Archives for October 2002

‘Goat – Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe hadn’t thrown an interception in 175 attempts before Tory James picked off his pass in the third quarter. He tried to throw past Buchanon in the fourth, a mistake that gave the game to the Raiders. Bledsoe’s sixth career 400-yard game feels pretty empty.’

‘In a dizzying matchup of two of the NFL’s most prolific attacks, the Raiders’ No. 1-ranked offense on Sunday engaged in the expected scoring shootout with the pass-happy Buffalo Bills, with the two juggernauts racking up nearly 1,000 yards between them.’

‘You couldn’t miss Garner on Sunday, though, not even on a play when he didn’t touch the ball. Even so, that pickup on a blitz was a whisper compared with the thunderclap of his two touchdown plays. On an afternoon overloaded with big plays, Garner’s stood out.’

‘Buffalo presents myriad problems offensively, but Chuck Bresnahan tweaked the defensive scheme, turning the pass rush loose in the second half and rattling Bledsoe. Good on-the-fly adjustments on offense; most notably, freeing up Gannon and letting him scramble for the TD.’

‘It was a badly needed turnaround for a battered and exhausted Raiders defensive unit, one that managed to correct itself at the right time. "When we gathered ourselves back in, we started making plays down the stretch," said safety Rod Woodson, who freely admitted it wasn’t his best day. "But Phillip continues to make plays, and that’s key for us."’

‘Thirty-one points is usually more than enough to win in the NFL. Not only did the Bills not win, they lost by 18. “It’s not easy to do, but we did it today,” general manager Tom Donahoe said.’

‘Bledsoe will always be a good teammate and not point fingers, but he needs to know that it’s no secret he plays for a team that has a lousy defense, no defense really.’

‘But the Raiders also showed Sunday that they have other pieces of the puzzle, too — pieces still missing in Buffalo. Namely an opportunistic defense, dynamic special teams and a ton of Super Bowl-caliber experience.’

‘The Buffalo defense: This was an abomination. Everyone knew Oakland had a dynamic offense, but come on, can anyone wearing a blue uniform make a play?’

‘That’s five games without an interception.’

‘When Bledsoe’s unit puts up 31 points and you lose by 18, there is enough evidence to call out the guilty party.’

‘If you are willing to live by a quarterback’s arm, be prepared to have it slap you in the face every once in a while.’

‘Over 60 minutes, Price and Moulds outperformed the once-peerless Rice and ex-Heisman winner Brown. The Raider duo combined for eight catches and 132 yards, while Price and Moulds contributed 15 catches for 238 yards. But it’s the bottom line that counts and in the end the Raiders took over with three interceptions leading to 14 fourth-quarter points.’

”’I look at myself first,” said Buffalo defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. We assume he was in front of a mirror and questioning what in the heck he is supposedly coordinating, because it didn’t look at all like defense.’

‘It would be a sin not to thank all the players I played with. There were Hall of Famers, superstars and some prima donnas,” Hull joked. ”Nevertheless, they always made me look better.”’