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Wednesday Bills News and Notes

By Brian Galliford

So that pile of schoolwork I left by the wayside yesterday? Well, it's had its way with me this morning - so in lieu of anything creative, here's what I've been reading about our Bills over the past 48 hours. You should check this stuff out.

You know what? I knock Jerry Sullivan a whole bunch, but he had two articles I very much enjoyed this week. The first discusses WR Josh Reed:

The play called for Reed to line up outside to the right and run a deep turn-in -- or a "dig route." In the heat of the moment, with 80,000 Redskins fans roaring and the rain steadily falling, Reed saw the irony of the moment. Here it was, a chance for redemption. Just get it there, Trent, he told himself. I'll do the rest.

"Whether the safety hit me or not, I was going to catch it," Reed said. "That's what I do, man. I'm not usually one of those guys who stretches the field. But I can do it when they ask me. I can make those tough catches over the middle and take the pressure off the other guys."

You know why I like Josh Reed? He does what all offenses need: moves the chains. No, he's not a starting wideout, nor should he ever be. But he's got "ideal slot receiver" written all over him, and he's one of a very limited number of skill position players that Steve Fairchild uses to their fullest potential. He's got a large role to play in this team's future.

The second Sullivan article discusses Trent Edwards' big play:

Now the Bills needed the big play. They needed Edwards to make the sort of throw that his critics have been waiting for his entire rookie season. Not some conservative, check-down throw, but a big one. Down the middle of the field, with the game on the line.

Edwards calmly stepped up in the pocket and delivered a perfect strike beyond the lunge of a linebacker and into Josh Reed's welcoming arms. It went for 30 yards, giving Edwards exactly 200 yards passing in the second half, and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

I'm trying not to get overly excited about that throw - yes, it was great, but we've seen J.P. Losman make throws like that as well. Trent's got ability, but the kid has a very long way to go. Still, he deserves praise for that throw. Very gutsy, and potentially a season-saver.

Gil Brandt of NFL.com has a nice write-up on Fred Jackson - our reserve runner is quickly becoming a bit of a celebrity.

Connor Byrne, a favorite here, doesn't like the lack of playmaking from Donte Whitner:

Entering this season, fans expected Whitner to start developing into a ball-hawking safety. So far, it hasn't happened. Although the 5-foot-11, 208-pounder has been terrific as a leader on Buffalo's defense, he has neither an interception (as mentioned previously) nor a pass defensed; aside from Whitner's 73 tackles, his only meaningful contribution on the score sheet is a solitary forced fumble.

This is something we've discussed here. Byrne isn't wrong, but I don't know if he's going to see a rectification to his beef before the end of the season. Whitner isn't ball-hawking because he's not in a ball-hawking role; once Buffalo gets healthy in their front seven and adds a little more talent up there, then I think we'll start to see Whitner blossom. For now, he's a great young leader on a scrappy young defense, and I'm glad we have him.

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