RedEyE
01-02-2003, 05:54 PM
........... QUOTES TO NOTE
Bledsoe:
It's time for the excuses to end and the victories to pile up.
"The expectations within the team and everywhere should be for us to make the playoffs," Bledsoe said. "We won't back off of that one bit. This year, for this team to go from 3-13 to 8-8 is a step forward. We feel like we should've been better, been in the playoffs, but next year definitely. This team should be a playoff team and anything less will be unacceptable."
Ralph Wilson:
Owner Ralph Wilson said this season's .500 finish can't compare to Wade Phillips' 8-8 final year as coach in 2000. That team was in serious salary cap trouble and headed down not up.
"I'm satisfied with 8-8 form where we were two years ago. Not last year, two years ago," Wilson said. "We were in really bad shape under the salary cap and had to let a lot of veterans go. We were worse off than an expansion team, so I think the improvement has been terrific."
Travis Henry:
Travis Henry had a breakout year with 1,438 yards rushing but marring his performance was a league-high 11 fumbles, eight of them lost. "It's mostly technique," he said. "You have to know when to squeeze the ball, when to go down. After all of that, you just have to wrap it up. I didn't do a good job with that at times this year and it's one of the things that I'm going to work on in the offseason."
Takeo Spikes:
The Bills will be in the market for a play-making outside linebacker this offseason and fans already started the courting of Cincinnati free agent Takeo Spikes. During the Bengals' 27-9 loss on Sunday at Ralph Wilson, Bills fans cheered him each time he made a play, and there were lots of them with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. "For a minute, I kind of felt like I was at home," Spikes said. "Even if I made a play, when I walked back to the sidelines, they were happy. It was interesting." Coach Gregg Williams said Spikes has always been a player he admired and Spikes likes the Bills. "I think they are an up-and-coming franchise just because of the big transition they made with Drew Bledsoe coming in here," he said. "I think right now they're rebuilding their defense, so who knows, man?" Indeed, who knows.
Tom Donahoe:
"I think he did excellent job and under the circumstances, some of the criticism that was thrown at Gregg was unfair. It was unwarranted. Our coaches in two years have not operated with a full roster, next year we will and I'm anxious to see how the coach can perform with a full a complement of players." - GM Tom Donahoe, responding to critics of Gregg Williams, his hand-picked head coach...............
info provided by USAtoday.com http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/bills/home.htm
Bledsoe:
It's time for the excuses to end and the victories to pile up.
"The expectations within the team and everywhere should be for us to make the playoffs," Bledsoe said. "We won't back off of that one bit. This year, for this team to go from 3-13 to 8-8 is a step forward. We feel like we should've been better, been in the playoffs, but next year definitely. This team should be a playoff team and anything less will be unacceptable."
Ralph Wilson:
Owner Ralph Wilson said this season's .500 finish can't compare to Wade Phillips' 8-8 final year as coach in 2000. That team was in serious salary cap trouble and headed down not up.
"I'm satisfied with 8-8 form where we were two years ago. Not last year, two years ago," Wilson said. "We were in really bad shape under the salary cap and had to let a lot of veterans go. We were worse off than an expansion team, so I think the improvement has been terrific."
Travis Henry:
Travis Henry had a breakout year with 1,438 yards rushing but marring his performance was a league-high 11 fumbles, eight of them lost. "It's mostly technique," he said. "You have to know when to squeeze the ball, when to go down. After all of that, you just have to wrap it up. I didn't do a good job with that at times this year and it's one of the things that I'm going to work on in the offseason."
Takeo Spikes:
The Bills will be in the market for a play-making outside linebacker this offseason and fans already started the courting of Cincinnati free agent Takeo Spikes. During the Bengals' 27-9 loss on Sunday at Ralph Wilson, Bills fans cheered him each time he made a play, and there were lots of them with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. "For a minute, I kind of felt like I was at home," Spikes said. "Even if I made a play, when I walked back to the sidelines, they were happy. It was interesting." Coach Gregg Williams said Spikes has always been a player he admired and Spikes likes the Bills. "I think they are an up-and-coming franchise just because of the big transition they made with Drew Bledsoe coming in here," he said. "I think right now they're rebuilding their defense, so who knows, man?" Indeed, who knows.
Tom Donahoe:
"I think he did excellent job and under the circumstances, some of the criticism that was thrown at Gregg was unfair. It was unwarranted. Our coaches in two years have not operated with a full roster, next year we will and I'm anxious to see how the coach can perform with a full a complement of players." - GM Tom Donahoe, responding to critics of Gregg Williams, his hand-picked head coach...............
info provided by USAtoday.com http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/bills/home.htm