Two Bills Drive

‘The Bills on Sunday lost three key defensive players who had combined to record 305 tackles, 10 1/2 sacks and eight interceptions this year.’

‘Bucs coach Tony Dungy said the tackle was not illegal but an unfortunate dose of bad luck.’

‘Their 31-17 loss may have doomed their chances of competing for a playoff berth the final four games of the regular season, thanks to an unprecedented rash of injuries to their No. 5-ranked defense.’

‘"The season doesn’t end today," Irvin said about as often as Rob Johnson gets sacked. "We still have to play four football games and everybody on this team believes in everybody who’s on the field. We are a very sound football team."’

‘The Buffalo Bills yesterday called the blindside block by Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ guard Frank Middleton that put star linebacker Sam Cowart out for the rest of the regular season "unethical."’

‘Buffalo’s leading tackler, who had three sacks in the first half, is out of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins with a high ankle sprain and probably won’t play again this season unless the Bills make the playoffs.’

‘For the Miami Dolphins, the weekend forecast is ominous: temperatures in the 20s with a chance of defeat.’

‘"For you to be beside him and just go after his knee is unethical," Bills coach Wade Phillips said Monday. "I think it was uncalled for."’

‘Not even the often-heroic efforts of the depleted defense could compensate for Ronnie Jones’ boys. Plain and simple, they stunk. Again. Frankly, it’s getting old.’

‘And it was a game in which two or three disastrous plays foiled an otherwise valiant performance by the majority of the Bills’ players.’

‘If you thought the Buffalo Bills had a young defense before, wait until you get a load of what’s in store for the rest of the season.’

‘They lost a game by 14 points that they should have won.’

‘It was bad, but it could have been much worse. That would be the best way to describe the performance of the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line in Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.’

‘Miami comes to our winter wonderland next Sunday. If the Bills hope to maintain any chance for the playoffs they can’t afford to lose.’

‘What no one could foresee was the devastating nature of the loss as sloppy mistakes made the Bills look like anything but a playoff contender, and a rash of major injuries that they incurred along the way may eliminate that contender label altogether.’