Two Bills Drive

‘”Nobody knew our defense better than Lawyer did over the past three years. He handle a lot of audibles and checks in the secondary. I know he knows it and knows it well.”‘

‘One thing the Patriots have in their favor now that they didn’t have last year is an improved pass rush. If they can put heat on Bledsoe — who’s not a terribly elusive sort — that can cover a multitude of sins in the secondary.’

‘Maybe more important will be the way the Bills decide to deploy Milloy. He is talented. And he will be motivated. The Bills will want him on the field. But Milloy will be working virtually without a net if Buffalo opts to use him extensively. If he messes up a coverage — and working with an unfamiliar secondary group, that’s not out of the question — the Patriots will be ready to make him pay.’

”’I think we’re going to be pretty good,” he says. ”This is not going to change how I coach or my relationship with the team. This team plays hard all the time.”’

‘Milloy arrived too late to take part in Thursday’s practice, but he made it clear when asked about his feelings toward the Patriots, particularly head coach Bill Belichick. ”I could care less about him,” Milloy said. ”I’m all about the Buffalo Bills.”’

’12 — Number of combined sacks and turnovers the Patriots had in last season’s two lopsided wins over Buffalo.’

‘The Bills’ top priority is to keep the game close so all their game planning doesn’t go out the window after a half. In last year’s two lopsided losses, they trailed 17-0 and 20-0, forcing QB Drew Bledsoe to put the ball in the air 72 times and allowing New England coach Bill Belichick to scheme him to death. Buffalo’s remodeled defense needs to show up from the opening bell.’

‘His decision to pick Buffalo over other suitors such as Washington, St. Louis and Minnesota involved his familiarity with the AFC East and style of defense the Bills play. Buffalo is conjuring up new blitz looks under assistant head coach Dick LeBeau and Williams’ "46" scheme has always relied on a big-time hitting strong safety to play in the box.’

‘Despite all of the changes on both sides of the ball for Buffalo, Belichick thinks the biggest improvement the Bills made was on special teams. "The biggest change that I notice in Buffalo is on special teams," Belichick said. "They have a new kicker [Rian Lindell] but they have a very explosive return game. Their kickoff return game in preseason has been strong. The punt return game is probably as good as anybody’s in the league. Antonio Brown has shown great speed and playmaking ability in that phase of the game. So that is a big change for them."’

‘Also today, the team announced that quarterback Travis Brown has reached an injury settlement with the Bills. Brown had been placed on Injured Reserve on August 31 with a finger injury.’

‘Haggan, a three-year starter at Mississippi State, was Buffalo’s seventh-round draft pick. He became the odd-man out as the Bills were already carrying eight linebackers on their roster.’

About the only way the buildup could get more intense would be if New England coach Bill Belichick started “your momma”-ing his Buffalo counterpart in the press, or if Gregg Williams publicly offered to relieve the Patriots coach of his teeth at midfield before the coin toss.’

‘“It’s not about proving myself,” Bledsoe said. “It’s about winning … If I can go win a championship with this team, that’ll be a great career. It sounds, maybe, cliche or simple, but that’s what it is.”’

‘Q: What advantage, if any, has [Larry Centers] been able to give you on Buffalo? BB: Larry has given us some insight into all of the things that you would think he would be able to. He knows the players. He has been in that system for a year and knows some things about it. Larry is a smart guy too.’

‘”In the bigger scheme I have to channel my emotions and my feelings into doing things that are not necessarily best for me but best for the team. I can’t go out [free-wheeling] and doing things that aren’t in the game plan. I have to go out and play football, play it to the best of my ability and hope for the best.” And that is probably what Belichick is hoping for from every player in his locker room, because in the end after all the theater and underlying themes are tossed aside, both teams need to start the season with a win in what is probably the tightest division in football. Yes there will be a lot of emotion on the field Sunday, but like Seymour said once the ball is snapped the players just have to play football.’