Archives for October 4, 2004

‘Cornerback Troy Vincent will miss at least two weeks with a right knee injury, further depleting the Buffalo Bills’ defensive secondary. Coach Mike Mularkey on Monday said Vincent had arthroscopic surgery earlier in the day but did not reveal the extent of the player’s injury.’

‘Actually, the disaster summed up the entire Tom Donahoe era pretty well: Too-clever coaches plunking big-name players into situations in which they can’t possibly succeed.’

‘Make no mistake about it; this is a flawed team, but one that is not your typical 0-3 doormat. These Bills can play. But can they win?’

‘But the Bills’ problems go deeper than just Bledsoe. This team is prone to self-destruct quicker than a Mission Impossible tape. If there’s a way to lose, the Bills are guaranteed to find it.’

‘The ebb and flow of the game kind of went back and forth,” said rookie wide receiver Lee Evans, who caught four passes for 93 yards. “The momentum changed a lot. A couple times, we shot ourselves in the foot."’

‘“I had seen that a couple of times in this game,” Patriots’ linebacker Tedy Bruschi said, “and I was thinking I wasn’t going to bite on it this time. They put the ball in Drew’s hands to try to make a big play, I saw the play-action fake and I really didn’t bite on it, and all of a sudden he set up to throw and the ball was right there.”’

‘Coaching: D. The offensive play-calling has been too conservative at times.’

‘What made the loss galling for the Bills and the 72,698 in Ralph Wilson Stadium was the Bills did not need to be fantastic to beat New England.’

‘"It’s a team aspect, so every now and then the defense is going to be called upon to do some things," said Pats tight end Christian Fauria. "We don’t look at it like we’re relying on the defense, and we hope they don’t rely on us. Offensively, we hope it doesn’t come down to them saving us."’

‘"There were a few plays I would have liked to play better on," he said. "It was a tough day."’

‘I’m actually starting to feel sorry for Drew Bledsoe. His shortcomings as a quarterback have been well-chronicled here. But it must be tough for him to stand up there, game after excruciating game, choking on his pride and anger, and take the heat for the dumbest team in pro football.’

‘But was the winner ever in doubt?’

‘Cornerback Troy Vincent’s injury may be the most serious. He went down with a knee injury during the Bills’ first defensive series and was carted off the field afterward. His locker was empty after the game.’

‘Bills aren’t good enough to make all these penalties. False starts, holding, miscommunication. It’s the story of a bad team.’

‘Attendance: 72,698. And they all departed when Seymour Deion Sanders-ed his way into the end zone.’