Mary Kat Cabot, beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, offers an interesting tidbit about former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator/interim head coach Perry Fewell. Cabot reports that Fewell is a serious candidate for the Cleveland Browns head coaching vacancy.
Citing a league source, Cabot writes Fewell is a “serious candidate for head coach and not just to satisfy Rooney Rule.”
After failing to get his interim lifted in Buffalo last offseason as Buddy Nix instead hired Chan Gailey, Fewell went to New York to become defensive coordinator for the Giants under head coach Tom Coughlin.
Former Bills Coach a Candidate For Browns Job – continue reading…
You can officially scratch Perry Fewell off the list of candidates for the next Buffalo Bills head coach. According to ESPN, Fewell is going to accept the defensive coordinator position for the New York Giants.
Fewell accepting the job means one or both of two things; either the former Bills interim coach assumed he wouldn’t get the Bills job, and/or the organization informed him formally he wasn’t going to be their choice.
Yesterday it was reported that New York Jets Brian Schottenheimer has declined the chance to interview for the Bills head coaching vacancy. It’s not yet known exactly when or if the team will interview Arizona assistant Russ Grimm.
In an interview yesterday, Adam Schefter told me that Bill Cowher will not be the next Bills head coach, citing “too many reliable people he’s talked to.” Take that for what it’s worth.
Meanwhile, at least small murmurs are emerging that perhaps the Bills have already made their decision to go with Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, which if true may or may not have played a part in Schottenheimer’s decision to decline an opportunity to interview and Grimm’s possible hesitation.
The only thing we know for certain is that Fewell won’t be on the Bills sideline next year.
Stay tuned.
Jeff Dickerson, ESPN.com blogger writes that Perry Fewell, free to pursue other jobs assuming he doesn’t land the Bills head coaching gig, is being linked to the defensive coordinator position with the Chicago Bears.
Fewell has had a relationship with current Chicago head coach Lovie Smith since 2003, When Smith was the St. Louis Rams’ defensive coordinator and Fewell served as his secondary coach.
If Fewell, as expected doesn’t get the Bills job it’s not likely he’d return to accept what could be considered a team demotion to defensive coordinator by the new coach. The Bears continue to run the cover two defense that Fewell likes running.
Pisa Tinoisamoa is a current Bears and former Rams linebacker. He told Dickerson that “Fewell was a pretty good coach with the defensive backs whenever we were in team meetings”
Fewell coached with Smith in Chicago in 2005 before moving on to Buffalo with Dick Jauron.
There’s a next-to-zero chance Perry Fewell’s transitory run at head coach continues beyond the season finale against Indianapolis. For one, fans will never buy his interim tag being changed to permanent. Keeping Fewell in charge of shot calling would be the same as Ralph Wilson pleading for season ticket sales to plummet. The team is just 2-4 under his leadership and in many ways has resembled the squad that went 24-33 under Dick Jauron. The offense continued to be as wretched under Fewell as it’s ever been, while conservative game planning and foolhardy penalties continue to be the norm.
But that doesn’t mean Fewell’s tenure in Buffalo is completely over. While general manager Buddy Nix said last Thursday he’d interview Fewell for the head coaching job when the season ends, we all know that’s little more than a formality. Fewell won’t be the 2010 head coach, but it doesn’t automatically discard him from continuing on the staff.
Will Perry Fewell resume his coordinator role? – continue reading…
The Buffalo Bills are 1-1 under the direction of interim head coach Perry Fewell. Thrust into the limelight after replacing Dick Jauron as the head man on November 17, Fewell’s Bills have started to differentiate themselves from Jauron’s Bills, mostly in positive ways. The team is playing more competitive football. They’ve cut down on key mistakes (penalties and turnovers), they’re playing more aggressive football, and they appear to be a more confident group.
Give Fewell a lot of credit, folks. He’s dealing with many of the same issues Jauron did – injuries, an offensive line in flux, and all of the other problems we’ve discussed thoroughly in this space – and producing with that group. He’s making smart decisions, personnel-wise and game situation-wise, and thus far, they’ve mostly paid off.
Perry Fewell making a name for himself – continue reading…
I’ll be honest. Coming off of a holiday highlighted by three full days of tryptophan-induced lethargy (oh, how I love Thanksgiving), I knew heading into Sunday that my weekly film session post wasn’t going to be as in-depth as usual. My apologies for not warning you before this morning; call it a preparatory lethargy on my part.
The Buffalo Bills blew the Miami Dolphins out yesterday. There, I said it. If we’re calling the Bills’ 27-7 loss to New Orleans a blowout loss, then their 31-14 performance yesterday was a blowout win. I’ve got some observations for you to ponder and/or expand upon after the jump, but let’s just get the most obvious note out of the way: Gus Johnson is awesome. Moving on.
Bills 31, Dolphins 14: Week 12 Film Session – continue reading…
Let’s give some credit where its due. The Buffalo Bills were facing an uphill battle coming into their Sunday contest at Jacksonville with an already insurmountable amount of injuries, and the bug relentlessly took chomps out of three more starters by days end.
They also had less than a full week to prepare following off-field turmoil after the Dick Jauron firing on Tuesday. Perry Fewell was only named interim coach on Tuesday, so you’ll have to forgive him if every minor detail wasn’t thoroughly covered in less than five days.
But it is what is. Bad teams find a way to lose games and that’s exactly what the Bills did. They had two touchdowns called back on penalties. Fewell and starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick demonstrated deplorable late first half clock management skills, which may or may not have cost them four points. And they botched a designed two point conversion fake.
Injuries, Mistakes Waste Owens’ Big Day in 18-15 Loss – continue reading…
As he watches the game on TV, a certain ex-Bills head football coach may be surprised to discover that run, run, pass, and punt does not win football games. In fact, punting is often not the focal point of any game plan that leads to victory. Unless, of course, you are the Cleveland Browns and your opponent is indeed Buffalo.
Sunday’s game against Jacksonville would appear to be much easier to win if it was in Buffalo. Jacksonville has not played well on the road compared to their home performances. David Garrard just threw his first touchdown on the road last week against the Jets, while throwing twice as many interceptions when traveling. On the other hand, Garrard has six touchdown passes and three picks at home. In addition, anyone can see from the minimal number of passing touchdowns and interceptions that Jacksonville’s quarterback does not take many chances.
How to Declaw the Jaguars – continue reading…
“Play like hell and win.”
Those are the only five words new interim head coach Perry Fewell needed to muster when asked what his philosophy would be now after taking over for Dick Jauron today.
Fewell was introduced as the new interim head coach tonight at a makeshift press conference. One trait he definitely shares with the now former coach is his dislike for saying too much. Immediately showing his Elusiveness, Fewell refused to provide any details as to what he and owner Ralph Wilson discussed today other than he accepted the position as interim head coach.
Fewell’s Philsophy: “Play Like Hell & Win” – continue reading…
