Two Bills Drive

‘At 81, the man who pays the Bills hasn’t lost his sense of humor, and that’s good because you need one to survive in a business that can be just a kickoff return away from breaking your heart. "Sometimes you have to laugh in order not to cry," says Wilson, one of the National Football League’s most respected owners. Such an attitude will come in handy during Sunday night’s season opener against Tennessee at Ralph Wilson Stadium because the Titans’ visit is sure to conjure memories of Buffalo’s devastating loss to them in last January’s AFC wild-card game in Nashville. "Worst defeat I’ve experienced in 40 years of football," Wilson says. "Worse than any of the Super Bowl losses."’

‘Every single day since Super Bowl XXXIV, Kevin Dyson has been reminded about the way the game ended. Dyson, the Tennessee Titans receiver who was tackled on the 1-yard line by St. Louis Rams linebacker Mike Jones as time expired, insists this without a doubt. Was it not brought up for one day . . . like maybe on vacation? "Not one day," Dyson says. "I don’t think about it until people ask me about it. I was done with it right after it happened. But wherever people see me — at the mall, in stores, on the street, wherever — if they recognize me, they say something. "Every single day, it’s either that or the Buffalo play." Ah, the Buffalo play. Tennessee would never have been in position to lose Super Bowl XXXIV 23-16 without Dyson’s breathtaking 75-yard kickoff return touchdown off a cross-field, Frank Wycheck lateral. Dubbed "The Music City Miracle," it lifted the Titans to a 22-16 victory in an AFC wild-card game. "And just think," Dyson says, "I wasn’t even supposed to be on the field for that."’

‘Even with all the defections, the Bills are still a solid football team. However, facing the NFL’s toughest schedule will make it tough to challenge Indianapolis for the division title. Nine wins may be the most realistic projection.’

‘The Bills like many of their division rivals will be looking up at the Indianapolis Colts most of the season. Look for an 8-8 finish and a possible coaching change at year’s end.’

‘The problem for the Buffalo Bills was that opposing defenses eventually became untangled by Flutie’s antics. They worked toward shutting down the run and dared the Bills to beat them with their quarterback. And his arm didn’t scare anyone. This year should be different. Rob Johnson is the quarterback now. He has a stronger arm, one more suited for throwing downfield. He has younger, faster receivers, who can get open downfield. And he’s running an offense geared more toward making plays downfield.’

‘University at Buffalo products Drew Haddad and Josh Roth were among five players who were assigned to the Buffalo Bills’ developmental squad on Monday. Haddad was taken in the seventh round and hoped to catch on with the Bills as a punt returner and receiver. He returned three punts for 22 yards in the preseason. He also had three catches for 22 yards. Roth had one catch for 11 yards. He did not carry the ball. "It’s a big help for kids in the developmental stage," Bills coach Wade Phillips said. "I think they can learn a whole lot in that situation."’

‘[New Buffalo Bills Special Teams Coach Ronnie] Jones is here to make sure Buffalo’s kickoff coverage team doesn’t forget what happened nearly eight months ago. "That play will not work this time," he promised. "Now, something else I can’t guarantee, but I can guarantee that one will not work."’

‘"It was a blur. The first thing I remember after it really was one of the chain gang came up to me and said, ‘Hurry and kick the extra point because it was a forward lateral.’ And I said, ‘It doesn’t matter because it’s the last two minutes, they’re going to review it anyway.’"’

“He shot straight with me,” Reed said of [Broncos’ coach Mike] Shanahan. “Last year in Buffalo I didn’t get that kind of straight talk.’

‘The date was Oct. 17, 1988, the site the New Jersey Meadowlands. The Buffalo Bills were playing on "Monday Night Football" for the fist time in more than four years. For young Bills wide receiver Andre Reed, it was the first glimpse of the NFL spotlight. "It was special," Reed, now with the Denver Broncos, said Monday. "It was kind of a coming out party for our whole team, because nobody knew about us." Reed was a star that night, catching seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yarder. The Bills pounded the New York Jets 37-14, went on to win the AFC East and came within one victory of reaching the Super Bowl. Reed’s performance that Monday night propelled him to the first of his seven consecutive Pro Bowl selections.’

‘There was speculation that Reed might not survive the [Denver Broncos’] final cuts, but he gave coach Mike Shanahan his assurance that he could accept his role as a backup – even if it meant not suiting up for some games. “I talked to Mike on Friday, and he shot straight with me about a lot of things,” Reed, 36, said. “Obviously, there’s a reason why he wants me here. Am I an insurance policy? To a certain point. If this is the last year for me, I’m going to make it as fun as I can. “It’s all about trying to get a Super Bowl ring with this team. And this is the only team I feel I can get that with.’

"…I just wanted us to play at home the first game," Phillips said yesterday. "We’ve been on the road the past couple of years and I really feel there’s a big advantage at home, especially in Buffalo. It didn’t matter who we had to play, but to play one of the best teams on our schedule the first game, here, with a young team, it’s important. We’ll be ready."’

‘When discussing "Home Run Throwback," the official playbook name of the Titans’ disputed kickoff lateral play that beat the Bills 22-16 in last January’s wild-card playoff game, Phillips referred to the play as "Home Run Throw Forward" twice during a news conference yesterday. He’ll never be convinced it was a legal lateral, he said.’

‘…reporters questioned Phillips about his curious turn of a phrase. "Home run throw forward just rolls of your tongue,” a reporter said. "Well, that’s what it was,” Phillips replied.’

‘Never, in the recent history of the Buffalo Bills, have the veterans felt so safe on cutdown day. Having lost 15 players from last season’s 53-man roster and injured reserve list, there was plenty of room to make this year’s squad. Sure enough, in the 27 cuts the Bills made to get from the training camp limit of 80 down to the regular-season maximum, only one actually played for Buffalo last season. Second-year running back Lennox Gordon, who saw limited action in eight games a year ago, was one of Sunday’s final 12 cuts. And he was a circumstantial victim. Buffalo has committed to a one-back attack this year and already has four quality runners in Antowain Smith, Jonathan Linton, Sean Bryson and Sammy Morris, who can also play fullback. Joining Gordon on Sunday’s cut list were quarterback Mike Cawley, receivers Drew Haddad and Kevin Drake, defensive backs Reggie Durden, Nick Ferguson and Jay Hill, tight end Ivan Gustafson, linebacker Dustin Cohen, defensive end Jarrett Procell, guard Corey Hulsey and fullback Josh Roth, the former Pine Valley and University at Buffalo star. Of that group, only Cawley, Drake, Ferguson and Hulsey had been in an NFL camp before and none of them had made a roster.’