Bills, Colts kick it off

It's Game Three for the Bills in preseason, which usually means starters get most of the work. But the Bills and the Colts are going with backups at quarterback tonight as J.P. Losman has the controls with Trent Edwards nursing a bruised quad and Jared Lorenzon starting for the Colts. Lorenzon is battling Quinn Gray for the third-string job but got the call when backup Jim Sorgi was kept out with what was called a "gimpy knee".

Comments

[toolateJP]

JP has had plenty of time to fix those things. He has proven over and over again that he cannot complete simple passes in game situations and will never be a reliable, consitent QB in the NFL. Trent is unproven but he is the best chance we have right now. If he ends up sucking, then, well, we suck again.

[Dominic S]

Losman got screwed last year. He never got a fair chance last season after having a great 2nd half of the season the previous year. He was horribly hampered by Fairchild. When he got a half-azzed chance in the middle of last season, he had a great game, and average game, and a poor game. The Bills won some games with Edwards in there, but I never thought he looked particularly good. I'm sure they would have won those same games with Losman in there, and I am certain that Losman would have done better in those two bad weather games; he could hardly do worse.

Against the Colts, Losman showed major improvement in all the areas of his game most criticized. There was only one play that reminded me of the 'bad' JP - when he was flushed out of the pocket towards the left sideline and he pulled up and chucked it down field just before getting pummeled. But that was not a bad play. He did not take the sack. He put the ball in a place where the only person who had a chance to catch it was the receiver. It would have been one hell of a catch to pull that ball in, but at least it was not a dangerous ball. At worst, he threw it away to avoid the sack.

I certainly can't say that all that was wrong with JP is now fixed based on this one game. But on the other hand, I can't understand why it was pre-ordained that Edwards was the starter at the start of camp. I saw nothing last season that showed he was clearly better than JP. The team made their decision in the middle of last season and decided to stick with it. I disagreed with the decision then and I still do. Not only do I think it would have been the smart football move for the Bills to have had an open competition for the starting job in camp this year, I think the Bills owed that to JP.

I really hope that the Bills see something in Edwards to justify the confidence they are placing in him. To me, he seems like an OK QB. Maybe with more experience he will become a good, or possibly even great QB. He did look very good in the previous pre-season game. But from what I have seen so far, JP has a stronger and more accurate arm. If JP fixed his pocket presence and tendency to hold on to the ball too long, then he would be the clearly better QB. Has JP fixed those things? I don't know. Do the Bills coaches know? Have they bothered to consider it?

[Champkind]

Any chance we could get updates on injuries to James Hardy, Roscoe Parrish, and Trent Edwards.

[Eric]

Want to know what I enjoy? Former News writer and now ESPN blogger calling out the Buffalo News for its terrible coverage of Sunday's preseason game. Now, if only someone outside of Buffalo would notice the terribly biased coverage toward the Sabres. Then again, I guess we deserve mediocrity because we're from Buffalo. Ridiculous I say.

[D Grimes]

it's almost 8:30 pm on 8/25........why does the News still have a link to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette? don't they know that the Bills played the Colts on the 24th?????
way to update the site!
Butch

[Jimmy the Greek]

NFL Network should have gone "all-in" and just served fried chicken to the announcers during the game.
They could have been eating food as they were announcing.

[Champkind]

I am kind of confused why hasn't there been an update on Langston Walker's injury? There are new blogs going up frequently for the Sabres yet they haven't started practice and the closest thing we get here is yesterday's news!!

[Frank Reich]

Today I spoke to the lord Jesus Christ and he has agreed that Edwards s/b the starter.

[Gerardo]

Lossman as QB starter, no way. He played well against Colts but did you realize the record of the Colts in preseason? The worst of the NFL. No way Lossman can perform like this in season games. He is not capable to make quick decisions.

The offensive cordinator seems to have a real good command, it seems that Buffalo games will be more exciting. My only concern is the 4 front defensive line. Blitz are required to pressure the QB.

[PigSkinPro]

I think Losman plays better when he is fighting for a job, with a chip on his shoulder. Edwards did look pretty good last time too. Hopefully we can see a lot of both of them the next game. One thing for sure is that Losman's interviews are almost unwatchable, he needs some public speaking skills or something. Edwards really isn't much better, even though he has a better education.

What's funny is that I remember some people saying back in the day that we should bench Jim Kelly for Frank Reich. I wonder if those people can laugh at themselves now.

[Rob]

I dream of Losman's scruffly beard rubbing against my body.

[rojo10]

lol, about Loss-man being the starter. How many times has this guy got everyone excited about his once in a blue moon, big play long ball, only to break your heart with his terrible touch and accuracy in the short game. This was an issue addressed at the combine in indy and he has never changed in 4 years. He just doesn't have what it takes, let it go.

[Mike]

Lossman is aptly named -- the Bills will be 2-14 with him at the controls.

[Rob]

Dear Idiots,
Losman is your starter, if you have any chance of going to the playoff's it is with him and NOT with Edwards.

If Dick (can I call him Dick?) and Turk (what moron names a kid Turk?) do not realize this then so be it. We can sit back and watch Edwards (Stanfords and Bill Wash's most beloved punching bag) struggle through the year with his Todd Collins esqe moon ball.
Losman is showing more pocket prescence and awareness then at any point in his career, if you have any chance at all it is with him. Of course in order to realize this you have to stop beleiving that Edwards arm is strong enough for the Nov. winds in Orchard Park, its not.
Losman, its Losman. Get it through your heads now before your 2-14 and picking first.

[Reganald X. Washington Jr.]

Word!

[Chris]

Coaching:
Can anyone comment on what a positive difference Turk Schonert seems to be making? Why did Jauron stick with Fairchild as long as he did? What a waste that was!

[Relzor]

Actually I really do not have any black friends. It was just a light hearted play on words. I happen to like Sterling in the studio or as a color analyst. To balance things off, would you like me to go off on Sean Salisbury? That guy is such an a-hole that he could not accept the salary differentials and walked away from ESPN. The ultimate Battle-Bot.

[Anthony]

Let me guess. You are not a racist. Some of your best friends are black. And, you probably start each sentence out with "no disrespect intended" right before you're about to disrespect someone.

Bottom line is that "no pun intended" comment was not necessary.

[Caps]

Of all people, Lanston f'in WALKER gets hurt tonight? Apparently x-rays are "not good," according to Jauron...

Call Jason Peters right now.

And cancel preseason games forever. This is getting ridiculous.

[Relzor]

Can somebody please break up the team in the booth on NFL channel? I do like Sterling Sharpe as an analyst but he is not built for play-by-play. Why not try Scheifter or Eisen up there with Sterling as the color (no pun intended) guy?