Friday, November 20, 2009
A Change of Pace
5:17 AM | 
Posted by
Nick Mendola
(WGR 550) -- What a difference a coach makes.
Whether or not, it's the same-old, same-old come Sunday in Jacksonville, Perry Fewell's practices are anything but similar to Dick Jauron's preparation sessions. Music blared during the portion of Friday's practice the media is allowed to watch, and it wasn't the same Offspring song Jauron's camp popularized during crowd noise drills.
No, Fewell had James Brown's "I Got You" moving through the Ralph Wilson Fieldhouse, and why wouldn't he feel good (so good, so good)? He's the head man of an NFL team, even if its expected to last just seven weeks.
The players looked more loose, and as the tunes slipped into a more hip-hop vein, players even bobbed their heads. For likely better or for possibly worse, this is no longer a Jauron-run ship.
I'm going to be honest -- this was exactly the tonic I needed after a sixth loss made the playoffs a veritable impossibility, and it stems from more than one thing. For instance, the cutting of Gibran Hamdan and signing of Brian Brohm had to send a shock of discomfort through the locker room. Hamdan was symbolic of Jauron's Bills -- an intelligent, likeable guy who wouldn't hold a spot on any other active NFL roster.
When the Bills take the field Sunday, it'll be interesting to see just how differently Fewell and Jauron viewed the players. Which inactives will remain inactive? Who will move up or down the depth chart? Will we see more aggression on both sides of the ball?
I hope so. Even if its just for four days, I'm happy to anticipate something different. I'm able to daydream about Brohm being the next super successful NFL cast-off quarterback. I can analyze Fewell and hope he brings something new to the head coach spot; something akin to the energetic personality I've learned to admire the past few seasons.
There's a very good chance this is just the jaded media member in me, and that the rest of the area's fans are still cringing at the thought of Sunday, though our web poll would suggest otherwise. Heck, I still want Bill Cowher in here at any cost. But for a few precious moments, life at One Bills Drive defined itself: alive, and with next week's holiday approaching, I'm quite thankful for the brief reprieve from a miserable 2009 campaign. Let's hope it extends to the playing field.
Cue the "I hope it doesn't extend to the field. I hope they lose every game to get the No. 1 pick" comments.
Whether or not, it's the same-old, same-old come Sunday in Jacksonville, Perry Fewell's practices are anything but similar to Dick Jauron's preparation sessions. Music blared during the portion of Friday's practice the media is allowed to watch, and it wasn't the same Offspring song Jauron's camp popularized during crowd noise drills.
No, Fewell had James Brown's "I Got You" moving through the Ralph Wilson Fieldhouse, and why wouldn't he feel good (so good, so good)? He's the head man of an NFL team, even if its expected to last just seven weeks.
The players looked more loose, and as the tunes slipped into a more hip-hop vein, players even bobbed their heads. For likely better or for possibly worse, this is no longer a Jauron-run ship.
I'm going to be honest -- this was exactly the tonic I needed after a sixth loss made the playoffs a veritable impossibility, and it stems from more than one thing. For instance, the cutting of Gibran Hamdan and signing of Brian Brohm had to send a shock of discomfort through the locker room. Hamdan was symbolic of Jauron's Bills -- an intelligent, likeable guy who wouldn't hold a spot on any other active NFL roster.
When the Bills take the field Sunday, it'll be interesting to see just how differently Fewell and Jauron viewed the players. Which inactives will remain inactive? Who will move up or down the depth chart? Will we see more aggression on both sides of the ball?
I hope so. Even if its just for four days, I'm happy to anticipate something different. I'm able to daydream about Brohm being the next super successful NFL cast-off quarterback. I can analyze Fewell and hope he brings something new to the head coach spot; something akin to the energetic personality I've learned to admire the past few seasons.
There's a very good chance this is just the jaded media member in me, and that the rest of the area's fans are still cringing at the thought of Sunday, though our web poll would suggest otherwise. Heck, I still want Bill Cowher in here at any cost. But for a few precious moments, life at One Bills Drive defined itself: alive, and with next week's holiday approaching, I'm quite thankful for the brief reprieve from a miserable 2009 campaign. Let's hope it extends to the playing field.
Cue the "I hope it doesn't extend to the field. I hope they lose every game to get the No. 1 pick" comments.
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