Archives for January 2006

‘Former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy, 77, will return to the team to oversee the football operation, and president and general manager Tom Donahoe will be fired Wednesday, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports. On Tuesday, team owner Ralph Wilson held a postseason meeting with coach Mike Mularkey, whose status remains uncertain.’

‘The Buffalo Bills will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. to acknowledge the firing of team President and General Manager Tom Donahoe and to introduce the members of their new football brain trust.’

‘If the Buffalo Bills are serious about identifying their quarterback of the future, which at this sad stage means nothing more than next season, they’d be wise to throw open the position to any and all comers. If Aaron Brooks is out in New Orleans, bring him in. If Joey Harrington’s out in Detroit, offer him an invitation. Doug Flutie surely would jump at the opportunity to prove he still owns a little ageless magic. At worst he’ll elevate the intensity at training camp before he goes down swinging.’

‘The team has called a 1 p.m. news conference at Ralph Wilson Stadium to announce a realigned hierarchy.’

‘Sources tell News 4, Wilson will be welcoming back Marv Levy. The Hall of Fame coach would take a major front office role, and work with current Assistant General Manager Tom Modrak.’

‘Speculation centers on assistant general manager Tom Modrak being promoted to take over Donahoe’s football duties and Russ Brandon, the club’s vice president of business development and marketing and one-time member of the Rochester Red Wings’ front office, assuming more business control. The shakeup could also involve bringing back Marv Levy, the Bills’ winningest coach in history and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in an oversight capacity.’

‘The main sticking point, Clayton continued, was strength and conditioning coach Brad Rolle, who has been with Mularkey for several years. Donahoe was not at the meeting, according to Clayton. Modrak’s presence, though, appears to be an indication that Modrak could be Donahoe’s replacement as general manager.’

‘Bill Cowher said last season that if Mularkey was going to stay as the Steelers offensive coordinator, things were going to have to change. Yes, we hired a man as the Bills head coach that was possibly going to be fired as an assistant in Pittsburgh. Cowher had no problem letting Mularkey go. It would kind of be like if Jerry Gray gets the Texans job. I’m hearing he’s not welcome back in Buffalo unless Ralph wants him.’

‘Russ Brandon, the team’s vice president of business development and marketing, would be considered a candidate to oversee the franchise’s business operations. Brandon has been credited for marketing the Bills into a regional franchise with his decision to shift the team’s training camp to Rochester in 2000 and reaching sponsorship deals with many of the city’s major corporations.’

The second-most predictable action this season was Buffalo play faking then throwing to blocking back Daimon Shelton in the flat on short-yardage downs. Shelton is a hard-working blocker, but possibly the slowest person ever to line up in an NFL backfield.

JERRY GRAY, defensive coordinator, Buffalo. With the Bills in retreat lately, you might wonder what he’s doing here. I don’t. I saw what happened in Buffalo last year when the Bills had a league-high 39 takeaways, fueling a second-half run that fell just short of the playoffs. The Bills returned with another 30 takeaways this year but, in general, the defense was a disappointment — plummeting from second to 29th as the Bills fell from 9-7 to 5-11.

I was very impressed with the way the Jets, Bills and Dolphins closed out the season. They all played hard to win their final games. I realize the Bills didn’t get a win, but it was nice to see that none of these teams gave up. They weren’t worried about draft choices or anything of that nature, they played hard.

‘An undisclosed source has told WGR Sports Radio 550 that Mike Mularkey has returned to Buffalo, NY. The source also reported to WGR that Mularkey told his pilot on the way home that he will keep his job as Bills Head Coach, but that Tom Donahoe will be let go. Once again this report is unconfirmed so make sure to stay tuned to WGR Sports Radio 550 for more breaking news from One Bills Drive.’

‘"I think it gave me a false sense of, `Hey, it’s not going to be that hard,’" Losman said this week after he and the Bills closed out a disappointing 5-11 season. "Then all of a sudden, the next week, boom, it hits you right in the face."’

‘Too many Buffalo plays rely on finesse and Mularkey, who reportedly took over play-calling before the season’s fifth game, seemed overly enamored of the short-passing game, particularly in the red zone.’