Two Bills Drive

‘Five weeks ago, Manning had a career day against the Bills in one afternoon, passing for 421 yards and four touchdowns in the Colts’ 42-26 victory at the RCA Dome. It wasn’t so much WHAT Manning did but HOW he did it that agitates the Bills like sand in a swimsuit. During one stretch of the first half, Manning needed just six plays and 2:08 of possession time to complete three long TD passes to blow the game open.’

‘"With the millions and millions of pieces of mail circulating in this country, I have to think ‘Why would they target me?’" fullback Larry Centers said.’

”'(At Jacksonville), I missed my first two kicks so you want to redeem yourself. Everybody had played so great, so you’re thinking, ‘OK, you missed two, if you want a job next week, you better knock this one down.’ There’s no way I could have missed that kick, because the team had played its heart out. At San Diego, the same thing. We fought our butts off and just fell short. I couldn’t tell what happened (on the block). I hit it good and it came off my foot well. Everyone wanted to win that game so bad and Mr. Wilson (team owner Ralph) wanted it the most of all. I’m really sick we couldn’t pull it out for him. I think he’d be proud of the effort and the grit we showed, but we’re all disappointed."’

‘Jerry Ostroski may return to action today, and if he does, the offensive line will get a boost. With that boost, it must give Johnson protection so he has a chance to peck away at the Colts.’

‘Before today’s game, two former Bills’ stars – center Kent Hull and special teams ace Steve Tasker – will be honored with Ralph Wilson Distinguished Service Awards.’

‘In six games, the Colts have scored first only once, that occurring 10 days ago at Kansas City. An offense that ranks No. 1 in the NFL in total yards and No. 2 in scoring has tacked up just two first-quarter touchdowns. Both came Sept. 23 in the RCA Dome against the Bills. But both came after the Colts turned the ball over on their first two possessions of the game.’

‘Hansen sets an example with tenaciousness. He’s usually so focused, others find him amusing because of his blunt honesty. "I think that’s probably why he and I get along so well," said first-year Bills coach Gregg Williams. "We’re both that way."’

‘The Bills have not mounted a consistent pass rush this year, registering just 10 sacks. They likely will make Rhodes prove he’s up to the task of keeping the blitz away from Manning. "It’s no secret that’s something a defense will try to test," Manning said. "But we feel good about (Rhodes)."’

‘”You can see they’re more confident because of their experience,” Manning said as the Colts (3-3) prepared to play the Bills (1-5) Sunday at 1 p.m. at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. The more games you play, the more everybody’s on the same page and the fewer busted assignments you’re going to have. You figure if you’re going to score points, you’ve got to be really good at what you’re doing. You’re not going to be able to get them out of position. “In the second game, a few times we might have caught them out of position, due to their lack of experience in that scheme.”‘

‘If he continues the kind of quarterback play he’s given Buffalo in those two games, the Pats might not have the pushover game they’re expecting when the Bills come to town next week.’

‘Starting tackles John Fina and Jonas Jennings missed their third straight practice Friday with leg and foot injuries, respectively. They haven’t been completely ruled out for Sunday, but the best-case scenario would have them serve as emergency backups.’

‘After their rout of the Bills, the Colts lost their next three games — two to New England by a cumulative score of 82-30.’

‘He practiced for the first time Friday but remains questionable for Sunday’s visit to AFC East rival Buffalo. James’ availability for the game might not be determined until he tests the knee that morning.’

‘The Buffalo Bills are honoring Kent Hull and Steve Tasker on Sunday, an added attraction to the Indianapolis Colts’ final annual visit to Ralph Wilson Stadium. Too bad the Bills can’t get Hull and Tasker to suit up. Their respective areas of specialty, the offensive line and special teams, stand as Buffalo’s primary areas of concern as the season approaches the midway point. While Rob Johnson has been able to improve over the last two weeks and stay more or less in one piece, the Bills’ inability to run consistently makes the quarterback their sole offensive threat.’

The last item is Pete Prisco’s evaluation of our 2001 Draft Class. Did he steal this from John in Hemet? Sounds like something John already wrote on the Stadium Wall message board…..