Two Bills Drive

‘Gregg Williams didn’t parlay a National Football League playing career into a spot on the NFL sidelines. He had to start as a high school coach.’

‘Buffalo Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe never had met Gregg Williams until the two shook hands in a Nashville hotel a week ago. To say the two became fast friends is the understatement of the year for the Bills.’

‘Seemingly out of nowhere, Donahoe had a candidate who seemed to fit the exact profile of what he wanted in his new coach. He wanted someone with an attention to detail, a man who was well-prepared. Most important, he was looking for someone with an intimate knowledge of assistant coaching candidates.’

‘"There was a big improvement over what happened to me last year in that I was able to interview for three head coaching jobs, and I appreciated that," Cottrell said Thursday night by phone from New York, where he now works as the Jets’ assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.’

‘Gregg Williams has this thing about lists. It appeals to his meticulous nature.’

‘Cowart…said Thursday he doesn’t know much about Williams, but is well aware of the talent on the Titans’ defense. "They were full of athletes, guys who make big plays," Cowart said. "Hopefully, he can bring that mentality over to Buffalo. We weren’t a bad defense, but we can get better in some areas, and I’m sure he’s the guy for that."’

‘So . . . Williams might not be in Buffalo today if it weren’t for Frank Reich & Co. in 1993.’

‘See, in Buffalo, no one really cares whether you’re black or white, qualified or unqualified, paid well or poorly. There’s only one thing they really want to know: Are you a Flutie guy or a Johnson guy?’

‘Call it racism on Buffalo’s part if you want, but bad timing’s more like it, at least where it concerns Lewis.’

‘Anderson said he and Lewis became suspicious about the Bills’ hiring process rather quickly. At no point was there any indication from Donahoe that Lewis would meet team owner Ralph Wilson, tour the city of Buffalo or the team’s facilities, or talk contract parameters, Anderson said.’

‘But the greatest injustice might be that Lewis and Fox only got to interview with one of the nine teams that sought a head coach at some point since the start of the 2000 season, thanks to an NFL rule prohibiting assistants from interviewing for other jobs while their teams are still alive in the playoffs.’

‘"How did Buffalo not hire Marvin Lewis?" said [Blaine] Bishop, shaking his head. "They did two things: They took our coach, and they let Baltimore keep their guy. I don’t what to say. I’m pretty much speechless."’

‘Giants officials had been rooting for Fox to get the Bills’ job on a personal level, but they were notably apprehensive about the consequences of his departure.’

‘John Fox didn’t get the job as coach of the Bills, and that, of course, is good news for the Giants. As much as the people around him were rooting for Fox, they didn’t want to lose their highly acclaimed defensive coordinator.’

‘The hiring of Butch Davis in Cleveland shook up the Buffalo situation, as it was believed that Lewis was next in line with the Browns.’