Poised rookie QB proving Bills’ Levy right

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, August 31, 2007  |  Comments( 63 )

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There's no doubt that J.P. Losman should begin the regular season as the Buffalo Bills' starting quarterback. After all, last year (his first full season at the helm) the 2004 first-round pick tossed 19 touchdowns and led the Bills to a 5-4 finish after a disastrous 2-5 start. However, whether the athletic, cannon-armed Losman can hang onto his job for the distant future is an entirely separate issue, especially with a prospect behind him who spent the entire preseason running roughshod over Buffalo's opponents.

At this point, it's pretty clear why the Bills' general manager, Marv Levy, spent a third-round pick in April's draft on ex-Stanford QB Trent Edwards. The 22-year-old was simply too promising to pass up; the fact that he fell all the way to the 92nd pick in the draft was stunning to many, and those in the Buffalo organization are beginning to see his true ability come to the forefront.

In the Bills' preseason finale Thursday night in Detroit, the mystique of Edwards managed to grow a little more. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder entered the game when Buffalo was trailing 13-0 with under two minutes remaining in the first half, then he proceeded to guide the offense to 16 unanswered points and a come-from-behind victory.

You can say that it's only preseason, that Edwards was playing against guys who probably won't even make Detroit's final roster. There's validity to those claims, for sure, but one could also state that Edwards was at the helm of a less-than-loaded offense with a group of guys who will be lucky to make the Bills' practice squad. Still, he managed to elevate the play of those around him while demonstrating the proper poise, intelligence and quick release not often seen in first-year passers.

No matter what test the Bills' coaching staff threw at Edwards, he passed it. Head coach Dick Jauron was looking for reasons to name Edwards the No. 2 QB over veteran Craig Nall, and he found them. The California native spent the first three preseason games outplaying Nall, then he did it again in Detroit. In total, Edwards completed 18 of 24 passes for 182 yards in two-plus quarters of action; he didn't take a sack, fumble the ball (Nall did) or toss an interception.

He even led the Bills on a third-quarter touchdown drive using the no-huddle offense, then he took the 'O' 90 yards in over six minutes to set up a game-winning field goal from Rian Lindell late in the fourth. That march should have culminated in a touchdown, but Bills offensive coordinator decided to attempt three basic handoffs inside the 10-yard line, all of which were stymied by Detroit's defense. After advancing his team so far, Edwards had to be quietly disappointed that Buffalo's play-caller suddenly grew conservative enough to make Strom Thurmond roll over in his grave.

Edwards' best play of the evening was definitely his 23-yard rainbow to receiver Jonathan Smith on the aforementioned winning drive. On a third-and-3 play, Edwards, demonstrating the cool demeanor he's now becoming known for, heaved a perfect pass to Smith for a first-down pickup. It was the kind of throw that would have made Joe Montana stand up and applaud.

On top of that, Edwards proved he does have ample arm strength. Unfortunately, his sole truly deep pass of the night was dropped by anonymous wideout Scott Mayle. Still, Edwards led his man perfectly, and there's no doubt that had Buffalo's stud No. 1 receiver, Lee Evans, been on the field and been the intended target, the play would have lasted 70-plus yards and ended in a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Losman -- who's still the Bills' top signal caller but is not necessarily a sure bet -- played his best game of the exhibition season. The 26-year-old completed 5 of 6 first-quarter tosses for 43 yards. In reality, he should have been 7 for 7. On one play, a fantastic third-down pass along the sideline, Losman completed his attempt to Peerless Price, but the referees claimed the latter was out of bounds. Rather than challenge the call, Buffalo's coaches inexplicably accepted the offense's fate and punted the ball away. In addition to that should-have-been completion, Losman found Price for another first down along the sideline, but the receiver was charged with a phantom offensive pass interference call.

As well as Losman fared in Motown, neither he nor Nall produced a series that led to points.

On the other hand, in four preseason games, the cerebral Edwards finished a jaw-dropping 46 of 61 for 432 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers.

Ultimately, whether Edwards actually sees the field this year rests with Losman, whose game must reach great heights in 2007. It truly is a do-or-die campaign for No. 7.

E-mail: cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

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CommentsComments: 63  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
jackson		07:41 AM
08/31/2007
I would not be suprised if he becomes the #1 QB for the bills by the end of the season, he has been looking very good. Lets just...
No.2
vince		08:04 AM
08/31/2007
Edwards has played well, but Craig Nall has gotten a raw deal. How can anyone say that Edwards has outperformed him when Nall...
No.3
Pagano		08:30 AM
08/31/2007
Connor...you're catchin up. By game 4 the fans will be calling for Edwards to start. Edwards is this teams QB for the next 10...
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