Buffalo Bills

When Doug Flutie enters a room, he brings a certain natural mystique. An engaging smile, intelligence and also clarity of expression. Eloquence personified. Humility. An extroverted personality who projects without being offensive. All the put-upon so-called "short men" in America look upon him with respect and admiration. Athletes a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier do, too.What Flutie achieved with the Buffalo Bills, as a player who spent eight years in the Canadian Football League before getting a chance at redemption in a comeback season in the NFL, surpasses what has ever done before.

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins say there will be a different ending this season.They promise it won't be like 1996, when they bolted to a 7-1 start, then lost six of their next seven games. They vow it won't be like 1997, when they opened with a 4-2 record, then dropped home games to the Ravens and the St. Louis Rams, needing a season-ending win against the Philadelphia Eagles just to salvage a winning record.So, although the Redskins (5-2) are atop the NFC East in November for the first time since 1996, they understand the real season begins today when they meet the Buffalo Bills (5-3)

When Doug Flutie was considering giving up a guaranteed contract in Canada to sign with the Buffalo Bills last year, his wife advised him against doing it."She was telling me all along that, `They're not going to give you that opportunity. They didn't give it to you last time around and they won't give it to you now,' " Flutie said.Shortly after Flutie signed with the Bills, they traded a first-round choice for Rob Johnson and gave him a $25 million contract even though he had started one NFL game.

LANDOVER -- Washington Redskins defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield stared up at the scoreboard and bit his upper lip. Defensive end Marco Coleman sat slumped on the bench, draping a towel over his face.And defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson ran off the field with a scowl, fuming over the breakdowns, the lack of aggressiveness as well as the Redskins' futility against playoff-caliber teams.Just when their season started to get tough, the Redskins cowered with a soft and listless defensive effort, bowing to the Buffalo Bills, 34-17, in front of 78,721 at Redskins Stadium yesterday.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Fifteen minutes after the New York Jets' historic victory yesterday over the Buffalo Bills -- a division-clinching win that took 29 years to script -- Bill Parcells stood before his delirious players and started to deliver the speech his nine predecessors never got to make.Just one problem: Parcells -- the big, bad and brilliant coach who rescued the Jets from oblivion two years ago -- couldn't get the words out. He choked up, pausing for almost two minutes. The awkward and emotional silence caused many players to fight back their own tears.

Doug Flutie has been overcoming the odds all his life.Now he's got to overcome the officials in his storybook bid to lead the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs.If not for the bad calls that cost the Bills a game against the Patriots and gave the Jets a win over Seattle, Buffalo would be tied with Miami for first place in the AFC East at 9-4, with a one-game lead over the 8-5 Jets and a two-game lead over the 7-6 Patriots.Instead, the Bills are tied with the Patriots at 8-5, while the Jets and Dolphins, who play tonight, are tied for first at 9-4.The Bills, who play Oakland today and the New York Jets on Saturday before closing against the New Orleans Saints, could clinch a playoff spot today if they win and Tennessee and Pittsburgh lose.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- This may have been only a preseason game, but it was a great fine-tuning effort for the Ravens, who blasted the Buffalo Bills, 37-14, last night before 51,905 at Rich Stadium.The Ravens open their regular season next Sunday against the Oakland Raiders at Memorial Stadium. They looked impressive last night, even though the Bills played without veteran running back Thurman Thomas and defensive end Bruce Smith and quarterback Jim Kelly played only two series.The Ravens finished the preseason with a 3-1 record, a lot of confidence and a defense that has been outstanding.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Even if nothing more comes of their season, there will be a last hurrah for the graybeards of the Buffalo Bills this year.Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas assured themselves of another December playoff run when the Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 20-9, yesterday to gain a berth in the NFL's wild-card round next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.Nearly out on their feet from a three-game losing streak and a budding flu epidemic, the Bills wiped out a 9-3 deficit in the second half and knocked Kansas City out of the playoffs for the first time since 1989.

PITTSBURGH -- Sure, they screwed up. They always screw up. But there was so much more to this game, just as there is so much to this team that always draws our scorn.The Buffalo Bills can be maddeningly inept when the pressure is greatest, but if that is to be their legacy, then at least concede one point:They never quit.They're the punching bags of the NFL, but they never quit.They had no business rallying from a 20-0 deficit to pull within five points of Pittsburgh yesterday in an AFC divisional playoff game.

What's new: Center Chris Sedoris, who was released last Saturday, may be re-signed. The Redskins need insurance for veteran Jeff Uhlenhake, who is starting in place of Cory Raymer, who will be out four to six weeks with a fractured lumbar vertebra. Raymer suffered the injury when his truck overturned near Colonial Beach, Va., on Tuesday.Uhlenhake and the offensive line have been opening huge holes for Terry Allen, who last Sunday became the first Redskins running back to rush for three touchdowns in consecutive games.

John Richard "Dick" Nagel, an Army veteran and actuary for 21 years, died of supranuclear palsy Aug. 4 at his Charlottesville, Va., home. The longtime Baltimore resident was 77. Mr. Nagel was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., where he graduated from high school in 1950. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and actuarial science from Canisius College in 1954. During the Korean War, he served in the Army in New York and New Jersey. After being discharged, he married the former Peggy White in Connecticut and then moved to Baltimore, where he lived with his family for 40 years.

Washington - Upon hearing of Tim Russert's death, Gianmarc Manzione had no idea what shocked him more - the passing of the seemingly vital journalist or that the news reduced him to tears. The Tampa, Fla., English professor abruptly ended a road trip with his girlfriend to attend Russert's wake yesterday in Washington. He stood in line with hundreds of viewers similarly, inexplicably moved - people who had never met the host of NBC's Meet the Press but who had watched him, respected him and shared an hour of their lives with him every Sunday morning.

Only days removed from Willis McGahee's much-anticipated return to Buffalo, all of the swagger has disappeared from the Ravens' running back. During his 20-question session with reporters yesterday, McGahee repeatedly showed his uneasiness about reliving his acrimonious divorce from the Buffalo Bills, whether it was swaying back and forth nervously, fidgeting with his gloves or carefully measuring his words. So, what are your feelings toward Buffalo? "Buffalo is a nice city," he said.

With Sunday's 19-7 win over the Buffalo Bills behind them, the Ravens officially begin their march into the postseason. But with that self-described "ugly" victory, it seemed the Ravens took a step backward rather than forward ... about six years backward. AFC divisional playoff Ravens vs. TBA (Colts or Patriots or Jets), Jan. 13 or 14

COMPLETE GAME STORY, PG 4D How the game was won A week after injuring his throwing hand, quarterback Steve McNair passed for three touchdowns, throwing for scores of 35, 1 and 25 yards. He finished 21 of 31 for 256 yards. Steel-tough defense The Ravens allowed Pittsburgh into their territory three times and forced three turnovers. Figuring in their shutout of the Steelers last month, the Ravens didn't allow a point on 24 of 25 drives by Pittsburgh this season. Road warriors The Ravens finished the regular season with a 6-2 road record, matching their best mark away from home.

Ravens 31, Steelers 7 Bears 26, Lions 21 Panthers 10, Falcons 3 Titans 30, Bills 29 Texans 27, Colts 24 Rams 37, Redskins 31, OT Saints 30, Giants 7 Patriots 24, Jaguars 21 Buccaneers 22, Browns 7 Cardinals 26, 49ers 20 Chargers 20, Seahawks 17 Broncos 24, Bengals 23 PGS 10-12D NEXT RAVENS GAMEOPPONENT -- Buffalo Bills Site -- M&T Bank Stadium WHEN -- Sunday, 1 p.m. TV -- Ch. 13 Line -- Ravens by 8 1/2

ASHBURN, Va. -- As he waited for the airport to open after an autumn storm piled two feet of snow on Buffalo, N.Y., three weeks ago, Troy Vincent's cell phone kept ringing. Vincent, 35, had just received his release from the Buffalo Bills and was trying to get home to Philadelphia, in hopes of seeing his family for a little while before moving on to another town and another NFL team. Redskins@Eagles Sunday, 1 p.m., Ch. 5, 1430 AM Line: Eagles by 7

An update on the three teams battling the Ravens for the final wild-card spot Buffalo Bills (9-6) Pat Williams barely remembers the last time Buffalo made the playoffs, never mind played a meaningful game this late. "Finally, it means something," said Williams, the hefty defensive tackle. The Bills, however, aren't yet in the postseason for the first time since 1999, and they need help to get there. But few thought it would come to this after the Bills' 0-4 start. "Tom Jackson, Michael Irvin, we were the joke," said cornerback Troy Vincent, referring to two ESPN broadcasters.

A Ravens offense devoid of electricity - and now Jamal Lewis - plods along today into M&T Bank Stadium in search of a big play, a touchdown and a dose of respect. The NFL's two-game suspension of Lewis begins against the Buffalo Bills (1-4), taking away 245 pounds of brute force and 40 percent of the Ravens' total offense. Lewis pleaded guilty earlier this month to using a cell phone to set up a drug transaction before he became a Raven. Left in his absence is a pressing question: Can the Ravens' already struggling offense survive without him?

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins have made road games their own version of the Rubik's Cube, the SATs and brain surgery all wrapped into one. The Redskins went 2-6 on the road last season and haven't enjoyed a winning record away from Washington since their 1991 Super Bowl season. Today's 4:15 game between the Redskins (3-3) and the Buffalo Bills (3-3) at Ralph Wilson Stadium marks the beginning of a five-game stretch during which Washington will play four away from FedEx Field.