Don't Crucify the Coach... Yet

On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills saw their playoff chances slip away as the Tennessee Titans upset the Bills 30-29 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Up nine points heading into the fourth quarter, the Titans - led by Vince Young and Travis Henry - scored ten points in the final stanza to seal their sixth straight victory.

Buffalo had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, however, as J.P. Losman drove the offense to the Tennessee 28-yard line heading into a 20 mile-per-hour wind. However, head coach Dick Jauron (pictured above, middle) elected to attempt a 4th-and-5 rather than send kicker Rian Lindell onto the field to attempt the game-winning 45-yard field goal. Lindell, who had hit all five of his field goal attempts earlier in the game, did not feel that he had a good chance of making the kick into the aforementioned wind.

The Argument
Jauron and his coaching staff appeared disorganized as they weighed their options on the play in question. Obviously, Jauron elected to risk a fourth down attempt rather than kick a field goal that in all likelihood would not have been successful.

Initially, my problem with Jauron was not the decision he made - a legitimate argument can be made for each case. On one hand, Lindell is paid to make kicks. If you have a 45-yard attempt to win the game, you put your kicker out there and he does his job, regardless of how confident he is. On the other hand, if you know that your kicker can't get the job done, then perhaps a fourth down attempt is your best chance at winning the game. Jauron obviously chose the latter, and the argument to back up his choice holds water.

The problem in the situation is that it took the head coach too long to decide. Once the decision was made and communicated, J.P. Losman only had 18 seconds to get a play called, get his offense lined up, and execute. This is a fraction of the usual 40 seconds of preparation that the offense gets. With such a short amount of time to execute the biggest play of his young career, it's no wonder Losman had the play break down. The young man panicked and heaved a desperation pass that was intercepted. Good coaches don't put young quarterbacks in those situations, no matter how successful that quarterback has been. It's a recipe for disaster.

Why I'm Not Going to Panic
As bad as Jauron's lack of mettle was at the end of the game, I'm not going to panic about whether or not I believe he is the right leader for this franchise moving forward. To make such a decision based on one play would be unfair, especially since it pales in comparison to the remarkable job that Jauron has done with an extremely raw team this season.

Look no further than this year's draft class for an example of how great a teacher Jauron is. Donte Whitner, Ko Simpson, Kyle Williams, Keith Ellison and Terrance Pennington have all logged starts and played well in their rookie seasons. The most impressive of the group has probably been Ellison, a sixth-round pick whose football smarts allow him to overcome his physical shortcomings. He will be a valuable depth player for this team next season.

In addition, first-round defensive tackle John McCargo and third-round cornerback Ashton Youboty still have bright futures despite their lack of playing time this season. The production that Jauron has gotten from his first draft class speaks volumes to his ability to teach young football players how to win.

Losman's Development
The other main reason I'm not panicking on Jauron is the fact that once he makes a commitment, he sticks to it. Yes - I'm talking about J.P. Losman. Last season, Losman was handed the starting job, and we all know how badly that turned out. This season, Losman earned the job - and in his first seven starts, his numbers were awful and his record was 2-5. Mike Mularkey would have been chomping at the bit to start Kelly Holcomb.

Not Jauron. Jauron, as quiet as he is, is a leader by example. He stuck with Losman. The results have been very encouraging - he has gone 5-3 since the team's bye week and has kept his team in every game they've played. That includes a close loss in Indianapolis and a come-from-behind near-win at home against the league's best team, San Diego. Losman is a winner - as evidenced by his playmaking ability in the fourth quarter (see the Houston and Jacksonville games for good examples).

Losman's quarterback rating is 86.8, which ranks him tenth overall in the league. More encouraging is his high completion percentage, which at 62 percent is lightyears ahead of last year's 49 percent. The kid is the future of the franchise. Jauron saw it before anyone else and stuck by his man through tough times. It's paid off.

How Will They Respond?
As meaningless as the game may seem to be this weekend as the Bills travel to Baltimore, I view it as the most important game of this young team's season. The ability to rebound from a crushing defeat is of vital importance to be successful in the NFL. Baltimore is still playing for a first-round bye in this year's playoffs. If Buffalo can play with passion and at least make this game competitive, it will tell us a lot about the team's character.

It will also tell us a lot about Jauron's control over the team. Keep an eye on the media surrounding the Bills this week; specifically, keep track of how many questions the players field about Jauron. Likely, they will remain loyal. But it is impossible to deny that the team may begin to question their head coach if they continually hear about last week's miscue. A strong performance in Baltimore would prove that the team firmly believes that Jauron is a great leader.

I believe that the Bills will give Baltimore all they can handle this weekend. It will be a dogfight. The game will be close. There may even be a situation similar to last week, where Jauron has to make a decision under pressure. This team will respond in a positive way, whether it's in victory or in defeat.

Why? Because the Buffalo Bills have an excellent head coach.