Two Bills Drive

‘Prediction: Buffalo 23, New England 18.’

‘Gash said rumors that players didn’t like Doug Flutie were unfounded.’

‘Thurman Thomas is gone. So are Bruce Smith and Andre Reed. Thomas Smith and Kurt Schulz have also departed. Antowain Smith and Jonathan Linton are on the bench and Phil Hansen is sidelined with a knee injury.’

‘Johnson is still Buffalo’s quarterback of the future. And when healthy, he is capable of putting up Pro Bowl numbers. Flutie simply wins more games.’

‘All but unnoticed, as usual, was the role Sam Cowart played in the victory.’

‘Sammy Morris is an unlikely heir to the Buffalo running back tradition of O.J. Simpson, Joe Cribb, and Thurman Thomas, but the rookie from Texas Tech has rushed for touchdowns in each of the Bills’ last four games.’

‘The pick: Bills by 3.’

‘"Every time I step on the field I have to prove to the world that I can play and make the people upstairs (Phillips and general manager John Butler) second-guess themselves," the 37-year-old quarterback said. "After all I’ve done, that’s discouraging."’

‘He was having a game of touch with nieces, nephews, and friends from his hometown of Natick; with relatives, and buddies from Buffalo, and former high-school teammates. "Don’t make a big deal out of this," he said that night, after I’d gone down to the field to talk with him. But it was a big deal.’

‘"He’s mammoth," the 320-pound Woody said of the 6-foot-5 Washington, who clearly is heavier than his listed program weight of 335 pounds. "Seeing someone bigger than me, that’s strange enough. But this man, whew, he’s one of the biggest dudes I’ve ever had to take on."’

‘But inside, the game within the professional game has left its mark. The snubs — whether they’re 10 years old or still fresh — are easily recalled and Flutie’s mind traces them casually like some veteran from a real war might.’

‘Here’s my pick. Pats 52, Bills 7…That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, fable though it may be.’

‘Patriots 19, Bills 17.’

‘"I think the NFL would have been a lot more receptive to me now than they were 15 years ago," Flutie said in a conference call this week. "With the zone blitzing and all that, [coaches] realize the advantage of a mobile quarterback…."’

‘"He’s a legend in this area," Pats QB Drew Bledsoe said. "It’s an exciting thing. He’s still got great fans here, I just hope they’re cheering for us."’