Archives for January 4, 2004

‘Only three of the Bills’ head coaches can be considered great. Eight were failures. One – Wade Phillips – was somewhere in the middle.’

‘Incidentally, I’m expecting ex-Jacksonville coach Tom Coughlin to be the man. Why? Because Len Pasquarelli wrote it in ESPN.com. Besides being one of the most knowledgeable football writers in the business, Pasquarelli has been Donahoe’s pal since their high school days in Pittsburgh.’

‘1986-97 Marv Levy 123-78-0.’

‘Season-ticket sales are unlikely to increase significantly coming off a bitterly disappointing year, and there are two potential dogs on the home schedule.’

‘Williams would be a terrific fallback option for Edwards, a fan of his aggressive defensive style. Speaking of aggressive, Edwards didn’t waste any time on Williams. Although it was widely reported the interview wouldn’t occur until tomorrow, the two men actually met for several hours Friday at Weeb Ewbank Hall, according to an NFL source.’

‘Williams, 45, would be a good fit with his blitzing “46” defense that mixes coverages and disguises pass-rush schemes. Hiring him, however, might mean a departure from the zone-oriented “cover-2” system that Edwards espoused with Tampa Bay.’

‘Although Buffalo will interview several coordinators, club president Tom Donahoe went bust hiring Gregg Williams with no head coaching experience last time, so look for him to go with a proven commodity. That could be Jauron, who did a better job in Chicago than he got credit for, Coughlin or Jim Fassel.’

‘While Bledsoe is expected back, Ruben Brown’s days at Ralph Wilson Stadium are at an end, despite having been selected to the Pro Bowl for eight straight years. At odds with the coaching staff all year, Brown was told not to accompany the team to Foxboro for the final regular season game. Even though the staff is gone, Brown’s approach to the game this year is expected to result in his being let go before the start of the 2004 season.’

‘Buffalo assistant general manager Tom Modrak is unlikely to interview for the Dolphins general manager position because he views the move as a lateral move, according to sources close to him.’

‘Spikes, who signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent last off-season, was selected Saturday to start at linebacker for the AFC along with Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware of the Baltimore Ravens.’