‘Phillips took a big chance in his decision to go with Johnson over Flutie, and Johnson obviously has let him down.’
BillsBeat - December 19, 2000
Patriots fans flock to Flutie
‘The storytelling wasn’t restricted to the game. CBS cameras caught some guy on one knee dropping his engagement ring while proposing. A cheerleader was led away by security guards, and while no one has gotten to the bottom of that story yet, it made for interesting viewing.’
Pats' problems snowball
‘The coaches deserve credit for keeping the team focused through the obstacles they faced because of the weather. Even beyond that, however, the game plan on both offense and defense was modified dramatically and effectively as the conditions deteriorated during the day.’
Johnson likely to miss Bills season finale with concussion
‘Injury-prone quarterback Rob Johnson, recovering from the third concussion he’s suffered this year, will probably miss the Buffalo Bills season finale on Saturday.’
Not so special teams
‘Phillips committed a mistake a year ago when he made a change. He commits a mistake this year if he doesn’t make one again.’
BILLS FIRE BUTLER AS GM
‘Owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. had been on record as praising Butler’s work and wishing to sign him to a new contract. But Butler had declined to negotiate seriously with the Bills and had expressed an interest in seeking his market value before making a commitment.’
WILEY HOPES PATS' GAME WASN'T A GOODBYE
‘”I just wanted to say thank you to the Bills and the Bills fans,” said Wiley, who will be an unrestricted free agent after Saturday’s season finale in Seattle. “I’m still a Bill for another game and, hopefully, for another contract, another year. But I’m not in a situation right now to even think about it or make any moves. If this is it, dire straits, I tried to show them everything I could and thank them for everything.”‘
JOHNSON'S 'HEADACHE' MEANS FLUTIE WILL START
‘”They’re calling it a slight concussion,” Phillips said of Johnson. “It’s more like a headache. He banged his head on the ground, but he never lost consciousness or had trouble remembering anything.”‘
CONCUSSIONS MAY FORCE BILLS' HAND
‘Johnson may never suffer another, but the decision makers can’t bank on it. For a promising young quarterback to suffer so many concussions so early in his career, you have to go back to Chris Miller with Atlanta. After a promising beginning, Miller’s career became a series of stops and restarts and finally retirement after a second comeback attempt in Denver.’
BillsBeat - December 18, 2000
Phillips' Excuses Don't Add Up
‘Instead of addressing why the same group of linemen who have operated under the same assistant coach within the same offensive coordinator’s system for three years can’t peform the most basic functions of their jobs, Phillips took the easy route.’
Vinatieri able to weather Bills' storm
‘Sunday’s weather was awful, even by Western New York standards. The air was filled with a strange snow-sleet-ice combination that blanketed the field by halftime and made the artificial turf slippery.’
Bills Should Consider Giving Roth A Serious Opportunity
‘Josh Roth, the fullback from the University at Buffalo by way of Conewango Valley, sure looked like he belonged. And, in a conversation with him late last week, Roth believes he does.’
This team has earned a little respect with effort
‘A whole lot of it was sloppy, sloppiness that had nothing to do with the weather. And a whole lot of the players that partook in it for the Pats won’t be around next year.’
Ex-lineman for Buffalo wings it
‘Toward the end of his Bills career, Ritcher took a flight with teammates Joe Ferguson and Justin Cross in Ferguson’s Cessna propeller plane. "I was just hooked from then on," he says.’
Vinatieri's FG provides icing
‘Mother Nature managed to do what these two struggling rivals probably could not have done on their own, namely make this game a thoroughly entertaining one to watch.’