Archives for October 8, 2001

‘That’s the sort of year it’s become. Dark. Dank. Depressing. Seasoned Buffalo Bills fans can feel it in their bones – a troubling chill, beckoning from back in the ’80s. You wanted to believe in this team, but there is no mistaking it now. The Bills are very bad, as bad as they’ve been in a generation.’

‘Whether Johnson belongs here is no longer a relevant topic; here he is, like it or not. More worrisome is whether he will leave here intact. How many times can his head be scrambled before the damage becomes enduring? Will every morning of his later years begin with the joints of his battered body screaming in defiance? And, while we’re at it, let’s also consider whether there has been a Bill more prone, no, not to injury, but to widespread misfortune.’

‘Even though the Buffalo Bills were playing catch-up throughout their 42-36 loss to the New York Jets Sunday, Henry was able to do some damage with 113 yards on 19 carries.’

‘It’s been a long time since Western New York has watched a team this poor…’.

‘Few in the sellout crowd said they feared for their safety at the game, and that included some who have seen firsthand the toll of terror in New York.’

‘The Jumbotron showed that the Bills produced 36 points. That was one more point than they had scored in their previous three games combined. However, the Jumbotron also revealed that the New York Jets had scored 42 points. News flash: Thirty-six beats 42 in golf, not in football.’

‘Gregg Williams said it all when he commented after the game that his team isn’t good enough to win when it spots an opponent 14 points before he’s had time to strap on his headset. Come to think of it, his team, as currently constituted, isn’t good enough to win when the game starts 0-0.’

‘While the game showcased Buffalo’s perseverance — and some promising signs out of rookie coach Gregg Williams and his staff — the game wasn’t as close as the final score or the statistics said it was.’

‘It was a cheap shot, a dirty play, a WWF pile driver, and though the zebras didn’t toss a flag, the commissioner’s office would be wise to review the tapes and lighten Lewis’ wallet this week.’

‘Eric Moulds and Peerless Price do play for this team. They combined for nine catches and 210 yards with Moulds scoring on a 46-yard play and Price a 70-yarder. Each dropped passes, however, to pull down the grade.’

‘"Now, that we’ve taken military action against the terrorists, you have to be concerned about what steps they will take to retaliate. You have to think that a football stadium with this many people would be a prime target. But what are you going to do? We’ve got tickets, we’re here, so we’re going."’

‘They were beaten for the fourth consecutive time yesterday, 42-36, by a shaky New York Jets team. It should be noted that the game was not that close. Six points suggests the Bills were competitive. In fact, they were never a serious threat. They flirted with it a couple of times, but their rallies were a mirage.’

‘It can be a sign of a maturing team when it can kick a bad team when it is down. And, more importantly, a sign that a struggling team might have found its footing is when it does not sink to the level of an even worse team. If that is the case, the Jets made progress today with a 42-36 victory over the inept Buffalo Bills.’

‘"I saw that," Jets Coach Herman Edwards said, alluding to the war news after his team’s 42-36 victory. "You think about all the troops over there who are fighting for us so that we can stand here. Your prayers are with them."’

‘This game was a homecoming for the Jets’ defensive coordinator, Ted Cottrell, who spent 10 years with the Bills and who interviewed for their head coaching job in the off-season before they hired Gregg Williams. Many Buffalo players made their way to the Jets’ sideline to greet Cottrell during warm-ups.’