Archives for October 2003

‘Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe isn’t the most mobile. He has been sacked eight times this season. The opportunity is there for Williams and ends Justin Smith and Duane Clemons to get to Bledsoe. But that plan starts with taking away the Bills’ running game and pushing the middle of their line into the backfield.’

‘”It’s always easy to beat up on the offensive line,” Brown said the other day.’

‘You see, 28-year-old Lux and 37-year-old Stritzel are from Germany, and while it can’t be officially proven, they are very likely the biggest Bills fans in all of Europe. “I just loved the power and the color of this logo,” Lux said. “I fell in love like that (snapping his fingers) and I’ve been a Bills fan ever since.”‘

‘Winfield has 39 tackles, including eight for loss. He and Clements are responsible for holding opposing quarterbacks to a 58.7 passer rating, an AFC low. "They’ve got their head in the backfield, they’re looking at the quarterback, and they’re going to take chances," Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna said. "The one (Winfield) is small, but pound for pound, he hits pretty good. You don’t want to challenge him."’

‘Who’s your pick to win the World Series?

"It doesn’t matter now with the Seattle Mariners out of it."

‘Prediction. Bledose wakes up. Gilbride remembers to call some running plays. Takeo Spikes flies all over the field. The Bengals are better, but not this Sunday.’

‘"It’s big; it’s real big," Spikes said. "Just to know where I’ve come from, knowing where I’m at now, and knowing where I want to go, that’s how big an emotional game this game is going to be for me."’

‘Sunday, October 5, 1980 – Bills 26, San Diego 24….Kush’s heroics enabled the Bills to win their first game on the West Coast since 1966 and to return home as professional football’s only undefeated team.’

‘LeBeau seems forever tagged as “great assistant, bad head coach,” yet Kitna thinks LeBeau can still be an excellent head man, “but he needs a team that has veteran leadership that steps up and says, ‘You can’t do it like this.’ Everyone says he wasn’t a strong disciplinarian,” Kitna said. “To me, that says we didn’t have the right leadership in the locker room. Ultimately, he shouldn’t have to be the disciplinarian. If you talk to guys on other teams, the 49ers back in the day, they take care of a lot of things through the veterans.”‘

‘The Bengals have been in every game and unlike the Bears or the Jets, you can see the week to week improvement. They’re playing a good Bills team that needs to settle down and find their rhythm.’

‘Coach Marvin Lewis did not commit to Johnson taking the lead role at Buffalo, saying he would continue to work Bennett into the mix. But if anyone is called on to grind out tough yards, there’s little doubt it will be Johnson.’

‘Longtime Bengals player and assistant coach Tim Krumrie is in his first season as defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati’s opponent Sunday. As a player, Krumrie was legendary for his toughness and intensity. Apparently, nothing has changed.’

‘"I think Nate sets the bar high," Gray said. "I think that’s what he’s working to get to. Any time you are a top corner in this league, it’s called consistency. Either you are getting a lot of interceptions and not giving up plays or you’re getting no interceptions and you’re not giving up plays. But No. 1, you’re not giving up plays."’

‘"It sounds like a jealous comment, a racist comment coming from a jealous standpoint," Gash said. "Black people play quarterback, white people play quarterback and it doesn’t really matter. I don’t think you should single out any position based on race or creed. . . . I don’t look at Drew (Bledsoe) and say, "He should be a better white quarterback.’ "’

‘Four months into their sales drive for suites and club seats, the Bills have compiled somewhat stronger numbers, selling between half and three-quarters of the different types of premium seats for three- and five-year commitments that begin next fall.’