Two Bills Drive

‘While the NFC East race full of sputtering engines will come down to whoever runs out of gas last, the AFC East is developing into a full-steam bell-lap affair featuring a strong troika of teams. The Bills got out of the fun early — when they picked Door No. 1 and Rob Johnson was behind it, they were left with the NFL equivalent of the clucky chicken gag prize.’

I think the league has bent over too far to protect QBs and we see more of it every week. Eaton’s hit on Doug Flutie was brutal, but it was simply a football play, and he got 15 yards for it. Ditto Flowers for tackling Garcia near the sideline — but not out of bounds. This just continues a trend that is admirable but has just gotten out of control. Everyone wants to see the QB stay upright, but no one wants to see him treated like a piece of china. I think Van Pelt made some of the dumbest throws I’ve seen a QB make in a long time in San Francisco. Rob Johnson, your job looks secure to me.

‘A great team, the pro football adage says, needs a great quarterback. So much for adages. First off, parity rendered the word “great” in relation to National Football League teams as obsolete as the single-wing formation. “Pretty good” would represent a major step up for most. The Buffalo Bills, who embodied the above bromide through the late 1980s and early ’90s, would settle for “not horrible.” Particularly after their pathetic showing Sunday night in San Francisco. Then you look at the guys throwing the passes. Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning come closest, but even they have turned into interception machines the last few weeks. Fans and general managers alike salivate at the thought of drafting a prototypical quarterback like Manning. But more and more, the top passers take Warner’s more circuitous route to stardom.’

‘The Bills had 191 yards in total offense for the game, and they had a mere 29 rushing yards.’

‘Bills quarterback Alex Van Pelt had thrown for 300 yards in each of his past two games. Against the 49ers, he passed for 168. The Rams’ offense is light years ahead of Buffalo’s, but you’ve got to start somewhere.’

‘The Bills never had a chance. The 49ers never gave them a chance. Travis Henry rushed for 9 yards on Buffalo’s second offensive play. The rest of the first half the Bills ran for 3 yards on five carries.’

‘While some fans were able to park and walk from outside lots, many had to pay $20 to $30 fees to park in lots or spaces quickly set up by local entrepreneurs, before trekking through the December chill to the stadium.’

‘The numbers were numbing: The 49ers held the ball for 39:48, nearly double the Bills’ time of possession; they outgained Buffalo 409 yards to 191 — and 56 of those yards came during the Bills’ last futile drive in the final minutes against a soft prevent defense. The Bills were 2 for 12 on third downs, while the 49ers were 10 for 15.’

‘"Alex Van Pelt threw for 300 yards the last two games, but we found a way to control him, and we also stopped their running game."’

‘Flooding of city streets near the Hunters Point Expressway spilled into the stadium’s lots. As a result, two of the stadium’s main entrances were blocked and fans were redirected to park in alternate areas, according to 49ers public relations coordinator Kirk Reynolds. The stadium-operations crew hired a Roto-Rooter truck to pump the excess water and clear a path near another of the stadium’s main entrances.’

‘"I mean, everybody played poorly. I don’t know what happened to us tonight."’

‘The 49ers didn’t have many big plays, just modest but decisive gains.’

‘So much for the Miami loss being the low point.’

‘The Bills saw their five-game winning streak in Sunday night games snapped.’

‘Player of the Game: Garcia. Now that’s how the West Coast offense is supposed to be run.’