Archives for December 21, 2001

‘But perhaps most telling is not how many times Johnson was sacked, but how infrequently Van Pelt has been since he took over.’

‘Buffalo’s most famous game in Atlanta wasn’t against the Falcons, but the Dallas Cowboys, as the Georgia Dome was the site of Super Bowl XXVIII. Unfortunately for the Bills, the fourth time to the Super Bowl wasn’t the charm, as a 13-6 halftime lead over the Cowboys evaporated when James Washington returned Jim Kelly’s fumble to tie the game, and game MVP Emmitt Smith ran for a pair of touchdowns as Dallas won their second straight Super Bowl title at the expense of the Bills.’

"But at the same time, Chris Chandler’s doing what he can do with that offense, throwing the ball, moving it around, but they haven’t had Jamal Anderson in there to give them the running game they need, and they miss that. They’re not running the ball like they would like to."

‘Clements, who supplanted Ken Irvin in the starting lineup by Buffalo’s fifth game against Jacksonville, has teamed with Antoine Winfield to give the Bills one of the better cornerback duos in the league.’

‘"It’s been emotional; there have been a lot of dark nights," said Anderson, injured Sept. 30 on the opening drive of the 34-14 victory at Arizona. "You turn those things into the fire that gets you back on the field. Watching it slip away, when you can’t participate . . . it’s almost like watching your family get robbed and you can’t do anything about it."’

‘Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel’s 6.5 sacks are third in the NFL among rookies, trailing Cincinnati’s Justin Smith (7.5) and Pittsburgh linebacker Kendrell Bell (7.0).’

‘"This is kind of like working for a company that you know is going out of business in a couple of months. How do you go out and put your best foot forward?"’