Two Bills Drive

‘So what is it that Williams can do to turn around his team and career here in Buffalo? Here’s one suggestion, a tactic that has worked for coaching wizard and turnaround specialist Bill Parcells, now of the Dallas Cowboys, and something that just might be the tonic to save Williams: Coloring his frosty hair blond.’

‘”To have a quarterback say that, that means a lot,” Henry said. “He has been the guy to keep my head up.”‘

‘But people in these parts have a short memory when it comes to their beloved Bills and Henry did a good job in proving to them that he is still the No.1 back in Buffalo until further notice.’

‘The Bills (4-3) began the day with the NFL’s last-ranked offense and were without injured wide receiver Eric Moulds but outgained the Redskins 432 yards to 169. Struggling tailback Travis Henry ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Drew Bledsoe completed 19 of 26 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown to wideout Josh Reed, who had eight catches for 109 yards. The Bills held Redskins defensive end Bruce Smith without a sack in his return to Buffalo.’

‘”[The offense] just made up [its] mind,” Henry said. “The offensive line took it upon themselves to come out and just have a good game. They just got in a groove and I got in a groove with them. They did a terrific job.”‘

‘Ramsey seemed to feel more anguish from Washington’s worst offensive output of the season while facing one of the best defenses in the league. (Entering Sunday’s game, Buffalo was ranked sixth overall and second in pass defense.) Ramsey completed 9 of 26 passes for 115 yards and finished with a 62.2 quarterback rating. “We couldn’t get into a groove,” Redskins wide receiver Rod Gardner said.’

‘And there’s also no bigger indictment of the head coach of such a team than the fact that it didn’t fight, that his players didn’t put forth the necessary effort.’

‘Spurrier said it was the first time this season that he felt his players did not put forth the proper effort.’

‘Worst Tackling: Redskins safeties Matt Bowen and Todd Franz both fanned while trying to tackle Henry, who scored on a 14-yard touchdown to increase the Bills’ lead to 24-7 in the fourth quarter. Henry rushed for a career-high 167 yards and scored two touchdowns.’

‘The Redskins did little to convince coaches and fans alike that they can turn their once-promising season around. Their fourth loss in their last five games bore plenty of similarities to the ones that preceded it.’

‘”It was certainly an emotional experience for me coming back and seeing so many fans yelling and chanting,” said Smith, who played 217 games and made 11 Pro Bowls while playing for the Bills. “It was certainly a memorable experience for me. For all the years that I have been here and they supported my career, I just wanted to tell them, ‘Thank you.’ It was a great treat for me.”‘

‘And make no mistake, the Bills were eminently beatable. They were without their top offensive weapon, wideout Eric Moulds, and had been struggling themselves of late. But while the Bills clearly grasped the importance of the occasion – and responded with their best effort in a month – the Redskins plunged further into the depths. They let Drew Bledsoe and Co. drive for scores on two of their first three possessions and showed only the faintest glimmer of life in the second half.’

‘”We had a chance to get back into it and make it 10-7,” coach Steve Spurrier said. “We fumbled at the 1-yard line.” Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel saw it as the game’s defining moment, adding, “You sort of break their will when something like that happens.”‘

‘So this is how it ends. The Washington Redskins come up empty in a game they absolutely had to win.’

‘Though badly outplayed, the Redskins kept the crowd of 73,149 from starting the celebration too early as they closed the gap to 10-7 early in the third on Ramsey’s 25-yard pass to Rod Gardner streaking down the right sidelines. But they never threatened to take the lead after that.’