Two Bills Drive

‘Somehow, when Mularkey says the Bills will control the clock offensively and wear people down, you believe him. More importantly, I have the feeling Bills players will believe him too.’

‘The new Bills head coach also talked about installing an offensive philosophy that fits the team, and fits the personnel. There have been plenty of questions about the effectiveness of Drew Bledsoe, but Mularkey was quick to say he thinks the team can win with Bledsoe as quarterback. “I don’t think he’s broken. We’re probably going to take a step back, to take two steps forward.” Mularkey talked about simplifying the offense in order to become more productive.’

‘At the news conference to announce his hiring, Mularkey said, “I told Tom (Donohoe) during the interview, “You can break my bank account, get into my garage, you can do a lot of things becausee Super Bowl has been my password for a long time. It’s just the number behind that you have to figure out.”‘

‘Gilbride, a 29-year coaching veteran, has spent the last 14 years in the pro ranks, including two seasons as a head coach and 11 others as an offensive coordinator. Known as one of the preeminent offensive minds in the game, Gilbride has spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, which he led to offensive rankings of 11th and 30th in the 2002 and 2003 seasons, respectively.’

‘Clements has been with the Steelers for three seasons, having previous held the same position with the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Clements is a native of McKees Rocks, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh, and played quarterback at Notre Dame where he was an All American. He led them to a National Championship in 1973.’

‘The hiring of Mularkey could also have an impact on the Bills defense, as it’s expected Bills Assistant Head Coach Dick LeBeau would remain on the Bills staff. LeBeau was in Pittsburgh Tuesday talking with Steelers coach Bill Cowher about the Steelers defensive coordinators position. Currently, Jerry Gray remains the Bills defensive coordinator, although there is speculation he’ll join former Bills coach Gregg Williams in Washington once it’s official Gray didn’t land the Bills head coaching job.’

‘The new Bills boss has wasted no time in putting together a coaching staff. Gone are Kevin Gilbride and Pat Ruel, replaced by Tom Clements and Jim McNally, respectively. Clements also comes from Pittsburgh, where he was quarterbacks coach, and will serve as offensive coordinator here in Buffalo.’

‘The Buffalo Bills introduced new head coach Mike Mularkey at a Thursday afternoon press conference.’

‘“I know the opportunity that’s in front of me,” Mularkey said Thursday at a news conference introducing him as the Buffalo Bills’ new head coach.’

‘In two years at Buffalo, Gilbride had his ups and downs, being credited for rejuvenating the offense in the Bills’ 8-8 season of 2002, while taking much of the blame for Buffalo’s 6-10 season of 2003. On Wednesday, Buffalo hired a new head coach, Mike Mularkey, who is the former offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Gilbride is still technically listed as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator, he is not expected to be retained.’

“In retrospect, of course, we know that the talk barely lasted through training camp, as Williams’ bravado quickly wore on veteran players, while his cockiness did not endear longtime followers of the franchise. Still, as Williams’ competition for the job also included untested names, the wait-and-see outlook on the coach’s performance was permissible. But, it soon became clear that despite professing the intense scrutiny of minutia, Williams failed in the basics of team oversight and game day management. Then after John Fox and Marvin Lewis proved to be more capable coaches, the inevitable end to the Gregg Williams era came to its merciful end. “

‘How the defensive assistants will shape up remained uncertain Wednesday night. The Bills and Steelers were waiting for a decision by Dick LeBeau. Both teams would like LeBeau as defensive coordinator. LeBeau was assistant head coach under Williams in 2003, but his contract is up. If LeBeau returns to the Bills, there will be no spot in Buffalo for defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. If LeBeau picks Pittsburgh, it’s uncertain what that will mean for Gray. Gray could become a candidate for one of the other open defensive coordinator positions in the NFL if the Bills let him out of his contract, which runs through 2004.’

‘Cowher had grown unhappy with the lack of productivity in the Steelers’ passing game under Gilbride. Pittsburgh ranked 29th among 31 NFL teams in 2000. Besides juicing up the passing attack, Mularkey’s charge was to rehabilitate quarterback Kordell Stewart, who had suffered a complete loss of confidence and focus with Gilbride’s complicated schemes. Under Mularkey and new quarterbacks coach Tom Clements, Stewart had his career-best passer rating (81.7) and passing yards total (3,106), and had 14 TD passes and 11 interceptions in 2001.’

‘Bills fans aren’t sure what to make of Mularkey just yet, but those who played and coached with him in Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Tampa Bay say that will change once fans get to know him.’

‘He’s a native of Kenmore, a graduate of the University at Buffalo and a lifelong Bills fan.’