Two Bills Drive

‘Their 35-0 victory over the eminently routable Buffalo Bills on Sunday night only confirmed what some of us have resisted believing the past three months. They’re good. They’re for real. Why, at 9-2 they’re the best team in the Bay Area.’

‘Reynolds said the stadium features 20,000 parking spaces, and at least 2,000 of the 7,000 in the main lot were unavailable because of flooding.’

‘Thinking they could recapture some of their night-time magic and utilize the motivation that comes from playing in front of a nationwide audience, the Bills exuded confidence throughout the week that they could battle the 49ers evenly. They didn’t.’

‘In a brutal season in which people’s expectations have been lowered to just wanting to see glimmers of progress under new coach Gregg Williams, the Bills took a leap off the Golden Gate Bridge.’

‘In taking a 14-0 halftime lead, the 49ers outgained the Bills by 222-74, had a 14-4 edge in first downs, and Jeff Garcia completed 15 of 19 passes for 148 yards.’

‘Secondary: A very long night against the NFL’s fifth-ranked passing game. Garcia was 9 of 9 at one point and in the first half, and converted 6 of 7 third-down passes. A 17-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens against Antoine Winfield was a simple mismatch of size. Reserve Tai Streets beat safety Travares Tillman for a 23-yard score. F.’

‘"Those guys up front are the keys to it all," said Hearst, who rushed for a score early in the second quarter. "Tonight, they just took control and smashed people."’

‘"We not only had trouble on defense, we had trouble converting on offense."’

‘Hearst is on pace for 235 carries and 1,242 yards this season, and he is improving weekly. The extra money that he will earn will cost the 49ers significantly against next year’s salary cap. But the 49ers figure this kind of performance is worth it.’

‘The 49ers’ turnover ratio (+1 on the season) is mediocre. Buffalo has been much worse (-12).’

‘The Niners have ranked among the top six in the NFL in offense 18 of the past 20 years.’

‘Regardless of the outcome, the Bills can take some solace in the 49ers’ turnaround. By following the same formula, a return to respectability could be around the corner.’

‘To the insiders, to those who play the game for a living, there might be no worse job in the NFL than being the No. 3 quarterback.’

‘The view from here is that Van Pelt received the opportunity of his NFL career when Rob Johnson told the Buffalo media this week that his season is over as a result of his broken collarbone.’

‘"It was 13 years. I spent the greater part of my coaching career in Buffalo. It’s something looking at those uniforms and hearing the name. A part of me will always be a Bill. It’s a lot easier this year than last, of course."’