Two Bills Drive

It’s not hard to miss just how easy it is to dismiss Josh Reed, the second-year wide receiver, and a short guy who will play a big role in determining the success of the offense. A former second-round pick and the Bills’ No. 3 wideout in 2002, Reed has to fill big shoes, but seems more capable, at least from a physical dimension, of fitting into a pair of ballet slippers, rather than the clodhoppers the departed Peerless Price left behind.

Since the Bills play in the AFC East, arguably the most evenly contested of the league’s eight divisions, there is no guarantee that 2003 will bring a welcome end to a three-year playoff slump. What seems certain, though, is that the Bills will bring the wood. And will bring it with a front seven that is not only stouter, but also quicker to the ball, than those units the franchise has recently fielded.

‘The defense completely dominated the offense in the 11 on 11 drills. It came to the point where Bledsoe seemed to pull his offense aside and cuss them out for their poor performance.’

‘"If you went into the dictionary looking for old-school football, you’d find Sam Gash’s picture," Bledsoe said. "He brings an attitude, an aggressiveness, a physical style of football that can be infectious through your whole team. It’s always fun when your on the field with Sam. When he runs through the line of scrimmage and runs into a linebacker, you don’t have to see the impact; you can hear it."’

‘The Bills invited Sam Dana, the NFL’s oldest living player, to today’s practice. The Kenmore resident will celebrate his 100th birthday on Thursday. Dana played for the NFL’s New York Yankees in 1928 after playing for Canisius College and Columbia University. At Columbia, he was football teammate of baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig.’

‘Johnson might be the nicest guy in the world, as many local charities will assert, but the five-year, $25 million deal he got from the Bills ranks among the great heists in NFL history.’

‘” Jeff Posey, to be quite honest, is better than I thought he was,” coach Gregg Williams said. ” Takeo and London (Fletcher) are getting a lot of the publicity right now, but if you were picking up sides in the backyard, you’d pick him, too. He’s quiet and does his work, and I like those kinds of guys.”‘

‘Leg injuries can devastate players carrying 370 pounds. But Williams’ current injury isn’t related to the leg ailments that kept him out of two games as a rookie. Buffalo’s first-round draft pick in 2002 started the other 14 games.’

‘"The defense got the upper hand," said head coach Gregg Williams. "It was obvious. It was good in one respect but the offensive has to bounce back."’

The Bills’ quest for a starting left DE is still high on the team’s agenda. But on passing downs, at least, the team appears to have found a solution.

Free agent strong-side LB Jeff Posey, who played DE in college, is lining up at left DE on pass rush plays. On 1st and 2nd down, he’s at his normal right outside spot. Or he could wind up in the middle. The idea is to move the versatile 6-4, 250 pounder around and keep OC’s up nights.

Van Pelt isn’t expected to play at all against the Ravens, with Bledsoe playing one quarter, Brown for two, and free agent rookie Jason Johnson finishing up.

Linebacker Takeo Spikes is spreading the gospel of coach Dick LeBeau’s zone blitzes. LeBeau is the creator of the scheme noted for disguising where pressure on the quarterback is coming from, utilizing such techniques as defensive ends dropping into coverage.

"When it’s working right, you’ll see defensive linemen getting interceptions," said Spikes, who played for LeBeau in Cincinnati. "Crazy things, stuff you don’t think will happen. The key is having athletic guys, not just straight-forward guys who fit the stereotype of a nose guard or an end. We have guys who can move (here)."

‘Josh [Reed] slipped awkwardly trying to catch one of many horribly thrown Travis Brown balls. It looked like his knee twisted. I bit my lip and winced. He got right up and literally sprinted back to the huddle. A loud ‘whew’ was heard. It was me…’

‘Joe, the youngest of the DeLamielleure boys, was the sports nut of the family. He was the one who could run through a baseball team’s batting order and then imitate each player’s batting stance. Once, when Vic Wertz stopped by the Victory Inn as a salesman, Joseph DeLamielleure called over his son. Only when Joe broke out in a smile and pointed to the former baseball great was the sale made.’