Two Bills Drive

‘The Dolphins’ defense continues to be the hallmark of the team. Besides strong, steady play, the defense has come up with big plays that have turned games around this season.’

‘The Dolphins took a 13-3 lead at halftime Sunday and then took a more conservative offensive approach in the second half.’

‘"It’s kind of like last week, almost like we’re on a roller-coaster of emotions," Morris said. "We got a high point and then all of a sudden we got a big, hard, low point."’

‘The Dolphins went the long route more than they had in the previous five games. It paid off in one touchdown, kept the Bills off balance and showed promise for the future.’

‘Trace Armstrong, that grizzled old Gator, dropped onto a stool in front of his locker, wearing a sweat-drenched T-shirt whose sleeves had been raggedly removed by scissors. He was too tired to ponder the meaning of what he had just accomplished and certainly too drained to realize that he had just hit 100 sacks.’

‘On the eve of the Dolphins’ 22-13 victory over Buffalo on Sunday at Pro Player Stadium, coach Dave Wannstedt took his players to watch the new Denzel Washington movie about a racially integrated Virginia high school football team that won a state championship in the early 1970s. Wannstedt moved his team meetings up an hour and ordered buses for his surprised players to attend a private screening at a Miami Lakes movie theater.’

‘Buffalo guard Ruben Brown couldn’t control his mouth on Sunday any better than he could control Dolphins’ defensive linemen. Brown was so frustrated by the Dolphins after the 22-13 loss, he took a shot at the Dolphins and defensive tackle Jermaine Haley in a postgame interview. "They’re not that tough," said Brown, who some thought the Dolphins should have pursued in the offseason. "They’re not nowhere tough, especially that No. 94. He’s a chump. He’s a little kid out there playing with the big boys. I can’t wait to see his little butt next time. That’s it."’

‘"I hate it," said Bills defensive end Phil Hansen. "It’s like putting peanut butter and jelly on a hamburger. It’s just not right."’

‘There are a dozen ways to cut this win, from the Dolphins’ 120 rushing yards to the Bills’ 76, from the Dolphins’ six sacks to the Bills’ one, from Dolphin quarterback Jay Fiedler not missing what little he was asked to do and Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson missing on too much. But Sunday really came down to what this season comes down so far. It comes down to the Dolphin defense.’

‘It’s a pact that Taylor, Armstrong and Zach Thomas made with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, one of the country’s foremost clinics dealing with spinal-cord injuries. Every time one of those three makes a sack, they donate $1,000 to the project. Every time one of those three makes a tackle, they donate $100. So far, the trio has raised $20,000 this season, and expects to raise more than $100,000 by season’s end.’

‘Said Dolphins center Tim Ruddy: "We’re not tearing it up. We’re having bright spots and low spots. But we’re trying to work on the consistency and getting the offense together." The same can be said of the Bills (2-3), who now have three division losses. Johnson, who completed 11 of 26 passes for 178 yards, was sacked five times and forced from the game after banging his right elbow late in the fourth quarter.’

‘"We fought our [rear] off," said Buffalo quarterback Doug Flutie, who replaced Johnson on the game`s final drive. "As poorly as things went for three quarters, we got the ball back down by less than a score. You just had that feeling that we were going to take it and go."’

‘Scott Galyon, the Dolphins’ top backup linebacker, is expected to miss the remainder of the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Galyon suffered the injury while tackling Buffalo’s Chris Watson on a first-quarter kickoff.’

‘"We`re not shocked," Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler said after another solid yet unspectacular day. "No matter what our critics said before the season, we knew we had a good team."’

‘Miami dominated for most of the afternoon. Still, with 8:34 left, the Dolphins’ lead had been trimmed to 15-13 when Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson led his team on a three-play, 82-yard touchdown drive in the blink of an eye. The Dolphins sputtered on offense and gave the ball right back. But once again, the Miami defense stepped up. Johnson flipped a little pass to running back Sammy Morris. Cornerback Patrick Surtain knocked the ball out of his hands. Cornerback Sam Madison scooped the ball out of midair and returned it 20 yards for the touchdown that settled the outcome.’