Archives for December 9, 2002

”’It’s not the quarterback that we are up against,” cornerback Terrell Buckley said. ”It’s the one-on-one matchup with the receiver. It boils down to you and the receiver and you have got to have a feel for the other team’s offensive scheme and what they are trying to do. They are tough to cover because their offense is based on where you are, and they run to the opposite spot.”’

‘What bothers the Bills the most is that they believe they are a better team than last season, yet they may have little to show for it at this season’s end.’

”’I wish I had gotten into the end zone,” said Seymour, who had the job done for him by Donald Hayes two plays later. ”It seemed like the ball was in the air forever. When it came down, I felt them on my back. I think I gave a nice stiff-arm [not really, he just barreled over little Travis Henry], then some guys [Ruben Brown, Mike Williams] fell on my back.”’

‘With old friend Drew Bledsoe standing under center only 3 feet from a touchdown, Jones made his first pick of the season when tight end Dave Moore came into his field of vision. Up front, Willie McGinest put the heat on Bledsoe, and just as Bledsoe’s left shoulder turned his way, Jones figured the ball was coming to him.’

‘It was, in a word, dreadful.’

”’Our defense was really flying around, smacking people today.”‘

‘After he caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady with 3:14 remaining in the first quarter on a well-designed fade pattern, Donald Hayes threw the ball way up into the end zone stands.’

‘Middle linebacker Ted Johnson was quite successful in stuffing the center of the field and turning Henry toward the outside. The Patriots were able to keep Henry in check with their outside linebackers and safeties, but as the game progressed and the Bills needed to throw, Henry wasn’t used as often.’

‘A sign of the times: Several cars were spotted on Route 95 bearing both Patriots and Bills flags.’

‘”Maybe he wanted it too bad.”‘

‘Another terrific game plan in yesterday’s emphatic 27-17 victory over Drew Bledsoe and the Bills: innovative and complex but not confusing to the players.’

‘“But (Bledsoe) wasn’t pressing. He was just following their game plan, and we came out good, and we were able to stop it,” Jones said. “I played with him for four years, and other guys have played with him for more than that. So we had a little edge. We relied on the guys up front to put pressure on him, and wherever he turned, we went.”’

‘“We knew that Drew would hold the ball, and because of that we could put pressure on him,” said Seymour. “A lot of that was due to the fact that our defensive backs did a good job. No quarterback likes you in their face.”’

‘“You kind of get up a little bit, maybe, against your old team,” said Smith, who played four seasons with the Bills before signing with the Pats last year. “But this is an important time of the year. We’re making a push to get into the playoffs, and I think I’m going to be an important part of that.”’

‘The Patriots defense forced five turnovers and Smith was responsible for one of them. Smith noticed on a sideline route that Price was acting careless with the football, then put the knowledge to use.’