Two Bills Drive

‘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.’

‘Buffalo Bills coach Wade Phillips calls it "The Package." The super-sized, dynamic defensive tackle duo of Ted Washington and Pat Williams that Phillips occasionally employs has literally placed a heavy burden on opposing running games. Buffalo’s Twin Peaks look like a double dose of William Perry and hit like Ted Williams. The Jets offensive line has the unenviable challenge of blocking 662 pounds of defensive tackle in tomorrow’s 1 p.m. showdown against the 2-0 Bills. The unique defensive wrinkle has the look of a brick wall to running back Curtis Martin. "They make it very difficult to run," Martin said of the Washington-Williams defensive tackle tandem. "Between the two, that’s close to 700 pounds in there. They pretty much stuff the middle. It makes it very difficult to run the ball up the middle against them." Washington weighs 350 pounds. "You need a forklift to move Washington," Jets coach Al Groh said of the Bills’ Pro Bowler. These are two Bills who appear well acquainted with the fork lift. Williams, the former undrafted rookie signed out of Texas AM in 1997, is no slouch at 312 pounds. "Those two guys are huge," Jets center Kevin Mawae said of "The Package." "I might have to start eating a lot of donuts just to gain some extra weight to play against them. It’s a formidable front. Those guys form a brick wall. It’s not easy to run against them. "It’s hard enough to block one of them when he’s in the game. But to have both of them in there makes it even more challenging."’

‘Now hear this: Vinny is back. Again. The former Heisman Trophy winner has been counted out numerous times in his 14-year NFL career. But his body, mind and game are in good form entering Sunday’s AFC East showdown between the Jets and the Buffalo Bills at the Meadowlands.’

‘Rookie Corey Moore will get his first career start at weak-side linebacker when the Buffalo Bills meet the New York Jets on Sunday. Starter Sam Rogers was held out of practice again Friday and was made inactive for the game due to a bruised bone in his right shoulder. The Bills have a bye next week. Rogers said he expects to be fine for the Bills’ next game, against Indianapolis. He played with the bruise against Green Bay last week.’

‘Oh, my! Buffalo fans get a treat Sunday when Dick Enberg does the Bills-Jets game, his first National Football League broadcast since switching from NBC to CBS.’

‘Anonymity has been good for Buffalo’s defense, which last year ranked No. 1 overall in the NFL yet didn’t send a soul to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl. Slowly, but surely, however, one of the league’s best kept secrets is getting out.’

‘They may be unbeaten thanks to a pair of late comebacks, but the Jets know these heroics go just so far. And it might be especially dangerous to wind up trailing late in the game against the stingy defense of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. So today, Coach Al Groh used what he described as a loud voice – one of the oldest coaching techniques – to discuss one area the Jets need to improve dramatically: special teams.’

‘As exciting as the Jets’ two fourth-quarter comebacks have been, the team realizes the Houdini act can’t last forever. Late game rallies may work against a couple of hapless opponents like the Packers and Patriots, but not the 2-0 Buffalo Bills. When Buffalo comes to the Meadowlands Sunday, both squads’ unblemished records will be on the line as will sole possession of the AFC East. The Jets know that to leave with a "W," they have to arrive before the final 15 minutes. "We need to get off to an early start," center Kevin Mawae said. "We can’t wait around until the fourth quarter and hope for another come-from-behind victory. We need to come out in the first quarter and establish our game plan and the running game and get things going."’