Two Bills Drive

‘How long can the good times last? How far can the Jets ride this wave? "The sky’s the limit, I don’t know," safety Victor Green said. "Hopefully, all the way to Tampa." Green means Tampa as in the host city of Super Bowl XXXV. Before Keyshawn Johnson starts making dinner reservations for his old buddies for the last week of January, hold on a minute. There’s some more business to be taken care of today against the Bills.’

‘Add to the Bills’ general physical play their specific mood, which is ornery — about their 3-4 record, which they think should be better, and about the 27-14 loss to the Jets, which featured Testaverde’s 45-yard desperation TD pass to Coleman, in the Meadowlands six weeks ago.’

‘The Magic Man meets the Magic Team at soldout Ralph Wilson Stadium today. Quarterback Doug Flutie, the helmeted Houdini of the Buffalo Bills, against the New York Jets, who have rallied for victories four times in the fourth quarter this season to sit atop the AFC East Division with a 6-1 record. The Bills (3-4), who have lost four of their last five games, are 0-3 in the division and simply can’t afford another another division loss if they plan on playing in January. A must-win? In this instance, it’s not a cliche.’

‘With two seasons remaining on Johnson’s contract, the Bills need to find out, once and for all, if he’s the answer. And the only way to do that is by playing him. But can you afford to do so if the 38-year-old Flutie gives you a better chance of winning?’

‘[Q:] You become a free agent this offseason and fans have their fingers crossed, praying the Bills re-sign you. Are there any other teams you’d like to play for though? [A:] "There are a lot out there that I’d enjoy playing for, I suppose, but I’d love to stay with the Bills. I’ve established myself here, I know the people and the organization. It would be very difficult to leave and adjust all over again."’

‘Bills win if . . . Flutie plays another efficient, turnover-free game, a tough task against a good New York defense…The Jets come out flat after their emotionally and physically draining victory over Miami last week…Shawn Bryson and Sammy Morris can continue to pile up yardage both running and receiving. They were keys to the 27-point production last week, and they showed how important a good running game is to overall offensive success.’

‘Realistically, to make the playoffs Buffalo will have to finish up no worse than 7-2. After going 1-4 in their past five, it is crucial the comeback begins today.’

‘Six weeks have passed and Marcellus Wiley still can’t get over how his Buffalo Bills failed to beat the New York Jets. "That was tough," the defensive end said, referring to Buffalo’s 27-14 loss on Sept. 17. "You watch the film and you take the scoreboard out and you’re like, ‘How did we get killed?’" Join the growing club, Marcellus. The Jets have cornered the NFL market on remarkable comebacks and unfathomable victories this season. Matching their best start in franchise history, the Jets (6-1) have left many opponents scratching their collective heads.’

‘A 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Kevin Williams propelled the Jets to a 27-14 victory on Sept. 17 and dropped the Bills to last place in the NFL in average yards allowed per kickoff (35.7). "It was a struggle," safety Raion Hill said. "There was always a breakdown here or a missed tackle there. It was something that had to change." The change has been dramatic. The Bills now have the sixth-ranked kickoff coverage unit in the NFL, giving up 21.1 yards per return. Last week, the Minnesota Vikings were held to just 17.7 yards on six returns.’

‘Enberg has been back doing NFL games for six weeks now and he and Dierdorf work their fourth Bills game Sunday when the AFC East leading New York Jets visit Ralph Wilson Stadium. "I’m back in my old home," Enberg said. "I’m expecting (Jim) Kelly and Cornelius (Bennett) and Thurman (Thomas) and everyone to come and meet me at the airport." The Bills’ strong schedule certainly has something to do with Enberg’s Buffalo schedule. Enberg and Dierdorf are slated to work a fifth Bills game in Tampa Bay next month. "They do have a terrific schedule in terms of appealing matchups and you know they are going to play well," Enberg said. But not well enough. The Bills have lost all three road games that Enberg has worked, making one wonder about an Enberg jinx.’

‘His fellow Jets defensive backs call Marcus Coleman, "The Phenom." That is an appropriate assessment for the 6-foot-2, 210-pound cornerback blessed with wide receiver speed and NBA small-forward leaping skills.’

‘The Buffalo Bills knew sacking opposing quarterbacks was going to be more difficult this season due to the loss of superstar defensive end Bruce Smith. But they couldn’t have envisioned having just 14 sacks, which is four below the NFL per team average. "Our pass rush isn’t where it needs to be for us to be consistently successful in this league," said defensive end Phil Hansen, whose lack of production (two sacks, six pressures) is one of the reasons for Buffalo’s struggles.’

‘None of the plays are an accident. They are practiced repeatedly.’

‘Marcus Coleman heard the whispers last offseason. He had just signed a five-year, $20 million contract to remain with the Jets, and now the club was refusing to meet Keyshawn Johnson’s demands for a new contract. It raised a question: Did the Jets, choked by the salary cap, have their priorities mixed up? "I’m sure people were wondering," Coleman said this week at Hofstra. "If they have any questions now, hopefully they saw the game the other night and have been watching us all year, seeing that I’m a quality player. I’m not a one-year wonder with a big contract, just trying to hang on. I definitely have some things I want to do in this league."’

‘One of the bright spots for the Jets has been the emergence of rookie Laveranues Coles as the No. 3 wide receiver. Coles, who has made 10 of his 13 receptions in the last two games, attributes his rise to an improved line of communication with QB Vinny Testaverde. "Early on, I wasn’t comfortable going up to a veteran such as Vinny and asking him what he’s looking for," Coles said yesterday at Hofstra. "I would sit back and try to get a feel for what everyone else was doing. Once I realized Vinny wasn’t a guy who was going to shut you out, I felt more comfortable going up to him."’