about demeanor. Every time the camera pans over to DJ, he’s got that tight lipped, nervous look. He cares so much about his team that he’s nervous to see them lose. But, what would make him a great coach is that Phil Jackson thing someone mentioned, and it even showed up in Bellichick last night. There was one shot when Tom Brady walks to the sideline and “Hoodie” puts his hands out almost like he’s sharing a joke. It looked like he was saying something like, “You can always dump it out to Randy” or “We still haven’t attacked between their safeties yet, we’ll be fine.” And he was so relaxed. I’m not sure who on the Bills has enough confidence to be that cool under fire. I hope TO can bring it, but he’s also super competitive. Maybin shows glimpses of it with the press, I think Wood could as well. Maybe Hang. We need Trent to get there too and that’s what DJ is paid to do as coach.
Like you say, if we can develop the leadership, we’ve got the talent.
You are the Army equivalent of Bobby April. Jauron would be your General. Does your General come over and reinforce all your pep talks in the middle of, or before, a battle?
I’m sure there was some communication regarding strategy between Jauron and April before the kick return. Just as you are told the mission objective before you relay the plan to the troops.
I have no problem with Jauron letting April get those guys ready for the kickoff, and letting that be that. After all, it worked in all your successful missions, right?
This is sooooo played out.
We're just going to have to disagree
For Joe P and jj24. We’ve got plenty of big games coming, including Thursday night, Dec. 3. I bet the second Dolphins and Pats games are also going to decide playoffs for us, and might get moved to Sunday night. I love the Bills, but time will tell who’s right.
I sincerely hope we never know who is right
because that means that Leo fumbled another ball with us up by 11 late in the 4th. Just like every battle unfolds differently, so does every game. The next time, under different circumstances ….aka….calling a roll out with JP as your QB…..I might agree with you that Jauron should have taken over and made his presence felt.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
Der Jaeger, I’m with you 100%. I have experienced extremely similar circumstances, I understand the fog of war. People need leadership, especially young ’uns
Wouldn't it be ironic if this team imploded and it had nothing to do with TO?
by thefourwinds on Sep 15, 2009 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Let's be clear here.....footbal is not war.
Playing football and having bullets flying over your head feel completely different, IMO. If you want to equate the two, then might as well add the “fog of Christmas morning” because my kids sure as hell are not thinking straight then either. If my wife tells the kids to wait their turn opening presents, I expect them to listen to her without me telling them that I agree with her.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
Look, I’m not pulling a Kellen Winslow. But DerJaeger’s points are accurate. People get amped up when the pressure is on, and they forget little things, things that you’d think would be incomprehensible to forget. His analogy is remarkably applicable.
Wouldn't it be ironic if this team imploded and it had nothing to do with TO?
by thefourwinds on Sep 15, 2009 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree it can apply, but as was said earlier
Did Douglas MacArthur include, “Don’t forget your bullets” in his addresses to his troops? Kind of doubt it. I am sure April had just been talking with his unit about what to do/not do. If Jauron had something new to add that April forgot, great….do it…..if not, nothing to be gained.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
Bad analogy and bad situation description
The leadership gap between General MacArthur and his small unit leader is similar to April addressing the kickoff unit, and then Roger Goodell addressing the kick off unit.
If you’ve ever talked to men under stress, in competition (war is a competition between 2 or more sides) you know that the words of leaders in these types of moments aren’t wasted. I’m sure there are police officers and firemen who blog on these board who understand this.
I’m not saying that Jauron say the exact thing that April did. But the leader’s words carry weight and add emphasis. April can say everything that I’ve advocated saying, but it still requires Jauron to talk. Is he going to repeat what April said? No, but he might cover the same topics. That’s providing focus and direction. That helps makes things clear in the minds of people under incredible stress. It can instill confidence, which can calm any nervousness.
And it works. I’ve had officers subordinate to me talking to their Soldiers, and I’ve chimed in at the end for emphasis on the focus and direction. I’ve had my commanding officer do the same thing for my Soldiers. It’s what leaders do. What a leader emphasizes gets done.
It is hard for me to argue against this because I agree with most of it
Wouldn’t Goodell = President of the US?
And yes the leader’s words do carry weight. They can inspire or create doubt. Ask any Vietnam Vet.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
I don’t know if you’re familiar with a military-type structure. Sorry if I’m insulting your intelligence.
A Staff Sergeant commands a Squad of 9 men
A Lieutenant commands a platoon of 4 squads, ~40 men
A Captain commands a company of 3 platoons, ~130 men
A Lieutenant Colonel commands a Battalion of 4-5 companies, ~800 men
A Colonel commands a Brigade of 6-7 Battalions, ~3500 men
A Major General commands a division, 2 or more brigades, ~20,000 men
A Lieutenant General commands a Corps, 2 or more divisions, ~40-80,000 men
A General commands an Army, 2 or more Corps, ~100,000 men or larger
A 5-star General commands an Army Group, 2 or more armies, ~200,000 men or larger.
So comparing Jauron to General MacArthur (5 star general) isn’t really a good comparison.
A better comparison would be is April was a Staff Sergeant, and Jauron was the Lieutenant. The numbers are the same, and the leaders are engaging in personal leadership as opposed to organizational leadership.
Squads patrol on their own all the time. If a platoon sent one of its squads on a patrol, the Staff Sergeant deals with the details in leading the squad. The Lieutenant provides the bottom line focus and direction for that squad.
For an important mission, both would speak to the squad prior to movement. The Staff Sergeant and Lieutenant talk about similar things, but the emphasis from the Lieutenant drives home the essential focus of the mission.
That’s why I would expect it from Jauron. He’s leading men in a physically competitive contest, which has stressful moments. His ability to focus the players and direct their actions through personal leadership is essential.
Thanks for clarification and no offense taken...you brought up Goodell :-)
While I see your point about MacArthur, I don’t think you could fill in the blanks with the rest of those positions in the NFL. My point in using MacArthur was to make the point that Jauron is the head guy in charge of all the troops. Your comparison is more accurate as a direct comparison.
Again, my only point is that if you have two coaching essentially standing side by side at the exact same time, you don’t need to have them repeat each other at that point.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
We’re probably just going to have to disagree. I admit, it’s been longer than I can remember since I’ve worked as a civilian, so I really can’t comment how things happen in a civilian workplace. In the military, leadership means no excuses- the leader is directly responsible for everything his organization does and fails to do. We probably go about things in a much different fashion at times.
But when there’s two minutes left in the game and your winning, is ball security a little thing? Not turning the ball over was the only thing. I understand how a soldier would forget things leading up to a mission. I understand how a baseball player could lose track of the situation. But football has specific stoppages in time. McKelvin had a couple of minutes between the Pat TD and the kick return. He doesn’t need a coaching staff to remind him of the one major thing amongst a handful of minor things like a soldier could forget something with a ton of things on his mind.
I think it’s a good analogy for football in general, but I don’t think it fits with the kick return.
very well said
I especially like the part about Jauron just possibly saying “hey, two hands on the ball” to McKelvin.
Simple things, people. Simple things. They can win us ballgames, or lose us ballgames. As we saw last night.
Rec’d this. A great read not just based on DJ but also just for basic leading principles.
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