Two Bills Drive

‘Philadelphia held the ball for more than 13 minutes of the first quarter and built a 10-0 lead. The Eagles were up 13-0 at halftime, and McNabb led them on a 14-play drive late in the third quarter for a 16-0 lead. He didn’t beat the Bills with his arm but with his head. He was smiling afterward and that, alone, was a change from the first few weeks.’

‘Let’s be honest, though. Eric Moulds’ fellow wideouts are a big part of the problem. Everyone wanted to believe this team wouldn’t miss Peerless Price. They’d be more balanced, right? They’d win with defense and a strong running game. Reed didn’t have Price’s speed, but he was a gifted receiver, a tough runner, and he’d be more than adequate.’

‘"We knew that they had struggled a little bit this season in running the ball, and we knew that their best running back was out," Simon said. "So we just had to go out there and not have a letdown."’

‘"I’m not the one to make that decision," Burns said of the Bills’ lack of commitment to the running game. "I just go and execute the play that is called to the best of my ability. I just have to go out and do what they tell me to do."’

‘Taking a penalty for too many men on the field is understandable every once in a while, but the Bills’ defense had no excuse for getting flagged for playing with 12 men on the first play from scrimmage.’

‘Erie County sheriff’s deputies arrested five men Sunday outside the Bills-Eagles game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park.’

‘Seventy-five percent of local adults now predict that the Buffalo Bills will still be playing here in 2010. Fifty-four percent say the same about the Buffalo Sabres.’

‘Goodbye to that fast 2-0 start. Hello to the mediocrity of 2-2.’

‘As far as we could tell, Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher were not injured in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. That didn’t stop the Buffalo Bills’ high-profile linebacking duo from leaning on some old verbal crutches after Sunday’s troubling 23-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘This morning it feels a little like more recent days – circa 2001 and 2002 – with the Bills licking their wounds after another sound beating.’

‘With McNabb running, passing and controlling the show, the Eagles ate up the clock and spit out the Bills like a gnawed-over chicken wing.’

‘”They made it known that no matter what the formation was, they were going to double team,” Moulds said. “What can you do? We have to get out there and make plays.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills made a real game of it late against the Philadelphia Eagles. Problem was, they had made such a mess out of it early.’

‘Buffalo is more set back than finished here, in need of a running component to take the heat off Bledsoe. The Bills apparently can’t win without Bledsoe at his very best, especially with running back Travis Henry inactive, as he was with a rib problem. They have three winnable games approaching (Bengals, Jets, Redskins) and there’s nothing wrong with their defence that more rest might not cure, although a warning here: Takeo Spikes, accused of being such a great leader when things were going well, pulled a no-comment with the media. Stand-up guys are there for any result.’

‘Buffalo running back Travis Henry missed Sunday’s game with bruised ribs, which contributed to the Bills’ anemic running game. But the Bills stepped in too many other minefields to overcome their lack of a rushing attack. They bumbled their way to 10 penalties and through the first three quarters allowed the Eagles to dominate time of possession. They also converted just six of 15 third-down plays.’