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The Buffalo Bills held an introductory press conference for newly acquired receiver Terrell Owens yesterday. Terrell was all smiles (six and a half million will do that to you) — he was polite, funny, and very convincing that he has put his questionable past behind him and is ready to move on to a new chapter in his life. He seemed genuinely excited to be with the Bills and to help them get back to the playoffs — from which they have been absent for a decade. On the surface — on paper, if you will — it all sounds very nice.

So, I want to believe T.O. I want to give him the benefit of so many doubts. Yet watching him today I had to wonder if this guy does, in fact, have a split personality? Because I’ve seen this side of him before, when things are going well and there are six and a half million reasons to smile. But as we all know, you can’t really figure out the character of a man until you see how he reacts under adversity. And Terrell’s boorish behavior during times of difficulty throughout his career speaks volumes.

T.O. is not a monster. He’s not out pillaging the community and breaking the law. He seems like a genuinely good guy when things are going well (i.e. signing big money contracts, catching a lot of passes, scoring touchdowns). But I will be watching closely if the Bills are losing games and quarterback Trent Edwards is struggling to get T.O. the ball. How will T.O. react then? Will he behave like the mature veteran he should be or will he fuss and complain and create turmoil like he always has in the past? Anyway, I will be shocked if this whole Buffalo Bills/Terrell Owens experiment works, but you know what? I hope it does. I will be very happy to see Terrell Owens prove me wrong.

Opening statement:

“Thanks for having me and I’m very excited to be here, but first I want to thank God for the opportunity. God is good. I know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. I want to thank the Buffalo Bills organization, Mr. Ralph Wilson, I just got off of the phone with him, talked with him briefly, and this is an opportunity for me to kind of, the story will kind of write itself. I don’t really have a whole lot to say. It’s been a pretty interesting couple of days for myself. I know a lot of my teammates back in Dallas, I’ve had a lot of support from those guys. It’s very unfortunate, but now, I must move on. This is another new beginning for me, so I’m just looking forward to this opportunity. I know I’ll help this organization out, and I’m looking forward to getting with Trent (Edwards), Lee (Evans), and the guys, putting some points on the board, that’s what I’ve done everywhere I’ve been and it’s going to continue. I’m looking forward to the opportunities.”

On when the deal came together:

“You’ll have to talk to Drew (Rosenhaus). I’ve just kind of been at home, relaxing and once he and I met with Jerry Jones and Steven Jones, and we parted ways, the next day, he got busy, so once he told me that these guys were interested, I was looking for a home.”

On what made him decide to sign with the Bills:

“You never know. God has a place for me. He has a plan for me. This may not be the most ideal place for a lot of people, but I’m the guy. I beat to my own beat sometimes, my own thinking, my own intuition. Well, for me, this is an opportunity. It’s an interesting situation, no matter what uniform, I put on, I perform, so it’s not a matter of what tipped the scale. It could be money, it could be this, you never know. I will say that it’s an opportunity. I saw how the Bills started last year and they made some eyes open last year, so if I can be that extra added piece to the puzzle to get them to the playoffs and make something happen, then that’s what I’m here for. At this point in time in the league you can’t really just sit and say, ‘ok, this team is going to get to the Super Bowl.’ When I was in Dallas, we were picked to be in the Super Bowl and we didn’t make the playoffs. Nobody would have thought that the Arizona Cardinals would have been in the playoffs. At this point of time in my career, it doesn’t really matter about the team that you think is going to make it to the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl. It’s all about X’s and O’s, going out and making plays and I looked at the defensive side of the ball, and I looked at the offensive side of the ball. These guys have all of those pieces, you know? If I can add to that we’ll get where we need to be.”

On his previous divisiveness and selfishness with his former teams:

“That’s all hearsay. If you look at all of the comments that have come from all of my teammates with the Cowboys, it’s all been positive. Prior to that, I can’t really… I don’t really want to get into it. I’ll let my teammates speak highly and I think they have done that. They’ve spoken and they speak loudly as to what transpired.”

On what role he hopes to play in the locker room:

“I’m going to be the same person that I was the last three years with the Cowboys. When I’m on the football field, I’m a passionate guy. I demand a lot from myself and from the guys around me. I’m sure those guys and some of the guys around the league and in the locker room that I was with for three years all know that whatever is being said out there, it’s not accurate.”

On Buffalo Bills QB Trent Edwards:

“Trent has tremendous upside. As I said earlier, as a player, you kind of watch games, you watch highlights, and I think Buffalo gave themselves a buzz. They were hot at the beginning of the season, they didn’t finish well, but with someone like myself, I can come in, I can add that extra piece, and we can get over the hump. With Trent, I saw tremendous upside. I saw he was an accurate passer, one of the things I asked my receiving coach was how many times has he been sacked last year? And with that being said, that means he’s getting protection, and if he’s getting protection, we’re going to get open.”

On how much longer he would like to play:

“Right now, I’m focusing on the 2009 season, that’s about it. I feel like I can still play. I can still run and as long as I’m healthy, I’ll continue to play. People have asked me that the past couple of years and I’ve always told them, as long as God keeps me healthy and I’m able to be productive, I’ll play.”

On if there were other teams interested in signing him:

“There was interest. To get into it doesn’t make any sense right now. I’m here with the Buffalo Bills. I’m a Buffalo Bill right now and right now I’m just going to start with that.”

On meshing with WR Lee Evans:

“I haven’t talked to Lee personally, but he was on the phone with Coach (Tyke) Tolbert. He was very excited about it, excited about the opportunity to have a threat on the other side. I’m sure he’ll be excited as well. That’s what we tried to do in Dallas with bringing Roy (Williams) there. For whatever reason, midway during the season, that didn’t work out. That doesn’t bother me. I feel like my play kind of speaks for itself. The opportunity kind of presents itself. I make those plays, we make things happen, and as I know, and as everyone knows, Lee’s been doing that since he’s been here. I think we’ll compliment each other.”

Larger market to smaller market adjustment:

“No, not at all. I just have to create my own following up here in North America. I’m leaving America’s team to come to North America’s team. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, and I’m excited about it.”

On switching to a more wide-open conference:

“Being a wide receiver, that’s music to my ears. The thing is we’re going to get to work real soon, as soon as we can get on the field. I’m going to get myself from Coach Tolbert the plays down, get the system down, the routes, the system, all of that stuff. The sooner we can get that done, the better we’ll be. It’s all about communication when you’re out there on the football field, anyway. I’m looking forward to the opportunity. Get ready.”

Source: BuffaloBills.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Terrell Owens Presser Quotes

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In one of the more surprising moves this offseason, the Buffalo Bills signed enigmatic receiver Terrell Owens to a one-year, $6.5 million contract today. On one hand, this acquisition makes sense for Buffalo. They need the offensive weaponry. The Bills’ offense the past two seasons has been anemic. They were 30th in total offense two years ago and only improved to 25th in total offense last season. And quarterback Trent Edwards’ first two seasons — while showing flashes of brilliance — were nothing that would make me think he’s on the same path as, let’s say, youngsters like Baltimore’s Joe Flacco or Atlanta’s Matt Ryan. So, they need all the help they can get, even with ample offensive talent in players like receivers Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish, running backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson and Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters. And I really like some of Buffalo’s younger receivers — James Hardy, Steve Johnson and tight end Derek Fine. In one possible scenario, Terrell will demand double-team attention and allow his teammates to potentially thrive. But that’s not his style. He’ll demand the ball and the glory.

All that being said, I think this signing is a form of desperation (is it really about ticket sales?) and I don’t think it’s a good fit. Terrell has earned — really earned — a poor reputation as the malcontent diva nobody wanted. And I think this deal got done so quickly because the Buffalo Bills were the only team that wanted T.O. Sure, agent Drew Rosenhaus will tell you other teams were interested in Terrell’s services, but I have to believe Orchard Park, NY would’ve been at the bottom of Terrell’s list of places he’d like to play football. (I guess this is one of the few places T.O. hasn’t burned a bridge with a former coach or owner.) So, I don’t think he had many — if any — other options.

In Buffalo, I think T.O. is in a perfect position to “bully” his quarterback and head coach — something he has become known for. Trent will be entering only his second full season as the Bills’ starting quarterback and he will, most likely, be at the receiving end of many a T.O. rant. And head coach Dick Jauron is one of the more mild-mannered head coaches in the NFL. T.O. will have a license to run his mouth and could destroy any hopes this team had of developing a solid chemistry and making a long overdue postseason run.

Source: BuffaloBills.com, Photo: Newscom

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Buffalo Bills Sign Terrell Owens

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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

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After watching Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards last night, it’s pretty clear he’s a young player who has lost his confidence. In a heartbreaking 29-27 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Browns that put the Bills’ 2008 playoff hopes on life support, Trent threw three interceptions (in his first six attempts, no less) and resorted predominantly to dump-off passes to survive the evening. That’s eight INTs, two fumbles and a safety for Trent during the Bills’ current four-game losing streak, leaving him frustrated and clueless:

“You start seeing things that you’re not really seeing, and you’re doing things that you’re not normally used to doing. Right now, I don’t really have any good answers.”

That is not what you want to hear your starting quarterback saying. I’ve gone from heralding Trent as the next great NFL quarterback to slowly but surely realizing he’s suffering through a slump he may or may not recover from. I do know this. By no means am I an expert on the quarterback position in the National Football League. But Trent needs to regain his confidence even if he’s not confident. What does that mean? Let’s use the Browns game as an example. At his position, I think he needs to keep “slinging it” or recede into the night. Unfortunately for the Bills last night, Trent chose the latter. Ten of his 16 completions were easy tosses to running back Marshawn Lynch. Now, one might argue that’s better than throwing more interceptions, but it’s not playing to win. It’s playing not to lose. And that usually leads to a loss.

Trent can still turn things around and be a great NFL quarterback. He’s already proven he has the physical capabilities and the leadership qualities. If he overcomes the mental part of the game — the part that’s holding him and this team back right now — I think he’ll have an outstanding career.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Trent Edwards Has Lost Confidence

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards continues to impress. Coming off a scary concussion that forced him out of the Bills only loss (to the Arizona Cardinals) two weeks ago, Trent returned after a bye week to break the Bills franchise record for completion percentage (his 83.3 broke Hall of Famer Jim Kelly’s 82.2) in an impressive 23-14 win over the San Diego Chargers yesterday. But it’s not a rocket arm — nor is it being fleet afoot — that has made Trent one of the NFL’s top-rated QBs so far this season. It’s his intelligence, decision-making and accuracy. Bills safety Donte Whitner is among the players that recognizes that:

“You have guys like Peyton Manning. You have guys like Tom Brady and these good quarterbacks all around the league. I think it’s time to start mentioning Trent Edwards as one of those good quarterbacks.”

One thing’s for sure. He’s pretty darn close. Just for the record (and because I love stats), Trent is second in the entire NFL in completion percentage and 4th overall in quarterback rating. He’s taking Bills fans back to their glory years and giving them every reason to Bill-ieve this team is playoff-bound.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Trent Edwards Among NFL’s Best

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Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson was fined $25,000 for his hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards last Sunday. I knew this was coming. Take a look at the replay. When a player puts the crown of his helmet into another player’s facemask and drives him to the turf, that’s unnecessary roughness. Adrian very easily could’ve gone lower, putting his shoulder into Trent’s midsection and wrapping him up on the tackle. This was a dirty play. I’ve always liked Adrian’s aggressive style, but this is just plain wrong and he would be lying to say otherwise. He knew what he was doing — trying to take out the opposing team’s quarterback. Which he did. Trent suffered a concussion and never returned to the game. Officials didn’t flag the play, but the NFL has a soft spot for its QBs and will go the extra mile to protect them. Adrian wasn’t surprised with the outcome and actually seemed kind of proud of his “accomplishment”:

“We’ll see where it goes, but it’s kind of hard to appeal something when you have 15 personal fouls in your career, numerous fines for hits like that. It’s kind of reputation ….. Anytime you have a quarterback on the ground, of course it is going to be questioned.”

The league reminded Adrian in a letter that he was fined twice last season, once for a late hit and once for a horse collar tackle, and that “future infractions can lead to increased disciplinary action.” Translated, that means his next such penalty will draw a one-game suspension and double the fine. Knowing Adrian, I really doubt he’ll change his game one bit. In fact, when he was asked that very question, his response was quickly, “No.” Do you think the league has a special lookout on Adrian Wilson now? You better believe they do. He asked for it.

Source: AZCardinals.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Adrian Wilson Fined $25,000

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards‘ workday came to an abrupt halt after just three plays this afternoon. Trent was looking down the gun barrel of Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson and completed a nice first down pass to rookie receiver James Hardy. But in the process, Adrian delivered a crushing helmet-to-facemask hit that gave Trent a concussion and knocked him out of the game for good. As he was being carted off the field, you could tell Trent didn’t really seem to know where he was or what was happening. It wasn’t a pretty sight. As it turns out, it was a bad omen for the Bills as they lost their first game of the season to the Cards 41-17. Bills head coach Dick Jauron gave a postgame update:

“Trent was responding, but still a bit groggy. Hopefully he’ll be fine as time goes by here.”

It won’t surprise me if Adrian gets a fine and possibly a suspension for the hit. The NFL is particularly protective of their quarterbacks and it’s plays like these that puts the highest profile players out of commission. With the recent emphasis on player safety, Adrian Wilson’s hit will not be taken lightly. As it shouldn’t be. Oddly enough, he wasn’t flagged for any wrongdoing on the play. I like Adrian Wilson. He’s one of the toughest safeties in the league. But he needs to have a better understanding of the rules if he wants to keep the money he’s earning. As for Trent, the Bills are on a bye this week, so he has some extra time to recover from the hit. And my guess is he’ll need it.

Source: BuffaloBills.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Trent Edwards Suffers Concussion

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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

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Lee Evans Gets Contract Extension

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Last weekend I spoke about the Buffalo Bills being “for real” in a hard fought win at Jacksonville. And I spoke of second year quarterback Trent Edwards “coming of age” as he led the Bills on a late scoring drive to take that game. In this afternoon’s come-from-behind 24-23 win over the Oakland Raiders, there was affirmation. And for everyone in Buffalo, it’s time to “Billieve.” The Buffalo Bills are 3-0 for the first time since 1992.

I can say the Bills won in spite of themselves. They turned the ball over three times — not a recipe for success in the National Football League. But they persevered. Safety Donte Whitner knows why:

“You have to stay mentally tough. That’s the difference between this year’s team and the past two years. There’s nothing different with the physical and not much different with the personnel except for a couple of new acquisitions. It’s the mental side of it. When things start getting hard we have the mental toughness to know we can still pull this thing off.”

The things they did well outweighed the things they did poorly. Buffalo only committed four penalties for 25 yards. The defense held a team under 100 yards rushing again. And the offense controlled the clock (34:27) and amassed 378 yards. But it was Trent Edwards’ resolve that led the Bills to this win.

Make no mistake, players need to block and catch and tackle. And they did. It is, after all, a team game. And the Bills understand the team concept very well. But as Trent Edwards goes, so will go this football team. And when the game was on the line, he responded by going 14-of-19 for 182 yards and a touchdown in the 4th quarter. I don’t want to put the kid up on a pedestal just yet, but it was the fourth time in 12 career starts that he rallied the Bills back when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. Impressive. A sign of greatness? It just might be. More time will tell.

Source: BuffaloBills.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Trent Edwards Leads Buffalo Bills

After last Sunday’s lopsided 34-10 Kickoff Weekend win over the Seattle Seahawks, I cautioned those who were excited about the 2008 Buffalo Bills starting their season 1-0. Clearly, as a healthy and retooled team, the Bills are better than last season. But the Seahawks were banged up and I couldn’t really tell if the Hawks were that bad or if the Bills were that good. I felt I would learn a lot more about these Bills after a tough road test in stifling heat against the Jacksonville Jags this afternoon.

Well, the Bills passed that road test in a hard-fought 20-16 win. The defense held the potent Jags running game to 98 yards and second-year quarterback Trent Edwards came of age today. In fact, this game could be a defining moment in his season — maybe even his career. He had impressive numbers (20-of-25 passing for 239 yards and a TD). But with the game on the line, his 37-yard completion to receiver Lee Evans and subsequent seven-yard touchdown pass to rookie James Hardy were perhaps the most important completions he’s made in his young career. I know there’s a long way to go in this 2008 season, but you can go ahead and get excited now. I think the 2-0 Bills are for real.

Source: NFL.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Are the Buffalo Bills for Real?