Two Bills Drive

‘Full contact NFL football is back. The Bills versus St. Louis matched the great offense of the Rams against a rebuilding and retooling Buffalo club. St. Louis carried the additional advantage of a full contact pre-season match the previous week."

‘Though an X-ray and a magnetic resonance imaging exam Tuesday night did not show a fracture, the swelling and pain Johnson has are real, so Williams decided to sit him out of yesterday’s and today’s practices.’

‘"We’re proud to have the Giants practice in Albany and we’re proud to have the Jets practice in Hempstead, but the Bills are New York’s team, so I cheer for the Bills," Pataki said yesterday, when he arrived just as the afternoon training camp practice was ending at St. John Fisher College.’

‘In rebuilding this segment of the team, new coach Gregg Williams is devoting two assistant coaches and full practice sessions to special teams.’

‘He carried the ball just 10 times his entire senior season at Tennessee, was cut by the Buffalo Bills last summer and couldn’t even hook on with an XFL team over the winter. So why in the world is Phillip Crosby back in training camp at St. John Fisher College?’

‘Coach Gregg Williams was pleased but he wants to see more hang time out of his candidates for the punting job made available when Chris Mohr was cut.’

‘Nails, listed at 6-6 and 360 pounds, is versatile, having played tackle at Florida A&M, but he will compete exclusively at guard for Miami.’

‘Nails, who spent the past four seasons with the Bills, visited the Dolphins two weeks ago but reportedly wasn’t signed because of his weight. The 6-foot-6 former Florida A&M standout weighed in at 360 pounds on Wednesday.’

‘Nails worked out for the Dolphins on Aug. 2, but the club wanted to see him get in better shape before signing him. He dropped 12 pounds — down to 360 — and agreed to a one-year deal worth $477,000.’

‘In college at Pittsburgh, Brown had been recruited as a defensive lineman. He was switched during his freshman season because, as Brown recalled, his position coach said, "I cannot handle this guy. He’s totally uncontrollable. Either he goes or I go." ‘

‘The Bills announced a special "Back-to-School" promotion for the team’s August 18th preseason game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles at Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘The Bills host the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday night in their second pre-season game of 2001, and the second straight year Buffalo has taken on coach Andy Reid’s Eagles in the pre-season.’

‘For example, because of quirks in the former scheduling system, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have never played in Buffalo. Under the new format, the Buccaneers are scheduled to travel to Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2009.’

‘Quarterback Rob Johnson will miss at least two days of practice after spraining the index finger of his right, throwing hand.’

‘Looking for offensive line depth, the Miami Dolphins signed former Buffalo Bills guard Jamie Nails on Wednesday.’