Dazzling highs, horrifying lows, ordinary outcome for Bills’ Edwards

By Anthony Bialy  |   Wednesday, June 10, 2009  |  Comments( 52 )

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards must use mandatory practices to improve on his average grade. His 85.4 passer rating in 2008 placed him in the fat part of the bell curve; what’s disturbing is the way he sank from proficiency to ineffectiveness, ending up looking ordinary overall.

Fortunately for him and his team, the fact that he was good sometimes engenders hope that he can be good nearly all of the time this season. But he has to work on getting there now. Edwards’ main focus during June’s compulsory workouts must be consistency starting in September.

The California native should focus on making every practice snap perfect; that efficiency will allow him to rise in comparison to his fellow passers. Out of 32 quarterbacks who made at least 14 attempts per game last year, Edwards finished 17th in rating. He was sandwiched between the Denver Broncos’ Jay Cutler and Jake Delhomme of the Carolina Panthers, which sounds just about right for a player who distinguished himself in both good and bad ways over the season.

He oscillated wildly from game to game, causing panic that kept this charming man from getting what he wanted. As for the good, Edwards went over a 100 rating in four outings, namely against the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and Broncos, which unsurprisingly were all victories. Meanwhile, Edwards didn’t get rated above 80 in any contest he played where the Bills lost, excepting the 91.7 mark he got on three attempts before sustaining a concussion early against the Arizona Cardinals.

He bottomed out with a 49.2 in the team’s first loss against the New England Patriots, followed by a nearly as horrid 50.3 in the Cleveland Browns Monday night game. A sudden tendency to throw interceptions led to the alarming dip, as Edwards tossed eight picks over Buffalo's four-game midseason losing skid. He went from manic to depressive depending on the game, which is why Edwards ended up with a mediocre ranking.

To be fair, the Stanford product did improve from first to second season. Most notably, his yards gained per attempt jumped from 6.1 in his rookie campaign to 7.2 last year, a big part of why his number was well above his 70.4 level of 2007.

Plus, judgments about quarterbacks can’t be based entirely around passer rating. There’s no stat to appraise poise, confidence or toughness, which is why looking at play trumps looking at stats as the best performance measure.

Nonetheless, the outrageously complex formula that is passer rating produces a simple number that reflects general quarterback competence. Until NFL researchers are able to measure toughness, a mathematical unit that Bills fans would lobby to be called a Kelly (after Hall of Famer Jim, of course), rating provides a fairly accurate statistical ranking.

In that sense, Edwards has a project for 2009, namely maintaining evenness. He must also work to throw one number out of balance: He’s currently at zero in touchdown/interception plus/minus with 18 of each. Of course, Terrell Owens could help the passer increase his touchdown count, and in that sense minicamp serves a vital purpose. The two need to bond and get in sync starting now if Edwards is going to cash in on the opportunity.

That will help him improve his career rating from its current 79.1, which of course would merely serve as a measurable byproduct of him playing well constantly. As of now, his habit of being good sometimes isn’t good enough. Edwards' focus this year must be rising above pedestrian company.
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