ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo quarterback Doug Flutie had a
funny feeling last week when the Bills told him to take it easy for
the last game of the regular season.
"I kind of was looking over my shoulder this week and
wondering," Flutie said. "I thought it was my own paranoia."
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| Flutie |
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Flutie found out Monday he had plenty to be worried about when
Buffalo coach Wade Phillips benched him in favor of Rob Johnson,
who will start when the Bills face the Tennessee Titans on Saturday
in the AFC wild-card round of the playoffs.
Despite having gone a year without a start, Johnson turned in a
strong performance when the Bills closed the regular season by
shocking the Indianapolis Colts 31-6.
"I have no choice but to accept it," Flutie said. "I'm just
still going to be there. If I'm needed ... whatever it is, I'll be
ready to go. You just have to switch modes and be ready to go if
you're needed."
Johnson, in his only start of the year, completed 24 of 32
passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
"My feeling is with either one of them we can win," Phillips
said. "It was a tough decision. It wasn't a haphazard thing."
Flutie had been the starter all year, and led Buffalo to 10
wins. But Flutie had faced criticism in Buffalo for inconsistent
play.
Flutie completed his last 12 passes in the Bills' 13-10 overtime
win over New England on Dec. 26.
"People have a short memory," Flutie said. "I played flawless
football the second half of that game and through the overtime; it
doesn't matter."
Titans coach Jeff Fisher now will have to adjust his game plan
to a new quarterback. "It does surprise me a little bit because
Doug Flutie is the one that's gotten them to this point," Fisher
said.
"Apparently in Wade's estimation Rob's performance yesterday
was worthy of it. I never second-guess a coach's decision, but from
the standpoint of being surprised, yes I am a little surprised."
Nobody was more surprised than Johnson, who began last season as
the starter but was injured in the fifth game and gave way to
Flutie, who then led Buffalo to the playoffs.
Johnson hadn't started since the final game last season, when he
completed 12 of 18 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns in a
45-33 win over the New Orleans Saints.
"Rob's a heck of a quarterback," Flutie said. "My philosophy
is that no matter how banged up I am, I'm going to get on the field
and play because I know there's a hundred other guys out there who
can get the job done."
Flutie played his way to the Pro Bowl last year, was the
league's Comeback Player of the Year and signed a $22 million
contract extension.
Johnson, who signed a a $25 million contract before last season
after just one NFL start with Jacksonville, wasn't happy about
being sent to the bench.
Now he's grateful for another shot.
"You knew something was going to happen; either Doug would get
hurt or something," Johnson said. "I (knew I) would play in a
game. If you pop off and talk trash and don't back it up, you look
stupid."
Flutie said the same thing happened to him when he played for
the New England Patriots in 1988, and Raymond Berry decided to
start Tony Eason against Denver in the final regular-season game.
"We needed to be more explosive to go into the playoffs,"
Flutie said. "Well, Denver I think won three games all year; they
beat us and we didn't make the playoffs."
Flutie says there's a lesson in the Bills' switch: "That's why
you don't miss a game; that's why you play through injuries, that's
why you keep going," Flutie said. "Because you give someone just
a little window of opportunity and they take advantage of it, and
Rob did that."