Two Bills Drive

‘Two offenses that sputtered in their season-openers aim to get their motors running today at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The meeting of the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers pits two teams that produced just one touchdown each last week. The Bills know they probably will need more against one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks, Green Bay’s Brett Favre. "After looking at the film, the last game wasn’t the total mess that it appeared to be," said Bills quarterback Rob Johnson, referring to the offensive execution in the 16-13 win over Tennessee. "Usually we just broke down one guy here and one guy there. We know we have to do better."’

‘One of the things I remember best about the game that capped the Buffalo Bills’ fantasy season of 1965 were the minutes after their stunning 23-0 shutout over the Chargers in San Diego’s Balboa Stadium. As the late Tom Day came out of the dressing room he reached in his jacket pocket and fished out a button, pinning it to his shirt. It bore the catchy new slogan from Avis car rentals: "We Try Harder." That capsulized the ’65 Bills, who are holding their reunion today at the Bills-Packers game.’

‘The Bills simply call it The Package. That’s short for The Total Package. And that’s how the Bills view the dynamic duo of Ted Washington and Pat Williams, the mammoth defensive line combination they sprung on the Tennessee Titans last week with smashing results. The two nose tackles played together for 12 snaps and were joined on a three-man defensive line by either Phil Hansen or Shawn Price. Titans star Eddie George ran eight times for a mere 13 yards with Washington and Williams side-by-side. The Bills also got two sacks from the formation, one by Williams. "When The Package goes in there, we try to destroy everything in front of us," Williams said. "It worked good. It was unstoppable. We think we can stop anybody running the ball."’

‘Favre is one of the game’s all-time great warriors. But it looks like he will have to do too much on his own today. . . . Bills, 23-16.’

‘Pride cost [Andre] Reed $1.75 million with the Bills and a roster spot with the Broncos.’

‘"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."’