Two Bills Drive

‘The Chiefs might also be getting a break with Buffalo head coach Wade Phillips’ decision to reinsert Rob Johnson at quarterback after he missed most of the last four games with a sprained shoulder.’

‘If ever a team was living by the NFL’s one-game-at-a-time mantra, it’s the Bills (6-4), who find themselves in the thick of a 10-team playoff race in the AFC thanks to a three-game winning streak.’

‘Bills can win if … They play turnover free. Though the Chiefs haven’t been a turnover machine this season, they are still adept at getting takeaways at home because they use crowd noise to their advantage.’

‘"That’s my approach. I figure if I can get the quarterback harassed and rattled then there’s a chance," Cunningham said. "That’s how I coach defence."’

‘Like Rob Johnson, Elvis Grbac has a former CFL star backing him. But unlike Johnson, Grbac has no fear for his job.’

‘It’s quite simple for the Chiefs right now: They have no margin for error.’

‘This year’s group is shaping up, statistically at least, as among the worst ever for the Chiefs.’

‘Eric Hicks might be on the field for only 10 or 15 plays, or a fraction of the time the Buffalo Bills have the ball today. The Chiefs still plan on getting a lift from his return.’

‘His face etched with passion and outright ferocity, headphones blaring heavy metal into his ears, the Chiefs’ new starting linebacker is thinking about only one thing: the fury he’s about to dispense on his opponent.’

‘Before this season began, there were people in the Chiefs organization who whispered — quietly, very quietly — that the team just might have a better defense without Derrick Thomas.’

‘There are people who fervently believe everything happens for a reason. Last Sunday in San Francisco, two of those believers met, violently, at a football game.’

‘A key question: Can a Kansas City defense that yielded 70 points in two straight losses keep a once-potent Chiefs offense within striking distance?’

‘An MRI examination of Mickey Pfleger, the 52-year-old free lance Bay Area photographer, revealed a pre-existing brain tumor doctors believe can be treated because it was detected early enough.’

‘Debate all you want, but here are the numbers that seem to matter most: Johnson is 27, is 6 feet 4, and signed a five-year, $25-million contract in 1998. Flutie is 38, is 5-10, and didn’t.’

‘"I had great adviser in a guy named Phil Simms . . . and also Joe Theismann," Grbac said of the two ex-quarterbacks-turned-broadcasters. "I talked to them when I was hurt and they told me that you’ve got to understand some of the positive things you do and some of your weaknesses. If you can understand some of your weaknesses, you can stay healthy."’