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Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron was fired Tuesday. Don Heupel
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NFL: Bills fire Dick Jauron
ORCHARD PARK — ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Dick Jauron was fired by Buffalo on Tuesday with the Bills off to a 3-6 start and among the lowest scoring teams in the NFL.
The team said Jauron’s replacement would be announced later. Jauron’s successor is expected to come from the current staff and be on an interim basis only. Candidates include assistant head coach Bobby April and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.
The Bills are averaging just over 15 points per game on an offense that acquired Terrell Owen this season but remains unsettled at quarterback. The defense is riddled with injuries, and has allowed an NFL-worst 173 yards rushing a game.
Bills owner Ralph Wilson called it “a very difficult decision,” but noted it was “one that needed to be made at this time for the best interest of our team.”
The move comes two days after Buffalo returned from a bye week and were beaten 41-17 by the Tennessee Titans. Jauron leaves with a 24-33 record over three-plus seasons.
“I really don’t have anything to say,” was all Jauron would say when reached on his cell phone by The Associated Press.
The Bills play at Jacksonville on Sunday.
Buffalo, which has not made the playoffs since 1999, has now gone through four coaches since the end of the 2000 season, when Wade Phillips was dismissed. Gregg Williams was not rehired after his three-year contract expired, while Mike Mularkey abruptly resigned after a front-office shakeup following the 2005 season.
Jauron was hired by general manager Marv Levy, who took over the post following Tom Donahoe’s dismissal. Jauron has been on the hotseat ever since last season, after he led the Bills to their third consecutive 7-9 finish.
Expressing a need for continuity, Wilson elected to retain Jauron. The Hall of Fame owner, however, noted that he was aware of Bills fans’ dissatisfaction with the team, and warned that he wasn’t going to be “complacent” in seeking improvements, particularly on offense.
Those improvements haven’t come even after the team made a big splash in free agency by signing Owens to a one-year $6.5 million contract in March, days after the receiver was released by Dallas.
Owens hasn’t provided a spark to an offense that has been undone by a young and inexperienced offensive line and poor play at quarterback, whether it’s starter Trent Edwards or backup Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Bills haven’t generated 300 yards offense in eight of nine games this season, including their past seven. They also haven’t had a quarterback generate 200 yards passing since Edwards had 230 yards in a 33-20 win over Tampa Bay in Week 2.
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