Two Bills Drive

‘If the Buffalo Bills’ special-teamers didn’t realize they were in for a big test in San Diego, they found out the moment they looked in their locker stalls this week. The Bills’ special-teamers found a sign reminding them that the Chargers rank No. 1 in the NFL in kickoff coverage.’

‘Prick him lightly and you’ll find the resentments are still there, just beneath the surface.’

‘Buffalo Bills defensive end Phil Hansen participated fully in workouts Thursday at the Bills’ practice facility and appears ready to return to the lineup Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.’

‘"It’s the biggest (Bills) game since the last Super Bowl," said Chuck Dickerson, the "Coach" on WGR-AM. "Everyone has chosen sides, and those who deny it are BS’ers."’

‘Strong safety Rodney Harrison did it all for the Chargers last season. He led the team in tackles (127), interceptions (six) and passes defensed (17), and outpaced every NFL defensive back with six sacks. The scary part? He’s playing better this year.’

‘”I’m not even going to respond,” he said. “I’m glad I’m here. I think there are a lot of people here, too, that are glad I’m here. I’ve got a lot of friends on that team and had a great experience in Buffalo. I enjoyed my three years in Buffalo and now I’m in a great situation here and looking to take a run at the playoffs.”‘

‘As of late yesterday, 5,000 tickets remained for Sunday’s game…’.

‘Chargers GM John Butler refused to be interviewed by Buffalo radio or TV stations this week. He did agree to talk to San Diego outlets, but only on the condition they didn’t share the tape with affiliates in Western New York.’

‘"I don’t really care about them," Johnson said of Flutie Nation. "Fans are going to support who they want to and I don’t think it’s really going to change anything."’

‘The two very likely would have been reunited last off-season had the Bills decided to release Johnson and keep Doug Flutie as their quarterback. Instead, Flutie was let go, he signed with the Chargers, and now Johnson’s arch enemy is playing for his buddy. A strange twist indeed.’

‘"It’s one thing to see football — that’s a drama in itself," Wiley said. "But this one’s expected to be a notch above that. It starts up top, all the way down to the field. It’s just relationships. It’s almost a chance for the little brother to beat up his big sister if he can, and mama don’t get mad."’

‘The only one not expressing concern is nosetackle Pat Williams. "There ain’t no magic," Williams said of Flutie and the Chargers. "They lost against the Patriots, the Browns. They’ve been playing average. They ain’t showed me nothing."’

‘"I think he’s starting to get a good feel for it," general manager Tom Donahoe said of Johnson. "He played with a lot of courage and a lot of effort. He has all the tools. … He’s definitely a quarterback that can win a lot of games for us." Whether he ever wins more than Flutie, however, remains to be seen.’

‘NFL Films is doing a “Where are they now?” on Saban on the sidelines at Chowan and ESPN also is doing a feature on Saban’s nomadic career.’

‘As of today, Flutie is 34-16 as a starter … making it all the more curious that he’s with his fourth NFL team in eight seasons.’