Two Bills Drive

The Buffalo Bills have officially started to conduct interviews for their assistant coaching openings.

On Thursday, Cincinnati Bengals assistant coach Tim Krumrie visited Buffalo to meet with head coach Gregg Williams.

‘When Williams took the job, he maintained that he and his staff would “teach” the Bills to be better players. But, judging by the three firings, he sorely underestimated the value of a pro coaching background.’

If Dick LeBeau became Bills defensive coordinator, that would not guarantee a return to the 3-4 defense Buffalo had mostly operated for more than 20 years before Gregg Williams took over.

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‘He still is under contract to Cincinnati. But the Bengals gave permission to the Bills to speak with him.’

‘The Bills, who finished 8-8, drew 547,702 fans to Ralph Wilson Stadium, a jump of 42,966 over 2001 for an increase in revenue of approximately $1.63 million.’

‘”It wasn’t my choice to leave, I’ll tell you that,” Phillips said. “That was my place, my time, and it was taken away. We did a good job and I think we would have continued to do a good job. But I don’t hold grudges. Ralph’s up for the Hall of Fame and I hope he gets in. I didn’t think what he did was right by me, but it was his choice and it’s his team. I certainly wish everyone well up there.”‘

‘”It’s not the money, it’s the command of the football team,” he said. “If players think you’re going to be there, they’ll do what you say and when you lead, they’ll follow. But if they don’t know if you’ll be there or not, they start affiliating with different factions … they go their own ways.”‘

‘Levy said he doesn’t know if his Bills team was destined to do what it did. “I’m not Plato,” he said. “It’s difficult for me to say if the rest of the way would have been any different (if the Bills had earned a more conventional victory against the Oilers). We had a veteran team and we were able to celebrate and come right back down to earth. It can propel you, if you are level-headed. It depends on how you handle it.”‘

‘Bengals President Mike Brown indicated last week that he wasn’t going to let any of his coaches who still have a contract leave until the Bengals name a new head coach.’

‘But Vinklarek was Williams’ biggest blunder, a sentimental choice bordering on cronyism.’

‘"I don’t know if there’s a word for how disappointed I was," he said. "I guess devastated is what I’d use. That was my place, that was my time and it was taken away. We did a good job and I think we would have continued to do a good job and gotten the team where we wanted to be."’

‘The charge against Wright, 23, will be reduced to a misdemeanor if he’s not arrested in the next year, according to the plea agreement in Fresno County Superior Court. Wright, 23, pleaded no contest to a charge of being involved in an accident resulting in injury and leaving the scene. After the year is up, he is likely to receive three years probation, said defense attorney Salvatore Sciandra. If Wright does not stay out of trouble, he could face up to three years in prison for the felony conviction.’

‘There has been speculation that at age 65 he would welcome a low-profile position — the Bills linebackers job is open — but sources close to the energetic LeBeau said he’s still interested in holding a position of authority.’

‘Buffalo Bills receiver Rodney Wright pleaded guilty Wednesday to leaving the scene of a collision that injured two people.’