You had to think that Turk Schonert’s days were numbered as offensive coordinator with the anemic performances the Bills first team offense had been putting up this preseason. Trent Edwards looks not like the smart, savvy signal caller the Bills stole in the 3rd round a few drafts ago, but a man playing the most important position on the field with very little confidence. Is it Trent? Is it the coaching? Is it both? We may soon find out.
While I am surprised someone inside One Bills Drive pulled the trigger on Schonert the surprise comes not from the specific move but more from the shock of this team actually doing something. The surprise comes from the team making a move the vast majority of fans would have made. Now the level of surprise would have been catastrophic if the axe had fallen on head coach Dick Jauron but then that would have made Bills owner Ralph Wilson look very foolish instead of partially foolish like he looks right now.
Mr. Wilson comes off looking a little foolish because the big decision he made this past offseason was for continuity. In a town where it was nearly unanimous that Jauron had to go, Wilson decided another shake up would keep this team from winning that much longer. That’s not to mention the 3 year contract extension Wilson gave Jauron after the Bills hot start last year. Undoubtedly to remove him would have cost the Bills owner to have to eat millions. So this regime steeped in mediocrity would be given yet another chance to show any sign of improvement. Continuity is often boring and today's news was far from that.
A move like this just over a week from opening night is shoving continuity out the window. It remains to be seen if Alex Van Pelt can do a better job as offensive coordinator but it was certainly worth a try. I think Jauron must understand that a rotten start could very well force Ralph’s hand and all the optimism and warm feelings the uncharacteristic signing of Terrell Owens provided had melt away during this past month with each 3 and out the Bills offensive generated. With each 4 yard pass Trent Edwards would throw the groans grow just a little louder and the gallows inch a little closer.
Making this move temporarily deflects the blame from Jauron, Trent Edwards and paints Schonert as a scapegoat. If the offense looks improved, Jauron looks smart and the hot seat cools a bit. However if the offense continues to be offensive we have to wonder how much it will take for Ralph to lower the boom. Ralph hasn’t fired a head coach mid-season since Hank Bullough was shown the door in 1985 paving the way for new coach Marv Levy. Barring an 0-7 start or something that horrible, chances are he’ll give Dick Jauron the full year to turn it around. After all, it took Chicago 5 seasons to figure out that while Dick is a stellar individual, highly respected by his peers and players and well thought of as a defensive coach that he is not head coach material for a good team.
Wait, I need to be a little more supportive. The team has finally done something I’ve wanted them to do. We could be onto something here. Schonert was in over his head and Edwards was regressing. First T.O. and now this. Could these bold moves be the beginning of something wonderful? We have to be careful though. I realize that this is the Bills we are talking about. This is the same dull squad that has missed the playoffs the last 9 years. Each vanilla 7-9 season feels like torture. They show enough for many of us to think they can while they also show enough for most of us to know they can’t. With that in mind firing your offensive coordinator and replacing him with an unproven guy who has never done the job and is part of the same maligned coaching staff we’ve come to loathe seems like a bold move because of the stale act we’re accustomed to around here.
Can this move salvage a Bills season that is starting to look less exciting than the 7-9 campaign we’ve been watching for the last 3 years? Much like bringing back essentially the same lousy team from a year ago and then adding a shiny sparkly new toy in Owens is enough to satisfy beleaguered Bills fans looking for a sign of life; we’ll take any sign of life from this offense… even if it comes from off the field.
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