Two Bills Drive

‘Buffalo coach Wade Phillips said Thursday that Flutie might serve as the team’s third quarterback behind starter Rob Johnson and backup Alex Van Pelt, but a final decision may not be made until game time.’

‘"It is different certainly without the Big 3 and they certainly are in our minds and in our hearts,” said coach Wade Phillips, who returns for his third year. "But I hope there’s a Big 6 or Big 8 or Big 10 that show up with this year’s team. We have a lot of good young players. "If they play well, then those are the guys we’ll remember 10 years from now."’

‘The Titans, who fell a yard short of sending the Super Bowl into overtime, might be the league’s best team. The Bills almost always draft well and have stayed respectable even while the stars of the early ’90s fade from the scene. But they’re young. No miracles needed. TITANS, 24-16.

‘It wasn’t his choice to leave Buffalo, but apparently fans there resent his decision to join the Bills’ archrivals in the AFC East. “I’ve gotten nasty mail — `Watch your back when you come to Buffalo,”‘ he said. “I’m thinking they mean maybe a couple of snowballs, but you never know when you get letters like that.” He can’t say former teammate Jim Kelly didn’t warn him. “Jim was the first person I called when I came down here,” Thomas said. “He said, `If you still think you can play, go ahead and do it. But you’re probably going to make a lot of people in Buffalo mad.””

‘But that’s not to say last year’s playoff disappointment didn’t affect Johnson. His performance against the NFL’s premier pass rush, while playing behind an injury-devastated offensive line earned him big points with his teammates. Not only were they impressed that he had rallied them in a road playoff game, but also that he was quick to take the blame for his team’s struggles in the first half. Tennessee’s initial score was a safety when Johnson bobbled a snap from center Jerry Ostroski and was tackled in the end zone by Titans’ All-Pro defensive end Jevon Kearse. Afterward Johnson could have blamed Ostroski, but instead he insisted the mistake was his also. He that he had unwisely called an audible in the din of Adelphia Coliseum and Ostroski couldn’t hear it. In Johnson’s view, that was totally his own fault. But that approach – whether or not it was the truth – was a sharp contrast to his predecessor, Doug Flutie, whom he replaced a week earlier. Flutie took great pains to distance himself from blame for any mistakes, a trait duly noted by his teammates. Johnson’s “my fault” attitude was embraced by the team and he came to be viewed differently after that game. “I think the team sees me differently,” he conceded. “The team believes (I) can do it. But to me, I haven’t changed.”‘

‘Most of the Bills insist they’ve put that loss behind them. They’ll tell you it’s a new season, with a bunch of new players. They’ll tell you they’re not thirsting for revenge in Sunday night’s opener at Ralph Wilson Stadium. And you don’t believe them. Looking into Cowart’s eyes, you can almost see the fire smoldering inside him. It has been nearly eight months since Kevin Dyson raced down the left sideline to steal a victory away. That is hardly enough time to forget. "The players who were in that game know how it felt," he said. "So we’ll be playing with a little more incentive. They’re the only team to beat us in 2000, so we want to pay them back."’

‘It would be an understatement to say the Tennessee Titans’ offense was like vanilla ice cream in last year’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. It was like non-fat vanilla ice cream. The Titans’ offense played an ultra-conservative game and squeezed out one touchdown and two field goals against the Bills’ defense. That was then. The Bills are staring at a Titans offense that looks a lot more balanced and dangerous this week as they prepare for Sunday’s rematch of the Music City Miracle at Ralph Wilson Stadium. "We’ve seen them go down the field a lot more than they did last year," said Bills cornerback Ken Irvin. "They have a different offensive coordinator this year, and with the receivers they have, why not?"’

‘"I feel good enough that I could contribute," Flutie said. "It feels real comfortable dropping back and setting up. All I’ve ever said was it would be somewhere in the first few weeks of the regular season." Flutie stayed out of the 11-on-11 drills as a precaution so he wouldn’t be tempted to make a fast cut. "It’s definitely not 100 percent right now," Flutie said. "It’s somewhere around 90 percent. I’ve played feeling worse."’

‘That’s why Buffalo fans have to be excited and intrigued by Rob Johnson. Whenever he throws the ball downfield, you’re reminded of why he was brought here in the first place, and of the possibilities contained in his right arm.’

‘Too many times, people said, "That’s just Bruce." In between his first and 171st sack, Bruce Smith – the man Wiley has replaced at defensive end – was suspended for four games after testing positive for drugs. He was involved in numerous contract disputes. He turned training camp into extended vacations. He took a nap at a red light. Wiley has 81/2 sacks in his career. Maybe he’ll never be the great Bruce Smith, but he could be better than most defensive ends in the NFL. He had to overcome back surgery but will be ready for the season opener this week against the Tennessee Titans. "Bruce has 170-something sacks," Wiley said. "Bruce is Hall of Fame. He’s already going to Canton, Ohio. The only way I’m going to Canton, Ohio, is if I get lost trying to go to Cleveland. That’s right now. When I’m done and I’m 35 years old, we’re going to talk a different talk. I’m not trying to catch Bruce in one year. That’s how you set yourself up wrong mentally. You set yourself up right by saying, "It’s my turn. I’m going to show them.’" So Marcellus isn’t Bruce. He’s the anti-Bruce.’

‘So that leaves Robert Hicks, who could be the most important figure in the core of this offense. Yes, that Robert Hicks. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound, anything-but-round right tackle enters his third season this year, and the Bills need him to play well if they want to move the ball. If he plays poorly, they could have problems. "Every team starts with the offensive line," Hicks said. "True, indeed, defense wins games, but the offense has to move the ball. If you don’t have a good offensive line, all the plays are going to falter. I have to play well."’

‘The game which turned around the franchise: The Dallas Texans, who would go on to win the American Football League championship in the second overtime game in football history, and became the Kansas City Chiefs the next season, came to War Memorial Stadium on Dec. 2, 1962. The largest crowd ever for a Bills’ game up to then, 35,261, jammed the place to see Jack Kemp play his first home game as a Bill. The new quarterback picked apart the Dallas defense and Buffalo won, 23-14. The crowd, probably loaded with Democrats, surged on to the field at the end and carried Kemp, who would be the Republican candidate for vice president of the United States 34 years later, through the Dodge Street tunnel on its shoulders. Bills mania was born that day.’

‘[Buffalo] Should be second-best team in AFC East, again.’

‘The feedback from the Bills fans hasn’t been as jovial. "I’ve gotten nasty mail," he said. "Stuff like ‘watch your back’ when I come to Buffalo (Oct. 8). I’m thinking maybe a couple of snowballs, but you never know when you get letters like that."’

‘There’s no depth left after they cut key players to get under the salary cap. They lost leadership in Bruce Smith and Schulz but managed to re-sign G Ruben Brown. There’s a quarterback controversy lurking if Rob Johnson, the designated starter, doesn’t produce. Doug Flutie has a lot of fans in Buffalo.’