Archives for October 2005

‘”It takes a good coach to say, `I’m going to sit the starting quarterback down and be able to go with somebody else and try to get a spark from Kelly,'” Moulds said. “A lot of coaches wouldn’t have done it so we respect him and we’re going to back him 100 percent.”‘

‘Bills 19, Dolphins 13.’

‘In 10 possessions inside the opponents’ 20-yard line after four games, Buffalo has hit paydirt just three times.’

‘But the Bills knew — or at least they should have known — when they decided to go with Losman that there would be some ups and downs this season, and they should have been prepared to live with them. The Cincinnati Bengals lived with Carson Palmer’s mistakes last season, and now they’re unbeaten. The New York Giants lived with Eli Manning’s rookie gaffes last season, and now they’re the highest-scoring team in the NFL. The Bills tied their long-term fortunes to Losman’s development when they cut Bledsoe, and scrapping that plan after one month is odd.’

‘Verizon Wireless and the Buffalo Bills will collect no-longer-used wireless phones to benefit victims of domestic violence at this Sunday’s Bills game vs. the Miami Dolphins. Through Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program, these phones will be refurbished and recycled or sold.’

‘Right now, with Losman at quarterback, the Bills are at a disadvantage and aren’t winning. Mularkey needs to understand that.’

‘If the Bills are going to make a change at quarterback, they think they might as well do it before it’s too late. This week’s matchup was a big factor in the decision.’

‘This move reeks of panic.’

‘Holcomb would not comment specifically on whether he was starting against Miami but acknowledged that it would be beneficial to have a full week of practice preparation. “I think everybody in this locker room’s a competitor,” Holcomb said. “I think we all want to play. Certainly you want to play. You want to go out on the field, and it would be nice to have a (full) week of practice.”‘

‘Edwards was injured early in Sunday’s game against the Saints. He could be out for the season. Coach Mike Mularkey said Wednesday the team was considering whether Edwards would need surgery on the shoulder or whether he could recover through rehabilitation.’

‘If Holcomb pulls that off, more power to him. But if he can’t, at what point do the Bills go back to Losman to groom him as the quarterback of the future? And will Losman handle losing the starting job after four games?’

‘Which seems to be a sure sign that Mularkey has either made the decision to sit down Losman with the Bills off to a 1-3 start, struggling terribly on offense and desperate for a victory, or that he’s at least giving it serious consideration.’

‘Buffalo’s offense is ranked 31st in the NFL in yards, 31st in passing, 27th in sacks allowed, 29th in third-down conversions, and 28th in points. And somewhere in Texas, Drew Bledsoe is snickering.’

‘So ends the first stage of installing Losman as the starter. At 1-3, Buffalo is changing direction, hoping to salvage a season that has featured some early problems.’

‘”Both guys have capabilities of making plays in different ways,” Dolphins coach Nick Saban said. “Losman is a very good athlete and a good runner and has made a lot of plays scrambling…I am not sure that [Holcomb] would do the same types of things, so there would be a little bit of difference in what [the Bills] would do relative to who is playing quarterback.”‘