Bills Central

ESPN questions why Bills are following lowly Raiders in coaching search

Despite vastly different recent results, the Bills and Raiders are seemingly interviewing the same head coach prospects.
Bills-Raiders
Bills-Raiders | Jamie Germano / USA TODAY NETWORK

If you're copying the blueprint of a loser, can you possibly be putting yourself in a position to be a winner?

The Buffalo Bills are conducting their first head-coaching search in 10 years. Over that same span, the Las Vegas Raiders have hired and fired six coaches. Since 2017 the Bills have been led by only Sean McDermott. The Raiders have rifled through the likes of Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll.

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The Bills record in that span — 98-50 with eight playoff wins and two trips to the AFC Championship Game. The Raiders are 56-93 without a win in the postseason. The Raiders fired Pete Carroll after going 3-14 this season. Buffalo fired McDermott after a controversial loss to the Broncos in the Divisional Round.

Given those polar opposite histories, why are the teams looking in almost the same direction in their current searches for a new coach?

Josh Allen, Brian Daboll
Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll talks with quarterback Josh Allen during training camp on Aug. 15, 2018. | Jamie Germano / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"You've got a situation where the Bills are interviewing most, if not all, of the same candidates as the Raiders," ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano said on Tuesday's Get Up! "That's ... interesting."

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Both teams have interviewed Brian Dabolll, Joe Brady and Davis Webb

The Bills' job offers a chance to coach Josh Allen in an ownership led by often-rambling Terry Pegula. The Raiders have the No. 1 pick in April's NFL Draft, presenting a coach with the chance to have Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and work for an owership group that includes Tom Brady.

Joe Brady-Josh Allen
Joe Brady-Josh Allen | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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