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FOXBORO — Ralph Wilson is a rare breed in the National Football League, a team owner who doesn’t put himself before the team.

For instance, in the Buffalo Bills’ media guide, Wilson doesn’t even have a biography. What suffices for information about the owner who has guided the Bills since their inception in 1960 is a graphics box with his photo and the lone notation that he is in his "45th year with Bills." There is a slightly longer biography on the Bills’ Internet site, concerned primarily with Wilson’s philanthropic ventures.

By contrast, the Patriots’ media guide devotes three full pages to Robert Kraft’s biography and another 1 1/2 to team president (and No. 1 son) Jonathan Kraft.

But at some point, recognition should be forthcoming to Wilson, 87, one of the original "Foolish Club" founders of the American Football League, whose Bills appeared in four straight Super Bowls despite calling one of the smallest markets in the country their home base. There’s a move afoot to have Wilson enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Bills’ new coach, Dick Jauron, endorses it wholeheartedly.

"He’s a man who I have always liked," Jauron said last week in a conference call with New England reporters. "Now, I didn’t know him very well my first time here because I was an administrative assistant to the defense 22 years ago. But I interviewed with him a number of years ago. I’ve just always really admired the man. "I admired his loyalty," said Jauron, a Swampscott native. "I liked the old AFL. Of course, I followed it. He’s been loyal to this part of the country. Buffalo has a great tradition. They do terrific things on and off the field, as most franchises do, but they make sure that they are a community-oriented organization for a lot of reasons."

Jauron also feels a certain amount of pressure to turn around the Bills’ fortunes quickly, given Wilson’s age, but it’s not a topic that comes up in the offices on One Bills Drive in Orchard Park, N.Y.

"Clearly, we both have the same ambitions and goals," Jauron said, "but we have never sat down and said that we can do it this year, or it’s going to take three years. We both want to get it done as fast as we can and we know how hard it is to do because it’s never been done here.

"They went to four (Super Bowls) in a row, which is remarkable in itself," he added, "but unfortunately they never brought the win back or the trophy. It’s just a hard thing to do. But clearly, like 31 other teams, you want to do it, and do it as quickly as you can."

Quick kicks

The Patriots’ inactives were linebacker Tedy Bruschi, wide receivers Doug Gabriel and Chad Jackson, defensive linemen Johnathan Sullivan and Marquise Hill, tight end Garrett Mills, guard Gene Mruczkowski and tackle Nick Kaczur. They did not have a third quarterback designated because they don’t have one ... Wide receiver Bam Childress was returned to the active roster off the practice squad, and wideout Jonathan Smith (who had been signed after his release by the Bills) was released ... The Patriots selected Tom Brady, Troy Brown, Rodney Harrison, Larry Izzo, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel and Bruschi as their captains ... Rookie tackle Ryan O’Callaghan earned his first NFL start ... The pregame festivities included a flyover by an Air Force B-2 stealth bomber ...

The Gillette Stadium playing surface was badly chewed up between the hashmarks, with barren patches at the north-end 20-yard line, between the south-end 25 and 35, and between the south 5 and the goal line. Many observers agreed that the field looked the worst for an opening day since Gillette was opened in 2002. The New England Revolution soccer team played a game the night before Sunday’s opener, but much of the damage stems back to the football preseason ...

Ty Warren’s tackle of J.P Losman in the end zone for a safety with 8:33 left in regulation was the Patriots’ first safety since Dec. 7, 2003, against Miami ... The Patriots’ 183 rushing yards were their best total since gaining 225 at Cleveland in 2004. It was their best opening-day effort since 1985, when they gained 208 against Green Bay ... The Patriots have now gone 50 straight games without losing back-to-back contests ... Corey Dillon passed Eddie George to take 16th place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Dillon was the only active back on any NFL opening-day roster with more than 10,000 yards ... Kevin Faulk now has 234 career receptions and trails only Tony Collins (261) for the highest reception total by a Patriot running back ... The Patriots are 10-2 in their last 12 home openers.