Archives for September 2003

‘”This is a different situation than Denver and I am happy,” Griese said. “When I came here, my role wasn’t to create controversy, but to create consistency at the quarterback position.”’

‘”It was unmanly of him (Moulds) to do it and then come back and say he didn’t mean it,” Surtain said. “It’s severed between us. It’s all business now.”‘

‘Wade Smith is so mild-mannered and laid-back, it seems surprising when he reveals he used to be a bit of a trash-talker his final two seasons at the University of Memphis.’

‘Look for the Bills to move to 3-0 winning by more than a touchdown.’

‘On the subject of “tough kids,” Buffalo right guard Mike Pucillo hasn’t gotten much attention yet, but he certainly ranks in that subset. The Bills haven’t been very productive in running the ball through two games and their 2.3-yard average is the lowest in the league. Buffalo has just two runs of 10 yards or more and none of 20 yards. But the Bills said they were going to be better balanced in 2003, to protect Drew Bledsoe from taking so many hits, and coordinator Kevin Gilbride has stuck to that script.’

‘”We just need to contain things down to a minimum. I think that starts with Ricky Williams,” linebacker Takeo Spikes explained. “We can’t allow him to do what he did last year and have a chance.”‘

”’It’s made up,” Surtain said Friday. ”It was funny because it was a blatant lie.”’

“He goes to the Pro Bowl every year on reputation. There are some Bills who insist he is the worst player on the offensive line now. He’s not that he’s a bad player. Just not Pro Bowl deserving.

‘"If teams are going to commit to stopping the run, then we can throw the ball," Bledsoe said.’

‘This is a classic matchup. Miami’s strengths lie in its running game and defense. Although the defense didn’t look very good in Week 1 against Houston, it came back with a little vengeance against the Jets — a bad team admittedly. So, the Dolphins are going to have their hands full with Buffalo on Sunday night.’

‘Here are three keys the Bills must focus on to beat the Dolphins…’.

‘Q: What restaurant has the best buffalo wings? CW: Gabriel’s Gate, but I haven’t been many places for wings.’

‘The statistics suggest Henry has been ineffective, but this might be a time when numbers don’t tell the whole story. Henry has 115 yards on 48 carries for a 2.4-yard average through the first two weeks. His longest gain is 11 yards. It’s not the start the Pro Bowl running back had in mind with 2,000 yards rushing his goal for the season.’

‘The lack of a pass rush and poor coverage in the secondary have resulted in the Dolphins ranking last in the NFL against the pass, allowing an average of 316 yards in two games. This from a team that was No. 1 against the pass in 2001 and hasn’t ranked lower than eighth the past five seasons.’

‘The Cowboys are the one Bills opponent it would be dangerous to underestimate. They may not look like much, but think about it. What Parcells team really ever has?’