Two Bills Drive

After practice on Thursday, the second-year back answered some emails from fans. "My goal is to rush for 1,500 yards and score 12 touchdowns for the year."

‘"Those of us who are involved in football and in sports, a lot of times get put up on a pedestal," Donahoe pointed out. "People think that we’re different…that we’re not human beings. But we are and we were all affected one way or another. I remember talking to the players (on Sept. 11, 2001) and telling them things would never be the same because of the events of (that day). Emotionally, that date and the events of that date are something that’s going to affect us for the rest of our lives."’

"As we have a partial game plan in place for the upcoming game I will meet with the running backs and wide receivers to go over that together. This way we can work out some of the nuances and become familiar with the plan together. I foresee it to be a weekly thing."

Thirty-one years ago, wide receiver J.D. Hill led Arizona State to an undefeated season. He was named to the All-America team and was MVP of the Senior Bowl. Yet surprisingly, he didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about the NFL and certainly wasn’t sitting next to the telephone during that year’s draft.

‘Just how the Bills go about defending the National Football League’s most dangerous big-play receiver will go a long way toward deciding Sunday’s meeting of 0-1 teams.’

‘"I was driving to work this morning and one of the things I noticed is a lot of people had their American flags out and it just reiterated how proud I am to be an American," said linebacker London Fletcher. "It makes you realize what things are most important to you, which is family."’

The Bills defense will make a bigger difference. I like their two physical corners, Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield. They have the potential to take Randy Moss out of the game. If they can, they can beat the Vikings. However, I think Eric Moulds will have a big day for Buffalo. And the Bills should still run the ball with success against the Vikings after what Travis Henry did last week. Moss may get his yards, but Buffalo’s defense is more capable of having an impact than Minnesota’s.

Buffalo over Minnesota. Watch out for the Bills’ offense. Travis Henry appears ready to break out as a premier power back and Drew Bledsoe looks very comfortable with Eric Moulds as his go-to-guy. And Bills cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Nate Clements can slow down Randy Moss and the Vikings’ receivers. Bills 26, Vikings 24.

Granted, Buffalo probably is one draft away from being a winner again, but the Bills will cause people trouble this season. I think they can beat Chicago in three weeks. I think they can beat the Raiders the next weekend, too. What I don’t think is that they can make the playoffs. Not yet, anyway.

‘"I re-examined my priorities and how I was approaching my life, especially with respect to my children. It was a hard time to have to have a conversation with your kid who is not yet 4 years old, and try to explain how something like this would happen. It was not a conversation I was hoping to have with my son."’

‘"We will take a look at that in depth this week, yes," Williams said.’

‘He had studied his film, lifted his weights, completed his on-field practicing. Now it was time for Buffalo Bills tight end David Moore to do the really important work of the day. Go home and comfort a grieving wife.’

‘"When you go through today, you have some of those same feelings that you had a year ago and I don’t think we’ll ever forget," he said.’

‘Clements wouldn’t make any predictions about this weekend, only to say: ”The proof will be in the pudding. You walk the walk and you don’t worry about the talking.”‘

Ben Williams was in a word – refreshing, when he joined the Bills in 1976. Selected in the third round out of the University of Mississippi, the All-Southeastern Conference defensive lineman didn’t arrive in Buffalo with the attitude that the NFL deserved him or vice-versa.