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The Jacksonville Jaguars were awarded former Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards through waivers Tuesday afternoon.

I'm still trying to track down the complete list of teams that submitted claims for Edwards, but an NFL source confirmed the New York Jets did. The Jaguars had priority based on their record.

The Jaguars play the Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium in Week 5, and I suppose it's possible Edwards could be on the field. At the very least, he'll have plenty of inside information for the scouting report.

AFC South blogger Paul Kuharksy put together an analysis of Jacksonville's quarterback situation now that Edwards is on board.

Jacksonville has been less than thrilled with Pro Bowl quarterback David Garrard. Jacksonville has scored 16 points in their past two games, both losses, with Garrard throwing one touchdown and five interceptions.

Could Edwards learn Dirk Koetter's offense in time to play against Buffalo? Some would argue Edwards never learned Buffalo's offense, but part of the reason he struggled to establish himself with the Bills was the constant turnover at offensive coordinator over the years.

When Edwards was released, he was two games into his fourth NFL season and working for his fourth offensive coordinator. Steve Fairchild gave way to Turk Schonert who gave way to Alex Van Pelt who gave way to new head coach Chan Gailey.

So Edwards has been exposed to a variety of offensive systems and terminologies. He's also a Stanford alum. A quick assimilation isn't unthinkable.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Buffalo Bills want to trade quarterback Trent Edwards.

Schefter, citing an unnamed source, wrote the Bills have spoken to at least one other team about Edwards, who lost his starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick after two games.

A trade would benefit all parties -- the club, the player and the fans.

The Bills have given Edwards several chances since they drafted him in the third round in 2007. It just hasn't worked out under the constraints the organization presents. Buffalo icon Jim Kelly publicly suggested last winter the Bills part ways with Edwards.

Edwards could use a change of scenery. He hasn't had much of an offensive line in Buffalo, and he has worked with myriad offensive coordinators in his four years.

Maybe the two weeks before the 2009 season opener sums up the chaotic working conditions best. The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and replaced him with play-calling novice Alex Van Pelt 10 days before the season started. A few days later, the Bills cut their most experienced offensive lineman, tackle Langston Walker.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- When Lee Evans left the Wisconsin Badgers six years ago, he expected to be well on his way to establishing himself as one of the NFL's elite receivers by now.

He was supposed to have made a few Pro Bowls, earned a couple All-Pro selections, burned defenders so frequently the Buffalo Bills couldn't help but field a playoff-caliber offense.

The Bills obviously agreed with that projection when they drafted him 13th overall in 2004 and four years later, awarded him a contract extension that made Evans one of the league's richest receivers.

Little has come to fruition. Evans has zero Pro Bowls, two 1,000-yard seasons and one season with more than 63 catches.

Evans is entering his seventh season. While he's respected around the league for his speed, hands and character, he still hasn't emerged as a star.

"Absolutely, I have something to prove," Evans told me after Wednesday's early practice to open Buffalo's mandatory minicamp. "The reality of it is, I haven't done anything yet."

Neither have the Bills. That's the primary reason Evans hasn't broken out.

Since he joined the Bills, they've failed to reach the playoffs. They've had one winning season, when he was a rookie. Their cumulative record with Evans on the roster is 41-55. They're on their fourth head coach and umpteenth offensive coordinator.

In Evans' six seasons, Buffalo's offense has ranked 25th, 28th, 30th, 30th, 25th and 30th.

Evans has had four starting quarterbacks -- Trent Edwards, J.P. Losman, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm -- over the past two seasons and doesn't know who'll be throwing to him in 2010.

"Like Steve Smith with the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson, Evans is right at the top of my list of guys who I would love to see on another team," Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson said. "I think he could be a monster and perennial Pro Bowler in a much better situation."

Evans won't say it, but regardless of how you choose to measure success -- winning games or personal statistics -- he essentially has squandered the first six years of his career. He turned 29 in March.

"Not being able to win or make it to the playoffs, you don't really get the recognition a lot of players get and that they deserve," Evans said. "That's the goal here. If we can win and make it to the postseason, recognition will come."

Evans posted one stat line commensurate with his talents. In 2006, with Losman taking downfield chances, Evans caught 82 passes for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns.

The past three seasons, however, Evans' numbers have been limited. It's not the best situation for a deep threat when his quarterback is known as Captain Checkdown, the nickname bestowed on Edwards last year.

"He has to rely on downfield plays to really make a huge impact," Williamson said. "Buffalo's opponents know they can't protect and that their signal caller was, well, bashful about letting it fly deep. That eliminates the most threatening aspect of Evans' game, which is criminal."

Evans is a respected player in the locker room and among Bills fans. But he's just sort of there -- a vague protagonist. On a team with so many problems, there's no reason to worry about Evans.

Since the Bills hired head coach Chan Gailey in January, he has been asked almost every imaginable question. Yet in a search of Gailey's many transcripts, Evans' name doesn't appear once, peculiar for a team's most talented offensive player.

Evans was supposed to have his breakout campaign last year, but is coming off what he called the most frustrating season of his life.

"How do you explain last year?" he chuckled, repeating the question asked. "I can probably write a book about last year."

The Bills brought in future Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens. Part of the reasoning was Owens' presence would stop defenses from doubling up on Evans for the first time since Eric Moulds left the Bills. That was Evans' sophomore season.

Evans and Owens each had one of their worst seasons. Evans caught a career-low 44 passes for a career-low 612 yards and seven touchdowns.

Evans blames a series of problems outside the players' control. The organization mishandled two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ten days before the season opener, the Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and replaced him with novice Alex Van Pelt. Then they released their most experienced offensive lineman, Langston Walker, who had been moved from right tackle to left tackle.

Evans said it "started with the Peters thing," but called Walker's release the biggest stunner of them all. As Evans relived everything that went wrong even before the team was decimated by injuries and finally axed head coach Dick Jauron in November, an incredulous look came over his face.

"There was a lot of turmoil amongst coaches, amongst coaches and players, amongst scheme," Evans said. "We were fighting an uphill battle against ourselves, really. That's what really made it tough, especially early on.

"The bottom line is, I don't think everybody had bought in to what we were trying to do. That makes it tough. When you have that coupled with a ton of injuries, that's what you get."

Evans didn't elaborate, but he said Schonert's firing "wasn't as big of a shock" as Walker's release.

"But it still takes its toll," Evans said. "This is the guy who had been calling the plays here all last year, all through camp, all through the preseason. Now you've got another guy coming in who has coached a while but has never been a coordinator on this level. Now you have to figure out what he wants to accomplish.

"Now it's 'Who are we?' It was tough."

Nobody would blame Evans for running out of patience with the Bills. He has given some prime years to a dysfunctional organization. The Bills have paid him well, but so would another team that has a better chance of winning.

As the Bills are experiencing with two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel, perpetual losing is tough to endure. Schobel is leaning toward retiring at 32 and with serious money on the table rather than return to the Bills.

Evans still has three years left on his contract, but another year without any signs of progress might cause him and the Bills to part ways.

"Chan has us excited," Evans said. "If you lose optimism and trust, you probably won't play well on Sundays. There's always a belief that we're going to win. That's what can carry you through tough times.

"This year, just looking at it on paper, I don't expect it to be anything like last year. It has to be better. It has to be."

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Quarterback Trent Edwards took the first-team reps to open voluntary workouts Tuesday under new head coach Chan Gailey.

Edwards expressed excitement about working with Gailey. Edwards is entering his fourth NFL season. He's on his fourth offensive coordinator and is learning his third offense. But this will be the first time he has played under an offensive-minded head coach.

Gailey will call the plays, and Edwards has been impressed so far.

"I'll try to explain it as best as I can," Edwards said. "I've never been around a guy that's very conscientious of what offensive plays set up other plays. He's doing a lot of motion and shifting, trying to disguise certain plays so it doesn't look like the same plays to the defense.

"That's what's nice as a quarterback. You're talking to him and he understands that certain formations we run a lot of the same plays. There's coordinators that get pretty basic and pretty predictable. I feel like Chan isn't going to be that predictable. It's nice to keep the defense off-balance."

The Bills had two offensive coordinators last season, firing Turk Schonert 10 days before the season opener and promoting quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. That switch -- or the doomed attempt to operate out of a full-time, no-huddle attack -- didn't help. The Bills' offense ranked 30th in the league. In the previous six seasons they ranked 25th, 30th, 30th, 28th, 25th and 30th.

Edwards likened his experience of assimilating Gailey's offense so far to "speaking English for the last eight or nine years, and this is a little more like Spanish." But it's better than reading the same dull book ad infinitum.

"I'm not making excuses," Edwards said. "I'm still a football player and is comes down to making plays. You'd rather be with one offense your entire career, and you like at the stats of the guys that are winning Super Bowls; they're probably in systems they've been in for a period of time. But I'm not going to sit here and say I wish Steve Fairchild was still here, running that offense. ... I have to adjust to it."

Edwards probably has a slight edge in an open competition that includes veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and prospect Brian Brohm. The Bills declined to sign a free-agent quarterback or draft one until Levi Brown in the seventh round. Brown will be a developmental quarterback, earmarked for third string or the practice squad.

"There's a new coaching regime that didn't draft any of the guys except the ones that came in this year," Edwards said. "They don't really owe us anything. That's the mentality I'm taking."

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards hasn't been in the NFL for three calendar years yet. He's working with his fourth offensive coordinator.

Steve Fairchild, Turk Schonert and Alex Van Pelt handled the duties under defensive-minded head coach Dick Jauron.

For the first time since the Bills drafted Edwards in the third round in April 2007, he will play for a head coach with an offensive background. Chan Gailey will call the plays with young coordinator Curtis Modkins acting more like a sidekick.

Edwards is a fan of that autocratic setup rather than the muddled chain of command under Jauron.

"I don't want to talk negatively about last year's staff," Edwards said Tuesday at the start of offseason workouts, "but the hard part for me as a quarterback, you want to have one person to listen to and one voice.

"I feel like the last couple years you would say one thing to one guy, and he would say it to another guy, and what you're looking for would kind of get lost in the process.

"I feel with the situation we're in, if you like something offensively you're telling it to the head coach. You're telling it to the offensive coordinator. They're the same person, and he's probably going to get that done for you."

The Buffalo Bills have higher standards than VH-1.

Despite abysmal ratings, the cable network renewed "The T.O. Show" for a second season in 2010.

The Bills weren't so inspired. Their reality show simply wasn't compelling enough to bring Owens back. A whirlwind affair is over after one year.

Saturday night the Bills publicly disassociated themselves with Owens, receiver Josh Reed and defensive end Ryan Denney. In a news release, Bills general manager Buddy Nix said the team would not offer them contracts and allow them to become unrestricted free agents Friday.

You won't find any outrage in Buffalo that Owens won't be wearing a Bills uniform this year. Bills fans didn't come to loathe him at all, but somehow a polarizing figure came to town and engendered shoulder shrugs and vague feelings of meh.

Before it reached that level of apathy, the one-year relationship was a marketing success.

Owens and the Bills used each other. They were a perfect fit, a team desperate to capture their disenfranchised fans' imaginations and a character in need of an image makeover.

Owens came to Buffalo because it was the only place that would take him, and he knew he needed to seize the opportunity to cleanse himself, to show the rest of the NFL he could be in a locker room without detonating its chemistry.

He's a future Hall of Famer who should've generated more attention than he did when the Dallas Cowboys cut him. Perhaps that was a wake-up call. He couldn't afford to depart Buffalo with another quarterback controversy similar to the ones he left behind in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas.

His mission: Show up, play football, be a good soldier and hope the football community notices he served his time with good behavior.

The Bills, meanwhile, needed something -- anything -- to stimulate their followers. The fans were disgusted with how 2008 ended. They started the season 5-1, then collapsed, failing to reach the playoffs a ninth straight season. Head coach Dick Jauron not only was retained, but the club insulted anyone paying attention by refusing to acknowledge what was known, that they'd given him a contract extension before the implosion.

So intense was the furor in Buffalo that some wondered if Bills owner Ralph Wilson would get booed during his induction speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Owens was identified as the solution. He sold tickets. He sold jerseys. The mere fact the Bills would make such an organizationally deviant acquisition put fans in a euphoric state.

Owens arrived with the type of fanfare Buffalo will look back upon with at least a little embarrassment.

He touched down at Buffalo Niagara International Airport to find cheerleaders, chanters and other assorted zealots certain he was the savior. One fan dressed up as a popcorn box, a reference to his showstopper promise to "Get your popcorn ready."

The moment was staged for his VH-1 show, but the feelings expressed were genuine. Bills fans were smitten, drunk in love with a personality who might make their team relevant again. The next day, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown presented him with a key to the city, an honor Wilson has never received.

Pageantry pretty much was all Owens brought to Buffalo, and the front office acted as though that's what it was most interested in anyway.

Whatever daring the Bills showed in signing Owens was offset by their inept evaluation of personnel. They traded Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the regular-season opener and released right tackle Langston Walker and running back Dominic Rhodes.

After the season began, they scrapped the no-huddle offense they'd spent the entire offseason installing, fired Jauron and revoked Trent Edwards' job as starting quarterback.

Not even counting the new Bills regime, Owens played under two head coaches and two offensive coordinators and with three starting quarterbacks -- in the span of nine months.

The Bills sold out every home game with his help. And while Owens showed flashes with little teammate support, he rarely made enough of an impact on the field.

He posted his lowest receptions-per-game average since his rookie campaign with San Francisco in 1996. He finished with 55 catches for 829 yards and five touchdowns.

The theory was that if Owens didn't have a big year, his presence would allow underrated receiver Lee Evans to excel on the other side of the field. Evans had 44 catches for 612 yards (both career-lows) and seven touchdowns. Evans' career average entering last season was 6.4 touchdowns.

In Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, Owens' receptions streak ended at 185 games. It seemed like an appropriate time for Owens to lash out against the Bills, new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt or Edwards, who'd become known locally as Captain Checkdown.

But Owens admirably held himself together and set a media tone for the rest of the season. He was disappointingly uninteresting, but he kept his nose clean. He was adamant about remaining as bland and politically correct as possible. It was part of his cleansing, after all.

Owens' employment options will be limited. He'll turn 37 before the next season is over.

But the way he carried himself in Buffalo and the excuses he'll have at the ready -- thanks to Buffalo's dysfunction and hindrances outside his control such as a slew of injuries on the offensive line -- might give him more possibilities if he's willing to play for a discount.

From the Bills' standpoint, they extracted all they could from Owens' aura. Besides, they cleared the way for younger receivers.

James Hardy, a second-round draft choice in 2008, has only three receptions. He missed almost all of last season while coming back from a knee injury, but he's ready to go. The Bills think highly of Steve Johnson, a seventh-round pick who has been lost in the shuffle.

For Owens, it's time to move on.

The Bills got what they wanted. So did he.

The only ones left unfulfilled were the fans, their excitement turned to yawns.

Buffalo Bills fans have endured their share of blows over the past decade.

A former coach delivered a reminder about Drew Brees that must feel like a punch in the gut and followed it up with a cheap shot.

Gregg Williams was a guest on Nashville sports-radio station 104.5 The Zone and sounded happier to be New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator than the Bills' head coach.

"I'm kind of at that point and time in my career," Williams said, "where the three W's are the most important of the choices that I make from now on in coaching: What am I doing? Where's it at? Who's it with?

"I'm never going to discount again on who's it with. I've been able to kind of pick and choose now after all these years about where I want to go to, and I really, really, really wanted to draft Drew Brees when I was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, and thank goodness that didn't happen otherwise I'd still be stuck up there in cold Buffalo.

"Now I'm here. I do have a chance to go with him into [the Super Bowl]."

The San Diego Chargers selected Brees with the 32nd overall choice in 2001, Williams' first season with the Bills.

The Bills took cornerback Nate Clements with the 21st pick and also owned the 46th pick. As Williams explained to Sports Illustrated's Peter King in the fall, the Bills hoped to trade up to get Brees but couldn't find a willing partner.

"I almost pulled a hamstring in the draft room, jumping up and down because I was so mad,'' Williams told King.

The Bills eventually drafted defensive end Aaron Schobel with the 46th pick. A very good selection.

But instead of having a franchise quarterback for the next decade, the Bills' starting quarterbacks in 2001 were Alex Van Pelt and Rob Johnson. They traded for Drew Bledsoe the next year and have since called Kelly Holcomb, J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm starters.

Williams lasted three seasons as Buffalo's coach. He went 3-13, 8-8 and 6-10.

Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix said at his introductory news conference Thursday he wanted a coach who could build a staff, and the new hire apparently will have to do it from scratch.

The Bills resumed heavy internal renovations Monday by firing their entire coaching staff a day after completing a 6-10 season, their 10th straight without the playoffs.

The story was broken by Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and confirmed by Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan, who noted all of the coaches had one year remaining on their contracts.

The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the season opener and head coach Dick Jauron after a Week 10 loss. They named defensive coordinator Perry Fewell interim head coach.

Nix on Thursday said Fewell would be interviewed for the head-coaching vacancy. Other assistants could be re-hired.

Here is a rundown of the coaches who finished the year with the Bills:

• Bobby April, assistant head coach/special teams coordinator
• Alex Van Pelt, offensive coordinator
• Eric Studesville, running game coordinator/running backs
• Ray Brown, assistant offensive line
• George Catavolos, defensive backs
• Charlie Coiner, tight ends
• DeMontie Cross assistant linebackers/special teams
• Nathaniel Hackett, offensive quality control
• Sean Kugler, offensive line
• Chuck Lester, assistant to the head coach/special projects
• Bob Sanders, defensive line
• Matt Sheldon, linebackers
• Tyke Tolbert, wide receivers
• Adrian White, defensive quality control
• John Allaire, strength and conditioning

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- With a number of well-credentialed coaches, including Super Bowl winners Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren and Brian Billick seemingly available if you meet their price, there is some optimism surrounding the Buffalo Bills’ future direction.

As for the Bills' immediate future, that falls on the broad shoulders of interim head coach Perry Fewell, who replaced Dick Jauron Tuesday.

Clearly, Fewell has his work cut out for him.

He inherits a Buffalo team that shares the longest current playoff drought in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, dating back to 1999. On Day 1 as head coach, Fewell said he wants his team to “play like hell and win.” On Day 2, he made his first big decision, naming Ryan Fitzpatrick his starting quarterback over Trent Edwards for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville.

“We just felt like Ryan gives us the best opportunity to go into Jacksonville and win this week,” Fewell said.

The decision to start Fitzpatrick was initiated by offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and approved by Fewell, who described the Bills' quarterbacking situation as “week-to-week and day-to-day.”

In summarizing how the Bills' offense might look different with Fewell running the show, the 26-year-old Fitzpatrick said, “not a ton will change.” But, he added, "Perry brings a different attitude and coaching style."

Fewell agreed that his style differed from Jauron's.

“I’m more fired up, I’m much more emotional," he said. "Whether the team takes on these characteristics, I don’t know.”

The switch from Edwards to Fitzpatrick was fully endorsed by wide receiver Terrell Owens.

“He’s (Fitzpatrick’s) a veteran and has more experience," Owens said. “He will bide time, assess the defense and take shots downfield.”

Fitzpatrick went 2-1 while Edwards was sidelined with a concussion. Edwards returned last Sunday in a loss at the Tennessee Titans.

“I thought it was his (Fitzpatrick’s) job to lose,” Owens said.

For Fewell, choosing between Edwards and Fitzpatrick must have seemed like picking between root canal and shock therapy. Both quarterbacks have struggled all season moving the ball and finding deep threats Owens and Lee Evans.

In his last four games, Edwards has thrown just one touchdown pass to go with five interceptions. Fitzpatrick has been similarly ineffective with just two touchdown passes and four interceptions in four games this season.

The affable Fewell has spent his entire 12-year NFL coaching career working on the defensive side of the ball. He’s had to deal with a number of key injuries over the last two years.

On the other side of the ball, the Bills reside near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive category: 28th in points scored, 29th in total offense, 29th in passing yards per game.

Buffalo’s scoring woes were clearly evident during the exhibition season when their first-team offense scored exactly three points -- total -- in four games. This led to the firing of offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before their first regular-season game. The Bills' lackluster no-huddle offense was also scrapped after six games.

“You never envision things would have transpired to this point,” Owens said. “It’s tough. I haven’t been in a losing situation like this before. I haven’t been as productive as I would like. All I can do is work hard.”

All season, Jauron stressed the Bills need to stretch the field and make big plays -- to no avail.

Owens, who arrived in Buffalo this offseason amidst considerable fanfare, has been at best a non-factor, at worst a complete bust. Nine games into his one-year, $6.5 million dollar deal, Owens has caught just one touchdown pass. Owens, 35, has yet to have a 100-yard receiving game this season and seven times has caught three balls or fewer, stats reminiscent of a No. 4 receiver, not a future Hall of Famer.

“I’m not in a system I’m accustomed to,” Owens said. “I haven’t been utilized like I have been in years past. In San Francisco and Philadelphia, we had great offensive minds that utilized my abilities.”

The Bills' inability to get T.O. the ball has been a sobering experience for him. As a Pro Bowler on winning teams, Owens became as notorious for his public feuds with quarterbacks Jeff Garcia at San Francisco, Donovan McNabb at Philadelphia and the Dallas Cowboys’ management as for his elaborate touchdown celebrations.

Since his arrival in Buffalo, T.O. has been by all accounts a boy scout from a public relations perspective, an eerie silence for Bills fans who at this point would gladly take all the drama that Owens brings as long as it came with some touchdowns and wins.

David Amber is an ESPN TV correspondent based in Toronto.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Terrell Owens has his statistical measuring stick, and it's a pretty short one.

"I have been looking at my stats compared to Roy E. Williams' stats over there with the Cowboys," Owens said Wednesday at the Buffalo Bills' facility, "and my goal is to have better stats than him by the end of the season."

Owens probably was half-joking, but a major reason the Dallas Cowboys released him was the presence of Williams, who they acquired last season from the Detroit Lions for three draft picks, including first- and third-round choices this year.

Williams has 12 catches for 230 yards and one touchdown with Dallas. Owens has 18 catches for 242 yards and one touchdown for the Bills.

Owens on Wednesday opened up a little about his frustrations with Buffalo's offense and his role in it. He reiterated if he didn't score 10 touchdowns he would give back the key to the city Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown gave him before the season.

Owens was diplomatic in his comments, and nobody can fault the future Hall of Famer for being disappointed with his stats.

"They are pathetic, to be honest," Owens said. "Definitely for me it is very frustrating.

"A lot of people have said that I have hit the wall. I can't play anymore. I know I can play, and that's the thing. I understand what is going on with this team, and from a team standpoint then we are going to have to do the little things to help win games.

"We know we have a lot of rookies on the offensive line. We have a lot of injuries, a lot of new guys filling in, and a lot of first-year guys on the front line. Teams know that and are scheming and pinning their ears back and bringing a lot of pressure. That is not allowing us to throw the ball downfield and get a lot of those timing patterns in that we would like."

Fellow receiver Lee Evans is having an off season, too. In addition to the offensive line, neither Trent Edwards nor Ryan Fitzpatrick has been able to feed Owens the ball regularly. The Bills fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert 10 days before the season and installed Alex Van Pelt. Drops also have been an issue.

"I think it's a combination of everything," Owens said. "Not to discount or discredit anyone, but the offenses I have been in I have been involved more and there is a lot more of formation shifts. Obviously, the line was a lot more stable.

"We know that we have a young line and teams are just teeing off on us and bringing a lot of pressure. We are trying to get some things downfield given the opportunity, and we have done that and we have misconnected on some."

Owens is projected to have his worst season since he was a rookie. But he expressed optimism a breakout performance could be on the horizon. The Bills host the Houston Texans on Sunday.

"It's just a matter of time before I have my day," he said. "Other than that, we are winning and our main goal here this week and this weekend is to go into the bye week with a win, 4-4, even."

And let's not forget staying one step ahead of Williams.

"Just keep working hard, keep looking at the Roy Williams stats," Owens added. "As long as I am doing better than him I am good."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

The Buffalo Bills will avoid a quarterback controversy for at least another week.

Bills coach Dick Jauron already has announced concussed starter -- or at least he used to be the starter -- Trent Edwards will not play Sunday against the Houston Texans in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Fitzpatrick

Edwards

The Bills have gone 2-0 with backup Ryan Fitzpatrick running the offense. They haven't transformed into the 1984 Miami Dolphins, but the offense has gotten better with Edwards off the field.

Jauron said "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it" in response to a question about who the starter will be when Edwards has been cleared to return.

In other words, Jauron -- ahem -- might be willing to check down.

The Bills hoped their quarterback quandary days were over when they rid themselves of J.P. Losman and signed Fitzpatrick to be the unquestioned No. 2. Edwards was the no-doubt starter.

An injury, which given Edwards' history was inevitable, wasn't expected to make a difference. Fitzpatrick simply didn't have the pedigree to warrant cries of a switch.

But, in a big way, Edwards has fallen out of favor with Bills fans. They call him Captain Checkdown, and based on the mailbag submissions I receive, they generally would prefer he check out of town.

Bills faithful have been debating the merits of the two quarterbacks on the same roster almost since Jim Kelly retired 13 years ago. Todd Collins, Alex Van Pelt, Doug Flutie, Rob Johnson, Van Pelt again, Kelly Holcomb, Losman, Edwards ...

The Bills are almost there again. Once Edwards is healthy, the Bills will have another QB dilemma to deal with.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Feel free to add more of your rationale in the comments section below, but here are some reasons off the top of my head why the Buffalo Bills must fire Dick Jauron.

Jauron coaches the NFL's most undisciplined team. Heading into Monday night's game, the Bills lead the league in accepted penalties with 44 and rank second in penalty yards with 336. This stat is amazing to me: 31 different players have been flagged this year. Think about that. A team dresses only 45 for a game.

Jauron has one of the most careless teams. The Bills go into Monday night ranked 30th in turnover differential at minus-6. Two kick return fumbles have caused two of their defeats in the final three minutes.

The Bills' last two losses were their opponents' first victories. The Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns were a combined 0-7 heading into their games against the Bills.

Jauron hasn't won a divisional game since Dec. 9, 2007. The Bills are 0-8 since then, losing every AFC East game last year and two so far this year. Next up: the bloodthirsty New York Jets defense at the Meadowlands.

Jauron's decision to change offensive coordinators was foolish. Because the Bills played in the Hall of Fame Game, they had the benefit of five exhibitions to get their offense organized. Then, 10 days before the season starts, he fired coordinator Turk Schonert. Jauron insisted that owner Ralph Wilson didn't make this call, so how a head coach can be so unaware of his own staff is beyond me. Jauron worked with Schonert last year but apparently made a total misread.

The Bills are 3-12 since it was reported Jauron reached agreement on his three-year contract extension. Their victories were against the Kansas City Chiefs (2-14 last year), Denver Broncos (8-8 last year) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5 so far this year). Worse yet, Jauron is 1-7 at home since the agreement.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills committed more false starts that Bachman Turner Overdrive on the chorus of "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet."

The Bills were whistled for nine false starts in Sunday's hideous 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The Elias Sports Bureau dug around and found that was the most false starts in a game since the New York Giants jumped 11 times against the Seattle Seahawks in November 2005.

And the Bills were at home. So they can't blame the crowd noise.

"I don't know," Bills offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt replied when asked for an explanation. "We tried to go with those quick cadences. We want to get an up-tempo and try to wear them down a little bit up front, and it jumped up and got us."

Cleveland accepted 13 penalties for 75 yards. Buffalo went into the game second only to the St. Louis Rams in penalties.

Eight of Buffalo's false starts were done by offensive linemen, three of whom did it twice each.

Four false starts occurred at right tackle. Jonathan Scott was caught twice before he got hurt. Then replacement Kirk Chambers did it twice. Left tackle Demetrius Bell also doubled up.

Right guard Andy Levitre had only one false start, but it stung. The Bills had a third-and-1 on the Browns 33-yard line when Levitre jumped. The Bills failed to convert on third and fourth downs.

"It's definitely tough to overcome, especially when we have a third-and-1," Bills receiver Terrell Owens said. "It's tough to win games with that many penalties and, obviously, turnovers."

The Bills had three of those, too. Trent Edwards threw an interception, trying to force a pass to Owens. They also lost a pair of fumbles, including Roscoe Parrish's bobble that gave the Browns possession for the winning field goal.

But the penalties were absurd.

"It's inexcusable," center Geoff Hangartner said, "and we've got to do something to change it."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about this weekend's games:

	Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE
	Tom Brady and the Patriots will make a statement with a win over the Ravens this Sunday.

The best game of the week is not the New York Jets at New Orleans Saints. As interesting as a battle between two 3-0 teams will be, we'll learn a lot more about the state of the AFC when the Baltimore Ravens visit the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, the former Miami Dolphins coaching pariah, is calling the league's second-ranked offense. The Ravens' defense is ranked first against the run and seventh overall. But the Ravens have been relatively vulnerable against the pass. If Tom Brady can manage to work around Ravens safety Ed Reed, then the Patriots could score another big win after that setback to the Jets in Week 2.

The Jets' offensive line still is playing below expectations. Many observers, myself, included considered the Jets among the elite O-line units. They're solid on paper from tackle to tackle, featuring four first-round draft picks. But the Jets have been average in protecting Mark Sanchez and have struggled to generate a run game.

The Jets are tied for 20th in run offense. Take away two long fourth-quarter runs in the season opener, and reigning AFC rushing leader Thomas Jones is averaging 2.3 yards a carry. The starting front five have committed nine penalties for 62 yards.

While everybody's talking about the need to stop Drew Brees, running back Pierre Thomas will be a devil for the Jets' defense. The Saints' offense obviously changed when they started handing the ball to Thomas in the second half of Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. Thomas didn't touch the ball in the first half, but finished the game with 126 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 9 yards a carry.

Maybe few people noticed because it was against the Bills, and a scan of the box score doesn't show that Thomas did all of that damage in 30 minutes. Brees, meanwhile, threw for only 172 yards to win comfortably.

Bills receiver Terrell Owens should have a nice bounce-back game against the Miami Dolphins. For the first time in 185 games, Owens is coming off a no-catch performance. Bills offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and quarterback Trent Edwards are under fire for not getting Owens and Lee Evans the ball. They've had all week to address those concerns and likely will enter Land Shark Stadium with a plan to get Owens involved early and often.

The Dolphins rank No. 3 against the run, but their pass defense has been the sixth-most lenient. Opposing quarterbacks have a 103.3 passer rating against them and are averaging 9.1 yards per attempt, second-to-worst in the league.

Dolphins reserve Charlie Anderson could be a difference-maker against the Bills. Unless you're a diehard Dolphins, Houston Texans or Ole Miss fan, you probably don't know who the heck Anderson is. He has started just six games in his six-year career. But he will be relied upon Sunday.

Anderson is Joey Porter's backup, and the reigning AFC sack king has been slowed down by a hamstring problem. Porter has insisted he will play, but even if he does, Anderson will see increased snaps. Anderson does have ability. In back-to-back games last year against the Bills and San Francisco 49ers, he recorded two sacks and two forced fumbles.

	AP Photo/Matt Slocum
	Terrell Owens has had a love-hate relationship with the media over the years, but things have taken another nasty turn this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Poor Terrell Owens.

In 20 years of covering sports, I've never come across a media phenomenon like T.O. Nothing can compare to the drama he causes -- partially self-inflicted, partially media-driven, wholly audience-demanded.

In the six months he has been a Buffalo Bill, I've been exposed to the madness.

I was the guy who asked Owens about Michael Vick back in July. What unraveled afterward was astounding to me. I was given a glimpse at what Owens has dealt with over the years. I felt badly for what he endures.

Reaction was intense. Commentators bellowed that Owens couldn't help himself, suggesting he walked to the microphone and read from a prepared statement to rail against NFL injustice. Fans exploded on the media for badgering Owens into answering controversial questions.

Neither was the case. I simply asked a prominent football player what his opinion was on a national issue, and he graciously provided it without any animus. Owens seemed genuinely appreciative the topic had been broached. We chatted about his new cleats afterward.

Three weeks ago, I defended Owens' sense of humor when he jokingly told New England Patriots reporters on a conference call that he didn’t like Buffalo's no-huddle offense. Some outlets turned his off-handed comment into headlines that declared Owens hated the no-huddle.

On Sunday, I asked Owens questions at a news conference minutes after his streak of 185 games with at least one reception was snapped in a 27-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Now Owens is acting like a victim, and this time I don't feel one bit moved.

On Sporting News Radio, Owens told "Two Live Stews" co-hosts Doug and Ryan Stewart the media is out to get him. Owens claimed we're trying to goad him into throwing teammates under the bus.

Not nearly. With the questionable decisions being made by the Bills' front office and head coach Dick Jauron, we don't need his help to identify culprits.

What we want from Owens is his opinion. As a player who gladly acts larger than life, is cashing paychecks for $6.5 million this year, induced thousands of fans to plunk down hard-earned money for tickets to watch him perform and has so far been mostly irrelevant on the field, Owens' comments are germane.

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