Archives for September 2003

‘”I have the same attitude today as I had yesterday. It was a nice win but it’s only week 1 and the first one. We’ve got a lot to work on.”‘

‘”Well, I’ll tell you, it’s better than the stock market,” team owner Ralph Wilson said of his hefty investment in his defense.’

‘Last year the Bills tied a team futility mark with just 10 interceptions. Sunday they picked off four Tom Brady passes and Sam Adams, the hulking defensive tackle, returned one 37 yards for a touchdown.’

‘FB Sam Gash was at his bruising best. It’s hard to believe New England ever let him get away in 1997 after he had played six years there. He is without question the best blocking back in the league and he will make a big difference in the Bills’ running game. He led Travis Henry across the goal line on Henry’s first-quarter 1-yard TD plunge, and spent all day smashing into Patriots.’

‘In fact, if you ask Brady, he’ll tell you the real "genius" is new Bills Assistant Head Coach Dick LeBeau, whose assortment of blitzes and coverages confounded the Pats offense. An up the gut blitz from middle linebacker London Fletcher disrupted Brady on the throw that went into the waiting mitts of Sam Adams, and Adams provided the sight of the day by rumbling 37 yards for a touchdown.’

‘"He did help. Most of what he did tell us we kind of felt we knew, but we got confirmation from him on those things. He did give us little tips as to how they would try and play certain things."’

‘Losing a football game, albeit harshly, to a good and emotional Buffalo Bills team is not a crime. But losing a potentially great football team, in early September, would.’

‘With the 73,262 here in attendance and millions watching nationally, Law stomped, pouted and screamed like a 3-year-old denied a hug. New England was nowhere near ready for this. Even the opposition knew it.’

‘Linebackers Tedy Bruschi (5 tackles) and Ted Johnson (6 tackles) didn’t stuff the run up tight, nor did Mike Vrabel on the outside. In addition, 375-pound Ted Washington was a nonfactor, getting in on just three hits all day.’

”’It’s not something that we wanted to do and it certainly wasn’t the timing we were looking for but it was, unfortunately, the way it came down,” Belichick said. ”It wasn’t scripted to happen that way, no. (But) I have to look in the mirror and look at myself and I know that we did everything organizationally that we could do and it didn’t work out.”’

‘Coach Gregg Williams was impressed with Doman’s mobility from his appearances with the 49ers this past preseason. ”He can make some plays out of nothing because he does have very good feet,” said Williams. ”And as soon as he can acclimate himself to our system, we’ll see about moving him up.”’

”’A good testament for us right now is how they handled it yesterday in the locker room,” said Williams. ”That’s just how they are and how they’ve been in the meetings today. … Nice win, but it’s only Week 1.”’

‘“It sounds like there may be some things that weren’t totally above board,” New England coach Bill Belichick said Monday.’

‘To be sure, last season, the Bills were 28th in the NFL in giveaway/takeaway ratio at minus-12. But against the Pats, they were plus-2 and their four interceptions were 40 percent of the 10 they totaled all of last season.’

‘”I think we were ready to play,” Brady said, “but they were playing at a different speed.”‘