Around the AFC East, Part III - Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Rumblings: SB Nation's Buffalo Bills blog

Now under center: Brian G from SB Nation's Buffalo Bills blog, Buffalo Rumblings.

tommasse: What do you think of Dick Jauron? Is he the guy? Can he bring the Bills to the promised land? Or is he just keeping the seat warm while the team builds?

Brian G: The Bills saw a coach have a respectable first season and then flop completely (Mike Mularkey), so while I'm extremely encouraged by Jauron's first season successes, I'm not completely sold on him yet.

With that said, the vast majority of Bills fans love him.  It's been a long time since we've had a front office that was so in tune with one another.  That's largely the work of Marv Levy, but Jauron has been a part of the general consensus as well.  Our players love him (and the entire coaching staff, for that matter).  He's a fantastic teacher and this is his best opportunity to succeed in the NFL as a head coach, by far.  He has nearly everything in place to take this team to the Promised Land.

What I am anxious to see is how well Jauron can do two things: make decisions under pressure and grow with his team.  Jauron made some questionable decisions last year, most notably passing up a 44-yard FG attempt at the end of the Titans game that could have kept the Bills in the hunt for the playoffs.  In terms of growing with his team, it's clear that Jauron is a guy who can take a young team and make them exceed their potential.  But once that team matures and is ready to make deep playoff runs, can he alter his style to get them over that hump?  The jury is still out there.

Bills fans love Jauron and we support most of what he and the front office have done to this team thus far.  But it's been a long time coming for a playoff appearance in Buffalo, so if Jauron can't deliver (which I do think he can in a year or two), we need to bring in a coach that can take Jauron's base and win playoff games with it.

tommasse's retort: I'm not sold on Jauron at all. I think he's incredibly overrated, and I think his coach of the year win was laughable. Yeah, he can succeed for a season or two, but if he doesn't win early, he won't in the long run. He's too vanilla, and good coaches will eat him alive; and, like Brian mentioned, when he's not being predicable, he's being reckless. Good luck up there.

OK, it's your turn. Step up to the Pulpit and say your piece. And if you have a question you want me to ask next week, email me, and I'll pose the best queries to our friends at Buffalo Rumblings, The Phinsider and NY Landing Strip.