Two Bills Drive

‘The man Wade Phillips calls a worrywart can exhale now. Russ Brandon can put away the Maalox, pop open a brewski and toast a job well done. Bills training camp — the project that has gnawed at Brandon’s gut for more than a year — will conclude tomorrow morning at St. John Fisher College to rave reviews. With an estimated four-week attendance of close to 120,000 and a sponsorship haul that would make NASCAR envious, the Bills’ vice president in charge of marketing and business development clearly has scored a touchdown with football fans and his boss. "We dumped this project on Russ’ lap, and he came through with flying colors," says Bills owner Ralph Wilson. "This was no small undertaking, and Russ and his staff pulled it off without a hitch. I can honestly say I heard no complaints — not from the fans, not from the coaches and players, not from anyone. And that’s saying something."’

‘William Hood has dubbed himself the official Buffalo Bills barber.’

Check out photos from Saturday’s game…

‘As good as Cowart is, Cottrell admires the fact that the player still strives to get better. "Sam is a pleasure to coach," Cottrell said. "He’s a good student of the game, and his work ethic is tremendous. That’s why he is going to be a great one in this league for a long time."’

‘…Phil Stambaugh is history…Mike Cawley is in trouble….Phillip Crosby and Josh Roth are gone, while Jason Corle (out with a hamstring) may luck out and land on season-long injured reserve…Drew Haddad, Kevin Drake, Corey Sullivan, Scott Pingel and Kwame Cavil are fighting for the last position…Bye bye Ivan Gustafson and John Jennings….it’s anybody’s guess right now between Fred Jones, Kenyatta Wright and DaShon Polk.’

‘Flowers, taken 26th overall from Arizona State, has yet to play a down in the NFL and will be counted on to contribute, albeit sparingly, as a substitute player in his inaugural season. Flowers will be paid a salary of $400,000 this season and receive annual raises of $100,000 over the life of the five-year contract. Total value: $5.65 million. Second-round pick Travares Tillman, a safety from Georgia Tech, pocketed $900,000 when his four-year deal was signed. The total value is worth $2.11 million. The remainder of the Bills’ draftees have three-year contracts, though they really should be interpreted as three, one-year contracts. Terms are dependent upon those players making the team each year. The bonus money paid to third-round selection Corey Moore ($375,000) right down to the final two selections, UB’s Drew Haddad ($26,000) and Dashon Polk ($22,000), adds up to a total of $830,000. The signing bonus, then, is what really separates Flowers and Tillman from the rest of the rookie class.’

‘The real concern is that, for the second straight game, the Bills’ first-team attack was uneven at best. Yeah, there was the pretty 72-yard touchdown connection from quarterback Rob Johnson to wide receiver Eric Moulds. However that wasn’t great offense, it was a great play made by a superlative athlete on a perfectly thrown ball. But the overall performance by the first-team offense, which played into the third period, was decidedly unimpressive. The line, in particular, struggled.’

‘The Bills’ first-team offense and defense played well into the third quarter. It was obvious which side of the ball needed the most work.’

‘"It was difficult leaving Buffalo, both personally and professionally," Schulz said. "I owe the Bills organization a lot for drafting me and giving me an opportunity to have a career in the National Football League. "The change to Detroit was a pretty smooth transition, but the hardest part was moving the family. That was the biggest challenge."’

‘"I feel like I’m 22 again," said the 36-year-old. "When I feel like that I’m usually good. It just shows that I can still do it. When you look at Bruce (Smith, now a Washington Redskin) and Thurman (Thomas, now a Miami Dolphin) you know they’re thinking the same way. When we make plays, it will be all in the face of you know who." Translation: Bills’ management.’

‘On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions — with the exception Moulds’ big play — kept the Buffalo offense at bay for much of the game, forcing three turnovers and winning the time of possession battle (31:14 – 28:46).’

‘Two games into the preseason, the Buffalo Bills have the big play down cold. It’s the basics that are bogging them down.’

‘"Pat has talents we have to utilize and, of course, we know all about Ted," said defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, who is looking for ways to keep his unit ranked No. 1 in the NFL despite the loss of four starters. "What we want is to find the right situations where we can get both of them out there together. In essence, it gives us more reps for Pat without taking any away from Ted."’

‘The defense had four sacks and two interceptions — by linebacker Allen Aldridge and cornerback Marquis Walker. A holding penalty in the end zone against Bills guard Victor Allotey gave the Lions two points on a fourth-quarter safety. It cut Buffalo’s lead to 13-12 and put the Lions in position to win on a field goal.’

‘Saturday night’s 8:35 kickoff was 90 minutes later than usual. The reason is because the game was televised by ESPN. The Lions never sell out exhibition games, so the live telecast was blacked out locally. It was a financial win for the Lions, though. They get an additional $400,000 for playing on ESPN, Lions chief operating officer Chuck Schmidt said. That is about $100,000 more than for their entire exhibition season TV contract, Schmidt said.’