Two Bills Drive

‘Lawyer Milloy and Drew Bledsoe, ex-Patriots reunited, will have a common goal when the Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots today: revenge.’

‘Milloy said his agent, Carl Poston, “called some teams to see who would want me” before he was cut Tuesday, and added: “The Redskins gave us a bigger offer than the Patriots.”’

‘Greg Williams has been a poor imitation of a coach on match day, however with the talent available to him the last couple of years he has done a passable job for the team overall and with new additions to the coaching staff his game day decisions should continue to improve from the most dire to respectable. He is hard working and does learn, however, and this year te team enters the season well prepared and healthy, with some success in the play-offs a reachable goal.’

‘"I know everybody wants to hype the Bledsoe story again, but the important part is that we want to beat Buffalo, a division team," Belichick said. "If you want to do well in your division you have to do well against the division teams."’

‘As season openers go, this is far from being another game. ”It’s starting to turn into like the old backyard brawl, you know, guys are switching sides,” Bills tight end Dave Moore said. ”It’s good, it just adds to the whole drama of it.” Or a potential bad dream. ”That would be a nightmare,” Patriots fullback Larry Centers said, when asked to consider the prospect of the Bills and Milloy combining for a victory.’

Milloy, a four-time Pro Bowl safety with the Patriots, signed with the Bills Thursday and is likely to make his Buffalo debut Sunday against New England in a poetic-justice sort of season opener for both teams. Those headlines could soon be eclipsed by questions over whether his agent, Carl Poston, was in contact with other NFL teams before the Patriots released Milloy.

‘"I love competing because it brings out the best in you," he said. "Whenever he gets healthy and they decide to put him out there, it’s going to make us better. I know it’s going to make me better."’

‘Milloy offered one anecdote from the practice. “It felt weird when I was running scout team cards and I was actually playing myself,” Milloy said.’

‘Companies like to become “official” product or service providers of NFL teams to promote their brands with the NFL’s loyal fan base.’

‘Bledsoe Bowl III, taking place Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, features more twists than a box of nightcrawlers. Three ex-Bills (Antowain Smith, Ted Washington, Larry Centers) face three-ex-Patriots (Bledsoe, Sam Gash, Lawyer Milloy), none leaving their former team with a Christmas card list for the front office.’

‘The Patriots had until 4 p.m. Tuesday to resolve the issue or they would’ve been obligated to pay Milloy his full salary. Under a tight deadline, the sides never came to an agreement but were only $600,000 apart at the end of talking.’

‘”If anybody has the ball, they’ve got to get hit,” he said. “That’s how I play. I never try to see numbers. I never try to see, you know, personalities or fame. We all line up the same. And I think everyone in the league, and not just the Patriots, knows what I bring to the table. That’s what I bring to the game.”‘

‘Milloy will receive a $5 million bonus and a $2 million salary this year. Next season, and in 2005, he is scheduled to receive a $1.75 million roster bonus and $1 million salary, while in ’06 Milloy is slated for a $1.5 million roster bonus and $1 million salary. The contract also includes assurances that the Bills will not name him their their franchise player when the deal expires.’

‘Schobel and Light’s battle could put a pair of new faces on a long Pats-Bills rivalry that has been filled with great one-on-one matchups.’

‘“I sure wasn’t happy about the situation and we’ve made some moves for a tighter defense this season,” Fletcher said. “We did a lot to shore up the front seven.”’