Two Bills Drive

‘For the half, Buffalo’s first unit rushed 10 times for 15 yards.’

‘Like the offense and defense, the Buffalo Bills special teams units rode a roller coaster in Thursday’s 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions in the final game of the preseason.’

Q: Will the Bills go to the 4-6 defense this year? I thought they were going to run it last year.

A: The Bills wanted to switch to the 4-6 defense but they simply did not have the personnel to do it last year. That, however, changed CB Nate Clements entered the starting lineup. With Clements and Winfield, the Bills have two CBs capable of playing on an island, which is exactly what the aggressive 4-6 defense needs to be effective. How important is it? Two of the biggest reasons the Titans had such a down year in 2001 were injuries in the secondary and the inability of their corners to play on an island.

‘The Bills’ leading rusher this preseason is returning starter Travis Henry, who’s racked up 80 yards on 27 carries, and accounted for the longest run from scrimmage — a mere 20 yards. The backups have fared even worse.’

While the Bills were a great team and were playing at home, the cynic in me would not allow me to believe that the Bills would actually go to the Super Bowl.

Preseason football wouldn't be complete without the annual debate over whether there is too much preseason football.

You hear the discussions over the copy machine and the talk-show airwaves.

For the first time since the 1990 season the Bills finished the preseason 0-4. Could that be a good sign?

"Too many negative plays – with the penalties and stuff. We need to get that straightened out. We get to go play for real now and I'm fired up about that. We have a very short time to get things straightened out. I have the confidence that we'll get it done."

‘And suddenly it’s hard not to wonder whether Williams, who got the job because of his impressive interview with president/general manager Tom Donahoe, is the coach to lead this team back to the playoffs.’

‘Buffalo managed just 52 yards rushing in the game and 262 yards overall.’

‘The Bills now have 10 days in which to prepare for their season opener against the New York Jets in Ralph Wilson Stadium. It looks like they need it.’

‘It has a capacity of 64,355, about 16,000 fewer seats than the Silverdome. But Ford Field has 8,641 club seats and 132 luxury suites.’

‘Eight more penalties, no running game, turnovers, big plays against the defense and inconsistent special teams marred Buffalo’s final tuneup game before the regular season opens a week from Sunday against the New York Jets at home.’

‘A pair of fourth-quarter stands by the defense, and a victory for the Lions, 20-13, against the winless Buffalo Bills before an announced crowd of 56,969 at Ford Field.’

‘Ignore the scoreboard (a rare victory) and the stats sheet (a ridiculous 12 penalties for 111 yards). A successful final exhibition game is one in which the projected key contributors survive with nothing more troublesome than the customary aches. The worst sight imaginable a week before the start of the season is that of a starter getting carted off the field.’