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First up: Brian G from SB Nation's Buffalo Bills blog, Buffalo Rumblings.
tommasse: How is J.P. Losman different from Doug Flutie, Rob Johnson and Drew Bledsoe, and how can he be successful?
Brian G: In terms of what it takes to be an NFL quarterback, Losman doesn't differ much from those names - all four are (or were) talented players that had the ability to succeed at the NFL level. Flutie and Bledsoe did both succeed, even if their success was relatively short-lived.
A lot of people like to compare Losman to Johnson in terms of physical attributes, and it's hard to argue against that - they're mobile, strong-armed and very unproven. The difference between Losman and Johnson is Losman's work ethic and the situation of the team. Johnson would spend his off-seasons surfing while our former front office screwed up personnel decisions, leaving Johnson with little help for his already poor situation. Losman took two weeks off after the season and has been training ever since; couple that with the team finally having any direction, and Losman's situation is much more tailored to success.
Why will Losman succeed? He's talented, he's confident, the coaching staff believes in him and we're surrounding him with offensive talent. But the biggest reason is that Losman refuses to settle. He knows he needs to get much better, so he's working his butt off to do it. That's why Buffalo fans love him - he's earning his keep. That's something we haven't seen out of a quarterback in quite some time.
Update [2007-6-15 17:15:33 by tommasse]:
OK, here's my two cents. I think Flutie had a good chance to succeed, until Wade Phillips inexplicably sat Flutie and allowed Johnson to fail in the playoffs. Not sure what they were thinking then. Bledsoe certainly had the weapons around him, but in typical Bledsoe fashion, he was good except when it counted.
I think Losman has the good fortune of Marv Levy putting together a good team after inheriting a mess. Not all of Levy's decisions have panned out, but they never all do. Unfortunately for Buffalo, I don't think much of Dick Jauron. He was in the right place at the right time for Chicago, but he never established consistency. So it will be interesting to watch his tenure here, where there's been no consistency since Levy himself was coach.
Now it's your turn. Step up to the Pulpit and say your piece. And if you have a question you want me to ask next week, email me, and I'll pose the best queries to our friends at Buffalo Rumblings, The Phinsider and NY Landing Strip.