Two Bills Drive

‘And now, some six months since the trade, and with the two teams scheduled to meet for the first time Sunday, there is growing concern in New England that perhaps the Patriots traded the wrong quarterback.’

Take Phil Crosby, the lead blocker from the fullback position when the Bills are in “I” formation. Crosby just rocked Detroit LBs in opening holes for Travis Henry, his college teammate at Tennessee. He drilled Barrett Green at least three times. Not only that but he annoyed Green so much Crosby also coaxed two personal fouls, retaliation penalties out of the angry Lion.

Johnson knows Bledsoe pretty well having spent the last two years with him. Two of his 14 catches last year came from Bledsoe in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh. Johnson feels Bledsoe would not want the rallying cry this Sunday to be "lets win one for Drew."

Keith Newman on the New England Patriots' four-game losing streak:

"They've played some good teams: Miami, Denver, San Diego and Green Bay. Those are tough opponents. It's not like they (the Patriots) have been losing to just anybody. At this point last year they were 3-4 and they won eight of the last nine and ended up with a championship. They are going to be a tough team to deal with this Sunday."

Drew Bledsoe: From the time this trade happened I’ve been getting questions about the game… I think I would be insulting my teammates if I said they were going to give a better effort this week. I think I would be disparaging them.

Steve Tasker is on the Preliminary List of Nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a special teams player as well as wide receiver (1986-1997). Other Bills on it are James Lofton (WR, 1989-1992), Joe DeLamielleure (Guard, 1985) and Chuck Knox (Head Coach, 1978-1982) and Ralph Wilson, Jr. (Owner, 1959-Present).

Over 850 players have suited-up for the Buffalo Bills. Eight men have been the team’s general manager. However, only one has done both. Stew Barber.

This Sunday marks the ninth time that a quarterback will start against a team for which he threw more than 25,000 passing yards. In those games, the quarterback defeated his former club all eight times.

‘In 2001, the Patriots ran the ball well, stopped the run, played great special teams, played within themselves during their run to the title. This season, the running attack has been sporadic, too often abandoned early in games, and perhaps set back by a revolving door at the interior line positions. The run defense, for the most part, has been miserable.’

Driver, Tony S Hip Questionable

Newman, Keith LB Knee Questionable

Williams, Mike T Hamstring Questionable

Winfield, Antoine CB Knee Questionable

‘With the emergence of Crosby, a second-year pro from Tennessee, fullback has become a position of strength for the Bills.’

Bledsoe's impact also can be measured by the thousands of Western New Yorkers wearing his number 11 jersey. And by the off-the-charts enthusiasm and optimism area residents haven't felt about the Bills since the Kelly-led Super Bowl run of the early and mid-1990s. And by the many yawns and rubbing of eyes among his fellow members of the Bills' offense on Thursday and Friday mornings.

‘”I didn’t think we’d ever be 5-3 with this schedule,” Wilson admitted. “We’ve had a tough schedule and we really got a tougher one coming up the second half. We’ve got a very long ways to go.”‘

”’When he was here, what bothered him was pressure,” Green said Monday, the day after the Patriots applied little to Denver’s Brian Griese in a 24-16 loss, their fourth straight. ”When we game-planned for him, we wanted to get to him with pressure. That always disrupted his game.”’

‘Belichick has tried every approach during the Pats’ four-game losing streak. He’s used the power of positive reinforcement and has cracked the whip. During the bye week he got rough. There were pointed comments in film sessions and fights at practice. It didn’t translate on Sunday.’