Two Bills Drive

‘”I think so,” cornerback Antoine Winfield said when asked if the team was going through a confidence crisis. “I think it started in the second half of the Miami game. After that, the last three or four games, we’ve just been in a lull. This game got us back on track.”‘

Coaching: A — Kevin Gilbride recognized that the Redskins were not particularly stout up front against the run, and that WR Eric Moulds wasn’t going to play again, so he worked hard on making the running game work, and he succeeded. He used a variety of packages that utilized not only FB Sam Gash in the backfield, but tight ends Dave Moore and Ryan Neufeld. Late in the game there were even some three-tight end formations for additional blocking. It was the way to attack the Redskins, and the Bills made it work. On defense the Bills sent a variety of blitzes at Patrick Ramsey in an attempt to take advantage of Washington’s suspect pass protection. The plan was to either sack Ramsey or force the second-year quarterback into hurrying throws and it worked. He completed just nine of 26 passes.’

‘KR Antonio Brown continues to struggle in his rookie season. He had six punt returns and averaged just 2.2 yards. He is ranked last in the league among regular punt returners.’

‘”You need more than one good back in this league,” Donahoe said. “The good teams always have another good back because it’s hard for anybody to carry the ball 28, 30 times a game over 16 games.”‘

‘The reason everybody looks smarter and better, is that a successful running game does a whole lot of other good things for both the offense and defense. It helps make Bledsoe’s play action passes so much more effective, and helps run the clock while keeping the defense off the field.’

Gregg Williams coached a great game Sunday, didn’t he? The offense had balance, the defense played with fire, the Bills dominated the game. That’s great coaching , right? Well if you want to rip the guy when things go so poorly (i.e. the Jets game) then give the guy some credit when it all comes together.

Washington Redskins RB Ladell Betts has a broken left forearm and most likely will miss at least one game. Betts’ arm was hit by a helmet while he was carrying the ball during the first half of Washington’s 24-7 loss at Buffalo.

‘There was no excuse in losing to a winless team by 27 points last week. For Williams and his fellow camarillas to remain employed, Buffalo will have to make a statement in games they should win, instead of playing down to the other teams’ level.’

‘But there they were dominating a foe the way the people who sign their paychecks, as well as those who cough up the cash in the form of ticket purchases, expected since last spring.’

‘”This had nothing to do with Willis,” he said, “this had to do with the Buffalo Bills and us getting back on track. After last week (30-3 loss to the Jets in the Meadowlands), there was a sour taste in everybody’s mouth and all the key players knew we had to come out and play good in front of the home crowd.”‘

‘”It was certainly an emotional experience for me, coming back and seeing so many fans who were yelling and chanting and saying polite and kind words,” Smith said. “It was certainly a memorable experience for me. For all the years I’ve been here, they supported my career, and I just want to tell them thank you.”‘

‘The crowd of 73,149 featured only 818 no-shows.’

‘”It’s frustrating to everyone on this team, from the coaches on down,” a disconsolate Smith said in the visiting locker room at Ralph Wilson Stadium. “Words can’t explain how this team feels and how I feel.”‘

HEY, LET’S NOT DIS THE BILLS. From Dan Baich of Buffalo: “I take offense at your reference that Indy’s Monday night victory against Tampa Baby was the greatest comeback of our time. Let me remind you of January 1993, Houston Oilers at Buffalo Bills, AFC wild-card playoff game. The Bills, minus Jim Kelly and Cornelius Bennett, rally from a 35-3 deficit in the third quarter behind Frank Reich. The Bills eventually win 41-38 in overtime in the greatest comeback in NFL history, and the greatest sporting event I’m sure I will ever witness. Now, 1993 is not that long ago. I would consider it still “our time.”

Good points. Let’s compare. The Bills, at home, were down to Houston by 32 with 25 minutes to go. The Colts, on the road, were down to Tampa Bay by 21 with five minutes left. To me, the latter is a bigger, and better, comeback.

Bills bounce the Redskins

I was in attendance for this game, and I must say that the Bills just totally dominated the game, even worse than the 24-7 final score suggests. They struck great balance in their offense, and their defense thrived with good gang-tackling.