JerseyDawg17
12-13-2007, 03:27 PM
By PAUL A. JANNACE/Daily Reporter
Published: Thursday, December 13, 2007 1:25 PM CST
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ORCHARD PARK — The Buffalo Bills’ offense will undergo a major change ... just not right now.
Offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild accepted the job as the new head coach of the Colorado State University football team.
However, Fairchild will remain with the Bills until the end of the season and no new candidates will be considered until then.
“We have an important game this weekend with the Cleveland Browns that requires all of my concentration and I do appreciate CSU and the Bills for allowing me to finish out my responsibilities here in Buffalo prior to assuming my new role,” Fairchild said in an official team statement released Wednesday. “This is an exciting time for my family, as well as myself, and I want to thank CSU President Larry Edward Penley and Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk. I also want to thank Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson and head coach Dick Jauron for the opportunity afforded to me the past two seasons.”
Bills’ head coach Dick Jauron alerted his players of Fairchild’s new job at the end of practice Wednesday.
Fairchild replaces Sonny Lubick, let go by CSU last month, and will coach at the same college he played quarterback for.
“I’m really happy for Steve in him being selected as the new head coach at Colorado State,” Jauron said. “It’s a great opportunity for him, he’s familiar with the place and he’s a tremendous coach.”
Jauron said Fairchild’s role should not change much and likely will not travel until the Bills’ season ends, but have allowed him to conduct Colorado State recruiting and other related business over the phone.
However, with a game in Cleveland Sunday afternoon with playoff implications, the team is not concerned about distractions.
“It’s going to be the same game plan,” said Bills’ quarterback Trent Edwards. “He’s going to call the same game.
“He’s going to be there on Sunday and there’s nothing that’s going to change in our mind,” continued Edwards. “I’m still planning on him being there and I’m definitely going to be there as well.”
Bills’ wide receiver Lee Evans said adjusting to a new offense in 2008 is something not uncommon in the NFL.
“Obviously, most people around the league, you don’t stay in the same offense for long periods of time,” Evans said. “It’ll be nice, but if somebody else comes in with a different type of offense, then that’s what we’ll have.”
Fairchild has come under fire for the Bills’ lack of creativity and explosiveness on offense, which many thought would take the next step based on last season’s late-season improvements.
However, the team has struggled to score points (17.1 per game-26th in the NFL), save for a pair of strong performances against two porous defenses. The team often settles for field goals and is among the worst in red zone offense.
“Last year we certainly came a long way from the beginning to the end,” Jauron said. “This year it appears we’re doing the same thing, but we’re not done yet. We’ve got a ways to go.
“We’ve got these three games and they’re critical games, but as I said earlier, I really think a lot of Steve Fairchild,” added Jauron. You never want to lose a tremendous coach, but you do want them to advance and you do want everybody to get what they worked so hard to get and achieve in this business.”
Published: Thursday, December 13, 2007 1:25 PM CST
E-mail this story | Print this page
ORCHARD PARK — The Buffalo Bills’ offense will undergo a major change ... just not right now.
Offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild accepted the job as the new head coach of the Colorado State University football team.
However, Fairchild will remain with the Bills until the end of the season and no new candidates will be considered until then.
“We have an important game this weekend with the Cleveland Browns that requires all of my concentration and I do appreciate CSU and the Bills for allowing me to finish out my responsibilities here in Buffalo prior to assuming my new role,” Fairchild said in an official team statement released Wednesday. “This is an exciting time for my family, as well as myself, and I want to thank CSU President Larry Edward Penley and Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk. I also want to thank Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson and head coach Dick Jauron for the opportunity afforded to me the past two seasons.”
Bills’ head coach Dick Jauron alerted his players of Fairchild’s new job at the end of practice Wednesday.
Fairchild replaces Sonny Lubick, let go by CSU last month, and will coach at the same college he played quarterback for.
“I’m really happy for Steve in him being selected as the new head coach at Colorado State,” Jauron said. “It’s a great opportunity for him, he’s familiar with the place and he’s a tremendous coach.”
Jauron said Fairchild’s role should not change much and likely will not travel until the Bills’ season ends, but have allowed him to conduct Colorado State recruiting and other related business over the phone.
However, with a game in Cleveland Sunday afternoon with playoff implications, the team is not concerned about distractions.
“It’s going to be the same game plan,” said Bills’ quarterback Trent Edwards. “He’s going to call the same game.
“He’s going to be there on Sunday and there’s nothing that’s going to change in our mind,” continued Edwards. “I’m still planning on him being there and I’m definitely going to be there as well.”
Bills’ wide receiver Lee Evans said adjusting to a new offense in 2008 is something not uncommon in the NFL.
“Obviously, most people around the league, you don’t stay in the same offense for long periods of time,” Evans said. “It’ll be nice, but if somebody else comes in with a different type of offense, then that’s what we’ll have.”
Fairchild has come under fire for the Bills’ lack of creativity and explosiveness on offense, which many thought would take the next step based on last season’s late-season improvements.
However, the team has struggled to score points (17.1 per game-26th in the NFL), save for a pair of strong performances against two porous defenses. The team often settles for field goals and is among the worst in red zone offense.
“Last year we certainly came a long way from the beginning to the end,” Jauron said. “This year it appears we’re doing the same thing, but we’re not done yet. We’ve got a ways to go.
“We’ve got these three games and they’re critical games, but as I said earlier, I really think a lot of Steve Fairchild,” added Jauron. You never want to lose a tremendous coach, but you do want them to advance and you do want everybody to get what they worked so hard to get and achieve in this business.”