Two Bills Drive

‘Key player: Drew Bledsoe. The Bills quarterback completed a tidy 19-of-29 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns in just under three quarters. Six of his throws went for 20 yards or more.’

‘Giants Stadium was three-quarters empty by the time the fourth quarter began, but nobody on the Giants’ offensive line could take the day off, even though it seemed that way for most of the game. Already without guard Rich Seubert (broken leg) and with tackle Luke Petitgout sidelined with back spasms, the makeshift offensive line went through yet another transformation. Jeff Roehl started for Petitgout, but when rookie left guard Wayne Lucier suffered a ligament sprain in his knee late in the second quarter, rookie Scott Peters replaced him and confusion reigned. “Our lack of experience is really showing,” center Chris Bober said.’

‘”If we practice like dirt and came out and played well, then let’s practice like dirt. I don’t quite understand it. but I’m telling you that at some point, you have to elevate your game. You can’t let this continue to happen because, to be honest, it’s embarrassing. Guys have a lot more pride than what we’re putting out there.”‘

‘”I remembered everything and I was thinking fairly clearly,” Bledsoe said, “but based on being whacked last week and getting hit again,” he was taken out. Too bad for him. After all, the Bills won’t play the Giants again until 2007.’

‘In a word the line was a mess. And when your line is a mess, it’s difficult for your skill players to function. Darn near impossible.’

‘The Bills hadn’t played such a complete game since – surprise, surprise – their last victory, a 24-7 romp over Washington on Oct. 19.’

‘”It’s not even 7-5, I say we could be 8-4 or 9-3,” said linebacker Takeo Spikes, who could’ve used a bullet to bite down on. “That’s what drives me. I get (ticked) off. We’re this close to being what we want to be.”‘

‘”Sometimes you can’t control the outcome of the game,” Milloy said, insinuating without actually saying it that the offense hasn’t done its part in recent weeks. “But defensively if you show up and play hard and give your team a chance to win, nine times out of 10 you’ll win the game.”‘

‘Quarterbacks: Drew Bledsoe may have been joking, but he did play better with a fuzzy head brought on by last week’s concussion. His 252 passing yards and two touchdowns was his best output in eight games. Deftly beat the blitz and finished with no turnovers and a 115.9 rating before leaving the game in the third quarter with a 24-7 lead. Now that’s more like it. A.’

‘”The Bills have a huge following here and our ratings history shows that a bad Bills game will still have higher ratings than any other game,” he said, noting that Global traditionally reviews the Bills-first policy in December.’

‘For the second straight home game, the Giants lost to a struggling team in an avalanche of ineptitude.’

‘Firing Fassel is the easy answer and probably the only short-term solution to the Giants’ inconsistency.’

‘Some Bills said this was their best defensive game of the year. “I think so,” outside linebacker Takeo Spikes said. “At least until next week.”‘

‘The Giants did the unimaginable, which is to make the Bills (5-7) look like a powerhouse.’

‘But a team that may now win only four games has problems deeper than discipline, planning, instruction, and injury to its No. 1 weapon, Shockey. Or, injury wreckage along the offensive line and defensive backfield that yesterday lost a third starter, Will Allen. The woes run even deeper than a shortage of depth some teams seem to survive better than others.’