Two Bills Drive

‘So why expose McGahee to a desperate Miami defense, with Zach Thomas, Sammy Knight, Junior Seau and their pals playing with sparks coming out the ear holes of their helmets? Why think about playing McGahee in the final game next week in New England with Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and the rest of the Patriots’ defense seeking reparations for that 31-0 pasting the Bills laid on them on the opening day at the Ralph?’

‘Buffalo has had its chances since ’95, but the Bills never neared another title game. Smith caught the flu before they lost to Pittsburgh in Brown’s first year. Kelly’s career ended with a playoff knockout against Jacksonville in ’96. Buffalo suffered through Billy Joe Hobert and Todd Collins before Levy retired. Along came the Rob Johnson-Doug Flutie debate. Miami beat the Bills in ’98. Home Run Throwback was in ’99. Since, it’s been four years of frustration.’

‘Irv has moved away, John Otto has died. Each year, another part of what defined Buffalo for us departs. A foot ball team, and its voice, is a constant in an era of protean rosters and marketing-driven uniforms.’

‘To make room for Whitman, the Dolphins waived wide receiver Kendall Newson, who caught two passes for 55 yards in a reserve role this season.’

‘If the Dolphins make an improbable playoff run that ends in a Super Bowl sprint, he will be allowed to continue coaching the Dolphins as he has done since 2000, according to a source close to Huizenga. But if the next few weeks don’t deliver that storybook ending, Wannstedt could be dismissed or asked to move aside, the same source said, adding that decision is “definitely not yet made.”’

‘We keep talking about all this talent Miami has, so there has to be a reason that talent keeps falling short at important times in important games, right?’

‘Wannstedt makes all personnel decisions but relies on Spielman and others for advice. Insisting he has no regrets about last offseason, Spielman defended his and Wannstedt’s personnel record and addressed criticism of several moves.’

”’You know what’s frustrating?” he began, in a voice not quite his — a voice a shade higher, and faster, and wobbly. “The negativity that surrounds this team. The doom and gloom we get all the time. It’s not that we’re not trying.”’

‘But the relocation project for Spikes has become a classic example of someone needing to be more careful about what they wish for.’

”’They were writing up all the pluses and minuses and he had all these pluses,” Morris said with a weary grin. “But his main weakness they could come up with was both his parents are doctors, and he comes from a good area. That was supposed to be his weakness.”’

‘Bills: This team is just playing out the string at this point, so don’t expect much in terms of a hard effort.’

‘”They’re going to come in here needing this game,” said linebacker Takeo Spikes. “The way we look at it, we’ve got a lot of room on our couch to look at the Super Bowl and playoffs together.”‘

‘”Early on, I lived so close to Kansas City, I followed Derrick Thomas. As soon as I got into middle school and started playing organized football, I looked up to my older brother Chad. He played at Nebraska and played a year or two for the Steelers. He stuck out in my mind.”‘

‘”Playing football in this area is a real privilege,” he said. “We have fans that come out in spite of the disappointing year that we’ve had and cheer for us.”‘

‘This is what desperation looks like for the Dolphins.’