Two Bills Drive

‘The 60-year-old former player for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills received a transplant at New York Presbyterian Hospital on Sept. 11, 2001, the day terrorists crashed two planes into the World Trade Center.’

‘”It’s like competing against your brother,” Bledsoe says. “When you’re playing against somebody that you’ve gone to war with, that you’ve battled with over the years, you’re going to want to win. … A lot of those guys are still my friends. If we lose the game, I’m going to hear about it all year. That’s the big motivator.”‘

‘Bledsoe realized the situation and rolled with the punches. The fans did their part, too. When Bledsoe left, there wasn’t a mass outcry of “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” As much as they loved and admired Brady, they hated to see Bledsoe go.’

“The Bledsoe era ended suddenly that night in New England, and only time will tell if he’ll join the list of Boston athletes who later came back to haunt their football team.”

‘“He’s still got MVP behind his name,” Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray said Thursday. “And to me that says a lot.”’

‘But his production began to slip. Then so did his playing time. Pretty soon his mail was being forwarded to a new NFL address. And guess what? Somewhere along the way he rediscovered his game, beat his old team and lived happily ever after. For at least one season anyway. The Drew Bledsoe Story, 2002? Maybe. But also the Antowain Smith Saga, 2001.’

”’I really believe, and this is my own personal opinion, that a lot of people were waiting for a bargain sale maybe later on, all the way up to training camp,” Bills coach Gregg Williams said. ”We had a contingency plan that we were not going to let things die, and I think Tom Donahoe (Buffalo’s president and general manager) did a great job of (sticking with it).”‘

‘"I think the biggest thing he’s going to have to contend with is his emotions," said Bills offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "Just keeping them in check."’

‘Yes, Bledsoe had to go. Whether he had to go to the Bills, an AFC East rival that the Patriots must face twice a year, is another matter entirely. But at the time of the trade, Belichick was a genius, and it was assumed that he believed Bledsoe washed-up and easy to defend.’

‘Consider this the opposite of the theory about teams with winning streaks. A team that isn’t bad enough to lose five straight won’t. PATRIOTS, 27-26.

‘”They’re a little unique,” Belichick said of Buffalo’s makeshift 46 defense reminiscent of Buddy Ryan’s old Chicago Bears scheme. “They kind of use two systems in one and they complement each other well. Up front they play an over defense with all three defensive linemen on the tight end side of the formation, plus a linebacker outside of the tight end on the line of scrimmage."’

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

Including this Sunday’s contest with New England, all five home games so far in 2002 have been soldout in time to meet the blackout deadline.

Bills punter Brian Moorman has been selected as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October.

‘”Playing against the Bills teams over the years, I knew coming in here this team was close,” Bledsoe said. “There were just a few pieces (needed) here or there. . . . There was some talent here, and I also came in with the confidence we could turn it around very quickly.”‘

‘"The biggest thing that he does with his defenses is he changes up week to week," Bledsoe said. "One week you see one thing, the next week you see something totally different. And he’ll do two completely different things against the same team in the same year. So one game he’ll approach it one way and the other game he’ll approach it another way."’