Two Bills Drive

‘Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Patriots almost won but lost, though their 16-13 overtime loss to the Bills in the rain and swears of Foxboro gave Bill Belichick — coach of the best 2-7 team ever slapped together — fresh material to ulcerate over.’

‘Christie has developed a winning habit when it comes to late field goals. He kicked a 34-yarder last week to beat the Jets and has two other game-winning kicks to his credit this season.’

‘Marcellus Wiley has a nickname for Steve Christie. He calls him Bacon, as in Canadian Bacon. Sunday in Foxboro Stadium, Christie was the Saver of the Bacon for the Buffalo Bills.’

‘"Best clutch kicker in the NFL," Wilson said proudly. General Manager John Butler did Wilson one better. "He’s one of the greatest of all time."’

‘Doug Flutie’s Magic Show has run its course. If that was supposed to be a rabbit Flutie pulled out of his helmet in a game that meant the survival of the Bills’ season, it more closely resembled a field mouse.’

‘There are goal-line stands, and then there is the one the Buffalo Bills produced in the third quarter of Sunday’s 16-13 victory over the New England Patriots. The Patriots had four plays inside the 1-yard line, including three first-and-goal situations on the same possession. However, they failed to score against the Bills’ stout defense as linebacker John Holecek intercepted a John Friesz pass in the end zone.’

‘Big Picture: It was messy, and not just a little lucky, but the Bills are alive – barely – in the AFC East.’

‘When it comes to the Information Superhighway, the National Football League has entered the fast lane. And the Buffalo Bills are among the franchises riding shotgun in this high-speed marketing chase.’

‘"That’s our team," he said. "Doug didn’t have the greatest game, but I don’t think any quarterback could have. But he finds a way to win."’

‘I never said anything about Rob in the whole interview," Flutie said yesterday. "It’s unfortunate that those quotes were what they were. They were anonymous quotes which I tend to disbelieve. I’m sorry (Johnson) feels that way."’

‘Yesterday on a gray, soggy, windy New England afternoon, the Bills proved they are knitted tighter than your best pair of wool socks, and wouldn’t those have come in handy here.’

‘The Bills are 14-6 in OT in their history, second-best in the NFL behind only Pittsburgh’s 13-5-1.’

‘Of the Bills’ five wins this season, four have come on Christie kicks in the final minute or overtime, and three have been on the game’s final play.’

‘It was not a magical victory like the ones we’ve come to expect from Doug Flutie over the past 17 years. But Flutie, 38, who is the first to say some of his performances are not artistic masterpieces or statistical wonders, showed once again that he wins more than he loses on Sunday afternoons.’

‘This is the kind of day it was for the Patriots. It was gray, dank, and soggy. It was mushroom weather. It was a day that encapsulated this dreary, 2-7 season.’