Simpson, others playing for 2009 jobs? (buffalobills.com)

One may read the headline of this piece and think "Oh boy, Galliford's the latest to give up on the Buffalo Bills this season".  Though I might argue that - along with everyone else that's hopped off the bandwagon - we have good reason to doubt it, rest assured that's not the case.  So when (if?) you read this piece, read it with the knowledge that I am not denying that the Bills still have a shot at the playoffs.

Instead, I'll speak briefly about how I'm a guy that's constantly looking forward - just as many of you are.  I love watching football, but I also love the idea of building a roster; finding those ever-elusive pieces of a contending puzzle and fitting them together.  Whether the Bills make the playoffs this year or not, the 2008 season can now officially be considered in the home stretch with just six weeks to go.  Even if the Bills end their post-season drought, there are guys on this roster who should recognize the fact that they're playing for their jobs beyond this season.  Lighting a fire under these players could, in fact, give the team a spark heading into these ultra-important six games.

Those ten players, in no specific order...

QB Trent Edwards.  To answer your question, yes, I do hate putting Trent on this list.  In reality, I don't believe that Edwards is on the proverbial "hot seat" in any sense of the term when it comes to his status with this coaching staff.  But it's not hard to imagine a scenario where if Buffalo's quarterback continues to struggle as the season closes out, Bills fans will be calling for the team to begin a new quarterback search.  A nice, strong, confidence-boosting finish by Edwards would erase a lot of that potential.

WR Steve Johnson.  Stevie isn't going anywhere; it should be noted, then, that Johnson makes this list because he's playing for a much bigger role in 2009.  Johnson has seen his role increase of late, and while he hasn't been perfect, he's shown a pretty good rapport with Edwards.  He knows how to find a hole in a zone, and he's looked pretty good both as a run blocker and after the catch.  This kid has a future.  He and Josh Reed could wreak a lot of havoc underneath in 2009.

TE Robert Royal.  There are games where Royal looks like a highly competent tight end; those games, however, are few and far between.  Clearly, the Bills need an upgrade at tight end.  Royal is entering the final year of his deal next season.  He's one of a few Bills veterans that fall under the category of "most likely to get cut"; he is, quite literally, playing for a job in 2009.

OT Jason Peters.  I'm not one of the bandwagon fans who like to boo Peters every time he makes one little mistake.  Peters may not be as dominant as he was in 2007, when he was voted to his first Pro Bowl, but he's playing at a very high level.  He'll need to return to dominant form as the season closes if he expects to receive that fat contract extension he so desperately desires.

C Duke Preston.  Melvin Fowler, benched since early in the season, is a goner, as he's an unrestricted free agent after the season.  Problem is, so is Preston.  The Bills are expected to upgrade the center position from outside the organization, but Preston has a legitimate chance to be re-signed as the new guy's understudy.  He'll have to play better than he has in recent weeks, however.

DE Chris Kelsay.  Kelsay's contract runs out in 2010.  He hasn't been productive from an on-field standpoint.  There will come a time when Dick Jauron has to upgrade players he likes with players he likes and can win with.  Kelsay's contract, as most of you know, is gigantic (for a player his caliber).  I still have my doubts that Kelsay is a goner after the season, but his time as this team's starting left end is likely growing short.

DE Ryan Denney.  If Kelsay's not a goner, Denney is.  He's 31 years old and is scheduled to earn $2.4 million in base salaries alone next season - the final year of his deal.  That's too much money for a guy who, if the Bills upgrade the position, would be fourth or fifth in the rotation.

DT John McCargo.  He's been a healthy scratch, he's been traded, and he's been a healthy scratch again.  Motivation is McCargo's problem, and although he's under contract through the close of the 2010 season, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which McCargo returns to the Bills in 2009 after what he's gone through the past 8 months.  If McCargo sees the field again this season, he'll be playing for his next job in another NFL city.

CB Terrence McGee.  Hear me out on this one.  McGee is under contract through the end of next season.  He'll be 29 if he hits unrestricted free agency as scheduled.  Rookie corner Leodis McKelvin has come on strong, and it's hard to imagine a scenario where the Bills let Jabari Greer walk, as he's been the team's best defensive back this season (Greer is a UFA after this season).  Don't forget about Ashton Youboty and Reggie Corner, either.  Buffalo's cornerback spot is still crowded despite the injuries, and McGee is the toughest guy to figure into the team's future plans.  He'll need to perform to keep his status as this team's top cover man (and, for the record, he was excellent against Cleveland).

FS Ko Simpson.  Simpson has been juggled around a lot.  He missed the entire 2007 season with an ankle injury.  He's been semi-benched this season in order to move Donte Whitner to his free safety spot, sliding Bryan Scott into the starting lineup at strong safety (though he still plays more at free than any other safety on the team).  The Bills are deep at this position, but they lack playmakers.  If the Bills feel the need to add a play-making safety in the off-season to team with Whitner, it's clearly Simpson who'll be riding the pine or looking for employment elsewhere.

***

Feel free to add names to the list.  And on a side note, let's keep coaches out of this.  We've heard enough about everyone's opinions on Dick Jauron, and there are a million FanPosts in which you can vent about Buffalo's head coach if you feel inclined to do so.  This is about the roster.  Have at it, folks.

Edwards' decline highlights Bills' slide (Associated Press)

Losers of four straight, there are a lot of documented issues with the 2008 Buffalo Bills. Line issues; poor play-calling; coaching concerns; these are all discussed ad nauseum amongst a rather distraught Bills fan base, most of them with good reason.

Chief amongst the concerns, however, is one question: Where on earth has the Trent Edwards we know and love disappeared to?

Statistically, Edwards' drop-off over the past four games - again, all Bills losses - is borderline mind-boggling. It's difficult to fathom how a QB can drop from this stat line through six games...

Weeks 1-7: 106/152 (69.7% completions), 1209 yards (7.95 yards per attempt), 5 TD, 2 INT, 98.82 rating

... to this stat line over the past four.

Weeks 8-11: 74/119 (62.2% completions), 784 yards (6.59 yards per attempt), 3 TD, 8 INT, 61.75 rating

When the team started 5-1, Edwards was sacked 11 times in what really amounts to five games and one drive (he missed all but three plays in the loss to Arizona). He lost 2 fumbles in those games. Over the four-game losing streak, he's lost 2 more fumbles on 9 more sacks. To put it lightly, Trent Edwards has sucked.

What's Gone Wrong
There are a lot of theories as to why Edwards is struggling; I'd like to put one of them to rest right away. Edwards isn't struggling due to post-concussion symptoms. Nothing about the way Edwards has played has changed aside from confidence; it's what the Bills are doing, coupled with some unorthodox approaches by our opponents, that are doing Edwards in.

First and foremost, Buffalo became too dependent too quickly on Edwards. He got off to a blazing start this year, and with the offense struggling to run the ball, the fate of the entire team was placed on Edwards' shoulders. Naturally - and not unsurprisingly - those shoulders gave way. Buffalo re-discovered its rushing game against Cleveland. That's going to help Edwards work through his mega-slump.

The lack of a run game can be directly attributed to that predictable play-calling we've discussed thoroughly here; it also has a lot to do with poor line play. Buffalo's offensive line has regressed mightily from 2007 to 2008, most prominently in the interior. As a result, Edwards is getting hit, though that has changed of late with teams blitzing less. Ron from NM accurately pointed out that early in the season, Edwards was burning opposing defenses that blitzed him. Our opponents paid attention; they rarely blitz these days. Cleveland spent most of Monday Night rushing three linemen. (Blame Ron!)

All of these factors - lack of a run game, poor line play, poor play-calling, unreasonable expectations - have snowballed into four catastrophic games for our young quarterback. That's not figuring in the injury to Edwards' favorite target, WR Josh Reed, and the subsequent lack of production from the folks trying to replace Reed in the lineup.  (Reed is likely to return to the lineup this weekend in Kansas City.)  His confidence is clearly shot. Feel free to blame Edwards for the team's four-game losing streak; he can take it. Just don't put all of the blame on him.

How to Fix It
In my estimation, there's only one way to right the sinking ship that is Trent Edwards.  I like to call it the "Joe Flacco offense".  Baltimore has cruised to a 6-4 record behind their rookie quarterback because they're doing offensively what the Bills should have been doing all along - protecting their young signal-caller.

I don't blame Buffalo's coaching staff for putting more on Edwards' shoulders after the way he started the season.  We were all excited; Edwards wasn't putting up Peyton Manning numbers, clearly, but his efficiency was remarkable for such a young player.  It's natural to put more on his plate when he's amongst the five highest-rated passers in the league.  He's not there anymore, and it's time Buffalo recognized it.

Edwards is the future of the franchise, whether you like it or not.  I love it.  Kid's a leader, and he works his tail off.  But that future is in serious doubt if the Bills don't find a way to boost this kid's confidence before the '08 season ends.  He's done everything by the book.  Now Buffalo needs to go by the book, too - run the ball, get Edwards moving, get creative with the play-calling.  Make it easier for Edwards to get the ball to his playmakers.  Doing that will bring back Efficient Trent.  Efficient Trent is confident, and leads the Bills to wins.  That's really the long and short of it.  Keep it simple, and we'll see the "Trent of old" come roaring back into the picture.

Aloha, Chiefs fans.  Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings here, reporting for duty as "that random Bills fan we can ask questions of".

Most of you are probably aware that after a 5-1 start to the season, the Bills have lost four straight - three to division rivals, and one on a second evil rendition of "wide right" on Monday Night Football.  Bills fans are feeling pretty masochistic about this team right now.  At 5-5, our once-promising playoff hopes are now slimmer than Nicole Richie.  A .500 record seems like a longshot to some of us.

That said, there are still some things this team does well.  Our special teams are capable of making game-changing plays at any moment.  We finally discovered a consistent running game on MNF.  Our red, white and blue colors are extremely patriotic.  That's about where it ends.  Really.

Anything and everything is open to discussion here.  I know you guys don't believe yourselves to be in much of a position to poke fun, seeing as your Chiefs are 1-9, but trust me - these Bills deserve it.  I'd put your odds at picking up a second win at slightly better than 50/50 this weekend.  Fire away!

Career effort from Lynch wasted in L (Associated Press)

In what can only be described as one of the ugliest and sloppiest football games that I have witnessed in recent memory, the Buffalo Bills lost their second straight Monday Night Football contest, this time succumbing to the Cleveland Browns 29-27.  The Bills, once 5-1 on the season, now find themselves 5-5, losers of their last four games, and dead least in the AFC East - a division they led just a month ago.

Despite some terrific individual efforts from RB Marshawn Lynch (33 touches, 177 yards, TD), CB Leodis McKelvin (stellar DB work, kick return for a score) and others, the Bills could not overcome four turnovers, which included three first-quarter interceptions from the sinking ship that is Trent Edwards.  Despite the downfalls, Cleveland did their best to keep the Bills in the game, which they did - but a Rian Lindell missed field goal in the final minute sealed Buffalo's fate.

First of all - calm down
I know what you're thinking.  "Fire Dick Jauron!" "Trent Edwards sucks!" "Turk Schonert is a moron!" "This team plays with no heart!" "Waaaaaaah!"

Just stop it.  Seriously.  Just.  Stop.  It.

As has been the case in their three previous losses, Buffalo lost this game because it made mistakes.  No, the coaching hasn't been perfect.  Yes, the play has largely been terrible.  Yes, it's irritating to watch this team repeatedly lose games they can win.  I challenge you all to avoid being the bandwagon fan.

I'm not asking you to be a front-runner, or even be obnoxiously positive - obviously, this team doesn't deserve the latter.  But when times are tough, the majority of fans have the admirable, yet silly, notion that pointing out every miniature problem and offering radical solutions to them will provide that "insta-change".  It rarely works.  We're fans of this team for a reason.  So before you sing "woe is me" and let your fingers tap-dance in obscenities, cliches and "Fire Dick Jauron!", understand that things take time.  I don't care how (im)patient you are; they do.  I've said my piece on this and won't say any more; I just think some of the reactions around here are ludicrous.  Flame away.  I can take the heat.

Holy adjustments, Kornheiser
After Edwards threw three picks in the first quarter, offensive coordinator Turk Schonert confounded both fans and the Browns alike by making an adjustment.  That adjustment?  He ran the ball.  Despite the four turnovers, Buffalo still dominated in time of possession while racking up 186 rushing yards on the night - easily their best rushing performance of the season.

Meanwhile, the Bills were able to find a pass rush tonight - against a pretty good Browns offensive line, no less.  No, it's still not consistent, but it was enough to force Brady Quinn into completing just 39 percent of his passes.  It's a step in the right direction for this defense, who once again was left in some tight spots and acquitted themselves nicely in a "kept us in it" performance.

Don't even get me started on Buffalo's special teams - these guys are back, Lindell's gaffe aside.  (For the record, I never left the "I don't trust Rian Lindell" bandwagon).  Still want to call Leodis McKelvin a bust?  If not for Lynch and the ever-annoying Phil Dawson, McKelvin was the best player on the field tonight.

What this team needs
No!  I'm not going to say "head coaching change", "scheme change", "coordinator change", or any of those common notions.  Y'all have that well-covered.  No, what Buffalo needs are some difference-makers.  Guys to lean on.  Buffalo is a star-less team, and it's become painfully apparent over the past month that they need a couple of stars.

Right now, Buffalo is leaning too hard on Edwards, and the kid is crumbling under the pressure.  He's forcing passes; he's antsy; his confidence is shot.  Schonert was smart to take the ball out of his hands as often as he did in the second half; we even saw flashes of the "old" Trent when he hit a beautiful seam route to Robert Royal to set up Lindell's crap-fest kick.  I still maintain that Edwards is going to be a very good player (I swear, if I hear "J.P. Losman" this week, I'm putting my foot up an arse).

Especially defensively, the Bills don't have that guy to get them out of tight spots.  The Dwight Freeney, Troy Polamalu, or Ray Lewis type - guys who get the job done when their teammates expect them to.  The Bills are a team of average, to above average, to very good players.  They don't have any great ones - not yet, anyways.  That's far easier to remedy than starting over from scratch.  Great players make great coaches and great teams.  Right now, Buffalo is stuck at "average"; they started the season at "very good".  Don't expect much to change (no, not even in the coaching staff, believe it or not) until we can find those guys to lean on.

Game Balls
I'm breaking my rule and giving one to Lynch, even though the Bills lost.  He played out of his mind tonight - Cleveland couldn't tackle the guy.  He was awesome.

Roll Call
National TV makes record-breaking game threads here at Rumblings; monumental collapses don't hurt that cause, either.  2,091 comments were made this evening, and while not all of them were what I would consider "koshier" (man, some of you guys swear like sailors - not cool, folks), I'll let it slide for tonight considering the nature of the game.  Just try to keep it under control in the future.  We're not Kissing Suzy Kolber or Deadspin.

Props to norcaliangelsfan for pacing the nerds with 289 comments; Monstarr_716 also popped in with an incredibly respectful 279.  MattRichWarren (271), Kurupt (260) and Joe P (168) also had impressive outings.  Good on all 45 of you who stopped by.

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