Two Bills Drive

‘Cornerback DeRon Jenkins knows the Chargers were counting on him to be their version of a stopper after signing him to a three-year, $9.6 million deal in the offseason. He was supposed to shut down the opposing team’s leading wide receiver, or at least limit the number of big plays the receiver made. But more often than not Jenkins has been the one walking off the field with his head down and his spirits low during the game.’

‘And, really, is there a better poster boy for the 2000 Dead Bolts than the 2000 Conway? Like the Chargers, he entered the season with hype and hope. Like the Chargers, he has been unable to deliver on either count.’

‘Suddenly, Buffalo’s primary mission is just making the playoff … forget home-field advantage.’

‘[The Buffalo Bills] are 10-point favorites to end their three-game losing streak. But there’s no way [Junior] Seau will let the Chargers roll over and die.’

‘Maybe multiple formations are not the way to go with this lightly experienced bunch. Maybe doing away with the traditional fullback and using the tight ends as H-backs was too radical a change. Young pro players need a lot of coaching help. Joe Pendry, the Bills’ offensive coordinator, should have come to grips with this weeks ago.’

‘Outlook: Hard to see Chargers offense doing much. . . . Bills, 23-14.’

‘It’s only a matter of time before Doug Flutie is back in place as the Bills starting quarterback, even though there is no big push in western New York for him to replace Rob Johnson…Although Johnson has seven touchdown passes and only two interceptions, he’s been getting drilled with regularity, causing questions about his ability to remain healthy.’

‘No one is suggesting Wade Phillips, who has a 23-14 record as head coach in Buffalo, is on the way out. But a loss by the 10-point favourite Bills would seriously dent the playoff hopes of a team well known for its resilience.’

‘The Buffalo Bills haven’t won a game in four weeks. Their quarterback has taken too many hits. Their most proven running back wants out. And the offensive line is under fire. Looks like someone just answered 911. The San Diego Chargers are in town.’

‘"We’re not a good enough team right now to take anything for granted, and I hope myself, along with the coaches and the rest of my teammates understand that," [Phil] Hansen said.’

‘It’s Monday night in Rochester and time for the Wade Phillips Show on WHAM 1180, where fans have the only direct pipeline to the man in charge of the Buffalo Bills…It’s easy to speak to fans when things are going well, but when your team has lost three games in a row for the first time in two years, the natives can get restless. "Hopefully, this is the worst it gets," Phillips says. "But there are still people, the media, everybody, who will always say something is wrong, even when we’re winning. That’s just the way it is in society."’

‘Bills win if…they don’t play down to the level of their competition. Sometimes the Bills do this, and they can’t afford it against a winless team looking to earn some respect and restore some pride…they avoid damaging turnovers. San Diego will need all the help it can get, so the Bills can’t play giveaway…they pressure [Jim] Harbaugh and force him into throws he doesn’t want to make. He’s a veteran, but he’s limited physically now.’

‘"[Chargers Coach Mike Riley’s] an unbelievable coach and person," [Rob] Johnson said. "He taught me a lot about football and life." Johnson and Riley were together at USC in 1993 and ’94. Johnson was the starting quarterback, Riley the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. They were together before practice, at practice and sometimes after practice. "He was always in there with me," Riley said, referring to his office. "We had lunch most every day." The two would watch film and talk football, but they would talk about other subjects as well. "He’s one of my favorite people that I’ve ever met," Johnson said. "He’s so positive and has such a good attitude. I would go up to the office and talk about his family and what he likes to do. It wasn’t football all the time. "I remember him being very patient, very understanding, very receptive. He’s very intelligent.’

‘Buffalo’s [quarterback] Rob Johnson needs something, some hook to get the Bills’ faithful on his side. But it’s a tough road for Johnson, the Newport Beach [California] native and former USC star, with fan favorite Doug Flutie constantly peering over his shoulder. Wrong choice of words. At 5-foot-10, Flutie couldn’t do that to the 6-4 Johnson without a step ladder. Wrong choice of words, again. Forget the Bills and ladders – it’s the winless Chargers, one can guess, who walked under a ladder at some point for an unlucky 0-6 start. The Bills and Johnson aren’t concerned with the Chargers’ woes. They’ve lost three straight, after opening with two wins, and they’ll try to snap their skid Sunday when entertaining San Diego at Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘Aside from Rob Johnson’s parents, it’s unlikely anybody at Ralph Wilson Stadium will be looking at the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback more admiringly on Sunday than San Diego Chargers coach Mike Riley. The reason isn’t just because Riley is saddled with a quarterbacking combination that has compiled the second-worst combined passer rating in the NFL this season. Riley was the offensive coordinator at Southern California in Johnson’s junior and senior seasons and loves the Bills’ QB. "I think the world of him," Riley said. "I really, really, really appreciated my time with Rob at USC. It was a great experience. I think he’s one of the most coachable people I’ve ever been around." The feeling is mutual.’