Two Bills Drive

‘Hoping to salvage something from their disappointing season, the Giants fell hard at home and lost to the Buffalo Bills, 24-7, in chilly Giants Stadium, which was mostly empty by game’s end.’

‘Coming into this game, they had not scored a touchdown on the road since Sept. 14.’

‘Picked by many to make the Super Bowl, the Giants continued to get nothing going behind their inexperienced offensive line. They also missed a series of tackles and gave up a host of big plays.’

‘Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe left the Bills’ game against the New York Giants in the third quarter Sunday after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit.’

‘With so many problems and shortcomings exposed, do the Giants need only a retooling effort before next year, or is management looking at a rebuilding project? Shockey doesn’t see wholesale changes.’

‘Give the ball to RB Travis Henry and dare the Giants’ linebackers to stop him. If Henry gets going, then QB Drew Bledsoe will have a much easier time finding his favorite target, receiver Eric Moulds. Moulds has been playing through a groin injury this season, but will still be a major test for the Giants’ injury-riddled secondary.’

‘Defenses continue to “squat” their coverage, overplay the shorter zones without fear of getting burned deep.’

‘Welcome to the Underachiever Bowl, featuring two 4-7 teams that have fallen well below expectations this season.’

‘But the Bills are encouraged by his development and have not backed off their belief that Williams will eventually become a great player. “He’s making progress,” said Bills coach Gregg Williams. “He’s made improvements from his first year to his second year. Only through experience of playing week in and week out will he be able to take his game to the next level.

“Once he gains a better understanding of his opponents in this league he has a chance to be physically dominating every time he steps out there. You can tell there are a few things that surprise him and that’s going to happen to a first or second-year player. When he gets through things, the different schemes and players he hasn’t faced before, he’ll be confident enough to dominate.”‘

‘Haslett basically has control of personnel decisions in the Saints organization. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis is a salary cap expert and does not stand in Haslett’s way on player moves. Haslett obviously would not have full control of player moves with the Bills. Haslett’s family also is happy in the Big Easy. The Saints also have a decent group of young players – Deuce McAllister and Aaron Brooks among them – and could be poised for a strong playoff run next year. Coaches almost never voluntarily leave a spot where they have as much control as “Haz” has in New Orleans. Nevertheless, the Saints’ finish this month bears watching. After today’s game with the ‘Skins, they play Tampa, the Giants, Jacksonville and Dallas.’

‘Hofher can attest to the fact that McNally can have a profound effect on a man’s life in a short period of time. McNally has been changing the lives of young offensive linemen, albeit in a less dramatic fashion, for four decades.’

”’For whatever reason we’re not playing up to the expectations that everybody planned out for us, and what we planned out for ourselves,” said Bills’ halfback Travis Henry.’

‘Coach Gregg Williams is fond of saying nobody’s a rookie any more at this point in the season. Is that how you feel?

Yes, very much so. I’ve been here since May. They drafted you for a reason and you’ve got to do the job they drafted you for. I feel I’ve been here long enough to know something about the defense and get out there and contribute.’

‘The Bills, 8-8 last season, spent lavishly on free agents to take that next step. The Giants returned 20 starters from a 10-6 team that made the playoffs.’

‘Bills Coach Gregg Williams pushed aside the question of whether his players would continue to play hard under the circumstances. “These are prideful men,” Williams said in a conference call this week. “I don’t think you would ask the doctor that when he is going into surgery on a tough surgery, either.”‘