Archives for September 2003

‘Outlook: An improved team, but the rest of the division is too tough.’

‘From the moment he walked out of Gillette Stadium for the last time, Lawyer Milloy was ready. You hit your friends harder.’

‘Would he provide some tactical assistance? “That always helps,” Williams said.’

‘Winning could burst Belichick’s bubble and propel the Bills to bigger things. It would do wonders for Bledsoe’s state of mind, and it would be a great relief for Williams to finally win a game against Belichick. But if the Bills lose, it could have the opposite effect. If the Pats waltz into Buffalo and win the opener, five days after cutting a Pro Bowler, it will inflate Belichick’s legend even more. And it will incite more howling about Williams’ shortcomings.’

‘”I have to tell it like it is,” Centers said by phone to Buffalo-area reporters. “There’s no doubt I want to have a good game. It’s more special than an ordinary game. But it’s important for me to not allow my desire to have a big game to overshadow the big picture. It’s more important for (the) team to perform well and come out on top.”‘

‘”We did a good job of spending money,” President and General Manager Tom Donahoe said this summer. “Now comes the hard part.”‘

‘”I thought that I could learn from him, that he was going to help me further my career as far as teaching me the things I need to do in order to get where I needed to go,” Adams said. “When you stop learning this game, it’s time for you to take your butt home. And I think he’s going to teach me some things.”‘

‘”When it’s all said and done, we’ll definitely be among the great many linebackers that have passed through the Bills’ long, storied history,” Fletcher said. “There are some extremely good corps out there in the league. You have to definitely put us up there when you think about them. It’s our versatility, not just one area of our game. We can all rush the passer, cover, run, hit and lead this defense by example.”‘

‘Shaw played in Pittsburgh when Gilbride was the offensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000. A smart player with deceptive speed, Shaw will complement outside receivers Moulds and Reed in second-and-long and third-down situations in the slot.’

‘Chances are, a game or two will come down to coaching. A crucial coaching decision could well be the difference between 10-6 and 9-7. It could determine whether the Bills make the playoffs or fall just short. It could make Williams the man of the hour, or cost him his job.’

‘The zone blitz is going to be a key piece of the Bills’ new defensive puzzle this season.’

‘Prediction: 10-6.’

‘It devastated regular, two-back, two-wideout sets when Buddy Ryan brought it to Chicago in the mid-1980s. The problem is it’s vulnerable to multiple receiver sets. When the “46” gets burned, it’s a 60-yard gain. When the zone blitz gets burned, it’s a 15-yard gain.’

‘This year’s event will open the Bills Fieldhouse and the luxury suites to show the Bills-Cowboys road game on large-screen TVs. Tickets are $15 apiece for the fieldhouse and $30 for the luxury boxes, with refreshments, parking and the NFL Experience included.’

‘The Bills won out, thanks to a fistful of money and some good old-fashioned recruiting. Donahoe enlisted the services of quarterback Drew Bledsoe and fullback Sam Gash, Milloy’s former teammates in New England, to phone their friend and make it clear just how much the Bills coveted him.’