‘It was a badly needed turnaround for a battered and exhausted Raiders defensive unit, one that managed to correct itself at the right time. "When we gathered ourselves back in, we started making plays down the stretch," said safety Rod Woodson, who freely admitted it wasn’t his best day. "But Phillip continues to make plays, and that’s key for us."’
BillsBeat - October 7, 2002
Burned to a crisp
‘Thirty-one points is usually more than enough to win in the NFL. Not only did the Bills not win, they lost by 18. “It’s not easy to do, but we did it today,” general manager Tom Donahoe said.’
See Drew pass, see 'D' fall down
‘Bledsoe will always be a good teammate and not point fingers, but he needs to know that it’s no secret he plays for a team that has a lousy defense, no defense really.’
Bills could learn from Raiders' 'D'
‘But the Raiders also showed Sunday that they have other pieces of the puzzle, too — pieces still missing in Buffalo. Namely an opportunistic defense, dynamic special teams and a ton of Super Bowl-caliber experience.’
Bledsoe can't cover for defense
‘The Buffalo defense: This was an abomination. Everyone knew Oakland had a dynamic offense, but come on, can anyone wearing a blue uniform make a play?’
Bills' Report Card
‘That’s five games without an interception.’
Raiders rev it up
‘When Bledsoe’s unit puts up 31 points and you lose by 18, there is enough evidence to call out the guilty party.’
Error proves costly
‘If you are willing to live by a quarterback’s arm, be prepared to have it slap you in the face every once in a while.’
Bills lose but the peerless Price is right
‘Over 60 minutes, Price and Moulds outperformed the once-peerless Rice and ex-Heisman winner Brown. The Raider duo combined for eight catches and 132 yards, while Price and Moulds contributed 15 catches for 238 yards. But it’s the bottom line that counts and in the end the Raiders took over with three interceptions leading to 14 fourth-quarter points.’
Pointed statement by Raiders
”’I look at myself first,” said Buffalo defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. We assume he was in front of a mirror and questioning what in the heck he is supposedly coordinating, because it didn’t look at all like defense.’
Hull inducted into Bills' Wall of Fame
‘It would be a sin not to thank all the players I played with. There were Hall of Famers, superstars and some prima donnas,” Hull joked. ”Nevertheless, they always made me look better.”’
Week 5: Bills-Raiders Postgame Quotebook
Quarterback Drew Bledsoe: "You need to have a short memory in this league no matter what happens. Weather you win or lose you have to be able to come back and go to work next week We are disappointed by the game, and we will watch the film and make the corrections and then move on. That is what you have to do in this league."
Gregg Williams Postgame Quotes
"We didn't match the Raiders play for play in the second half. They had a couple big plays that we didn't overcome and we couldn't match them. The guys played hard all the time and hopefully we can learn some things from this."
Raiders 49, Bills 31
In an offensive explosion at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Bills and the Raiders combined for 974 yards and 80 points. In the end, Oakland came out ahead, recording a 49-31 victory to drop Buffalo to 2-3 on the season.
Bills vs. Raiders: Photos Part II
Action photos from Sunday's game.