Two Bills Drive

‘"They’ve got a good quarterback now and they’ve just got to give him a little bit of protection. I don’t know how far they can go, but I think they can definitely make the playoffs."’

‘The 24-year-old Flowers started six of 31 games during his first two seasons and had four sacks and one interception. He played little in Buffalo’s first two preseason games and was moved down the depth chart when the team signed Chidi Ahanotu yesterday.’

Basically, the "46" has worked twice in NFL history — the 1985 Bears and the 2000 Titans, where Williams cut his teeth. But each of these squads had premium talent and considerable good luck. Everyone else who has tried to use the "46" has paid dearly, since while most defenses are designed to cover up weaknesses, the "46" is designed to expose weaknesses and dare you to attack them.

Guard Corey Hulsey suffered a minor knee sprain (left) midway through the morning workout on Tuesday. He’ll be held out of Wednesday’s workout. A decision as to whether he’ll play in Saturday’s game will be determined later in the week.

‘"We’ve got a lot of talent, a lot of speed, and I see some big plays coming out of this unit this year."’

‘The reality is the 6-foot-4, 290-pound, 32-year-old Price and the 6-foot-2, 285-pound, 31-year-old Ahanotu are journeymen. If you doubt it, ask yourself why they were unsigned some three weeks before the season starts.’

‘Of the nearly 60-man roster (including injured reserve) president/general manager Tom Donahoe inherited in January of 2001, only 19 remain, a mere seven of them starters. And it’s not unreasonable to assume that come the final cutdown on Sept. 1 that number could be a dozen left from the 2000 season.’

For years, Bledsoe and Riemersma had watched each other play in divisional clashes between the Bills and New England Patriots. They knew each other well, yet didn’t know each other at all. That’s the thing with division rivals, particularly those who play on the same side of the ball: You watch those opposing players twice each year, get to know their styles and, if they’re deserving, admire their skills.

With the Bills down by four, Buffalo intercepted a Dan Marino pass very late in the game. The radio reception became very spotty, with much garble and interference… a long Kelly pass to Andre Reed in the dying moments put the ball on the two-yard line.

‘Flowers is the latest member of the Bills’ 2000 draft class — the last overseen by former general manager John Butler — to be released.’

‘4. 1971 Bills.’

In its 2002 valuation, the Bills showed an operating income of $29.4 million, seventh-best out of 30 teams. The magazine said the Bills generated revenue of $131 million. The high-standing income comes despite the fact that the Bills, playing in one of the NFL’s smallest markets, are rated just 25th in valuation at $458 million.

The Chargers are also looking for a backup running back, and there’s a chance that they’ll do something with the Bills with regard to that. The possibility is that one of their backup linebackers (possibly Orlando Ruff, a starter last year) will go to Buffalo for a running back.

Perhaps a position change is the next step for Flowers, who will most certainly be signed in the near future. In the NFL, speed on defense is held at a premium, and teams will be hard pressed to find a player with more pure, straight-ahead velocity than Erik Flowers. But as NFL teams are beginning to realize, there’s more to being a football player than speed.

‘Coach Gregg Williams said Ahanotu (whose name is pronounced CHEE-dee uh-HAHN-uh-too) would not play Saturday in Indianapolis.’