Buffalo Bills coaching staff dismissed: "Obligations complete"

Buffalo Bills finish 6-10 and send coaching staff packing

photo by Ed Yourdon

ORCHARD PARK, NY: The Buffalo Bills football franchise announced on Monday the effective dismissal of their entire coaching staff. The NFL team's "release from contract obligations" of its interim head coach Perry Fewell, all coordinators and assistant coaches is a not-uncommon courtesy when a new head coach is expected to be hired. Former Bills starting QB, current Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt was among the casualties. The staff cut follows a roller-coaster 6-11 season that saw reigning head coach Dick Jauron fired in November. Fewell is expected to interview for the vacancy, but is not considered a top prospect for the job. He finished his term with a 3-4 record.

The staff goes out on a rare high note, as the Bills smothered the Indianapolis Colts 30-7 in blizzard-conditions on Sunday, Jan 3. The Colts "rested" their first-string players for most of the game, while the Bills kept most of their starters in until the final series. It was a snow-blinding day for featured running back Freddie Jackson, who piled up over 200 yards and scored a touchdown. He finished the season with over 1000 rushing yards. Wide receivers Lee Evans and Terrell Owens also contributed touchdowns. Kicker Rian Lindell aced 3 field goals for 9 points, surpassing 1000 career points. 70,000 fans cheerfully endured below-zero wind-chills and a significant snowfall during the game.

Fan support for this oft-maligned team has been solid all season, with strong season ticket sales and capacity attendance since game one. It's been a rough ride, one that ended with nearly 20 players placed on the Injured Reserved list. All three quarterbacks have started games. First-line QB Trent Edwards was benched after Jauron was fired. Edwards had been plagued by minor injuries. His replacement, Ryan Fitzpatrick, finished 5-4 in unspectacular fashion. Third-string QB Brian Brohm saw action when both starters were hurt in game against their arch-rival New England Patriots.

  The season's first big disappointment came against those same Patriots, when the Bills seemed to have the game in the bag. With less than five minutes to play, Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin fumbled an ill-advised kick return, leading to a New England comeback victory. McKelvin suffered a season-ending leg injury during the team's win over Tampa Bay the following week. It was that kind of year, with losing streaks of 3 and 4 games in a row typical. The team failed to reach the play-offs for the 10th consecutive season.

Owner Ralph Wilson and new CEO Russ Brandon appointed National Scout Buddy Nix as the team's new General Manager just before the New Year, after the Bills lost in Atlanta to the Falcons, 31-3. Wilson has reportedly had conversations with prominent head-coach candidates Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, and Jon Gruden -- none of whom are currently running football teams. The team is also set to interview at least a half-dozen impressive assistant coaches around the league for the top position. Nix will take the lead on the hiring decision. This will be the Bills' fourth head coach in the new millennium.

With so much recent upheaval, it's difficult to forecast what lies ahead for the hard-scrabble Buffalo Bills. They need leadership sparks from a new head coach and a confident quarterback. They need a cohesive, healthy offensive line. Defensive End Aaron Schobel, the team's leading pass rusher, may be retiring. Media star Terrell Owens isn't obligated to return next season. Fans worry that Wilson will opt to move the team to Toronto (where they currently play one "home" game each year), or die trying (literally? He's 91 years old). For now, the Buffalo team's prospects are almost as uncertain as the national job market -- appropriate for a blue-collar town that's lost most of its industry base over the last few decades.

Sources for this story include the Associated Press, FoxSports.com, and the official Buffalo Bills website news department