Two Bills Drive

‘And as of Wednesday, they have put their reputations in the hands of a flawed, fragile quarterback who has yet to prove he can be a consistently healthy, effective NFL starter.’

‘"I know we’ve got the right guy for this offense. Rob can make all the throws. He can make every throw that needs to be made. He’s mobile. We’ve got to coach him to be smarter in how he takes care of his body. We’ve got to coach him to get rid of the ball quicker."’

‘But over the past three seasons, Flutie energized a city that longed for a new hero in the aftermath Jim Kelly’s retirement in 1996. Flutie rejuvenated a franchise many thought was going to leave town. He also stirred more passionate debate in Western New York than any Bills player in recent memory.’

‘If the end of the Doug Flutie versus Rob Johnson melodrama felt a bit anticlimactic to you Wednesday, it’s because in the final analysis, logic prevailed.’

‘Flutie won’t be out of work long. San Diego, now headed by former Buffalo general manger John Butler, will make a strong push.’

‘His two biggest decisions since taking over the Bills’ football operations – to hire Gregg Williams as coach over Marvin Lewis, and keep Johnson over Flutie – have been unpopular in Buffalo. Let’s see if they work.’

‘Doug Flutie has made a career out of proving people wrong. He’ll now attempt to add Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Donahoe’s name to that list.’

‘As elusive as he always has been on the football field, Doug Flutie couldn’t avoid the biggest sack of all.’

‘Considering Chargers GM John Butler was the only man who had the faith to sign Flutie three years ago when he was GM in Buffalo, he’s the likeliest candidate to do it again.’

‘And while it chagrins us, you also should know there is only one problem with tying the can to Flutie. From our vantage point, he was not the problem. The problem was: Rob Johnson is no stinkin’ good.’

‘Johnson is expected to talk publicly today about the decision.’

‘"What was interesting in talking to the players who came in to see me, none of the players expressed a desire for one or the other, but they all expressed a desire (for us) to pick a quarterback."’

‘"I doubt seriously Rob Johnson will ever be a Buffalo Bill," he says. "Buffalo Bills don’t wear bandanas on their heads or have that devil-may-care, surfer boy attitude that he has. "He ought to be playing for San Diego."’

‘In my Fantasyland, Flutie’s 27 and Rob’s in high school cruising for chicks. But reality bites. And like the choice or not, the Bills took one more step toward becoming a true team again.’

‘Sadly, Doug will be working his magic elsewhere, while the Bills pin their hopes on a quarterback whose potential no longer seems unlimited.’