Two Bills Drive

‘Armed with a lucrative new contract, the regular NFL officials returned Sunday. They made sure everyone noticed, calling 27 penalties for 192 yards. The Bills tied a team record with 19 penalties, and they deserved most of them.’

‘Indianapolis’ 42-26 victory was an exercise in offensive excess. The Colts piled up 555 yards. They averaged 9.3 yards a play. Aside from the first down of every series, they never huddled. They never punted.’

‘The Indianapolis Colts running back knew Buffalo would crowd the line of scrimmage with defensive manpower Sunday in the RCA Dome. "They weren’t going to let me run the ball if they could help it," he said, referring to the Bills’ tendency to crowd the line with safety support. And James knew one of the by-products of that pick-your-poison approach would be significant one-on-one opportunities for wide receiver Marvin Harrison. "Can’t play Marv one-on-one," said James. "Give him one-on-one, and Marv is dangerous. Today just showed it."’

‘"They hit us in the mouth. We hit them in the mouth," said Peterson.’

‘"I shook my head a lot," Winfield said. "A few of those plays were on me. I was real frustrated. We just couldn’t stop them from moving. I don’t think they punted one time this game."’

‘For now, at least, defenses have to be concerned with Pathon. When Sunday’s game began, Buffalo was focused on stopping Harrison, who didn’t catch a pass until 2:27 remained in the first quarter. By then, Pathon had caught four.’

‘"I’ve never heard or felt anything like that," said Colts cornerback Jeff Burris. "There was so much emotion from the teams, from the fans. In eight years (four as a visiting player and four with the Colts), I’ve never heard it so loud in here. The noise was just piercing. It was as if everybody wanted to show their pride as a country. Everybody, from the players to the fans, they wanted to show what we’re about."’

‘Three plays after Clements’ interception, linebacker Kenyatta Wright covered a fumble by tight end Ken Dilger at the Colts 35. Three plays later, Bills punter Brian Moorman trotted onto the field. The Colts defense held — two Rob Johnson incompletions, a 1-yard toss to running back Travis Henry — and the lead remained 7-0. "It was really big for us to come out and not even let them have a field goal," said strong safety Chad Cota. Given a reprieve, the Colts’ offense responded by scoring touchdowns on its next six possessions.’

‘Nobody wore more red, white and blue than four friendly fans sitting in front of their Dodge minivan with New York license plates. They were located at the edge of the South handicapped lot near the main entrance between gates 2 and 3. They were members of the Buffalo Bills Booster Club.’

‘Four mistakes. Four touchdowns.’

‘"We talked a good game," veteran wide receiver Eric Moulds said. "But we didn’t play it."’

‘I’m starting to wonder what "46" defense stands for. Does the 46 represent the target score the Bills are trying to keep their opponents under?’

‘"I can’t get used to this, losing and giving up all these yards and points on defense," said cornerback Antoine Winfield. "I hope in the next few weeks we’ll start making things happen."’

‘COACHING – Team was ill-prepared for this big road test against a strong opponent. Bills’ record-tying 19 penalties was shameful for a coaching staff that allegedly preaches discipline. F’

‘While almost nothing went wrong for the Colts, who scored touchdowns on five straight possessions during one stretch, the Bills did little right. They tied a team record with 19 penalties, and their leading rusher was quarterback Rob Johnson with 63 yards. Meanwhile, the Colts were virtually unstoppable.’