Two Bills Drive

‘If Gardener has disks in his back fused, his career likely would be over, two sources said earlier this week.’

‘"They’ve been in a lot of close games and just happened to lose them the same way Carolina has been doing this year. They’re not as bad as their record shows. They’ve got a lot of talent."

‘Dolphins defensive tackle Daryl Gardener will undergo back surgery today, ending his 2001 season.’

‘They’re all gone – released, retired, cast about by the winds of free agency. All but Hansen, who is struggling to retain his starting defensive end job at age 33, and tackle John Fina, who came to the Bills in Hansen’s second season. And how much longer are they going to last on a 1-8 club that is rebuilding at every position?’

‘Weather could play a role in Sunday’s game, but not for the reasons one would expect in late November in Buffalo. Rain is forecast with a high temperature of 59 degrees.’

‘Gardener’s absence will make things tougher for Dolphins middle linebacker Zach Thomas, who relies on Gardener and Tim Bowens to keep blockers off him.’

‘Last time the Miami Dolphins came to Orchard Park, it marked the end of the Buffalo Bills as we knew them. At 7-5, the Bills were coming off their body-bag game in Tampa, when Sam Cowart, Sam Rogers and Keion Carpenter were lost for the season — all in the second quarter. But even Buffalo’s second-half collapse against the Bucs didn’t portend what happened back in Western New York a week later. After all, Miami simply didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t win at Ralph Wilson Stadium in December. And even without more than a third of the starting defense (Antoine Winfield had gone down a week before the Tampa trio), the defense would just plug in four new guys. The offense, having been carried for the better part of the previous two years, would finally do some heavy lifting. That’s the way things had gone in this rivalry for nearly 15 years — the Dolphins might steal an early-season game here and there, but the Bills always won when it counted most. Especially at home.’

‘"I think that each week he’s gotten more and more comfortable, and our quarterbacks have gotten more and more comfortable with him," said Bills coach Gregg Williams.’

‘The 3,500 tickets will be distributed to Western New York youth football groups, public service agencies and various charitable organizations.’

‘In recent weeks, Buffalo Bills fans have had to endure drubbings on the football field and watching their quarterback pounded repeatedly into the turf until he couldn’t come back anymore.’

‘”The guy’s not even here anymore, (so) let’s quit talking about him,” Van Pelt said. “You turn on the radio and everyone is saying, ‘Well, Flutie wouldn’t have done that.’ Enough of that already. Let’s move on and let Rob be the quarterback.”‘

‘A few days after he was told to rest and rehabilitate his aching back, Gardener’s back locked up on him, further jeopardizing his ability to return this season. Gardener called the Dolphins Thursday morning and was instructed to go to the hospital. He still was in the hospital Thursday night.’

‘You remember the Dolphins, the team Bills fans love to hate and love to beat more than any other.’

‘Of the 185 points the Dolphins have allowed, 100 came after turnovers.’

‘Gardener was admitted to Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday morning after complaining of new pain in his back. It was the second time in the past two weeks that Gardener, who had a pain-relieving injection last week, had complained of back pain.’