Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s)
A weekly feature from the Buffalo Bills Review where we’ll collect some of the headlines from One Bills Drive and offer our take on the latest Bills’ news.
I’d Like To Introduce…
When the announcement was made this week that the Bills had selected Dick Jauron as their new head coach, there was no shortage of “second opinions”. Most people have felt that there were several better options for the new head man, and have voiced their opinion accordingly.
Bills’ GM Marv Levy and owner Ralph Wilson, who have named themselves Buffalo’s “Golden Boys”, are under some fairly intense public scrutiny after passing up coaches like Mike Sherman, who has a very impressive record as a head coach, and local favorite, Jim Haslett. Levy said in a press conference this Monday, “You can’t just look at the win/loss record.” That may be true, but at the moment, all Bills’ fans want is a better won/loss record. The fans are tired of losing.
To Jauron’s credit, he comes in here knowing the situation, and seems to have a plan to correct it. He plans to work with the personnel who are here, optimizing an offensive and defensive scheme around them, instead of coming in with a new plan that all the players must fit themselves into. He also plans to assemble a team of assistant coaches with NFL experience who can have free reign over their designated area.
In addition to his plans for the team, he is aware that there will be a higher degree of public scrutiny of his work than normal, due to a string of seasons in Buffalo with no playoff wins or even appearances. Jauron said one big thing he learned from his last head coaching experience with the Chicago Bears from 1999-2003 was, “You just need to win.”
Fan reaction has been fairly strong to this selection, as evidenced by a comment left on a recent post here at the BBR. The Drake has recommended a visit to www.firedickjauron.com. And our weekly poll asks the question, “What do you think of the new head coach?”, offering you a chance to voice your opinion.
However the Bills arrived at this decision, it is now history. Jauron is the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills, and he is assembling his team of assistants. Here’s hoping a coach “in the mold of Marv Levy” can bring the Bills back to the winning ways we have known from the 90s, and perhaps even end the winless drought in the Super Bowl!
Further Reading..
BuffaloBills.com (1/23) – Bills Name Dick Jauron Head Coach
Buffalo News (1/23) – Bills Don’t Capitalize on Good Fortune
BuffaloBills.com (1/23) – Jauron Has Player Support
Buffalo News (1/24) – Jauron Raises Bar, Quietly
Bills Hire Assistant Coaches
The Bills announced this week the hiring of two assistant coaches following the selection of the new head coach. Steve Kollar was named the Bills new Defensive Line coach, and Steve Fairchild was hired as the new Offensive Coordinator. Both men were most recently assistant coaches with the St. Louis Rams. Kollar replaces Tim Krumrie, and has an impressive 17 years of NFL coaching experience. He also played defensive line with the Bengals and the Buccaneers for 8 years.
Fairchild has been the offensive coordinator for St. Louis for two years under head coach Mike Martz. Running the “The Greatest Show on Turf”. Before Mike Mularkey resigned as Bills coach, he was pursuing Fairchild for the role of Offensive Coordinator. Fairchild began his NFL coaching career in 2001 as the Buffalo Bills running backs coach under then head coach Gregg Williams. He is excited to return and being his new role with the Bills.
The Bills are seeking to hire Green Bay assistant Jim Bates as their new Defensive Coordinator, though no official decision has been made there.
Stay tuned for further developments out of Orchard Park.
Further Reading..
BuffaloBills.com (1/24) – Bills Hire Kollar as Defensive Line Coach
BuffaloBills.com (1/25) – Bills Hire Fairchild as Offensive Coordinator
Another Bill is Headed to the Pro Bowl
This week AFC Pro Bowl coach Mike Shanahan seleceted Bills’ long snapper Mike Schneck as his “need player” for his Pro Bowl roster. Schneck will join his teammate, Punter Brian Moorman on the flight to Hawaii. The two will be the teams only representatives in the Pro Bowl this year, despite some fans thinking LB London Fletcher and CB Terrence McGee were deserving of the honor as well.
Further Reading..
BuffaloBills.com (1/26) – Schneck Accepts Second Offer to Hawaii
Bits and Pieces
In other random news…
- Bills fans are encouraged to voice their opinions over the coming weeks in the BuffaloBills.com 12th Man Awards. This week, vote for this year’s MVP.
- With a sizeable pool of very talented underclassmen entering this year’s draft, Larry Felser of the Buffalo News feels the Bills will be able to “find some treasures”.
That’s a wrap for the this edition of TheRunDown. If you have any Bills news from this week, or comments on stuff we covered here, please add your comments below!
The first off-season show will be posted this Monday, Jan 30th. The BBR Hotline is still open, and your comments are welcome! Call (716) 989-4180, or email theshow@buffalobillsreview.com. Join the fun! Buffalo Bills Review: A show by Bills fans, for Bills fans.