Two Bills Drive

‘In this cut-throat business, Henry’s injury comes at a good time for McGahee, who will get more repetitions with the first team.’

‘McGee returned three kickoffs for a total of 136 yards, including an 85-yarder near the end of the first half that set up the only Bills touchdown. "The team was the one making the holes for me, I just had to go through them," McGee said. "It was easy."’

‘Travis Brown has shown little to suggest that he’d be an improvement over Bledsoe. For all of his athletic ability, rookie J.P. Losman clearly isn’t ready to start for a playoff team in the NFL. He’d be exciting for as long as he could stay healthy, but he wouldn’t win many games. If the 2004 Bills are going to make the playoffs, Bledsoe figures to be the QB taking them there.’

‘The notion that they would hand the running game on a platter to McGahee, who ripped up his knee in the NCAA championship game 18 months ago, is absurd. McGahee, or at least his advisers, are showing lousy judgment. This is the NFL, where a team can go through running backs faster than the ambulances can cart them away; where today’s backup is tomorrow’s starter. And given the bruised ribs Henry sustained on Saturday, it makes no sense to deal McGahee.’

‘Forget multi-million dollar tackles and guards when a $49 alarm clock will do.’

‘Denney made a statement coming into the game for a fourth-and-one play at the Bills 7-yard line, nailing ex-Bill Antowain Smith for no gain with help from safety Izell Reese. With two preseason games left, Denney still has the nod to start but it appears this will be more of a rotation position than anything.’

‘QB Drew Bledsoe wasn’t feeling too good about the pass he threw to RB Travis Henry against Tennessee. It was behind Henry, who reached back and exposed himself to a full-force blast from LB Keith Bulluck. “I probably should’ve given him the ball a little bit sooner, either that, or taken it and run it myself,” said Bledsoe, who was running to his right.’

‘"I thought we did some good things," Bledsoe said. "We came out against what’s a very good defense and moved the ball. We ran the ball effectively against them and had time to throw it in the passing game. We were dropping back and getting it out quick. . . . We would have liked to put it in the end zone. We had a couple of chances. We still had too many penalties."’

‘"We’ve been trying to make it clear, but obviously we’re not doing a good job of it because it keeps coming up," Donahoe said. "We have no control over what outside sources say. We do have control of what our people say and what our players say. We understand, Travis understands and Willis understands that it’s a team game. It’s not strictly about Travis or Willis. We’re going to need all the players we can get to have a successful year."’

‘"It’s real satisfying to run the ball as well as we did (Saturday)," said Brown. "We need to clean up a couple of things and we will be OK."’

‘So why wait?’

‘Counting declined or offsetting infractions, more than 30 penalties were called in the game, with Buffalo officially assessed 12 for 127 yards. “It was real sloppy and we still had a chance to win, that’s what was unbelievable about it,” said coach Mike Mularkey.’

‘”Willis understands where he is on the road back, he’s happy here, he and Travis are both team players. We’ve been trying to say for two weeks there’s nothing to this, but there may be some outside individuals who want to make more of it than what there really is. As far as our team is concerned, there’s no controversy.”‘

‘Shrewd agent Drew Rosenhaus, who won’t deny that McGahee won’t be happy as the No. 2 man, has dirt on his hands but Donahoe wouldn’t acknowledge it. He should have.’

‘Only a cynic would suggest that Rosenhaus, who negotiated an incentive-laden contract for McGahee, has to have Willis in the line-up to maximize his cut.’