Two Bills Drive

‘Still, if Cottrell was getting bashed during the bad times, he has to get a lot of the credit for the Jets’ defensive turnaround. The man didn’t become stupid all of a sudden. His Bills defenses were perennially ranked near the top of the National Football League. But this is as good a job as he’s done in his coaching career.’

‘”We’re obviously way ahead on talent than we were last year,” Wilson said this week from his home in Michigan. “I didn’t think we’d be 5-5 at this point. . . . I said originally it would take us three years to get back to respectability, so we’re ahead of schedule.”‘

‘Denney has been inactive for eight of the 10 games, played a handful of snaps in the other two. But it will change this week against the New York Jets. He’s expected to play a significant amount today for the first time in his career.’

‘The Bills have seen good recoveries by numerous injured players following major surgeries in recent years – Shawn Bryson, Tony Driver, Jerry Ostroski, John Holecek and Sean Moran among the many. Owner Ralph Wilson praises the work of team orthopedist Dr. John Marzo.’

‘Bledsoe has deals with Tops Markets, Pontiac-GMC, Meyers RV, WGR-FM “97 Rock” and WEDG-FM 103.3 “The Edge.”‘

‘Buffalo faces every team in its division the next three Sundays, starting today against the New York Jets, followed by a home game against Miami and a road tilt at New England.’

‘[Q:] If you were head coach of the Bills for one day, what would you do? [A:] ”Give the guys the day off.”’

‘”I knew that (Pennington) would eventually have to be the starter,” Jets coach Herman Edwards said in a conference call earlier this week. “When the time frame was going to come, I didn’t know. “But with the way we were playing, we needed some sort of spark. We are real fortunate he did that. The guys have rallied around him.”‘

‘He does not need to see the official figures to know that, barring an unexpected shift in emphasis beginning today against the Buffalo Bills, there will be an unusually barren line in his career biography for 2002. In his previous seven years in the league, Chrebet has never caught fewer than 48 passes and never had fewer than 12 third-down receptions, and those low numbers came in 1999, when he played in just 11 games. But at his current pace, which is about 3 receptions a game (he was inactive for one game early this season), he would finish with only 45 receptions.’

‘Indeed, Bledsoe is having an MVP-caliber season, wide receivers Eric Moulds and Peerless Price are the most prolific tandem in the NFL and Henry is the AFC’s fifth-leading rusher. Ah, but the Jets do see signs of vulnerability. On film, they see Bledsoe holding the ball too long, waiting for his receivers to break free on their vertical routes. That explains why he has been sacked 36 times, a mouth-watering total for the Jets’ pass rushers.’

‘Edwards says you will notice the difference in the Jets’ remaining six games, except for maybe the one next week in Oakland. The others will be played in North Jersey, Chicago and New England – wind-whipped and frosty burgs.’

‘Could be overtime again. Jets, 27-24.’

‘”We left [Buffalo] thinking no matter what we do we’re going to win,” Jets’ SS Sam Garnes said. “We felt like no matter what, we were going to do something to win. We’d just finished 4-0 in preseason . . . When we stepped on the field we thought we were supposed to win every game.” Then, of course, came the skid that still could cost the Jets a playoff berth unless they win at least four of their final six games and probably five of the last six.’

‘”From the first day I met him, the first day he got to town, he kind of had that swagger to him,” said Moulds, a Pro Bowl player. “He walked up to me the first time I met him and said, ‘Are you ready to do this?’ Let’s go out and change this thing around and become a contender.’ “‘

‘Pruett says the Jets future has just gotten so bright, “they need to wear sunglasses.” Take his word for it. This quarterback will never be blinded by any glare he creates.’