Two Bills Drive

‘Millions tuned in to watch the Clinton-Lazio debate last week, but only a few hundred people got to see host Tim Russert’s preshow warm-up. It was vintage Russert. The South Buffalo native had people in stitches when he told a story about the 1994 Buffalo Bills-Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl in Atlanta.’

‘The Bills are formidable. Their defense, ranked No. 1 a year ago, is ranked third in the NFL this season. Rob Johnson, their new starting QB, scrambles like Doug Flutie but has a rocket for an arm. "I respect a lot about the way (the Bills) play," Groh said. "They’ve got their system based on their belief on how they want to play and they stay with those systems year after year, game after game. "They made some bold moves in the offseason (letting Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed go) and they’re faster and just as tough, and as a result they’ve made themselves better than they were the last couple years."’

‘…here comes Marvin Jones. He is back, and he is all the way back, maybe all the way back to the terror he was coming out of Florida State, when we hailed him as The Black Butkus.’

‘Look for the Jets to get rookie tight end Anthony Becht involved in the passing game soon – as soon as today against Buffalo. With the Bills stacking up against the Jets’ running game and Curtis Martin, the Jets might look to get the ball outside in – away from 350-pound Bills’ NT Ted Washington. They also might look to open it up with more passes to the tight end.’

‘The Jets are 2-0 for the first time since 1994. If they can get off to a better offensive start at 1 p.m. today against the Buffalo Bills, the Jets will set themselves up to achieve an even rarer feat their first 3-0 start since 1966. In fourth-quarter comeback wins against Green Bay and New England, the offense has started like a power lawn mower left out in the rain that needs several pulls before sputtering to life. "We have to get off on the right foot early," center Kevin Mawae said. "We can’t win every game in the fourth quarter."’

‘The Bills’ offense has a lot of things to improve on, like running the ball and protecting Johnson, but just getting the ball hiked without mistakes in today’s first road test will be a challenge. "We know crowd noise is going to be a factor but we’ve got to keep our composure and not get frustrated if things don’t go well in the beginning," running back Antowain Smith said. "We’ve got to keep plugging and hope something gives for us…This is a big matchup. It’s going to be a matter of will, which team is going to be more physical."’

‘Bills win if…They shut down Martin and force the Jets to be one-dimensional on offense. Of course, QB Vinny Testaverde has been at his best this season when he’s had to rely heavily on the passing game at the end of games…They avoid turnovers. This is their first road game and it will be difficult to communicate on offense. Johnson will get sacked, and when he does, he has to protect the ball and not fumble it away…They can establish their own running game. This will bring their play-action passing back into use, and when the Bills have that working, they are tough to stop.’

‘Short of banging his head against the wall, there is not much the New York Jets’ Curtis Martin can do to prepare for an afternoon of running into mounds of Buffalo Bills gut. "Between the two of them (defensive linemen Ted Washington and Pat Williams) you have about 700 pounds in there," Martin said. "It’s not a game I look forward to, to be honest."’

‘After missing the entire 1999 season, New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde would be expected to have some cobwebs early this season. Fortunately for Jets fans, the veteran has been able to shake them for fourth-quarter rallies in his team’s first two wins. But Testaverde, who today will face the AFC’s leading defence in the Buffalo Bills, believes he’ll need a quicker start if his team is to go 3-0. “We’re going to have to go out right away and play some good football this week if we’re going to have any chance to beat the Bills,” Testaverde said. “But we definitely have confidence that no matter what the situation is at the end of the game, we can come back.”‘

‘After two victories in which a dysfunctional offense took three quarters to come to life, today the Jets (2-0) face in the Bills (2-0) a team with a defense so dominating that it is unlikely to let the Jets catch up if they fall behind.’

‘Today, the Jets can break the hex with a victory over the Bills (2-0) at Giants Stadium – a battle for sole possession of first place in the AFC East and an intriguing showdown between two teams that survived tumultuous offseasons. The Jets are winning without Bill Parcells and Keyshawn Johnson, and the Bills are doing it without Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed, a trio that won six division titles and four AFC championships. They’re as synonymous with Buffalo as beef on weck. But life goes on in the NFL. "It’s amazing," Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde said of the Bills’ resilience. "Without Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thomas, you’d think there would be a big dropoff. But there is none. They might be a better team."’

‘Prediction: Bills, 23-21.’

‘The Jets haven’t started 3-0 since 1966…’.

‘None of the Jets players was heavily into reflecting on what it will be like to play the Bills for the first time without nemeses Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed wearing blue and red. "It’s not going to be strange," said strong safety Victor Green. "The guys they had did a wonderful job when they were there. All good things come to an end. Their fans will miss them more than we will."’

‘But challenges are hardly new for the Bills, whose schedule was ranked in the preseason as the toughest in the NFL. The are 2-0 with a revamped defense — four new starters on a unit that ranked first in the league last season. There hasn’t been much falloff — it’s ranked third overall in the league.’