Another Coordinator Gone

Apparently firing your offensive coordinator a week before the regular season starts, is becoming a trend. Today, the Buffalo Bills ditched their OC, Turk Schonert. Schonert becomes the third coordinator fired this week. He joins former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ OC Jeff Jagodzinski and former Kansas City Chiefs’ OC Chan Gailey.

The Bills’ QB coach, Alex Van Pelt, will step up and fill Schonert’s shoes as the Bills get ready to play the New England Patriots September 14.

After this week, a few questions come to mind. First, why were these guys fired this late? Second, is it a good idea?

Schonert was fired because the Bills’ offense just wasn’t producing. Yes, it’s only preseason. But if you lose 17-6 to a team (Detroit Lions) that didn’t win a single game last year, you deserve to lose your job. The Bills are still searching for that spark they thought Terrell Owens would bring to the offense. It’s hard to tell if TO will bring that spark once he comes back, since he missed the last four preseason games (the Bills had 5).

To answer the second question, yes. In these cases, it was a great idea. When these stories first broke, most people thought it was crazy to get rid of an OC right before the regular season. The team has spent the entire off-season, mini-camp, and preseason with one guy as their coordinator. Then, just as the season is about to get under way, he’s gone.

Had the Steelers, Patriots, Vikings, or any other team seeded atop their division done this, it would have been a terrible idea.

The Buccaneers finished third in their division last year and have to compete with the Falcons, Saints, and Panthers. The Falcons will only get better with Matt Ryan and their new addition, Tony Gonzalez. The Saints are always a dangerous team, and the Carolina Panthers won the division last season at 12-4.

The Chiefs finished dead last in their division and tied for second-to-last in the NFL (2-14). The AFC West is slightly less tough than the NFC South, where the Bucs play, but the Chiefs were by no means competing for the top spot, even with Matt Cassel. Obviously, they wanted a change of pace behind the offensive headset. Better one week before the first game than one week after.

The Buffalo Bills are in quite possibly the toughest division in football, the AFC East. They have to deal with the Patriots, Jets, and Dolphins. New England is always a threat to win the division. The Jets could get Ravens/Falcons-syndrome and go on a run this season with rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez. Don’t count on it, but it’s possible. Last season, the Dolphins had a huge turn around, compared to 2007, and won the division (11-5).

The regular season kicks off Thursday, September 10, when the Tennessee Titans go into Heinz Field and try to beat the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.