Two Bills Drive

‘MVP: AFC – QB Drew Bledsoe (Bills): He’s on pace to throw for 5,000 yards, just 84 shy of Dan Marino’s single-season NFL record. He’s gotten his hands on the ball in two of Buffalo’s three overtime games and both times has thrown the winning TD pass. He’s second in the league in touchdowns (16) and passer rating (98.3). We could go on and on, but you get the point.’

‘”I’ll be playing against an old friend of mine,” Bruschi said. “A guy that will make it fun out there, who will challenge the defense but give me a chance to make plays.”‘

"We've had some guys that have played extremely well. I can't get in and say this individual guy has been most improved. The offensive line has played extremely well. The receivers have played well. Drew is playing phenomenal. There are tons of guys that have played well. Pat Williams is played extremely well. Nate (Clements) has played well."

New England head coach Bill Belichick is considered a defensive mastermind, one of the most creative and unpredictable coaches football has seen in decades. Preparing to face is defense is a crapshoot. You can never be sure what you’ll be seeing, so you have to be ready to make changes on the fly. How the Bills’ offense handles those in-game changes will likely determine the outcome of the game.

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‘You live and you learn, and one year after a disastrous NFL head coaching debut, Williams has transformed the Bills from laughable losers to wild and wacky winners.’

‘"Last year is last year," said Fletcher, who signed with the Bills as an unrestricted free agent a month after the Super Bowl. "I can’t do anything about that. It’s water under the bridge. I’m on a new team now, and I’m trying to do everything I can to help the Buffalo Bills win this game. This game is important to our team. It’s a big division game. It’s important because it’s the only one we’ll be playing on Sunday."’

‘What adds the most juice to tomorrow’s clash at Ralph Wilson Stadium has been the recent struggles endured by the man that replaced Bledsoe.’

‘But there were still problems against the run, where they rank 29th in the NFL.’

‘The Massachusetts gubernatorial election is Tuesday, but New England’s big day is tomorrow, when the staggering Patriots go to Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., in an effort to get their season back on track and defend the football judgment of their once-infallible head coach.’

‘Brown, the Patriots’ top offensive weapon, wears a protective brace on the knee while playing. Asked if he thought he might need to wear the device all season, he said, ”I hope not.”’

”’I was disappointed at first,” Van Pelt acknowledged yesterday. ”I was looking forward to starting. But after that wore off, I realized what a great opportunity it was to have him in here. It was a great chance to work with another great QB, another great mind to pick. So after the initial disappointment, I was excited.”’

‘“Any time Centers is on the field, that’s certainly one option,” said Belichick. “I think Buffalo does a good job using all their receivers down there in the red area. Riemersma is a good red-area receiver. Centers is a good red-area receiver. Moulds and Price are guys who, if they get single coverage, can beat you on different option routes. They run fades, slants underthrown fades and fades in the back of the end zone."’

‘In last Sunday’s 24-16 loss to the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium, Patten did not record a single reception – and let a sure touchdown pass from Tom Brady sail through his hands in the end zone. Patten plans to turn things around in tomorrow’s big AFC East showdown with the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y.’

‘This is the toughest week of the Patriot quarterback’s fledgling career.’