Two Bills Drive

‘Seven plans under consideration for realignment when Houston rejoins the NFL for the 2002 season. There are other plans also under consideration.’

‘The league voted Wednesday to extend the current replay system through the end of the 2003 season. One reason given: the league could make adjustments to replay without having to worry about the system being approved.’

‘Next season, the referee will be the QB’s guardian angel. The league will instruct referees to consider disqualifying a defender for a flagrant foul against a quarterback. “If in doubt about a roughness call or a potentially dangerous tactic on the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer,” according to the rulebook.’

‘The San Diego Chargers are one of a handful of teams that have shown interest in Christie, a placekicker who became an unrestricted free agent last month when the Bills did not re-sign him.’

"I know that I will have a larger impact this season because I didn’t play that much last year. The 4-3 is what I have played in my whole life and that is what I am used to playing. I feel that I can do so much more in that style of defense…"

‘An 11-game preseason national television schedule featuring rematches of two recent Super Bowls and an American Bowl in Mexico City was announced by the National Football League. [No Buffalo games are scheduled]’

‘Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie had a not-so-friendly rivalry while competing for the quarterback position in Buffalo until Flutie was released and signed with San Diego. The teams will meet next season. "Yeah, I’m looking forward to it," said Johnson, the former USC quarterback. "This will definitely be a [big] game for many reasons. It’s a game everyone will star or circle on their calendars. "They’ll probably put it on Monday night even though neither of us made the playoffs."

‘Donahoe’s path eventually led to Miami and a temporary consultant’s job with the Dolphins, to ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Conn., and in January, to Buffalo where the Bills doubled his salary to $1 million and tripled his responsibilities by making him president and general manager.’

‘Buffalo Bills coach Gregg Williams said Tuesday he would be interested in pursuing former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Josh Evans if and when Evans is reinstated from a year-long substance abuse suspension this spring or summer.’

‘The league will change from its current six-division setup to eight, four-team divisions in 2002. It remains likely that Buffalo, Miami, the New York Jets and New England will stay in the AFC East. Indianapolis almost surely will move out.’

"The NFC East and Central and the AFC East and West seem pretty well set," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said as he unveiled seven of the dozen or so plans under consideration. "The more difficult decisions are in the others."

"We don’t worry about if an end holds up against the run because you can always put more bodies in the box to coverup for a smaller guy,” says Bills coach Gregg Williams, who had great success with Kearse when he was the Titans’ defensive coordinator. "But if he has true defensive end speed, that’s something you can’t coach.”

‘[NOTE: Sam Rogers was an OLB not an ILB] ILB — Sam Rogers, Bills. He was good enough to start for a good team for five years.’

‘If plan A1 makes 20 teams happy then the deal is done. The maintenance of rivalries will get the vote closer to 20. If those four proxies owned by Tagliabue count, 24 of 32 would be needed, and the commissioner would have the right to cast the votes for the Texans, Rams, Ravens and Titans.’

‘While the Super Bowl has become a January tradition for the past thirty-five years, it will soon turn into a February feature. At the owners’ meetings this week, commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced that starting in 2004, the Super Bowl will make a permanent move into month of February.’