‘One ex-Bill watching the Bills and Patriots in the tunnel before the game told me “the Bills are in trouble. Look how they’re jumping up and down and pumping each other. They aren’t ready.” The Patriots were much more calm and focused, and while you can’t always tell a lot by watching a team before a game, that ex-Bills player was right on target.’
BillsBeat - November 5, 2002
Buffalo Bills Fourth Down Trivia
Ok, Bills fans… it's trivia time
In the Buffalo Bills "Fourth Down Trivia" Contest, you can play to win whether you know it all or not. The weekly winner will receive autographed Buffalo Bills merchandise and the runner-up each week will win a Buffalo Bills keychain.
5th Down: The Truest Test
Sometimes reality smacks you in the face like a heavyweight boxer in a back room brawl. Just ask the Buffalo Bills.
For a team that is climbing back to the apex of the National Football League, Sunday's game was the most anticipated contest in years.
Exceeding expectations
‘With the 5-4 record in mind, here are the five most positive and four most negative developments of the first nine games…’.
In age of parity Bills can have playoff hopes
‘"I don’t expect them to win the Bowl. But you know what? If the season ended today, they’d be in the playoffs. So I’m happy. I remember what 3-13 felt like. I remember pulling for them to lose so they’d get a high pick."’
Thomas will be honored at Dolphins game
‘The Bills’ great running back will be honored during pregame ceremonies on the field at the Bills-Dolphins home game Dec. 1 and at the Monday Quarterback Club’s luncheon in HSBC Arena the next day.’
Bills coach defends his decisions
‘”The big thing is, it’s the first drive of the third quarter, we’re only down 10 at the time, and New England had been on a short field all day long. It was one opportunity to try to put them on a long field. We would’ve liked for it (the punt) to have been deeper but it didn’t work out that way. But it was still an 83-yard field, and we didn’t get off the field on defense … the big thing is, you’ve got to get off the field.”‘
Bills walk away with eyes 'wide open'
‘”They had our number,” said fullback Larry Centers of the Patriots (4-4), who snapped a four-game losing streak by dominating Buffalo on both sides of the ball. “In this business, if you fight long enough, you’re gonna lose a game like that. We just have to react in the proper way, diagnose the problems and be honest about what we have to get done. I think the bye week comes at an excellent time. It gives us a chance to do a little bit more soul searching.”‘
Can the Bills make playoffs with this coaching staff?
‘That’s difficult to answer, but I do know this: It will take a playoff appearance to save some of their jobs.’
Looking ahead for the Bills: A week to regroup
‘The Bills were dealt a sobering reminder that they are still very much a work in progress, and they are a team that can’t afford to play poorly against the league’s better teams because if they do, they have almost no chance to win.’
Ralph, Mary Wilson give St. John Fisher $2 million
‘The donation is a thanks both to Fisher for hosting the Bills’ summer camp and to the wider Rochester area, Wilson said. “Our fan base in Rochester is important to the Buffalo Bills football team. And when we (Wilson and wife Mary) heard about the need to enhance education at this great college and the possibility of helping to fund a new building … .” they decided to make the donation.’
Patriots made it a mission of control
”’There was a certain point in the game where Buffalo really couldn’t run the ball,” Belichick said. ”And we were able to maintain balance on our side because we were in control of the score. There’s no question that getting off to a good start enables you to do that.”’
Pats finally rise and shine
‘COACHING – A. A fine design by all involved.’
Bledsoe bowled over, welcomes bye week
‘That having been said, it’s difficult to lay what happened Sunday at Bledsoe’s feet. All things considered, particularly given the way his supporting cast performed, you’d have to say he had a pretty good game.’
Pats-Bills spoke the truth about football
‘It’s not like we haven’t seen this all before. In truth, we saw it for nine years. Give Bledsoe time, let him find his comfort zone, and he will put up numbers that reside in record books. Get in his face, and he starts looking like someone trying to run against the current. This is not some instant evaluation, like staring at a painting for the first time. This is looking at an artist’s body of work.’