Two Bills Drive

‘”It’s been almost surreal to me to look at where we started [this season],” he told the Buffalo media yesterday. “It seems like forever ago. We were playing well. I think if you saw only one game this season and you’re talking about the last week of the season, one team playing for home-field advantage and the other team out of the playoffs, you probably would have though the opposite team would have been in those respective situations. It’s been surreal for me to see where we started and where we are now. It’s been very hard.”‘

‘In 2002, Milloy said he wasn’t in position to make those plays. He was forced to play deep rather than near the line because of the coverage inadequacies of Otis Smith and Tebucky Jones. “[Cornerback] Tyrone Poole is the unsung hero of the year,” Milloy said when asked who has been the Patriots’ best defender. “He has played phenomenally.”‘

‘”I think it basically is coaching and the players,” Colvin said. “Before I got here, they had already done what I wanted to do … The same guys that did it in 2001 are doing it now with the exception of a couple of free agents.”‘

‘”It has been a humbling experience,” said Milloy, who has been credited with 126 tackles, three sacks, 14 pass deflections and two forced fumbles by Buffalo coaches.’

‘”I had no idea,” Patriots tight end Christian Fauria said. “I didn’t know what it was going to be like after that first game. I was still in shock and a little numb. You don’t really know what’s going to happen until you get late into the season. Everybody was making a big deal out of that first game, but we just stayed the course and just kept trying to win, so I didn’t have any clue.”‘

‘Milloy pointed out that his replacement Rodney Harrison has been blitzing on a lot more plays than he did during his last season with New England, which, in his opinion, is why his numbers weren’t that great. “You see how I played the last few years, it wasn’t blitzing every damn play like he’s doing,” Milloy told the Boston Globe on Tuesday. “That’s the way I made my name in the first place.”‘

‘”That’s kind of the way we wanted it and unfortunately it hasn’t gone that way for a number of reasons,” tight end Dave Moore explained.’

”’It seems like you’re in a bad dream,” receiver Eric Moulds said. ”It feels like we can’t do anything right.”’

‘Colvin said he’s not overly frustrated. ”If the guys weren’t out there doing good I think it would be worse,” he said. ”But they’re doing a good job, so I’m happy.”’

‘Only two names are on the list heading into the weekend. T Mike Williams is questionable with a knee injury. He hopes to be back out on the practice field by the end of the week.’

‘”It’s been almost surreal to me to look at where we started. It seems like forever ago. We were playing well. I think if you only saw one game this season and then you’re talking about the last week of the season, one team playing for home field advantage and the other team out of the playoffs you probably would have thought the opposite team would have been in those respective situations. It’s been surreal for me to see where we started and see where we are now. It’s been very hard.”‘

‘”They need it for the home field advantage. We need it to give an indication about where we are in the AFC East. They are the division winners. That is where we wanted to be at the start of the year. We’re not there now but we have to continue to take strides to try to get where they are. We need to play very well.”‘

‘Revenge is probably considered a counterproductive human emotion in the meticulously programmed week-to-week machinery of Belichick. But it must be in his players’ hearts and minds this week. The Bills humiliated New England 31-0 in the season-opener on Sept. 7 in Orchard Park, back when the Patriots were clearly headed nowhere and the Bills pranced around as though clearly Super Bowl-bound.’

‘What would be worse for Drew Bledsoe and Kevin Gilbride – playing the regular-season finale in Foxboro against a tenacious New England Patriots defense, or playing at home before a hostile crowd?’

‘The Patriots are 12-6 against the Bills in their last 18 meetings.’