Two Bills Drive

‘The Bills are going through the same identity crisis as the Dolphins. Each game brings the same question: What’s it like without . . . Thurman Thomas? Andre Reed? Bruce Smith? For the first time since 1984 it’s not Buffalo week like the old Buffalo weeks. The Bills do not have Smith, their all-time leading sacker, Thomas, their all-time leading rusher, and Reed, their all-time leading receiver. Twenty times Webb has played against the Bills in his career, and he allowed 12.5 sacks to Smith, who is now with Washington. "He’s just the complete player," Webb said. "You had to study him on every play." Not any more. The Bills released Smith and Thomas on Feb. 10, the day after they let Reed go. "I think all three of those guys made a big contribution to this team for a long, long time," Buffalo coach Wade Phillips said. "We’re trying to find people who can fill in, not just take their place."’

‘Through four games, Moulds has been the go-to receiver, but McDaniel has been the most dangerous receiver with 11 catches for 244 yards and two TDs. His 22.2-yard average per reception ranks second in the AFC and sixth in the NFL. "He was doing things like that last year in practice, giving the defense good looks on the scout team," said Moulds. "It was just a matter of him getting a chance to play and making the most of the opportunities he gets. "His strength is unbelievable. He can break tackles. He worked out with me in the off-season and I just told him to go out there and play relaxed because when you play relaxed you play better and you don’t make as many mistakes and that’s what he’s doing."’

‘The Dolphins’ run defense has been lacking at times this season. Especially at Cincinnati on Sunday, when the Bengals gained 191 yards on 35 carries. This Sunday the Dolphins take on Buffalo at 1 p.m. at Pro Player Stadium. Though the Bills have had problems running the ball, the Dolphins have no doubt about what is coming. “It doesn’t matter,” Dolphins defensive end Rich Owens said, referring to the Bills running backs averaging 3.0 yards per carry – 3.7 if quarterback Rob Johnson is factored in. “They are going to run the ball. They are going to pound it. They are going to hand the ball off, we know that.”

‘Thomas, who was unsure about how he would do before practice, didn’t talk to reporters after practice. However, when one reporter flashed a thumbs up/thumbs down sign at Thomas as he walked off the field after practice, Thomas gave a thumbs up.’

‘Dolphins middle linebacker Zach Thomas practiced Thursday for the first time since spraining his ankle 10 days earlier and should start in Sunday’s game against Buffalo at Pro Player Stadium. "Unless something drastic happens tomorrow, he’ll be in there starting from what I’ve seen today," Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt said after Thursday’s practice. "We’ll see what happens, but I was real encouraged by how he moved around today."’

‘Because of the flooding in South Florida from earlier this week, the NFL granted the Dolphins a one-day extension toward lifting the local television blackout for the Bills game. Although 1,000 tickets must be sold by 1 p.m. today for the game to air locally, a sellout is expected.’

‘Miami Dolphins middle linebacker Zach Thomas practiced Thursday for the first time since spraining his ankle 10 days earlier and should start in Sunday`s game against the Buffalo Bills.’

‘This is not a good week for the Buffalo Bills’ red-zone offense to turn stone cold. Coming off a game in which they stalled three times inside the 20 and five times inside the 24 in an 18-16 loss to Indianapolis, the Bills go against the NFL’s best red-zone defense in the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.’

‘Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor figures that the swagger comes first and the sacks follow. Playing with renewed confidence, Taylor has sparked the NFL’s stingiest defense with 5½ sacks, more than doubling his total last year. He scored on a fumble he forced with a sack to fuel Miami’s comeback in a victory Sunday at Cincinnati. "This year is a whole new attitude," Taylor said. "I’ve just been playing with a lot more confidence. You’ve got to walk around with borderline cockiness and a swagger. If you don’t have it, you’re not going to make it."’

‘"I wish I would have gotten a call from Ralph Wilson," Thomas said from the Dolphins’ headquarters. "To this point, I haven’t got it. So that’s really the main thing (that’s upsetting), how everything went down there in Buffalo." "I’d just like to hear from him that, "We’re sorry that it happened and I wish I would have called you a lot sooner, before it happened,’ " Thomas said. "Just to say about all the great times that I had there up in Buffalo. I don’t want a 30-minute or hour conversation. I just want to hear his voice and him to just say what happened and how it went down."’

‘If ever there was a time for the Bills’ young stars to shine, Sunday against the Miami Dolphins is it. Winning on the road is never easy, and when you’re playing at the home of your most fierce rival, the challenge becomes even more daunting. But big-time games call for big-time performances. When it comes to the Bills versus Dolphins, it doesn’t get much bigger than that. Regardless of your current opinion of Thurman Thomas in light of his recent comments, there’s no denying that games like this are what defined his greatness as a Bill. The same goes for Bruce Smith and Andre Reed, who always got fired up to play the Dolphins. Now is the time for the Bills’ new stars to rise to the occasion the way the old ones did.’

‘One of the coaches on the Miami Dolphins’ staff thinks the Buffalo Bills had a bit of a psychological edge on the Dolphins last season. The Bills beat Miami twice in ’99. "In all honesty, we thought they intimidated us," Miami tight ends coach Pat Jones told the Miami Herald. "We thought they out-toughed us. I hate to admit it, but we felt that at times." Jones, who was Thurman Thomas’ college coach at Oklahoma State, thinks the ex-Bill helps the Dolphins combat that attitude this year. The Bills weren’t quick to buy into the perception. "We were really playing well on defense both times we played them last year," said safety Henry Jones. "We really made some good plays and took it to them. That might be where he’s coming from. If I remember correctly, we ran the ball pretty well the second time we played them. I think especially when our offense is running the ball well, and when we’re playing like we can on defense, we’re a physical team."’

‘Around the Buffalo Bills locker room and practice field, it is known simply as Miami week. No further explanation or incentive is required as the 2-2 Bills prepare for a trip Sunday to Pro Player Stadium to meet the 4-1 Miami Dolphins.’

‘"I wish I got a call from (Buffalo owner) Ralph Wilson or something like that," Thomas said. "I never got the opportunity to say bye or wish everybody well. You play there 12 years and you think this is where I’m going to finish my career. . . . I wished it happened better than it did. I would’ve loved to go out like Jim Kelly or Steve Tasker or Kent Hull. I felt like I was embarrassed, not getting a phone call from Mr. Wilson or from people in the organization until a week after I was released."’

‘Even before the rain, the groundskeepers at Pro Player Stadium knew this was going to be a crazy week. They had only six days after the Marlins’ season finale to rip out the field and lay down 70,000 square feet of new grass — transported from Greg Norman’s turf farm in Avon Park — in time for the Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Then it started to rain Monday. And it kept raining for 30 hours. By Tuesday night, nearly 14 inches had fallen, leaving the field looking like it would need swimming lap markers, not yard lines. By Wednesday afternoon, though — thanks to a $1 million drainage system and more than 30 workers sharing shifts that went around the clock — the transformation was on track.’