Two Bills Drive

"He is somebody I looked up to at the University of Miami. He’s had a great career in everything he has done. Without him the Bills wouldn’t have made their four Super Bowl run. He makes the players around him better. He was a winner. He was tough. He played quarterback with a linebacker mentality." -Vinny Testaverde

‘Another week, another starting offensive line combination. At least that’s what the Buffalo Bills are hoping for when they visit Foxboro Stadium on Sunday to take on the New England Patriots. Gregg Williams, still seeking his second win as a head coach seven games into the season, said Wednesday that Jonas Jennings will replace Marques Sullivan at left tackle against the Patriots, while Jerry Ostroski will take over for Jon Carman on the right side, assuming both would-be starters are healthy. That’s no small leap of faith — Jennings, who opened the year as the starting right tackle, has missed the last two games with a sprained foot. Ostroski hasn’t played in a game since the second week of the exhibition season, due to a fractured tibia. Both were listed as questionable on the mid-week injury report.’

Article from a fantasy football perspective, but interesting because it discusses/debunks common thoughts about why the Bills #1 offensive weapon has been so quiet this season. The article lays blame on the game plan of Offensive Coordinator Mike Sheppard.

‘ESPN even did a spoof of "The Brady Bunch," interviewing cast members who portrayed Tom as the "missing Brady." Even Brady’s New England Patriots’ teammates are having fun with it. "Yeah, too much fun at my expense," Brady said. "The scary thing is too many guys on our team thought it was for real."’

‘"It’s a little bit discouraging on Sunday when you’re out there watching other guys run around and having fun on the football field," said Prioleau (pronounced Pray-Low). "You miss it a whole lot. But week-to-week, I just prayed on it and knew that I would be back in the game." His prayers were answered when the Buffalo Bills signed him to their active roster Wednesday.’

‘Even New England coach Bill Belichick admits he wonders at times when veteran cornerback Otis Smith will reach the point of diminishing returns. "Each year you say, ‘How much longer is this going to last, at what point is he going to start to decline,’ " Belichick said, "and I just haven’t seen it. He really has the same qualities he did five years ago when we first got him."’

‘Willie McGinest hasn’t returned to the form that once prompted Patriots coach Bill Belichick to compare him to Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor. However, he isn’t playing like Lawrence Welk, either.’

‘Damien Woody was asked straight out, ”Can the Patriots begin thinking about the playoffs?” ”Why not?” Woody said. ”We’re getting better week after week. If we can avoid mistakes and play our game, there’s no reason we can’t be a playoff team. We’re 4-4 right now, and that’s like 0-0. What we do the rest of the way, we can control that."’

‘Not able to wait any longer for Terry Glenn to get on the practice field, the Patriots had to bring in a fresh body, and yesterday signed former Buffalo Bills draft pick and former Chicago Enforcer (XFL) wide receiver Fred Coleman for the remainder of the season.’

‘New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has suffered enough. If he is asked one more time about Marcia Brady, he’s going to start wishing his last name was Partridge.’

‘But veteran linebacker Ted Johnson said he not only feels for teammate Terry Glenn, he relates to the oft-troubled receiver as well. While Johnson in no way compared his rough childhood to that of Glenn, whose mother was murdered when he was 13, Johnson detected similarities nonetheless. Johnson said he carried his own troubled past, and what he said were its resultant "self-destructive behaviors," into his adulthood. It got to the point where a few years ago Johnson had to ask for help. Johnson said until Glenn does the same thing, he will continue to struggle.’

‘Not too long ago, receiver Troy Brown was a third or fourth option in the Patriots passing game, a player that drew little attention from opposing defensive coordinators and rarely anything more than single coverage. That’s all changed. As the Pats’ top receiver – he’s on pace to catch 106 passes – Brown is suddenly the recipient of a lot of attention, and not just on third downs. For the first time in his career, Brown is being double-teamed.’

‘WFSB, Channel 3, will televise the Kansas City Chiefs-Jets game at 1 p.m. instead of the Bills-Patriots. But the decision to ditch the Pats, adding insult to their injury list, was not made by WFSB. "The [CBS] network says, `This is the game we’re going to give you,’ and unless we petition the network to change the game, that’s the game we get," Channel 3 general manager Al Bova said.’

‘Otis Smith is the oldest player on the New England Patriots’ roster, and one of the most popular. These days, he also is one of the most dependable Pats, both on and off the field. At age 36, a time when most cornerbacks have long since gone into another line of work, Smith is playing some of the best football of his career.’

‘The Patriots will not get much sympathy from the Bills when they moan about the unsettled situation with their offensive line. Buffalo has been hurt badly all season by problems with its line. The Bills, 1-6 thus far, have allowed 27 sacks. Only Detroit (32) and Seattle (30) have given up more. Quarterback Rob Johnson has had to work under severe pressure.’