Two Bills Drive

‘"Rochester’s nice, but you want to get home, sleep in your own bed and eat your own food," quarterback Rob Johnson said.’

‘"Offense takes a little more time than defense, we’ve got to be totally on the same page, and if one guy screws up, the play doesn’t work."’

‘Early in training camp, Buffalo Bills veteran linebacker Sam Rogers pulled rookie Fred Jones to the side and whispered, in so many words, "Don’t worry kid, you’ve got this team made." When word filtered back to coach Wade Phillips that Rogers might be filling Jones’ head with grandiose praise, he quipped: "I want Sam and the rest of the team to worry about cuts. Maybe Sam better worry about Freddie." Indeed. Jones, like Rogers a product of the University of Colorado, began making plays in practice on Day One and hasn’t stopped. With the first cut to 65 players fast approaching on Tuesday, Mr. Jones is among the few newcomers who can breathe easy, not that he’ll allow himself that pleasure, despite what Rogers has told him. "I’d stress myself out thinking like that," he said. "Every day out here, anything can happen. All I can do is try my best. If it’s not good enough, at least I know I tried."’

‘The new-look Buffalo Bills broke training camp Wednesday with much still to do, but with some pieces firmly in place. With almost three weeks of practices and two preseason games behind them, the Bills relocate to their Orchard Park home to concentrate on the regular season.’

‘After the separate offensive and defensive workouts and before the 7-on-7 drills, coach Wade Phillips interrupted Tuesday afternoon’s practice for about 15 minutes and had players go the fences to sign autographs for the crowd of over 8,000. “The players want to get home to their families,” Phillips said of today’s expected hasty exit following practice. “And I didn’t want it to look like we didn’t care or that (the fans’ support) wasn’t important to us. “That’s why I thought we should make the gesture to all the fans today. We opened camp that way (with an autograph session) and we finished it up that way.”

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‘Considering how bad the Buffalo Bills’ kickoff coverage looked on its final play of the 1999 campaign, maybe fans should be a little more forgiving when watching this year’s unit get the kinks out. The Bills, who covered dozens of kicks in actual games and countless more in camps and practices, were embarrassed when their season ended on the Tennessee Titans’ now-infamous Home Run Throwback return. So if the Bills’ special teams can have that sort of letdown after all that repetition and with their playoff lives at stake, it only stands to reason those units will experience some growing pains this year with a new coach and a slew of young players. "They’re going to make mistakes," coach Wade Phillips said after Tuesday afternoon’s practice at St. John Fisher College. "I saw the aggressiveness I want, but some of the techniques and mental mistakes we’ve gotta correct. We’ve gotta get that aggressiveness tuned in."’

‘Then there’s the prospect of playing the Bills at least twice a year in the AFC East. Thomas insists that wasn’t a factor in signing with Miami, but can hardly contain his desire to see the Bills again. Miami hosts the Bills on Oct. 8 and visits Buffalo on Dec. 3. "It won’t be just another game for me," Thomas says. "It’s personal." Thomas left Buffalo with a bitter taste, he says, because he learned the news that he, Bruce Smith and Andre Reed were going to be cut while watching ESPN2, when a news item "crawl" appeared at the bottom on the screen. He says it wasn’t until after the release was official that GM John Butler called. Had the team approached him earlier, Thomas says, he might have just announced his retirement as a Bill rather than be humiliated with a release. Thomas and Reed share the Bills record for career touchdowns (87). "I was angry," he says. "I was upset over how it went down. But I’ll use it to motivate me. I always seem to find something to keep me going."’

‘But from owner Ralph Wilson on down, no one on the Bills seems to question that the camp at Fisher met its marketing goals, showcasing the team before large numbers of fans. (Indeed Wilson believes that the camp may have outdrawn all other NFL camps.) "The reception by the people in Rochester was just great," Wilson said by telephone yesterday. "Our players, our staff, everybody was accepted. We were really pleased."’

‘By all accounts the Bills first 19 days have gone according to, or better than, planned with the three F’s — fans, facilities and food — drawing the greatest raves from the players. "The accommodations are terrific, the dorm food is great, it’s really been first class all the way around," said starting tight end Jay Riemersma, one of several players who also signed autographs after practice. "I haven’t had a problem with anything out here so far."’

‘"I felt quick," Wiley said after practice at St. John Fisher College. "I got some good moves in there and got to fly around. I was happy. Now it’s time to get my body and my legs in sync with everything else. But the sky’s the limit now. Physically I was cleared to go, so today was a mental hurdle I had to clear." Wiley, who has 8.5 career sacks, said he’s pain free for the first time in years. "I’m much better as a player," he said. "My quickness, range of motion, everything is better. And sitting out the last six weeks, I actually got a chance to analyze the game. I think that’s going to help me in the long run, too."’

‘Steel-mill tough, Kelly helped keep the franchise in western New York and guided the Bills to an unprecedented four consecutive Super Bowls — a feat in this age of free agency and salary caps that probably won’t ever be duplicated…It has been four years since Jimbo called it quits. It’s time to put his name on the Wall of Fame at the Ralph and officially retire his No. 12 in a gala celebration similar to the ones accorded Joe Montana, John Elway and Marino by their respective teams and cities. The honor is long overdue.’

‘The Buffalo Bills defensive end, and successor to departed great Bruce Smith, was elated after taking part in full contact drills for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a bulging disc in his back early last month. “Oh, man, football,” a happy Wiley said. “I’m just glad to get out there and see somebody 300 pounds in front of me and to get to run around him, run into him, get knocked down a couple of times. “It’s time for me to go out there and show what I can do.” Bills coach Wade Phillips said Wiley will get plenty of practice time this week, and that he’ll “probably play” in this Saturday’s preseason game against St. Louis.’

‘Even before Andre Reed was sent packing, Moulds had already established himself as the Bills’ go-to receiver. He led the Bills with 994 yards and seven touchdowns last season despite a nagging hamstring injury. Now healthy, he should be closer to the form of his breakout year in 1998, when he broke Reed’s franchise record with an AFC-leading 1,368 yards. He has plenty of motivation. This is the final year of the five-year contract he signed after being the Bills’ first-round draft pick in 1996. Barring injury, Moulds is looking at a multimillion-dollar payday in 2001.’

‘The Buffalo Bills 1965 American Football League championship team will be honored by the Monday Quarterback Club at a Sept. 11 luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Adams Mark Hotel. Luncheon speakers will include team members Ed Rutkowski, Stew Barber and Billy Shaw as well as current General Manager John Butler, broadcaster Van Miller and Buffalo News sports editor Larry Felser, master of ceremonies.’