”’It just so happened we were in the right call [man-to-man coverage],” he said. “It was one of those rhythm-type passes, and I just beat him to the spot.”’
BillsBeat - December 22, 2003
Wannstedt uses media to advantage
”’I don’t want to get into coaching things,” he said. “If you want to talk about the game, we’ll talk about the game.”’
Fans try to draft Turner to Bills
‘A large group of fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium turned toward Turner as he sat in the coaching booth and essentially begged him to consider taking the Bills job should it become open.’
From bad to bewildering for Bledsoe
”’Right now I’m just so mad,” Bledsoe said. “That is my reaction. I didn’t see this season going this way. I’m trying to figure out what the answers are, and I know some of them.”‘
Game plan is no hit
”’It is frustrating,” middle linebacker London Fletcher said. “You hold a team to 169 yards, an average of 3 yards per offensive play, you should win the football game.”’
Keys to the game
‘Inexplicably, the Bills tried to run their normal offense, which required a lot of deep drop-backs by Bledsoe. The rush was hardly fair for Sullivan and Price, who were reserve tackles at the beginning of the season.’
Strategy corner
‘The Dolphins jumped to a 10-0 first-quarter lead. The Bills couldn’t move the ball as they went against the wind in the first quarter. By the second quarter, the Dolphins were able to begin pass-rushing throughout the game.’
Grading the Dolphins
‘Secondary — A.’
Dolphins eliminated from playoffs despite beating Bills
‘”That’s what happens when you wait around for when another team has to win to decide your fate,” said right tackle Todd Wade, whose team will now have consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance for the first time since the 1988 and 1989 campaigns. “It’s very, very disappointing. When you have high expectations like our team had, everybody expects big things out of you. We didn’t deliver, so it’s a shame.”‘
Sore-shouldered RB Williams makes the Bills pay
‘”I have been doing it all year pretty much, and parts of last year,” Williams said of playing with the shoulder. “It is something I have learned to [play with]. It is not the funnest thing, but it is part of the game.”‘
Front four Bills' offense
‘Miami sacked quarterback Drew Bledsoe six times, forced him to fumble once, and harassed and hit him on several other plays. The Dolphins bottled up running back Travis Henry between the tackles — Henry had just 67 yards on 24 carries, his lowest production since the Giants held him to 53 yards Oct. 12.’
Some consolation for beleagured Dolphins
‘If the Dolphins had lost in Buffalo, their exasperated supporters would have had them drawn and quartered before they played another quarter. So give them some credit for not quitting and for jumping on a demoralized opponent early enough to make it think about doing so.’
Dolphins deny Huizenga is considering Spurrier
‘”Don’t ask me about all that stuff,” Spurrier said. “Talk to me about the Bears kicking our butts.”‘
Spurrier? It could happen
‘We don’t need to belabor the obvious, do we? Dave Wannstedt is done.’
Awful season frustrates Bledsoe
‘Bledsoe, once the toast of Buffalo, now only draws the ire of Bills fans. When third-string quarterback Travis Brown replaced Bledsoe late in the game, the few fans left cheered loudly.’