Tired Of Losing, Levy Retires As Coach Of Bills

For Marv Levy, it wasn’t the Buffalo Bills’ four straight Super Bowl losses that hurt. It was the team’s steady decline the past two seasons that finally proved too much.

Saying he no longer could accept losing after a 6-10 season, Levy retired Wednesday after 12 years to give somebody else a chance to rebuild the Bills.

“The anguish I felt after every loss over the last few years had begun to reach an intensity that the thrill of victory could not overcome,” said the 72-year-old Levy, who missed the playoffs for just the third time in his tenure.

Levy finished his career in Buffalo with a 123-78 record, the best in team history. The team won consecutive AFC championships from 1990-93, but failed to win the Super Bowl those four straight years.

Levy had told friends in recent weeks that he felt coaching several more years.

But after a series of weekend meetings with Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Levy decided it was best to quit. Levy said he will consider broadcasting offers.

The Bills did not name a new coach, although defensive coordinator Wade Phillips appears to be the leading candidate.

Bills running back Thurman Thomas says he may decide to call his pro football career quits now that Levy is stepping down.

“It does change my thinking a little bit because I knew deep down I was coming back for another year, but I was wanting to come back under Marv Levy.”

Thomas said he and many other Bills want Phillips to be named head coach.

“If Wade Phillips is the guy, I’m going to try and come back two or three more years,” Thomas said.

Bledsoe hopes for redemption

Drew Bledsoe will see Kevin Henry on Saturday in Pittsburgh, three weeks too late.

Had he seen Henry in Foxboro before lobbing a devastating interception to the Steelers defensive end Dec. 13, the New England Patriots would be home for the second round of the playoffs.

“It hurt for a little while, but I’m over it now and, hopefully, can rectify the situation with a win this week,” Bledsoe said.

If they had won, the Patriots would have had a first-round bye and a game at home where they’re 12-1 in their past 13 games. Instead, the Steelers got the bye and the Patriots must try to win in Three Rivers Stadium, where Pittsburgh is 21-2 in its last 23 games.

Pack won’t look past Bucs

As the Packers prepare for the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brett Favre is admonishing his teammates to not forget 1995, when Green Bay pulled off a startling upset at San Francisco.

“It’s the same scenario,” he said. “I mean, almost identical.”

The Packers went 11-5 two years ago and beat Atlanta at home in a wild-card playoff. Then, as a huge underdog, they upset the 49ers 27-17 on the road.

“At the time, nobody thought we were that good. By winning that game, we got over the hump,” Favre added. “Same thing with Tampa. They’re really good. But they’re wondering. And we were wondering when we went to San Francisco. We won and we haven’t looked back.”