Tuesday

Bills fire head coach Dick Jauron

After losing 14 of their last 19 games, even Ralph Wilson had seen enough. On Tuesday, the Bills owner fired head coach Dick Jauron, a year into a 3-year contract extension.

“It’s the toughest thing I ever had to do personally because he’s such a great guy,” owner Ralph Wilson told the Buffalo News. “But nothing ever seemed to go right.”

The franchise, which played in 4 consecutive Super Bowls in the ’90s has not made the playoffs since 1999. After three consecutive 7-9 seasons, expectations were higher coming into 2009, especially after Wilson directed the team to sign free agent WR Terrell Owens.

Owens, like he’s wont to do, boldly predicted a playoff appearance.

Instead the team has fallen off the NFL map and last week were embarrassed 41-17 in Tennessee to drop to 3-6 on the season.

QB Trent Edwards, who led the team to the 5-1 start last season that garnered Jauron his contract extension, has regressed terribly to the extent that he’s called Captain Checkdown by the kindest of Bills fans.

Despite having $15.5 million invested in WRs Owens and Evans, the Bills offense ranks fourth-worst in the league. That’s partly due to Owens’ failures, partly due to Edward’s regression and might have to do with Jauron firing offensive co-ordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the start of the season.

The offensive line is a mess after the team traded away Pro Bowl LT Jason Peters and in a curious series of events, jettisoned three other starters prior to the season. With three rookies on the line, Jauron insisted that a no-huddle offense was the key to offensive success. That proclamation ended quietly weeks ago.

NFL.com’s Vic Carucci, who once covered the team, reports that defensive co-ordinator Perry Fewell is expected to replace Jauron, who compiled a 23-33 record over four seasons with the team.

Jauron’s career mark is 60-80 including previous stints in Chicago and Detroit.