QB Competition?
by BILLS on Aug 12, 2008 7:32 PM EDT
51 comments
In the recent Bills Digest there is a Q and A with DJ who says speaking of JP "It's very hard, but he's done an outstanding job of trying to keep his head in it all the time. He understands that he's needed and we want him here.Odds are we're going to need him at some point to perform."
Here's the interesting part "And he can also compete for the position. Trent is our starter, but like everybody else out here it's a competition. Anybody that's not the starter has to clearly take the job. If it's a tie the starter would keep the starting job"
So is the job open for grabs?
This FanPost was written by a registered user of Buffalo Rumblings. Its views do not necessarily reflect the views of Rumblings' editorial staff, but are just as valued as our own.
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Doubtful
Like everyone has been saying, Edwards plays to the liking of Jauron. Obviously we need to count on Losman if Trent goes down but that’s about it. If we’re in good shape by the end of the season, which cross your fingers that we are, I can see them letting Losman start to not only rest up Edwards, but to also showcase him for a possible trade next year. Losman isn’t a terrible backup, but to Jauron and the rest of the crew, that’s all he’s going to be. In my opinion.
Wearing my Bills jersey to the Eagles-Bills game last year in Philly probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. But then again, that's why they call me die-hard.
by FemaleFanatic85 on Aug 12, 2008 7:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Agree completely with this except...
Losman is a free agent next year so the Bills won’t show case him for a trade.
Please no QB comp. talk. (right now anyway) Edwards is the guy J.P. is the back-up . (I bolded the period for emphisis.
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on Aug 12, 2008 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No QB Competition Discussion?
Why is this topic off limits on this blog? There will be no personal attacks from me. At the game’s most important position, I just think one player is better than another. I understand what Jauron wants. I’d like to think that there is a reason to hope for something better. Never say never.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We never said off limits. It’s just… why? We know Edwards is the starter. It’s really case closed.
by Brian Galliford on Aug 13, 2008 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why?
Hope.
I love the Bills and I’ve been trying to love Edwards, too (no, not that way). I’ve watched every snap he’s taken as a Bill. I haven’t seen enough to be excited about. I want a legitimate reason to be excited about the Bills, and I can’t do that if I don’t believe in the guy pulling the trigger.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s not about what you or I want or hope. It’s about what Dick Jauron is going to do. And for the foreseeable future, he’s not changing the quarterback. So why even discuss it? In reality, we’re not sure either guy can take us to the promised land. So why create controversy when there isn’t any on Buffalo’s end?
by Brian Galliford on Aug 13, 2008 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hope and vision are the foundation of my interest in the Buffalo Bills.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Then wait for the time when hope and vision come into play – the future. This is the point that sireric made – it’s useless to discuss this now, because it’s not relevant now.
by Brian Galliford on Aug 13, 2008 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Here's hoping
that talent, the past, and the present are not good indicators of what the future will bring. LOL! Okay, as I replied to sireric, I’ll try to keep the lid on this topic. Thanks for the comments.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Question for you
Why do you think Losman is better than Edwards? We already know Losman can’t cut it and has looked downright brutal at times in his career. Edwards is a relative unknown, who may or may not take that next step, but I just can’t understand why anyone can think Losman is better.
He definitely has better athleticism and physical attributes, but as a QB, I just don’t see it. Now if we could take that from Losman and combine him with Edwards’ best attributes, we just might have a real NFL QB finally. Until science becomes that advanced, we have to live with what Edwards may become. Losman’s had his chances and there’s no use in having an open competition. Let’s let one QB finally know it’s his job and see where this goes. If Edwards falters this year, I’m not even sure I can see Losman being brought in….
~K
by Kurupt on Aug 13, 2008 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Attempted Answer.
Really, I could write an extensive and intense post on this topic. I’ll try to sum it up. Basically, I think that what Losman lacks can be learned, and what Edwards lacks can’t be learned. Due to his superior talent, I think Losman has a higher ceiling than Edwards. If Losman improves his reads and progressions, the Buffalo Bills could have something seriously special that very few other teams have. I want my team to have that.
I’ll admit it. I’m addicted to football talent, because more than anything else (yes, other things do contribute), I think that’s what wins games. And Losman isn’t comparable to Ryan Leaf or Jeff George, who had talent but no intangibles. I think Losman has very good intangibles (competitiveness, toughness, work ethic, good teammate, etc.)
Something else that I see in Losman’s play is confidence, aggressiveness, fearlessness, and guts. I see “want to” in Losman’s game. He wants to make big plays. I have yet to see such characteristics in Edwards.
For those that have closed the door on Losman, I say never say never. Just ask Terry Bradshaw and Drew Brees.
I have zero tolerance for weaknesses and limitations at the game’s most important position.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
funny that you mention Drew Brees and his career turnaround as well as your lack of tolerance for weaknesses. Drew Brees probably has the second weakest arm of any starter in the league. Chad Pennington being the weakest.
Weaker armed QBs can cover up that weakness with vision, timing and accuracy. You can’t compensate for inaccuracy and poor decision making.
by kaisertown on Aug 13, 2008 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Silver lining for Trent Edwards.
Good point. I’m trying to force myself to like Edwards because I love the Bills. I’m trying. Watching games, evaluting, and trying my best. It’s been tough to watch thus far.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just for now. If J.P. out performs Trent in the pre-season everyone will start clamoring for J.P. despite the fact that he will be playing against 2nd and 3rd stringers. Give Trent 3 or 4 regular season games and if he stinks it up we can talk about it. Not till then.
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on Aug 13, 2008 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Okay, I'll TRY to keep the lid on...for now :)
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's right
I am looking to see more than 9 preseason plays for Edwards beore anything…with that said, Tricky Dick said last night he only sees a limited amount of more playing time for the first teamers because of injury. I don’t know what that means for Trent, but he needs to see a full half of time behind center.
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 13, 2008 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
However
Cagey Dick just wishes that they had more time to prepare for the real season.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
by Fort Worth on Aug 13, 2008 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But
DJ is the one who opened the door to this discussion we were all happy that we didn’t have a QB controversy. And we still probably don’t.
Bills Fan in PA
by BILLS on Aug 13, 2008 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As someone alluded to, this is just coach speak. You know… “We fought hard.” “Every position is an open competition.” The things coaches say to keep guys motivated. Definitely not something that should be read into in any way, shape or form.
by Brian Galliford on Aug 13, 2008 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I forgot....
he is a FA next year.
Wearing my Bills jersey to the Eagles-Bills game last year in Philly probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. But then again, that's why they call me die-hard.
by FemaleFanatic85 on Aug 12, 2008 8:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
QB Competition
Of course it is an open competition. Don’t forget Jaurons job is directly tied to how well the starting QB does. If the Bills start 0-2 or more likely 0-3 and TE is tanking he is gonna get the hook.
by bflobob8 on Aug 12, 2008 8:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
How silly of you!
Jauron will replace starters based on performance but I can’t imagine him replacing Edwards with Losman regardless of how poorly Edwards does or how good Losman looks in preseason. Now if the backup had a similar playing style to Edwards and outperformed him, that would be an entirely different story….
by Ron From NM on Aug 12, 2008 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't believe this at all
Really, if JP were better, than he would be the guy. Playing style doesn’t matter if you are lighting it up, or at least managing the game effectively. At the beginning of the year, Losman did neither of these things, and when Trent came in, they saw what they had and said (probably), “This rookie Trent is playing as good if not better than our four year veteran. Let’s let him keep going, even if JP gets healthy.”
So they did, and now we have Trent Edwards, who I currently see having more upside at this point. But of course you could argue it is a scheme thing, and maybe it is, but like I said, if JP performed beyond the scheme, Edwards would be the back up until he matured. Most conservative guys, like Jauron, would want their young QBs progressing at a slower rate. Edwards was not a 1st rounder so there is no pressure to throw him in there. I have to trust the coaching staff that Trent is the better QB for this team.
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 12, 2008 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Better is a nebulous term
Losman had a higher QB rating, better completion percentage and more yards per completion. You could argue that he was ‘better’ from a statistical standpoint, which isn’t the same thing as saying that he performed at a starting caliber level. Losman, in order to start over a healthy Edwards would need to be better than just better. He’d need to be significantly better than Edwards pretty much across the board both statistically and with the intangibles. Losman would have to improve dramatically (or Edwards suddenly forget that footballs aren’t for dribbling) for Jauron to even consider starting him. After all, starting Losman and getting the most out of him would require Jauron to abandon his entire offensive mindset. Jauron might do that for a Favre or Manning but he won’t do it for a Losman.
by Ron From NM on Aug 12, 2008 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why couldn’t a vet execute a simpler style of offense? Why would a competent person, in any profession, not be able to perform at a level requested of him by his boss? No matter the desire of the offense, there was still room for JP to be JP and make plays last year, but even his throws, especially horrendous in the Pittsburgh game, were skipped off the ground or thrown high, and he was unable to establish a rhythm that would have a llowed the offense to open up later in the game or at least take advantage of a positive situation.
Stats don’t tell the whole story and it was very clear last year that a rookie outperformed Losman, and now, said rookie from last year will get the same chance Losman had the previous year. He will be the incumbent starter, no questions asked, and he will be asked to perform from the first game forward. I have said before that to have a rookie 3rd round draft pick, upstage a vet starter who finished the 2006 season on high note is very demoralizing for a franchise.
Edwards can make all the throws as we have seen last year, as he did go deep, threw touchdowns and, outside of some of the worst weather we have seen in any football game, he was quite accurate for a rookie QB who by the end of the year was feeling some of the growing pains of a full NFL schedule.
It is true however, that Losman would have to be a top flight QB in order to take the starting position, just as he would have had to do to justify a long term extension last year that would have him being paid like a very good starting QB in this league.
The point of all this however, is to merely say that it is not because of Jauron’s offensive minset, which i belive is a myth and that he wouldn’t abandon it for a player like Favre or manning, because those players have the aptitude to execute their coaches philosophies effectively.
Anyway…if JP were better I would want him starting too, and I do think it is always a competition, because when you play football, no matter the level (unless its little league and daddy is the coach) the better player will always get the nod and it is always a competition, whether it is for right guard, running back, or quarterback; no matter the conspiracy theory that Ralph wants Edwards or anything else
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 12, 2008 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Myths
The argument that Edwards is more accurate than Losman is a myth. You can perseverate on balls that Losman short hopped or overthrew but it doesn’t change the fact that Losman completed 63.4% of his passes while Edwards completed 56.1%. If Edwards were more accurate than Losman he’d have completed a higher percentage of his passes than Losman. He didn’t. Maybe Edwards’ completion percentage will begin with a ‘6’ this season and maybe it won’t. We won’t know until the season is over. Until then you can’t bash Losman for his inaccuracy while praising Edwards for his.
Don’t misunderstand: I’m not saying Losman is the better QB or should be the starter but rather that people should give the man his due. It’s not a conspriacy theory to acknowledge that Edwards plays the game the way Jauron wants it played (and Losman does not). From that point it’s a pretty short hop to the realization that there really is no QB competition. As much as we might like to argue the pros and cons of each man, Jauron is going to start Edwards because he fits Jauron’s scheme. Because it’s a team sport, having a guy who fits Jauron’s scheme gives the Bills a better chance to win. One guy marching to the beat of his own drum really doesn’t work in football. Everything flows from the fact that Edwards and his playing style are well suited to Jauron’s offensive philosophy.
I’d like to hear your basis for calling the widely held view that Jauron perfers a conservative offense a myth. To my mind Jauron clearly favored a run heavy/short passing game while he was the head coach of the Bears and he’s carried that over to Buffalo. In support of my theory, I believe that Buffalo was the only team to run more often than pass last season. Yes, it was only 3 more runs than passes but most teams were clearly pass heavy. It may not be the most exciting philosophy (except for dorks like me who like watching the battles in the trench) but, paired with a dominant defense, it has yielded Super Bowl titles.
By the way, I believe that Jauron would adapt his philosophy if he had the right player. If Losman had paired his natural ability with good decision making and won more games I don’t think Jauron would have tried to change Losman’s playing style. As it was, Losman wasn’t able to consistently succeed with his playing style. Jauron, for his part, likely sees inconsistency as the very hallmark of Losman’s playing style. There are a few, like Favre, who can be amazingly effective with it but most often slow and steady wins the race.
by Ron From NM on Aug 13, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well put, Ron
I think you’re right about Losman’s inconsistency costing him the starting job. Much as we rag on Edwards’ for his dull style, he is somewhat more consistent than J.P.
Get the Bills back to the big game!
by Blitz on Aug 13, 2008 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Couple last things
I understand your point in stating Losman should get his due, but i will remain in my opinion that he got his due and let his chance slip away already.
Also, Edward’s percentage has to be looked as merely a stat, which again does not tell the whole story, especially when including the Giants and Cleveland games.
Also, in regards to all of this, we should all agree that the Bills in ‘05-’07 were missing key weapons on offense at TE and WR, and that the coordinator Fairchild was not a good play caller or strategist.
With that, i have to point out this Pat Kirwan article in regards to your thoughts on run/pass ratio:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessionid=DF022093F160819A9FFD1E0B9F10DAF3?id=09000d5d809215cf&template=with-video&confirm=true
In it, Kirwan states that last year – the Vikings, Steelers, Raiders, Bills, Tennessee, and Chargers – all ran more running plays than passing plays.
And finally, it is not merely Losman’s inconsistency that lsot him the job, but also his ineptitude. i guess that goes hand in hand, because he does make some great throws, but so do a lot of QBs in the NFL, even ones who currently are running the treadmill at their old high schools.
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 13, 2008 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is it just me?
or does it seem like J.P. is wound a little too tight to be starting material?
Get the Bills back to the big game!
by Blitz on Aug 13, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don't know what it is
But I think you are onto something. I have been a fan of his from the beginning, waiting for that raw talent to solidify into a productive QB, but it has never happened. Some of the biggest trouble with him is that it is hard to gauge when he will be good and when he will be bad, but it is certain that teams with good defenses startle him the most. With that said, I would like to also note that JP has not had the greatest offense to work with, and that certainly has had a lot ot do with his trouble…but like I said, Edwards as a rookie was able to look more capable with the same team, and that is what separates them. Again, I must state that is a rookie 3rd round pick, not a four year vet, so that is the basis for my frustration with him.
However, i love him as my back up, and think that he could be useful in that role as i do not see a team shelling more than back up money for him next season. he has talked trade, but i still would like to see him as the back up next year if Trent proves to be a productive QB
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 13, 2008 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Edwards just seems less frazzled
in the pocket than J.P. However, I believe J.P. can be a top backup QB in this league. He still has a lot going for him.
Get the Bills back to the big game!
by Blitz on Aug 13, 2008 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
JP won’t sign here next year. His agent has basically admitted that.
Backup money these days is a little over 3 mil a season and if Edwards plays well enough to be the starter I can guarantee you that this organization is not willing to pay that to a backup. Cleo Lemon, Billy Volek, Trent Green and Todd Collins all got 3 mil a year deals.
by kaisertown on Aug 13, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The future if...
Let’s say, Edwards has a year that the optimists might think, something like 2:1 TD to INT ratio and 3000+ yards…does that signal to the front office that they should then put an offer to him early, Edwards that is, to extend and rework his contract, like they have other players with potential so to pay him more than he is worth at the moment, but less than he would be worth in the future? Perhaps this way they could sign a top-tier back up…for nearly the same amount of money, because I am sure Edwards does not make 3 mil a year now, but could with a revamped contract, and if JP does go, as seems logical, then we need a good, solid back up, and not another rookie for the fans to go ga-ga over. (Cleo Lemon 3 mil a year, that is craziness) However, i think JP will be hard strung to nab 3 mil a year anywhere, and probably couldn’t sign more than a 1 year deal. He’ll probably do it though, because his thick head won’t rationalize that he just might be back up only material. Of course, if our offense proves stronger, Trent goes down and JP takes us to the playoffs, i don’t know what to think
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 13, 2008 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely
If Edwards throws, say, 26 TDs against 13 INTs while amassing 3000+ yards Buffalo needs to revisit his contract. He will have clearly outplayed his 3rd round draft pick deal.
by Ron From NM on Aug 15, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
couple things
If Trent puts up the numbers you threw out in your post, the Bills will have probably have to give him a new deal and he will make way more than 3 mil a season for the average year of the deal, but it would probably be an ascending contract that doesn’t pay him over 2 mil a season and probably only abut a mil for the first couple of years of the new deal. There would also be signing bonus money involved and the Bills like to pay that up front. So if the Bills sign Trent this offseason you are probably looking at 5-8 mil invested in the QB position next year, but just 1-2 mil in 2010 and then a salary of 3+ mil in 2011 and probably 5+ in 2012 and beyond. And I think those numbers are low if anything.
JP will definately get 3 mil a season and he won’t have to sign a 1 year deal. Look at the guys who all got that much money last year. I know it seems crazy, but QB is the most important position and that is market price.
Cleo Lemon – 3 years – 8.1 mil, possible 1 mil in incentives.
Todd Collins – 6 years – 19.8 mil, last 3 years have a salary of 3.6 mil and are voidable by team and player
Trent Green – 3 years – 8.9 mil. Green turned 38 in July.
Billy Volek – 3 years – 9 mil
Chris Redman – 2 years – 5 mil. Another 3 mil can be earned through incentives and escalators.
Shaun Hill – 3 years – 6 mil. Another 5.5 mil in possible incentives.
Josh McCown – 2 years – 6.25 mil
JP is young, has lots of starting experience and has had some success. It is going to be an average draft for QBs and the FA class is solid, but nothing special. Why would you think Losman could be had so cheaply?
by kaisertown on Aug 15, 2008 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Guess your right abuot JP
Its just that he hasn’t got such a bad rap by many commentators I guess, that it is the impression I get as ar as his standing in the league.
However, i will say, that he belongs in that group unfortunately for him, but certainly has more potential, and also has not had any significant injuries like players who can’t find work like Culpepper and the just signed Leftwich.
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 15, 2008 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
haha I guess I should’ve just read the whole thread before responding to Ron. I basically just said what you did. Only, you said it better.
by kaisertown on Aug 13, 2008 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
A couple of things for Ron:
I agree with the general point you are trying to make, but ….
Edwards was more accurate than Losman was last year. You can’t just look at the season stats and determine that. Edwards stats were very skewed by his first appearance and the bad weather games. Edwards went 10 for 20 against NE. And then in the bad weather only completed 13 of 33 against Cleveland and 9 of 26 against the Giants. Those games are what makes Edwards’ season so poor looking from a statistical perspective. Completion percentage also doesn’t consider how accurate the completions were and how bad the incompletions were. In my opinion, Edwards hits guys in stride more often than Losman does.
And I totally agree with you about Juaron’s style of offense being conservative in nature. I do think Schonert will jazz it up a bit, but it should mostly look the same. I also want to point out the difference between quick short completions and check down dumpoffs. Quick timing routes aren’t conservative in nature. They force the defense to blitz less and pull DBs closer to the line of scrimmage. In theory, the west coast style of offense sets up for the big play better than every other system. Dump offs are another thing entirely and we do see too much of it from Trent, but when he sits in the pocket for four seconds and checks down to Jackson, you can’t blame that on Fairchild and Juaron. The point I am trying to make is that while the offense is conservative, it won’t be that conservative this season unless Trent makes it that way.
The Bills technically ran more than threw, but if you take out the 38 rushing attempts that Losman, Edwards and Moorman combined to attempt and add back the 26 sacks the team gave up, the Bills called more pass plays than run plays last year.
Tennessee, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Pittsburg and Oakland all ran more times than they did pass last season.
by kaisertown on Aug 13, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Accuracy and weather or good teams
To put it bluntly, who cares? Edwards, Losman or the water boy they put in the play QB has to be able to make all of the throws regardless of weather conditions or quality of opponent. Buffalo isn’t going to overtake the Pats by excusing poor QB play because, after all, it was the Patriots. Any successful QB in Buffalo is going to have to deal with bad weather and high wind. Edwards hasn’t shown he can do that yet. Losman has the arm for it but not the aptitude. What’s Hamdan got? Or Baker since he started after Losman last night….
by Ron From NM on Aug 15, 2008 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with you but that isn’t the point. The point is that you can’t just put their stats side by side and get a good feel for who is the better QB. I also think that the way he got his first playing time and the extreme weather make his stats misleading if you are using them to predict his future performance. And I don’t mean you specifically, but fantasy owners, for example, will look at his numbers from last year and assume that he will have similar stats this season. His stats indicate how he played last year, but not how good of a QB he is or how he is going to play this season.
And again, Losman had a higher completion percentage last year, but he wasn’t the more accurate QB. Edwards hits guys in the numbers and hits players in stride more often than Losman does.
Sure Edwards will have to play in bad weather and pretty strong winds, but that Cleveland game was ridiculous. Odds are he will never have to play in conditions like that for the rest of his career. how often do we get 40mph gusts on sundays? once every couple of years? I don’t think his performance in bad weather is too concerning because of how extreme the weather was. If he stinks it up this November and December in more typical winter conditions, then it will be entirely different.
by kaisertown on Aug 15, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You're giving him a pass on the NY game?
Wasn’t that fairly standard brutal December weather?
I’m not saying that Losman should be the starter. I am saying that some people seem to be incapable of admitting that Losman isn’t all bad or that Edwards isn’t all good. They’re both works in progress. Losman will have to try to find a place to continue his development at the end of the season while Edwards, unless he really stinks it up this year, will continue his development in Buffalo. As a Bills fan, I’m rooting for the starting QB—whomever he is.
by Ron From NM on Aug 15, 2008 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Do you really not remember the Giants game?
The weather went back and forth between rain and snow and sleet. The game started with 30+ MPH gusts and got worse throughout the day. There were consistent 50 MPH gusts during the 4th quarter.
The Giants were smart enough to only attempt 15 passes. Manning only completed 7 of those attempts and threw 2 picks. The 2 QBs combined to throw 4 picks in the 4th quarter.
The Cleveland and New York games were hardly your typical winter day. There isn’t one day every other December as bad as either of the Bills crazy weather games from last season. There is a decent chance Edwards will never have to play in conditions that bad for the rest of his career.
by kaisertown on Aug 16, 2008 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wasn’t at the Giants game. When I got back from Vegas I watched the game but paid attention to the line, not the wind. I lived in Buffalo at the beginning of the Kelly years and remember a couple of really windy days. Edwards will have to throw in high winds. He hasn’t done so effectively yet, which isn’t the same as saying that he can’t be effective in high winds. Kelly was able to do so and many visiting QBs openly marveled at his ability to throw accurately when they could not. Buffalo needs a QB who can throw in high wind, because the QB is going to see those conditions more than once per career. Edwards may be that guy. He may not be.
by Ron From NM on Aug 16, 2008 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Edwards started the game playing well. It was going back and forth between rain and snow and the winds were a consistent 20 mph with 30 mph gusts. Here are Edwards’ first half stats:
1st – 8/16 – 143 yards – 2 TDs
As the second half moved along the winds picked up and the rain and snow started turning into rain and sleet. By the 4th quarter the winds were a consistent 30 mph with 50 mph gusts. Here are Edwards’ second half stats:
2nd – 1/11 – 18 yards – 3 INTs
The game got so bad that in the 4th quarter the Giants ran the ball 12 times and only attempted 2 passes. Manning got sacked and fumbled the first time and threw a pick the second time he dropped back to throw.
Theres a pretty good shot that Edwards will never have to play in a day that combines those winds and that much precipatation ever again. I know that Kelly played great in a lot of snowy, and windy days, but Edwards played just fine in the first half. Edwards played well at home against Miami on a cold snowy day too. I don’t ever recall the Bills playing in a game that was so snowy, you could barely tell what was going on like against Cleveland and 50 mph winds happen once or twice a year and Kelly probably went his whole career without playing in them more than once or twice. Like I said before, if Edwards struggles in more typical December weather this season, I will be concerned, but what he had to play through last season is something that he probably won’t ever have to deal with again.
by kaisertown on Aug 16, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The weather
I was watching some of the Eagles/Panthers game the other night and Darryl Johnston said the weather at the Bills/Giants games was by far the craziest he had ever seen/experienced.
~K
by Kurupt on Aug 16, 2008 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
PLUS
This from being at that game…It was fine the first quarter, which may have been Edwards best quarer as a bill and it looked like we were going to kill them. But as the rain got/snow/sleet/wind got unbelievably terrible, our team’s weaknesses showed up 1. Inability to stop the run, and 2. our non-existent power running game without a true fullback and run blocking scheme against a very good Giants Defense. Edwards definitely deserves a pass from those two games (the other at Cleveland)
And…just to prove that JP’s 63.4% (or whatever) does not tell much, look at Thursday’s game, and tell me if JP had a good night, even though he had a high percentage
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 17, 2008 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s not a competition at all. That quote is coach speak and nothing more. Of course that is what DJ is going to say. How would you expect him to answer that question differently?
by kaisertown on Aug 12, 2008 8:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Losman will always look good against "inferior" teams and talent....
problem is….when the stakes rise…and the competition is stronger…Losman fades away…....(For people who like to quote his 2006 “stellar” year…...go back and take a look at his stats from the last two games of the year…...and then consider that the Bills before those two games were still in the playoff chase at 7-7 and both teams that beat Him and the Bills were fighting for playoff position as well. Lets just say that JP didnt exactly “show up” and perform like he did against the SKINS 2nd/3rd strings)
http://bills.sportsbloggingnetwork.com/
by norcaliangelsfan on Aug 13, 2008 6:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
My point
in posting this was that I was very surprized to see that in writing—-that there is competition for the position, I didn’t ever expect to see that in print from DJ. I was of the impression that TE is not in a competition for starting QB.
Bills Fan in PA
by BILLS on Aug 13, 2008 6:34 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Competition for every position in the NFL
The Bills CAN win every game
by killascript on Aug 13, 2008 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Point taken
but you have to realize there is a certain amount of “coachspeak” going on here. Jauron is really saying that the QB job is Edwards’ to lose. J.P. is playing this season for a FA contract next offseason.
Get the Bills back to the big game!
by Blitz on Aug 13, 2008 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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