Power to settle old Bills
MARIO WILLIAMS lines up against his former team-mates tonight knowing victory could secure a playoff place for his new employers at the expense of his old ones.
Miami Dolphins defensive end Williams spent the last four seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
But he has found a new lease of life in the Sunshine State this season under head coach Adam Gase and reckons it is because he smells the team spirit in Miami that was missing in Buffalo.
Williams said: “You have guys that have fun. Then you have guys, or teams with guys, that don’t have fun. But this, everything we do is fun.
“You’re into it. You look forward to playing for this coach, that coach, whatever, this player, that player. It’s not just two players, five players, 20 players. I can account for probably at least 35, 45 or 53, which is what you need.
“I think that’s why the feeling is so different, because everybody is always around. We’re all in it.
“The team is playing great. We could be better. We’re not satisfied with anything we’re doing until it’s 100 per cent, but the biggest thing I can say I enjoy is the camaraderie. It’s my 11th year in the NFL and I’ve never experienced this anywhere in my 10 years.”
Williams is solely focused on the win that could secure a playoff place tonight even if his day will start in a part of his old home that he has never been in.
He added: “I’ve never even seen that visiting locker room, but we just want to win this one game. That’s all that really matters. There’s nothing else that can tie into it.
“Win the game. That’s the biggest thing. I’m not the type of person to be hooting and hollering about anything else other than winning the game.”
Miami will be hoping for a repeat performance from British running back Jay Ajayi who shredded Buffalo for 214 yards rushing and a touchdown when the teams met in Florida in October.
Bills coach Rex Ryan hopes to shut him down this time.
Ryan said: “It was real tough to watch, but you’ve got to give that kid credit. I mean, he took it to us.”
And defensive lineman Leger Douzable knows just how much of a threat the London-born youngster can be.
He said: “Versus Ajayi, we had three or four guys missing tackles on one play. And you can’t do that, because the next thing you know, he’s off to the races.”