Two Bills Drive

‘If Mike Sherman wants to instill confidence, he can start by putting his offensive background to good use. He needs to get more involved in the play-calling, unless he is to blame for the lame third-down calls, in which case he should get out of his offensive coordinator’s way.’

‘Brett Favre didn’t show any of the rust in the Packers’ 27-18 loss to Buffalo on Sunday that was evident in last week’s loss to the New York Jets. Favre missed the final three preseason games because of tendinitis in his right elbow, and it showed early in his 14-of-34 performance against the Jets. But against the Bills, he completed his first 14 passes and finished 25-of-35 for 269 yards.’

‘The gory details for the winless visitors, as witnessed by 72,722, included four fumbles fueled by a fearsome Bills defense, a close encounter between quarterback Brett Favre and running back Ahman Green and no fewer than five injured players and an equally harsh specter of a season on the brink. The sight of blood on the front of Bills quarterback Rob Johnson’s pants afterward was a testament to how frightening things are going for the Packers after two games. "It isn’t good," said Favre, matter-of-factly.’

‘Edwards, the Green Bay Packers’ 1999 first-round draft pick making only his second NFL start, was picked on relentlessly by a Rob Johnson-led Buffalo Bills offense. The Bills went after Edwards because he was filling in for Mike McKenzie, injured in the season opener, at left cornerback.’

‘The most telltale indication is the disparity in the sacks column. Against the Jets: 0. Against the Bills: 5. "A lot was made of how much pressure we weren’t putting on the quarterback in the preseason," said Packers’ nose tackle Russell Maryland. Unlike the Jets, who ran draw and screen plays and thus forced the Packers to be passive with an otherwise aggressive scheme implemented by new coordinator Ed Donatell, the Bills’ fondness of the pass enabled a hungry group of Packers to let loose. They dropped quarterback Rob Johnson behind the line of scrimmage four times in the first half, only one of which was by a lineman – end John Thierry. The other three evolved out of blitzes by safeties LeRoy Butler and Darren Sharper and linebacker Nate Wayne. "We took a lot more chances, and those gambles that we took, they worked," said Maryland, "as opposed to last week when we may not have run as many, and when we did, we weren’t as successful."’

‘"You win a ballgame like this, it kind of makes the aches and pains feel a little bit better," said Favre, who is less than 100 percent physically with tendinitis in his throwing elbow and a sprained thumb on the same right arm. "But, when you lose, it seems like they’re twice as bad."’

‘The Packers-Bills’ game was scoreless until 44 seconds remained in the first half. But a sequence of plays after Buffalo finally broke through for the game’s first touchdown seemed to make the difference in the outcome.’

‘Given that the Buffalo Bills don’t have a single starter sidelined by injury, let alone four of their 10 best players like the Packers, it should have been a foregone conclusion who would win. All the point spread – Bills by 6 – really indicated is that the oddsmakers haven’t caught up yet to how truly weakened the Packers are.’

‘Antuan Edwards’ knee injury forced the Green Bay Packers to play much of the second half with only two healthy cornerbacks Sunday in a 27-18 loss to the Buffalo Bills.’

‘What was supposed to be a major weakness for the Green Bay Packers still is, but for a much different reason. A Packers defense that wasn’t supposed to have the right mix of talent or enough time together to execute the aggressive, hustling scheme coordinator Ed Donatell brought with him from Denver showed signs of being a much more valuable asset than first thought. At least that was the case for most of the Packers’ 27-18 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon at Ralph Wilson Stadium. But injuries have depleted the unit at a position of strength, and for all the impressive individual efforts put forth against the Bills, the defense couldn’t overcome a handful of bad plays. All it took was a mistake here and a letdown there for Buffalo to put three touchdowns on the board.’

The Green Bay Packers returned home from their 27-18 loss to the Buffalo Bills not knowing if they’ll ever see right tackle Earl Dotson on the field again. Such was the dramatic nature of Dotson’s departure on the second play from scrimmage. The 6-foot-4, 317-pound veteran had to be helped off the field because his ailing back locked up on him so badly.’

‘Sunday, Brett Favre didn’t look like a quarterback who was totally impaired by an aching right elbow or a re-injured right thumb. He looked like a quarterback who gave it everything he had but still could not keep his team from losing to a superior defensive crew, the Buffalo Bills. He looked, after the game, like a quarterback who was, in his own words, "physically exhausted and mentally exhausted."’

‘The Green Bay Packers basically ran two offenses Sunday. There was the one in which they did not get the ball to Antonio Freeman, and then there was the one in which Freeman actually got the ball. The second one was much better. It must have been much better because it was the only one that scored touchdowns.’

Johnson didn’t play a very vital role last week in the 16-13 win over Tennessee, but he was a key component yesterday. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns, and only because the Bills were playing a soft prevent defense in the final two minutes of the game was Favre able to finish with more passing yardage (25 of 35 for 269 yards and two TDs). "Rob’s a great quarterback and when he has time, he makes the throws," said wide receiver Eric Moulds, who was in a much better frame of mind after this game as he caught seven balls for 103 yards.’

‘Long-snappers lead a lonely life. They normally aren’t noticed unless they make a mistake. That’s why Ethan Albright was basking in the glow of the Buffalo Bills’ 27-18 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Ralph Wilson Stadium yesterday. In a young season where every special teams play is an adventure for Buffalo, Albright scooped up a fumbled Packers’ third-quarter punt and returned it 19 yards to the Green Bay 4. It set up a critical field goal. "It’s fun to contribute to the win," Albright said. "It’s fun to be talking to the media — and not after a bad snap."’