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Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix said at his introductory news conference Thursday he wanted a coach who could build a staff, and the new hire apparently will have to do it from scratch.

The Bills resumed heavy internal renovations Monday by firing their entire coaching staff a day after completing a 6-10 season, their 10th straight without the playoffs.

The story was broken by Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and confirmed by Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan, who noted all of the coaches had one year remaining on their contracts.

The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the season opener and head coach Dick Jauron after a Week 10 loss. They named defensive coordinator Perry Fewell interim head coach.

Nix on Thursday said Fewell would be interviewed for the head-coaching vacancy. Other assistants could be re-hired.

Here is a rundown of the coaches who finished the year with the Bills:

• Bobby April, assistant head coach/special teams coordinator
• Alex Van Pelt, offensive coordinator
• Eric Studesville, running game coordinator/running backs
• Ray Brown, assistant offensive line
• George Catavolos, defensive backs
• Charlie Coiner, tight ends
• DeMontie Cross assistant linebackers/special teams
• Nathaniel Hackett, offensive quality control
• Sean Kugler, offensive line
• Chuck Lester, assistant to the head coach/special projects
• Bob Sanders, defensive line
• Matt Sheldon, linebackers
• Tyke Tolbert, wide receivers
• Adrian White, defensive quality control
• John Allaire, strength and conditioning

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Terrell Owens entered the season in need of 49 receptions to reach 1,000 for his career.

He thought the milestone would've been achieved long ago. But with two games to play, he still needs a couple more.

"It's taking me a while," Owens said, forcing a smile.

Owens will be a Hall of Famer someday, but his year with the Bills likely will be an afterthought. He has some of the worst numbers of his career. He won't go to the playoffs. He will have lost more games that he won.

Since it's almost over and the holidays are an appropriate time for reflection, I asked Owens on Wednesday if he had any regrets about signing with the Bills.

"Oh, no, not at all," Owens replied. "I just feel bad because I'm a competitor, and I came to help get this team to the playoffs. Obviously, knowing the situation, knowing that they haven't made the playoffs in the last 10 years or whatnot, I felt that I could come here and be an added piece, considering what they had done the year before. It just didn't happen."

Owens rattled off a list of problems that began when the Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the first regular-season game. Then there was the release of left tackle Langston Walker a few days later, an obnoxious number of injuries, shuffling between quarterbacks Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick and head coach Dick Jauron's dismissal.

"I still feel that God has put me in this situation for whatever reason," Owens said. "Obviously, it wasn't the reason that I envisioned. So obviously he has somewhat of a plan, and I think I've grown a lot during this whole process.

"It's been tough. It's been frustrating, and there have been times where I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but I know that wouldn't be the right thing to do, wouldn’t really help the situation at all. I think that's part of me growing and maturing along the way."

Owens has been able to rehabilitate his notorious image in Buffalo, a place he was forced to play because better teams didn't want the headache.

Although Owens had early run-ins with the local media for refusing to talk after games, he mostly has blended into the small-market scenery. He did such a good job of not drawing negative media attention this year that he probably will get a more attractive offer and be gone from Buffalo in 2010.

"I've had personal conversations with a lot of people that have pulled me to the side and have told me, 'Man, you're a great guy. You're nothing like I thought you were, or you're nothing like I heard you were,' " Owens said. "It's been that way every team that I've been on."

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.

Power Rankings: Preseason: 21. This week: 24.

2009 Schedule/Results

	Kevin Hoffman/US Presswire
	Terrell Owens has just 23 receptions in eight games this season.

Where they stand: The Bills are 3-5 and tied for last place in the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins -- but not in the same class. The Bills would need to darn near run the table and then hope for help along the way to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade, and that's not happening. Their offense is anemic, with a line that was weak from the start and has been decimated by injuries. They have the worst run defense in the NFL, and esteemed special-teams coach Bobby April's units are playing well below what we're used to seeing.

Disappointments: When kick returner Leodis McKelvin fumbled away a near-certain victory over the New England Patriots on opening night, it was a harbinger of the season. Bills fans were borderline euphoric over the possibilities of an offense with receivers Terrell Owens and Lee Evans and a potent backfield with Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. Third-year quarterback Trent Edwards could have been looking at a breakout campaign with those weapons and a new no-huddle offense. The Bills woefully underestimated their talent on the line. The first string failed to score a touchdown in five preseason games. The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the season opener, have Owens on pace for his worst season since he was a rookie and scrapped the no-huddle.

Surprises: The biggest surprise is that head coach Dick Jauron still has a job, but the spirit of this category is to recognize pleasant developments. There haven't been many, but rookie safety Jairus Byrd has been awesome. The second-round draft choice from Oregon has seven interceptions, tying him with defensive player of the year candidate Darren Sharper for the league high. Buffalo's secondary as a whole has played well, especially considering three-fourths of the original starting quartet has been sidelined. McKelvin is out for the season and safeties Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott have missed several games.

Outlook: After 10 years of not making the playoffs, the organization should have completed the rebuilding phase from its last postseason game, which ended with the Music City Miracle. Many teams have rebuilt, imploded and rebuilt again in that span. But the Bills likely are facing an offseason of further transition. In addition to Jauron's job being in jeopardy, the Bills still don't have a reliable quarterback -- a veteran or a viable understudy -- on the roster. With word they're considering Michael Vick, one has to wonder if the Bills have any organizational plan whatsoever or if they're content to wing it year after year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Terrell Owens has his statistical measuring stick, and it's a pretty short one.

"I have been looking at my stats compared to Roy E. Williams' stats over there with the Cowboys," Owens said Wednesday at the Buffalo Bills' facility, "and my goal is to have better stats than him by the end of the season."

Owens probably was half-joking, but a major reason the Dallas Cowboys released him was the presence of Williams, who they acquired last season from the Detroit Lions for three draft picks, including first- and third-round choices this year.

Williams has 12 catches for 230 yards and one touchdown with Dallas. Owens has 18 catches for 242 yards and one touchdown for the Bills.

Owens on Wednesday opened up a little about his frustrations with Buffalo's offense and his role in it. He reiterated if he didn't score 10 touchdowns he would give back the key to the city Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown gave him before the season.

Owens was diplomatic in his comments, and nobody can fault the future Hall of Famer for being disappointed with his stats.

"They are pathetic, to be honest," Owens said. "Definitely for me it is very frustrating.

"A lot of people have said that I have hit the wall. I can't play anymore. I know I can play, and that's the thing. I understand what is going on with this team, and from a team standpoint then we are going to have to do the little things to help win games.

"We know we have a lot of rookies on the offensive line. We have a lot of injuries, a lot of new guys filling in, and a lot of first-year guys on the front line. Teams know that and are scheming and pinning their ears back and bringing a lot of pressure. That is not allowing us to throw the ball downfield and get a lot of those timing patterns in that we would like."

Fellow receiver Lee Evans is having an off season, too. In addition to the offensive line, neither Trent Edwards nor Ryan Fitzpatrick has been able to feed Owens the ball regularly. The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the season and installed Alex Van Pelt. Drops also have been an issue.

"I think it's a combination of everything," Owens said. "Not to discount or discredit anyone, but the offenses I have been in I have been involved more and there is a lot more of formation shifts. Obviously, the line was a lot more stable.

"We know that we have a young line and teams are just teeing off on us and bringing a lot of pressure. We are trying to get some things downfield given the opportunity, and we have done that and we have misconnected on some."

Owens is projected to have his worst season since he was a rookie. But he expressed optimism a breakout performance could be on the horizon. The Bills host the Houston Texans on Sunday.

"It's just a matter of time before I have my day," he said. "Other than that, we are winning and our main goal here this week and this weekend is to go into the bye week with a win, 4-4, even."

And let's not forget staying one step ahead of Williams.

"Just keep working hard, keep looking at the Roy Williams stats," Owens added. "As long as I am doing better than him I am good."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Feel free to add more of your rationale in the comments section below, but here are some reasons off the top of my head why the Buffalo Bills must fire Dick Jauron.

Jauron coaches the NFL's most undisciplined team. Heading into Monday night's game, the Bills lead the league in accepted penalties with 44 and rank second in penalty yards with 336. This stat is amazing to me: 31 different players have been flagged this year. Think about that. A team dresses only 45 for a game.

Jauron has one of the most careless teams. The Bills go into Monday night ranked 30th in turnover differential at minus-6. Two kick return fumbles have caused two of their defeats in the final three minutes.

The Bills' last two losses were their opponents' first victories. The Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns were a combined 0-7 heading into their games against the Bills.

Jauron hasn't won a divisional game since Dec. 9, 2007. The Bills are 0-8 since then, losing every AFC East game last year and two so far this year. Next up: the bloodthirsty New York Jets defense at the Meadowlands.

Jauron's decision to change offensive coordinators was foolish. Because the Bills played in the Hall of Fame Game, they had the benefit of five exhibitions to get their offense organized. Then, 10 days before the season starts, he fired coordinator Turk Schonert. Jauron insisted that owner Ralph Wilson didn't make this call, so how a head coach can be so unaware of his own staff is beyond me. Jauron worked with Schonert last year but apparently made a total misread.

The Bills are 3-12 since it was reported Jauron reached agreement on his three-year contract extension. Their victories were against the Kansas City Chiefs (2-14 last year), Denver Broncos (8-8 last year) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5 so far this year). Worse yet, Jauron is 1-7 at home since the agreement.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Buffalo Bills

• Olean Times Herald sports columnist Chuck Pollock notes the move to fire offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the season opener has worked so far.
• Jonah Bronstein of the Niagara Gazette looks back on Fred Jackson's improbable journey from Coe College to top-five NFL rusher.
• Buffalo News reporters Mark Gaughan and Jay Skurski provide a look at the Bills' roster additions.
• Brian Galliford of BuffaloRumblings.com takes a gander at how the Bills' pass defense will fare against Drew Brees and the Saints.

Miami Dolphins

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel columnist Ethan J. Skolnick writes the Dolphins "just ended Sparano's extended honeymoon, one that lasted an unusually long time in modern sporting times."
• Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote examines the third-and-6 play that could have set the tone for a different ending Monday night.
• Greg Stoda of the Palm Beach Post breaks down the confusing final 3:13 for Miami's offense.
• On "The Fifth Down" blog at NYTimes.com, Andy Barall pays tribute to Monte Clark, the offensive line coach who helped pave the way for Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris.

New England Patriots

• ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss analyzes Tuesday's acquisition of depth linebacker Prescott Burgess.
• Boston Globe reporter Christopher L. Gasper takes a look at how the Patriots will defend Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez without Rodney Harrison.
• Quincy Patriot Ledger reporter Glen Farley notes Tom Brady is on pace to throw an NFL-record 800 times.
• WEEI.com's Kerry Byrne implores the Patriots to limit passing and start handing off more.

New York Jets

• Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post dares you to name the star of Sunday's victory over the Patriots.
• New York Daily News reporter Rich Cimini tempers excitement with a checklist of items the Jets can do better.
• J.P. Pelzman of the Bergen Record writes the Jets are trying to keep themselves grounded after their sensational 2-0 start.
• Newsday's Roderick Boone takes notice of defensive back Donald Strickland's contributions.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Jim Kelly neither professed his support nor disapproval of his old team's decisions to fire its offensive coordinator and left tackle within 10 days of the season opener.

When I asked the greatest quarterback in Buffalo Bills history about the moves, he merely shrugged his shoulders and said that it couldn't get any worse.

"Put it this way: What do we have to lose?" Kelly said at ESPN's Chalk Talk luncheon to preview Monday night's opener between the Bills and New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium. "We haven't made the playoffs the last I don't know how many years. Of course, this coaching staff has had back to back-to-back 7-9 seasons.

"They went out and got T.O. They got a couple other guys. They got a young offensive line. What do they have to lose? Let's just go with it."

It has been nine years, Jim, since the Bills made the postseason.

Ten days ago, the Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, who was Buffalo's backup quarterback in Kelly's final two seasons.

"It's hard when you have only a few days of preparation and the reins are thrown over to you within one week before a 'Monday Night Football' game, an opener, away, in New England," Kelly said. "That makes it more difficult. A little pressure on Alex tonight."

But Kelly expressed confidence in his old understudy and fellow Western Pennsylvania native.

"I know what type of football mind he has," Kelly said of Van Pelt. "I know what he can do. Just like anybody, you wish you had more time in training camp to be able to implement some of the things you know you can do. But I'm sure Alex is going to throw some of this wrinkles in there."

Bills head coach Dick Jauron axed Schonert the morning after quarterback Trent Edwards and the first-team offense -- despite an extra game, no less -- concluded the preseason with zero touchdowns and one field goal on 16 possessions.

Kelly offered Van Pelt some advice as they rode to the airport together before flying into New England.

"What I told him is 'Put yourself in Trent's shoes. What would you do if you were out there?' because I trust his football mind," Kelly said.

"Hopefully, Alex will get this thing turned around. Look across the board. They have some weapons with Lee Evans and [Terrell Owens] and Roscoe Parrish, who can run with it once he gets it. The backfield's not too bad."

Buffalo's biggest question mark is its green front five. Less than a week ago, the Bills released Langston Walker, their most experienced offensive lineman. They will start two rookies and a second-year pro with NFL experience against the Patriots.

The Bills' projected O-line starters have 56 career starts among them, the fewest in an opening-day lineup since the 2002 New York Giants. The Patriots' starting line has 372 NFL starts.

"But I've watched them practice, and they've got some attitudes," Kelly said. "That's the type of attitude of an offensive lineman I want on my football team. The experience isn't quite there. It might take a little time, and they don't have it right now.

"It's buckle the chinstraps, put the cleats in the ground and let's play a little 'Monday Night Football.' "

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- This was supposed to be Trent Edwards' big no-excuses season.

He purportedly had all the materials he would need. Three years into his NFL career, we were going to find out whether he deserved to be considered the Buffalo Bills' quarterback of the future.

	George Gojkovich/Getty Images
	Trent Edwards has a lot to adjust to this season: a new left tackle, new offensive coordinator and new offensive scheme to run.

That was the sentiment a month ago, maybe even a couple weeks ago.

Not anymore.

Edwards heads into 2009 with less support than he's ever had. If Edwards were to fall flat on his facemask this year, we still wouldn't know with any reasonable degree of certainty what he's capable of and whether he should be the man in 2010.

Within 10 days of the season opener, the Bills have made decisions that dim Edwards' chances of success.

Edwards, to his credit, isn't looking for excuses. It sounds like he still believes the Bills' offense depends mainly on him.

"I think that the position I am in -- with two years under my belt, with a lot of say in the way this offense goes -- a lot of the reason this offense is going to be where it needs to be is because of me," Edwards said. "I think that's a great opportunity for me."

About the only way we will discover anything new about Edwards is if he puts the team on his back and leads them to the playoffs.

Anything less can be justified by the circumstances the Bills' front office and coaching staff created.
(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Let me first state that I wasn't there.

Well, I was in the same building as Terrell Owens on Wednesday afternoon.

	Joe Robbins/Getty Images
	Terrell Owens' comments about the Bills' no-huddle offense shouldn't be taken too seriously.

But I wasn't in Foxborough, Mass., where New England Patriots reporters were listening to Owens on a conference call to preview Monday night's season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Owens was in a playful mood when he took a jab at the Patriots, saying there was "nothing up my sleeve. I might bring my spy camera," and delivering a self-effacing joke that's being misconstrued as criticism of Buffalo's offense.

Owens was asked if he liked Buffalo's no-huddle approach.

"No, not really," Owens replied. "But I got to deal with it."

Then Owens laughed and explained the up-tempo style can be tough on a receiver. Plus, he missed four of Buffalo's five preseason games because of a sprained toe.

But folks are acting like this is the first sign of a pending Owens blowup.

Observers have been wondering when T.O. was going to become a headache. He still might at some point, but I can confidently say this wasn't it.

"No, it’s all right," Owens said of the no-huddle. "It just gets you a little winded. For myself, I haven't really practiced much the last few preseason games. So I’m still trying to get myself into shape, and that’s coming around.

"We're doing some things in the offense that will help me get in shape a little bit faster than I need to, especially with the upcoming Monday night game. You know, that's part of our offense, and we're looking forward to it.

"I've gotten a taste of it since the OTAs, and I know what to expect. That's sometimes a plus for the offense, especially if we can kind of wear guys down and keep them on the field and don't allow them to make substitutions. It's something we’re looking forward to, and we're going to try it out."

The Bills' offense has been under the microscope all summer. Their decision to go sans huddle excited the fans and conjured memories of Jim Kelly running the K-Gun in the 1990s.

But the Bills' first-stringers no-huddled their way to zero touchdowns and one field goal on 16 preseason possessions. The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert on Friday.

Owens tweeted at the time that he ran Schonert off because he wasn't getting the ball through to him enough in the preseason -- even though Owens played only one series.

"Well, I’m no stranger to surprise," Owens said of the coordinator switch to Alex Van Pelt. "I got the biggest surprise that anybody could imagine [when the Dallas Cowboys released him] in March, so that was nothing.

"It was just one of those things. It's part of the business, and you kind of deal with the shock initially, and you let it wear off and you keep moving."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Tuesday's edition of "Outside the Lines" examined last week's rash of offensive coordinator-cides, including the Buffalo Bills' decision to snuff Turk Schonert on Friday -- 10 days before the season opener against the New England Patriots.

ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck, who signed with the Bills out of Boston College in 2001 but didn't make the final roster, said he spoke to the players and was told Schonert had become a divisive element on the team by openly contradicting head coach Dick Jauron's philosophies in team meetings.

"I know personally, from talking to players on that team," Hasselbeck said, "that Turk was actually talking to the players and blaming some of the lack of success the offense was having on the fact that this [offense] was being forced down his throat.

"When you have a coaching staff that isn't pulling in the same direction to ultimately win football games, and you have coaches backstabbing other coaches, going behind their backs and saying, 'Hey, I don't like this idea, but this is what the head coach wants,' you end up creating a situation where no one trusts anybody."

The day Schonert was fired, he ripped Jauron to Buffalo's CBS affiliate.

Schonert told the station Jauron "wants a Pop Warner offense. He limited me in formations and limited me in plays. He's been on my back all offseason."

"Outside the Lines" host Bob Ley asked former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick whether Schonert's comments would haunt him.

"The thing that concerned me," Billick said, "was to hear Turk talk about Dick Jauron going to him several times in the summer, and he said, 'He kept telling me this had to change. This has to change.' Well, obviously, you weren't listening. The head coach, at the end of the day, is going to be the one responsible.

"There's always going to be discussion back and forth. You can disagree. ... But, at the end of the day, if the head coach says, 'This is what I want to see,' then that's what you're supposed to do, and you need to present it as though it were your own idea. And it didn't sound like that was happening."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick doesn't have to think back too far to remember the last time his team got burned by a wounded opponent.

The Miami Dolphins, coming off a 1-15 season, had started out 0-2 when they pulled into Gillette Stadium. That was the afternoon Miami opened up a can of whoopcat and stunned New England 38-13.

So don't for one moment think Belichick is chalking up Monday night's matchup with the Buffalo Bills as a victory.

Buffalo's offense is in chaos. They fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert on Friday and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, whose only play-calling experience was with the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2005.

They released running back Dominic Rhodes on Saturday and dumped left tackle Langston Walker on Tuesday. Marshawn Lynch, who the Bills used a lot in the preseason, has begun a three-game suspension.

On a conference call Tuesday, Belichick was asked how difficult it can be to scout an opponent that has undergone a sudden and significant transformation just before the start of a season.

"I know from experience and from observing other teams and other situations similar to this, you can't really change everything you're doing in a week or in a few days," Belichick said. "You have to take the foundation you have. You might modify it a little bit, but you can't completely overhaul it in a couple of days."

The Bills are hoping a different personality will provide a more favorable interpretation of the same playbook that produced zero touchdowns for their first-team offense on 16 preseason possessions.

Belichick, however, said what the Bills showed in the preseason still provides valuable insight on what the Patriots can expect.

"I'm sure that Buffalo will continue to run a lot of the plays they've already run," Belichick said. "They may cook them up a little bit differently or modify them somewhat based on a different philosophy, but I think it will be pretty consistent with what they're doing.

"Now that being said, I know that going into opening day every team holds back a few things for the start of the regular season that weren't out there in preseason. ... I'm sure they’ll have some wrinkles and things that we won't have prepared for, but at the same time when you've been in training camp and have had 40 practices, by the time you get to opening day there will be a lot of things that you'll be doing in that first game that you will have spent a lot of time on, and hopefully you’ll be able to do well in the regular season when it counts.

"We all know that we're going to have to rely on those things that we've been doing and not cook up a big new game plan -- come out and run the wishbone, do something we haven't done all year -- and think that [we’re] going to even be able to execute it very well."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Langston Walker's preseason was even worse than originally believed.

The Buffalo Bills not only replaced the eight-year veteran at left tackle with a prospect who hasn't played a single NFL down. They also released him, choosing not to move him back to his old spot at right tackle or even keep him around for depth.

Walker

Bell

Demetrius Bell is expected to start at left tackle in Monday night's season opener against the New England Patriots. Bell recently returned to practice after missing two weeks with a back injury.

Think the Patriots smell blood?

The Bills on Friday fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt after the first-teamers failed to score a touchdown on 16 preseason possessions.

Now Patriots coach Bill Belichick gets to devise a game plan for the two neophytes who'll be protecting quarterback Trent Edwards' blindside. Bell, a seventh-round draft choice last year, was inactive for the first 15 games. He dressed for the season finale but didn't get on the field.

The left guard has been rookie Andy Levitre.

On Aug. 28, I reported the Bills' coaching staff was favoring Bell over Walker despite the disparity in experience at such an important spot, arguably the second most important position on offense. Those plans were expected to be delayed -- perhaps until the bye week -- because Bell's injury caused him to miss valuable reps and two preseason games.

But the Bills obviously wanted Walker gone in a bad way. Bell certainly comes at a cheaper price.

Buffalo moved Walker to left tackle after trading two-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters and declining to draft another tackle to replace him. Walker had started all 32 games at right tackle the past two seasons.

The Bills also announced they've re-signed depth tackle Kirk Chambers, who started at three line positions last year. They released him Saturday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

New York Jets

• New York Daily News reporter Rich Cimini writes the Jets' interest in Brandon Marshall is fading fast.
• New York Post reporter Mark Cannizzaro projects greatness for quarterback Mark Sanchez.
• Newsday's Roderick Boone takes a gander at the significant steps backup quarterback Erik Ainge took in preseason.

Buffalo Bills

• CBSSports.com columnist Ray Ratto gives Turk Schonert some career advice -- for a career that's probably over.
• Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reporter Sal Maiorana doesn't see much reason for hope, writing the "2009 standings say the Bills are 0-0, but it sure feels like about 0-6 right now."
• Buffalo News reporter Allen Wilson tells us why running back Xavier Omon made the roster while Dominic Rhodes did not.

Miami Dolphins

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter Mike Berardino notes how loose Tony Sparano is heading into the season opener.
• Palm Beach Post reporter Edgar Thompson takes a look at backup tight end Joey Haynos, whose role increased with David Martin's trip to injured reserve.
• Anthony Fasano is turning into an all-around tight end, writes the Miami Herald's Jeff Darlington.

New England Patriots

• Boston Herald columnist Ron Borges advises nose tackle Vince Wilfork to hold out unless the Patriots meet a Wednesday deadline for a contract extension.
• Tom Brady tells WEEI that the trade of Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders is business and nothing more.
• Boston Globe reporter Monique Walker takes a look at how long snapper Jake Ingram is integrating with the special teams.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Sunday was the first time reporters had access to the Buffalo Bills since head coach Dick Jauron fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt.

A sampling of the comments from transcripts provided by the club ...

Receiver Lee Evans on the switch:

"I think it’s going to be good. I was excited to come in here today to see what changes were going to be made and how things were going to be different. I’m certainly excited about it and we’re moving forward."

Van Pelt on how a new play-caller can utilize the same playbook differently:

"If you have the same offense and you have three different guys call it, it’s going to look completely different. It’s just the personality that it takes on as the guy calling the plays. I don’t think you have to change the plays. I think they’re all good plays ,and we’re running the same thing a lot of other people run in this league it’s just how you call it I think it’ll make it look a little different."

Quarterback Trent Edwards on why the change had to be made:

"You have to look at it like we need to score points. We need to be in rhythm, and we hadn’t done that the past couple of weeks. There was no saying that we weren't going to be able to do that without Turk here, but that’s the decision the head coach made, and that’s something that is a little above my pay grade."

Receiver Terrell Owens on whether the switch will make a difference if the playbook stays the same:

"All they do is call them. We have to go out there and execute them, so it doesn’t really matter. [Anyone] can go out there and call the plays. So if we know what we're supposed to do, and we're not doing it, then, 'Hey, who's to blame?' So I think the guys that are out here, like I said, we've had a couple of days to assess the situation. We have to take accountability. We have to go out there and jell with one another and go out there and play on Monday night."

Van Pelt on Edwards' lackluster exhibition performances:

"I don't think the preseason is indicative to the type of player that Trent is. We went into those games without a real solid game plan and a lot of preparation. We were still in our camp mode. Given the time we have before Monday night I feel like we'll have him ready to go and he’ll have a good understanding of what we’re expecting from them and what we’re expecting from us offensively."