Bills Fire OC Schonert

NFL News - September 4th, 2009 - Written by John

The Buffalo Bills became the third NFL team to cut ties with their offensive signal caller within two weeks of the season opener.

Head coach Dick Jauron announced Friday that it will no longer be needing the services of coordinator Turk Schonert, citing a sputtering performance and lack of progress.

Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt will take his place.

"It was just the lack of productivity and the direction we were moving. I just didn't feel like it was going certainly where I envisioned it," Jauron told multiple media outlets. "Hopefully, it'll provide a jolt, hopefully a jolt forward."

Schonert attempted to institute a no-huddle offense coming into the season, hoping to keep defenses on their heels as a means of gaining an advantage. In theory, it was a good idea for a team that finished 7-9 and will be again competing in the shark tank that is the AFC East.

The Bills also took a gamble, acquiring media lightning rod Terrell Owens, over the off-season to become their clear-cut no.1 receiver and take some of the pressure off of Trent Edwards.

Owens, however, has only seen action in one preseason game so far, ailing from a sore pinkie toe, and just recently returned to practice with the team. The Bills' first-team offense has been woeful, only scoring three points in 15 series'. They were outscored 75-12 throughout the preseason, including a 17-0 shutout against the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers

Schonert is not the only victim of the startling pink slip trend among offensive coordinators, simply the most recent. Kansas City Chiefs head coach took over the play-calling on Monday after informing Chan Gailey that he was demoted. Then, on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers let go of Jeff Jagodzinski after he refused to accept a lower position of quarterbacks coach.

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