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Edwards replaces Losman at quarterback for Bills

November 26, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Rookie Trent Edwards is back in at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.

Edwards was chosen the team's starter by coach Dick Jauron on Monday, a day after J.P. Losman was ineffective in a 36-14 loss at Jacksonville. Jauron said he hopes Edwards can give the sputtering offense a spark against Washington on Sunday.

Losman turned over the ball three times against Jacksonville and has looked shaky in each of his last three starts. He lost the starting job to Edwards after injuring his knee in Week 3 against New England, but has started since Edwards was hurt against the New York Jets on Oct. 28.

Although Losman engineered fourth-quarter comeback wins against Cincinnati and Miami, his play has been inconsistent. He killed a fourth-quarter drive deep in Jacksonville territory when he threw his second interception of the game into double coverage. The Bills trailed 22-14 at the time.

In his four starts since taking over for Edwards, Losman averaged only 209 yards passing and had three touchdowns and five interceptions.

Buffalo 3, Montreal 0

Preview - Box Score - Recap - Highlights

November 24, 2007

AP - Nov 24, 9:58 pm EST
MONTREAL (AP) -- Jocelyn Thibault made the most of a rare opportunity to start for the Buffalo Sabres.

Thibault made 24 saves for his first shutout for Buffalo, and Jaroslav Spacek and Thomas Vanek scored second-period goals to lead the Sabres to a 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

Thibault, who played for Montreal from 1995-98, recorded his 38th career shutout -- his first since March 14 for Pittsburgh in a 3-0 win in New Jersey.

"It's always special any time I get a chance to play against Montreal, even more here, and I was happy that Lindy (Ruff) gave me a chance to play tonight," Thibault said. "I think the guys knew that this game meant something special to me, coming back home. The guys just put up a great effort tonight."

It was just his third start of the season for Buffalo, which signed him as a free agent in the offseason.

"We did research on him and we were looking for a veteran guy that could be positive and support a guy that he knew was going to play a lot," Ruff said. "We felt we brought in a good guy and his work ethic and attitude has been tremendous. I was thrilled for him tonight."

Spacek scored on a power play midway through the second and Vanek made it a two-goal lead later in the period as the Sabres extended their winning streak to four, including three against the Canadiens.

Jochen Hecht scored into an empty net with 26.3 seconds remaining as Buffalo beat Montreal for the second night in a row.

The Sabres improved to 3-2 in the season series against their Northeast Division rivals following Friday's 4-2 win.

Cristobal Huet stopped 32 shots for Montreal, which has lost five of eight since getting off to a 9-3-3 start.

"(Thibault) made some nice stops, he deserves the shutout but we didn't get nearly enough quality chances on goal," Canadiens left wing Christopher Higgins said. "We were just turning the puck over way too much and not getting the puck deep and against that team, they're good on the transition, they feed on our turnovers and we made a lot of them tonight and made them look pretty good."

Buffalo defenseman Henrik Talinder left with a shoulder injury in the second period. He did not return.

"Right now, we're looking at days," Ruff said. "We'll get an update probably when we get back."

Spacek scored his fifth goal 9:38 into the second, just 9 seconds after Montreal's Tom Kostopoulos was sent off for hooking.

The Sabres defenseman scored on a tight angle shot from the right side of the net after he collected a rebound of Bryan Campbell's point shot.

"It's key to get a lead at any time," Campbell said. "You shoot the puck and find some holes."

Vanek made it 2-0 with his sixth goal at 13:54.

Notes

Thibault had one shutout with Pittsburgh last season, 28 with Chicago from 1998-2004, seven with the Canadiens, and one with Quebec in 1994-95. ... Sabres G Ryan Miller has a 2-2 mark against Montreal this season despite maintaining a 1.76 goals-against-average in four starts against the Canadiens. ... Huet fell to 2-2 against Buffalo this season. Rookie G Carey Price stopped 28 shots Friday in his first career appearance against the Sabres.

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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.

To believe in the Bills or not to believe

By Dennis Dillon - SportingNews

This week's NFL power poll rankled several readers -- what a shock -- including a few Buffalo Bills fans. As one emailer wrote: "To rank them 19 shows a certain amount of ignorance, and I mean that in the purest sense of the word."

No doubt about it. When I put my stupidity on display, I strive to make it disinfected, pristine and unpolluted. But I'm not sure ignorant is the best description of my feelings about the Bills. Ambivalent might be more accurate.

Part of me thinks the Bills are a pretty good team. The other part of me has doubts. So allow me to debate myself.


Believer: The Bills are on a three-game winning streak, have a 4-4 record and could be 6-2 were it not for losses to Denver and Dallas on last-play field goals.

Skeptic: They got whipped up on by Pittsburgh (26-3) and New England (38-7). They blew a 24-13 lead vs. Dallas in the fourth quarter. Their four victories have been against the Jets (twice), the Bengals and the Ravens -- teams with a combined record of 7-18.

Believer: Coach Dick Jauron has kept the Bills from imploding despite the grim scene of tight end Kevin Everett being wheeled off the field in the season opener with a cervical spine injury that could leave him at least partially paralyzed for life. They also lost three defensive starters -- cornerback Jason Webster, free safety Ko Simpson and rookie linebacker Paul Posluszny -- and several other players to season-ending injuries.

Skeptic: Injuries are not an excuse. All teams suffer them (OK, few have been hit as hard as Buffalo) and their seasons go on. The teams with the best depth usually manage to hold up.

Believer: Rookie running back Marshawn Lynch ranks fourth in the league in rushing, Roscoe Parrish has the second-best punt return average, and the offensive line is starting to jell.

Skeptic: Quarterbacks J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards, a rookie, have not been effective because they've been shuttled in and out of the lineup due to injuries. The offense ranks 31st overall, 29th in passing and 27th in scoring. The defensive linemen and linebackers are undersized, the cornerbacks are short, and the wide receivers aren't going to win a lot of jump balls.

Believer: NBC must think highly of the Bills. The network has switched their home game against New England from an early afternoon start to a prime-time kickoff on November 18, the first Sunday of flex scheduling.

Skeptic: The peacock pack would have selected the Patriots if they were playing Southwest State Tech Institute.

The Bills should be 5-4 after Sunday, when they play the winless Dolphins in Miami. Their schedule after that: New England, at Jacksonville, at Washington, Miami, at Cleveland, N.Y. Giants, at Philadelphia. If they finish with a .500 record or better, Jauron should get consideration for coach of the year and I'll definitely be a believer.

Until then, just call me conflicted. Some of you, of course, will opt for another word.

Go Bills!

Buffalo 33, Cincinnati 21
Buffalo 33, Cincinnati 21

Preview - Box Score - Recap

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
November 4, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Who needs to debate the Bills' revolving door at quarterback when Marshawn Lynch showed he can effectively fill two positions?

The rookie running back threw a touchdown pass and ran for another on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, sparking Buffalo's popgun attack in a 33-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

No big deal, said Lynch, the first-round pick who has now helped produce six of the Bills' nine offensive touchdowns this season.

"Aw, man, it was high school. Pitch and catch with Robert Royal," Lynch said, referring to his 8-yard pass to the tight end that put the Bills up for good, 26-21 with 5:51 remaining. "I just wanted to make sure I got that tight spiral on the ball."

He was as effective as J.P. Losman, who put up big numbers but lacked finish in attempting to win back his starting job.

Losman went 24-of-34 for 295 yards with a touchdown and interception in making his first start in five weeks. He was filling in for rookie Trent Edwards, who sprained his right hand in a 13-3 win at the New York Jets last week.

Losman's problem is the same that plagued Edwards so far this season. Against Cincinnati, after Lee Evans caught an 8-yard touchdown pass on the opening possession, the Bills settled for four field goals on four trips inside the Bengals 20 before Lynch took over.

Lynch finished with a career-best 153 yards rushing, capped by a splendid 56-yard touchdown run with 2:22 left. He helped the Bills produce 479 yards offense, matching their most since a 49-31 loss to Oakland on Oct. 6, 2002.

The Bills (4-4) have won three straight and four of five to overcome an 0-3 start.

"It's real big. It's big for everybody in this locker room," said Evans, who had a season-best 165 yards receiving. "The mistakes we made early in the season, we're not making now. We just have to keep it rolling."

The Bengals (2-6) not only lost for the sixth time in seven games, they also might have lost Chad Johnson. The colorful wide receiver was carted off the field on a stretcher with 2 minutes left and then transported to a Buffalo-area hospital as a precaution after complaining of neck pain.

Johnson rejoined the team in time for its flight home to Cincinnati after tests came back normal, Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said.

AP - Nov 4, 5:42 pm EST
More Photos


Coach Marvin Lewis said Johnson never lost consciousness and had movement in all extremities.

Johnson was hurt when he was sandwiched by Bills defenders Donte Whitner and Coy Wire while attempting a diving catch over the middle. The game was delayed for about 10 minutes as Johnson was attended to by team trainers.

The Bengals continue to be undone by a porous and injury-depleted defense, which entered the game allowing 385 yards offense and 30 points.

"I'm not happy about it and there's nothing I can change about it," Lewis said. "We're disappointed."

The Bengals squandered two leads and failed to take advantage of Glenn Holt's 100-yard kickoff return that put them up 14-10 in late in the second quarter.

Cincinnati's offense sputtered down the stretch, managing 22 yards and one first down on its first three possessions of the fourth quarter.

"We're just not a very good football team," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "I don't have words for the way we feel in this locker room about this game, about this season. And it's frustrating."

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, with a 15-yard catch, and Jeremi Johnson, with a 1-yard catch, also scored for the Bengals.

For Houshmandzadeh, it was his 10th touchdown reception to set a career high. He also extended his scoring streak to eight games, the longest to start a season since Elroy Hirsch scored in 10 straight games with the Los Angeles Rams in 1961.

The Bengals, however, were stymied by the Bills' no-name defense that limited the Bengals to 28 yards rushing. That included Rudi Johnson managing 11 yards on nine carries; he missed three of the past four games with a hamstring injury.

"It's about earning respect," linebacker Angelo Crowell said after leading the Bills with 14 tackles. "Going out there and beating Cincinnati ... and doing those types of things eventually gains respect."

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I recently attended a cheerleading event at the Buffalo Convention Center and there was a problem. I was apalled at what I witnessed to be supposedly called SECURITY and convention management at the event Long story short 1300 people in a 400 person hall fro the cheerleading awards ceremony. NOT ENOUGH EXITS, NO MANAGEMENT FOR ANY KIND OF EVENT. This should be corrected sooner than immediately. My grandchildren as well as many adults were very scared. I personally saw an emercy crew have troubles entering the performance area at the time of awards.

Sincerely,

Rose Artist

Bills to introduce plan to NFL to play annual game in Toronto

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
October 22, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Bills owner Ralph Wilson frequently has lamented how difficult it is for his team to fully tap into Toronto, the Canadian metropolis considered the NFL franchise's northern -- and, by far, largest -- market.

Turns out, the Bills might have finally come up with a solution. If they can't lure Toronto's vast cache of corporate dollars the 90-mile drive to Buffalo, then the Bills intend to go north twice a year.


That's part of the pitch the Bills will make at the NFL fall meetings in Philadelphia on Tuesday, when the team unveils its plan to host an annual regular-season and preseason game in Toronto starting next year.

The Bills' plan is broader than what filtered out last week: reports the team intended to host a preseason game in Toronto next season, followed by a regular-season game there in 2009.

Brian McCarthy, NFL vice president of corporate communications, said Monday the Bills' bid to play annually in Toronto is viewed as both "logical" and "necessary" steps to secure the small-market franchise's long-term viability.

"They do need to further regionalize both fan and corporate support in their home territory," McCarthy said. "So this would help the team further successfully operate in the future in western New York."

Toronto represents the final and most lucrative frontier for the Bills, who insist they have reached their revenue-generating limits in a rust-belt region with a perennially struggling economy.

The games would be played at Rogers Centre, a downtown stadium with a retractable roof that serves as home to baseball's Blue Jays and the Canadian Football League Argonauts.

Except for releasing a statement last week outlining potential plans to play in Toronto, the Bills have declined to comment further until after they make their presentation to the league.

The Bills' proposal will be discussed by NFL owners before going up for a vote within the next two months. The motion would have to pass before the end of the year for a Toronto game to go on Buffalo's 2008 schedule.

The proposal, if passed, would change the NFL's landscape, going beyond the league's recent bid to play games outside of the United States, McCarthy said. He was referring to Miami and New York Giants preparing to play at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday in the first NFL game outside North America.

While the Packers previously split home games between Green Bay and Milwaukee, and the Chicago Bears played their 2002 home games at Champaign, Ill., because of renovations to Soldier Field, the Bills would be the first NFL team to play at least one annual home game on international soil.

CFL commissioner Mark Cohon is open to the Bills playing in Toronto, but "under the right circumstances," and so long as it doesn't affect the viability of the Argonauts or neighboring Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

"The one thing I want to be crystal clear about is that for the CFL to continue to be successful, we need to have our two southern Ontario franchises be successful," Cohon told The Associated Press. "It's an issue critical to our business."

Cohon said he's had preliminary talks with the NFL regarding the Bills' plan and also about securing a marketing relationship between the leagues after a previous deal expired last year.

"I think there's good intentions on both sides," Cohon said.

McCarthy said the NFL supports the CFL and it's three-down version of the game.

"Canada has a football-rich history and we hope to help it continue in making it wildly successful," McCarthy said.

The Bills cleared a hurdle Monday when New York's Empire State Development granted the team approval to play games in Toronto. The state body's approval was required because it partly controls the lease agreement the Bills have at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Erie County, another leaseholder, gave the Bills consent last week.

The lease, which runs through 2012, requires the team to play all of its home regular-season and home preseason games at the Orchard Park facility.