It started when the Bills lost straight three games to divisional opponents.

Fans began to assess that the team was too much a reflection of its seemingly emotionless coach.

And while it was easy to argue that Dick Jauron was exactly the same person as when Buffalo got off to that 4-0 and 5-1 start, as this once-promising season self-destructs into bitter disappointment, it’s hard not to look everywhere for answers.

Coaching is hardly blameless.

To be sure, when a team is losing, every reason offered by the coach tends to sound the same.

But Jauron’s recent, “We’d rather be (undefeated), but we’re (whatever their record) and we’re still in it” speeches have been painfully unsatisfying.

That’s particularly true as the Bills’ recent body of work reflects so poorly on the coaches.

How many times have we heard, “We can’t keep making these mistakes and be a winning football team?”

When errors are replicated, there are two likely possibilities: either the players are untrainable dunces who can’t or won’t learn, or they aren’t getting good enough coaching.

It’s hard not to blame the latter.

FOR A COACH with a Yale education, Jauron’s team has an annoying propensity for wasting timeouts.

Ideally, those valuable stoppages of play should be used for strategic reasons or officiating challenges.

Too often, Buffalo is forced to employ them for failed communication or confusion.

In Sunday’s playoff hopes-dashing 10-3 loss to San Francisco at “The Ralph,” the Bills “wasted” four of their six timeouts.

Three were on offense (one to avoid delay of game, one for a player lined up in the wrong spot, and one for indecision on whether to try a field go or go for it on fourth down). The other was squandered on special teams (only 10 players on the field for a 49ers’ field goal attempt).

When asked about the wasted timeouts, Jauron conceded, “A lot of it is communication. We certainly talk about conserving our timeouts, but we also say if we have to use them, we’re going to use them.

“It’s not a positive thing, obviously.”

After the game, back-up quarterback J.P. Losman, who replaced injured starter Trent Edwards, allowed somewhat cryptically, “We had good (sideline-to-field) communication.

“There were some other issues going on, but this is an in-house game. I only tell you guys as much as I want to tell you. Nobody will get anything (else) out of me, ever. You guys can try, but it's not going to happen.”

But Edwards conceded, “Some of the calls kind of got mixed up every now and then. It moreso is just us getting a little bit more organized with getting the calls in a bit sooner and getting us in and out of the huddle a little sooner.”

MEANWHILE, Sunday, for the first time, there was some verbalized dissatisfaction with the offensive play-calling in the lockerroom.

Coordinator Turk Schonert was seen as an encouraging upgrade from his predecessor, Steve Fairchild. But in recent weeks, it’s been tough to tell where Fairchild ends and Schonert begins.

The most disturbing reincarnation is the “we’re going to outsmart you” hubris he’s displayed.

Buffalo has one of the NFL’s biggest offensive lines, but on 3rd-and-short, despite the presence of a pair of hard-running backs, the Bills invariably pass.

Not only does that decision show a lack of faith in the offensive front, it also displays a degree of play-calling arrogance ... we don’t have to out-muscle you, we going to outsmart you?

Against the 49ers, Buffalo had seven plays on 3rd or 4th down of four yards or less. The result was three runs, three passes and a sack.

AND, FINALLY, of course, there’s the issue of the team reflecting Jauron’s always-controlled persona.

Clearly it worked for Marv Levy, the man who hired him.

But Marv had the right team - a self-starting veteran squad overflowing with leadership - for his laissez-faire, let-the-assistants-coach approach.

Jauron has one of the league’s youngest rosters with precious-few leaders - Donte Whitner excepted - and a little fear for job security or an in-you-face blasting from coaches for repeated errors would probably serve it well.

Even Jauron is aware that the heat’s been turned up by frustrated fans.

On Monday he allowed, “I definitely understand (the criticism). I’m where it stops. I’m the guy. The things that go wrong, I’ve got to get them corrected.”

Yet clearly, he can’t be somebody he’s not ... ie. an old-fashioned hard-line disciplinarian.

Unfortunately, you get the idea that nobody on Jauron’s staff, other than special teams coach Bobby April, is willing to get into a player’s grille.

Too bad, because maybe, just maybe, if these Bills played with a bit of fear of being called out on their failings, we wouldn’t be talking about five losses in six games.

(Chuck Pollock, the Times Herald sports editor, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimeshjrald.com)

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