Sullivan: QB situation not a picture of good health
The question was simple and direct, an invitation for Lee Evans to affirm his faith in Trent Edwards as the Bills' No. 1 quarterback, and to recite the standard wisdom about starters not losing their jobs due to injury.
Lee, do you think Ryan (Fitzpatrick) could seize the job if he plays well and the team keeps winning?
"We'll see," Evans said Wednesday. "It's kind of hard to speculate on it right now. We just hope that Trent gets back healthy, gets himself together and we'll move forward with that situation."
Not what you'd call a rousing vote of confidence. Two years ago, if you recall, Evans declared his undying support for J.P. Losman when Losman got hurt and Edwards took over. Losman earned the job, Evans said at the time, and it should be his when he's healthy again.
So "we'll see" is a significant departure for the star wide receiver, though it's hardly a surprise. If Evans isn't the biggest Edwards fan, it's probably because Trent doesn't have Losman's inclination for heaving the ball 60 yards downfield at the slightest opportunity.
Evans has seen his big plays decline with Edwards starting. Before last Sunday's game, he had gone 16 games — the equivalent of a full season — with a single catch of more than 35 yards, and only one TD. No bombs. No quick slants where he caught a short, precise pass in stride and went to the house.
Then Edwards got hurt at the Meadowlands. Fitzpatrick came in and found Evans on a quick slant, and Evans ran away from defenders for a 37-yard TD. It had been at least a year since Evans, one of the fastest men in the league, broke that sort of play. No wonder he's not clamoring for Edwards to get back.
He's not the only one. Sure, they wish Edwards the best in his recovery from another concussion. Head injuries are a growing concern in the NFL, and you worry how it will affect Edwards in the future. But you got the distinct sense that the Bills are content to see what Fitzpatrick can do in the meantime.
I don't think Fitzpatrick is the answer. But the NFL is a "win-now" league. Players live in the moment. After three grisly weeks of offense with Edwards at QB, you can't blame them for getting a surge of good feeling about Fitzpatrick. One big pass and one comeback will do wonders for the overall mood.
If nothing else, a change in QBs provides a momentary diversion from the dysfunction that preceded it. The players will welcome anything that can make the season seem new and fresh, any sign that things might be improving.
Alex Van Pelt coached on the sideline against the Jets for the first time in his career as offensive coordinator. The Bills huddled for the first time. They won, so it worked, and they're sticking to it.
"I had watched so many games down there for so many years," Van Pelt said. "I think that's where I belong. Did I make a mistake by [being in the booth] early? Maybe. I thought that was going to be best for me at the time, but I'm glad I'm down on the field now."
Van Pelt was asked what Fitzpatrick does well. He said the Harvard graduate has a "big arm." He said Fitzpatrick is comfortable stretching the field and makes good adjustments to help the pass protection. It seemed Van Pelt was reminding us of the things Edwards does not do particularly well.
Evans said Fitzpatrick was a guy you could "trust." An interesting choice of words. He said Edwards and Fitzpatrick were "totally different types of quarterbacks," without elaborating. From what I've seen, they're not that much different at all. Big arm? The knock on Fitzpatrick since he came into the NFL was that he didn't throw downfield well.
Evans and Van Pelt make Fitzpatrick sound like the second coming of Joe Namath. Maybe they're trying to tell us something about the other guy.
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