Two Bills Drive

‘"I don’t ever second-guess our decision, because we put so much effort into it and we’re confident it was the right decision," Donahoe said from his office the other day. "The problems we’ve had to this point you can’t really blame all on Rob Johnson. Unfortunately, quarterbacks always get too much credit or too much blame. It’s been the nature of football forever."’

‘Prediction: Jets, 24-13.’

‘”Ted is a guy a lot of us have good feelings about,” said linebacker Keith Newman. “He’s easygoing, but he can turn up the heat on you and be intense when he has to.” “He never had you do anything beyond your capabilities, but he made you feel you could exceed your limitations,” said safety Keion Carpenter. “The Jets are lucky to have a coach like that.”‘

‘Yet the Bills made a fundamental error when they chose Johnson over Doug Flutie in the offseason. They didn’t go by what they saw. They went by what they wanted to see.’

‘A month into the season it’s apparent that Edwards’ New York Jets very much resemble their next opponent, the struggling AFC East rival Buffalo Bills. "We’re similar," Edwards said. "When you watch them on tape, you see them at times do things very well, and at times kind of beat themselves. I think it’s a work in progress for them. "And I think we’re going through the same process here."’

‘Becht dropped three catchable passes in Monday night’s 19-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, including one that would have gone for a touchdown. "I’ve never had a game like that, but I’m putting it behind me," Becht said. "I’ve had a good week. I worked hard and my head’s in the right place. It’s a bad game. I’ll move on and get better. I’m not going to have my head down. I know this team needs me. I can’t wait to play this game."’

‘"It’s going to be a little different," Cottrell said this week by phone from his office in Hempstead, L.I. "I’m going to see a lot of friends up there. I spent 10 years of my life up there. You have a lot of thoughts and memories, but you have a job to do."’

‘But Glenn, a standout cornerback, has never impressed his N.F.L. coaches with his punt returning. Although he gets in stride with breathtaking speed, he does not have the most fluid style when catching the ball.’

‘Hayes will start at free safety tomorrow against the AFC East rival Bills in Buffalo, replacing injured starter Damien Robinson, who is out with a sprained ankle.’

‘Becht was at his worst against the 49ers, dropping several passes and allowing a critical sack late in the game.’

‘In another injury setback for the Jets, Robinson will miss Sunday’s must-win game at Buffalo with a sprained left ankle. It figures to be less of an inconvenience than it could be, because the Jets will insert Chris Hayes, who finished last season as the starter at free safety.’

‘The Bills (0-3) rank 27th in the NFL in passing offense, averaging just 158.3 yards per game. But Pro Bowl wide receiver Eric Moulds has just five receptions in three games and Bills quarterback Rob Johnson wants to get him going.’

‘Hayes started the final eight games of the 2000 campaign, and appeared to have plugged the Jets’ perennial hole at free safety. But during the spring, the team signed free agent Damien Robinson from Tampa Bay. Good-bye starting spot for Hayes, who had to be content with his title of "special-teams ace." But Robinson, nursing an ankle injury he suffered in the loss to San Francisco on Monday night, was downgraded from questionable to out Friday. So Hayes will make his first start of 2001 when the Jets (1-2) visit Buffalo (0-3) at 4:05 p.m.’

It was just one sentence, buried in Gregg Williams’ weekly Wednesday discussion of the state of the Buffalo Bills, but it gave a hint that he might just be learning what head coaching is all about. “I think we have to identify what we have strengths at doing and capitalize on those,” Williams said… Whoa.

‘Tackles John Fina and Jonas Jennings, who sat out last Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers with leg injuries, practiced again Friday and were expected to start Sunday against the New York Jets.’