My Kudos to Trent Edwards (and that dog video from this morning)
First off, here’s the dog…
Moving on… (note, it’s Friday and I’m a bit tired, so bare with me if there’s any mistypes, loose analogies, etc.)
- Yesterday I blogged about how Trent Edwards needed to step his game up or else a QB controversy would start brewing. JP Losman played very well in the first pre-season game and Trent was very ineffective.
Last night in Toronto, Trent showed me why he’s the starter and why he has a future. There is a noticable zip on his passes compared to last year. He makes decisions fast. He goes through his progressions properly, looks off safteys, and puts the ball where it needs to be put. His first touchdown pass of the two he threw was a big league throw, one that only a good QB can make because it really does have to be put exactly where he put it and no where else. His second was a result of good play calling and decision making. I also saw him audible a play at the line that got Marshawn Lynch 10+ yards and a first down. He’s confident, and has the swagger a leader of a team should have.
He blew me away last night with how far he’s come since last year. If he can keep this up and dop the same things consistently in the regualr season then there will be a lot of stories on the great Brett Favre not getting the Jets in the playoffs. I’m calling this right now: The Bills will determine if the Jets make the playoffs… the Bills will prolong or end the career of Brett Favre, and I’m predicting they end it.
I was also impressed with Defensive Tackle Kyle Williams. He wasn’t drafted high, in fact we drafted lowely John McCargo ahead of him and traded to get McCargo, but thus far Williams has been far more impressive. Marcus Stroud will no doubt get the attention, but if the Bills’ run defense succeeds this year it will be because Kyle Williams compliments Stroud perfectly.
- JP Losman looked bad. I was reminded last night why he is 2nd string: he simply does not make decisions well. He’s always looking deep and never throws the timing route (at least not effectively). He scrambles when he gets in trouble to buy more time and, in my opinion, protects himself from a potential big hit instead of standing in and making the throw. This isn’t a pre-season thing, this is his fundamental problem (one of them). Sometimes you just have to stand in, knowing a defender is bearing down on you, and whip a pass into your receiver. Instead, he never does this and instead tries to move around so he can comfortably make a throw, which usually leads to a sack. This is what separated him from Trent Edwards and is why Losman can’t get over the hump. He needs to be tougher and more authoritative with his decisions. He has a place in the this league, and all the tools to be a damn good QB, but until he improved that area he’s only a solid number 2.
- If you’re a Bills fan, you should be smiling right now about that game and not because the Bills won. The Toronto crowd was lethargic. They had to give away 15,000 tickets (not a mistype) to fill the place. There was very little cheering for the Bills, and I can promise you the game against Miami will not really be a home field advantage but instead more of a neutral site. This is a good thing for the Bills’ future because what the people of Toronto are doing is showing the NFL that in fact, no, your product does not work everywhere… my thanks to Dan Diggler (Christian Dan) on WCMF for that info that I totally agree with. If this is their level of excitement then the Bills’ plan is honest and genius, because the NFL couldn’t allow the team to move there but the Bills could still visit to improve their market and revenue. In other words, right now Bills fans you ahve nothing to worry about.
- Can someone tell me who told Terrance McGee to play 12 yards off of the receiver on every play? McGee is a decent corner, but he gives WAY too much room to receiver. When on 1st and 10 he’s giving a receiver a 10 yard cushion and as a result the oppenant gains 8 yards on a quick hook, it makes it very easy tog et a first down. If the Bills plan to bend, not break, fine… but don’t give and pray.
- Memo to Turk Schonert, the Bills’ offensive coordinator: that is how you call plays. Don’t stop doing it the way you did.
- Big Ben Roethlesberger is impressive. I don’t give him enough credit. It’s incredibly hard top bring him down and he got a lot of pressure from Buffalo’s front 4 last night. My one gripe with him is he seems to not make decisions in a hurry, and as a result puts himself in pressure situations. Then again, this is pre-season, but I’ve noticed it before.
August 16th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Edwards is said to have put on 15 pounds in the offseason and that certainly has led to the extra zip on his passes this summer. Arm strength was definitely one of his weaknesses last season. The other glaring hole in his game was his hesitancy to take chances downfield. Rookie WR James Hardy should help that cause. He’s either gonna give Edwards a huge target at 6″6′ or he’s gonna draw attention away from Lee Evans. The flip flopping at QB last season hurt Evans the most of any player on this team. Now with stability at QB and Edwards new found commitment to stretching the field here and there, Evans should put up numbers like he did 2 seasons ago. Edwards is a conservative QB. That’s a good thing. But being too conservative will stall this offense’s progress. They were ranked 30th in offense last season yet were in most the games they ultimately lost. Just a few big plays here and there could translate into 3 extra W’s and a wild card berth in the playoffs.