Archives for October 26, 2002

Less than a year ago, Kevin Gilbride was an NFL analyst for Sportsnet. Now, he’s running the league’s most exciting offence in Buffalo.

Moulds is the perfect combination of speed and physical play from a receiver for today’s NFL, and with Bledsoe pulling the trigger, he could have one of the great years a receiver’s ever had. Both receivers could, actually.

‘There is a formula for winning in the National Football League which is tried and true. It involves having a quality quarterback, truly one of the best in the league at the position. And it involves remaining relatively injury-free. If a team can do that, it has a good chance of turning around its fortunes quickly. An example: The Buffalo Bills.’

A two-game winning streak suddenly has people talking playoffs around Buffalo. That’s a realistic hope, for sure, but it hold an inherent danger: Sometimes when a team thinks it is good– really good players begin thinking too far ahead instead of executing each individual play. Against a 2-4 team like Detroit, that mistake becomes even easier to make.

Clements: "I don't have a name for the dances. It's just some moves that I get. I've got a couple of moves from Madden but a couple of them I do myself, I think of them myself."

A Bills win pulls them within a 1/2 game of idle Miami. The team must guard against looking past the Lions towards next week’s big matchup with the Patriots. The Lions have won 2 of their last 3 despite being near the bottom of the league in total offense and total defense.

‘"We realize he’s the leader," said Lions fullback James Stewart this week on a conference call with Buffalo media. "He definitely carries himself like he’s been in the league six or seven years. We’re looking for him to guide us."’

‘Still, for the first time all season there’s a possibility that Detroit will have Bill Schroeder, Germane Crowell, Az Hakim and tight end Mikhael Ricks all on the field at the same time.’

‘Since taking over for McMahon as the Lions starter in Detroit’s third game of the season, Harrington has made Lions’ general manager Matt Millen look like a genius — if that’s possible — for selecting him in the draft and then signing off on coach Marty Mornhinweg’s decision to hand him the Lions’ starting QB job so early in his first season.’

‘Harrington, the third player taken in the NFL draft, is purring along just fine. Never mind his modest 66.8 passer rating. Since taking over as starter, Harrington has gone 2-2 and completed 54 percent of his passes.’

Harrington always keeps the Lions close and occasionally puts them over the top. Not this time, however: Bills 31, Lions 27.

‘Do the math — 2-4 is progress for a lost football team that was 0-6 at the same juncture a year ago.’

‘What initially looked like a mean-nothing game between two teams that combined for five wins all last year has turned into an intriguing test for both in gauging their sudden progress.’