Trent Edwards Has Lost Confidence

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

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