Two Bills Drive

‘For the Bills, of course, the real issue isn’t Smith, but rather getting back on track offensively.’

‘But a similar loss today, in front of a sellout home crowd with Super Bowl era icon Darryl Talley going on the Wall of Fame, might convince president/general manager Tom Donahoe he has to do something.’

‘Former Bills coach Marv Levy isn’t surprised that Smith is not voluble about the record. Once in Buffalo, Smith requested that the club’s video coordinator provide film on the opponents’ third-down situations and all the sweeps by left tackles, but asked him not to inform the coaching staff of his request. But Levy, who coached Smith for 12 seasons, found out. When Levy asked Smith how often he studied film, Smith was reticent. “He said, ‘No more than anybody else, coach,’ ” Levy recalled Friday, chuckling. “He didn’t want us to know for some reason. He was a closet studier.”‘

‘”We hope he gets the record,” Buffalo coach Gregg Williams said. “We just hope he doesn’t get it this week.”‘

‘That, however, changed over the next four games. Henry and Moulds got injured, and opponents began pounding the Bills’ defense with the run.’

‘For the first time this season, the Redskins will face a mirror image of themselves when they line up to play the Bills today at Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘Smith is certain to receive a warm welcome from the fans after recording 171 of his 196.5 sacks during his 15-year career with the Bills. He acknowledged that it would be special to break the record with two sacks today, but he insisted he was more concerned with winning.’

‘Now 40, Smith has clearly lost a step from his burgeoning days as a Bill. He was expected to be a backup this year, but a strong preseason led Redskins coaches to keep him a starter. “He still has all the great moves that he’s developed over the years,” Bledsoe said. “He looks like he’s still a formidable guy even though he’s getting up there a bit.”‘

‘When the Bills used the first-round pick they acquired in the Peerless Price trade to select McGahee in April, observers wondered what the Bills were thinking. They already had Travis Henry, who rushed for 1,438 yards last season. They had signed former Bronco Olandis Gary as a free agent. And at the time, few thought McGahee would be able to play until the 2004 season. Nobody’s questioning the widsom of that move now.’

‘Don’t think the tough and loyal folks in Buffalo will not give Smith at least some positive mention. But they won’t be too forgiving of Bills coaches if Smith sets a record and leads the Redskins to victory.’

‘In just four weeks, Buffalo’s Gregg Williams has gone from a potential Coach of the Year contender to finding himself under heavy fire because of his team’s lackluster performance since a 17-7 loss to the Dolphins.’

‘It’s that work ethic, he believes, that endeared him and his teammates to the city of Buffalo in the late 1980s and early 1990’s. “They’re very blue collar people,” he said. They know a thing or two about getting through long hard winters. People in Buffalo appreciated us because we were always a hard working group of guys.”‘

‘Time and success soothed the hurt. Smith is 1 1/2 sacks shy of Reggie White’s NFL record of 198.’

‘Redskins 27, Bills 14.’

”’I wouldn’t say it was necessarily circled, but I’ve looked forward to it,” Smith said of his first trip back to Buffalo since he signed with Washington in February 2000. ”I’m very excited. It’s going to be a memorable experience.”’