ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron is committed to the no-huddle offense entering the regular season -- just not with the coordinator who spent the year installing it.
Unhappy with his offense's dismal performance this past month, Jauron fired Turk Schonert on Friday, one day after the Bills closed the preseason with a 17-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt will take over play-calling duties for the Bills, and running backs coach Eric Studesville will continue in his role as run-game coordinator.
"It was just the lack of productivity and the direction we were moving," Jauron said of the decision to fire Schonert. "I just didn't feel like it was going certainly where I envisioned it. Hopefully, it'll provide a jolt, hopefully a jolt forward."
Carucci: Wilson influences move
Bills owner Ralph Wilson expects the team to make the playoffs and was the driving force behind
Turk Schonert's firing,
Vic Carucci writes.
The offense certainly needs some type of spark -- and one bigger than wide receiver Terrell Owens is expected to provide -- as Buffalo turns its attention to opening the regular season Sept. 14 at AFC East rival New England.
In 15 series during four preseason games, Trent Edwards and the Bills' first-team offense generated 279 yards, 15 first downs and three points. Overall, Buffalo was outscored 75-12 in the first half and failed to score a touchdown in its final eight-plus quarters, including a 17-0 loss at Pittsburgh last weekend.
Jauron decided not to wait to see if Owens' return would have an effect. Owens missed the final four preseason games while he nursed a sprained toe, but he has resumed practicing and declared himself ready to play next weekend against the Patriots.
"I just didn't feel like we were progressing and I didn't get the sense that we were going to move forward," Jauron said. "It was a decision I needed to make, I felt, and made it."
In making up his mind early Friday, Jauron said he consulted with Bills owner Ralph Wilson, who informed the coach the decision was up to him.
Schonert becomes the third NFL offensive coordinator fired this week, after Kansas City's Chan Gailey was dismissed Monday and Tampa Bay's Jeff Jagodzinski was let go Thursday.
Van Pelt is entering his fourth season with the Bills as a coach and previously spent nine seasons with the team as a backup quarterback. He's familiar with Edwards and also familiar with the no-huddle scheme, having played behind Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, who ran the no-huddle K-Gun attack.
The Bills now move on to their sixth offensive coordinator since the start of the 2001 season.
Schonert wasn't available for comment. He was spotted leaving the Bills' facility about 30 minutes before the team's official announcement.
Schonert was entering his second year as coordinator after spending the previous two seasons as the Bills' quarterbacks coach. This spring, Schonert began installing a no-huddle attack that was supposed to keep defenses guessing and highlight Edwards' decision-making abilities.
There were few signs of the plan working.
"I was just surprised, 'Wow,' that was the first word that came to my mouth," Bills wide receiver Evans said of Schonert's firing.
Earlier this week, Evans sought a personal reassurance from Buffalo's coaching staff that the offense would be more productive.
Though Evans expressed some concern that the change in coordinator comes so close to the start of the season, he expressed confidence in Van Pelt and his familiarity with the no-huddle.
Evans previously complained about communication problems between players and coaches during games. He expects Van Pelt has the potential to simplify things.
"I think he knows what it takes to run it successfully and what it takes to win in our division," Evans said. "Come Sunday, I'm excited to go into the meeting and see how things are."
Bills players are off until Sunday, one day after the team makes its final cuts.
Owens apparently learned of Schonert's dismissal when his flight landed in Miami early Friday afternoon. Owens then poked fun at his reputation for being disruptive by taking the blame for the firing in a post on his Twitter page.
"So let me apologize now 4 somehow, sumway, i got the OC fired!" Owens wrote. "I felt like i wsn't getting enuff balls n preseason!"
Owens added that he was kidding -- he only appeared in one series during the preseason before being hurt.
The decision to fire Schonert shouldn't have come as a surprise after the Bills' struggles this preseason and after Wilson expressed concern about the offense following last season when he elected to retain Jauron and his staff. Buffalo's offense has finished 25th or worst in the NFL in total offense in each of the past six seasons.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
