A truer gauge of Flutie's sharpness should come in Washington. The Redskins' defense is worse than horrid, and Eric Moulds could come back from the hamstring that sidelined him the last two games. Moulds' importance to Flutie's success last year has been glaringly clear in his absence. Without Moulds, the Bills have no one to force secondaries to think deep or to draw steady double-coverage. Peerless Price flashes his skills, but also makes wrong cuts and hasn't yet figured out when to turn defensive back and break up a possible interception.
Moulds also turns a good number of slightly off-target throws into big plays.
None of Buffalo's other receivers have that knack. For Buffalo to keep from getting buried Sunday, Flutie has to find his rhythm early. The Redskins led Chicago 45-0 by midway through the third quarter last week, while Buffalo entered the fourth quarter with all of three points. Of course, the Bills' defense has something to do with that, but with Holecek injured again and Washington possessing multiple threats, the necessities required for victory will exceed a couple field goals and a last-minute touchdown. David Staba is the editor of the Buffalo Post.