This is how bad it's gotten for quarterback Drew Bledsoe during the Bills' 0-2 start following last season's 6-10 finish: Radio talk shows are comparing him to Rob Johnson.

Reporters are asking coach Mike Mularkey if it's time to consider switching to 11-year journeyman Shane Matthews. Now that really hurts.

While the Bills spend their bye week figuring out ways to fix their sloppy play and a way to prevent the New England Patriots from making NFL history by winning their 18th consecutive game on Oct. 3 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Bledsoe is fending off a growing legion of critics who would not protest his benching.

Only it's not going to happen. Not yet at least.

"I'm the quarterback here and I'm going to be the quarterback here and that's what it is," said Bledsoe sternly when meeting with reporters for the first time after last Sunday's 13-10 loss at Oakland when he was sacked seven times.

"Our guys know that, players on the team know that, the coaches know that and that's just simply the way it is. If there was a situation where Mike (Mularkey) felt we'd be (more) effective with somebody else, he would make that change, but that's not the case."

Coach Mike Mularkey confirmed he hasn't considered a QB switch, even though Matthews, who has 22 career starts, has more mobility than Bledsoe and played well in one preseason appearance after the Bills signed him off the country club circuit after injuries to first-round pick J.P. Losman and Travis Brown.

Losman is out with a broken leg until at least mid-season.

"I haven't even thought about that route yet," said Mularkey. "I think our best chance to win right now is Drew Bledsoe. He has to be surrounded by a bunch of guys who are playing at a high level, too, to help him out. It's not him alone. That would be the easy way out, to make (a switch), but that's not the way we would go."

Mularkey is convinced that the way to go is going back to the drawing board. He is stressing fundamentals during three practices this week and encouraging each player to self-scout. If there's a little thing wrong with anybody's game, it's their job to clean it up and be accountable.

The Bills, who ranked 30th in offense a year ago, rank 28th this year and have scored only two touchdowns in two games.

In their last 16 games under Bledsoe dating back to last year's red-hot start when they defeated New England and Jacksonville by a combined 69-17, the Bills have averaged a mere 10.8 points per game and lost 12 times.

Buffalo has moved the football this season but has self-destructed in the red zone, twice failing to get the ball in the end zone in goal-to-goal situations inside the 3-yard line. Five drives of 10 or more plays have netted one field goal because of penalties, fumbles, sacks and a missed field goal try.

"We've definitely squandered some opportunities. That's what I've emphasized, the inconsistencies offensively because he have moved the ball," said Mularkey, the former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator who was hired to turn Buffalo's offense around and salvage the 32-year-old Bledsoe's career.

"We do have good drives and then all of a sudden in the red zone ... We need to get out of our own way. It's really a problem if you don't get down to the red zone. Do we need to score more points? No question about it. But at least we're getting down into the area to put ourselves in that position."

And while it's a team game, it's the quarterback who will get the attention when things don't go right. After 12 seasons, Bledsoe understands this all too well.

He said critics piling on after the Raiders were finished with him is nothing new. It won't get him down and he'll work to improve.

"When we win, I'll get more credit than I deserve and when we lose, I'm going to take lot a of it," said Bledsoe, who was composed but forthright with his words. "That's the nature of the position. I understand that. If I couldn't handle that, I wouldn't be here 12 years into a career still fighting to win football games."

Bledsoe's slow start is disconcerting to the Bills' front office, which changed the coaching staff, convinced the four-time Pro Bowler could regain his past form. Of course there is still plenty of season left, but with every loss, Bledsoe loses another layer of support from fans and media, and, in private, teammates.

Since Bledsoe came aboard in a headline-making 2002 trade with New England complete with a parade, the Bills are 14-20 overall. They have lost nine of their last 11 with Bledsoe throwing seven TD passes, eight interceptions and being sacked 37 times.

In last Sunday's loss at Oakland, Bledsoe failed to break 200 yards passing for a sixth straight time, he threw a costly interception and he was sacked seven times (111 times as a Bill). Several times when he wasn't pressured, he still threw off the mark or put the ball into the ground.

Bledsoe said the most successful players in the NFL "have a loose screw" when it comes to putting setbacks behind them quickly.

"It's extremely difficult to lose and it doesn't matter how long you have been playing, you lose a couple games you felt you had a chance to win, and it's hard to deal with," he said. "It cuts right to your soul as a competitor. That being said, what I'm doing and what we are doing as a team, is moving forward. We have three hard practices during the bye week to try and rectify the things that have been problems for us, and we're going forward. We're going to turn it around and start winning ball games."

Plenty of teammates are in Bledsoe's corner and would not support a quarterback change.

"Drew has a great attitude, he's a great QB," tackle Mike Williams said. "He always tells me to go down fighting, and I'll go down fighting with Drew."

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