Two Bills Drive

‘Sheppard, who has taken a lot of heat for his inconsistent play-calling, has been limited in his ability to open up his offense because of injuries to the line. His unit is coming off a futile display against New England. Wouldn’t a victory today be a sweet way to bounce back?’

‘If the Bills can slow down Alexander and force Hasselbeck to the air, they stand a much better chance of pulling the upset.’

‘[Q:] The offensive line has been under heavy criticism this year. What is your biggest beef with reporters and fans who criticize the offensive line? [A:] ”I can’t say what I would want to say, but I’d just say guys are trying their best. There hasn’t been as many mental errors as there has physical errors. There’s been some of both, but guys are doing their best, busting their butt.’

‘When asked if Alexander deserves to start, coach Mike Holmgren played coy, saying "I don’t know. I’m going to hold off until we make that decision. I’ll have a chance to think it through, to see how healthy he is. We’ll go from there."’

‘The Bills appear headed for a 3-13 season at best, but there are reasons to be optimistic.’

‘If winning the big one is the main prerequisite, then I suppose Trent Dilfer, Mark Rypien and Jeff Hostetler will merit consideration over Kelly. And if you think they do, then you must also believe that a football is filled with Flutie Flakes rather than air and that Rob Johnson’s bones are made of steel.’

”’It’s funny how things turn out sometimes,” said Kelly, owner of virtually every passing record in team history. ”Looking back, I’m so happy (Bills owner) Ralph Wilson didn’t listen to me and trade me before I came to Buffalo because who knows what would have happened.”’

‘As for Canton, the QB who led the Bills to four straight Super Bowls and eight playoff berths in a span of nine seasons, seems a lock … though not necessarily on the first ballot.’

‘Hasselbeck isn’t the engineer that drives the Seahawks’ train, but rather a passenger holding a ticket.’

‘On the other side of the ball, the Bills are a mess. Their top receiver is a fullback and their top running back is a rookie who averages 3.2 yards per carry. Expect the Seahawks to tee off on immobile QB Alex Van Pelt.’

‘Nobody flew Chris Gray down to Los Angeles for a television appearance last week.’

‘He has led his team in receiving seven times in the last nine years and leads Buffalo in this his first season with the Bills. In fact, he leads all NFL running backs with 47 catches. He also has caught passes in 128 consecutive games, the third longest active streak in the NFL behind Jerry Rice (233 games) and Tim Brown (132).’

‘One year removed from his comparatively low-profile duties as quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks, Sheppard is fielding the tough questions as offensive coordinator for the 1-7 Bills.’

‘The Bills snapped up Brown because he spent the one season learning the West Coast offense from Holmgren, a master, and was recommended by Bills offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard, the quarterbacks coach under Holmgren in Seattle.’

‘Steve Freeman, the outstanding Bills safety from 1975 to ’86, will serve as the field judge for Sunday’s game.’