Sunday, December 19, 1999

Bills Ready for Fight In Desert: The Bills have landed in the desert and are ready for a must win game in Arizona. Both Bruce Smith and Antowain Smith will be gametime decisions but the Bills will have Jay Riemersma back in the lineup. The Miami win today makes this game even more important for the Bills.

Butler's Wife and Father-in-law improving: The wife of GM John Butler suffered major internal injuries in Friday's car accident. She is improving however and may leave intensive care in a day or two. Her Father is also improving. The GM obviously, stayed in Buffalo with his wife.

Saturday, December 18, 1999

Early Inactives: This week's list included Robert Hicks, Victor Allotey, Joe Panos, and Jay Foreman.

Butler's Wife Injured in Crash: The wife of GM John Butler is in critical condition after a car accident in Orchard Park.

Friday, December 17, 1999

Smith MRI: There was good news on the injured shoulder of Bruce Smith. The MRI showed some damage but no tear, which means he won't need surgery and still has a chance to play Sunday Night. He will try to practice today and will be a gametime decision on whether he will play. Smith said it will come down to whether or not he is healthy enough to defend himself and help the team.

Moulds Fined:The NFL came down on Eric Moulds with a $5,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting. The play he was fined on was his 36 yard reception on the first offensive play, when the play ended he did the banned throat slashing gesture. Moulds said he didn't realize he did it until others told him he did. He said the fine was justified and all he cares about is helping the team beat Arizona this weekend.

Wednesday, December 15, 1999

Moulds Expects Fine: Lost in the hooplah of the loss to the Giants, was a throat slashing gesture that Eric Moulds made after his 36 yard reception on the first offensive play form scrimmage. Moulds figures the league will fine him for the gesture, which he says he didn't even realize he was doing it.

Bruce Smith Ailing: The Bills revealed today that Bruce Smith is listed as questionable with a strained shoulder and will not practice today. There is a chance that he will not play Sunday night, but they will know more in a few days. Smith ripped the officiating for allowing too much holding. He said his injury occured when he was held on a pass rush in the fourth quarter. He did not sound optimistic about playing this weekend.

Injury Update: The other Smith, also is questionable and won't practice. Antowain Smith is still hampered by his turf toe and will not practice this week, he will be a gametime decision on Sunday. As expected, Robert Hicks will miss his second straight game but the club is expected to get Jay Riemersma back in the lineup.

Monday, December 13, 1999

Coaches Press Conference: Here's some highlights from Wade Phillips press conference today:

He felt after looking at the films, that the play was "erratic at times in some areas". They didn't make enough plays and made some bad plays.
On the now infamous 4th down play, he said he would do go for it everytime. Looking back he could have rolled Doug Flutie out with some play action.
Offensively they could have spread it out more and thrown the ball more against the injury depleted Giants secondary. They threw the ball only 11 times in the second half. Of course, we think the way Flutie was throwing the ball it wouldn't have mattered unless their was a QB change. The coach did admit the offense isn't playing as well as it did last year.
As far as the other two units go, the coach feels the pass defense is struggling lately and the special teams played well against the Giants. Talking about Steve Christie's two misses, he says he still has confidence in him and figures he will finish the season with the same 80 percent accuracy on field goals, he has in the past.
Looking at things optimistically, Phillips did make a point that the Bills still control their own destiny as far as a playoff spot goes. He did admit that a division championship is out. They are all must wins now.

Game Tidbits: Here's more notes from yesterday's nightmare:

Thurman Thomas' touchdown was the 87th in his career and tied Andre Reed for 20th place on the all time list.
Speaking of Reed, he became the fifth player to go over the 13,000 yards receiving mark with his 30 yard reception in the first half. Reed lost more playing time to Peerless Price in the first half of the game, as Price and Reed split time in the two receiver set. In the second half, Reed played most of the time in that set.
The players were upset over the non-pass interference call at the end of the game on the bomb to Eric Moulds. John Holecek and Thomas confronted the referee in the tunnel after the game and had to be restrained by security. The bottom line is, if you need a call at the end of the game to win, you don't deserve to win.
Marcellus Wiley made a heads up play on his interception return. Instead of looking back to see who was gaining on him, he looked up at the jumbotron to find out that he wasn't going to score a touchdown. Ike Hilliard caught him from behind.

Injury Update: The Bills came out of the game healthy, Antowain Smith aggravated his turf toe but will play through the pain the rest of the way. Jay Riemersma will return to practice this week and Robert Hicks is still a week away.