‘This monstrosity of facial hair first made its appearance during his injury stint last year, and makes him look like some malnourished lieutenant of Stonewall Jackson. Behind the Hell Beard lurks all of Bledsoe’s ire, and, combined with the Pats’ four-game losing skid to some of the NFL’s best teams, should provide more than adequate drama.’
BillsBeat - November 2, 2002
Battle in Buffalo: Brady or Bledsoe?
‘Maybe one will outplay the other in a losing effort and muddy the whole picture, allowing both sides (and there are plenty of folks choosing sides) to claim victory. But since QBs are judged largely on their team’s record, more than likely one camp will issue a full-throated I-told-you-so around 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon.’
Pats don't make the grade
‘MVP: AFC – QB Drew Bledsoe (Bills): He’s on pace to throw for 5,000 yards, just 84 shy of Dan Marino’s single-season NFL record. He’s gotten his hands on the ball in two of Buffalo’s three overtime games and both times has thrown the winning TD pass. He’s second in the league in touchdowns (16) and passer rating (98.3). We could go on and on, but you get the point.’
It's all part of the job
‘”I’ll be playing against an old friend of mine,” Bruschi said. “A guy that will make it fun out there, who will challenge the defense but give me a chance to make plays.”‘
Tops Game Ball of the Week: London Fletcher Q&A
"We've had some guys that have played extremely well. I can't get in and say this individual guy has been most improved. The offensive line has played extremely well. The receivers have played well. Drew is playing phenomenal. There are tons of guys that have played well. Pat Williams is played extremely well. Nate (Clements) has played well."
O'Shei's Three Keys to the Game
New England head coach Bill Belichick is considered a defensive mastermind, one of the most creative and unpredictable coaches football has seen in decades. Preparing to face is defense is a crapshoot. You can never be sure what you’ll be seeing, so you have to be ready to make changes on the fly. How the Bills’ offense handles those in-game changes will likely determine the outcome of the game.
Bills Wallpaper
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Williams learns, adjusts, wins
‘You live and you learn, and one year after a disastrous NFL head coaching debut, Williams has transformed the Bills from laughable losers to wild and wacky winners.’
Fletcher's memories of the Pats not so sweet
‘"Last year is last year," said Fletcher, who signed with the Bills as an unrestricted free agent a month after the Super Bowl. "I can’t do anything about that. It’s water under the bridge. I’m on a new team now, and I’m trying to do everything I can to help the Buffalo Bills win this game. This game is important to our team. It’s a big division game. It’s important because it’s the only one we’ll be playing on Sunday."’
A tale of two QBs
‘What adds the most juice to tomorrow’s clash at Ralph Wilson Stadium has been the recent struggles endured by the man that replaced Bledsoe.’
Getting reacquainted
‘But there were still problems against the run, where they rank 29th in the NFL.’
There's no debate; game is about them
‘The Massachusetts gubernatorial election is Tuesday, but New England’s big day is tomorrow, when the staggering Patriots go to Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., in an effort to get their season back on track and defend the football judgment of their once-infallible head coach.’
Brown set to expand his roles
‘Brown, the Patriots’ top offensive weapon, wears a protective brace on the knee while playing. Asked if he thought he might need to wear the device all season, he said, ”I hope not.”’
Van Pelt at ease as reservist
”’I was disappointed at first,” Van Pelt acknowledged yesterday. ”I was looking forward to starting. But after that wore off, I realized what a great opportunity it was to have him in here. It was a great chance to work with another great QB, another great mind to pick. So after the initial disappointment, I was excited.”’
Pats zone in on Bills
‘“Any time Centers is on the field, that’s certainly one option,” said Belichick. “I think Buffalo does a good job using all their receivers down there in the red area. Riemersma is a good red-area receiver. Centers is a good red-area receiver. Moulds and Price are guys who, if they get single coverage, can beat you on different option routes. They run fades, slants underthrown fades and fades in the back of the end zone."’