Based on the news from Tuesday, the Dick Jauron era is over. Fire the cannons, plan the parade and go kiss a baby.

But is it really over?

Sure, the team has a ‘new’ voice on the sidelines as Perry Fewell (or as some publications knew him yesterday, ‘Fewell Perry’) takes over the head coaching duties.

Based on his press conference, it was refreshing for some to hear someone that doesn’t sound like a robot. Someone who voices their thoughts with inflection, and uses phrases such as “Play like hell and win.” Someone that doesn’t sound like they dread each and every question as it’s asked to them.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter described Fewell as a “bright young assistant.” I can’t say I disagree based on the level in which he gets his below average talent on defense to play on a week to week basis.

The best part about this mid-season firing is that it springs hope. A hope that says maybe this franchise isn’t inept and that maybe this whole show is going to be revamped.

There’s no doubt that Fewell is the right guy for the job right now. But that has to be where it ends. Keep the definition of the word ‘interim’ in tact.

Why? It just has to.

When  the news dropped that Jauron had been fired and Fewell promoted, the first thought through my mind wasn’t one of elation, it was one of worry.

The players on the field and the people that fill the stands have been swimming in  the mediocrity and conservatism that this franchise has exuded for too long. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of watching them take the easy way out time and time again when it comes to management, coaching and even the personnel on the field.

Just look at countless examples. Russ Brandon mysteriously goes from Chief Operating Officer to being branded the General Manager seemingly overnight. They have business people making football personnel related decisions. Tom Modrak is still the head of scouting for the team. Oh, and not to mention that Sunday’s starting offensive line will have five players that weren’t even on the team last season. Do I really need to go on?

My biggest problem is the fear of what might happen. Let’s say Fewell gets the Bills to go 4-3 down the stretch, and shows even a small pulse on offense. Wouldn’t it be just like the Bills to turn around and remove the interim tag from Fewell’s title, making him the permanent head coach?

My reaction to that is simple:

No! Enough is enough with this promoting within nonsense.

Fewell’s football mind has been in tune with Jauron for the better part of four seasons now. He’s a defensive minded coach that played defensive back in college, and has no experience with how to coach up an offense.

That’s the exact reason why I posed the question, ‘Is the Jauron era really over?’

Don’t you think much of the same offensive attitude we’ve all experienced for three plus years will creep its way in to the decision making from not only a game-to-game basis, but a day-to-day basis? I certainly do, and until I see significant changes from a philosophical standpoint, I won’t feel differently.

Barring an unbelievable undefeated stretch, this is why the upcoming seven game tenure with Perry Fewell as head coach needs to be the last stop. End of story.

The people that have blindly followed this franchise to certain doom for the past decade deserve an outcome better than that. A new face with fresh new thoughts and ideologies as to how to run a football team is what this organization desperately needs.

This franchise is in need of an overhaul in the worst way. It needs to get a lot worse before it gets any better, and that’s the only way anything will ever get accomplished. Unless of course they’re satisfied with ‘staying competitive’ and going 7-9 every year.

The old saying is ‘If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.’

Well, Mr. Wilson, it’s broke.

Now go fix it.

E-mail: JoeB@wgr550.com
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