Two Bills Drive

‘Blue Cross/Blue Shield is out with its new Buffalo Bills pets calendar and, as always, Phillips is pictured with his 12-year-old bulldog, Coach. This year, there’s a twist – Coach is wearing a headset.’

‘”I’m worried that the dime defense has given up some big plays … and we pride ourselves on not giving up big plays. With the nickel, it gives us a little different look.”‘

‘"We’ve got an eight-game season now and we’ll see how we react," said strong safety Henry Jones, who has gone to the playoffs seven of his previous 10 seasons as a Bill. "We need to continue to work hard and stay focused and take it one day at a time. We’ve got some things we need to clean up . . . but we’re going to go out and fix them."’

‘The New England Patriots are sick of Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie stealing their thunder.’

‘Bills win if … their defense continues to play superbly against the run, then doesn’t forget that Bledsoe can still be a very dangerous passer. Defensive balance is important today.’

‘The Patriots get a scheduling breather in the second half, but the game they really need to win is today’s against the 4-4 Buffalo Bills, one of the tougher teams they will face.’

‘Prediction: Buffalo 23, New England 18.’

‘Gash said rumors that players didn’t like Doug Flutie were unfounded.’

‘Thurman Thomas is gone. So are Bruce Smith and Andre Reed. Thomas Smith and Kurt Schulz have also departed. Antowain Smith and Jonathan Linton are on the bench and Phil Hansen is sidelined with a knee injury.’

‘Johnson is still Buffalo’s quarterback of the future. And when healthy, he is capable of putting up Pro Bowl numbers. Flutie simply wins more games.’

‘All but unnoticed, as usual, was the role Sam Cowart played in the victory.’

‘Sammy Morris is an unlikely heir to the Buffalo running back tradition of O.J. Simpson, Joe Cribb, and Thurman Thomas, but the rookie from Texas Tech has rushed for touchdowns in each of the Bills’ last four games.’

‘The pick: Bills by 3.’

‘"Every time I step on the field I have to prove to the world that I can play and make the people upstairs (Phillips and general manager John Butler) second-guess themselves," the 37-year-old quarterback said. "After all I’ve done, that’s discouraging."’

‘He was having a game of touch with nieces, nephews, and friends from his hometown of Natick; with relatives, and buddies from Buffalo, and former high-school teammates. "Don’t make a big deal out of this," he said that night, after I’d gone down to the field to talk with him. But it was a big deal.’