Two Bills Drive

‘They’ll face a quarterback in Drew Bledsoe who hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in four games. The Bills’ top wide receiver, Eric Moulds, is playing through a groin injury and caught just three passes for 38 yards last week against the Colts. He has been unable to go deep, as indicated by his 14 catches for 123 yards in four of the past five games. Travis Henry is playing through a cracked bone in his right leg but still rushed 22 times for 77 yards last week. The fourth-quarter defense remains a sore spot, as the Giants have been outscored 71-56 in that quarter.’

‘Chances are the winner will be the team that brings the healthiest mind set. After all, these clubs have proven focus problems. Buffalo’s minus-11 turnover differential is the worst in the AFC; the Giants’ minus-eight is tied for the worst in the NFC.’

‘”Certainly we’ve struggled to score points lately, and that may have led to some things I tried to force.”‘

‘Don’t blame the media for this controversy.’

‘Buffalo is paying for two big mistakes: the hiring of Kevin Gilbride as offensive coordinator before last season and underestimating the value of receiver Peerless Price before this season. The blame should — and will — fall on head coach Gregg Williams, who is in the final year of his contract.’

‘The sounds from Buffalo lately are similar to those heard here in Kevin Gilbride’s second season as offensvie coordinator.’

‘In many ways, Buffalo’s misery is eerily similar to that of the Giants. The Bills are minus-11 in turnover ratio, even worse than the Giants’ minus-10. Much like the Giants and Kerry Collins, the Bills have a former Super Bowl quarterback in the midst of a subpar season.’

‘”It’s invisible, it seems, this year for us,” Barber said. “It’s hard to put your finger on where it went because we have the same personnel, albeit the offensive line has changed a little bit. Skill playerwise, we have the same personnel. We’re not getting that one block, that one extra step needed to catch a pass, that little extra effort. Whatever that reason is, it’s not happening and it’s causing our offense to stagnate a little.”‘

‘Fassel’s teams have made the playoffs three times in his six previous seasons. In 2000, after consecutive losses and a 7-4 start, he guaranteed the Giants would make the playoffs. New York reeled off five straight victories and didn’t lose again until Baltimore beat the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Last week, before falling to Tampa Bay, he promised that people would never see him sweat. “It’s guaranteed,” he said.’

‘”I never really had any headaches,” Bledsoe said. “I just felt dizzy and nauseated. I felt OK today. I’m still a little fuzzy, but I’m going to play.”‘

‘It was surprising Monday afternoon to hear WNSA-FM news reader Ricky Jay preface a Donahoe sound bite by saying that the Bills general manager didn’t feel he deserved any of the blame for the Bills’ season. Then he played a sound bite of Donahoe saying, “It has nothing to do with me, it has to do with the team, the coaches, Mr. Wilson and the fans.” WNSA listeners never heard the question that led to the sound bite. If they had, they would have heard Donahoe responding to a question from Channel 2’s Stu Boyar about how disappointed he was, not if he deserved any blame. Jay’s packaging was totally misleading, lazy and journalistically unsound.’

‘”That was two games, in our division, and it cost us, and you never know the ripple effect,” Fassel said. “That really shook the foundation of our confidence, took the wind out of our sails, and you don’t know how that affects another game and another game.”‘

‘Haslett was the Coach of the Year in 2000, but his critics point out the team’s late-season folding acts in 2001 (0-4 after a 7-5 start) and 2002 (0-3 after a 9-4 start). He also made an untimely decision early in last week’s 33-20 loss at Philadelphia and was subjected to a level of media and fan criticism that generally is reserved for coaches on their way out.’

‘In two games since, the Giants have lost two road games and are not expecting the words “happy” and “homecoming” to be associated with their game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Giants Stadium. To listen to a few Giants players, most notably receiver Amani Toomer, they are expecting surliness befitting a street mob.’

‘”We know that is the business and I think how we conduct ourselves when we go through that is very, very important. Not only for yourself, but for the integrity of the National Football League and what you stand for as a football coach, because that is part of the deal and we know that.”‘