Archives for August 30, 2000

‘[Buffalo Bills] 2000 Prediction: 10-6, second in East.’

‘Helping motivate Moulds is that this is the final year of his contract. He can’t help but consider the multimillion-dollar prize that could await him. "You’re a competitor, and you see all these guys getting these big contracts and, of course, you would like to be in that situation," Moulds said. "But you still have to go out this year and have a good showing." Watching the team’s off-season moves to clear room under the salary cap, Moulds hoped some of that was being saved for him because he wants to remain a Bill. "I want to be here and I’m pretty sure it’ll get done," he said. "But I just go out there and approach it that, if I play well, then I figure they’ll take care of it."’

‘Buffalo (11-5) will forever be known as the victim of football’s most unexpected lateral, but coach Wade Phillips may be remembered for a fumble if the Bills struggle this year.’

‘It’s hard to improve on being the top-ranked defense in the NFL, which the Bills were in 1999. But there is one area the team is looking to get better. Despite their defensive success, the Bills did not create a lot of turnovers. They forced 21 of them last season, the 15th-lowest total in the AFC and 29th overall in the NFL. But if the preseason is any indication, the Bills may wreak more havoc on opposing offenses than they did a year ago. In four exhibition games, the Bills created 10 turnovers (four interceptions and six fumbles). There were at least four other passes that could have been intercepted and a couple of forced fumbles that were almost recovered. "The more opportunities you give your offense to score, the higher their scoring percentage is going to be," linebacker Sam Rogers said. "This defense has that capability to make things happen. It’s an exciting defense to play in."’

‘At 81, the man who pays the Bills hasn’t lost his sense of humor, and that’s good because you need one to survive in a business that can be just a kickoff return away from breaking your heart. "Sometimes you have to laugh in order not to cry," says Wilson, one of the National Football League’s most respected owners. Such an attitude will come in handy during Sunday night’s season opener against Tennessee at Ralph Wilson Stadium because the Titans’ visit is sure to conjure memories of Buffalo’s devastating loss to them in last January’s AFC wild-card game in Nashville. "Worst defeat I’ve experienced in 40 years of football," Wilson says. "Worse than any of the Super Bowl losses."’

‘Every single day since Super Bowl XXXIV, Kevin Dyson has been reminded about the way the game ended. Dyson, the Tennessee Titans receiver who was tackled on the 1-yard line by St. Louis Rams linebacker Mike Jones as time expired, insists this without a doubt. Was it not brought up for one day . . . like maybe on vacation? "Not one day," Dyson says. "I don’t think about it until people ask me about it. I was done with it right after it happened. But wherever people see me — at the mall, in stores, on the street, wherever — if they recognize me, they say something. "Every single day, it’s either that or the Buffalo play." Ah, the Buffalo play. Tennessee would never have been in position to lose Super Bowl XXXIV 23-16 without Dyson’s breathtaking 75-yard kickoff return touchdown off a cross-field, Frank Wycheck lateral. Dubbed "The Music City Miracle," it lifted the Titans to a 22-16 victory in an AFC wild-card game. "And just think," Dyson says, "I wasn’t even supposed to be on the field for that."’

‘Even with all the defections, the Bills are still a solid football team. However, facing the NFL’s toughest schedule will make it tough to challenge Indianapolis for the division title. Nine wins may be the most realistic projection.’

‘The Bills like many of their division rivals will be looking up at the Indianapolis Colts most of the season. Look for an 8-8 finish and a possible coaching change at year’s end.’