Two Bills Drive

‘There you have it, 7 up, 9 down. Nothing too spectacular or out of the ordinary. The hope will have to be that the Bills have swallowed hard and are now in position to make a charge and not so much change in ’02.’

‘While Buffalo’s newly installed 4-3 defense held firm, quarterback Rob Johnson looked unsettled running the new West Coast offensive scheme.’

‘"I thought we ran the ball well in the first half but you’ve got to come back with some play action and throw teams off," he said. "We didn’t do that. I think our game plan was to come in, pound it, try to run the clock a little. I think it worked in the opposite for us. I think they came back and switched up things. I think we played into their hands a little."’

‘"I’m shocked and disappointed," Christie said. "I’ve spent 10 years in Buffalo. This is my 12th year in the league. I’ve made Buffalo my home. I’ve loved it here. I’ve loved the Bills. I think I deserve more from guys who have not been in Buffalo at all. I deserved more. This would not have happened with Marv Levy. Period."’

‘Look for the Bills to feature rookie running back Travis Henry early and often. If Henry is effective, he will take some of the heat off Johnson and give him a chance to make some big pass plays against the Saints’ suspect secondary.’

‘Buffalo News Ronnie Vinklarek is 5-9 and weighs less than 200 pounds, but he’s always been a suc-cessful offensive line coach.’

‘Bills 17, Dolphins 7 – 1980: Of course, this ended the 0-for-the-’70s, 20-game losing streak against Miami. The game itself wasn’t particularly well-played. The winning score was a Joe Ferguson-to-Roosevelt Leaks touchdown pass. It’s best remembered for the fact the fans tore down both goal posts.’

‘Don’t be confused by Williams’ optimistic swagger. He’s trying to prop up his young team’s confidence and help sell tickets. But he’s no dummy. He talks about making the playoffs and contending for the Super Bowl, but his actions tell another story.’

‘When Donahoe and Williams arrived in town they pledged that no old favorites would be dumped unless there was a viable "Plan B" to take his place. That’s why the cutting of Jones was a last straw. The new guys are looking for a linebacker-type to play strong safety. Jones is no linebacker, but he averaged 109 tackles the last four seasons. His replacement, Raion Hill, has zero starts in his short career and a total of four tackles. He doesn’t sound like a viable "Plan B" to me.’

‘We plan to send eight staffers to the game – including Executive Sports Editor Howard Smith, who coordinates the coverage from the press box. They’ll file their stories, columns and photographs for Monday’s Sports tab.’

‘The Saints appear to be catching Buffalo at a good time. The Bills, like the Saints last season, are still in the throes of an offseason overhaul. The club has a new head coach, general manager, coaching staff and 16 new players.’

‘"I see a significant difference in how the two teams went about the job," said Larry Felser, a longtime Bills watcher for the Buffalo Evening News. "The Saints, it seemed, brought in new free-agent blood, but they kept the players worth keeping. The Bills seemed to go out and make changes in the name of change."’

‘Today’s game is the first for the Saints at Rich Stadium since that fateful day 12 years ago.’

‘"I always knew Jim (Haslett) was cut out to be a coach. Jim has one of the big intangibles you need to be a great head coach. He’s not afraid to cut anyone’s throat and then leave them for dead." — Former Bills NT Fred Smerlas.’

‘”They’re going to get to the quarterback,” admitted Johnson, who may benefit from the Bills’ switch to the rhythmic, quick passing game of the West Coast offense. “They’ve hit every quarterback they’ve played.”‘