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Should Dick Jauron be sitting next to his phone?

He might want to be on the lookout for a 615 area code on his caller ID.

The Tennessee Titans apparently are gathering former Buffalo Bills head coaches for a job fair.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter report the Titans plan to interview ex-Bills head coaches Mike Mularkey and Gregg Williams for their head vacancy.

The Titans have received permission from the Atlanta Falcons to interview Mularkey, their offensive coordinator. The Titans already have scheduled a Thursday interview with Williams, the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator.

Multiple sources also report the Titans plan to meet with New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, who served as Buffalo's interim head coach in 2009.

Jauron is the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator now, but why not interview him for a promotion, too?

Mularkey and Williams haven't been head coaches since they left the Bills.

They also are Buffalo's last two head coaches to post non-losing records.

Williams went 17-31 in three seasons. His best year was 8-8 in 2003. He was fired and replaced with Mularkey in 2004.

Mularkey then guided Buffalo to its only winning season in the past 11 years, a 9-7 record and one game out of the playoffs.

Mularkey went 5-11 in his second season and resigned in a bizarre sequence of events. The Bills fired president Tom Donahoe and brought in former coach Marv Levy as general manager. The Bills held a news conference to announce Mularkey would be retained as head coach, but later that day he announced his resignation.

Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey's defensive coaching staff has gotten a lot better.

FoxSports.com senior writer Alex Marvez reports Dave Wannstedt will join Gailey's staff as assistant head coach and inside linebackers assistant.

The move is an offseason victory for the Bills, an organization that struggled to attract top free agents because they haven't reached the playoffs in a decade. Wannstedt becomes the biggest name to join the Bills as an assistant coach since future Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau served on Gregg Williams' defensive staff in 2003 or since Sam Wyche was quarterbacks coach under Mike Mularkey in 2004.

It will be interesting to see how big a voice Wannstedt has on defensive game planning.

Gailey retained defensive coordinator George Edwards, who oversaw a slapdash unit that switched from Dick Jauron's 4-3 scheme to a 3-4. By the end of the season, the Bills were running multi-front schemes.

They ranked 24th in total defense, 32nd in run defense and third in pass defense (because opponents ran so much).

The Bills had an opening because Gailey fired inside linebackers coach DeMontie Cross.

Wannstedt agreed with the Bills after drawing interest from several other teams. He was available because he resigned as head coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

He was Miami Dolphins head coach from 2000 through 2004, taking them to the playoffs his first two seasons with Gailey as offensive coordinator. Wannstedt led the Chicago Bears from 1993 through 1998, reaching the postseason once.

Wannstedt gained notice as a sharp defensive mind under Jimmy Johnson with the Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys. He was Cowboys defensive coordinator in Super Bowl XXVII, holding the Bills to 17 points.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills quarterback: Bills fans have been debating the merits of sticking with Fitzpatrick as their franchise quarterback or drafting a prospect. Sunday's meltdown against the Patriots would favor new blood. Fitzpatrick committed five turnovers -- three interceptions and two fumbles. The Patriots turned his first three giveaways into 21 points and romped.

2. Jets' run defense: It took a statistical review a few days after the fact to drop Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall below 100 yards rushing against the Jets two weeks ago. He would have been the first to hit the century mark against the Jets since Nov. 15, 2009. Their streak remained intact for that week only because Bears running back Matt Forte rushed for 113 yards (5.9 average) and one touchdown Sunday.

3. Davone Bess, Dolphins receiver: He's still one of the Dolphins' top players, but his second-half production hasn't measured up to his hot start or the lucrative contract extension he signed in October. That's the definition of a slumping stock. Bess caught his first touchdown pass since Week 7 on a tipped ball that should have been intercepted. He also fumbled a punt return the Lions converted into a field goal and fell down to allow Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy to intercept and score the winning touchdown in a late fourth-quarter collapse that might cost people their jobs.

RISING

1. Chances for another AFC East coaching change: We could be following an AFC East head coaching search for the eighth straight year. The Dolphins would appear primed for change after a dull and disappointing season that can be described as mediocre at best. The Dolphins began the year with Super Bowl aspirations and went 1-7 at Sun Life Stadium. They lost to the Browns, Bills and Lions in their final three home games. It's pretty easy to see Tony Sparano joining Dick Jauron, Eric Mangini, Cam Cameron, Nick Saban, Mike Mularkey, Herm Edwards, Dave Wannstedt and Gregg Williams as AFC East head coaches who either were fired or stepped down since the 2003 season.

2. Shonn Greene, Jets running back: The Jets couldn't find a better time to get their torpid rushing attack in gear. Greene ran 12 times for 70 yards and his first touchdown in 10 games Sunday against the Bears. Greene's 5.8-yard average was his highest of the season.

3. Gary Guyton, Patriots linebacker: He continues to shine while Brandon Spikes is suspended for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Guyton had a strip-sack and two passes defensed in Sunday's victory over the Bills. Over the past seven weeks he has three sacks, an interception, five passes defensed and a fumble return for a touchdown.

Buffalo Bills fans have endured their share of blows over the past decade.

A former coach delivered a reminder about Drew Brees that must feel like a punch in the gut and followed it up with a cheap shot.

Gregg Williams was a guest on Nashville sports-radio station 104.5 The Zone and sounded happier to be New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator than the Bills' head coach.

"I'm kind of at that point and time in my career," Williams said, "where the three W's are the most important of the choices that I make from now on in coaching: What am I doing? Where's it at? Who's it with?

"I'm never going to discount again on who's it with. I've been able to kind of pick and choose now after all these years about where I want to go to, and I really, really, really wanted to draft Drew Brees when I was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, and thank goodness that didn't happen otherwise I'd still be stuck up there in cold Buffalo.

"Now I'm here. I do have a chance to go with him into [the Super Bowl]."

The San Diego Chargers selected Brees with the 32nd overall choice in 2001, Williams' first season with the Bills.

The Bills took cornerback Nate Clements with the 21st pick and also owned the 46th pick. As Williams explained to Sports Illustrated's Peter King in the fall, the Bills hoped to trade up to get Brees but couldn't find a willing partner.

"I almost pulled a hamstring in the draft room, jumping up and down because I was so mad,'' Williams told King.

The Bills eventually drafted defensive end Aaron Schobel with the 46th pick. A very good selection.

But instead of having a franchise quarterback for the next decade, the Bills' starting quarterbacks in 2001 were Alex Van Pelt and Rob Johnson. They traded for Drew Bledsoe the next year and have since called Kelly Holcomb, J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm starters.

Williams lasted three seasons as Buffalo's coach. He went 3-13, 8-8 and 6-10.

ESPN.com's John Clayton addresses the major issues for every club in the AFC East. Take a look at the names listed in the tags to get an idea of what kind of ground Clayton covers.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 15:

Terrell Owens and Lee Evans have to be amped to face the Patriots secondary. Owens and Evans combined for a measly five receptions and 71 yards on opening night at Gillette Stadium. I wouldn't be surprised if each posted numbers better than that in Sunday's rematch. Trent Edwards, aka Captain Checkdown, was Buffalo's quarterback then. The relatively freewheeling Ryan Fitzpatrick is heaving it now, and the Patriots secondary has been giving up mammoth gains in recent weeks.

What is the opposite of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object? That would be Mark Sanchez facing the Atlanta Falcons' pass defense. Something has to give -- and give and give and give. Jets coach Rex Ryan announced Sanchez will return from a knee injury and start Sunday at the Meadowlands. Sanchez's interceptions have cost the Jets a legitimate shot at the playoffs, but the Falcons have the 30th-ranked pass defense. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a cumulative 98.2 passer rating, second-highest in the league.

The Dolphins haven't seen anything like Chris Johnson this year. The Dolphins' run defense did a tremendous job shutting down Maurice Jones-Drew last week, but their task on Sunday looks virtually impossible based on Johnson's weekly numbers. He is averaging 5.8 yards a carry and 147.1 yards over his past seven games with nine touchdowns. Good luck with that.

An on-field response from Randy Moss might not be forthcoming. Moss was called out by Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, and two Panthers defensive backs essentially for quitting. Moss also has been defended by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and multiple film dissectors. But Moss might not get a chance to make his statement Sunday against the Bills, who own the NFL's worst defense against the run and fifth against the pass.

If the Bills defeat the Patriots on Sunday, then interim coach Perry Fewell gets the job. The last Bills coach to beat the Patriots was Gregg Williams on opening day 2003. The Patriots have won a dozen straight games, but what better way for the Bills to mark a mostly irrelevant season by ending that drought? The Bills haven't made the playoffs in a decade. This will be their Super Bowl, and a victory would give the Bills plenty of justification to stick with Fewell.

ESPN.com's John Clayton takes a look at the state of the AFC East heading into Week 13, including his analysis of where the New England Patriots are after Monday night's loss in the Superdome, Chad Henne as the Miami Dolphins' franchise quarterback and whether Charlie Weis could be a candidate for the Buffalo Bills' coaching vacancy.

NEW ORLEANS -- Buffalo Bills fans had to watch Monday night's game in the Superdome and wonder how in the world Gregg Williams was such a catastrophe as their head coach.

Williams, the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, drew up a masterful game plan with a ramshackle secondary to make the New England Patriots cry uncle.

Williams went 17-31 in three seasons with the Bills, but his head-coaching stock continued to soar after the Saints held the Patriots to 17 points and snapped Tom Brady's streak of 300-yard games at five.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick pulled Brady after he threw his second interception with 7:23 left in the game. The Saints failed to convert the turnover into points, but undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer went in with 5:26 remaining and the Patriots down by 21 points.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees pulverized the Patriots' secondary, which also played a role in Belichick throwing in the towel. Sending Hoyer onto the field was a request for Saints coach Sean Payton to please, please call off the dogs.

"You always like to be out there," Brady said. "You'd rather be on the other side of it. But it's nice for the other guys to get a chance to play. They work hard. [It's good] to get some experience when the game is out of control for the other team."

The Saints' reinforcements -- they didn't have starting cornerbacks Jabari Greer or Tracy Porter and lost replacement Randall Gay for the second half -- limited Moss to three receptions for 67 yards and Welker to six catches for 32 yards to short-circuit Brady's night. The Saints were happy to let Sam Aiken have a career day with seven catches for 90 yards.

Brady finished with a 55.0 passer rating, not his worst of the year, believe it or not. He finished with a 53.1 against the New York Jets in Week 2.

ESPN Stats & Information broke down Brady's day by distance. When he tried to go more than 10 yards downfield, he completed 4 of 12 passes for 102 yards and two interceptions (both intended for Moss) for a 25.7 passer rating.

When Brady threw 10 yards or shorter, he was 17 of 24 for 135 yards for an 84.5 passer rating.

	AP Photo/Mike Groll
	Terrell Owens was held without a catch in Buffalo's loss to New Orleans.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills astonished us all when they signed Terrell Owens, forming a dynamic duo with Lee Evans. Fans assumed they'd be Batman and Robin.

They've turned out to be a couple of Alfreds.

Week 3 Coverage " Sando: Singletary stays positive " Mosley: Did Zorn seal his fate? " Seifert: GB's bread and butter " Graham: Owens, Evans MIA " Kuharsky: Fisher gets some blame " Walker: Bengals are contenders " Williamson: Broncos have special coach " Chadiha: Vick's modest return " Wojciechowski: Rocky seas for Sanchez " Clayton: Favre has magic touch " NFL Nation: Reactions | Wrap-ups | Live

There has been no zip, bang, pow from Owens and Evans. They couldn't have been more mild mannered on Sunday, contributing essentially nothing in a 27-7 defeat to the New Orleans Saints in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Owens had zero catches for the first time in 186 games, nearly 12 years of Hall of Fame football.

His was the longest active streak in the league and third all-time behind Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison. Still, Bills offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and quarterback Trent Edwards found a way to squander the threat.

Owens was targeted five times. He bobbled one. Had the ball swatted away. Edwards overthrew him.

"Clearly, he's a big part of the offense," Bills coach Dick Jauron said. "He certainly is a threat because they do pay attention to him. We've got to get him the football, obviously.

"We saw him open down the field. We just overthrew him a couple times. Underthrew him once, overthrew him once. When you get your opportunities you've got to take advantage of them."

Theoretically, defenses can't cover two game-breaking receivers on the same play. Double cover one, and the other will come open, right?

Evans was slightly more useful. He had four catches for 31 yards. His longest gain was 11 yards.

Defensive end Ryan Denney had a longer reception than that and more yards than Owens. Buffalo's only touchdown occurred on a fake field goal attempt. Brian Moorman, a punter, connected with Denney on a 25-yard pass play in the second quarter.

"We had plenty of opportunities to get the ball to us," Evans said. "We just didn't get it done. I feel like we had some opportunities and we just didn't take advantage of them."

What was supposed to be one the NFL's most formidable -- maybe the most formidable -- one-two punch has been rendered practically worthless.

Add their stats together and they have 13 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. One of those games was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Before Sunday night's Colts-Cardinals game, 24 individuals had more receiving yards than Owens and Evans together. Mike Sims-Walker, of all people, has 187 yards for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Bills can't figure out how to get Owens or Evans -- let alone both of them -- involved.

"I wouldn't say wasted," Bills running back Fred Jackson replied when asked if that's what was happening with Owens and Evans. "But I know we're not taking advantage of having them on the field like we're supposed to."

After losing to the Saints, Owens was one of the first players off the field. He didn't mingle or shake hands like many do after a game. He trotted to the locker room, and by the time reporters had enough time to get down there, Owens already was out of his uniform and nattily dressed.

He spoke at the podium, but the only insight you could elicit is between the lines.

Reporter: "Do you think you and Evans are being wasted?"

T.O.: "We're just going with the plays that are called."

Reporter: "You could say no, that you're not being wasted."

T.O.: "I'm just going with the plays that are called."

Reporter: "Do you like the plays that are called?"

T.O.: "Whether I like them or don't, just going with the plays that are called."

Reporter: "What about the decisions that are made [by Edwards] after the plays are called?"

T.O.: "I don't know. You have to ask him."

Reporter: "No, I'm asking you what you think."

T.O.: "Nah. I don't want to answer that."

Reporter: "I'll ask him when I'm done with you."

T.O.: "I don't want to answer that because whatever I say, you guys are going to turn it to however you want to say it."

Reporter: "We'll print exactly."

T.O.: "Well, I just answered you, sir."

Edwards completed 20 of 35 passes for 156 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception, a ricochet when he tried to force a third-quarter pass to Owens in Saints' territory.

Edwards' longest completion was for 18 yards. Saints quarterback Drew Brees had completions of 32 yards and 20 yards on his opening drive.

The comparison might seem unfair, but should it be? Edwards has a future Hall of Famer getting paid $6.5 million, and a speed demon the club rewarded last year with a contract extension that, at the time, placed him among the league's 10 highest-paid players.

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, making his first return to The Ralph since the Bills fired him as head coach, turned the Bills' offense into a mess.

The Bills converted only 2 of 14 third downs, failed to get into the red zone, surrendered eight tackles for losses and four sacks. The Saints were credited with 14 quarterback hits.

"Our offense as a whole just wasn't in a rhythm today," said Jackson, who ran 18 times for 71 yards. "We have to go back to the drawing board."

The offensive line began the season incredibly inexperienced and has gotten younger. Right tackle Brad Butler suffered a season-ending knee injury last week, but rather than sign a veteran to replace Butler, the Bills plucked a developmental player off the Green Bay Packers' practice squad and deactivated him Sunday.

The line committed six penalties. The Saints accepted five of them for 35 yards.

Would a veteran free-agent tackle such as Jon Runyan, Damion McIntosh or Langston Walker have made a difference Sunday? Probably not, but Edwards might have had that much more time to feed Owens or Evans the ball.

As for the streak, Owens shrugged it off. A receiver who once had 20 catches in a single game couldn't make one grab, even in garbage time.

Edwards claimed he had no idea about the streak, not even when the Bills had zero shot of scoring three times inside the final two minutes. The Bills certainly ran plays -- a Jackson run for no gain, Edwards to Josh Reed for no gain, Edwards incomplete -- before punting away so the Saints could kneel out the clock.

Whammo.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

New York Jets

• Greg Bishop of the New York Times writes about the uncommon maturity of rookie Mark Sanchez.
• The Jets are downplaying the revelation Sanchez has tendinitis in his knee, writes Roderick Boone from Newsday.
• New York Daily News reporter Rich Cimini writes the Jets' touted offensive line doesn't think it has played up to its internal expectations.
• New York Post reporter Mark Cannizzaro looks at what it will take to get the ground game moving.

Buffalo Bills

• Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reporter Leo Roth gives a glimpse inside Donte Whitner's emotional world.
• Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams returns to Buffalo for the first time since he was fired as head coach, writes Brian Allee-Walsh of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
• Buffalo News reporter Allen Wilson breaks down the tight end depth chart after Derek Schouman's season-ending injury.
• Former Bills cornerback Jabari Greer is looking forward to his homecoming Sunday, Wilson writes.

Miami Dolphins

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde asks: What is the greatest play in Dolphins history?
• First Tony Gonzalez got behind them. Then Dallas Clark. David J. Neal of the Miami Herald wonders how the Dolphins will stop Antonio Gates.
• Palm Beach Post reporter Carlos Frias addresses the shoddy play of safety Gibril Wilson on Monday night.

New England Patriots

• Boston Herald reporter Ian R. Rapoport takes a look at the status of receiver Wes Welker's knee.
• Providence Journal reporter Shalise Manza Young tries to figure of why Tom Brady and Joey Galloway can't develop any chemistry.
• The Patriots need to do to Matt Ryan what the Jets did to Brady, notes Boston Globe reporter Monique Walker.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Trent Edwards is tiring of the questions.

He acknowledges the thrill of playing quarterback in the NFL is worth whatever hassles come with it, but the make-or-break theme that has enveloped him isn't enjoyable.

	Paul Jasienski/Getty Images
	Trent Edwards is 12-11 as Buffalo's starting quarterback.

Another question about pressure, a crossroads, put up or shut up ...

"You guys are kind of forcing me to try to think that way," Edwards said Tuesday afternoon after the Buffalo Bills' first minicamp practice. "I get that question a lot. I feel like every offseason I get that question. It's kind of a go-to question to ask a quarterback."

Edwards is entering his third season with Buffalo. That's seems to be about the amount of time a quarterback gets around these parts.

Doug Flutie was here for three years. Rob Johnson was here for four years, the starter of choice for two. Drew Bledsoe was here for three years. J.P. Losman spent three years as the starter before Buffalo gave the job to Edwards.

The town's patience -- and perhaps the owner's -- haven't lasted much beyond three years after Marv Levy and Jim Kelly ran the show.

Since Levy retired as head coach, his next three successors were given similar terms. Wade Phillips and Gregg Williams lasted three years apiece. Mike Mularkey was given a third year but resigned.

That cleared the way for Dick Jauron, who was given a fourth year much to the fan base's mortification.

So the trends certainly point to this being a make-or-break season on several counts.

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