Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith has been around long enough to know how to break down a win or loss on the football field. On a recent appearance on Up Close with host Gary Miller, Smith was asked to evaluate his teams performance in a dissappointing 20-14 loss to the hands of the Oakland Raiders.

"They came in and we weren't as familiar with them as we were with the other ball clubs, but that is no excuse," says Smith. They came in here and they ran the ball down our throats, and we are not happy about it."

Smith also touched on the possibility of breaking Reggie White's career sack record.

"If it happens, I will definitely be delighted about it. But if it doesn't happen, I don't think it will take away from the accomplishments that have been established here: the four Super Bowl appearances, the 2-time defensive player of the year, and so forth and so on."

The following is an edited transcript of Smith's interview.

Miller: What happened on Sunday against the Raiders (the Bills lost 20-14)?

	Bruce Smith doing what he does best; sacking quarterbacks.

Smith: Well, I think the Oakland Raiders came in here with an excellent game plan, they came in here with the conviction of running the football and not putting themselves in long yardage situations and it worked very well for them.

Miller: What did you notice about the adjustments the Bills made throughout the game?

Smith: They hit us with a one, two punch so to speak. Tyrone Wheatley ran the ball very well on the inside, we didn't have out gap control responsibility, we just didn't handle it very well. Napoleon Kaufman came in the game, and we were aware that he was an outside runner, he made a few big plays on us from the outside and when we are in situations like that, guys have to play disciplined type of football and we didn't do a very good job of that yesterday.

Miller: These teams are so close in talent that we are no longer going to see 13 or 14 win seasons anymore, how much of this is parity?

Smith: Well there is a great deal of parity in this league, via free agency. I think it is a great situation, I think it is a great situation for the NFL, it is a great situation for the fans of the NFL, and it is a great situation for the television networks. We have very competitive ball games now, you can't really pick a dominant team in the National Football League. However, I think that the AFC East has the most dominant division right now, it is the most competitive division, so on a week to week basis you are going to see the better games on the AFC East.

Miller: How tough does it make it when you play the AFC East teams twice a year, when Oakland comes in the middle of the schedule?

Smith: Well, you are not as familiar with the Oakland Raiders as you would be with the Miami Dolphins or the New England Patriots. Probably the most improved and they will be a great contender this year, the Indianapolis Colts. They came in and we weren't as familiar with them as we were with the other ball clubs, but that is no excuse. They came in here and they ran the ball down our throats, and we are not happy about it. We are going to do what is necessary this coming week to prepare ourselves for the Seattle Seahawks, and try to get back in the drivers seat.

Miller: What about the Seattle Seahawks game with a Mike Holmgren-led offense?

Smith: That wasn't an excuse now when I talked about the Raiders offense, we had plenty of time, guys just didn't handle their gap responsibilities the way we should have. There are no excuses for that, the guys just have to fess up to it and move on and look ahead to the Seattle Seahawks. I'm sure the Seahawks are going to take a page from the Oakland Raiders and try to run the ball down our throats. With us being first in our division against the run last week, that is all thrown out of the window now, we have to start from scratch and go back to the drawing board and do what we do best, play disciplined type of defensive football.

Miller: Talk a little bit about that Dolphin game and how much satisfaction it was, one to counter act Jimmy Johnson's strategy and two to beat a team that you have to beat to win that division?

Smith: I take a great deal of pride in the way I play run defense, so when someone issues a challenge to me, they start off the ball game by running directly at me, I take it very personal. I worked extremely hard on my run defense, since my third year in the league, I wanted to become a run stopper as well as a guy that can put a tremendous amount of pressure on a quarterback. So when we are playing smash-mouth football, I like it all though, I have lost about thirty-five pounds, I'm playing at around 260 right now, since my second year. That still doesn't mean that I can't get down in the trenches and stop the run and stand an offensive lineman up and shed him and get to the running back. I take a great deal of pride in that and I look forward to anybody trying to challenge me in my little domain, running the ball.

Miller: What is your feeling about Dan Marino at this stage in his career and the relationship he has with Jimmy Johnson?

Smith: Well, my feeling about Dan has never changed. I think he is one of the greatest quarterbacks that ever played the game, if not the greatest. He is just a consummate professional. His awareness, while he is out there on the field, is unmatched. He has probably had, over the course of his career, the quickest release of any quarterback that I have ever seen. As for what is going on between Dan and Jimmy, I only hear whispers of it, but I think that for the most part, this man is going to end up in the Hall of Fame, he has thrown for over 60,000 yards, which I don't think any other quarterback has ever done. I guess there is a power struggle going on, but I think I have my own problems here in Buffalo right now.

Miller: How much did your playoff loss to the Dolphins mean for this year's game? How much did Jimmy inspire you guys by jumping up and down on a box of Flutie Flakes when you met him this year in the regular season?

Smith: Well, we didn't think that was in very good taste, regardless of what feeling or how he was trying to inspire his team, but our focus was on playing the Miami Dolphins, not about anyone's antics on the field or off the field. We wanted to prepare ourselves in a way in which we were going to be ready to meet this challenge, and hopefully turn the tide in our favor. I think we proved our point in the first meeting against the Miami Dolphins down in Miami, but right now I can't stay focused on Miami and what is going on down there. I have to look ahead to the Seattle Seahawks and prepare myself for them.

Miller: With Reggie White's retirement now, do you think possibly you could end your career as the greatest sack artist of all time?

Smith: Well, it is a definite possibility. If it happens, I will definitely be delighted about it. But if it doesn't happen, I don't think it will take away from the accomplishments that have been established here: the four Super Bowl appearances, the 2-time defensive player of the year, and so forth and so on. So it would be nice if it happens, but the most important thing on my list right now is trying to win a championship here in Buffalo.

Miller: You said in the first segment that you don't get enough credit and you take so much pride in your run defense. Do you think the fact that you are such an extraordinary pass rusher, kind of takes away from that and people don't recognize it?

Smith: Definitely, there is no question in my mind. I think it's a situation where, if I make a tackle behind the line of scrimmage for a two or three yard loss, that is just average, they are still waiting for the sack for eight yards or seven yards, the continuous pressure ont he quarterback, so it is a tough pair of shoes to be in.

Miller: Do you still get as big of a thrill from dumping a quarterback as you did back in 1985?

Smith: I certainly do. It is the ultimate for a defensive lineman and for a linebacker for that matter, that is the defensive player's touchdown, making a big play when the spotlight is only on you and everybody focuses their attention on that one initial play.

Miller: Even when you've made over a 160 of them?

Smith: That is quite a few, even when I have made over a 160, it gives me a great sense of pleasure and a great sense of joy to realize that all the hard work is paying off.

Miller: Tell us about your involvement with Operation Smile and your trip to Africa this past off-season?

Smith: Well, I have been on the Board of Directors for Operation Smile for a number of years now, and I had a chance to take my family on a mission to Africa, with Operation Smile. It was the most fulfilling trip that had ever had in my life, being able to take part in someone's life, changing their life, giving them dignity, giving them respect. The whole thing about Operation Smile, it is an organization that travels around the world operating on children and adults with facial deformities. The things that I had an opportunity to witness when I was over in Africa, words can not explain how I feel, kids walking around with their mouths deformed, I tell you it was a moving experience. A forty-five minute surgery, performed by Operation Smile and many volunteers and the people that I met over there, actually changed these peoples lives. It gives there families a sense of worth, it brought back dignity to their family, kids could actually walk around now and look normal, as opposed to walking around and everyone staring at them and not wanting to get close to them and to be a part of them and have a conversation with them. I tell you, every time I think about that trip, and the fact that I was able to take my son over there, so he can see how blessed he is, I just think it was a blessing from God.