Two Bills Drive

‘Any similarities between that bunch that rolled out of Buffalo 280 days ago and the team that Lewis brings into Buffalo this Sunday is not purely coincidental. It’s accidental.’

‘Q: How much influence do you have on the play calling? – Thomas Thompson (Clarksville, TN)

EM: I go out there and get the game plan. The coaches might give me a couple of things to look at and I tell them if I like them or not but that’s about as much of an influence as I have.’

‘But Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna and Bills strong safety Lawyer Milloy ought to at least get a float in the parade. It’s just the second time the two Tacoma, Wash., Pop Warner and Lincoln High School teammates have met since they came into the NFL in 1996.’

‘"He just had a great way of dealing with people and talking with the players," Lewis said. "On Monday afternoons, we used to kind of sit back to back there – we split a room – and watching tape, me doing mine and him doing his, and the different things that he might see and point it out to me – ‘Hey, young fella, come over here and look at this here.’ "’

‘Bills running back Travis Henry, suffering from torn rib cartilage, took about 40 percent of the snaps during Friday’s practice and is a game-time decision for Sunday’s game with Cincinnati, according to coach Gregg Williams.’

‘New Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure will be promoting “Jumbogate,” Western New York’s largest tailgate party. DeLamielleure will appear at Basil Chevrolet, 5111 Transit Road in Depew, and will meet fans and sign autographs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today.’

‘Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe thinks Rosenhaus has changed for the better when it comes to negotiating. As the Pittsburgh Steelers’ director of football operations, Donahoe and Rosenhaus clashed over a bitter contract dispute involving Green in 1994. ‘He’s a lot better to deal with,” said Donahoe, who described working with Rosenhaus on McGahee’s deal as pleasurable. “Early in his career he was very confrontational. He had a take-it-or-leave-it type of attitude. He wasn’t going to take anything less than a certain amount. It didn’t make any difference what we said or what the circumstances were.’

‘The two teams meet again Sunday in western New York and the atmosphere will be decidedly different this time around for the Bengals. Once again, the Bengals are coming off a win. Unlike last season, however, the Bengals have a real belief that they can win this game and many more down the line.’

‘Showers are expected today but it should be dry during Sunday’s game with temperatures in the low 50s.’

‘The running game needs to get up and moving. Whether it’s Travis Henry or Joe Burns, Buffalo can’t survive on just the passing game no matter how good Drew Bledsoe and Eric Moulds are.’

‘The Bengals downgraded the condition of three players Friday. Tailback Corey Dillon (groin strain), wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (hamstring) and linebacker Riall Johnson (calf) were all listed as doubtful – meaning there is only a 25 percent chance of them playing Sunday at Buffalo.’

‘With their offense struggling for seven quarters, the Bills went to the no-huddle offense in the fourth quarter last week, and it helped to produce a pair of touchdowns.’

‘”You’re not going to surprise them with anything. You’re going to have to play sound football.”‘

‘Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe isn’t the most mobile. He has been sacked eight times this season. The opportunity is there for Williams and ends Justin Smith and Duane Clemons to get to Bledsoe. But that plan starts with taking away the Bills’ running game and pushing the middle of their line into the backfield.’

‘”It’s always easy to beat up on the offensive line,” Brown said the other day.’