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The Buffalo Bills defeated Baltimore 19 to 14 with rookie quarterback Edwards.

Bills to start rookie QB Edwards over Losman against Ravens

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
October 17, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Bills rookie Trent Edwards will make his third straight start Sunday when Buffalo hosts Baltimore, leading to questions whether J.P. Losman will ever get his job back.

Coach Dick Jauron made the announcement Wednesday, but wouldn't commit to a full-time starter beyond this weekend. Edwards is a rookie third-round draft pick who has gone 1-1 in starts in place of Losman, who has resumed practice and appeared ready to return after spraining his left knee.


"(Edwards) is our starting quarterback this week, and we'll move on from there," Jauron said.

Jauron then sidestepped several questions about the future.

"We're just talking about this week. We're not going to talk about anything beyond it, so maybe we can save some time here because that's how I'm going to answer it," he said.

Jauron added that Losman was still rusty, having taken part in only three practices before Wednesday. And he said he wanted more continuity because Edwards started the past two games.

Jauron said he consulted with his coaches, general manager Marv Levy and team owner Ralph Wilson, but maintained the final decision was his.

Losman is healthy enough to serve as the backup against Baltimore.

The Bills (1-4) are coming off their bye week and trying to rebound from a 25-24 loss to Dallas that saw Buffalo squander an eight-point lead in the final 20 seconds.

Losman has been out since he was hurt during the first series of a 38-7 loss at New England in Week 3. He said after practice he feels healthy enough to play, but accepted Jauron's decision to sit him out for at least one more week.

Losman said he wasn't told what his status will be beyond this weekend.

Edwards has produced better numbers, although Losman faced Denver and Pittsburgh, teams that currently rank among the NFL's stingiest pass defenses.

Edwards has been more efficient, going 45-of-59 for 410 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. But he and the offense struggled in the loss to Dallas on Oct. 8, managing only a field goal despite four drives inside the Cowboys 40.

The Ravens (4-2) are going with backup Kyle Boller for a second straight week to give Steve McNair two more weeks -- Baltimore is off the following weekend -- to recuperate from a nagging groin injury.

Edwards found out about the decision on Tuesday and was excited about the opportunity.

"It's exciting, but it's a lot of responsibility," Edwards said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us this week."

Kid Rock Finds Jesus at No. 1
by David Jenison
Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:44:30 AM PDT

Kid Rock might not have been born in Bethlehem, but he's certainly the king of kings on this week's chart.

The Kid's latest, Rock N Roll Jesus, led four Top 10 bows in its charge to number one, becoming the seventh rock act this year to reach the top spot. For the week ended Sunday, Kid Rock crowned the charts, selling 172,000 copies, according to the latest SoundScan numbers.

Bruce Springsteen's Magic, which topped last week's chart, fell to number two on 133,000 copies. Springsteen and the Motor City rap-rocker join Bon Jovi, Daughtry, Modest Mouse, Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park as the year's only other rock chart-toppers.

This also marks the first number one album for Kid Rock, who recorded Rock N Roll Jesus with producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance). He cracked the Top 10 with his last four studio albums, but he topped out at number two with 2000's The History of Rock. In fact, 2003's Kid Rock peaked at eight, becoming his lowest chart showing since breaking big with 1998's Devil Without a Cause.

Outside the charts, Kid Rock made headlines last month at the MTV Music Awards for a smackdown with Tommy Lee, apparently over mutual ex-wife, Pam Anderson. Rock is facing a misdemeanor assault charge over the incident.

He's also under new management. The aptly named Ed "Punch" Andrews resigned after seven years of repping Rock, and, per Billboard, the musician has hired Vector Management, which also reps Bon Jovi and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

LeAnn Rimes scored the week's next best bow at four, selling 74,000 copies of Family. The 25-year-old Mississippi maiden, who picked up new momentum with 2004's This Woman, now claims eight Top 10 albums from her 12 studio releases since '91.

Fellow country babe Sara Evans roped in a number eight bow with her Greatest Hits retrospective selling over 66,000 copies. The collection features such country chart-toppers as "A Real Fine Place to Start," "Suds in the Bucket," "Born to Fly" and "No Place That Far."

Christmas came early for Josh Groban as he crooned his way to the 10 spot with his holiday release Noël selling 64,000 copies. The Grammy-nominated singer's fourth album features his take on such Yuletide chestnuts as "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." Faith Hill, Brian McKnight and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir make guest appearances.

The remaining Top 10, all holdovers, included Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good at three, Matchbox Twenty's Exile of Mainstream at five, Kanye West's Graduation at six, Reba McEntire's Reba Duets at seven and the High School Musical 2 soundtrack at nine.

Pregnancy speculation or not, Jennifer Lopez failed to stir much interest in her fifth English-language release, Brave. The album sold 53,000 copies to fizzle at number 12, making it J.Lo's first album to miss the Top 10. Her last release, the Spanish-language Como Ama una Mujer debuted at 10 last March, but actually sold fewer copies, about 49,500.

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Dallas 25, Buffalo 24
Dallas 25, Buffalo 24

Preview - Box Score - Recap

By BARRY WILNER, AP Football Writer
October 9, 2007

AP - Oct 9, 1:10 am EDT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- NFL quarterbacks who turn over the ball six times usually disappear quickly.

Tony Romo's isn't going anywhere.

The unflappable Romo overcame five interceptions and a lost fumble to lead two last-minute drives, and rookie Nick Folk kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Dallas Cowboys an improbable 25-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Two of Romo's picks were returned for touchdowns in the first half, while his bobble and his fifth interception came during the fourth quarter.

Yet Dallas (5-0) won, setting up a megamatchup with the unbeaten New England Patriots on Sunday at Texas Stadium.

"That's a sign of a pretty resilient team," Romo said. "I think our team, outside of me, played an outstanding football game. They dug me out of it. It was tough to go through that, especially on Monday night.

"No one is going to care when it's all said and done how you won the game."

The Cowboys scored nine points in the final 20 seconds. Romo drove Dallas 80 yards and hit Patrick Crayton with a 4-yard TD pass with 20 seconds remaining. The 2-point conversion try failed when Jabari Greer stripped Terrell Owens of the ball in the end zone.

But Tony Curtis recovered the onside kick and after two completions, Folk nailed his fourth field goal, shocking the sellout crowd that came to celebrate the first Monday night home game for Buffalo (1-4) in 13 years.

"Oh, it's great," Folk said. "It shows you how good we can be and what we can do if we don't make mistakes. And even if we do make mistakes and we stick together as a team, we still stay in the game."

It was the second last-second loss on a field goal this season for the Bills; Denver did almost the same thing in the opener.

"It was embarrassing, embarrassing," Bills receiver Lee Evans, on the verge of tears, kept repeating in the somber locker room. "We had opportunities to put the game away, put some points on the board, give us a little more cushion. Couldn't do it. It's embarrassing."

AP - Oct 9, 1:08 am E


This latest victory was one of the most implausible in the Cowboys' illustrious history. Buffalo made nearly all the key plays, including interceptions for TDs by George Wilson and Chris Kelsay and a 103-yard kickoff runback by Terence McGee.

"We made too many big plays to lose that game," McGee said. "It just seemed we had it won. We were one play short."

In position to clinch it, Trent Edwards' pass from the Dallas 11 was tipped by DeMarcus Ware and returned 70 yards by Terence Newman. Romo looked for tight end Jason Witten, his favorite receiver. Instead, he found linebacker John DiGiorgio at the goal line and DiGiorgio returned his first career pickoff 38 yards.

It was the third time a pass intended for Witten was stolen by Buffalo.

Yet the Cowboys didn't fold. And after their long drive to Crayton's touchdown, Sam Hurd deflected the onside kick ahead to Curtis.

Immediately, Romo hit Owens, but he couldn't hold onto a 20-yard pass to the Buffalo 25; officials needed a replay review to overturn the original call.

Romo completed two more passes and Folk, after having his first try from 53 yards negated by a Bills timeout, won it.

"I haven't been around anything like that, and that's 31 years I've been in the league," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said of his triumphant return to Buffalo, where he was 29-19 from 1998-2000.

Folk also made field goals of 47, 29 and 37 yards.

"I felt good. I helped the team win," he said. "I could care less if I kicked zero more field goals the rest of the year."

AP - Oct 9, 12:54 am EDT

Buffalo built its lead on those huge plays.

Wilson spent most of last season on the practice squad before being converted to safety this year. He started in the injury-depleted secondary and his first NFL touch came when Romo badly overthrew Witten from the end zone. Wilson scooted in untouched for a 25-yard score.

And when Romo went for Witten on his next pass attempt, Angelo Crowell intercepted.

But Dallas held, stopping Marshawn Lynch's fourth-and-1 run. Then Romo recovered nicely, throwing three straight completions to Witten and a 14-yarder to Owens before completing a 70-yard drive with a floater to the tight end for a 22-yard score early in the second period.

It was a temporary reprieve. After Buffalo staged a superb 15-play, 73-yard drive to Rian Lindell's 24-yard field goal, Kelsay made his spectacular solo effort to give Buffalo a 17-7 lead. The defensive end deflected Romo's pass high into the air at the Dallas 2, then caught it in the end zone.

"Turnovers, kick return for a touchdown, those are things that win ballgames," Kelsay said.

Moments later, Romo threw a weak sidearm pass that Greer picked off at the Dallas 43. The four first-half picks were one more than the total that Romo had thrown in the previous four games.

The Bills didn't capitalize, with Lindell missing a 54-yard field goal with 36 seconds to go in the half. That was enough time for the good Romo to emerge, and a 22-yard pass to Hurd set up Folk's 47-yarder to close the half at 17-10.

Folk made a 29-yarder on the first drive of the third quarter, then McGee got his fifth career kickoff return TD, bursting untouched down the middle of the field.

But just like in the early 1990s, when the great Bills teams that made four straight Super Bowls twice lost to Dallas in the title game, this one also would go the Cowboys' way.

Incredibly.

Notes

The last time Buffalo had two interception touchdowns in the first half was 15 years ago against Indianapolis ... Romo finished 29-for-50 for 309 yards. Witten had nine catches for 103 yards ... Thurman Thomas, one of the heroes of the great Bills teams of the early '90s that went to four straight Super Bowls, received his Hall of Fame ring at halftime ... Bills PK Rian Lindell scored six points, giving him 424 with the Bills to pass O.J. Simpson (420 points) for fifth on the team list.

Tony Romo, oh no!

October 8, 2007 9:56 PM

Those four first-half picks are the most he has thrown in a game. He is the first QB to throw four picks in a half since Kyle Orton of the Bears did it in 2005 and the first Cowboy to throw four in a half since Troy Aikman in 2000. Bill Belichick must be enjoying this.

Bills 17 Dallas 7 2:00 minute warning and Romo just threw his fourth int.

Party On Buffalo Bills!

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Bills seeking to make positive showing in making rare Monday night appearance

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
October 8, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- On an otherwise special evening, and set on a national stage, Thurman Thomas had one concern as he awaited the formal presentation of his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring.

Would his former team, the Buffalo Bills -- as banged up as they are and as inept as they've been in the seven years since he retired -- show signs they're a still relevant and competitive NFL franchise when they host the Dallas Cowboys in the first Monday night game at Orchard Park in 13 years?

"You know what, I think a lot of people around the National Football League and around the world have pretty much forgotten about the Bills," said Thomas, the star running back finally getting his ring two months after his induction.

"There's a lot at stake here on this football game. Hopefully, the team can go out and play well, and put us right back out there so people can say, `Wow, the Bills had disappeared for a long time. But it looks like they've got a young group of guys that can put this team right back on the map."'

Monday night football hasn't been entirely the same since it made the move to cable last year. Then again, the Bills haven't been the same for a much longer time.

The NFL's TV network partners seem to agree, considering the Bills are making only their ninth prime-time appearance in eight years, and haven't been on Monday night since playing at Indianapolis on Dec. 11, 2000.

The AFC's winningest franchise in the 1990s, a stretch in which the team won an unmatched four consecutive conference titles, the Bills this decade have become one of league's biggest losers with a 47-69 record.

That doesn't sit well with Thomas and several other members of the team's old guard. They're hope, as former center Kent Hull put it, is the Bills "don't fall flat on their face," on national TV.

"This is a chance for the young guys in this organization to step up to the plate and say, `We're going to put a mark on the 2007 football season right here,"' Hull said.

Hull is particularly worried about the future in Buffalo if the team continues down this track, in which they've missed the playoffs seven straight years. That matches the worst drought in franchise history.

Another concern is the perennial rebuilding that's taken place. Dick Jauron is the fourth head coach since Hall of Famer Marv Levy retired following the 1997 season, and rookie third-round pick Trent Edwards is the eight starting quarterback since Hall of Famer Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 campaign.

"In the market they're in, if they're not very successful in the near future, that franchise could actually move somewhere. And that bothers me," Hull said. "I'd hate to be watching the Buffalo Bills of Anaheim."

It's not the first time someone's expressed fears of the franchise relocating, a topic that has stung the team's fans since the late 1990s before owner Ralph Wilson signed a 15-year lease that runs through 2012.

Wilson, who turns 89 this month, has since maintained he has no plans to move or sell the Bills, but with the region's troubled economy and perennial population drain, there are concerns about the future.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in Buffalo on Monday, said fans' continued support of the franchise is critical to keeping the Bills where they are.

"Mr. Wilson's done a great job with that. And we hope he's with us for many number of years," Goodell said. "But whoever owns the team is going to have to make sure that the team stays viable here. And that becomes the real issue: How do we continue to keep the community support here?"

A win Monday night certainly won't solve the Bills troubles.

Following so many down years, however, it would provide a salve for loyal fans who have continued to show their support. After selling out only four of eight home games last year, the Bills have sold out six already this year, including Monday.

"That just goes to show that the red, white and blue of the Buffalo Bills really does matter," Kelly said.

For Kelly, fan support is what needs to be touted during the prime-time broadcast.

"It's important not just from the standpoint of the players getting out there and giving a good showing," Kelly said. "But it's also important to show this country, it doesn't matter what our record is, the Buffalo Bills fans will always be supportive."

Bills young and depleted D prepares to answer its critics facing Cowboys

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
October 7, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Go ahead and laugh. Safety Donte Whitner's heard them all, including the jab about how the Bills' defense will serve as a "punching bag," as one national radio broadcaster put it, for the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.

"It's funny to me hearing things like that. It really doesn't bother me," said the second-year player and one of the few healthy starters left in Buffalo's defensive backfield. "If they're so sure that (Dallas) was going to win, then we wouldn't have to play the game."

The game, though, will be played, and Whitner vows Buffalo's defense will show up.

"We really want to go out and win this football game and prove that we're not just some punching bag," he said.

It won't be easy, and even Whitner will acknowledge that, because the Tony Romo and T.O. show has made defenses -- from New York to Chicago to Miami -- look silly this season.

The Cowboys (4-0) have scored 34 or more points in each game, and their league-leading 151 points overall are fourth most by any team after four games since 1970.

Dallas coach Wade Phillips quickly discounts the talk about a potential Cowboys blowout, and is confident his players are focused.

"They hear this is a trap game, they hear all those things," said Phillips, who makes his first trip to Buffalo as a head coach since being fired by the Bills after the 2000 season. "They're grown men. They should know that. I told them that. They've told each other. They're saying the right things, so I believe they believe it."

With a win, the Cowboys would open 5-0 for the first time since 1983.

The Bills (1-3) are 10-point underdogs and will field a young and severely depleted defense that already has three starters on injured reserve.

Buffalo is down to its third-string cornerback, Jabari Greer, and planning to have Whitner fill in at free safety because Bryan Scott, who was signed only three weeks ago, is better suited to play the strong position.

It's a unit that gave up 420-plus yards in each of its first three games, and allowed 346 in helping the Bills to a 17-14 win over the New York Jets last weekend.

And the Jets' dink-and-dunk attack certainly doesn't compare with the Cowboys' exotic and explosive offense.

The Bills understand that, and are leaning on whatever homespun wisdom they can muster.

There's Whitner, who said: "They put their pants on just like we do."

And there's defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, who brought up the feel-good film "Hoosiers."

"The field's 100 yards long and 53 1-3 yards wide," Fewell said, providing his best impression of the Gene Hackman as the movie's coach. "They've got 11. We've got 11."

The Bills might need 12.

That's because they don't have someone fast and tall enough to contain Terrell Owens, who's size and ability are equal to New England's Randy Moss, who burned the Bills for 115 yards receiving and two scores in a 38-7 win in Week 3.

The challenge is for the Bills' offense to keep the pressure off, and that means rookie Trent Edwards carrying over the poised and efficient performance in his first career start last weekend.

Edwards went 22-of-28 for 234 yards passing and a touchdown, filling in for J.P. Losman, who's out with a knee injury.

The game will feature several subplots besides the return of Phillips, who in 1999 became the last coach to lead Buffalo to the playoffs.

For the Cowboys, they make only their fourth trip to Orchard Park, and first since a 10-7 loss in 1996. It's a game that pits teams that twice met in the Super Bowl, both won by Dallas in 1993 and '94.

For the Bills, the game marks their first appearance on Monday night since playing at Indianapolis in 2000. And it's the first time Buffalo's hosted a Monday nighter since facing Denver on Sept. 26, 1994.

"I was 10 years old," Edwards said, with a laugh. "I don't remember who they played."

The Bills might be newcomers to prime time, while the Cowboys remain a team built for the spotlight. Just think T.O., whose most memorable Monday night moment came in 2002 when he pulled a Sharpie out of his sock and signed a ball after scoring a touchdown.

"I've been fortunate to be on teams that have played a lot of Monday night games, and it is special," said Owens. "I'm sure they're going to be pretty jacked up about a Monday night game. So we've just got to go in there and play well on the road and match their intensity."

Bills sustain more injuries: CB Youboty, FS Leonhard and LB Harrison

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
September 30, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- The Buffalo Bills' first win of the season also came at a cost: more injuries.

Cornerback Ashton Youboty's status is uncertain after he twisted his ankle in the first quarter of a 17-14 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. Adding to that, linebacker Kevin Harrison, who was only signed last week, limped off with an undisclosed knee injury sustained on the opening kickoff, and free safety Jim Leonhard limped off with a calf injury on the first play of the Jets final drive.


Coach Dick Jauron didn't provide any definitive updates, only saying Leonhard will require more tests. Leonhard had a noticeable limp following the game and expressed concern, saying he heard something pop.

That's potentially more bad news for a defense that already has three starters on injured reserve and was down to playing its fifth weakside linebacker, Leon Joe, against the Jets.

Youboty was starting in place of Jason Webster, who's out for the season with a broken forearm. Youboty was hurt after absorbing a block by Jets offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson on a screen pass to Laveranues Coles.

He limped off the field on his own, and was lightly jogging along the sideline before heading to the tunnel when the second quarter began. Jabari Greer replaced Youboty.

Leonhard started in place of Ko Simpson, who's out for the season with a broken ankle.

The Bills (1-3) will get at least one player back for their next game, Oct. 8 against Dallas. Reserve defensive end Anthony Hargrove is eligible to return after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Wilfork fined for hit on Buffalo's Losman
Thursday, Sep 27, 2007 10:38 pm EDT

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has been fined $12,000 for his elbow to the knee of Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman during Sunday's game between the two teams at Gillette Stadium.

Video of the play shows that Wilfork was blocked toward Losman, but that Wilfork also threw his elbow toward Losman's knee.

Losman left the game two plays later, and is expected to miss two more weeks

Source: NFL Network