Location: Orchard Park, N.Y. | Stadium: Ralph Wilson Stadium (73,967) | Owner: Ralph Wilson | Chief Operating Officer: Russ Brandon Coach: Dick Jauron | League Championships: 2
Quarterback Trent Edwards faced some adversity at the end of his rookie year, as the Bills, after getting to the periphery of playoff contention at 7-6, dropped three straight games to end the year with a thud and out of the postseason for the eighth consecutive year.
After Monday night's horrible 29-27 home loss to Cleveland, the Bills are now 5-5, their playoff chances severely damaged, and Edwards is in crisis mode.
Edwards did not play well late last season, but the adversity he faced was easily written off to him being a rookie quarterback in the NFL, the old it-goes-with-the-territory argument. In a way, that theory still holds because Edwards is only in his second year and has made only 19 career starts.
However, his play during Buffalo's demoralizing four-game losing streak has been just short of inept, and while there are many people to blame for the Bills' free-fall from first to last in the AFC East, Edwards is high on the list.
He threw three interceptions in the first quarter against the Browns, and his confidence appeared shaken the rest of the night. He completed 16 of 26 passes for just 148 yards, with 10 of the completions going to running back Marshawn Lynch netting only 58 yards. Edwards looked afraid to throw the ball downfield, and star wide receiver Lee Evans didn't even catch a pass.
Teams have found success lately in playing coverage against the Bills, and Edwards has been unable to figure out how to beat it. Because the offensive line has been struggling in every aspect, pass protection included, teams have been able to rush just four and cover with seven, sometimes eight. This has made it tough for Buffalo's receivers to get open, and Edwards has nowhere to go with the ball.
"I was thinking that their defense was rushing about three guys every down and dropping eight guys in the coverage, so again it's the same thing that we've faced every week," Edwards said. "We only have three or four receivers out, so it's tough to find holes in that defense. So that's why Marshawn Lynch got the ball a lot (Monday), and that's why we're not throwing the ball down the field because there are not really a lot of chances to do that. We have the game plan to do that, but we're not really calling those plays because of the defense that they're giving us."
Edwards has now committed 10 turnovers in the last four games (eight picks, two fumbles). His passer ratings in his last four games have been 67.2, 79.3, 49.2 and 50.3.
Coach Dick Jauron remains high on the 2007 third-round pick and refuses to call into question Edwards' confidence, but he did admit that the three early interceptions probably affected his quarterback.
"I would say that for a young quarterback, it's got to affect you when things start to slide a little bit and go downhill," Jauron said. "I think that the guy is a terrific player. I think he's just going to get better and better as we move on. We have to live through some of these issues when you're playing a young quarterback. I just think he's going to be a really good player. You saw him at the end, once again, he took us right back to where we needed to be to have a chance to win it."
Which is true, but some would argue that when the Bills reached the Browns 34 with 1:03 to go, they needed to keep pushing to set up an easier field-goal attempt for Rian Lindell. Instead, the Bills ran Lynch three times into the line and only advanced to the 29, and Lindell had to try a 47-yarder into a swirling breeze on a 25-degree wind-chill night. He missed.
It seemed as if the coaching staff was leery about having Edwards throw the ball in that situation.
"I was just doing what they told me to do," Edwards said. "That's well within his range, and to be perfectly honest though, we shouldn't have been in that position to begin with. We should've been putting more points on the board and not having it come down to that situation, but that's the way it happened and that's the nature of the game."
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Hello there team up north. You were one of the biggest Browns supporters when our team was stolen away from. You helped us then by offering up tickets to come see your Bills play, and I'm asking for your help now to knock the
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Ok im gonna start this off easy and say 10-6 mabey 11-5 wild card berth making it to ...... lets say the 2nd round of the playoffs. What do ya think? Oh and further more 36-24 Bills over Patriots on opening day!
Ok is it me or am I being a bit too pscyho. I'm seeing alot of teams sign their draft picks and I don't think I seen one or even heard of any rumors of the Bills comin close to signing any of their draft choices?? Am I crazy to think that this isn't right?? Please has anyone heard anything??
Why not take a look at this guy and see if he can compete for a back up spot? With the inexperience behind Trent Edwards, he would be a good lift in the locker room. I'm struggling as to why nobody drafted him, not to mention why nobody has him trying out?
I am looking to put a league together representing all the NFL teams in an online league. The league would have a formal draft (every player and position so every team would be custom) and play the entire schedule of 16 games. I am in the process of constructing a website with all the particulars. If you are interested please respond to this thread and I will contact you pe
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Really - Knock on a window and pull your junk out? If this crap keeps up we may as well sign Levi Jones so he can tell us how the control a locker room through all of the player mis-steps. I think this one bothers me more than the Marshawn Lynch stuff. The dude rode a bike which makes it even more silly. M
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I'm sure some of you have seen this, T.O gets emasculated by supermodel Joanna Krupa, his teammate on some reality sports show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmPfLRsx_Bs
Thoughts, other than she looks fiiine walking away from the camera?
Hello all, Out of curiosity, was I the only one that watched Pac-man on Pro's Vs. Joe's last night on TV. For anyone that doesn't know what its all about. This is where washed up retired professional athletes play in simulated game situations against amateur athletes that never made it. With that being said. last night featured Priest Holmes, Steve McNair and Adam (Pac-Man) Jones. I
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