Two Bills Drive

‘To be sure, last season, the Bills were 28th in the NFL in giveaway/takeaway ratio at minus-12. But against the Pats, they were plus-2 and their four interceptions were 40 percent of the 10 they totaled all of last season.’

‘”I think we were ready to play,” Brady said, “but they were playing at a different speed.”‘

‘It was the first interception return for a touchdown by a Buffalo defensive lineman since Pat Toomay went 34 yards in the 1975 season opener against the Jets.’

‘This is probably what Tom Donahoe had in mind when he signed free agents Takeo Spikes, Lawyer Milloy and Sam Adams. But in one game?’

‘According to ratings from Nielsen Media Research and WIVB-TV, the CBS affiliate that broadcast the game, the rating was a 37.5 with a 68 share.’

‘Defying the laws of gravity and momentum, the allegedly 330-pound Adams somehow managed to cut back at full speed without suffering complete disintegration of a knee or ankle, making it to the end zone without needing to stop for Gatorade, oxygen or a snack.’

‘In fact, the Pats appeared dazed (pregame Novocain for everyone!) in falling behind, 21-0, with 10:24 left in the second quarter. Their new-look secondary was toasted. Their vaunted pass rush was muffled. Their receivers were invisible. Their quarterback threw four interceptions and slunk back into the locker room at halftime with a utterly ridiculous QB rating of 5.3.’

‘Asked if he thought the Pats defensive backfield seemed confused, Moulds (four catches for 81 yards) said: ”At times they did. Sometimes when we used motion with Bobby (Shaw) or Josh (Reed) they got confused. Anytime you have a veteran back there like Milloy, he handles the situation and defuses it. They didn’t have that guy to do that today and I think it hurt them a little bit.”’

‘The Patriots ran only three offensive plays in the first quarter.’

‘For really the first time in his four seasons in New England, Belichick yesterday looked stupid.’

‘"Our defense stepped up and played tremendous," Bledsoe said. "I practiced against them all the way through training camp and saw them a lot, but I didn’t know they were going to play like that. If they can step up and create turnovers for us, make teams go three and out, it will make things a lot easier on us."’

‘It was only one Sunday, the first of 17, but if one can take anything away from it, it’s that the class of the AFC East might once again be in Orchard Park, N.Y, while the Dolphins might not come close to being the team they’ve been in the past.’

‘In thoroughly mugging the New England Patriots 31-0, the Bills sent a resounding message to the rest of the NFL that they aren’t merely better than they have been in recent seasons, but that they are the legitimate powerhouse they set out to build with what easily became the league’s most impressive offseason/preseason shopping spree. By most assessments, the Patriots were considered the best team in the AFC East, if not the entire AFC. They were the team that embarrassed the Bills twice last season.’

‘In some ways, I feel sorry for Milloy. He’s furious with me for reporting the tampering story, and I can’t repeat what he said to me in a hallway outside the Bills’ locker room after Sunday’s game against his former club. Suffice it to say he was fairly strident in telling me never to approach him again as long as I dwell on the planet earth, with quite a bit of emphasis.’

‘Former Patriots Drew Bledsoe, the quarterback; Sam Adams, a defensive tackle; and Lawyer Milloy, a safety, all had a starring roles for Buffalo.’