Two Bills Drive

‘Now it is Chrebet’s seventh year in the league, and he’s still struggling to prove his worth. He’s not complaining about it, and would only discuss it if someone else brings it up. But the fact is, the Jets have thrown only 12 passes to their best receiver in three games. Not surprisingly, he’s caught nine of them.’

‘Ted Cottrell, the Jets’ defensive coordinator, could only shake his head when asked yesterday to comment on the team’s defensive performance against San Francisco. "Geez," Cottrell said. "My God."’

‘Buffalo’s defense is ranked 29th and is yielding almost 7 yards per play on first down, last in the league. Cornerback Antoine Winfield is a top player, but he is also the Bills’ top tackler, not a good sign for "Herd" fans. The most recognizable name left on a unit gutted of its legendary names is left end Phil Hansen, but he’s out of Sunday’s game with an elbow injury.’

‘"Right now I see a team struggling, and it’s not just one or two individuals," Williams said. "We have to play better to beat the Jets than we did last weekend, or any other weekend." Williams reiterated that he did not single out Johnson for criticism and while he did say "I thought he took a step back" he also mentioned that many other players fell into the same category.’

‘Scott said Christie will hold a news conference in Buffalo today "to tell his side of the story."’

‘The comparisons between the two aren’t being made just on television during game broadcasts. Flutie jerseys are still plentiful in the of Ralph Wilson Stadium, and many newspapers in the Buffalo region publish weekly charts highlighting the two. And then there are the letters to the editor. In one recent issue of The Buffalo News, seven letters critical of Johnson were printed, including one that read: "Flutie wins. Johnson loses. Enough said."’

‘Under NFL rules, the Bills had to wait until Christie was healthy before they could release him.’

‘The move to release Christie was expected after he refused an injury settlement, which could have allowed him to re-sign with the team after Week 10.’

‘While this week isn’t critical, it sure is pivotal. The Bills may be winless, but they also are bad hosts when the Jets pay their annual visit, having won five of the last six at Ralph Wilson Stadium. A loss would drop the Jets to 1-3 (1-2 in the division) and their summer talk about being a playoff team and aspiring to play in the Super Bowl would ring very hollow.’

‘Pat Williams looks around and shakes his head at what remains of the once-proud Buffalo Bills defense he played for during his first three NFL seasons. With preseason cuts, free-agent defections and in-season injuries, only one member of last year’s starting front seven – linebacker Keith Newman – will be on the field Sunday when the Bills host the New York Jets.’

‘Gregg Williams needed little time to consult his exhaustive database of candidates and peg Sheppard as his guy back in February. The new head coach said, "Mike has had to learn at the elbow of one of the masters of the West Coast offense in Mike Holmgren." But what exactly did Sheppard learn during his two-year stint as Seattle’s quarterbacks coach?’

‘Forget Johnson’s other problems for a moment. Unless offensive line coach Ronnie Vinklarek and offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard can turn a bunch of very large young men better suited for construction work into a cohesive unit very quickly, it won’t matter if Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas are time-warped forward from 1991.’

‘He minimized the importance of experience and leadership as Buffalo not only lost a handful of players to free agency – most notably Marcellus Wiley – but also turned loose a dozen veterans including lockerroom leaders Henry Jones and John Holecek.’

Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Kris Farris will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to repair his broken right leg.

On Monday, Bills coach Gregg Williams said the team will place Farris on the injured reserved list, and consider their options on how to fill that roster spot.

With the unusual October schedule, how do you plan on utilizing that on improving the team?

"The coaches are taking a look at that, and their plan was to initially have some practices that were dedicated to fundamentals, then start working on Jacksonville, and then we’ve got another stretch after that as well, and then we can get ready to play San Diego. Obviously, as you get closer to the game, you can focus in on who you’re playing, and prepare to do that. The extra time, you have to use wisely, and try to improve the fundamentals of your football team."