Two Bills Drive

‘"It’s a bit unusual to come here and do this," Christie said. "A lot of guys come back when they’re ready to retire, after it’s been one or two years after they’ve been to another club. I really didn’t want to wait that long to make my thank-yous."’

‘Vinny Testaverde says it is a matter of a missed block here, a poor throw there, a dropped pass, the little things that are impeding the development of the Jets’ offense.’

‘Actually, Sunday was really Monday night, and it was an absolute nightmare for Becht, the last of four No. 1 picks for the Jets in 2000. Aside from the three obvious drops, there was a fourth that was borderline and there was a fourth-quarter sack he allowed to rookie defensive end Andre Carter. The last drop and the sack came on back-to-back plays. Drop. Sack. All on prime-time television, before Al, Dennis, Dan and the entire country. Ouch.’

‘Since coming to the Jets in 1998, Martin has only 331 yards in six games against Buffalo, a per-carry average of 2.8 yards.’

‘With the implementation of a new offense and defense, the struggles become even more apparent. And it has left a veteran team’s confidence shaken as it heads to Orchard Park to face the Bills on Sunday.’

‘Maybe Aaron Glenn is just meant to return punts for the Jets this season. First, the Jets lost first-round draft pick Santana Moss to torn cartilage in his knee and Glenn filled in. Then they traded for Chad Morton, who is out until at least next week with a sprained ankle. Until he returns, Glenn is the man and that’s fine with him.’

‘Tired of watching film of a defense that looked like 11 chaperones at the prom, not to mention an offense that sputtered again, they are fighting to stay positive when a lot of voices outside of Weeb Ewbank Hall say the Jets might be finished in October. Fact is, if they lose to the winless Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, that might be the case.’

‘The quarterback can’t stay upright, the Pro Bowl wide receiver isn’t having any fun, and the defense has given up 86 points in three games. Other than that, everything’s just swell in Buffalo.’

‘The numbers are stark. The Jets’ best wide receiver, a move-the-chains guy who appears to be a perfect fit for the short, quick-strike passing game of the West Coast offense, has had 12 passes thrown to him in the first three games. He has caught nine for 137 yards and no touchdowns. Where is Wayne Chrebet and why isn’t he more involved in an offense that appears to be tailor-made for his skills?’

‘Some Jets fans already are nervous about cornerback Aaron Glenn taking over as the primary punt returner in the possible cold and rainy weather Sundayin Buffalo. And they might get even more jittery after hearing comments from some of the principals three days before the game against the Bills.’

‘To some NFL athletes, "Slash" is a four-letter word. But the nickname is music to Tory Woodbury’s ears.’

‘"When I’m healthy, I’ll be ready to come back and play," said Christie, an 11-year NFL veteran who signed a free agent contract with the Bills in 1992 after two seasons with Tampa Bay. "I guess the unfortunate thing is that it won’t be here."’

‘Cottrell, however, isn’t buying into the criticisms being made against Johnson, who has now lost seven straight starts going back to last season. “Rob could burn you if you make some mistakes,” Cottrell said. “I’ve seen Rob have some great games. I know what he can do throwing the ball. I’ve got a lot of respect for his arm.”‘

‘The 1-2 Jets need a breakout game in the worst way and they should be in position to get it Sunday against one of the league’s worst teams, the 0-3 Buffalo Bills, owners of the league’s 29th-ranked defense.’

‘Yesterday’s film review by players of their 18 missed tackles in the Monday nightmare loss to San Francisco made that crystal clear. "The one thing sobering about the game that we had, if they don’t understand the details of how you’re supposed to line up, then, they’ll never understand it," Edwards said. "Because that was a sobering deal, to witness that."’