‘"I look forward to these types of games," Johnson said on Monday. "It kind of reminds you of a college-type rivalry and that sort of thing. Definitely, it gives fans something to talk about and makes it a little more interesting." Maybe more than a little.’
BillsBeat - October 23, 2001
Seau rehabs groin; Flutie faces 39 candles
‘Seau is cautiously optimistic that he’ll be able to play in San Diego’s grudge match against Buffalo despite a groin pull that kept him out of the second half of the Chargers’ 27-10 win over Denver on Sunday…Flutie, meanwhile, will face a forest of birthday candles when he turns 39 on Tuesday. Flutie says he feels more like he’s 25 on game days.’
Jabs flying as Flutie vs. Johnson looms
‘The second shot in advance of Sunday’s Flutie-Rob Johnson showdown came out of San Diego where former Bills linebacker Sam Rogers had this assessment: "This is a game we should win by 10 points at least," Rogers said. "I don’t think (the Bills) can sneak one out."’
Bills focus on Chargers, not hype
‘"It’s of no significance to me," said Williams when asked about Wilson’s feud with Butler. "It’s the most important game of our season — because it’s the game we have this week."’
Flutie's fun to watch because he's a winner
‘Buffalo management has cut too far and too deep. These players aren’t the Buffalo Bills to me. This is like an expansion team with an old, familiar name. I hope the Bills do leave western New York. I don’t want my taxes supporting these impostors.’
BillsBeat - October 22, 2001
RJ Peter King's Offensive Player of the Week
(tie) Buffalo QB Rob Johnson and New England WR David Patten. Johnson, with his 23-of-30, 1 TD performance in the Bills’ first win of the season Thursday night at Jacksonville, is a symbolic pick.
Marv Levy's Week 6 snapshot
Don’t place blame — find solutions. That’s what the Buffalo Bills did this week. They simplified their game-plans and worked on fundamentals. They didn’t run that 4-6 defense with all the clever blitzes.
Buffalo at San Diego Rob Johnson vs. Doug Flutie . This is one game that I really think Buffalo prefers to play on the road. The general sentiment in Buffalo is that the fans love Doug Flutie. Johnson had a very good game against Jacksonville. I think San Diego has learned their lessons on the road — they have to earn every victory. This will be a very hyped game in both cities.
Here we go again - Flutie vs. Johnson, anyone?
‘It’s about Johnson and Flutie. It figures to stay that way until Sunday. And probably long after.’
Other Sunday stories
‘”It’s the best game I’ve seen out of Rob,” said A.J. Smith, the Bills’ former pro scouting director who now fills the same duties for the San Diego Chargers. “He did an outstanding job. He looked very comfortable, made all the plays. And his accuracy, it was outstanding.”
Time for a pep talk during a dismal Bills season
‘Fred Rogers, from TV’s "Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood": "Sometimes a football game makes us very happy, like after an onside kick that our team recovers on the first play of a game. Other times, it makes us sad, like when some knucklehead on our team gives the ball back on a fumble. It’s best to draw pictures of the play that made you the angriest, then have Dad roll it up in a big envelope and send it to One Bills Drive, c/o Gregg Williams. He’ll be very happy you shared your feelings."’
Ralph charges into 'super' matchup
‘Some observers believe Wilson went too far with his statements about how badly he wants to win this game. Given the lost season this is turning out to be for the Bills, the "Ralph Bowl" is about as good as it’s going to get.’
HOF mailbox: Former Bills G Billy Shaw
Every week of the 2001 season, the Pro Football Hall of Fame lets you submit questions to Hall of Fame legends as part of our Spotlight Game coverage. Your E-mails will be forwarded to each Hall of Famer as they sit down and discuss their careers, current NFL action, or anything else you want them to talk about. Questions will be collected by Thursday of each week. Then come back on Friday to read what they had to say.
BillsBeat - October 21, 2001
The Williams era pays first dividends
‘The major accomplishment of the victory over Jacksonville was that it made clear Gregg Williams and his staff are not the confederacy of dunces the first four games suggested.’
Keep an eye on the team
‘Football fans, if you want to see the world through the eyes of the Buffalo Bills, you can literally do it.’
BillsBeat - October 20, 2001
Bills finally put it all together
Johnson finished 23-of-30 passing for 238 yards and a 27-yard third-quarter touchdown to Eric Moulds. More important, he directed an offense that controlled the ball for 35 minutes and 34 second without turning the ball over and converted six third-down opportunities in 14 tries.