In his first day on the job as Buffalo's interim head coach, Perry Fewell sent his players a message: the Bills will no longer be an easy out for teams.
In a move that got everyone's attention, Fewell had his team practice in pads and outside. Such a thing was unheard of under Dick Jauron, who was fired on Tuesday after compiling a 24-33 record in just over 3 1/2 seasons.
Fewell's reasoning? Well, the Bills have struggled running the ball and tackling, and they lead the NFL with 22 false start penalties. He believes you play how you practice.
"I just feel Jacksonville is very a physical team and going into this week, we need to have a mindset of being physical," said Fewell, who makes his NFL head coaching debut (and head coaching debut at any level of football) Sunday when the Bills (3-6) face the Jaguars (5-4) in Jacksonville.
"I wanted to put the pads on to send a message that we're going to be physical. We needed to work on the run game (offensively and defensively) and pads are a way to do that."
Fewell takes over for Jauron just as rumors are churning that the Bills are seeking a meeting with former Denver coach Mike Shanahan to gauge his interest in coaching the team next year.
Fewell, though, has been handed a golden opportunity to impress the Bills or another NFL team in need of a head coach.
The well-respected married father of two sons and a native of Belmont, S.C., has worked in the NFL for 12 seasons following a 13-year career in the college ranks. He was secondary coach with the Jaguars, Rams and Bears before Jauron hired him in 2006 to coordinate his defense and coach the Tampa 2 scheme.
Despite myriad injuries and starting numerous rookies at times, Fewell has done commendable work. His Bills defenses ranked 10th (2006), 18th (2007) and 14th (2008) before dropping to 26th this season, including last against the run. His fiery coaching demeanor is the opposite of Jauron's laid-back nature.
"I'm probably a little more fired up. I'm a lot more emotional," Fewell said. "Whether they take on those characteristics or not, I don't know. I just know I'm going to get the team to focus on one game, Jacksonville, get the team to play with a purpose. That's our whole attitude."
Fewell's defensive players greeted the news of his promotion with mixed emotions. Jauron, a former NFL defensive coordinator, was involved in the defensive meetings and was well-liked despite the team's record on the field.
"It's bittersweet," safety George Wilson said.
But Wilson said the team was rallying behind Fewell. The players didn't play well enough to save Jauron's job but they have an opportunity to play well enough to get Fewell hired on a permanent basis. A strong showing by Fewell would certainly give Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson something more to ponder.
"He stepped right into the leadership role. He wasn't hesitant. He wasn't a deer in the headlights," Wilson said. "I could tell when he addressed the team he spent time last night and this morning thinking about what he would say and how he'd convey his message. I think he's off to great start and it would be wonderful if we could go down to Jacksonville this week, on the road, and give him his first victory."
Fewell will continue to coach the defense while trusting Alex Van Pelt and his staff to coordinator the offense. Buffalo's ranks 29th in yards and 28th in points scored. The Bills have been outscored 46-0 in the fourth quarter of their last two games.
Among Fewell's first decisions was to go along with Van Pelt's recommendation to start Ryan Fitzpatrick over Trent Edwards this week. Fewell wouldn't commit to Fitzpatrick beyond this week, however.
"We just feel like Ryan gives us the best opportunity this week against Jacksonville," Fewell said. "He's 2-1 and he's played relatively well."
Fitzpatrick liked the news, of course. But beyond that, he said he liked the fire Fewell brings to the table.
"He addressed the team and was real straight forward," Fitzpatrick said. "He'll tell you how it is. He's here to break us out of our funk and I think he's a good guy to do it. He's got a fire in him."
Fewell isn't promising miracles. Buffalo's talent is marginal and its injury situation is among the worst in the NFL with 11 players on season-ending injured reserve and 11 players on this week's injury report.
"We are who we are," he said. "We're going to try and get a little spark (going with Fitzpatrick) but we are who we are."
SERIES HISTORY: 9th regular-season meeting. Bills lead series 5-3. The teams meet for the fourth consecutive season, with Buffalo winning two of the last three games in the series, 27-24 in 2006 in Buffalo and 20-16 last season in Jacksonville. It was one of benched starter Trent Edwards' better games as he completed 20 of 25 passes for 239 yards with one TD and no interceptions.
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