Toronto Bills Blog

Trent Edwards worked out with the Bills on Friday. The third year veteran is still recovering from a concussion sustained in the Jets game. Harvard graduate Ryan Fitzpatrick will start in his place. Fitzpatrick has led the team to back-to-back victories. He has thrown only 1 interception in 47 attempted passes. He has managed to get the ball more often to Terrell Owens and Lee Evans. Buffalo was 1 – 4 under Edwards until his injury. They have 2 wins since Fitzpatrick took over. There is likely to be intense competition for the starting position once Edwards is fully recovered.

The Texans are 3-1/2 point favorites over the Bills. This is the fifth meeting for the teams. Buffalo has dominated the series 3 – 1. Houston quarterback Mark Schaub leads the league with 2,074 yards and 16 touchdowns. Tight end Owen Daniels is having a standout year with 39 catches and 5 touchdowns. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for the Bills. He has averaged only 120 yards in the last 2 games and completed less than 45 percent of his passes. The defense will have to force turnovers. Buffalo leads the NFL along with New Orleans in interceptions. The Bills are looking to extend their winning streak to 3 games. They would then be .500 at midseason.

Terrell Owens has expressed frustration with his performance this season. He characterized his numbers as “pathetic”. Signed in March to a one-year, $6.5 million contract, Owens has failed to pan out for the Bills. He has 18 receptions for 242 yards and 1 touchdown. His 185 game reception streak snapped in the New Orleans game. He has 8 dropped balls and only 3 catches of more than 20 yards. Much of the blame rests with the inexperienced offensive line which has allowed 21 sacks. The quarterback does not have time to throw downfield. The firing of the Turk Schonert just prior to the opener threw the offense into disarray. Owens pledged to score 10 touchdowns when presented with the key to the city by Mayor Byron Brown. It remains to be seen whether he will have to return it.

The Bills auditioned quarterback Patrick Ramsey yesterday. The 8 year veteran was released by the Tennessee Titans earlier this month. He was the Redskins first-round draft pick in 2002. The Tulane graduate has also played for the Jets and Broncos. He has 5,930 career yards and 35 touchdowns for a 74.9 quarterback rating. Buffalo may be looking to add depth at quarterback behind Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Edwards, recovering from his second concussion in a year, has been ruled out for this week’s game against the Texans.

Turnovers were key to Buffalo’s victory over Carolina. Rookie sensation Jairus Byrd’s 2 interceptions led to both Bills touchdowns. The second-round draft pick from Oregon has 5 interceptions this season. He has started as free safety since the injuries to Bryan Scott and Donte Whitner. He is on track to an outstanding year. In the last 2 wins the Bills have intercepted the ball 9 times. They are now positive in turnovers. In other developments the team announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starting quarterback in Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Texans. It is unclear whether Trent Edwards will return to starter once he is cleared to play.

The Bills upset the Panthers 20 – 9. It was the second straight win for Buffalo, whose record improves to 3 – 4. The victory is remarkable since Carolina dominated in first downs (20 – 9), yardage (425 – 167), and time of possession (34 – 25). Jake Delhomme was intercepted 3 times. Rookie safety Jairus Byrd returned 2 of them to the Panthers 7 and 27. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was 11 of 22 for 123 yards. Marshawn Lynch scored the Bills first rushing touchdown. The defense has allowed just 28 points in the past 3 games. Buffalo is to be commended for its performance. A win is a win in the NFL.

Buffalo takes on Carolina this afternoon in Charlotte. The Bills lead the series 3 – 1. This will be the first start as a Bill for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who completed 10 of 25 passes for 116 yards in the overtime victory over the Jets. Last year he went 4 – 7 – 1 for St. Louis. Buffalo’s offensive stars have had little impact this season. Last week Terrell Owens had 3 catches for 13 yards and Marshawn Lynch had 19 carries for 61 yards. The inexperienced offensive line has allowed 19 sacks. The rushing defense ranks last in the NFL with 181.8 yards allowed per game. This will be an uphill battle for the Bills. Carolina, with its strong running game, will be a tough opponent at home.

The Panthers are 7 point favorites over the Bills. Both teams are coming off victories that give them momentum. Expect Carolina to run the ball. They have 2 standout running backs, Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, who together carried the ball 48 times in the win over Tampa Bay. The Bills will try to protect against the run. Buffalo ranks last in the league in rush defense. Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme has been in a slump, throwing 10 interceptions. He was 9 of 17 passes for only 65 yards last week. All eyes will be on Ryan Fitzpatrick, who fills in for the injured Trent Edwards. Kickoff is at 4:05 P.M. at Bank of America Stadium.

The Bills have benched Roscoe Parrish, taking away his punt return duties. This follows his mishandling of a punt in the Cleveland game that led to the winning field goal. Since joining the Bills in 2005, he has 1,385 return yards. He had been the league’s leading punt returner. This year he has been in a slump, with his average punt return falling to 6.1 yards from 13.1 yards in 2008. He has fumbled the ball twice. He has been replaced by running back Fred Jackson. Parrish is an unhappy camper who asked to be traded in the offseason. Now that the trade deadline has passed, he will have to wait and see if Dick Jauron is still around to make roster moves.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is likely to start as quarterback against Carolina. Trent Edwards missed practice yesterday, recovering from a concussion sustained in the second quarter of the Jets game. Fitzpatrick stepped in and went 10 of 25 for 116 yards and the winning touchdown. The fifth year veteran was signed as a free agent this spring from the Bengals. Last year he started 12 games after Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer was injured. He now leads an offense whose line ranks 29th in sacks allowed. There has been little productivity from star receivers Lee Evans and Terrell Owens. He has his work cut out for him.