Two Bills Drive

‘"We`re not shocked," Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler said after another solid yet unspectacular day. "No matter what our critics said before the season, we knew we had a good team."’

‘Miami dominated for most of the afternoon. Still, with 8:34 left, the Dolphins’ lead had been trimmed to 15-13 when Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson led his team on a three-play, 82-yard touchdown drive in the blink of an eye. The Dolphins sputtered on offense and gave the ball right back. But once again, the Miami defense stepped up. Johnson flipped a little pass to running back Sammy Morris. Cornerback Patrick Surtain knocked the ball out of his hands. Cornerback Sam Madison scooped the ball out of midair and returned it 20 yards for the touchdown that settled the outcome.’

‘Like so many times in the past, the showdown between AFC East archrivals Miami and Buffalo ended with Thurman Thomas holding a game ball. Only this time Thomas provided a spark for the Dolphins rather than the Bills, and he did it not so much with his running as with his taunting. Thomas repeatedly talked trash to his former teammates, and Miami’s defense backed him up with a smothering performance Sunday to beat the Bills 22-13. “I’m 1-0 against the Bills. I’m happy,” Thomas said. “Once I strapped it on today, everything I did for 12 years in Buffalo went out the window.”‘

‘Thurman Thomas dominated the headlines this week, but the defense of the Miami Dolphins dominated the game. With most of the attention focused on Thomas in his first game against the Buffalo Bills, Trace Armstrong led a ferocious pass rush and Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain and unheralded rookie Jermaine Haley also starred on defense in a 22-13 victory.’

‘”Our special teams players are young … and the fact people are tired of hearing that doesn’t make them any older. We have six rookies on our kickoff coverage team … five of them next to each other. Eventually, they’re going to be pretty good,” he said. “One thing we’ve started to do is take things game-by-game. Once you’ve given up a (97-yard kickoff return) you’re not going to move up very much (in the kick coverage standings). So we’re concentrating on ‘How did we do this week (compared to the other 30 teams).’ A big part of my job is being part psychologist or psychiatrist to these players. And right now, they have to do a better job of preparing to win.”‘

‘"I’m really excited, but I’ve been excited since I signed here with the Miami Dolphins," Thomas said. "Obviously, spending 12 years in Buffalo, you want to play well against that team. You want to win. But I can’t turn this into a me- against-the-Bills type of atmosphere. That’s what I’m trying not to do." How hard he’s trying is anybody’s guess.’

‘The Bills swept the Dolphins last year for only the seventh time in the history of this rivalry, and they have won four of the past six meetings. They also come into the game with an 0-2 record in the AFC East, losing at the gun last week to Indianapolis at Ralph Wilson Stadium. "We know it’s an important game," former Buffalo now Miami running back Thurman Thomas said. "It would probably separate us from the pack. We know we have to be ready. We know we have to play extra hard, and what better feeling to have than being 5-1 going into the bye week."’

‘"The AFC East is still the best division," former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly said. "Whoever said that (it wasn’t) doesn’t know anything about football."’

‘"It’s not a must-win but it’s huge, especially because it’s in division and we’ve lost two," Johnson said. "I think the biggest thing is for the morale of the team. We felt we’ve given two games away in our division. I think we’re a good team. We’ve proven that. We can play with anyone. I think we can go on runs and roll off five or six wins in a row. But we have to start playing better."’

‘Outlook: The Dolphins have had an easy schedule so far. They are a soft 4-1. . . . Bills, 17-14.’

‘Today’s first Thurman Bowl is a juicy soap opera, especially after Thomas’ week of trash talking and the fact the Bills’ season is tetering in the wind. "I haven’t said anything to my teammates here," Thomas said. "You know the rivalry. These guys know how I want this game to turn out."’

‘Bills win if…They play turnover-free. The Dolphins have thrived on turnovers, forcing a league-high 14 thus far. The game figures to be close and one break off a turnover could prove critical…Their defense outplays the stout Miami defense. The Dolphins will have the advantage of the home crowd firing them up, but top to bottom, the Buffalo defense is stronger than Miami’s…Johnson plays efficiently. He can’t make some of the poor decisions that plagued him last week.’

‘"Whatever you’ve become accustomed to with Miami-Buffalo games, it’s going to be the same, no different," Bills guard Ruben Brown said. "They’re going to be coming at us, man. They always bring the heat and we’ve got to be prepared for that."’

‘Since their meeting last November, future Hall of Famers Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas were cast out in Buffalo. Dan Marino was similarly vanished from the Dolphins roster, albeit in a more diplomatic fashion. The last time the teams played without this superstar corps intact, President Ronald Reagan was in the White House.’

‘The Dolphins are the surprise team in the NFL right now. Dave Wannstedt is the coach of the year or Doug Henning. The early success has the feel of magic, but you wonder if it will disappear. There remains the unsettling sense that Miami’s 4-1 record is propped up on matchsticks and toothpicks, held together by masking tape, string and a prayer. Today — here against nemesis Buffalo, most perfectly — we should finally get an answer: Can this be real?’