Milloy looks good in new outfit

By Dan Shaughnessy, 9/8/2003

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- This was a day when Sam Adams had Patriots fans reaching for Jack Daniels. This was a day when Bill Belichick -- who is supposed to be in Drew Bledsoe's head -- was actually in Drew's pocket. This was a day when the Patriots didn't have nearly enough Lawyers, runs, or money to compete with their longtime rivals from the old AFL.

Patriot confusion reigned on the new floor of Ralph Wilson Stadium yesterday. The 44th opening day for the New England football franchise played out like it was scripted by Bernie Kosar, Brian Cox, Bledsoe, Lawyer Milloy, and all the others who've been dissed and dismissed by Belichick in his long and checkered career. There certainly must be Little Bill voodoo dolls with pins sticking in them somewhere in the Bills locker room. This was bad.

New-and-improved Buffalo demolished the Patriots, 31-0, in front of 73,262 ecstatic fans yesterday. The Patriots hadn't been blanked since they were owned by James Orthwein back in 1993 (6-0 vs. the Jets), during the first year of the Bill Parcells era. It goes down as the worst season opener in Patriots history (if I may interject a personal note, speaking for Patriot fans who made the trip up here, all I could think of was, "I gave up Springsteen for this?").

A catatonic Belichick had no explanation. All blood drained from his face, he started his post-slaughter remarks with, "I don't have too much to say about that."

And it went downhill from there. The coach and most of his humbled players went to some lengths to downplay the spy factor regarding the stunning and sudden transfer of Lawyer Milloy to the enemy only hours before kickoff. But one couldn't help but wonder. Did Milloy successfully dictate the Patriots playbook to his new teammates? Did the Patriots forget to change their signals and schemes? Did Milloy's inside knowledge of the Patriots enable the Bills to smother New England's plans before Tom Brady (four interceptions) took a snap?

"It was an obvious distraction," said cornerback Ty Law, who spent part of the afternoon gesturing to inexperienced teammates who were blowing coverages. "I know I'd damn sure tell everything. That's just obvious in a situation like that."

"They didn't beat us up, they kicked our ass," said veteran receiver Troy Brown.

"If it was a heavyweight boxing match, we would have got knocked out early," added defensive lineman Richard Seymour.

Needless to say, New England's clicker-holders (and isn't that everyone?) were switching to the Red Sox by halftime of this beating.

The Bills spent money to bring in defensive playmakers for this season. Milloy was only the last in a series of acquisitions that have vaulted the Bills into position of preseason favorite to win the division. The new people got the job done against New England yesterday, in a big way. Brady won't be eager for a rematch with Takeo Spikes and Friends in Foxborough Dec. 27.

Meanwhile, old guy Bledsoe put a sock in the mouths of all who've said he's unable to solve the designs of New England's brilliant and bold coach-for-life. Bledsoe was a surgical, Brady-like 17 of 28 for 230 yards, one TD and one interception. Thank goodness Belichick didn't say Bledsoe was in the twilight of his career when he dealt him to Buffalo.

Milloy and Sam Gash were eager to rip the Patriot franchise after this game while Bledsoe continued to walk that maddening high road. But all of the ex-Patriots are gleeful whenever they can stick it to Belichick. It's a big club and it's growing.

This was a week in which the Patriots -- riding high after their 4-0 exhibition roll -- were reminded that football is a business as much as it's a game. The timing could not have been worse and the Patriots' flat-line performance should be of concern to all employed by the Kraft AC. All of the emotion was on the Buffalo side of the field.

"They just beat us in every way they could beat us," said the morose coach. "We didn't play well. We didn't coach well. We just got beat. All the things you could do wrong, we did wrong. I don't think you could put it on any one thing."

He wouldn't bite when asked about the "emotional hangover" of the Milloy circus.

"I don't know," said Belichick. "I just know they played a lot better than we did."

Two hours after the game, it seemed like half of the Buffalo crowd was still hanging out in the parking lots around the stadium, drinking beer, eating hot dogs, and tossing frisbees. Milloy was in the crowd. Noticed by few, he chatted with friends, drinking a Bud Light, wearing a turned-sideways Bills cap. He looked pretty happy with himself.

The game had been played. The words had been spoken. And the knights of the keyboard were writing the day's history. Patriots fans can only hope this was a one-game aberration, and not a symbolic kickoff to another playoff-free winter in New England.

Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. His e-mail address is dshaughnessy@globe.com.