Two Bills Drive

‘The two linebackers who share the No. 51 as well as a charity that raises money for children’s health care in Atlanta became best friends four years ago when Emmons moved from Mississippi to Georgia. "I met him when we started working out with the same trainer," Emmons said before the Eagles’ practice yesterday at the NovaCare Complex. "We just instantly clicked. He’s just like a brother to me. We’re together almost every day. We’re extremely close."’

‘The Eagles will also be without strong safety Brian Dawkins and right cornerback Bobby Taylor, both of whom are sidelined by foot injuries. Rookie first-round draft pick Jerome McDougle will miss his third straight game because of a high ankle sprain, but he is at least moving around the locker room considerably better than he was a week ago.’

‘For the 0-2 Eagles to have a chance for their first win of the season, the offense must control the ball, and when the 2-1 Bills and dangerous deep-throwing quarterback Drew Bledsoe do get it, the Birds must get strong pass-rush pressure to give the secondary a fighting chance. "That’s the key to the game," defensive tackle Hollis Thomas said yesterday. "We’ve got to make it a point to get there."’

‘”I’m supposed to be a positive, not a negative,” Westbrook said. “That’s not why I’m on the field, so now I have to show everybody why I’m out there – to make big plays, not bad plays.”‘

‘The video from last Sunday shows the Dolphins’ Ricky Williams carrying the football 42 times for 154 yards, giving Miami possession for almost 41 of the game’s 60 minutes. ”I think all teams that are playing against the Buffalo Bills will be using a little of that tape,” Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said. ”But you also look at some of the other games they played. Early on, Jacksonville was able to hit some passes as well as some big runs . So you have to pretty much keep them balanced.”’

‘Barring a late change, Brian Westbrook will retain his job as the Philadelphia Eagles’ punt returner for Sunday’s game at Buffalo. ”Absolutely,” Eagles special teams coordinator John Harbaugh said.’

‘Playing the 2-1 Bills in Buffalo, where the Eagles have not won since Oct. 7 1984, actually may be the lesser of two evils this weekend with many Eagles fans already on the verge of major meltdowns. Since 2000, the Eagles are an NFL-best 18-6 on the road during the regular season and 7-1 away from home following a loss.’

‘With the possible exception of quarterback Donovan McNabb, nobody on the Eagles will be challenged more vigorously than second-year cornerback Lito Sheppard tomorrow in Buffalo. Filling in for All Pro Bobby Taylor — who is expected to miss another game with a strained foot — Sheppard will make the first road start of his young career, and the scenario couldn’t possibly be more daunting.’

‘"It hurt, but I let it go. You have to let it go," Westbrook said. "The worst thing you can do is dwell on a mistake like that. If you’re thinking about your last game or your last play, that means you’re not thinking about the next game or the next play.’

‘The Eagles have run a total of 128 plays this season. They’ve attempted 32 running plays and 96 passing plays. That’s a 25 percent to 75 percent run-pass ratio.’

‘The Bills have until 4:00 on Saturday to activate a runningback if they feel they need to.’

‘"I can’t imagine they’d run,” Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said. ”I think they’re going to stay with the vertical passing game. They want to go deep. I think they would like to run the ball better. We’ll see if they can, but I think their philosophy is to get the ball deep.”’

‘Sunday’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills is a huge deal for the Eagles. And following suit of previous years, the pressure will default to McNabb, who’s never had the luxury of a big-time supporting cast. That’s part of the reason he’s so highly regarded. Such is Donovan’s double-edged sword of success — the good news is that he did it without anybody else before, the bad news is that … he did it without anybody else before.’

‘Williams said Henry’s status for Sunday will be a game-time decision. The coach said Henry won’t wear a flak jacket if he does play.’

‘"Joe is a conscientious guy that has grown up a lot from his rookie year," quarterback Drew Bledsoe said Wednesday at his press conference. "We’re asking him to do a lot but we expect him to step in and do it. I know that if he is called upon to carry that load, he can come in and do it."’