Two Bills Drive

‘Ladairis Jackson called him a midget and LaVar Arrington walked by, interrupting an interview, and likened him to a pint-sized ruler in a movie. Rashad Bauman doesn’t mind. He ignores their digs, even laughs at them. Besides, his height has never been an issue in his mind. This week, it’s not an issue with the Redskins, either. Not with the injuries starting to mount.’

‘Weaknesses: The Bills, like Washington, can’t pass protect. Some of that falls on Bledsoe, who holds the ball too long. At times he’ll get rattled and force passes. The line and backs have also had problems pass blocking. Buffalo ranks last in the NFL in rushing, averaging 57.5 yards a game. Henry was slowed by a rib injury earlier this season, but appears fine now. Jennings sometimes struggles with speed rushers. If Moulds can’t play, the Bills lack a consistent receiver with speed.’

‘Probably the most intriguing matchup of the afternoon will be wide receiver Eric Moulds vs. cornerback Champ Bailey. Moulds leads the Bills with 30 receptions for 457 yards and is regarded as one of the premiere receivers in the NFL. Bailey is a three-time Pro Bowler and is regarded as one of the premiere corners in the NFL. But most of the passes will likely be directed at Redskins’ cornerback Rashad Bauman, who is filling in for the injured Fred Smoot. Bauman is a second-year player starting his first NFL game and will either square off against Bobby Shaw (26 catches) or Josh Reed (14 catches).’

‘When asked why Buffalo is such a tough place for an opposing team to play, Johnson dropped his personal bomb. "That’s all they have up there. Have you ever been there? It’s awful," Johnson said. After sharing a chuckle with the local reporters in D.C., Johnson continued. "Nah, it’s alright," he said. "When I was up there, we had two of the worst snowstorms in their history."’

‘Cornerback Antoine Winfield provided one curious answer. Asked who was to blame — players or coaches — for the team’s struggles, Winfield responded: “It’s a combination of both. I think we could split it 50-50.”’

‘Sunday’s game kicks off at 4:15 PM (it was originally scheduled for 1:00 PM) and will be carried by local FOX affiliates.’

‘Lord Farquaad, for those not familiar with animated mega-movies, is the short guy from ”Shrek.” And Bauman, generously listed at 5-foot-8, is one of the shortest players on the Redskins roster. The Redskins will need Bauman to stand tall against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, when he replaces injured starter Fred Smoot.’

‘Both of these squads are searching desperately for some momentum. Look for both teams to have breakout games and combine to score a lot of points. Buffalo gets the edge due to the home field advantage.’

‘Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. will spend part of his 85th birthday making a check presentation to Roswell Park Cancer Institute.’

‘Since 1975, the Buffalo Bills have hosted 16 regular season games that have kicked off at the 4:00 p.m. time slot. Buffalo holds a 9-7 record in these games with their most recent being a loss to the New York Jets on October 7, 2001.’

‘Sunday, October 19, 1969 – Raiders 50, Bills 21.’

‘LB Marlo Perry #58 – 1994-99: The hard-hitting LB and special teamer was a Bills’ third round draft choice in 1994 out of Jackson State. He played 60 games with the Bills before an injury ended his pro football career in 1999. He and his wife Sabrina still live in the Buffalo area and are active in the community.’

‘”Bruce is getting up there a bit (in age), he doesn’t play every down like he used to, but he can still bring it when he comes. He’s still got great explosiveness off the ball and he’s still got all the crafty moves that he’s always had.”‘

‘”You can tell he’s got the talent,” fullback Sam Gash said. “It’s just going to take him some time to get used to playing again.”‘

‘If they don’t wake up and start playing that way soon, they might be playing for a new head coach. Hey, maybe they could bring in a real tough guy, like Arnold Schwarzenegger.’