Buffalo Bills QB J.P. Losman wants out of Buffalo. He can see the handwriting on the wall and would rather pursue his football career in another city rather than play a backup role to Trent Edwards for the remaining year of his contract. As someone who covered the Bills on-location this season in Buffalo, I have to commend J.P. for the supportive way he handled this past season’s “quarterback controversy.” He remained a team-first player and never ruffled any feathers other than saying he wished he could remain in the starting role. His devotion to the team was obvious. He’s a class guy. And a team captain. It’s pretty obvious he has his teammates’ respect.

But while J.P. wants to resume his career elsewhere, I’m not sure what team would want him in anything more than a backup role. He’s too inconsistent. I’ve seen him play some great football — 24 of 34 for 295 against Cincinnati. I’ve also seen him play some terrible football — 12 of 23 for 157 against Miami. Those games were in back-to-back weeks and it’s a perfect example of why so many Bills fans were frustrated with his play. He takes too many chances with the football and while that “gunslinger” mentality pays off sometimes, it more often than not backfires. You simply can’t have turnovers at the quarterback position and expect to win many games. J.P. had 14 INTs last season and six this year in limited play. Was he handcuffed by an offensive game plan that didn’t allow him the freedom to play his game? Perhaps. But, there’s a lot to be said for playing within one’s own ability, taking what the defense gives you, and living to see another down. That philosophy may be boring, but it wins football games in the NFL and until J.P. can work within that framework, he’ll have a hard time finding a job.

I don’t think Buffalo wants an unhappy backup quarterback. They’ll deal J.P. if they can or simply release him at some point. I do think another team will give him a chance. His natural ability as a QB and athlete are obvious. But he’ll need to adapt to a system and earn his way into a starting role.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

J.P. Losman Wants Out, Buffalo Bills Quarterback Seeks Trade From Team

Marv Levy will step down as GM of the Buffalo Bills. The team has not made an official announcement yet, but Bills safety George Wilson told The Associated Press today that the 82-year-old Hall-of-Famer (Class of 2001) opened the team’s wrap-up meeting with a five-minute speech during which he said he won’t return as GM.

I covered the Bills this season and will miss seeing and talking to Coach Levy in the locker room. He always greeted me with a handshake and a smile. I’m not sure what his plans are, but that will be made known at a later date, possibly even this week. According to a Bills’ Media Advisory released yesterday, “Head coach Dick Jauron and General Manager Marv Levy will address the media at a later date.”

The Bills missed the playoffs for the eighth straight time this season, the longest drought in team history.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Marv Levy to Step Down as Bills’ GM

The Cleveland Browns weathered the storm. The Buffalo Bills did not. It was really that simple as the Browns moved one step closer to a Wild Card playoff berth and kept their AFC North Division title hopes alive with an ugly 8-0 win over the Bills in almost constant blizzard conditions this afternoon at Cleveland Stadium.

I would like to say that the snow storm prevented these teams from doing what they would normally do, thus affecting an “honest outcome” in this game. And to an extent, that is true. But the fact is both teams had to play in the poor conditions and the team that handled the adversity better won.

It was a mess out there. CBS’ field level camera shots throughout the game gave a better indication of just how awful it was. Blowing, oftentimes heavy snow made visibility and footing extremely unpredictable. But it was a surprisingly well-played game considering the elements. There were no turnovers and each team only committed two penalties each. And all things considered, it was very evenly played except for the rushing yardage. I said each team’s running game would be vital under these conditions and that turned out to be true. I also said Jamal Lewis could get 35 carries today. Close. In reality, Jamal Lewis had 33 carries for 163 yards. And that really was the difference as Cleveland controlled the clock in the second half and held off a late Buffalo rally to get the win.

This is a crushing blow to the Bills’ playoff hopes. Now at 7-7, they have been eliminated from any chance of a postseason spot. With Pittsburgh losing to Jacksonville, though, the Browns are now looking at the possibility of something more than a Wild Card spot.

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Cleveland Browns Beat Buffalo Bills, Blizzard to Move Closer to AFC Playoff Berth

The excitement is building for Football Night in America on Sunday evening at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY as the Buffalo Bills host the unbeaten New England Patriots. And if there was any question as to who the Bills would be starting at quarterback, they were answered in a statement released today by Bills head coach Dick Jauron. Despite struggling in a 13-10 win over the Miami Dolphins two days ago (12 of 23 for 157 yards, no TDs and one INT), J.P. Losman will retain his starting role. The statement was to-the-point:

“We will continue with J.P. Losman as our starting quarterback for our game with New England this Sunday.”

This doesn’t surprise me although it couldn’t have been a slam dunk for Coach Jauron. J.P.’s experience and ability (although not always consistent ability) to put points on the board had to factor into the decision. I believe the Bills will need to put at least 30 points on the Pats to have any shot at winning and J.P. gives them their best chance to accomplish that right now. He’ll need to play near-perfect football, but that can be said for any QB playing New England this season.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

J.P. Losman to Get Start Against Patriots

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

In an attempt to expand their fan base beyond Western New York, the Buffalo Bills announced today that they are seeking approval to play a preseason game and at least one regular season game in Toronto, Canada. The Bills hope to play a preseason game in Toronto next summer and a regular-season game there as early as 2009. The games would be played at Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), a downtown stadium with a retractable roof that serves as home to baseball’s Blue Jays and the CFL Argonauts.

The Bills require both county and state approval to play “home games” outside of Ralph Wilson Stadium as a condition of their lease, which runs through 2012. The lease requires the team to play half its preseason and all of its regular-season home games in Orchard Park, NY. The Bills began the process by sending a letter of request to Erie County yesterday.

While I understand the team’s interest in broadening its audience, I fear this might alienate the fan base they already have in Buffalo. Personally, it doesn’t bother me. I work at all the Bills home games. And the company I work for is based in Toronto. Heck, a couple extra trips to TO each year would suit me just fine. But if I’m a season ticket holder, if I’m the loyal fan, I want to see games in OP. I want my two preseason and eight regular season games at the Ralph, not an hour and a half north in another country.

Over the years there’s been talk of an NFL franchise in Toronto and Buffalo has certainly been rumored as a possibility to move there. This only seems to add fuel to that fire although the Bills stressed the proposed games in Toronto are part of their regionalization plans and should not be considered a first step for the franchise’s relocation. It’s an interesting situation. Toronto newspapers have published stories speculating whether the city can be a viable NFL market, and most often mention the Buffalo Bills as a prime candidate. I expect my b5media family north of the border (and worldwide) to weigh-in on the issue so check the comments on this post.

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Buffalo Bills Seek Approval to Play in Toronto