--By a quirk in the schedule, Perry Fewell is going to have something of a homecoming Sunday in Jacksonville when he makes his head coaching debut.

Fewell, 47, who has never been a head coach on any level, was suddenly vaulted into the Buffalo Bills' head coaching job Tuesday when owner Ralph Wilson fired Dick Jauron and offered Fewell the job.

Fewell started his pro career with the Jaguars and he had some good times in his five-year stint as an assistant coach under Tom Coughlin from 1998-2002. He was swept out when Coughlin and his staff were fired. Fewell then spent two years in St. Louis and a year in Chicago before going to Buffalo.

Of his time in Jacksonville, Fewell said, "Great memories. I remember playing (coaching) in the '98 playoffs and '99 played in the AFC championship, had some really good football teams with Mark Brunell, Keenan McCardell and Fred Taylor and Tony Boselli. Loved living in the area. We were a good football team for a while. I got there my start there so very positive memories."

He said the highlight was making the 1999 AFC Championship Game.

"I didn't like the outcome. A new franchise, a young franchise, we went 13-3 that year, we lost to Tennessee three times, but we were a good football team. That was a lot of fun," he said.

Fewell then laughed when he was asked if he'd allow his assistants to talk to the media. "Definitely," he said. Coughlin operated under a single voice policy. His assistants weren't allowed to speak to the media.

--In his first major move, Fewell named Ryan Fitzpatrick his starting quarterback.

The Jaguars are no strangers to Fitzpatrick, whose main claim to fame is that he went to Harvard, as the starting quarterback. Fitzpatrick led Cincinnati to a 21-19 victory over the Jaguars last season as he threw two touchdown passes and one interception, but Fewell said Fitzpatrick's showing in that game has no bearing on the duel with the Jaguars.

--The Jaguars' secondary is in a state of flux as one starter, cornerback Rashean Mathis, has been declared out with a groin injury and a second starter, Gerald Alexander, who missed last week's game with a shoulder injury, missed practice Wednesday.

That means Reggie Nelson, who struggled at cornerback in Tennessee when Mathis was sidelined, will go back to safety and veteran Brian Russell will replace Alexander.

Since the Bills have a pair of proven wide receivers in Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, the new look in the secondary could pose a problems, but the Bills rank 29th in passing offense so they may not be able to take advantage of the Jaguars' problems.

BY THE NUMBERS
10 -- The number of games in which Maurice Jones-Drew has had 20 or more carries. He's done it five times this year now that Fred Taylor has departed.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I don't think anybody here from the information we were given anticipated him to continue to play at the level he's played at." -- Jack Del Rio in explaining that they traded defensive tackle Marcus Stroud two years ago because they thought he was too injury prone to be effective. But he's started all nine games for the Bills this season and has shown he still has a lot left in the tank.

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