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T.O. signs 1 yr 6.5 M with the Buffalo Bills

(born December 7, 1973 in Alexander City, Alabama) is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Owens has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

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Inside Slant

Trent Edwards is set to make a triumphant return to the Buffalo Bills’ starting lineup. Too bad the trumpets have gone silent.

With Edwards sidelined with a bad groin injury for two games and the team’s last 10 quarters overall, Buffalo’s playoff hopes fizzled under backup J.P. Losman with three consecutive losses to San Francisco, Miami and the New York Jets.

The Bills (6-8), who won’t make the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season, the longest drought in club history, end things with “spoiler bowls” at Denver Sunday (8-6) and at home against rival New England (9-5) on Dec. 28. Both the Broncos and Patriots are battling for postseason berths.

Barring a setback, Edwards, who practiced fully on Wednesday, will start against Denver.

And in another twist, third-stringer Gibran Hamdan will leapfrog Losman into the No. 2 spot and would play if Edwards can’t.

That move signifies the all-but-official end of Losman’s association with the Bills. The 2004 first-round pick out of Tulane, who went 10-23 as a starter, becomes a free agent March 1.

In four relief appearances overall this season, Losman failed to lead the Bills to a win and wound up throwing for 584 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions with 15 sacks and a 62.3 rating. He had nine turnovers in all, including a fumble on a sack last week against the Jets that cost Buffalo the victory.

As for Edwards, he can’t return to the lineup soon enough.

His game tailed off significantly after Buffalo’s 5-1 start, losing five of seven games at one point before his groin injury. For the year, he’s thrown for 2,378 yards with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His rating is hovering around 85.0.

Asked to give himself a grade for the year, Edwards declined. For now.

“I’ll be able to answer that at the end of the season,” the second-year pro said. “These last two games are pretty critical for me, facing another AFC East opponent and the Denver Broncos. These are two tough tests. I’ll be able to answer then if I’ve improved or regressed.”

Offensive coordinator Turk Schonert said he wouldn’t use the word “regress” when analyzing where Edwards is at.

“It’s learning. He’s young,” Schonert said. “We played well early, he played well early. Then we hit a slump and he didn’t make some of the throws he made earlier on.

“But we’re all learning. With a young quarterback, every snap you take is beneficial for the future.”

Edwards’ return is a chance to showcase himself in the same game featuring a true young NFL star, Jay Cutler, the Broncos quarterback who is on the verge of breaking several team passing records and was just named this week to his first Pro Bowl.

Cutler, who has seen five running backs injured in his backfield, has kept the Broncos competitive by throwing for 3,851 yards and 24 touchdowns. Edwards and Losman have just 13 touchdown passes between them with 15 interceptions.

Cutler, who played at Vanderbilt, is the quarterback the Bills passed over with the eighth overall pick in the 2006 draft in favor of Ohio State strong safety Donte Whitner. Denver selected Cutler three picks later. He has 53 touchdown passes in 35 career starts.

Edwards, who hasn’t performed well in cold weather, will be greeted by temperatures near zero in Denver. How his groin muscle reacts and how it affects his throwing will be of concern.

“I always need to be mindful, especially with a lower-body injury,” Edwards said. “I have to make sure my legs are there when making a throw. That’s where power and accuracy comes from, throwing with the lower body. The groin area is pretty essential when it comes to dropping back and driving through a football.”

As for Hamdan, a former NFL Europa MVP who has no NFL starts, the Bills promoted him to No. 2 so that they can evaluate him in a regular-season game if the situation arises.

“We’re hopeful Trent will be the guy and that’s as far as it goes,” coach Dick Jauron said. “But if it got to the two, we’d put Gibran on the field, mainly because we haven’t see him in that situation but we have a great deal of faith in him.”

And, obviously, no more in J.P. Losman.

Series History: 34th meeting, Bills lead 17-15-1 but the Broncos will be looking for their sixth consecutive win in the series. PK Jason Elam’s 42-yard field goal as time expired lifted Denver to a 15-14 victory in Buffalo last season that kicked off the 2007 season. Bills last played in Denver in 2002, a 28-23 loss.

Notes, Quotes

• The Bills have run the ball extremely effectively the last month with RB Marshawn Lynch averaging 98.8 yards in each of the past five games. He needs 114 yards to better last year’s rookie total of 1,115 yards. The production makes last week’s loss to the Jets all the more galling. With a three-point lead, all the Bills needed to do was run the clock out, but an ill-fated rollout pass just before the two-minute warning resulted in a sack and fumble by QB J.P. Losman. The Jets returned the fumble for the winning TD. The pass shocked Bills players. “The way we were running it, get a few more first downs, which we knew we were going to do, the game’s over. So yeah, it was definitely a surprise,” WR Josh Reed said. “Coach always says the ball is going to bounce crazy ways. But when you’ve got control over what you can do, that drives the knife in even deeper.” Coach Dick Jauron took blame for the call and said he wished he “had it back.”

• The Bills continue to decline comment on Jauron’s job status, despite several published reports that he has signed a three-year contract. It’s also known owner Ralph Wilson handed several key assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, one-year extensions last spring through 2009. If Wilson doesn’t like the idea of eating Jauron’s three-year deal, he may find eating Schonert’s one-year contract more palatable.

• CB Jabari Greer, who has missed his last four starts with a knee injury, isn’t likely to play in the team’s final two games unless he’s absolutely 100 percent healthy. He’s a free agent and stands to strike a big deal if he doesn’t re-sign with Buffalo. Playing at anything less than 100 percent won’t help Greer or the Bills, who would like to give rookie Leodis McKelvin the starting reps these last two games now that they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs. “Of course you’d like to play,” said Greer, who practiced on Tuesday on a limited basis. “I was talking to a lot of guys in the locker room, and they all know I want to be out there with them. If I can go, I will. (But) these are our jobs and to be successful you have to be healthy. If you’re not 100 percent when out there and you get exposed, people don’t want to hear you were banged up. They want results.”

• The Bills, who won’t make the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season, the longest drought in team history, have been taking a lot of criticism. Bring it on, said veteran LB Kawika Mitchell, a member of last season’s Super Bowl winning New York Giants. “People are going to say what they want to say,” Mitchell said. “We deserve it. We’re not winning. We’re not doing what we’re supposed to do. Say what you want to say until we prove you different.”

• In Denver, the Bills face a Broncos team that can clinch their 11th AFC West title and 18th playoff berth in team history with a win. Denver has rebounded from a mid-season three-game losing streak to win four of its last six games but is coming off a 30-10 loss at Carolina. Coach Mike Shanahan, who can pass Bills Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy (154 wins) for 15th place on the NFL’s career victory list, is rebuilding while winning. Denver has played 12 rookies on a regular basis, representing 50 starts and 135 total games.

By The Numbers: 16—Yards rookie Leodis McKelvin needs to break Terrence McGee’s club record for most kickoff return yards in a season. McGee gained 1,381 yards in 2005.

Quote To Note: “What we need to do as a team is learn from week to week, from the wins and from the losses. Not get too high and not get too low. At times we might have gotten too high after those big wins earlier in the season and we might have gotten too low after some of the tough losses later in the season. We need to learn and apply that to each game.”—QB Trent Edwards, reflecting on why the Bills crashed and burned after a 5-1 start.

Strategy And Personnel

LT Jason Peters’ repeat selection to the Pro Bowl should make him a lock for a new rich contract extension. Or does it?

Asked what a second trip to Hawaii means to his ongoing talks with the team, Peters said, “I’m not sure. I’m just letting it play out. If not, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

With three years remaining on Peters’ deal, Buffalo’s front office refused to give into his pay demands last summer. But now that Peters has shaved another year off that deal, and the fact that young Pro Bowl left tackles don’t grow on trees, the Bills are apt to do the right thing and make him their highest-paid offensive lineman. Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker earn more and they aren’t in Peters’ league.

Earning the nod as the AFC’s left tackle starter marks an impressive comeback for Peters, who was coming off a sports hernia injury, missed all of training camp and sat out the season’s first game. He didn’t round into form until Game 5, he felt. While victimized for several key sacks this year, he has triggered a resurgent run game and most insiders feel he’s a dominating talent deserving of a pay raise.

“I’m going back to Hawaii,” Peters said. “I mean, what can you say? They just don’t put you over there. You’ve got to be playing some kind of football.”

PLAYER NOTES

• QB Trent Edwards, who has missed two games with a groin injury, was back in a starter’s role at practice and is on track to play Sunday at Denver. Edwards took all repetitions with the first team and was running well.

• RB Marshawn Lynch sat out practice with sore shoulder. He should be fine for Sunday.

• FB Corey McIntyre was excused for personal reasons but is expected back Thursday.

• LT Jason Peters is the team’s lone selection to the Pro Bowl. It’s his second consecutive nod and an impressive comeback given a hernia injury, his contract holdout and slow start to the season. Peters sat out practice Tuesday with a sore knee but will be fine for Sunday’s game at Denver.

• CB Jabari Greer, who has missed four starts, practiced on a limited basis again. With the team’s elimination from the playoff race, he won’t take the field in the final two games unless completely 100 percent.

• LB Keith Ellison, one of the team’s more versatile athletes, gained 6 yards on a fake punt rush last Sunday against the Jets, converting a first down. It was his first career NFL rush.

Game Plan: The Bills (6-8), eliminated from playoff contention last week, can play the role of the spoiler against the Broncos (8-6), who can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie. Buffalo’s 23rd-ranked offense, which will get a lift from the return of QB Trent Edwards from a groin injury, should have no problem moving the ball against Denver’s 28th-ranked defense that has missed a healthy CB Champ Bailey (groin). The Broncos yield 140.1 yards rushing per game so plenty of touches for RB Marshawn Lynch, who has averaged 98.8 yards rushing in his last five starts, is in order, particularly on the road. The real question is how well Buffalo’s No. 13 defense can hold up against Denver’s explosive No. 2 offense, averaging 385 yards and 23 points per game. Despite a myriad of injuries at running back, third-year QB Jay Cutler has enjoyed a Pro Bowl campaign. He threw for 304 yards in Denver’s 15-14 win over the Bills last season in Orchard Park. The Bills need to get pressure on him, but Denver’s offensive line is once against among the league’s best. Cutler has been sacked just 10 times and the Broncos are still averaging 4.2 yards per rush. The Bills will need a big play or two in the kicking game and should be able to exploit Denver’s weak coverage units.

Matchups To Watch: Bills DE Ryan Denney, leader of a pass rush with just 22 sacks, vs. Broncos rookie LT Ryan Clady, who has allowed a half-sack in 14 starts.

• Bills SS Donte Whitner, rounding back into form after a separated shoulder, vs. Broncos TE Tony Scheffler, who leads all NFL tight ends with a 15.6-yards-per-catch average.

• Bills CBs Terrence McGee and rookie Leodis McKelvin vs. Broncos talented WR duo of Brandon Marshall and rookie Eddie Royal, who have combined for 113 catches. Marshall was named to the Pro Bowl this week.

• Bills OTs Jason Peters, named to his second Pro Bowl, and Langston Walker vs. Broncos DEs Ebenezer Ekuban and Elvis Dumervil, who have combined for nine sacks.

• Bills punt and kickoff return units, led by Roscoe Parrish and Leodis McKelvin, which rank 1 and 3 in the NFL, respectively, vs. Broncos coverage units, which rank 28 and 27.

Injury Impact: The loss of WR James Hardy to a season-ending knee injury will mean even more playing time for fellow rookie Steve Johnson, who had been cutting into Hardy’s repetitions anyway. The 6-2 Johnson is Buffalo’s biggest receiver next to Hardy (6-5), and the team needs his size for matchup advantages paired with 5-10 starters Lee Evans and Josh Reed. Johnson has nine catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Sen. Charles Schumer, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to meet with Bills owner about future

February 13, 2008
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and state Sen. Charles Schumer will meet with Bills owner Ralph Wilson to explore ways to keep the team in Buffalo.

With NFL approval, Wilson scheduled some Bills preseason and regular-season games at the 50,000-capacity Rogers Centre in Toronto. The decision has led to speculation that the franchise will one day move north.

"Commissioner Goodell is committed to doing anything he and the league can to keep the Bills in Buffalo," Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday after meeting with Goodell in Washington.


The league approved the deal to send the Bills north for one game per season through 2012. They will also play three preseason games in Toronto during that period. The Toronto partners are Blue Jays owner Ted Rogers and Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors.

"Hey, I can't speculate what's going to happen in the future," Wilson said last week when asked about the Bills moving north. "But don't worry. Don't worry right now."

Rep. Brian Higgins, from Buffalo, also met with Goodell. In a letter to the commissioner, Higgins asked the league to consider amending its constitution to either allow full community ownership, modeled after the Green Bay Packers, whose fans bought the team before the NFL prohibited such arrangements, or at least a minority stake.

The team's lease with Erie County extends until 2012.

Wilson, 89, says his family is not interested in running the franchise after him.

"Ralph's heart, I have no doubt, his heart is in keeping the Bills in Buffalo. If money were his only goal he would have moved them a long time ago," Schumer said.

(FEBRUARY 5, 2008) - Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson is in intensive care at a Houston, Texas hospital this morning, after developing pneumonia while battling leukemia.

According to a website updated by his wife and the "Friends of Joe Ferguson", he is now in intensive care at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Back in 2005, Ferguson was diagnosed with Stage 4 Burkitt's Lymphoma.

Here was the latest update, as posted on the site: "Although still in ICU, Joe has made a small improvement this morning. He had a good night and is beginning to get some of his color back. He is still on the oxygen but both his blood pressure and heart rate are lower. Joe's blood count is still low, but better than it was previously. Please continue with your prayers. God is good and He will hear us."

Ferguson, drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1973, was the team's starting quarterback through 1984.

Those interested in forwarding their thoughts are encouraged to email them to jferguson@lindsey.com

Big First Half Carries Bills To Win
by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 12/9/2007 4:25 PM ET

The Miami Dolphins had plenty of early Christmas gifts for the Buffalo Bills in the first half Sunday. All of them were footballs as Buffalo's defense got three takeaways and special teams got one in what was a rout after two quarters in a 38-17 final to keep Buffalo's playoff aspirations alive.

Buffalo's offense exploded for 31 points as Marshawn Lynch had 107 rushing yards in his return from injury. Trent Edwards became the first Bills quarterback to throw four touchdowns in a game in three seasons and the first rookie quarterback to toss three or more scoring passes in a half since Jim Plunkett did it 36 years ago (11/14/71). Edwards finished the game 11-23 for 165 yards and a passer rating of 111.4.

The Bills were the early beneficiary of a Dolphins miscue. Ted Ginn's muff on his first punt return of the game was recovered by John Wendling at the Miami 28-yard line. Three plays later Trent Edwards rolled out to his right off of play action to hit a wide open Robert Royal at the 12 and the tight end rumbled to the end zone almost untouched for an early 7-0 lead.

With Miami's offense going nowhere early Buffalo's offense would put another seven on the board. After a Fred Jackson 27-yard run set up a 1st-and-10 at the Dolphins 28, Edwards again found Royal on a post pattern for a 28-yard touchdown and a 14-0 edge.

On the ensuing Dolphins possession after a one-yard gain by Samkon Gado, rookie quarterback John Beck dropped back to pass and the ball slipped out of his hands as he tried to throw. George Wilson caught the fumble before it hit the ground and ran 20 yards to pay dirt for a 21-0 lead.

Beck was benched with Cleo Lemon inserted into the game for Miami, and he was throwing early unleashing a 54-yard bomb to Ted Ginn to the Bills 12. Gado capped the quick response with a 12-yard touchdown run to get the Dolphins on the board trailing 21-7.

Before the first quarter expired Buffalo put together a 35-yard drive on eight plays that was finished off by Rian Lindell. The Bills kicker put his 51-yard attempt through the uprights putting Buffalo up 17 (24-7) before the first quarter expired.

With the field goal Lindell set a team record for most consecutive attempts made as it was his 18th straight. Steve Christie previously held the mark with 17 in a row back in 1994. Lindell later missed a 41-yard attempt to bring his streak to an end.

The 24 Buffalo points were also the most scored by the team in the first quarter of a game since a 28-point outburst against the Atlanta Falcons back on Nov. 22, 1992.

Early in the second quarter Miami's offense was careless with the ball again as Cleo Lemon tried to get rid of a pass as Kyle Williams tackled him. As a result the pass was overthrown of intended receiver Ted Ginn and intercepted by Donte Whitner. Buffalo's strong safety returned the takeaway 29 yards to the Miami 11.

Edwards then found Lee Evans on a fade pass to left corner of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown reception to push Buffalo's lead to 24 (31-7) midway through the second quarter.

Buffalo's offense wasn't quite as opportunistic in the second half, struggling to convert third downs. But Edwards put the exclamation point on the victory when he saw Lee Evans matched up one-on-one early in the fourth quarter on a 3rd-and-9 play. Evans beat the coverage down the left sideline and Edwards hit him in stride for a 70-yard touchdown reception.

The Bills improved to 7-6 and moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season. They travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns in what will be a pivotal game concerning Buffalo's playoff hopes

Buffalo 17, Washington 16

Preview - Box Score - Recap

By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer
December 2, 2007

AP - Dec 2, 3:56 pm EST

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) -- After scoring the game's only touchdown, Clinton Portis lifted his jersey to reveal a white shirt with the words "In memory of Sean Taylor."

They played for Sean. They tried to win for Sean, just as Sean's father had told them to do. The grief of the Washington Redskins was on full display Sunday, in front of 85,000 fans waving their No. 21 towels, but their fragile emotions were shattered when Rian Lindell kicked a 36-yard field goal with 4 seconds left to give the Buffalo Bills a 17-16 victory.

"It makes your heart drop all the way to your feet," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "We wanted to come out here and win one for Sean, and try to keep ourselves in the playoff run."

Five days after Taylor died from a gunshot wound in Florida, the Redskins defense did Taylor proud by not allowing a touchdown. Buffalo's points came on five field goals and a safety. But a major gaffe played a part in leaving Washington's players disconsolate at the final whistle.

Lindell hit a 51-yard attempt that didn't count because the Redskins called timeout just as the ball was snapped. Coach Joe Gibbs then tried the same tactic again, but consecutive timeouts aren't allowed when attempting to freeze the kicker. The resulting 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the veteran Lindell a much easier kick. His game-winner extended his streak to 17 consecutive made field goals.

"There's nobody to blame but myself," Gibbs said. "I should have known the rule."

Buffalo started its final drive at its 22 with 56 seconds remaining and no timeouts. A 31-yard pass to Josh Reed set up the winning kick.

Taylor's father, Pedro Taylor, had urged the Redskins to win out and make the playoffs when he addressed the team Wednesday. But Washington (5-7) has now lost four straight and is fading quickly from the postseason picture. The Redskins will attend Taylor's funeral Monday, then must try to find a way to focus for a Thursday night game against Chicago.

Buffalo (6-6), with solid performances from rookie quarterback Trent Edwards and third-string running back Fred Jackson, broke a two-game skid to keep its AFC playoff hopes alive. But the Bills were unwelcome outsiders on a day that was part memorial service and part celebration, one that fittingly ended in a chilly autumn rain.

Teammates and coaches addressed Taylor directly during a pregame video tribute.

"You're the best I ever coached," said assistant coach Gregg Williams, who thought of Taylor as a son. "You will be missed."

Fans held posters that called Taylor the "eternal 12th man." Another read, "4-ever a Skin, 4-ever a Cane, 4-ever 21," a reference to Taylor's stellar college career at Miami before the Redskins drafted him in the first round in 2004.

AP - Dec 2, 3:48 pm EST

When the Redskins defense took the field for the first time, Taylor's safety position was vacant: Only 10 players defended Jackson's 22-yard run around the left end. Taylor's replacement, Reed Doughty, then ran onto the field, and he was the one who made the tackle on the next play, a short pass to Reed.

When Santana Moss, one of Taylor's closest friends on the team, caught his first pass, he pounded his chest and held up his index and middle fingers and his pinky. It was his way of spelling "21" for all to see, and he often repeated the gesture -- sometimes with both hands -- when he made a catch.

Cornerback Fred Smoot said he cried sometimes when he would look over to the safety position and see that Taylor was not there. Gibbs said the team was drained even before it came out of a locker room, where, just as at Redskins Park, Taylor's locker was sealed in Plexiglas.

"There was a lot of emotion for the whole week," Gibbs said.

From a football standpoint, the Redskins offense had the same problem as in recent weeks: an inability to finish drives. Gibbs was set to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the 5-yard line on Washington's first possession, but a false start by "numerous players," as referee Tony Corrente put it, sent the field goal unit onto the field.

Shaun Suisham kicked a 27-yarder. Later in the half, he converted from 28 and 33 yards, as the Redskins kept settling for 3 points instead of 7.

Buffalo's only points in the half came when Angelo Crowell sacked Jason Campbell in the end zone for a safety.

Lee Evans' juggling catch along the sideline set up a third-quarter field goal that cut the Redskins' lead to 9-5. Portis scored the touchdown later in the quarter, diving forward from 3 yards out before displaying the shirt that paid tribute to Taylor.

Turnovers by Campbell on back-to-back possessions put the Bills back in the game. Larry Tripplett forced a fumble that was recovered by Crowell, setting up Lindell's second field goal. Triplett then caught a pass tipped by Terrence McGee for an interception, leading to another field goal that made the score 16-11.

Jackson's 54-yard catch-and-run set up yet another kick from Lindell, a 33-yarder that cut the lead to 2 with 6:33 to play.

Edwards, regaining the starter's job from J.P. Losman, completed 22 of 36 passes for 257 yards. Edwards improved to 4-1 as a starter.

Jackson, making his first NFL start because of injuries to Marshawn Lynch and Anthony Thomas, ran for 82 yards on 16 carries and caught four passes for 69 yards.

Bills attempt to regroup after lopsided loss to perfect Patriots

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
November 19, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- As if playing in what proved to be the most lopsided loss in Buffalo Bills history wasn't bad enough.

On Monday, some 12 hours after the final whistle blew following a 56-10 loss to New England, Bills players had to go through it again by watching the prime-time debacle on tape.

The uneasy session was enough for defensive end Chris Kelsay to want to collect all the game film and burn it.

"Yeah, you'd like to," he said. "I've never been a part of a game like that, which is embarrassing."

Perhaps that's not such a bad reaction if this experience provides the Bills the necessary sour-mouthed motivation to prepare for Jacksonville (7-3) on Sunday.

It has emerged as a make-it or break-it game that will go far in determining whether the Bills (5-5) can bounce back and stay in the AFC playoff hunt against a Jaguars team they're chasing.

"We do get added motivation because of the way we lost. So we're going to have some regrouping around here," safety Donte Whitner said. "If we go and win that football game, people will pretty much forget about this loss."

It's happened once before this season.

Buffalo was all but counted out when it opened the year 0-3 following a 38-7 loss at New England, but rebounded to win five of its next six games.

Who's to say it can't happen again?

"At this point in our season, there's very few people that thought we'd be 5-5," coach Dick Jauron said. "We've got six game left and we're looking forward to getting past this one."

It helps, too, in understanding the Bills aren't the only ones left smarting by a Patriots team that's off to a 10-0 start, with nine of those victories decided by 17 points or more.

"We're humbled, but we're not alone," Jauron said. "We just need to drop it."

The loss ended a four-game win streak, a stretch in which the Bills defense had allowed a combined 48 points -- eight fewer than Buffalo allowed Sunday.

Then again, none of those opponents had Tom Brady running the show.

Brady was near-perfect in surgically picking apart the Bills, throwing five touchdown passes, including four to Randy Moss, while engineering scoring drives on the Patriots first seven possessions.

The 56 points were the most scored by a road team in the NFL since 1973. And the 46 points was the worst margin of defeat for Buffalo, three points worse than a loss to Baltimore in 1970.

The Bills' popgun offense couldn't keep up, especially without its most potent threat, rookie running back Marshawn Lynch, who was out with a sprained left ankle.

Except for J.P. Losman's 47-yard touchdown pass to Roscoe Parrish that briefly cut New England's lead to 14-7 late in the first quarter, Buffalo mustered 145 yards of offense and eight first downs through the first 46 minutes.

Losman struggled but wasn't entirely to blame, which led to Jauron announcing the fourth-year player will make his fourth consecutive start at Jacksonville.

"It's another opportunity for me. I'm thankful for that," said Losman, who lost his starting job once already this season to rookie Trent Edwards. "We got hit in the mouth pretty bad last week. But we've got another chance here to go on a run."

The Bills' final stretch isn't an easy one. Except for a home game against still-winless Miami on Dec. 9, their other five games are against opponents currently at 5-5 or better.

"We're approaching the next six games with the mind-set of winning all six, but at least five, because 10 (wins) will get you into the playoffs," Kelsay said. "We want to put this one behind us. It's in the past."

QB Losman will start again for Bills on Sunday against Patriots

November 13, 2007

AP - Oct 31, 3:43 pm EDT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Two days after leading the Bills to another come-from-behind win, quarterback J.P. Losman was selected as the starter for Buffalo's game against unbeaten New England on Sunday.

Coach Dick Jauron released a statement Tuesday on the quarterbacking situation.

Down 10-2 after three quarters, Losman guided the Bills to a 13-10 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins last Sunday, his second straight fourth-quarter comeback win and third of his career. He also manufactured a late-game rally for Buffalo two weeks ago over Cincinnati.

Losman completed just 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards and one interception against the Dolphins. He was also sacked twice and struggled during most of the first three quarters.

He's now led the team to three straight wins, including three weeks ago against the Jets in a relief appearance after rookie starter Trent Edwards sprained his wrist. Edwards was inactive against the Bengals, but was the backup against Miami.

The resurgent Bills (5-4) have won four straight after opening the season 0-3. Included in those three losses was a 38-7 defeat at New England in Week 3 when Losman lost his starting job to Edwards after spraining his left knee during the Bills' first offensive series.

As part of it its flex-scheduling system, the NFL moved this Sunday's game against the Patriots (9-0) to 8:15 p.m. EST. New England is coming off its bye week after using a fourth-quarter comeback of its own to defeat Indianapolis in Week 9.

Lynch to have MRI on sore ankle

November 12, 2007
BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) - Marshawn Lynch will undergo an MRI on his sore left ankle on Tuesday with Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron admitting he is "concerned" about his rookie running back.

Lynch was hurt in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 13-10 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins. The 21-year-old was the star of the show, rushing for 61 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the game.

After limping out of the game, Lynch was optimistic in the locker room saying he would be fine to play undefeated New England next weekend, but Jauron on Monday sounded a bit more cautious.

"There is concern and we'll have an MRI, there is one scheduled," the coach said. "We'll just have to see what happens there. We don't believe anything is broken. He's very optimistic and we'll certainly know more by tomorrow and we should have a real good feel for where it is Wednesday."

Lynch has run for 751 yards and six touchdowns in nine games this season. The Bills offense only has 10 touchdowns in total.