Two Bills Drive

‘Now the Dolphins will rely on Ray Lucas under center. Lucas is an athletic player, but Fiedler was the guy who quarterbacked the Dolphins to a 5-1 start. With the high-octane Buffalo Bills offense up next, Miami will need Williams to shine now more than ever.’

‘The Dolphins (5-1), who have a two-game lead in the AFC East, will host the Bills on Sunday, then take their bye week before playing at Green Bay and the New York Jets. Winning those games would not only be important for winning the division, but also for gaining home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.’

‘"I don’t want to complain about a hit, but that was (expletive) (expletive)," Dolphins backup quarterback Ray Lucas said. "And then (Kennedy) got up and was jumping around. I’m still upset about that."’

‘By getting this one, Miami (5-1) has established itself as one of the elite teams in the AFC and all of football. Had the Dolphins not come through on that drive, they would just be another good team that turns back into a pumpkin at the moment of truth.’

‘Lucas hasn’t thrown a pass this season. He attempted only three in 2001. But he does know what it means to start in the NFL and in the AFC East.’

‘Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler will miss at least four weeks because of a broken right thumb, making Ray Lucas a starter for the first time in three seasons.’

‘Bills coach Gregg Williams wouldn’t discuss Mike Williams’ status on Monday, only to say the rookie will be evaluated before the team resumes practice Wednesday.’

‘As promising as their start has been, Buffalo has yet to prove it’s capable of being anything more than a .500 team.’

The Miami Dolphins are tied for the best record in the NFL, but may be without quarterback Jay Fiedler for a few weeks. Fiedler suffered a broken right thumb with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s thrilling 24-22 win over the Denver Broncos and will be sidelined indefinitely.

‘Bad News: Houston is about the only team Buffalo could have beaten the way it played at Reliant Stadium.’

More than once, I’ve heard people compare this Buffalo team with the Bills of 1987. There are some obvious similarities: Marv Levy was hired midway through the 1986 season, and began installing his own assistant coaches in 1987. One of those was offensive mastermind Ted Marchibroda, who designed the Bills’ no-huddle attack. You can fairly compare that to Gregg Williams coming to Buffalo in 2001 and, after a subpar season, installing Kevin Gilbride as offensive coordinator

‘Note to Buffalo’s defense: When a running back slows down while running toward the sideline and lifts the ball above his shoulder, as Houston’s James Allen did early in the fourth quarter, HE’S GOING TO THROW IT. SO COVER SOMEBODY.’

‘Why Buffalo won – Three reasons: Drew Bledsoe, Peerless Price and Travis Henry.’

‘"We knew we had enough time," Bills coach Gregg Williams said. "Our guys kept their composure. They fought back and redeemed themselves."’

‘The Texans were penalized 11 times for 75 yards, but Buffalo was tagged 13 times for 128 yards. The ones on Houston hurt more. "We just beat ourselves," strong safety Erik Brown said. "Call it excitement or emotion, it got the best of us."’