PITTSBURGH — Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron already has a strong rooting interest in the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting that will take place in February.

Jauron is close friends with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who

this week was picked as one of the two senior nominees for the Hall's Class of 2010.

"He's the best," Jauron said. "He really deserves it."

LeBeau played 14 years as a defensive back for the Detroit Lions, and his 62 career

interceptions ranked third in NFL history at the time of his retirement. The total still ranks

seventh on the all-time list.

LeBeau has built just as impressive a career as an NFL coach the past 36 years. He has won

two Super Bowl rings as Steelers defensive chief the past six years, and he was defensive

coordinator in three other Super Bowl games.

LeBeau was Jauron's position coach in the defensive backfield in Cincinnati in the last two

years of Jauron's playing career, 1980 and '81. The two have remained close ever since. But

Jauron knew a lot about him before that. LeBeau's playing career ended with Detroit in 1972.

Jauron's career started with the Lions in '73.

"They talked about him all the time, everywhere, in the training room, the coaches, the

players, everybody," Jauron said. "They talked about his knowledge of the game and his almost

coaching on the field, sharing information, preparation, all that stuff."

"His nickname was Lates," Jauron said. "They still called him Lates LeBeau when I was

there. And he was never late. He was always right on the button, right on time."

Jauron on LeBeau's coaching style: "He's as good as it can get. He prepares you, gives you

great confidence. He's very up front. I don't want to say brutal. But he's brutally honest.

"He'll tell you exactly how he sees it, how you're doing, how it's supposed to be done, how

and why it fits with what everyone else on the team is doing."

LeBeau, who was assistant head coach under Gregg Williams in Buffalo in 2003, created the

zone-blitz scheme that has been a staple of NFL defense since the 1990s. The zone blitz calls

for a lineman to drop off into coverage and be replaced in the pass rush by a linebacker or

defensive back, while the secondary plays zone coverage behind the blitzers.

"The game is so different now because of that," Jauron said. "They come at you on defense

now in so many ways that at some time — and not that too distant in the past — you

would have said that's not sound. You wouldn't have thought to try that. But he did. That's

kind of how he is.

"He's not afraid to be innovative in terms of defensive scheme, gap control and attacking

protection schemes."

LeBeau, likewise, is a big fan of Jauron.

"He's one of the most honest people you'll ever meet," LeBeau said of Jauron at the Super Bowl

in February. "He has the highest integrity, and that exudes from him, and he's able to connote

that to people around him.

"The players respond to him. They know he has a sincere concern for them. He wants nothing

but victories and what's best for the group as a whole. He lets people know that's the way

it's going to be.

"He's going to be successful," LeBeau said. "I think he's a great coach. There's no

question in my mind that franchise is going to be successful with him."

LeBeau and Denver running back Floyd Little were the two senior nominees for the Hall.

Senior nominees are players whose careers ended at least 25 years ago. They will join 15

modern-era candidates on the list of finalists for the hall.

. . .

Terrell Owens continues to give upbeat reports on his sprained toe via his Twitter

messages.

Injured players who do not dress for the Bills do not travel to exhibition games, a custom

many teams follow. Owens reported that he spent the weekend in Dallas and visited Cowboys

receiver Roy Williams, who took Owens' spot as that team's No. 1 wideout.

Owens also reported en route to Dallas that "My toe is healed." He got treatment on his

sprained toe Saturday. "My toe is good," Owens said.

Owens practiced on a limited basis with the Bills on Thursday. The Bills are off today and

return to practice Monday.

Besides Owens, the other starting Bill who missed the game was defensive end Aaron Schobel

(elbow). Backups who did not dress were tight ends Derek Fine (hamstring) and Travis McCall

(knee), tackle Demetrius Bell (back), cornerback Drayton Florence (knee), receivers James

Hardy (knee) and Felton Huggins (groin), and linebacker Pat Thomas (calf).

. . .

The Bills took a long look at reserve defensive ends Chris Ellis and Copeland Bryan. They got

a lot of snaps in the first half, subbing for starting ends Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney.

Spencer Johnson got some snaps at defensive end, too.

Running back Fred Jackson suited up despite suffering a bruised thumb in practice this

week. Jackson sat out Wednesday and Thursday's workouts but was able to practice Friday. He

did not play.

. . .

The Steelers were without starting running back Willie Parker (hamstring), No. 3 QB Dennis

Dixon (shoulder), starting receiver Santonio Holmes (back) and kicker Jeff Reed (ankle).

Rashard Mendenhall, who played only four games as a rookie last year due to a shoulder

injury, started for Parker. Limas Sweed started for Holmes.