Two Bills Drive

‘Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas wanted to tackle his TV set last April when he learned that the New England Patriots had traded quarterback Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills. Instead of watching one of the NFL’s great passers leave the AFC East Division, Thomas saw Bledsoe set up shop with one of Miami’s fiercest rivals. “When they made that move with New England, it was like ‘Go to Cincinnati man, don’t stay in the division,’ ” Thomas recalled on Wednesday. “That was ridiculous.”‘

‘Though coach Gregg Williams said “you never rule anybody out,” it seems highly unlikely that Williams will recover in time to play. Gregg Williams termed Mike Williams’ injury as “a significant strain.”‘

‘And if the Bills (3-3) are to have continued success through the air – in particular this Sunday against the dreaded divisional rival Dolphins (5-1) in Miami – Buffalo would be well served with another big game from their top back.’

‘While the Bills probably lag well behind the Dolphins in overall talent, they may be catching their rivals at a ripe moment. Miami’s 24-22 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night was huge, but also punishing.’

‘Gadsden is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. If Gadsden, 31, has surgery now, he would likely be healthy by the time free agency opens in March. If he puts off surgery, he won’t be healthy until the end of April, at the earliest, assuming a four-month recovery. That would significantly reduce his chances of getting a decent contract with any team.’

”’The way I lead is a lot different from Jay,” Lucas said. “I’m definitely more vocal, I’m definitely up in your face. I don’t know how the guys are going to respond. We’ll find out real shortly.”’

‘Fewer than 800 tickets remain for Sunday’s game and must be sold by 1 p.m. today for the game to be televised locally.’

‘”Ray has a lot of confidence,” said receiver Dedric Ward, who also played with Lucas with the Jets. “He is never going to let you think he is struggling. There isn’t a guy in the locker room who thinks he can make more plays than Ray.”‘

‘If Gadsden has surgery for the unspecified injury, he’ll be out for the season, according to an NFL source. If he opts to forgo surgery, he could return later this year. The Dolphins are expected to speak with Gadsden’s doctors today to decide on a course of action.’

‘"It’s what you call hazards of the job," Rodgers said. Safety Brock Marion called the hit "the nature of the beast."’

‘Three decades ago, Briscoe came to the Dolphins from Buffalo as a star receiver. But he thought of himself first as a quarterback and so did others. In fact, whenever they meet today, Joe Namath never calls Briscoe by name. "The Quarterback," Namath calls him, showing Briscoe that his mark was left among some who matter most.’

‘Former Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman is available, and he does keep in touch with Dolphins offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who coached him in Dallas, on a regular basis.’

‘The truth is Lucas played well enough during the exhibition season while Fiedler was absent after hip surgery that a debate could have begun about who deserved the starting job at the start of the season. If an underlying dissenting current did exist, Lucas wasn’t part of it. He expressed belief in his own ability — and said he considers himself capable of being a starter — but always called it Fiedler’s position.’

‘He is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Buffalo, and wide receiver coach Robert Ford said the wrist is not broken but there is ligament damage.’

‘"Ray was a perfect fit for Bill Parcells," said Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who will face his former New England teammate when the Bills visit Pro Player Stadium on Sunday. "Bill just absolutely loved the guy. He would do whatever he could to get noticed on film to make a play. He would always find a way to show up and that’s really what kept him around. And he was not one to shy away from saying something about it, too. Parcells liked that as much as anything."’