Toronto Bills Blog

Last year the Bills lost all 6 games against AFC East rivals.  The team was outscored and outplayed by the Patriots, Dolphins, and Jets.  The Bills averaged just 12 points per game in division play.  They were weak in both running the ball and stopping the run.  They couldn’t force turnovers.  They managed just 4 sacks versus 18 sacks on Buffalo by division opponents.  We expect more of the same this year.

Despite a three year contract extension, Dick Jauron’s future is by no means secure with the Bills.  He has to start producing or he will be fired.  There are several seasoned head coaches who will be available in 2010.  John Gruden, Herm Edwards, and Bill Cowher come to mind.  Gruden is the logical pick, since he has an impressive 95 – 77 winning record.  He took Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory.  He is a passionate coach who inspires his players.   The Bills need a coach of Gruden’s stature who can be part of the new start in Toronto.

Upstate New York, current home of the Bills, is a declining region losing both population and jobs.  It is a victim of New York State’s high taxes and partisan politics.  56 Buffalo area businesses are losing lucrative tax breaks under the state’s Empire Zone economic development program.  This sends a message to prospective investors that New York State government can not be trusted to partner with business.  All this spells doom for upstate efforts to keep the Bills in Buffalo.

After a recent house-hunting expedition in the Buffalo suburbs, Terrell Owens indicated he is not impressed with the locally affluent neighborhoods.   He said he will probably live in a hotel this season.  This does not bode well for TO becoming part of the Buffalo community.  Clearly he sees his one-year contract  as a brief stopover stint.

Dick Jauron has one last chance to make the playoffs.  Otherwise he will likely be gone.  It remains to be seen whether he can mold some talented players into a winning team.  The biggest question mark is quarterback Trent Edwards.  This will be his third year and expectations are running high.  The offense has talent that could make it happen – Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch, Josh Reed, Terrell Owens.  Jauron needs to go back to the drawing board and get his players to live up to their potential.  We don’t envy Jauron for the pressure he will be under.  An eleventh losing season would be too much to take.

Bills all-time great quarterback Jim Kelly, in an interview with Randy Cross of NFL Sirius Radio, expressed hope that the team will make the playoffs.   After a decade long drought, the Bills are overdue for a post-season appearance.  He added that Terrell Owens will have an impact both on the field and in the locker room.  Kelly has long said that he has an investment group prepared to buy the team from Ralph Wilson’s estate and keep it in Buffalo.  Sounds great, but they would have to come up with the $800 million purchase price in cash.  The team in the Buffalo small market does not generate enough revenue to service principal and interest payments if part of the sale price is borrowed.  Jim Kelly is a loyal Buffalonian, but hard economic realities are working against him.

Head coach Dick Jauron has been an underachiever in Buffalo just as he was in Chicago.  His teams have stumbled to mediocre records.  Much of the fault lies with his indecision, especially in selecting his starting quarterback.  He has lost games due to serious coaching errors.  Last year the Bills lost three critical games due to his coaching that would have given them a 10 – 6 record and playoff spot.  This obviously can not continue.  Jauron shows no emotion on the sidelines.  His dispassionate approach hardly motivates his players.  The Bills need inspired new coaching along with new management in a new town.

Syndicated sports radio host Jim Rome cautions Bills fans that Terrell Owens will not turn things around.  Speaking this week Rome reminded listeners that Owens self-destructed in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas.  Those who are hoping for a playoff miracle are likely to be disappointed.  While no one questions Owens ability, he has a divisive impact on the organizations he plays for.  Rome has seen this all before.  Too bad for the Buffalo Bills.

The offensive line is key to turning around the Bills football program.  If the team is to make the playoffs, they must run the ball in the second half of the season.  Last year they went 2 – 7 in November and December.  The offensive line is critical.  They must build cohesion and strength up front.  The prospects aren’t encouraging.  The squad lost its best player with the trade of Peters.  Only Butler and Walker are returning starters.  There are several new additions, with rookies Wood and Levitre and free-agent Hangartner.  Its unlikely that the line will come together in time.  The Bills are destined to finish last in their division.  More of the same until 2012.

Much of last year’s collapse of the Bills can be blamed on the offense.  The offensive line was weak.  There were no major play makers.  And the quarterback was unseasoned.  Management has tried to address this, by strengthening the line with the addition of Levitre, Hangartner, and Wood.  The much heralded signing of Terrell Owens is supposed to help put points on the board.  Last year the team averaged just 12 points in division games.  Trent Edwards needs to take charge on the field and be more consistent.  The offense needs to come together if the Bills are to have a chance of making the playoffs.   The team can’t afford to disappoint the fans again with another major collapse.