SB Nation User Blog: Ono

The Grass is Always Greener

Ono — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:47:06 -0000

This playoff season has been nothing short of interesting with the Chargers, Ravens and Cards making things very interesting.

With all these teams we can make the case for why they did something right and why the Bills are not like them and are at home. But I really haven't seen anything in the playoffs to show that the Bills are off track. The teams that were supposed to win because they were built perfectly fell, Colts, Titans and most importantly Panters. Things always look great on the other side but then we see that it is all perception. The great teams now seem ordinary and the okay teams now look golden. The Ravens now seem like the perfect team, San Diego is how it should be done, and the Cards will now be the new blueprint.

In the past few playoff games, I've noted quite a few dumb calls that many of us suggest only Bills coaches are capable off. Not being in the Buffalo area any longer I get to watch many other teams and there is no shortage of head scratcher calls week in week out. The Bills coaches have not cornered the market on game day management issues. That is problem with every team. The key is having mature players who can collaborate or partner with the coaches and herd cats while on the field. We are slowly developing these leaders in Edwards, Poz, and Whitner.

I've been a supporter of Jauron and believe that this team as is, is actually very good, it's just a very young team and we have no depth. After watching the Cardinals today, I finally settled in to something I'd been thinking. You win with who you are and not by trying to be someone else. This is what I like about Jauron. You feel like there is a plan and he is molding a team to play a style of football and not trying to copy some other model somewhere.

The Cardinals are wining with their brand of football. They are winning by being who they are. The Ravens and Chargers are the same way. They play within themselves and utilize their strengths. The coaching has been good but not exceptional. These teams are simply not turning the ball over, limiting mistakes, and playing smart. Brian has mentioned that this team is not yet playing Dick Jauron football and I agree. I hope we can stop focusing on how everyone else has a great GM, or coach, or system, or anything, and how horrible our coaches are, etc, and focus on building on what we have.

We are very close and we should be encouraged that going into this draft and FA season, that we are talking about filling holes and upgrading and not about a team in complete disarraying and total rebuilding mode.

And how about Norv Turner. This is a guy with a 77-95 head coaching record. and has had an incredible season with the Chargers. I look at him and see DJ written all over him, stoic demeanour, great coordinator type with no success in multiple head coaching stops. Now, the Chargers have a legit shot at the Superbowl. This could be us soon. The San Diego crowd has had the same issues we've had with DJ, but, at least for a season, they have a lot to be happy about.

Anyway, the grass is always greener for winning teams. But the only way the grass gets green for us is if we stick with our thing and not try to be or want everything else. We have a formula in place and we just need to see it through.

In Defense of Jauron

Ono — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:01:36 -0000

I know this is an unpopular idea, but I believe Jauron should remain with the Bills at least one more year. Give him time to field a mature team that he has methodically built.

I hope Wilson bucks fan sentiment and focuses on the task at hand. When Levy and Jauron came on board there was a sense that the organization had regressed and that somethings would have to be undone as well as rebuilding.

Since Levy and Jauron there's been a palpable sense of progress unlike with any of the Donohue years. Last year at this time our needs list was out of control as was evidenced in the lively discussions on this blog. Now, our needs list is very specific: we need competent starters at Center and Linebacker, upgrades or depth at DE, safety, and possibly TE. This is evidence of a team with pieces coming together.

If Jauron was as bad as is proclaimed, the team and organization would be in a state of regression and we definitely are not. We are simply a very young team with minimal depth and no margin for error and we certainly went beyond that margin due to injuries. I think the consistency is actually a sign that we have a solid core and that things are not falling apart, which does count for a lot.

Bringing in a new coach would certainly mean new coordinators, which would mean Edward's third OC in as many years and it may essentially mean that our first and second year defensive players become rookies again as they learn a new system. This makes no sense with a team as close as we are. If one argues that we should promote from within to preserve continuity, then you might as well keep Jauron.

There are simply no coaching guarantees. John Gruden and Shanahan who were widely acclaimed geniuses are beginning to seem very ordinary. Now we see that "Chucky's" superbowl win was riding the Dungy momentum and Shanahan is indebted to Elway. BTW Mularkey is now being mentioned as a "hot coordinator" as is Josh McDaniel, even though we've seen what happened to Weiss in college and Crennel in Cleveland. Even Bill Parcells is no miracle worker. He couldn't make things happen in Dallas and Chad Pennington is single handedly the reason for Miami's success. The Jets succumbed to fan pressure to let CP go and Parcell scooped him up without blinking and voila.

My point is that we are going through what a young team goes through without the benefit of depth built through years and years of solid drafts or FA pickups. We are now getting to the point where adding FAs and good draft depth will make a difference.

Jauron has built the current team in his image and it is a successful model. All it needs is maturity. The single reason we are where we are is turnovers due to youth. Jim Johnson, who was supposed to be a sure thing, struggled with young players in Miami. One of Parcell's strengths and Belichick's too, is that they bring veterans with them to stabilize young teams. This is something that Levy and Jauron failed to do.

I'm frustrated with the Bills, but if you look at the teams that collapsed this season, the Bills are a team with a bright future. I'm in Redskin country and these folks have no where to go. Their team started out really hot and tanked and there is no overall youth movement here and no one seems to know where to go with this. I looked at Tampa, Kiffin's moving on, the defense is old and plodding, their QB situation is a no-win situation. The Jets are in a boat load of crap. They mortgaged their future on a win now thing with Farve and now they are either going to have to put Clemens out there or cobble something together.

I'm not saying that DJ is the best thing out there. He's not. But he is good and I hope Wilson gives him time, at least one more year, to make this work. If he fails let him fairly (I don't think he will), but we can't take a decade of frustration out on him. He came in with a plan and let's play this plan out, at least one more year.

Who to watch in the Bowl Season?

Ono — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:57:42 -0000

Keuka121 has a post on Mack playing in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday. It would be great if some of our expert college posters can put up a post for draft prospects to watch this Bowl season.

I'm always excited when I can follow a college player to the pros and not just hear about them for the first time on draft day.

We've talked about Center propects, it would be great to see the options out there. Also, DE and LB positions would be of great interest. And now that it's come up, why not a TE or mega huge WR, 6' 2" +, 230 lbs+ -ish.

I'm also interested in what makes a college prospect a good NFL option. For instance people mention Laurenitis of Ohio State. And I watched him closely last Bowl season and this year when I could and I was just not blown away. I'm no expert so I'd really like to know why he is such a hot commodity.

Anyway, I'd love to hear from our college experts, who should we be watching this Bowl season?

Bills Place Five on Practice Squad

Ono — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:39:33 -0000

Bills Place Five on Practice Squad

RB Bruce Hall, WR Felton Huggins, OG Dustin Dickinson, DT Corey Mace and LB Marcus Buggs have been added to the Buffalo Bills' practice squad. The team still has three available spots on the practice squad.