"Two words: Unfinished business"

[Philagape]

An AP story today quotes him at minicamp. No link, check Yahoo or ESPN later.

Excerpt:

Spikes was referring to the stinging memories of last year.
That's when the Bills rallied from a 1-5 start by winning eight
of nine games, only to squander a realistic shot at making the
playoffs with a 29-24 season-ending loss to Pittsburgh's
second- and third-stringers.

Spikes' teammates didn't need any reminders.

"It's a bitter taste in your mouth because you never know
what could have happened," receiver Eric Moulds said. "We plan
on being ready."

"Maybe it was a learning experience," guard Chris Villarrial
said. "So don't go home and lay on the couch and eat potato
chips all day. Keep your butt in gear and work twice as hard
and come into camp with a great attitude."

Coach Mike Mularkey is pleased with his players' focus, and
he rewarded them by canceling Thursday's practice session. He
instead chose to end the minicamp with a brief team meeting.

"I just felt like we accomplished everything we wanted to,"
Mularkey said. "And I think they know we don't want a setback
and we addressed that this morning."

The Bills are off until July 29, when they're scheduled to
report for training camp in suburban Rochester.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

I saw similar comments by E.Moulds and Coach Mularkey in an article that I read on the BZ front page last week, but was not in a position to comment on them because I was about to go out of town to attend an important family function.

It is good to see T.Spikes, E.Moulds and the other Bills players using their failures last season--especially in the Pittsburgh game--as motivation to work harder and be more focused this season. They should be embarrassed by the way that they played against the Steelers with their season on the line--they ended up missing out on the fruits of the effort that they put into coming back from their dismal start by letting down in a game where they needed to step up their game a notch to claim a reward that was theirs for the taking. Taking responsibility for their failure to do that and using it as motivation to be better prepared for this season, rather than ignoring or making excuses for that failure, is a sign of the kind of maturity and professionalism that characterized the Bills teams during their SB run in the early 1990s. While I'm not saying that this team is on the verge of making a similar run yet, I see this kind of maturity and determination to avoid making the same kind of mistakes again as a positive sign that bodes well for this season and the team's immediate future.

I must also say that I really like the way that Coach Mularkey has responded to the attitude and work-ethic that his players have displayed this off-season. By rewarding them with extra time off when they accomplish the tasks he has set for them and tailoring the practice schedule to maximize the amount of time that they will be able to spend with their families during these "voluntary" OTAs, he is showing a flexibility and appreciation for their needs that is not only going to make his players more willing to work hard for him, but that is also likely to inspire a high degree of loyalty and determination from them as well. The more I see of how MM goes about his business, the more impressed I am by him as a coach. For a first time HC, IMHO he seems to have a very good sense of himself and the psychology of leadership.

[Meathead]

Two words: Worst Real Choke Job in Bills History.

Same net effect, though.

[bledslow]

8-8 2005 buffalo bills-

[Crisis]

8-8 2005 buffalo bills-

2005? Is that the same time you became a Pats fan?

[BuffaloRanger]

Two words: Worst Real Choke Job in Bills History.



That's 7 words.