Bills Patriots Reaction, Bills Release Trent Edwards

-Coast

I will begin by giving my reaction on the Bills Patriots game...and then get into the Bills decision to release quarterback Trent Edwards.

For the first time this season (except for the 2nd quarter against Green Bay), the Bills looked like a real NFL team. Yeah, they lost, but who really cares? Did anyone actually think at any point during the game that the Bills had a chance to win? Based on the past 10 years playing in Foxboro, there was no reason to think that the Bills would prevail. They did cover though and for the 2010 season, that is a victory.

Ryan Fitzpatrick had a typical Ryan Fitzpatrick type game. He made some plays, both with his arm and with his legs. He also made two crucial mistakes. He overthrew Parrish for a critical interception in the end zone and had another overthrown pass to the sideline intercepted on the Bills last drive of the game down by 8. In the end, Fitzpatrick went 20 for 28 for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with those 2 interceptions. 247 yards for a Bills quarterback alone is rare. Trent Edwards hadn't thrown for 247 yards since November 23, 2008 at Kansas City. Fitzpatrick threw for 297 yards at Jacksonville last season. That is the only game in 2009 that a Bills quarterback threw for 247 or more.

The Bills ran the ball well yesterday. They rushed for 134 yards on the day with a 5.6 yards per rush average. Marshawn Lynch led the way with 13 carries for 79 yards and is clearly the Bills best running back. Please hold your Fred Jackson love affair everyone who loves Fred Jackson. The Bills mixed CJ Spiller in very well yesterday and I think we all saw a preview of what a Lynch and Spiller 1-2 punch could look like. Speaking of Spiller, he looked like he warranted a top 10 pick yesterday. The 95 yard kick return was exciting to watch. He also had a 19 yard run that set up his touchdown reception.

The offense looked respectable...but the defense looked absolutely pathetic. It was one of the worst defensive performances I have ever seen to be honest with you. The Patriots ran it at will and passed it at will. Brady threw for 252 and 3 touchdowns. He was sacked only once but it was almost an accident as he tripped over Kyle Williams' arm. The Patriots ran for 200 yards as well and for the 2nd time in his career, the Bills made Ben Jarvis Green Ellis look like an all star. The Bills defense was absolutely no match for the Patriots offense. The Bills linebackers have to be the worst in the NFL. Patriots' tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski had field days. Wes Welker exploited the middle of the Bills defense on numerous occasions. Moss' two touchdown receptions were so easy. For the first time, I thought Jairus Byrd had a terrible game. What was he doing on the 2nd touchdown catch by Moss besides just trying to get a good view of the catch? The Bills defense is just no match for offenses with great quarterbacks because of the lack of a pass rush. Brady had all day. If you give a guy like that so much time, he will pick you apart.

The only other points I would like to make are that I would never ever attempt a 50 plus yard field goal on 4th and less than 5. It seems like the percentages just aren't in your favor. We haven't won in Foxboro in 10 years, go for the touchdown. Kicking a 51 yard field goal is low percentage. That miss pretty much sealed the deal as the Patriots then drove 59 yards for a touchdown to go up 15. Also, there is a rumor that the Bills are working on a $24M contract extension with Chris Kelsay. Seriously? Am I missing something with Chris Kelsay? Every time I watch this team play I just think about how bad he is. There has to be a better place to spend $24M.

The Bills play the Jets next week. I think they could realistically win this football game. Will they? Probably not, but I think they definitely can.

Now for the most important matter at hand...

The Bills Release Quarterback Trent Edwards

Is it Christmas? The Bills have finally cut the worst player to ever put on the red, white and blue in Trent Edwards. Trent wasted over three years of all of our lives and finally, FINALLY, Trent and his wanna be Tom Brady hair cut can a hike. The only problem I have is, how was he so much better than Brohm and Fitzpatrick that he easily won the job, and now, three weeks later, he is unemployed? I do give Nix and Gailey credit for getting rid of Edwards as soon as they realized he wasn't in their future plans, but why was he so easily given the job in the first place? Why wasn't Brohm or Fitzpatrick given more first team reps. I really, sincerely believe that the Bills would have won opening day had Fitzpatrick played. Edwards put together won of the worst QB performances I have ever seen in that game and the Bills still almost won. The Bills will now move on without the waste of life Edwards with Fitz as their starter and Brohm as the backup. Thank God. Let's look back at Edwards' career...

The Bills drafted Edwards with the 29th pick in the 3rd round of the 2007 NFL draft in a pick that Marv Levy said had too much value to pass up. The only problem Marv is that so many GMs with way more credibility than you passed on Edwards and all his "value."

Dick Jauron and Marv Levy loved this guy from the start. It seemed like as the 2007 season began, they couldn't wait for the first opportunity to put Edwards in the lineup. JP Losman was coming off a promising 2006 season. I believe that drafting Edwards ruined JP Losman's career, but that is just me.

Losman went down with an injury in week three against New England (who can forget the dirty shot to the knee that Wilfork gave Losman in that game? Also, who remembers that Derrick Dockery got fined more money for taking his helmet off on the field than Wilfork did with his hit to Losman's knees?). The Bills put in Edwards and he took the team down for a touchdown on his first drive, the only TD the Bills would score in the game. Edwards then started the next 4 games, leading the Bills to two wins (in which he needed to do nothing). People loved him still...he made good decisions, got rid of the ball, was this smart kid from Stanford with awareness, something Losman lacked. In hindsight, has anyone ever had less awareness than this guy? I don't think so. Edwards helped cost the Bills the Dallas game in 2007. His late interception at the end zone to Terrance Newman kept Dallas alive. In his 4th start at New York, Edwards got hurt and was subsequently benched for JP Losman for the next 4 games.

5 weeks later, Edwards returned to the linup at Washington. He led the Bills to a last second field goal and their only road win over a playoff team this decade (this might not be true, but it also may be true, I am not sure). The next week, at home vs. Miami, Edwards threw for 4 touchdowns (while completing only 11 for 23 passing)...although people once again loved him and were back on the Edwards wagon. With the Bills in playoff contention, Edwards played the last three games of the 2007 season...his numbers were 38 for 89 for 418 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions...4.7 yards per attempt. Still, Edwards would go into 2008 as the Bills starting quarterback.

Then, 2008 happened and never have I seen a guy and a team go from being so promising to being so bad almost overnight. The Bills started 5-1. Edwards was being annointed the franchise quarterback and one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL (by me included). What we all fail to realize is that the first four games of the season, all of which the Bills won, were over Seattle, Jacksonville, Oakland and St. Louis...all of whom would end up with a combined 16-48 record. Trent did have a great game against the Chargers at home, but obviously that was a fluke. Then everything turned south and in a hurry. Edwards put together 5 horrendous games in a 6 game stretch including what was in my opinion the major turning point in his career, the Monday Night game against the Cleveland Browns. Edwards threw 3 interceptions in the first quarter and the Bills lost 29-28. Marshawn Lynch had 10 receptions as Edwards was too terrified to throw the football more than 1 yard. It was the most embarrassing performance I have ever seen by an athlete in my life. The Bills finished that year after starting 7-9...Edwards was horrible in the 2nd half of the season, but the Bills still, STILL, thought they were Ok at QB and entered 2009 with Edwards as the starter.

Edwards was pathetic the whole season. I don't think he had a single good game. The Bills won only one game that he played a majority of the game in. Even after all of this, the Bills went into 2010 with Trent as their starter. It is amazing to think about how bad he was and how the Bills stuck with him. You can make the case that Dick Jauron ruined his career...maybe so, but in the end, the guy just doesn't have it, never had it and never will have it and the Bills should have learned this after the Browns Monday Night game in 2008. I would never have started him again after that game, ever.

So where do the Bills go from here? Fitz is the guy for the remainder of 2010, unless he gets hurt. If that happens, we will see Brian Brohm. Who knows what is in store for the Bills for the remainder of the season? Wherever the Bills do go, it won't be with Trent Edwards, finally.