Two Bills Drive

‘Haggan, a three-year starter at Mississippi State, was Buffalo’s seventh-round draft pick. He became the odd-man out as the Bills were already carrying eight linebackers on their roster.’

About the only way the buildup could get more intense would be if New England coach Bill Belichick started “your momma”-ing his Buffalo counterpart in the press, or if Gregg Williams publicly offered to relieve the Patriots coach of his teeth at midfield before the coin toss.’

‘“It’s not about proving myself,” Bledsoe said. “It’s about winning … If I can go win a championship with this team, that’ll be a great career. It sounds, maybe, cliche or simple, but that’s what it is.”’

‘Q: What advantage, if any, has [Larry Centers] been able to give you on Buffalo? BB: Larry has given us some insight into all of the things that you would think he would be able to. He knows the players. He has been in that system for a year and knows some things about it. Larry is a smart guy too.’

‘”In the bigger scheme I have to channel my emotions and my feelings into doing things that are not necessarily best for me but best for the team. I can’t go out [free-wheeling] and doing things that aren’t in the game plan. I have to go out and play football, play it to the best of my ability and hope for the best.” And that is probably what Belichick is hoping for from every player in his locker room, because in the end after all the theater and underlying themes are tossed aside, both teams need to start the season with a win in what is probably the tightest division in football. Yes there will be a lot of emotion on the field Sunday, but like Seymour said once the ball is snapped the players just have to play football.’

‘The Bills-Patriots game this Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium is sold out and will be televised locally.’

‘Belichick’s gambit with Bledsoe worked out perfectly last year. The Pats beat him twice and made him look bad both times. Meanwhile, Bledsoe led the Bills to a sweep of Miami, the Patriots’ archrival. That the four-game swing didn’t translate into a division crown for New England was (to Belichick’s thinking) beside the point. He took a risk and it paid off.’

‘"I don’t think there are too many Lawyers out there," said Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown in a locker room of players still stunned yesterday morning by the release of Milloy the day before. "I’ve played 11 years, and I haven’t played with any other guy like him. He is just one of those crazy defensive guys. His personality as far as getting going (in a game) was a little different than everyone else’s. He was running into someone as hard as he could. It’s kind of hard to replace that."’

‘Buffalo-based M&T is now the "official bank" of the Bills and has taken the naming rights to one of two premium suite seating areas at Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘And for a team that clearly wanted to upgrade the position – Coy Wire’s potential notwithstanding – the Bills feel they got the perfect player at absolutely the right time … and, significantly, at the right price.’

‘The Bills will beat Miami in a playoff game in Orchard Park in January, then lose to the Chiefs.’

‘Likewise, this won’t be easy for a few of the Bills players to take either. Coy Wire busted his butt during training camp and throughout the pre season, and he’s the obvious man out, at least as a starter. He’s saying the right things because he’s a class young guy, but players are only human, and this disruption could be a short term distraction for the Bills, who have already started forming a bit of chemistry on the “D”.’

‘As part of the agreement, Choice One will remain the official telecommunications provider for the Buffalo Bills and Ralph Wilson Stadium. Additionally, the Bills and Choice One have agreed to extend the existing marketing sponsorship to promote Choice One’s association with the team, which includes in-stadium signage, naming rights to the Choice One Club, business-to-business marketing, game tickets, special events and community outreach programs. Also as part of the marketing sponsorship, Choice One is a major corporate sponsor for the Buffalo Bills Training Camp, which is held each summer in Rochester, New York.’

‘"It’s an important game for us, there’s no question, it’s a division game. It’s the first one out of the blocks. It’s a huge game, there is no other way I can put it. If we win this game that’s not going to put us in the playoffs, but it’s a big game. We are going to do everything we can to win the ball game."’

‘Outlook: An improved team, but the rest of the division is too tough.’