Two Bills Drive

‘Bledsoe Bowl III, taking place Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, features more twists than a box of nightcrawlers. Three ex-Bills (Antowain Smith, Ted Washington, Larry Centers) face three-ex-Patriots (Bledsoe, Sam Gash, Lawyer Milloy), none leaving their former team with a Christmas card list for the front office.’

‘The Patriots had until 4 p.m. Tuesday to resolve the issue or they would’ve been obligated to pay Milloy his full salary. Under a tight deadline, the sides never came to an agreement but were only $600,000 apart at the end of talking.’

‘”If anybody has the ball, they’ve got to get hit,” he said. “That’s how I play. I never try to see numbers. I never try to see, you know, personalities or fame. We all line up the same. And I think everyone in the league, and not just the Patriots, knows what I bring to the table. That’s what I bring to the game.”‘

‘Milloy will receive a $5 million bonus and a $2 million salary this year. Next season, and in 2005, he is scheduled to receive a $1.75 million roster bonus and $1 million salary, while in ’06 Milloy is slated for a $1.5 million roster bonus and $1 million salary. The contract also includes assurances that the Bills will not name him their their franchise player when the deal expires.’

‘Schobel and Light’s battle could put a pair of new faces on a long Pats-Bills rivalry that has been filled with great one-on-one matchups.’

‘“I sure wasn’t happy about the situation and we’ve made some moves for a tighter defense this season,” Fletcher said. “We did a lot to shore up the front seven.”’

‘Harrison is now the one responsible for setting a physical tone in the Pats secondary. The two-time Pro Bowler is the one who will line up the defense and call out the adjustments. He’s the one who will creep up into the box to stuff the run. He’s the one his teammates will look to as the last line of defense. In other words, he’ll be Lawyer Milloy.’

‘“After a few plays in the game, I don’t think it’s about which team slammed their helmets into their lockers the hardest coming out on the field,” Belichick said. “I think it’s about what team can execute and play under pressure and make adjustments during the game and make good decisions.”‘

‘”I know the type of player I am. I know the player that I see when I look in the mirror,” he said. “To go out and just confirm that is big for me, especially after a situation where I was fired, kicked out, sent away, put on the street, whatever you want to call it. It’s time for me to go out and just make a statement.”‘

‘”It’s cool to get the Bills out of the gate,” he said. “When I saw we had the Bills first, I was kind of happy because it’s cold there. I was happy to get the Bills early on in the season and not in December.”‘

‘The No. 1 running back position has yet to be determined, though Bill Belichick hinted that both Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk will share the workload. They still don’t know who will start at cornerback alongside Ty Law, whether that be Tyrone Poole, Eugene Wilson or Asante Samuel, and they’ve yet to make a decision on who will replace Lawyer Milloy in the secondary among a trio of candidates.’

‘”Ridiculous,” Belichick said. “I am not in anybody’s head. I am just trying to put together a game plan against each opponent that we play.”‘

‘What happens when quarterback Drew Bledsoe goes looking to expose a rookie playing one of the game’s most unforgiving positions? What happens when one or both players have to respond to adversity?’

”’I am sure that whatever they think our weaknesses are, they won’t hesitate to go after them,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. ”Wherever they think they are, I am sure they will try to hit us. Talking defensively in general, as we said at the end of the season, if you are trying to get younger on defense, then you are obviously going to be less experienced there. There is no way to meld those two together. To be younger is to be younger. To be more experienced is to be older. You kind of have to make a choice there.”’

‘“Last year, it was pretty frustrating against them,” Bills receiver Eric Moulds said. “But the good thing about football is you get a new year and you have a new team. We’re coming out this year to erase what happened last year. It’s a fresh start for us. We have a chance to prove we can beat this team.”’