COMMENTARY
Edwards needs to look downfield - and at other QBs
Published: October 07, 2009, 4:11 pm
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MIAMI — Trent Edwards seemed surprised, almost flustered, when the media asked him questions about other NFL quarterbacks Wednesday. Hard as it is to imagine, he hadn't even seen a replay of Brett Favre's amazing last-second throw to Greg Lewis to beat the Niners.
"You guys are asking me these football-related questions," Edwards said. "I didn't see that game, either. I didn't even see highlights. I didn't watch any of it. I'm sorry."
Well, it's too bad Edwards didn't see the Favre play. He might have learned something about throwing the ball down the field in a pinch. As you know, I'm no great Favre fan. I thought he should have stayed retired. The teary-eyed farewells and drawn-out returns have grown tiresome. It will be surprising if his battered, soon-to-be 40-year-old body makes it to the end of the season.
But on that final drive last Sunday, you were reminded what the fuss was all about, and why the Vikings — like the Jets before them — were willing to take a chance on a fading legend.
It was mesmerizing, watching Favre move around in the pocket before firing a laser to Lewis in the back of the end zone to win the game on the final play. I had forgotten how good an athlete he was, and how he could still buy that extra second he needed to make a decisive play.
That's what the great quarterbacks do. Once in awhile, when the game is on the line, they take the situation by the throat and find a way to lift their team to a victory. They make all other considerations irrelevant.
It's why quarterbacks get the biggest contracts, the hottest super models, the top endorsements. Either you have the franchise QB, or you're looking for him. When you find one, it's amazing how much easier things become. Coaches become smarter, offensive linemen more competent.
The Falcons were in disarray after the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal. But look how quickly they got back on their feet after drafting Matt Ryan.
The Saints became relevant as soon as they got Drew Brees. The Jets will be a factor for the next decade if Mark Sanchez is really this good.
How long has it been, Bills fans? How long since you looked at a quarterback and said, with assurance, we're set for the next decade. Jim Kelly played 11 seasons here. This is the 13th season since he left, and it's been a crisis almost the entire time.
Even with the good ones (Doug Flutie, Drew Bledsoe), there was a sense of impermanence, an understanding that they were keeping the position warm until the arrival of a younger, more viable long-term solution.
At some point, the need to believe becomes so great, you look past a guy's flaws. By the time we got to Edwards, we wanted to believe that his accuracy and intelligence would be perfectly suited for today's NFL. At times, he lives up to it. Too often, he has not.
What we need to see more of is what Favre did last Sunday, and what Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and Donovan McNabb have done so many times. Rise up to the big moment. Dare to make the big throw into traffic. Win a big game and spare us from hearing the usual mumbled excuses.
Today doesn't quite qualify as a big game. But it's the sort of game Edwards has to win if he intends to be the long-term answer. The Dolphins are winless. They're playing their backup quarterback, Chad Henne. They're giving up more big pass plays than any other team in the NFL.
Last week, the Bills squandered a solid game by the defense. Now it's time for the offense to make amends. Three-quarters of the Bills' starting defensive backfield will be missing. The offense needs to carry its weight today, and it starts with the QB.
This isn't the time for checking down. The Dolphins like to play man-to-man with their corners. They press the receivers at the line. They take chances. Edwards ought to do the same.
The NFL defines a "deep" pass as any throw that travels more than 15 yards in the air. The Associated Press crunched the numbers and found that Edwards had thrown only 13 deep passes this year, completing four.
Terrell Owens and Lee Evans have each had a stretch of more than 60 minutes without a catch this season. That has to change. More slant patterns would be nice. It would help if they threw 15 to 20 yards down the middle of the field — an area they seem to concede to opposing defenses.
Edwards keeps telling us he's taking what defenses give him. Evans makes subtle comments about missed opportunities. Owens speaks volumes by saying virtually nothing. He and Evans have combined for an average of 62 yards a game. At some point, something has to give.
The Bills have lost seven straight in the AFC East. If they're really better this year, they need to show it. Marshawn Lynch is back, which should allow them to move Fred Jackson out to receiver on occasion and give Edwards more options.
Of course, that'll give Edwards even more chances to drop the ball short, rather than find his wide receivers. One of the last things he said Wednesday was that he'll stick to what he has been coached.
Edwards should take a moment and check out Favre on the final drive last week. There are things in this game that you just can't coach.
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