Published: November 18, 2008 01:39 am      

BILLS NOTEBOOK: Goodell says Bills’ future lays in the hands of fans

ORCHARD PARK — Speaking at the Monday Quarterback Club luncheon in HSBC Arena, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the topic all of Western New York seems to fear: the future of the Buffalo Bills.

“I think tradition and history is very important. I think the passion of the fans here is important. But ultimately it comes down, can the team continue to be successful here? And I believe it can because of the passion of our fans in this region,” Goodell is quoted as saying in an article by Andrew Fillipponi of local radio station WGR. “I believe the steps the Bills are taking to regionalize this team are broadening out the interest in the team. Hopefully this will attract more people to support the Bills.”

Not surprisingly, Goodell was hesitant to comment on hypotheticals involving what will happen to the team after 90-year-old owner Ralph Wilson passes.

“I think it’s fair to say that Mr. Wilson feels strongly about this community,” Goodell said.

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Crew members of the USS Freedom, which docked Sunday in Buffalo as part of a tour of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway ports, were at the Ralph on Monday night as guests of the team. Members of the Bills purchased tickets and donated them to the crew to attend.

Shortly after meeting the Monday Night Football crew of Lackawanna native Ron Jaworski, Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser, Petty Officer 1st Class Brad Vincent described the experience as “awesome.”

“I was a Jacksonville Jaguars season-ticket holder, but this is my first Buffalo Bills experience,” he said.

Vincent hails from Oakland, Ky., population 260. That’s just 73,707 less than the capacity at the Ralph.

Crew members set sail this morning to continue their journey.

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Donte Whitner was in the starting lineup at strong safety after missing just one game with a severe separated shoulder. Offensive guard Brad Butler also returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with a sprained knee.

That was the end of the good news on the injury front, however, as the Bills lost Jabari Greer to a knee injury in the first half.

Wide receiver Josh Reed missed his third straight game with an ankle injury, while defensive end Aaron Schobel sat out his fifth straight with a foot ailment.

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Leodis McKelvin’s strong kick returns in the first half scared the Browns — at least for a time. McKelvin returned two kicks for 87 yards, prompting Cleveland to employ the “kick-away-from-him” strategy.

That worked out for the Bills, too, as Fred Jackson took a pair of pooch kicks out past the 40-yard line.

Tired of giving up that field position, the Browns decided to kick it deep in the fourth quarter after Jerome Harrison’s 72-yard touchdown run.

Alas, that strategy also backfired. McKelvin took the kick, burst through a hole on the left side and made kicker Phil Dawson miss on a 98-yard touchdown.