‘Drew Bledsoe vs. the Patriots Blitz.’
BillsBeat - October 2, 2004
New England at Buffalo
‘Bills must … Convert in the red zone – Twice Buffalo has driven inside the 15 and come away with no points … Think deep – A big play now and then from Eric Moulds or Lee Evans would be nice … Present a united front in secondary – Pats QB Tom Brady can identify a weak link back there and exploit it.’
Pats riding the crest of a brain wave
‘"He is the next closest thing to a coach," Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said of Brady in a news briefing last month. "It has gotten to the point now, by the time he comes in and we put in the game plan, by the end of the week, he knows the plan like a coach knows the plan."’
Simms takes offense over talk on QBs
‘"It is important that (Bledsoe) plays well for a lot of reasons," said Simms, "for himself, for his team, the coaches and even for the fans and the media. You have to do something that people go "OK, he can do it.’ " But he laughs at talk show complaints that focus on Bledsoe’s lack of mobility. "It (mobility) is just so over-talked about in the NFL," said Simms. "Is (Indianapolis quarterback) Peyton Manning the most mobile guy in the world? Kurt Warner (of the New York Giants) is not the fastest. Tom Brady (of New England) arguably could be the slowest guy in the NFL at quarterback. Bill Walsh (the legendary coach and QB guru) said all you have to do is sidestep and avoid one guy to get the next little window and throw the football. There are so many guys in the league who are not mobile."’
Bills braced for energy of Dillon
‘In Cincinnati, his teams went a combined 34-78 and never went to the playoffs. New England has captured two of the past three Super Bowls under coach Bill Belichick and is 42-14 since the start of 2001.’
Belichick exposes Bills' OL
‘Bills coach Mike Mularkey is trying to use Belichick’s comments to fire up his offensive line and quarterback, but there probably aren’t many Bills fans expecting it to be a factor. If Buffalo beats New England on Sunday, the defensive unit figures to be taking most of the bows.’
Can Szabo corner the market?
‘"If there is knowledge that you have about your opponent that would help your team win, then it definitely would be appropriate and it should be done. It should be mentioned. He should bring it up. He should be able to say, `This guy is not that fast. Everyone thinks he’s fast. But I coached him. He’s not that fast.’"’
Law longs for Milloy
‘“Don’t get me wrong – I want him to lose,” Law said. “I want him to play well, but I’m not rooting for those guys to win. Hell, I hope it’s a big ass-whupping this week.”’
Are Belichick's secrets safe with Szabo?
‘While players regularly change teams and bring information with them — Bledsoe and Lawyer Milloy both have gone from the Pats to the Bills in the past two years — few people know Belichick, and how he operates, as well as Szabo.’
Belichick's comments provide fodder for Bills
Old friend Szabo could give Buffalo an edge
‘"It’s definitely a concern," Belichick said. "Steve spent a lot of time here last year and he’s a very smart guy. He graduated from the Naval Academy and was a double major, so he’s smart. He was here and did a lot of things for us on a volunteer basis and was helpful for myself, the defensive staff and the defensive linemen."’
Brady, Bledsoe face off in Buffalo Sunday
‘“Anybody that you come across anywhere outside of the building, you have to just be careful of being influenced by comments, positive or negative,” Mularkey said. “There is too much work that goes on in here for anybody really outside to know the amount of time and effort that goes into it. It’s not like they’re going out there to try to please the crowd,” he said of his players. “That’s not their objective. They’re trying to win a football game. To me, that’s just a distraction. If you bring it up they’re going to be looking for it, so I really have not addressed it that way. I’ve just said be careful of outside sources.”’
A Beating Not Soon To Be Forgotten
‘The casual observer might disagree. The Bills had the Patriots by a mile in every aspect possible, including energy, discipline and execution. Drew Bledsoe never has such an easy time with a Bill Belichick defense. The Bills’ defense was flying all over the place, inducing four Tom Brady interceptions, one of which was run back 37 yards for a touchdown by Buffalo’s Son Of Sam, Sam Adams (whose dad was a former Patriot lineman). Given the 13-1 regular season (and a Vince to boot) which followed this game, only a shattering development like the Milloy release could have precipitated such a horrid result for the Patriots.’
Eagles show support for Vincent
‘Vincent, a former Eagles star defensive back now playing for the Buffalo Bills, remains a major supporter of Trenton. “It’s not difficult maintaining my interest in Trenton. I have the right people in charge here and Mayor (Doug) Palmer keeps me in the know,” said Vincent.’
Saturday's New England Coverage
Rhythm not thrown off by their line dance (Boston Globe)
Can Szabo corner the market? (Boston Globe)
Law longs for Milloy (Boston Herald)
Snake-bitten Klemm hurts foot (Boston Herald)
Snapping streak is no small task (Boston Herald)
Are Belichick’s secrets safe with Szabo? (Providence Journal)
Rotating in, out of games gets OK from offensive line (Providence Journal)
Old friend Szabo could give Buffalo an edge (Woonsocket Call)
Belichick’s comments provide fodder for Bills (Woonsocket Call)
Bills use book as motivation (Springfield Republican)
Brady, Bledsoe face off in Buffalo Sunday (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)
O-line’s tough enough (Quincy Patriot Ledger)
New England at Buffalo (Quincy Patriot Ledger)
Pats anxious to face overdue Bills (Patriots.com)
A Beating Not Soon To Be Forgotten (PatsFans.com)