Sunday, December 5, 1999

Bye Week Results: We didn't get the win by the Fish, so the Bills moved into second place in the AFC East and the fifth seed in the playoff race. The Chiefs kept pace with a win over Denver, so they are only a game out of a playoff spot. Tennessee losing puts the Bills only a game behind them for the fourth seed, but the Titans have the tie breaker at this point. The Colts win gives them a two game edge in the division. The Bills will probably have to win out to take the division and will still need the Colts to drop one game before the January 2nd matchup.

Go Miami?!: As the Bills enjoy the rest and relaxation that come along with the bye week, they will settle down today and watch the biggest game of the day between Miami and Indianapolis. There has been some debate on who Bills fans want to win the game. Clearly, since the Bills are still shooting for a division title they need to root for the dreaded fish. A Miami win will keep the Bills in third place in the division and the sixth seed but it will pull them within one game of the division lead that will be tied between Miami and Indy. A Miami loss puts the Bills in the fifth seed but so what? They'll still be two behind Indy with four to play. Other teams that losses will help this week: A Pats loss to Dallas, a Tennessee loss to Baltimore, and a Kansas City loss to Denver. So sit back and root for those playoff scenarios!

Thursday, December 2, 1999

Reed May Retire: Obviously upset with his reduced role, Andre Reed finally spoke out about it and said he may retire at the end of the season. He said he can't accept the reduced role he has even though winning is the most important thing. We've heard this all before folks, whenever things don't go Andre's way he wines and talks about quitting. He should take a lesson from Thurman Thomas who accepted his reduced role last year, excelled in it, and has probably prolonged his career that way.

Thomas Practices: Speaking of Thomas, he returned to practice yesterday and got in about 20-25 plays. He said he felt fine and that his conditioning was good. He will wear a flak jacket the rest of the season.

Pro Bowl Voting Update: Doug Flutie is currently in third place in the QB voting. Sam Gash looks to return to the game as he is number one in the voting at fullback. Jay Riemersma is sixth among tight ends, Ted Washington is also sixth among defensive tackles, and Ruben Brown is eighth among offensive linemen. The fan voting counts as 1/3 towards naming the starters.

Nails Hurting: Another player that the week off will help, is Jamie Nails. He is battling a turf toe injury that isn't as serious as the one Antowain Smith has. He hopes to be ready for the Giants game and is sitting out practice this week.

Tuesday, November 30, 1999

Practice Schedule: Not much rest during the bye week when you are in a hotly contested division like the AFC East. The club will have full practices tomorrow and Thursday, then they will have a three day weekend. Monday they will have a full practice (it is normally a film day) to start gameplanning for the Giants. Then they will have their normal game week practice schedule next week.

Injury News: Two players that aren't practicing this week is Jay Riemersma and Antowain Smith. They both help the rest will help their injuries. They both expect to practice next week and play against the Giants.

3/4 season report: The coaching staff is preparing their third quarter report during the bye week to point out areas that need improvement. Some areas they are definitely discussing are: running consistency, offensive third downs conversion, and takeaways.

Reed Slipping: It is becoming very apparent that Andre Reed continues to slip down the depth chart. There were many situations where Peerless Price was in for Reed. Some three receiver sets even had Kevin Williams out on the field over Reed. He appears to be getting miffed about his current situation with many milestones within reach for him. Coach Phillips says he is using Reed as a situational receiver in key situations.

Monday, November 29, 1999

Thomas Cleared to Play: The CAT scan Thurman Thomas had this morning showed that his bruised liver has healed and he will return to practice this week and will play against the Giants.

Hicks Out 3-4 Weeks: Hicks has a high ankle sprain similar to the one Sheldon Jackson had and will miss 3-4 weeks. He was replaced against the Pats by Marcus Spriggs who had his most extensive action of his career and played well enough to get a gameball. He will be the first choice in replacing Hicks in the lineup. If he doesn't work out they may move Jerry Ostroski back out to tackle.

Game Tidbits:

• More proof that it was a game of big plays: Antowain Smith, Jonathan Linton, and Sam Gash all had their longest pass completions of their career in the game. Smith had a 23 yarder, Linton a 28 yarder, and Gash's 31 yard touchdown was his longest.
• The victory gives the Bills a record of 100-56 for the 90's. They are the second team in the 90's and sixth team in the league's history to reach 100 wins in a decade.
• The club has held their opponents to 54 points in their six home games. That is a league low. In three home games they haven't given up a touchdown.
• It was definitely a victory of big plays as the Bills ran a seson-low 51 plays and Doug Flutie completed a season low 9 passes.
• The Bills have won 11 of their last 13 at home. Flutie helped his outstanding home record of 24-2 as a starter in the NFL.
• More kudos for the defense, they haven't given up a 100 yard rusher since opening day.
• Two former Bills received the 14th annual Ralph Wilson Distinguished Service Award. Fred Smerlas and Reggie McKenzie were this year's recipients.