Gleason: Why stay committed to Edwards?
In case you didn’t hear, J. P. Losman is down to his final month with the Buffalo Bills. In the old days, saying goodbye to a former first-round pick would be grounds for intense scrutiny of the scouting department. These days, it’s viewed as another welcome step removed from the Tom Donahoe era.
Not that anybody cares, either, considering their other issues. Less than a month after the playoffs looked like a gimme, the Bills are in utter disarray. The passing game is a mess, the play calling atrocious, game management laughable, leadership invisible. The proverbial firing squad has assembled along One Bills Drive, waiting for Dick Jauron.
Oh, and the Bills play a home game on the road this week.
Five losses in six games can do a number on a team, making Sunday’s game against Miami in Toronto less a celebration and more a resuscitation. Regardless of whether Jauron has a contract extension, bringing him back will be the toughest of sells unless the Bills survive four weeks without CPR.
And that’s where Losman, strange as it sounds, is capable of making a difference. It would mean Jauron coming to his senses and shortening the leash on Trent Edwards with the idea Losman deserves another chance. Hold off on your “Subject: stick to hockey” e-mails because it’s no crazier than maintaining status quo.
A change was in order weeks ago, when it became apparent that Edwards was shaky after being knocked for a loop. Nobody knows for sure if he was suffering from concussion-related problems, but the guy wasn’t the same. He wasn’t seeing the field. He wasn’t making simple throws. He wasn’t doing anything Losman couldn’t do.
And the Bills were losing. While it became chic for fans and media to hail Edwards as a winner who excelled at game management and rip Losman as a bust and loose cannon, they never grasped marginal differences. Each is 7-9 in his last 16 starts. Edwards is just as capable of managing losses as Losman is of managing wins.
Losman has completed 59.5 percent of his passes in his career and thrown 32 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions. Edwards has completed 61.6 percent while throwing 17 TDs and 18 INTs.
Let’s be honest, Jauron has little to lose with a change at this point, other than four games and his job. Who knows, maybe Losman would beat Miami this week and gain momentum. At the very least, Losman would inject emotion into a passionless Bills team and give the Dolphins an unexpected twist.
The fact Jauron acknowledged the other day that he never considered switching quarterbacks this year should be an insult to every sucker who believed that they were serious about the playoffs.
Former third pick overall Vince Young is sitting on the bench while Tennessee rides Kerry Collins to an 11-1 record. Donovan McNabb was benched this season. Brett Favre was run out of Green Bay. Derek Anderson was benched after signing a big contract. Yet Trent Edwards is an untouchable?
This is nothing against Edwards, who has potential to be a good one. He’s a terrific person, someone you want dating your sister. He’s intelligent, polite, accountable, says all the right things. Unfortunately, he’s been better standing at the podium than he’s been standing in the pocket for the better part of a month.
Remember, it was Jauron who told Losman that life wasn’t fair upon handing the offense to Edwards. He doesn’t need to be fair. He needs to win.
How ironic it would be if Jauron failed to adhere to his own philosophy, wound up losing the last four games and was escorted out the door with the quarterback who could have saved his job.
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