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I think it's safe to say Buffalo Bills fans feel a lot better about their team than they did five days ago.

Bills interim coach Perry Fewell lost his debut, 18-15, when Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard tossed a touchdown to Mike Sims-Walker with 56 seconds to play Sunday.

The Bills are in disarray with head coach Dick Jauron getting canned five days earlier and mounting injuries that included Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch and rookie guard Eric Wood during the game.

But the Bills played hard and probably deserved to win.

Buffalo bucked a few season-long trends. The NFL's worst run defense, despite playing without defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and linebacker Keith Ellison, contained Maurice Jones-Drew for most of the game. Jones-Drew finished with 25 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown.

The Bills, criticized all year for not throwing downfield, broke the club record for the longest pass play. Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with Terrell Owens for a 98-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Owens finished with the types of numbers Bills fans hoped would happen occasionally: nine receptions, 197 yards.

Fitzpatrick, named the starter this week ahead of Trent Edwards, completed 18 of his 31 attempts for 297 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.

One recurring problem did haunt the Bills: a penalty by an offensive lineman. Tackle Jonathan Scott was called for illegal use of the hands to erase a 53-yard Lee Evans catch and run for what would have been a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Bills punted four plays later.

There was no run game. Lynch had eight carries for 18 yards before he got hurt in the second quarter. Fred Jackson ran nine times for 35 yards.

NFL Network reporter Jason LaCanfora shared what he was hearing about the Buffalo Bills' coaching search on "NFL Gameday Morning."

Bills owner Ralph Wilson is willing to spend upwards of $10 million to land the right person. Mike Shanahan is at the top of their list. They’re going to talk to him first. They also have an interest in Bill Cowher. Still, I don’t know anyone who actually sees Shanahan taking this position when there could be more attractive openings available. Maybe Washington, Dallas, Houston, even San Diego if things fall apart for the Chargers.

Regarding Cowher, I'm told he won't even interview for jobs until the season's over. It's very difficult to win in Buffalo, with the Patriots in the division and the New York Jets just building a billion-dollar facility, also the Dolphins, who are No. 2 in player spending this year alone. For a small-market team in an old stadium like the Bills, it's tough to compete -- no matter who the coach is -- and these big-name coaches know it.

Jon Gruden isn't commenting on a report from Buffalo's CBS affiliate that he had a face-to-face meeting with the Buffalo Bills about becoming their next head coach.


WIVB sportscaster Paul Peck, quoting unnamed sources, wrote on the station's Web site that Gruden was the Bills' first choice ahead of Mike Shanahan, who reportedly will meet with the club to discuss the job.

The report states the Bills were unable to convince Gruden to leave the "Monday Night Football" booth. "They went after him hard," a source said.

When I reached out to Gruden for a comment Saturday, he declined.

ESPN announced it had signed Gruden to a contract extension Monday. The Bills fired head coach Dick Jauron and appointed defensive coordinator Perry Fewell on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Bills had contacted Shanahan and were setting up a meeting.

Based on the timeline, it would appear the Bills would've spoken to Gruden before they fired Jauron, although they theoretically could have contacted Gruden after Jauron's dismissal and pulled off a hasty face-to-face meeting before contacting Shanahan.

Unless the Buffalo Bills wallop Mike Shanahan right out of his argyles next week and sign him straight away, there's a good chance each party will use the other as a means to an end.

Football insiders are skeptical Shanahan actually will be on the Bills' sideline in 2010, but their reported meeting next week serves a purpose for both sides. It won't be a waste of time.

As one of Shanahan's colleagues told me Thursday morning, the former Denver Broncos head coach likely will use his meeting with Buffalo as leverage for a more attractive opening.

Shanahan linking himself to the only current NFL opening theoretically will prompt increased interest from other teams who are considering a change. There's little incentive for Shanahan to sign with the Bills before seeing what else is out there. With a pair of Super Bowl rings, he has enough cachet to sit back and wait.

But don't think the Bills are being used as foils. They're already getting mileage out of being associated with Shanahan.

Merely meeting with him sends a message to a frustrated fan base that the Bills are serious about their coaching search. Bills fans have spent years screaming in vain for a head coach who's a proven winner. Dick Jauron's tenure wrought emotions ranging from anger to apathy.

NFL.com senior columnist Vic Carucci, citing an unnamed source, said Shanahan is Buffalo's top candidate, but Bill Cowher also is high on their wish list.

From Carucci's blog entry:

The Bills, the source said, are willing to offer whatever salary is necessary to land a high-end candidate such as Shanahan and would give him total control of the football operation, something Wilson has generally been opposed to doing in the past. Adding to the job’s attractiveness, according to the source, is the fact the team is in solid financial shape and not burdened by any dead salary-cap money.

The source said that, at 91 years old, Bills owner Ralph Wilson believes he's hiring his last head coach and "is going to do everything it takes to get it right."

For the first time since the Buffalo Bills drafted him in 2007, Trent Edwards has lost his job as starter.

Edwards has missed games due to various injuries, but he always got his job back when he was ready to play again. Never before had a quarterback overtaken him until Wednesday, when interim had coach Perry Fewell named Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Dick Jauron, fired as head coach Tuesday, yanked Edwards from the final minutes of Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The Titans also brought back a Fitzpatrick interception for a touchdown.

Buffalo's offense has been horrible under both quarterbacks, but Fitzpatrick did go 2-1 while Edwards was out with a concussion.

Edwards has completed 62 percent of his passes, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt with six touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has a 74.1 passer rating.

Fitzpatrick owns a 49.8 passer rating. He has completed 49.4 percent of his passes at 4.7 yards an attempt with two touchdowns and four interceptions.

If you're looking for reason to start Fitzpatrick other than a mere shakeup, the most notable advantage he has over Edwards (aka Captain Checkdown) is in downfield passing, which could get receivers Terrell Owens and Lee Evans more involved in the offense.

ESPN Stats & Information ranks Fitzpatrick third in the NFL in average distance thrown at 10.2 yards per attempt. But that doesn't suggest success. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman is first at 10.7 yards, while Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell is second at 10.3 yards.

Edwards averages 7.1 yards in the air per attempt, tied for second to last in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 50 throws.

So Edwards must at least excel at the short passes, right?

ESPN Stats & Information shows he ranks 32nd in the NFL in passer rating for throws 10 yards and shorter. He is 95 of 142 for 779 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions for a 78.3 passer rating.

That's why Edwards has such a pedestrian passer rating despite being known for making the type of throws that inflate most quarterbacks' numbers.

Perry Fewell's greatest pupil was pleased to receive news the Buffalo Bills had promoted Fewell to be their interim head coach.

"I'm not surprised at all that he's got an opportunity," eight-time Pro Bowl defensive back Aeneas Williams told me soon after learning the Bills had fired head coach Dick Jauron. "There's a number of coaches on that staff, but for him to be pegged -- whether it's interim or not -- to be head coach and lead those men and have that staff going forward in a difficult situation, I'm not surprised."

Williams has two direct links to the Bills through his relationship with Fewell and rookie safety Jairus Byrd.

Williams played under Fewell with the St. Louis Rams. Fewell joined the Rams as defensive backs coach in 2003, the same year Williams' old friend, Gill Byrd, arrived as a defensive assistant. It was then that Williams became a full-fledged mentor for Byrd's son, Jairus, a rookie of the year candidate who leads the NFL with eight interceptions.

Fewell's familiarity with Jairus Byrd played a significant role in Buffalo's decision to draft him in the second round, one of few successful decisions that transpired while Jauron was head coach and perhaps a factor in selecting Fewell over special teams coach Bobby April.

Williams said he was impressed with Fewell from the moment he joined the Rams, who had gone to Super Bowls two of the preview four seasons.

"I remember when he came in he wasn't in awe of anything," Williams said. "He was very professional. He knew how to get guys to play the defense and assimilated very well into a winning culture.

"Coach Fewell knew how to relate to the guys to get the veterans as well as the younger guys to play together. He commanded the respect of the players -- not demanded, but he commanded the respect of us players by his professionalism and his ability to help us be successful."

Fewell spent two seasons with the Rams. He coached defensive backs for a season with the Chicago Bears under Lovie Smith before Jauron hired him to be the Bills' defensive coordinator in 2006.

"He's been a part of organizations where we've won and we've lost, but we still were able to make it through it," Williams said. "He was always calm and always set the tone of the expectation that, 'Even though we're 0-6, this week we're going to do what it takes to get better.'"

Now that the Buffalo Bills have fired Dick Jauron, who are the candidates to be their head coach in 2010?

Here are some thoughts on a few potential candidates in no particular order:

Bill Cowher: It would take a gigantic change of philosophy for Bills owner Ralph Wilson to sign off on a larger-than-life coach such as Cowher. Wilson's modus operandi has been to pursue coaches who don't command a high salary and don't expect organizational control. Cowher essentially has his choice of any openings and will need to be dazzled by an offer the Bills have no history of making.

Mike Holmgren: See Cowher.

Mike Shanahan: See Holmgren.

Jon Gruden: See Shanahan.

Tony Dungy: See all of the above. Plus, he seems to enjoy retirement. He had peace of mind in leaving one of the NFL's elite franchises. It would be a colossal stunner if he would consider joining one of the decade's least successful clubs.

Marty Schottenheimer: The former Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers head coach has a reputation for getting his teams into the playoffs but not Super Bowls. Bills fans certainly would settle for that. Schottenheimer spent four seasons playing linebacker for Buffalo, winning an AFL championship his rookie year.

Jim Haslett: Many observers see the former New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams head coach as the perfect choice. Teams often like to go with a coach that has a different personality from the one they just fired. Haslett would be that. He's fiery. He also has a history with Buffalo. He played linebacker for the Bills from 1979 through 1985 and got his start in coaching as an assistant for the University of Buffalo.

Brian Billick: If the Bills wanted a coach with an offensive background, Billick is available. He was Baltimore Ravens coach for nine seasons, winning the Super Bowl in 2000.

Mike Martz: Similar to Billick, he's an offensive coach with Super Bowl credentials and currently works for the NFL Network. He coached The Greatest Show on Turf with the Rams for six seasons.

Jim Fassel: Fassel likely would be reasonably priced. He has been eager to get back into the NFL since he was fired as the Ravens' offensive coordinator in 2006. Fassel was head coach of the New York Giants from 1997 through 2003, winning one NFC title.

Perry Fewell: The Bills' defensive coordinator has been named interim head coach. He never has been a head coach at any level, but when clubs look for an interim coach from within, they generally look to the offensive or defensive coordinator. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was installed 10 days before the regular season and hasn't exactly done a bang-up job.

Bobby April: Buffalo's assistant head coach and special-teams coordinator would seem to be a candidate based on how highly he's respected around the league. But it doesn't bode well that Wilson bypassed him for Fewell.

Other names to consider: Todd Bowles (Miami Dolphins secondary), Ted Cottrell (former Bills defensive coordinator), Jason Garrett (Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator), Turner Gill (University of Buffalo head coach) Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator), Mike Leach (Texas Tech head coach), Paul Pasqualoni (Dolphins defensive coordinator), Brian Schottenheimer (New York Jets offensive coordinator), Marc Trestman (Montreal Alouettes head coach).

How suddenly did the Buffalo Bills fire head coach Dick Jauron?

One of his captains was caught totally unaware.

"I found out through you," Bills middle linebacker Paul Posluszny told me over the phone about 10 minutes after the Bills sent out a press release. "I got a text saying 'Coach Jauron's been fired.' I said 'I don't think so.' So I went to ESPN.com, and I'm looking at your picture right now.

"Wow. I couldn't believe it. I haven't spoken to anybody in the organization or any of my teammates yet."

A move had to be made. The Bills are 3-6 and in last place in the AFC East.

A litany of missteps -- firing the offensive coordinator before the season, implementing then scrapping the no-huddle offense, miscalculating the offensive line, in-game decisions -- made it clear Jauron was not getting the job done.

But Posluszny was stunned that it happened now.

"I'm completely surprised," Posluszny said. "Obviously, we don't have a good record, but we were all under the impression that we would have at least to the end of the season. If something was going to happen, then it had to happen, but to have him fired now in the middle of the things is very, very surprising."

Buffalo went 7-9 in each of Jauron's previous three seasons and will likely miss the playoffs for a 10th straight season.

"You didn’t want it to happen this way," Posluszny said. "Every time we lose, we say 'We've got to turn this around. We've got to turn this around.' We weren't able to do that, and this, obviously, is the consequence for that.

"The players have the utmost respect for Dick Jauron. He's a great guy, a great person. But in this league, you've got to win. Unfairly, since we're not playing well, it gets put on him. He has to take all the heat for it. Whether that's fair or not, that's just the reality. We all love Dick Jauron. He's a great guy and a great man. It's just unfortunate that it had to happen this way."

Posluszny was hopeful a fresh voice and new ideas will help transform the organization's culture.

"What we have to stress is that this is an opportunity," Posluszny said. "There's no time to be depressed or be upset. We have to play the Jaguars on Sunday. This is a change that we have to make work for us. We can't sit back and say 'What if?' or 'I don't know.' We have to get ready to go and get ready to play a game."

The news was so fresh to Posluszny that he asked me who the next coach would be. I told him the expectation was that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell would take over on an interim basis.

"If he were the guy, I think we have a lot of confidence in him," Posluszny said. "He does a great job with us defensively. He's the type of guy that has the ability to lead a team, an entire football team.

"If he's the guy, it's good that it'll be someone in house, someone we know."

The Buffalo Bills finally have fired Dick Jauron.

The only surprising aspect of the decision is that it happened now. Those who follow the team closely assumed that if the Bills hadn't fired Jauron by now that he would last the rest of the season.

“I am announcing today that I am relieving Dick Jauron from his duties as our head coach, effective immediately," Bills owner Ralph Wilson said in a statement released by the club. "I have tremendous respect for Dick and thank him for all of his efforts during these past four years. While this was a very difficult decision, I felt that it is one that needed to be made at this time for the best interest of our team. We will now focus on moving forward and preparing for our game this week in Jacksonville.”

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is expected to take over as interim coach. Fewell's defense has been pedestrian at best. It ranks 26th in total defense and dead last in run defense.

The Bills have bumbled their way to a 3-6 record, last place in the AFC East. They will miss the playoffs for the 10th straight season.

The move came one day after Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel called the Bills' situation "embarrassing. I mean, we’re technically, mathematically still in [the playoff race], I guess, but it's like what ... are we doing here?

"That’s about all I can say without saying what I want to say."

The Bills went 7-9 in each of their previous three seasons under Jauron.

Jauron and the front office have committed a series of missteps. They fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before their season opener. Terrell Owens is on his way to having the least productive season of his career, making his addition little more than a publicity stunt.

They're no closer to knowing who their quarterback is. Trent Edwards appeared to be the clear-cut starter but may have lost the job to Ryan Fitzpatrick.

They misjudged their talent on the offensive line, thinking they were fine at tackle after trading two-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters and moving veteran Langston Walker from the right to the left. Walker didn't make the 53-man roster.

Buffalo signed Jauron to a three-year contract extension after a hot 5-1 start last year. The Bills won only two of their final 10 games and didn’t make the playoffs.