Two Bills Drive

‘He [Marv Levy] said it was only the second time he’d seen a game in Ralph Wilson Stadium since he retired following the 1997 season.’

‘”We gave them life when we should have just finished them off,” Buckner said. “So now they’re over in their locker room all happy, and we’re here left here in our locker room to try and explain the same thing that we’ve been trying to explain for the last 12 weeks in a row.”‘

‘That was ridiculous to let a team go 70 yards in 30-something seconds. That’s uncalled for. We are too good for that. I don’t care what anybody says. An NFL team is too good to let another team do that. He should have been mad. He should have slapped all of us to get us right.”‘

‘Brandon Spoon, the rookie linebacker with the Bills who played in college at North Carolina and is a native of Burlington, made one of the key plays of the game yesterday when he intercepted a Weinke pass in the third quarter and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. It was the first interception of Spoon’s young NFL career and he made sort of a nifty move to dive into the end zone for the touchdown, avoiding a would-be Carolina tackler.’

‘The Carolina Panthers proved Sunday that no lead is too big for their defense.’

‘But the momentum of the game turned when Alex Van Pelt led his team 70 yards on four plays to cut Carolina’s lead to 24-13. Bills third-year wide receiver Peerless Price beat double coverage by cornerback Doug Evans and free safety Deon Grant to score with one second left in the half.’

‘”We could have laid down and said, ‘We can’t come back from this.’ It’s the Bills’ tradition to circle the wagons and come back.”‘

‘The Bills (2-10) won for the first time in seven home games this season and snapped a six-game losing streak overall.’

‘The last time the Bills lost all eight home games was back in 1984, when they were 1-12 en route to a 2-14 finish under coach Kay Stephenson.’

‘The 43-year-old Williams had only streaks of gray when he was hired in February. Now his head is all shades of gray.’

‘What the remaining six games will involve is the judging of Williams’ staff.’

‘Williams has been Captain Bligh, head-strong and, judging by the running critical commentary of his players, imperiled by the threat of mutiny.’

‘Talk about the draft is getting louder with every Buffalo loss.’

‘But the Rams’ offensive numbers of the past three years eclipse almost all of the Bills’ numbers.’

‘This year, the Lions are in a race — and leading it — for the No. 2 pick in next year’s draft. The expansion Houston Texans get the top pick. The worst of the 31 established teams are in a backward race for No. 2. The Lions’ 0-11 record gives them the lead, but there are two solid contenders — Buffalo and Carolina each have one win.’