During the radio broadcast of yesterday's 30-23 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Brent Axe of the Buffalo Bills radio network passed along this little tidbit: John Murphy and Mark Kelso had mentioned on-air that Dave Wannstedt, and not defensive coordinator George Edwards, was calling plays yesterday.
I was listening to the broadcast, and didn't hear Murphy and Kelso say anything about Wannstedt. If Axe said it, though, it's trustworthy. And, obviously, the news created a few intriguing waves in an otherwise routinely dull day watching and discussing a Bills game.
This morning, however, Bills cornerback Drayton Florence told WGR 550 that Edwards, not Wannstedt, was calling the plays.
When Axe tweeted during the game that Wannstedt was calling plays, I was floored. Not because it was surprising that Wannstedt was taking a more active role defensively - that possibility still exists (I may even call it a probability), and it's certainly warranted - but because I found it so surprising that Chan Gailey, who's big on continuity, would make such a drastic change in-season.
Now Florence says that Edwards retained his play-calling duties. It's hard to imagine Florence having a reason to lie about that - and he's not the player that would lie, anyway - so for now, I'm inclined to believe the player. But this is still the first time that we've heard of Wannstedt potentially having a more influential voice in Buffalo's defensive game planning and execution on Sundays. If you weren't convinced that Edwards' proverbial seat is balmy, you should be now.