Two Bills Drive

‘Pat Ruel, the Packers’ assistant offensive line coach for the past two seasons, was hired late Monday as No. 1 offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills. The team fired Ronnie Vinklarek after the season. “I’m looking forward to it tremendously,” Ruel said. “Across the league the Buffalo Bills are certainly viewed as a team on the rise. The offensive line in particular has a strong nucleus.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills are considering a contract extension for head coach Gregg Williams, who has a year remaining on a three-year deal. “We don’t think he’ll be a lame duck,” owner Ralph Wilson said late Tuesday.’

‘”Obviously the amount of experience that these three individuals bring to our staff is the thing that may be most impressive,” Williams said. “Our team will benefit from their expertise tremendously and immediately. The goal each off-season is to improve every phase of your organization and we feel we’ve done that with the addition of these three coaches.”‘

‘”A lot of the times we weren’t even competitive. There were games when I even told my mother not to watch.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday they have agreed to terms with Don Blackmon as linebackers coach, Pat Ruel as offensive line coach and Les Steckel as running backs coach.’

The Bills today announced that the team has agreed to terms on contracts with DON BLACKMON as linebackers coach, PAT RUEL as offensive line coach, and LES STECKEL as running backs coach.

‘One political problem facing the selectors is the ever-worsening Buffalo Bills dilemma.’

‘Fairchild joins the Rams from the Buffalo Bills, where he spent the past two seasons (2001-02) as running backs coach.’

‘St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz continued the revamping of his staff in the wake of a disappointing season, hiring Buffalo Bills running backs coach Steve Fairchild as the team’s new quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.’

Ruben Brown will join representatives of Tops Friendly Markets to cap the "Sack Back" program. Tops agreed to donate 40 sacks of groceries for every sack recorded by the Bills defense during the 2002 season. The Bills sacked the quarterback 30 times, resulting in a donation of 1,200 bags of groceries to the Food Bank of WNY. The value of the donation is $12,000.

The Bills won their first AFC Championship with one of the most dominating performances ever displayed in a title game. Buffalo set the tone for the day by driving 75 yards after the opening KO and scored the initial TD when QB Jim Kelly picked up a bad shotgun snap and scrambled to find WR James Lofton for a 13-yard pass.

January 26, 1988 – SHANE CONLAN NAMED 1987 ROOKIE OF YEAR

Bills' LB Shane Conlan was named 1987 defensive "Rookie of the Year" by the Pro Football Writers of America.

What area of the team needs the most help through free agency or the draft?

What are the chances of keeping Peerless Price?

So how does the Bills' salary cap outlook shape up for next year and beyond?

‘For all of Gilchrist’s attributes, he grated on Buffalo Coach Lou Saban. With the Bills riding an eight-game winning streak in 1964, Gilchrist maintains that Saban threw a game in a fit of petulance aimed at him. Gilchrist got the ball only 11 times while quarterbacks Kemp and Daryle Lamonica filled the air with more than 50 passes. To protest Saban’s strategy, Gilchrist benched himself.’

Now the two-time Pro Bowler has made such an impact on the league and his franchise that he is the only animal allowed inside his NFL stadium. This policy appears to be in sharp contrast to Oakland's Network Associates Coliseum, where animals are encouraged to break out reflective black and silver costumes to torture opponents from the Black Hole.