After starting this season with a very promising 5-1 record, the Buffalo Bills have gone 1-7 since and will fail to make the playoffs for the 9th consecutive year. Head coach Dick Jauron, while remaining one of my favorites among NFL coaches, seemed to be begging to be fired after an unfathomable call on second-and-five at their own 22-yard-line with just over two minutes to play and the Bills just trying to burn clock to ice a win over the N.Y. Jets. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when after four successful running plays, quarterback J.P. Losman was suddenly rolling out to throw a pass. Of course, he was sacked, he fumbled, and the Jets returned the loose ball for a touchdown (the worst possible scenario) to win the game 31-27. It had to be one of the most ill-advised calls I have ever seen. And an unbelievably demoralizing loss for a team in desperate need of a win. To allow that to happen when your troops are at the threshold of victory is unconscionable. His explanation:

“Anytime it doesn’t work out you have second thoughts, so yeah, I definitely have second thoughts. Though the outcome of the call — and it was my call — the outcome shows that it was not the right call at the right time. And that’s really it. That’s the whole thing right there.”

Uggh. Coach Jauron also said he didn’t think it would have been the wrong call if it had worked. It’s very easy to sit here and second-guess the call knowing the disastrous outcome, but I would be second-guessing if the pass play had been successful. I would have called it lucky. Very lucky. Probably dumb lucky. Anyway, in that situation, I don’t think there’s any doubt a head coach should play the percentages, which were very strongly in the Bills’ favor. The chances of bad things happening on a pass play vs. a running play in that situation — especially considering the success the running game was having — were far greater. Coach Jauron was asking for trouble and he got it. Now whether he retains his job after yet another playoff-less, losing season is to be determined. I’ve heard conflicting reports but I would be very surprised to see him back. I think this loss sealed his fate as coach of the Bills in ‘09.

Source: BuffaloBills.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

What Was Dick Jauron Thinking?

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

In a sense, the Buffalo Bills’ postseason starts Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The Bills simply can’t lose another game if they want to get to the real playoffs in January, so it’s do-or-die from here on out. And with a 6-6 record twelve games into this 2008 season, Bills quarterback J.P. Losman will return to the starting lineup. It’s a role he felt never should’ve been taken from him in the first place. And now he has the chance to take it back:

“I want these guys to experience winning. I want to experience winning. We’re a very, very good football team. We’ve just got to keep putting it together. We have an opportunity right here in front of our face to do so. I personally want to do well for them, for my teammates.”

J.P. lost his starting spot to second-year quarterback Trent Edwards because he was inconsistent and erratic. Sure he had flashes of brilliance, but they were few and far between enough to warrant a switch to the promising but inexperienced Trent Edwards. J.P. wanted out of Buffalo because he felt he was good enough to be a starting quarterback somewhere in the NFL. That never happened but he has been a model teammate in swallowing his pride and not being the slightest distraction in a season that has gone terribly wrong for the Bills since a 4-0 start.

Now that Trent is struggling and injured, J.P. needs just one good game (and a win) to earn his starting spot back. It’s all speculation at this point, but if J.P. impresses and the Bills beat Miami (in a Toronto “home” game), how can head coach Dick Jauron go back to Trent? Coach Jauron has vehemently professed his support of Trent, but his own job might be on-the-line if the Bills don’t make the playoffs this season. And a J.P. led Bills team might just be his last best chance of getting there.

Source: BuffaloBills.com, Photo: Newscom

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J.P. Losman Will Start For Buffalo Bills

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

After a heart-to-heart with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about a hit on Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, it was announced today that New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork will not be suspended by the league. But he will be fined. We’ll have to wait until Friday to find out the exact amount, but Vince seemed pretty satisfied with the outcome:

“I think both sides were happy. He got a chance to hear my side of my story of how I approach the game. I got a chance to hear what he had to say about the whole situation of my past history and playing football. So I think we both left pretty happy.”

The only reason Vince was sent to the commissioner’s office was because of his history of unruly on-field behavior. Vince was fined a total of $35,000 last season for four different incidents — hits on Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman (a cheap shot) and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (after the whistle). Plus, he poked New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs in the eye during a not-so-friendly conversation and tackled then-San Diego Chargers running back Michael Turner by his facemask during the AFC Championship Game.

I don’t consider Vince a dirty player. His aggression sometimes gets a little out of control. I know the hit on Jay was not as big a deal as it was initially made out to be by the Broncos. I mean, it was an elbow to the head but I don’t think there was an intent to hurt Jay and Vince even helped him up and patted him on the back afterward. I think this was the right call. Vince didn’t deserve to be suspended and he wasn’t.

Source: Boston Herald, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Vince Wilfork Will Be Fined, Not Suspended

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Buffalo Bills receiver Lee Evans signed a long-awaited four-year, $37.25 million contract extension with the team today. The deal includes $18.25 million worth of guarantees. He will make $27 million over the first three years of the deal, including this year. Lee is now is under contract through 2012:

“I’m thrilled. It all just kind of happens at one time. I’m thrilled about it. It’s a great day. Working with these guys over a long period of time has been tough, but the communication has been there and we finally got it done. So I couldn’t be happier.”

Signing Lee was a key move for this young offense because he’s arguably their best player. Last year, there was some uncertainty in losing an offensive coordinator and a quarterback he had developed a chemistry with (J.P. Losman). This season, he’s attempting to develop a bond with an unproven rookie (Trent Edwards) and a new game plan. But with a lot of hard work and commitment, he’s done just that and the team is off to a 4-0 start. Lee is certainly one of the veteran leaders of this team and he deserves the piece of mind this contract extension brings. I’ve spoken with him a number of times after Bills home games and he’s always been very respectful and willing to talk at length. He’s one of the league’s best at his position and the Bills are lucky to have him signed-up for the next four years.

Sources: BuffaloBills.com, NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Lee Evans Gets Contract Extension

Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron has named Trent Edwards the starting QB — again. After J.P. Losman’s three turnover game (two INTs and a fumble) in a 36-14 loss against Jacksonville this past weekend, it wasn’t a difficult decision. In fact, the past three games have seen inconsistent play at the quarterback position, thus prompting the change. In his press conference yesterday, Coach Jauron said:

“In terms of our quarterbacks, we’ll make the switch and Trent will be our starter. We fully understand that it’s not only J.P. That’s not the only reason we’ve lost these couple of games in a row, but it is the focal point of the offense and we do need a lot of consistency from that position.”

It’s been a difficult year for the Bills at QB, going back and forth between J.P. and Trent, but I feel this is the right decision right now. J.P. has had his moments. There’s no doubt he can be a good quarterback in this league, but his inconsistency has forced Coach Jauron to turn to Trent to lead this team. With rookie RB Marshawn Lynch still nursing a high ankle sprain and most likely doubtful for the Washington game this weekend, more pressure will be on Trent to make plays. Coach Jauron is looking for more explosive plays and more points, but Trent will need to focus on managing the game and not committing turnovers first and foremost. If he can do that, the Bills will have an excellent chance at winning their remaining games and getting into the playoff picture.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Buffalo Bills Return to Trent Edwards at QB, J.P. Losman Demoted After Loss

The Buffalo Bills are a different team without Marshawn Lynch. They’re also a different team without consistent play at the quarterback position. Both were missing this afternoon as the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Bills 36-14. The score was really not indicative of the game. The Bills had the ball with six minutes and change and a chance to tie, but you simply can’t turn the ball over three times on the road against a good football team (the Jags are now 8-3) and expect to have any chance of winning the game.

First of all, Buffalo needs to get Marshawn Lynch back in the lineup. He’s been nursing a high ankle sprain the past two weeks, but the team misses his physical running style. Anthony Thomas is a savvy, reliable RB (he never fumbles), but he’s just not as quick or fast. The A-Train made a great play in scoring one of the Bills’ two TDs, but Marshawn is the heart and soul of this offense right now. Secondly, J.P. Losman is too inconsistent to be a regular starter in this league right now. While he has shown flashes of outstanding quarterback play over the years, J.P. just hasn’t gotten the job done on a consistent basis (most recently the past three weeks) and I would be stunned if Trent Edwards isn’t back in the lineup next week at Washington.

With this loss, the New England Patriots are now the 2007 AFC East champions. The Bills are still clinging to slim playoff hopes, but if Marshawn returns and Trent can get back in the starting lineup to manage the game and make smart decisions with the football, Buffalo will still be able to make a run at a wild card down the stretch.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Bills Loss Gives Patriots AFC East Title

One thing’s for sure in the National Football League. There is no such thing as an ugly win. The Buffalo Bills can attest to that after a frustrating but eventually exhilarating afternoon in South Florida today, beating the (still) winless Miami Dolphins 13-10 on kicker Rian Lindell’s late 34-yard field goal. There’s also no such thing as a sure thing. On paper, even at 4-4 the Bills looked like decided favorites over an 0-8 team. Not so fast. The Dolphins might be one of the best 0-9 teams in the history of the NFL. They also might have been a holding call and dropped pass away from winning this game. Buffalo was very fortunate to get out of Miami with a win.

For much of the game, the Bills offense was simply inept — 214 total yards, two third down conversions, some dropped passes and a turnover. It was difficult to watch. Meanwhile, the defense continued in their reliable bend-but-don’t-break fasion, giving up 124 rushing yards to RB Jesse Chatman, but making plays when they were needed and holding the Dolphins to 10 points. Quarterback J.P. Losman, who turned in a less-than-average performance (12 of 23 for 157 yards), summed it up best afterwards:

“This win tells a lot about our team. Our backs were to the wall, and we made enough plays when we had to.”

Making plays when they have to is not something the Dolphins have been able to do this season, losing five of their nine games by a mere three points. At least they have a sense of humor about it. Defensive tackle Vonnie Holiday likened their situation to a Peanuts cartoon character:

“Who’s the guy from Charlie Brown who has the gray cloud following him around? Pig Pen? We’re like Pig Pen.”

Buffalo’s win set the stage for a huge Sunday Night Football matchup with the undefeated (and rested) New England Patriots next week. The Bills are a better football team at home and with the prime-time crowd behind them, they could give the Pats some trouble. Still, they will need to play much better if they are to be the first to beat a team that has few, if any, weaknesses.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

No Such Thing as an Ugly Win, Bills Beat Winless Dolphins For Fourth Straight Victory

When Buffalo Bills TE Kevin Everett went down with a potentially life-threatening, temporarily paralyzing spinal cord injury on a special teams play in the team’s first game of this 2007 season against Denver, it left not only the Western New York community but the entire country at attention on his road to recovery. Not long after that opening game, Buffalo-based New Era Cap Company, the largest sports-licensed headwear company in the world, created the “KE85″ cap in Kevin’s honor. New Era Corporate Communications Manager Dana Marciniak gave me all the details.

How did the idea for this cap come about? Well, it was actually Brian Moorman’s idea. He came to us and wanted to know if we could make a cap honoring Kevin. And that’s really all we needed.

Is it true Brian and some of the other Bills players were involved in the design? Definitely. Brian, J.P. Losman, Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish all came to our headquarters one night after practice and sat with one of our designers. They decided everything from the style of caps to the colors to the actual design. And, of course, the phrase on back (keep reading below). They were here for about an hour and had fun looking at — and trying on — all the caps!

How many versions are there to choose from? There are five! We have the signature 59FIFTY, which is the fitted cap; our 39THIRTY, which is a stretch fit cap; two adjustable styles and one just for women — it’s made to fit women’s heads perfectly!

You mentioned the phrase on the back: Adversity Introduces us to Ourselves — a powerful statement. I know. The guys took about a week to come up with it and it really does hit home. It’s something we can all relate to.

And the proceeds go to Kevin’s charity? Yes, his charity, which will support spinal cord research, is still being established, but every penny will go right to that.

Have you heard from Kevin or his family on what he thinks of it? We’ve heard he loves it and can’t believe we made it for him. WGRZ (Channel 2 in Buffalo) actually has a reporter down there this week talking to Kevin and she brought a cap with her to get his family’s reaction! So watch for it.

His story really seems like a miracle, especially in how far he has come after the initial prognosis. Absolutely. And the caps are not only to raise money, but to let him know he’s not forgotten by the team or the fans!

Where can fans get the caps? They’re only available in our flagship store in Buffalo, NY. But if there are Buffalo fans out there who really, really want one, they can send me a check (made out to Kevin Everett) and a note with what style they want (the 59FIFTY is $20, all the others are $15), I’ll get one out to them. The address is: New Era Cap, Attn: Dana Marciniak, 160 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202.

Photo by David Kindervater

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Adversity Introduces Us To Ourselves: New Era Cap Honors Buffalo Bills Kevin Everett

Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron will announce today that rookie quarterback Trent Edwards will retain his role as the team’s starting QB even though J.P. Losman is fully recovered from a sprained knee and is healthy and able to play. I’ll be in the press box Sunday when the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens. Trent will have his work cut out for him against the NFL’s 4th best defense. The Ravens are especially tough against the run (66.7 ypg), so Trent will have to make some big throws in this game. He’s worked with a pretty conservative game plan in his first two starts (not necessarily a bad thing), but he will need to take some shots down the field to keep the Ravens’ D honest.

Trent has played well and has certainly shown signs of great ability. I’ve seen him make some very veteran, very big league throws. And I’ve seen him make some rookie mistakes. Neither is surprising. When I consider the atmosphere he played in last Monday night against the Cowboys — in front of the whole world against one of the league’s best teams — I was especially impressed with his poise and courage in the pocket. I don’t think he will face another situation as difficult, at least mentally, this year. He’s got a couple starts under his belt and I think Trent will just continue to improve with each game.

Clearly, this move sends a message that Trent Edwards is the QB of the future (and obviously the present) for the Bills. And J.P. Losman’s days in Buffalo could very well be numbered even though he’s under contract through the 2008 season. I am not in complete agreement with this move, though. I think J.P. gives the team their best chance to win right now, but I trust that owner Ralph Wilson and the coaching staff knows what they are doing and I’m sure they have very good reasons to give the nod to Trent.

I will say that J.P. has handled the situation in a very professional manner thus far. He said that no matter what the coach’s decision was, he had made a commitment to the team to be there for them and he would continue to do just that. He also said that he is good friends with and supports Trent. It was really a classy mix of words by J.P. in an obviously tough situation. And, of course, he’s just one play from being back under center should Trent perform poorly or be hurt, so I’m sure he’ll be prepared for whatever might happen.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Trent Edwards Remains Starting QB for Bills

Just a few days removed from their heartbreaking Monday Night Football loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills are wondering who their starting quarterback will be when they return to action October 21 against the Baltimore Ravens. Starting QB J.P. Losman suffered a sprained knee against the New England Patriots in the team’s third game of the season and rookie QB Trent Edwards has filled in admirably. But now that J.P. is back practicing with the team, the Bills have to make a decision.

Ask head coach Dick Jauron who the starting QB should be and he’ll tell you he needs more time to answer that. Ask WR Lee Evans and he’ll tell you J.P. Losman has earned his keep and deserves his starting job back if he’s healthy. Ask me and I’ll say J.P. as well. All things considered, Trent Edwards played very well, especially for a rookie. He completed almost 70% of his throws so far and has a respectable QB rating of 75. And aside from his most untimely INT in the closing minutes against Dallas, he managed both of his starts very well. I think he’s a smart and talented quarterback with a very bright future. But J.P. is the veteran and until he plays his way out of the starting position, he deserves to lead the team and get the offense in gear as long as he is physically able to. I believe in playing the person who gives his team the best chance to win. And as long as he is 100% healthy, I believe that person is J.P. Losman right now.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Bills Enter Bye Week With QB Questions