Two Bills Drive

‘Daunte Culpepper used to let bad things gnaw at him. If he’d throw an interception or fumble the ball, or just mess up on a play, it’d stick to his psyche like a barnacle. But that was long ago. Nothing bothers him now. "In high school, I used to get down on myself and get mad," Culpepper said. "Then it would pile up. One problem would turn into another problem." So, way back in high school in Ocala, Fla., he realized it was a whole lot easier if he would just put the bad stuff behind him. Quickly. Very quickly. That’s what he did Sunday.’

‘Using a mixture of short passes by quarterback Doug Flutie and the running of Shawn Bryson and Sammy Morris, the Bills converted 10 of 17 third-down situations, a season high allowed by the Vikings.’

‘Orlando Thomas stomped out any chance of a Doug Flutie-led comeback when he recovered a Peerless Price fumble in Buffalo territory to set up Gary Anderson’s record-setting field goal. Trailing 28-27 with less than three minutes to play and facing third-and-11 from his own 19, Flutie hit Price for 17 yards and a first down. But Vikings cornerback Robert Tate jarred the ball loose, and Thomas pounced on it at the 34. Afterward, Price, who finished with three receptions for 42 yards, wasn’t in chatty mood. "He just made a good play, and I fumbled the ball trying to make a play myself, trying to spin out of a tackle," said Price. "I don’t want to talk no more."’

‘"Dad taught me everything I know about kicking and everything I know about life," said Gary Anderson, his voice cracking and his eyes welling with tears. "He would tell me that I could continue kicking until I was 40. . . . But I don’t think even Dad thought I’d break George Blanda’s record. . . . He’d be surprised."’

‘"We love the fact that we are 7-0, we are very excited about it," head coach Dennis Green said. "But we do understand that next week we have another very good game. … But I think that our guys are up for the task and have tremendous character."’

‘Coming into Sunday’s game, Buffalo had made a name for itself thanks to a stingy defense. Undaunted, the Vikings rolled up 348 total yards and 31 points.’

‘Anderson broke the record in front of his mother and two sons, who came to the Metrodome in hopes of seeing him make history. The kick also came against the Bills, who drafted Anderson in 1982, only to cut him during training camp.’

‘For three-plus quarters, the Bills played the part of the better team. The Vikings appeared unable to solve Buffalo’s defense and incapable of corralling Bills QB Doug Flutie and the Bills offense. With 14 minutes left in the game, Buffalo appeared in control with a 24-13 advantage. In other words, the Vikings had the Bills right where they wanted ’em.’

‘"I wish every kid in America could experience what I’ve felt the last few years," said Anderson, a native of South Africa. "I don’t think any of the others rank with this one, just the way that it happened. It’s the culmination of a lot of guys who have helped me score 2,004 points. I’m the beneficiary of a lot of guys."’

‘"It came down to one play," said Bills coach Wade Phillips, whose Bills (3-4) have lost four of their last five games. "One play, and it’s the difference in the game. We had two guys covering Moss. Obviously, we didn’t have him covered."’

‘Gary Anderson, the only kicker to have a perfect season, is the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,004 points. Needing 10 points to pass George Blanda on the all-time list, Anderson kicked three field goals and two extra points today to help the Minnesota Vikings post a 31-27 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The 41-year-old Anderson set the record when he kicked a 21-yard field goal with 64 seconds left. The 11 points today gave him two more than the previous mark held by Blanda, who played until he was 48.’

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‘”Doug has different strengths (than Johnson),” Phillips said. “They’re the same plays, they’re just run differently. He’s ready to play, the team believes in him and that’s why we have two good QBs. Doug will have to adjust some, but the key will be how (the Vikings) play us and how they try to stop his strengths (scrambling and throwing on the run).”‘

‘Dennis Green is an idiot. Last winter he let Randall Cunningham leave Minnesota as a free agent. And all he did was quarterback the Vikings to a 15-1 record in 1998 and a berth in the National Football Conference Championship Game. Shortly thereafter he did the same thing with Jeff George, whose contribution was taking the Vikes to 10 victories and a playoff berth last season. THEN Green handed the QB job to a second-year pro who had never thrown an NFL pass. What a fool. It’s a good thing the Vikings are 6-0, or Dennis Green might have been fired by now. Instead, of course, he’s being hailed as a genius … on merit.’

‘Doug Flutie finds himself in an oh-so-familiar role today. Underdog. Flutie, one day shy of his 38th birthday, takes over a struggling Buffalo Bills’ offense in one of the toughest venues in the NFL against one of only two undefeated teams in the league. If ever there was a game in which the Bills could use some Flutie magic, this is it.’