-Coast
Did anyone actually think we would go into Gillette Stadium and win? I sure didn't. I am sure many people tried to tell themselves we could pull it off but deep down really knew we had no chance. After all, The Bills haven't won there since the year 2000. Even worse, every time we face the Patriots it is the worst coaching mismatch in the history of professional sports.
Dick Jauron is the worst coach in the league and in my opinion, in the world. Every single game he seems to make numerous ridiculous coaching decisions. His team is 5-4 right now, the same record they had a year ago. This team was supposed to be much improved. They were supposed to have an easier schedule. All they are is the same...or worse. Everything he has done though has landed him a well deserved three year contract extension. Great decision. Let's give a guy a three year extension before he has done anything. After he signed the extension, all the Bills have done is go 0-3 in the division and watched their quarterback have three consecutive games that even JP Losman wouldn't string together.
On Sunday in the first half alone, Jauron made two critical mistakes. Dick Jauron for some reason cannot figure out how to execute a challenge. On the Patriots first incredibly easy touchdown drive, Welker caught a 20 plus yard pass from Cassel. His foot was clearly out of bounds. Jauron fails to get the challenge flag out in time. Jauron has no problem getting the challenge flag out when no one in their right mind would want to challenge, but on a play where we would actually win the challenge, he is too slow to act.
At the end of the first half, the Bills were lining up to punt with all three timeouts and a minute to play. Instead of punting with all three timeouts in hand, the wasted a timeout before the punt. Mooreman pinned the Patriots at their three yard line with about 50 seconds left. Then, Jauron called timeouts after two running plays on back to back downs leaving 42 seconds left and the Bills without a timeout. Is he this dumb? If he didn't waste that first timeout to set up the punt, the Bills would have gotten the ball back around mid field with over 30 seconds left and could have gotten a possible field goal. They also have a punt returner who is very dangerous...who knows, maybe he brings it back for a touchdown.
In the 4th quarter, the Bills trailed 13-3. They had the ball in Patriot territory at the 42 yard line with about 11 minutes to go. It was 4th down and 10, maybe 11. Jauron punted. You never punt on the opposing teams side of the field down by double digits in the 4th quarter of a game EVER. Was he trying to keep the score respectable but not really trying to win? He must have been. By punting in that spot, you are conceding the game. What made Jauron think we were going to stop New England anyways? After all, they just marched up and down the field all day. When we did stop them it was after they got 3 or 4 first downs. I don't recall right now a single three and out in the entire football game.
Sunday was also the worst offensive play calling I have EVER seen. Turk Schonert can join Dick Jauron in unemployment as far as I am concerned. This play calling was pathetic. On our first possession, Lynch gets a 7 yard carry on first down. On 2nd and 3-we are in the shot gun. Edwards gets sacked. In the 2nd quarter on 3rd and 1, we are in the shotgun with an empty backfield. On our last drive (before we punted), Lynch had three consecutive runs for 7 or more yards. On 2nd and 3 from about the 35 yard line, we line up in the shot gun. Edwards gets sacked. Where is the play action pass? Where is the deception? What are you trying to prove by lining up in an empty backfield on 3rd and 1? Has Turk Schonert ever heard of a screen pass or a draw play or a wide receiver screen? Wes Welker had 10 catches for 107 yards. I would say at least half of these catches came on WR screen. The Bills threw zero WR screens to Roscoe Parrish. A WR screen to Parrish would probably be good for 4 yards at worse. Where is the reverse to Parrish? Can we get the ball into the hands of our play makers? Last night Arizona was running the ball with Boldin, shovel passes to Boldin, screens to Boldin. That is how you get your best players the ball. You don't need to drop back in the shot gun to get your play maker wide receivers the ball. Finally, on a lot of plays the Patriots were rushing 2 men. They were putting 9 in coverage. Where is the DRAW? With two down lineman, a draw play is almost a guaranteed 5 plus yards. I would have called or checked into a draw on almost all of these situations.
The defense is completely inept. A 19 play drive in the 4th quarter is laughable. Do we miss Aaron Schobel this much? We must. Welker was running 20 yards down field without anyone in sight. Ben Jarvis Green Ellis ran for over 100 yards. Matt Cassel made people forget who Tom Brady is for one day. Moss had the worst 54 yard game of his career. NO pass rush whatsoever. Where is Kawicka Mitchell? Where is Paul Posluczny? Where is Chris Kelsay? YOU ARE MAKING 25 MILLION DOLLARS KELSAY. DO SOMETHING. TWENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. YOU HAVE ONE SACK. ONE.
The offense has been atrocious as well. Trent Edwards has 5 picks and 2 fumbles in three divisional games. As soon as he exploded onto the national media scene after the 5-1 start, he has been probably one of the 5 worst quarterbacks in the NFL. He didn't do himself any favors on Sunday admitting he was confused by the Patriots defense. You would think after your 7th attempt (Jauron) going against Belichick, you would maybe learn something, at lease one thing. Yet you are completely overmatched. Belichick looks at you as a complete joke. He laughs all week to himself knowing he is facing a dick Jauron coached team. The offense had fewer than 200 yards of offense on the day...168 to be exact. The Bills ran for 60 yards. That makes 90 rushing yards IN TWO GAMES COMBINED. James Hardy, where you at? Yeah you caught a touchdown, but you had one catch for 7 yards up until that point. Lee Evans was no where to be found. The Patriots completely took away Evans. I like how the Patriots can take away our best player without breaking a sweat. Everyone in the world knows that Cassel is going to look for Welker all day on the short passing attack, but we played like we had never seen it before.
As for the Patriots fans, Steve was sporting his "Fuck the Patriots" shirt and people were still trying to just make friends with us. At first I thought the fans were just weak. But in thinking about it now I realize the fans just think we are a joke. We barely are a blip on their radar. They almost feel bad for us. After all, they are 14-1 in their last 15 games verse the Bills. This is probably the case when we went to Pittsburgh last year. We have been bad for so long that opposing teams fans just feel bad for us and just laugh at how much of a joke our franchise is. Cleveland fans were hostile. Why? Because they are the same as us. An embarrassing franchise with a long history of losing.
A month ago I was anointing Trent Edwards as an MVP candidate. How I am wondering if he is even the quarterback of the future. I still think he will be future star in this league but right now he has to have zero confidence. The Bills have four winnable games in a row coming up. They need to win all 4 of them. They will probably win 2 of the 4, and enter the final 3 games of the year at 7-6 leaving us hanging by a thread with no realistic shot at making the playoffs. The Bills are in for another non winning season if I had to guess right now...8-8. Yet our coach, with three non winning seasons, earned an extension. What a joke.