Two Bills Drive

As the final preseason week of games began Thursday night, all eyes were on NFL replacement officials. If the lockout and bargaining impasse continue, this could get interesting.

“The type of player who thinks he can benefit from intimidation will be encouraged by this,” Levy said. “It’s like the (substitute teacher). Twenty-five kids are well-behaved, the other five look for vulnerability.”

Game stats from pre-season game.

‘If giving the New Orleans Saints little to fear was the Buffalo Bills’ mission Thursday night, they were a smashing success.’

‘It looks like rookie Nate Clements may hold the key to dramatic improvement in the return game for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have kept their prize rookie under wraps on returns most of the preseason. But Clements gave a glimpse of his potential on kickoff returns Thursday when he had a 42-yard return in the third quarter. The Bills are trying to rebound from last season when they ranked 31st in the NFL in kickoff returns.’

‘"The first offense, and the first defense, I was very pleased with how they played," said Coach Bill Cowher.’

‘"It was pretty good," quarterback Kordell Stewart said. "They made a few mistakes, and the fans got on them a little bit. But there was not much of a difference on the field."’

‘Donahoe, who’s in his first year as vice-president and general manager of the Buffalo Bills, declined to be interviewed Thursday night at Heinz Field…"I wish Tom Donahoe the best of luck," Steeler running back Jerome Bettis said. "He’s a good football man. I should know. He’s the guy who brought me to Pittsburgh."’

‘The Steelers secured the shutout in the second half with the benefit of two missed field goals by Buffalo’s usually-reliable Steve Christie. Christie, who has struggled this preseason having made just 4-of-9 field goal attempts entering the game, missed attempts from 22 and 40 yards.’

‘Playing in the opening two series, Stewart completed 9-of-14 passes for 105 yards and led the team on a pair of long field goal drives.’

‘The Bills closed the preseason with a dreadful 20-0 loss to the Steelers as their West Coast offense remains stranded somewhere out in California.’

‘The Stillers beat the hell out the Bills last night, 20-0, in a game that was not nearly as close as the score might indicate. Buffalo was never in this game; in the 1st half, the Stillers thrashed them on both sides of the ball.’

‘It was a better game than Johnson had. Given the reins this year after two seasons of slugging it out with Doug Flutie, Johnson has not played well in the preseason, and he continued that way in the final game, completing 2 of 4 passes for 23 yards and having one intercepted by cornerback Deshea Townsend.’

‘Against Buffalo last night, the Steelers started with two 12-play drives for field goals in the first quarter, putting them well on their way to a 20-0 victory at Heinz Field.’

‘"We didn’t move the ball as efficiently as I would like to. But it would be wrong of me to put it all on the quarterback."’

‘If you ask me, the replacement officials — it’s popular to call them "scabs" in this town, isn’t it? — didn’t look much different from the regular guys. In some ways, they were better. They didn’t need even one of those tedious, annoying huddles to get their story straight.’