Archives for October 2003

‘”They do a great job of supporting the team,” says Denny Lynch, director of archives for the Bills and the team’s primary contact for the Monday Quarterback Club. “They’ve also been very helpful as a liaison with the business community.”‘

‘For the Bills and specifically quarterback Drew Bledsoe it was a dismal exercise in ineptitude and frustration. Though they led 3-0 after the first quarter, when the Jets scored a touchdown 3:30 into the second it was as good as game over.’

‘”We talked about it for two weeks, we had to come out and win,” Testaverde said. “The guys put their heart and soul into it. You wish you could put your finger on (what went wrong earlier in the season), but we don’t really know.”‘

‘The Jets did not change their scheme during the bye week, but they worked on technique and their execution was vastly improved. The front seven, which incorporated several new players, including Victor Hobson at linebacker, was exceptional. Players did not leave their gaps, which in past weeks allowed for gashing runs. The Bills’ Travis Henry is a cutback runner who usually gives the Jets trouble, but his longest run Sunday was 9 yards.’

‘Ellis said those seven sacks of Bledsoe resulted from good coverage by the Jets’ secondary and from Bledsoe’s stubbornness. “We know Bledsoe stays in the pocket,” Ellis said. “He’s very brave.”‘

‘The sledding looks rough, of course, especially within the division. The Miami Dolphins are 4-1, the New England Patriots are 4-2 and the Bills are 3-3. But the Jets’ next three opponents are hardly world beaters: the Houston Texans, the unpredictable Philadelphia Eagles and the really unpredictable Giants.’

‘Highlights? For a change, plenty.’

‘It was Testaverde’s first three-touchdown game since Oct. 23, 2000 (Miami), and he passed Joe Montana for seventh place on the NFL’s all-time passing yardage list.’

‘”I think Herm’s biggest message to us was, quit thinking about the team we want to be and be the team we want to be,” Pennington said. “Put your words into actions.”‘

‘Having Buffalo stuck in obvious passing situations – and being ahead on the scoreboard – allowed the Jets pass rushers to tee off.’

‘Winfield and Clements, man-to-man specialists, are among the premier cornerback tandems in the league. They held the Jets wideouts, Santana Moss, Wayne Chrebet and Curtis Conway, to six catches for 67 yards. But the Bills left themselves vulnerable to other receivers. Enter TE Anthony Becht. After an early drop, Becht rebounded with three catches for 41 yards, including two TDs.’

‘Coaching: A. Herman Edwards pushed all the right buttons, integrating several young players into the mix, deactivating John Abraham (and not having it backfire) and calling a players-only meeting on the eve of the game. Paul Hackett scaled down the offensive game plan, using only six different running plays. Ted Cottrell turned up the heat by playing more man-to-man and taking more chances on defense.’

‘The Jets’ maligned defense, which entered the game ranked last in the NFL against the run, shut down the Buffalo running game (53 yards) and produced seven sacks, two fumbles and two interceptions – as well as stopping the Bills on fourth down three times.’

‘Testaverde and Becht (two TD catches) weren’t the only stars. The passing game flourished because of the success of the Jets’ running game that earned 118 yards on 33 carries. The Jets’ defense, playing without John Abraham, also came up big with a season-high seven sacks.’

‘The Jets were constantly in Buffalo’s backfield, much to defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell’s delight. “This is how I knew we were capable of playing,” Cottrell said. “We got to see how good we could play. It’s a relief for that to finally happen.”‘