The Gregg Williams era ended with disappointment & frustration, and little success in Buffalo. Williams had been an asst. with no college or NFL head coaching experience. Such is the case with the incoming Mike Mularkey, who takes over after serving as off. coord. of the Steelers. Mularkey inherits a team with a solid defense (second only to Dallas in ypg LY), but with an offense (30th) that was often overwhelmed. The Bills offense scored 10 pts. or fewer 7 times LY; the rugged defense held opponents to 10 or fewer 5 times. Not surprisingly, 14 of 16 Buffalo games went "under" LY (including all 4 times the total was 36 or less)!
Even though the basic cast of characters remains the same, Mularkey promises a new emphasis TY. Two years ago, when the Bills acquired Drew Bledsoe, Gregg Williams fell into the trap of many coaches before him, becoming mesmerized with the potential of a dynamic, wide-open aerial game. It worked fine for the first half of 2002, but then opponents began to zero in on the immobile Bledsoe. And when WR Peerless Price left in free agency after the season, the receivers weren't so wide-open, and "flippy football" didn't come close to working, as Buffalo gave up a league-high 51 sacks LY. The Bills were tied for last in TO margin at -16.
This year's top draft pick is Wisconsin WR Lee Evans, whose excellent speed on the outside allows Josh Reed to move back into his best role as a slot receiver, providing less focus on star WR Eric Moulds, who was held to 64 recs. LY. But insiders report Mularkey, a former TE, is committed to reducing those sacks by re-emphasizing a run-first, ball-control approach featuring Travis Henry (1438 & 1356 YR L2Ys) and LY's No. 1 pick Willis McGahee, the big back with the big speed who has now had nearly two years to recover from his serious knee-ligament injury. Scouts report he is fit & eager. Still, the underachieving OL must improve, and Bledsoe must be wiser in the pocket.
The defense again figures to be one of the toughest in the league. DTs Pat Williams & Sam Adams are huge, but still have some quickness (Adams had 5 sacks). Opposing coaches say the LB trio of Jeff Posey, London Fletcher & Takeo Spikes is the quickest they faced LY. Nate Clements has become one of the top corners. And FA CB Troy Vincent & former Patriot safety Lawyer Milloy give Buffalo lots of leadership in the secondary.
Bottom Line--Mularkey's primary task is to restore balance to the attack, to reduce the sacks & the TOs, and in that way help Bledsoe and the warrior defense (coord. Jerry Gray has been retained). If he can do it, the Bills can play with any team in the AFC East (except N.E.).
Exhibition Notes: Rookie QB J.P. Losman isn't expected to play much in the reg. season, and his mobility & strong arm make him an X-factor in the preseason.
wil.
Even though the basic cast of characters remains the same, Mularkey promises a new emphasis TY. Two years ago, when the Bills acquired Drew Bledsoe, Gregg Williams fell into the trap of many coaches before him, becoming mesmerized with the potential of a dynamic, wide-open aerial game. It worked fine for the first half of 2002, but then opponents began to zero in on the immobile Bledsoe. And when WR Peerless Price left in free agency after the season, the receivers weren't so wide-open, and "flippy football" didn't come close to working, as Buffalo gave up a league-high 51 sacks LY. The Bills were tied for last in TO margin at -16.
This year's top draft pick is Wisconsin WR Lee Evans, whose excellent speed on the outside allows Josh Reed to move back into his best role as a slot receiver, providing less focus on star WR Eric Moulds, who was held to 64 recs. LY. But insiders report Mularkey, a former TE, is committed to reducing those sacks by re-emphasizing a run-first, ball-control approach featuring Travis Henry (1438 & 1356 YR L2Ys) and LY's No. 1 pick Willis McGahee, the big back with the big speed who has now had nearly two years to recover from his serious knee-ligament injury. Scouts report he is fit & eager. Still, the underachieving OL must improve, and Bledsoe must be wiser in the pocket.
The defense again figures to be one of the toughest in the league. DTs Pat Williams & Sam Adams are huge, but still have some quickness (Adams had 5 sacks). Opposing coaches say the LB trio of Jeff Posey, London Fletcher & Takeo Spikes is the quickest they faced LY. Nate Clements has become one of the top corners. And FA CB Troy Vincent & former Patriot safety Lawyer Milloy give Buffalo lots of leadership in the secondary.
Bottom Line--Mularkey's primary task is to restore balance to the attack, to reduce the sacks & the TOs, and in that way help Bledsoe and the warrior defense (coord. Jerry Gray has been retained). If he can do it, the Bills can play with any team in the AFC East (except N.E.).
Exhibition Notes: Rookie QB J.P. Losman isn't expected to play much in the reg. season, and his mobility & strong arm make him an X-factor in the preseason.
wil.
