Two Bills Drive

‘"There were no dobbers down when Rob got hurt," Bills offensive coordinator Joe Pendry said. "Even though it was a tight ball game, there was never any thought that ‘We don’t have a chance now.’ "This team felt good about Alex in there. He knows how to play the game. He’s a smart guy who prepares well and performs. That’s the reason you have a veteran third quarterback."’

‘A year ago, Buffalo led the league in average time of possession. The team’s mark of 32 minutes and 12 seconds was one second better than runner-up Tampa Bay. In their opener this year, the Bills controlled the ball for over 33 minutes in a 16-13 win over Tennessee. In Buffalo, Green Bay will face an offensive line that averages nearly 325 pounds per starter. That’s about 40 pounds more per man than the Packers’ starting defensive line. On the other side of the ball, the Packers have to operate against a defense that held Eddie George to just 37 yards rushing and the Titans to 172 yards overall. A year ago, Buffalo’s defense was tops in the NFL. Ball control and winning seem to go hand-in-hand for the Bills. Since 1999, they are 10-2 when they keep the ball longer than their opponent. They’re merely 2-4 when they don’t.’

‘The Bills are at home, where they are 61-20 over the last 10-plus years. But there’s always the chance they’ll take the Packers a little lightly after their emotional win over Tennessee, which beat them in the playoffs last year with a miracle kickoff return for a touchdown.’

‘Even though Favre is playing with tendinitis in his throwing elbow and despite the fact he needs to ice an injured thumb he hurt last year, the Bills are wary of his presence. "If Brett Favre pulls on that No. 4 jersey and goes out there to play, we know he’s going to give 110%. That injury stuff doesn’t mean a thing,” Bills safety Keion Carpenter said.’

‘"Our defense played so well they have a better opportunity to let down than us,” quarterback Rob Johnson said. ”Offensively, we didn’t play that well. There’s no room for us to have a letdown."’

‘Bills win if…They keep Favre’s big plays to a minimum. The Packers’ ground game figures to stumble, so Favre will be airing it out most of the day and that might be dangerous for the Bills…Rob Johnson doesn’t pretend he’s Earl Campbell, taking on all comers when he runs out of the pocket. If Johnson’s healthy, he will be a productive quarterback this season…The offensive line can win the battles up front and provide running room for the backs as well as time for Johnson to throw…Their special teams provide good field position for the offense and bad field position for Favre, therefore forcing him to drive long distances to get scores against a very good defense.’

‘Today, about 25 members of that Bills team that repeated as American Football League champions in 1965 will be honored before the Green Bay Packers game at the stadium that bears Wilson’s name. You can be sure there will be plenty more laughs as the oldtimers tell tall tales over tall ones. Lou Saban, the well-traveled coach, is expected to be there, as is Jack Kemp, the quarterback who became a Congressman and presidential candidate, and Billy Shaw, the Hall of Fame guard who anchored a vastly underrated offensive line. "Our ’64 championship team was healthier and had more overall talent, but the ’65 season may have been more gratifying because we had to overcome so much more," recalled Kemp, the director of Empower America, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.’

‘Green, Favre and company will face a very good Buffalo defense. The Bills finished last season with the NFL’s best defense, and it shows no signs of relinquishing the crown. Last week the Bills limited Titan running back Eddie George to 37 yards on 17 carries. "The Bills defense is very strong and powerful," said Packer head coach Mike Sherman. "They haven’t lost much from last season."’

‘"I had a great fondness for that team," said Saban, who is coaching at Canton (N.Y.) Tech. "I thought it was one of those teams that I coached that did it when they were all beat up and still able to win the championship. I had great respect for the people as individuals as well as football players." Saban will return to Western New York this weekend and join some 40 of the 52 players on the Bills’ last championship team. Festivities include a cocktail party and dinner tonight, a ceremony before the Packers-Bills game Sunday and the Quarterback Club luncheon on Monday. Among those in attendance will be the stars of that game, Jack Kemp and Ernie Warlick, who connected on an 18-yard touchdown pass, and Butch Byrd, who had a 74-yard punt return for a TD. Others include Dubenion, Hall of Fame guard Billy Shaw, center Al Bemiller, fullback Wray Carlton, cornerback Booker Edgerson, linebacker Harry Jacobs, linebacker Marty Schottenheimer, quarterback-receiver Ed Rutkowski, defensive tackle Ron McDole and linebacker Mike Stratton. "It’s always good for a good time," said Stratton, whose tackle on Keith Lincoln in the ’64 title game was one of the biggest plays in team history. "You get to match your recollection of things against other people’s recollection. It’s amazing how much difference there can be. If you look back 35 years, I made all the tackles and (safety) George Saimes didn’t make any. Of course, he remembers it just the other way."’

‘Bentley is moving his wife and five children from Grand Rapids, Mich., to Western New York because he is the head coach of the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League. "I can’t not be there," said Bentley, who expects his Destroyers position to be mentioned in the broadcast. Fox, after all, has allowed him to continue coaching. "They understand that it really can only help as far as being a better broadcaster," Bentley said. "Now I can look at it not only as a former player but also from the perspective of a current coach."’

‘"I’ve had teams hold me to one catch and things, but I’m not really concerned about it," Moulds said. "If I go out and play hard, you can’t (double-cover me) every play, so eventually I’ll be singled up and that’s when I have to make the play." Moulds might have a field day tomorrow when the Bills play host to the Green Bay Packers. The Packers secondary is banged up and will be without Mike McKenzie, Green Bay’s top cornerback who hurt his knee during last week’s loss to the New York Jets.’

‘Green Bay Packers return specialist Allen Rossum will not only be the smallest player Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium but also possibly the biggest target. Two weeks ago, Rossum was playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in their final exhibition game when, with 31 seconds left, he hustled around the corner and dived, attempting to block a field-goal attempt by Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills. Rossum slid into Christie’s leg and the kicker went down for more than a minute before being carried off the field. Bills coach Wade Phillips was yelling and pointing at Rossum, who stayed with medical personnel until Christie was moved. His 33-yard field goal ensured the Bills’ 16-12 victory. Rossum was penalized 15 yards for running into the kicker. It turned out that all Christie received was a bruise below the knee, and within a few days he was fine. But some Bills were incensed at the time, given the circumstances. "In high school, we’d have had a fight after the game over something like that," Bills defensive end Marcellus Wiley said. Traded to the Packers the next day, Rossum forgot about the incident until he was asked at mid-week if he feared the Bills’ special teams would be out to wreak physical revenge. "You know, I’m not worried about that if they’re going to have that type of attitude," he said. "I didn’t try to hurt the guy. If that was the case, I would have run right for the kicker. He was coming down and we just bumped into each other." Bills general manager John Butler was as concerned as anyone about Christie’s condition at the time but absolved Rossum of malicious intent and doesn’t anticipate retaliation from Buffalo coverage units.’

‘"If Brett Favre pulls on that No. 4 jersey and goes out there to play, we know he’s going to give 110 percent," free safety Keion Carpenter said. "That injury stuff doesn’t mean a thing." Said defensive end Marcellus Wiley: "Brett Favre can go 0- for 20 then rip your heart out with pass 21. They say he’s hurt but like they say, a wounded animal is a dangerous animal."’

‘"No secret," Packers quarterback Brett Favre said. "(The Bills) are as good as they are hyped up to be. Very good, even better at home. Tremendous size up front and, on top of that, they’re very quick. "I’m not blowing smoke here, they’re good. We’ll have our hands full. By far the best run defense that we’ll probably face all year, or close to it. If you can’t run, then you have to throw every time and are playing into their hands." The heart of the defense are nose tackles Ted Washington and Pat Williams, perhaps an ideal combination of size and more size. Packers coach Mike Sherman used to coach Williams at Texas A&M, so he knows what the Packers are up against. "It’s a strong, powerful defense," Sherman said. "Washington is listed at 330 pounds, he might be more like 360. He is a huge man, probably one of the best run stoppers in football."’

The coach began the day by comparing the Week 1 defeat to Muhammad Ali losing the first round of a heavyweight fight. It was an analogy the players appeared to buy into, Favre in particular. “I’d like to think this of’fense has a knockout punch to it,” Favre said. “It has in the past. To say that I was rusty, had not played in three weeks, had not played in a game – yes, that is true. That is no excuse.”‘