Two Bills Drive

‘It’ll be two weeks today since the Bills veteran backup slipped on the St. John Fisher College natural grass and suffered the injury. He was initially expected to be out until at least the middle of next month. There’s still no clear indication when he will be back. Flutie said there’s an outside shot of him being ready for the Bills regular-season opener on Sept. 3. "I still got three weeks. That’s still a possibility," he said. At the latest, Flutie said he’ll be back by Oct. 1, the Bills’ fourth game of the season, which follows their scheduled bye week. He said there’s no point returning for Game 3 only to take an additional week off.’

‘There has been much excitement in this camp about the prospects of No. 1 tight end Jay Riemersma becoming a major cog in the Bills offense this season. And there has been much talk about the expanded role Sheldon Jackson — like Collins a second-year tight end — is receiving as he tries his hand at fullback and H-back. But no one seems to be paying much attention to Collins, who technically is No. 2 on the depth chart and figures to see ample playing time this season in two-tight end alignments. "I think people just want to wait to see," Collins said. What "people" are waiting to see is the 6-foot-4, 249-pounder display the explosiveness and big-play ability the Bills’ deep thinkers think he possesses.’

‘An upbeat Kelly paid a visit to camp yesterday, observing practice, chatting with players, and signing tons of autographs for a legion of appreciative fans. Last night, he escorted a group of fans to dinner with defensive stars Ted Washington and Phil Hansen, winners of a charity raffle for his Hunter’s Hope Foundation. While attending practice, Kelly was struck by the passage of time. The release of Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith means there are no Bills left from their first Super Bowl team of 1990. "It’s time to move on, pass the torch, for the Bills to start a new tradition," Kelly said. "It’s time for them to get a new identity and you can see with all the new players what they’re trying to accomplish."’

‘During red-zone work in practice, quarterback Rob Johnson continues to find tight end Jay Riemersma open for completions in the back of the end zone. It’s always a mismatch, the 6-foot-5 Riemersma usually matched up against a shorter linebacker. On one particulary play, John Holecek was all over Riemersma, only to have the former Michigan all-state high school basketball player snatch the ball above his outstretched arms. "Jay’s big in the red area because he’s so tall," coach Wade Phillips said. "He can recognize the coverages, and he can anticipate and make plays. We’re going to try to utilize him more. I think Rob feels good with Jay, I think it’s a good combination. He looks for Jay in the middle of the field."’

‘To many Bills players, Brother Wease is a pop cult figure. To them, the Rochester radio icon with the raspy voice and more body ink than Rodman is a breath of fresh air, especially during these dog days of training camp when questions about cover-2 zones have become as stale as an open can of day-old pop. Sure, the location of WCMF’s makeshift studio just across the walkway from the team’s locker room at St. John Fisher College has something to do with their willingness to share air time with Wease. But it’s more than location. If they didn’t care for him, they’d be sure to avoid him like a training camp Turk. "He’s a guy you can go on the air with and have a casual conversation about everything, not just football," says Bills guard Ruben Brown. "Sometimes, Wease will ask you outrageous stuff, but it’s all in fun. He lets you be yourself, be a person. Through the years, he’s developed a good reputation among the players. We are reluctant to trust people in the media because you get burned so often. He’s someone you can trust."’

‘Jackson has gained attention at Bills training camp, and not simply because he’s getting more responsibility in the offensive scheme, taking over for departed fullback Sam Gash. This summer, the second-year player has been featured in a sports drink commercial in which he’s painting his fingernails just before game-time. Jackson has been conducting this ritual since his days at Nebraska, saying it’s part of his expressive nature. The Bills’ don’t seem to mind.’

‘"The Buffalo Bills base their opinions on production. That was not a hard decision," Dwight Adams, the team’s vice president of player personnel, said of selecting Moore with the 89th overall pick. "That was not one for debate. There’s Corey Moore, there’s a productive player in a major program, with consistent production." It might prove to be one of the wisest selections in this year’s draft. With a middle-round pick, the Bills secured the services of the 1999 defensive player of the year in college football (17 sacks, 35 career). No matter that he’s undersized for a linebacker (5-11, 230 pounds — up from his college weight of 225), let alone a defensive end; Moore makes plays.’

‘Starting with last Friday’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, fans are now allowed to bring nonalcoholic beverages in containers up to one-quart size. With a couple of caveats, this was a worthwhile change that will allow the Bills organization to crack down on alcohol while removing the penalty it had called against the many fans who wanted nothing more than a warm drink on a chilly day. But those caveats are important. The Bills say they reserve the right to check containers for alcohol. That’s good, but they have to follow through. Security personnel should be prepared to check as many containers as they can, or at least to spot-check them. Alcohol is the primary fuel of anti-social behavior in the stands, and the Bills need to do everything they can to control it.’

‘"I’m going into this season with a little different set of circumstances," Price said Tuesday while walking off the Bills’ training camp fields at St. John Fisher College. "I’m a starter and a lot more is expected of me, and I expect a lot more of myself."’

‘Daryl Porter might roll out of bed this morning and find himself playing catcher. The Buffalo Bills defensive back has been all over the field at the team’s training camp at St. John Fisher College. On Tuesday he played free safety, strong safety, cornerback and was on every special teams unit. "It’s a positive for me and makes me a valuable player on this team," Porter said. "It’s just a matter of not making too many mental mistakes because at one position you use one technique and at another you use another technique. "You just gotta be on your toes."’

‘After spending most of the ’99 season on the practice squad, McDaniel has blossomed in this year’s camp. He has caught everything thrown his way and made several dazzling catches for long gains. If he keeps it up, he will be a lock for a starting job as the third wideout in the Bills’ three-receiver sets. He also should figure prominently on special teams as a coverage man. "Well, anything can happen," McDaniel said. "I don’t think I’m a lock. We’ve got a lot of young guys who have to show their stuff. I’m just going to practice hard every day, eliminate my mistakes and hopefully have a good season. I always had a talent for catching the ball. The Lord blessed me and I thank him every day for that."’

‘Fans heading out to St. John Fisher in hopes of seeing defensive end Phil Hansen blindside quarterback Rob Johnson, or linebackers John Holecek and Sam Cowart sandwich Antowain Smith before throwing him to the ground will be disappointed. While some teams, most notably the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins under Jimmy Johnson and Tom Coughlin’s Jacksonville Jaguars, strap on full pads and have at it, the Bills don’t conduct live scrimmages in camp. The reason? This is training camp, not boot camp.’

‘It was a little like old times yesterday for Buffalo Bills coach Wade Phillips and his son, Wesley. As the morning practice session came to a close at St. John Fisher College, Wade picked up a football and tossed it to his son, who caught the ball, then threw it back to his dad. "Yeah, it was good to have him around before he leaves to go down there," Wade said of Wesley. Wesley visited Bills’ training camp yesterday before departing for the University of Texas-El Paso today for the start of football practice. The redshirt junior will compete for the Miners’ starting quarterback job. Father and son won’t be seeing much — if any — of each other over the next four or five months as they will be separated by about 2,000 miles and two very busy football schedules. But this is something the Phillips’ have grown accustomed to.’

‘Linebacker Sam Rogers sprained his neck during a pass-rushing drill yesterday morning and sat out the afternoon practice. He hopes to return today and plans to play Saturday at Detroit. Rogers said he actually injured his neck in last Friday’s preseason opener against Cincinnati. "In the pass rush drill, I got pushed into a lineman and it bent more than I wanted," he said. "But I should be back (Wednesday)."’

‘It’s hit or miss for Buffalo Bills fans seeking autographs. Many find that the players are harder to grab than they were in a more spartan setting at Fredonia State for 19 years, and some fans long for the good old days. "Fredonia was really good for the kids," says 38-year-old Ken Carosa, a mortgage loan originator from Henrietta. Joe Fan sees signing autographs as part of the Bills’ job. "When fans pay your salary, it’s a little different" than having a normal job, he says. Some Bills also see it that way, but the structure of the camp at St. John Fisher doesn’t encourage their cooperation. At Fredonia, players had to stroll along a path between two rows of roped-off fans after practice to get back to their dorms and the dining hall. "That made a big difference," Carosa says. "They had to walk right by you." But at St. John Fisher, players must literally go out of their way to get to the fans. "It’s just too bad if they aren’t willing to come over to you, because you can’t get to them," Joe Fan says.’