What Was Dick Jauron Thinking?

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

After starting this season with a very promising 5-1 record, the Buffalo Bills have gone 1-7 since and will fail to make the playoffs for the 9th consecutive year. Head coach Dick Jauron, while remaining one of my favorites among NFL coaches, seemed to be begging to be fired after an unfathomable call on second-and-five at their own 22-yard-line with just over two minutes to play and the Bills just trying to burn clock to ice a win over the N.Y. Jets. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when after four successful running plays, quarterback J.P. Losman was suddenly rolling out to throw a pass. Of course, he was sacked, he fumbled, and the Jets returned the loose ball for a touchdown (the worst possible scenario) to win the game 31-27. It had to be one of the most ill-advised calls I have ever seen. And an unbelievably demoralizing loss for a team in desperate need of a win. To allow that to happen when your troops are at the threshold of victory is unconscionable. His explanation:

“Anytime it doesn’t work out you have second thoughts, so yeah, I definitely have second thoughts. Though the outcome of the call — and it was my call — the outcome shows that it was not the right call at the right time. And that’s really it. That’s the whole thing right there.”

Uggh. Coach Jauron also said he didn’t think it would have been the wrong call if it had worked. It’s very easy to sit here and second-guess the call knowing the disastrous outcome, but I would be second-guessing if the pass play had been successful. I would have called it lucky. Very lucky. Probably dumb lucky. Anyway, in that situation, I don’t think there’s any doubt a head coach should play the percentages, which were very strongly in the Bills’ favor. The chances of bad things happening on a pass play vs. a running play in that situation — especially considering the success the running game was having — were far greater. Coach Jauron was asking for trouble and he got it. Now whether he retains his job after yet another playoff-less, losing season is to be determined. I’ve heard conflicting reports but I would be very surprised to see him back. I think this loss sealed his fate as coach of the Bills in ‘09.

Source: BuffaloBills.com