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Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

A few days ago, I asked readers to submit their votes for the most absurd AFC East outcome through the first half of 2009.

	AP Photo/Mike Groll
	The ugly Buffalo-Cleveland game in Week 5 was a tough loss for Bills fans to endure.

While the comments section beneath that blog quickly turned into a trash-talking session between New York Jets and Miami Dolphins fans, a few readers actually attempted to make cases for the game they felt was supremely ridiculous.

The most compelling cases were made for the Week 5 disaster between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

That catastrophe deserved to end in a tie, but the Browns won 6-3 thanks to a muffed punt deep in Bills territory in the final minutes. Browns quarterback Derek Anderson completed 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards. His 11.8 percent completion percentage was the second-worst for a winning quarterback since the NFL-AFL merger.

Coming in second was the Indianapolis Colts' 27-23 victory over the Dolphins in Week 2. The Colts became the first team since time of possession became an official stat in 1970 to win while holding the ball for less than 15 minutes. The Colts ran only 35 plays.

Here are some of the better submissions on the subject:

Jesse in Omaha wrote into the AFC East mailbag that the Browns-Bills game "was the lowest point I've had as a fan in a long time. Even if I were a Jets fan during the loss to the lowly Bills, at least I could stand by the fact that the opposing team tried to win the game. I'm not convinced Cleveland wanted to beat Buffalo that day."

In the comments section, glui8 declared the Browns-Bills was, "hands down, the most absurd result. Not only was it the worst football game I've ever seen played, whether it be Pop Warner, high school, college or pro, but the losing team (and this is the reason I'm picking it as the most absurd) got beat by a quarterback that completed two, yes, two passes for a whopping total of 23 yards. THAT IS ABSURD and, in my opinion, is way worse than any of the other games nominated."

DolflyerpacerV316 added: "Gotta be the Browns-Bills game. Seriously, they lost to the Browns? Who does that? How they only scored three on the Browns is the first mystery, but losing to them? That just defines absurd!"

Also in the comments section, mrf042579 weighed in: "I'm going to have to vote for the Colts-Dolphins game. As a Bills fan, I am tempted to vote for any of their games, but in all honesty, how do you lose a game when your opponent runs 35 plays and has the ball less than 15 minutes?"

There was no doubt in stevejdolphin's mind: "It was easily the Dolphins-Colts game. I watched that game, and the way the Dolphins completely controlled the pace of the game while their offense was on the field was incredible. This also needs to be put in perspective with all the coaching changes the Colts had in the off-season. This was the second week of the season, and the Colts had struggled the week before against the Jaguars. They didn't have their second-best receiver in Anthony Gonzalez. For Peyton Manning to pull out a win with everything stacked against him is impossible. It happened and it was without a doubt the most absurd AFC East result."

SportsFan1236 made the case for another game, going with the Dolphins frittering a 21-point first-half lead against the Saints: "They went from dominant to dominated. Sorry, but that was the most pathetic loss of the year. To lose a game in a final minutes is bad, but to lose your momentum and such a huge lead right before half is horrible. Could have beat one of the best teams, if not the best team, in the league and choked it away."

To refresh your memories, here are the thumbnails from the other runners-up:

Week 1: Patriots 25, Bills 24. The Bills don't trail for almost 59 minutes, but Leodis McKelvin fumbles a kickoff inside the final two minutes, setting up Tom Brady with a short field. Brady throws his second touchdown in a span of 1:16 to escape with a dramatic victory.

Week 4: Saints 24, Jets 10. The Jets' offense gives up more points than it scores and more points than its defense allows. The Saints score touchdowns on two of Mark Sanchez's four turnovers.

Week 6: Bills 16, Jets 13 (OT). The Bills allow 318 rushing yards, second-most in Jets history. Thomas Jones runs for the most yards of his career, setting a Jets record. His 210 yards are the fifth most in a defeat since the merger. But the Jets throw six interceptions, five of them by Sanchez.

Week 7: Saints 46, Dolphins 34. The Dolphins hold a 21-point lead for the first 29 minutes of the game but collapse the rest of the way, giving up 24 points in the fourth quarter to become the first team in 22 years to blow a 21-point lead and lose by at least a dozen.

Week 8: Dolphins 30, Jets 25. A sublime Jets defense holds the Dolphins to 104 total yards (third fewest in franchise history) and 1.9 yards per pass attempt. The Dolphins score one offensive touchdown, but two Ted Ginn kickoff returns and a Jason Taylor fumble return -- all in the third quarter -- make the difference.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Nowhere else in sports have stats been more irrelevant than in the AFC East, where illogical verdicts have been rendered on a near-weekly basis.

The Miami Dolphins have had their share but came out ahead for a change Sunday by gaining 104 yards in a victory over the New York Jets, just the latest in a growing collection of incredible results relative to the box score.

There have been enough of these crazy outcomes to put them up for a vote. Take a look at the seven candidates below and then submit your vote and your reasoning in the comments section below. I will tally them up and compile the most compelling arguments for a blog entry later in the week that reveals your pick for the most absurd game through the first half of the 2009 season.

	Geoff Burke/US Presswire
	There have been several outcomes in the AFC East this season, including the Jets’ Week 6 loss to the Bills, that defied statistical probability.

Not sure if this explains anything, but I attended six of the seven games.

Week 1: Patriots 25, Bills 24. The Bills don't trail for almost 59 minutes, but Leodis McKelvin fumbles a kickoff inside the final two minutes, setting up Tom Brady with a short field. Brady throws his second touchdown in a span of 1:16 to escape with a dramatic victory.

Week 2: Colts 27, Dolphins 23. The Colts run only 35 offensive plays because the Dolphins hold the ball for an amazing 45:07. But the Colts average an obnoxious 10.7 yards per snap and 12.3 yards per pass attempt, becoming the first team to win with a recorded time of possession of less than 15 minutes.

Week 4: Saints 24, Jets 10. The Jets' offense gives up more points than it scores and more points than its defense allows. The Saints score touchdowns on two of Mark Sanchez's four turnovers.

Week 5: Browns 6, Bills 3. Browns quarterback Derek Anderson starts, plays the entire game and completes two passes for 23 yards. His 11.8 completion percentage is the second-worst since the NFL-AFL merger for a winning quarterback with at least 15 attempts.

Week 6: Bills 16, Jets 13 (OT). The Bills allow 318 rushing yards, second-most in Jets history. Thomas Jones runs for the most yards of his career, setting a Jets record. His 210 yards are the fifth most in a defeat since the merger. But the Jets throw six interceptions, five of them by Sanchez.

Week 7: Saints 46, Dolphins 34. The Dolphins hold a 21-point lead for the first 29 minutes of the game but collapse the rest of the way, giving up 24 points in the fourth quarter to become the first team in 22 years to blow a 21-point lead and lose by at least a dozen.

Week 8: Dolphins 30, Jets 25. A sublime Jets defense holds the Dolphins to 104 total yards (third fewest in franchise history) and 1.9 yards per pass attempt. The Dolphins score one offensive touchdown, but two Ted Ginn kickoff returns and a Jason Taylor fumble return -- all in the third quarter -- make the difference.

	Doug Benc/Getty Images
	Buffalo rookie free safety Jairus Bird is determined to make receivers beat him to the ball.

The phone chirped. "Chicago Bears" scrolled across the caller ID.

The voice on the other end was buoyant, a rumble of laughter detectable underneath each syllable.

"Hello, this is Gill Byrd. Jairus Byrd used to be my son. Now I'm Jairus Byrd's father."

For all of Jairus Byrd's life, he was identified as the younger boy of Gill Byrd, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback for the San Diego Chargers and Bears assistant coach.

As dad acknowledged over the phone, that perception has changed over the past few weeks.

Jairus Byrd, a rookie free safety for the Buffalo Bills, has already made a name for himself. He's doing it emphatically.

Through the first seven games of his NFL career, he has been Buffalo's most valuable player.

"Clearly, he's got skills that are not ordinary even for this level," said Bills head coach Dick Jauron, "and he's using them."

Jairus Byrd ranks second in the NFL with five interceptions, one behind New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper. Byrd has snagged all of his interceptions over the past three games and has picked off a pair in two games straight.

Without his interceptions, the Bills wouldn't lead the NFL in takeaways and probably wouldn't have beaten the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers the past two Sundays. Each of his past three interceptions has set up a Bills touchdown.

In a season that has been rife with letdowns for Bills fans, Byrd has been a revelation.

"I think he can be an All-Pro consistently," said Jairus Byrd's more decorated mentor, eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Aeneas Williams, a close friend of the Byrd family. "I think he has the ability.

"What makes you an impact player is when that offensive team, going into their game plan during the week, has to account for you. I believe he's definitely one of those guys that -- if they're not already accounting for him -- they're at least acknowledging 'You need to know where 31 is.'"

Jairus Byrd's uniform number is becoming fashionable in Buffalo, and you can already project his jerseys will be popular Christmas gifts.

Buffalo storylines this season have been dominated by Terrell Owens' lack of production, disgust over Jauron's continued employment, Marshawn Lynch's suspension, two invasions of players' homes, myriad injuries and game-losing fumbles in the final minutes.

Jairus Byrd has given Bills fans a reason to cheer.

"Everything's gone so fast," he said. "I haven't really had the chance think about where I am, what's going on. I try not to focus on that. It's just getting wins and helping the team."

Injuries to safeties Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott gave him his opportunity to start. When Whitner and Scott both are healthy, it's impossible to imagine the Bills removing Jairus Byrd from the lineup.

He's the first rookie to record five interceptions in a month since Bears safety Mark Carrier in December 1990 and the first rookie with two interceptions in consecutive games since Dallas Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls in 1981.

With nine regular-season games to play, Jairus Byrd is three interceptions away from Buffalo's rookie interceptions record (Archie Matsos) and halfway to its overall season record (Billy Atkins, Tom Janik). And he's already within two interceptions of matching his father's best season.

"I'm always trying to compete with him," Jairus Byrd said. "I tell him I'm going to get him."

When informed how close Jairus was to matching him, Gill groaned in near-defeat, "Aw, man."

Few expected Jairus Byrd to make such an immediate impact when the Bills drafted him in the second round out of Oregon. He missed minicamp because of Oregon's quarterly academic schedule. He missed much of training camp while recovering from sports hernia surgery and didn't sign his contract until the end of July.

"They got a first-round talent," Williams said, conceding that his fondness for Jairus might hurt the credibility of his assessment. "The only reason maybe he didn't go in the first round is he's not a blazer as it relates to his 40 time."

Jairus Byrd has phenomenal instincts when it comes to coming up with the ball. He never has had fewer than five interceptions in a season, leaving Oregon a year early with 17 of them. He led or tied for the Pac-10 lead in interceptions his sophomore and junior seasons. He also forced two fumbles and recovered four.

Ask him to explain how he keeps coming up with the ball, and he laughs. Then he delivers a pat answer about how his teammates deserve all the credit. You can sense he has been asked the question so frequently, but he's unable to put his knack into words.

"The guys have done a nice job of getting him ready," said Jauron, himself a Pro Bowl safety for the Detroit Lions. "But nobody's making those plays except Jairus. ... He's got qualities -- and a lot of them."

	Doug Benc/Getty Images
	Former Chargers cornerback Gill Byrd is passing all his knowledge onto his son, Jairus.

Williams can explain the secret to Jairus Byrd's intrinsic homing skills because Williams learned it from Gill Byrd nearly two decades ago.

Bills teammates claim Jairus Byrd demonstrates advanced football maturity, and it's easy to see why. He's a superb case study in determining whether nature or nurture determines a man's potential.

Yes, he has the bloodlines. Gill Byrd played 10 seasons for the Chargers and is in their Hall of Fame.

Perhaps more importantly, Jairus Byrd's nest was the NFL locker room. His father worked in the Green Bay Packers front office and has been an assistant coach for the St. Louis Rams and Bears. Gill also credited the "discipline and encouragement" from Jairus' mother, Marilyn, and the drive to compete with Gill Byrd II, the older son by two years who became a star defensive back at New Mexico State.

But it was in St. Louis where Williams took Jairus Byrd, then a high school student, under his wing. The two became so close that Jairus Byrd still calls him Uncle Aeneas.

"It wouldn't just be running and talking football," Gill Byrd said. "It'd be talking life. It'd be talking about what it takes to be a man of God, life lessons. On top of that, he learned football and techniques from one of the best."

Williams' involvement has been critical to Jairus Byrd's development because the rookie has no distinct memories of his father playing and never has seen a frame of game tape. He turned six during his father's final season. Old-school programming on the NFL Network or ESPN Classic haven't presented a glimpse.

The only footage Jairus Byrd has seen of Gill in action was grainy practice film somebody burned onto a DVD for a joke.

Williams' tutelage meant "having someone he did watch play and look up to show him 'Yes, this is what it's all about,'" Gill Byrd said. "As with any child, you need multiple voices to deliver the same message to get things across. That old saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child,' I think it's appropriate even in the athletic arena."

Williams simply is returning the love Gill Byrd showed him for years. Long before Gill Byrd joined the Rams' coaching staff, he'd been teaching Williams everything he knew.

Williams emerged from Southern University in 1991 hungry for information that could give him an edge. He sought out top defensive backs because he wanted to soak in their insight. He flew to Houston to meet Ken Houston, tracked down Michael Haynes and reached out to Gill Byrd.

For the next few summers, Gill Byrd and Williams worked out in San Diego. Soon after they met, Gill imparted some words that changed the way Williams played the game and sent him on his way to a career highlighted by 55 interceptions, 23 fumble recoveries and 12 defensive touchdowns.

Williams called it "that little, subtle change" in his attitude, and he's sure Gill ingrained it in Jairus, too.

"Most defensive backs play with a philosophy of 'I can't get beat,' or 'Nobody can beat me,' " Williams said. "Gill made me understand, no, my philosophy has to be 'They have to beat me,' which sounds like just words, but for me it really catapulted me to another level of understanding.

"Just think of all the defensive backs you see in a game that are right next to the receiver but never turn back to look for the ball. It's because all that guy's life he's been told 'Don't get beat.' "

A thirst for knowledge has splashed Jairus Byrd. He still texts Williams in search of any tip he can get on certain receivers (Williams shared one of Randy Moss' big tells) and will wheedle advice from the legends who hang around One Bills Drive. Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas already is a big fan.

"I try to absorb everything I can," Jairus Byrd said. "My father taught me how to be a pro in life, how to be man. He's always told me to be slow to speak and quick to hear. That's pretty much the biggest thing I learned from him."

Some might look at Jairus Byrd's interceptions and flick a dismissive wrist. He has been feasting on bad quarterback play -- Derek Anderson, Mark Sanchez, Jake Delhomme. Passes have been overthrown. Balls are bouncing off receivers' hands and right to him.

Skeptics would say Jairus Byrd is a lucky duck.

"Is it luck when you study your opponent and know their tendencies?" Gill Byrd asked. "Is it luck when you play hard and hustle? Is it luck when you find the ball, track the ball and have nothing else in sight? Is it luck when you have the hand-eye coordination to catch the ball?

"I would say it's a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication. Not too many guys get lucky that often."

Or so quickly.

Parrish

The Buffalo Bills have benched Roscoe Parrish, the NFL's top punt returner the past to years and the 55th overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Parrish doesn't understand Bills head coach Dick Jauron's decision and spoke to reporters Thursday at his locker stall for the first time since he was a healthy scratch Sunday. Adam Benigni of Buffalo's NBC affiliate, WGRZ, has posted some video of Parrish's interview.

Parrish is Buffalo's career leader in punt return average. He averaged 15.3 yards last year and 16.3 yards the year before.

But Parrish had been reckless on a couple returns and muffed a punt that set up the Cleveland Browns for the winning field goal in Week 5.

"To be honest with you -- not to badmouth nobody, not to badmouth Jauron -- my resume speaks for itself," Parrish said Thursday. "When you see my resume, and then you see me not returning punts, it's kind of like 'Wow, what is going on?'

"I'm not going to sit up here and just be negative with the whole situation toward Dick Jauron, but it's a situation you look at it like 'This guy here led the league two years in a row, and the year before he didn't lead he finished third.' "

Jauron not only took the job away from Parrish and gave it Fred Jackson, but also deactivated Parrish for Sunday's overtime victory against the New York Jets. Parrish also is a receiver, but with Terrell Owens, Lee Evans and Josh Reed on the roster, Parrish was an afterthought in the offense.

Parrish spoke with me in training camp about his desire to be traded because the Bills were reluctant to use him as a receiver. He was unhappy to be limited to returning punts. Now, he's not doing that.

Parrish was asked what the Bills told him when they made the decision.

"What was said was the depth chart and me not dressing," Parrish said. "What can possibly be said, that I'm not doing a good job because of one game? It's a long season."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

With Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron's approval rating hovering one percentage point above low-fat milk, he could use a little pick-me-up.

Maybe two of his better defensive players can help him out be returning for Sunday's game against the New York Jets at the Meadowlands.

The Buffalo News, citing an unnamed source, reports captain and middle linebacker Paul Posluszny has been telling teammates he expects to return from the broken forearm he suffered on opening night.

Safety Donte Whitner also suggested he will play against the Jets. Whitner has missed two games after thumb surgery, but his return would give the Bills half of their starting secondary. Right cornerback Leodis McKelvin is done for the year with a leg injury. Safery Bryan Scott has missed two games with a high ankle sprain.

The Bills on Wednesday morning announced they've signed a pair of injury replacements formerly of the St. Louis Rams: linebacker Chris Draft and defensive back Todd Johnson.

Spots were open on the roster because the Bills lost linebackers Kawika Mitchell (also a captain) and Marcus Buggs to season-ending knee injuries in Sunday's 6-3 snooze-and-lose to the Cleveland Browns.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Falling

Ryan

Rex Ryan's defense. The New York Jets rookie head coach said he was embarrassed for not having his defense better prepared to stop the Miami Dolphins, who pretty much did whatever they wanted Monday night. The Dolphins unleashed the Wildcat. Chad Henne picked them apart through the air.

The Jets went into the game ranked fourth in total defense, 13th in run defense and fifth in pass defense. Ryan's aggressive style was supposed to be showcased against a Dolphins offense that gave up six sacks a week earlier against the Buffalo Bills.

Parrish

Roscoe Parrish, Bills receiver and punt returner. Parrish wanted out of Buffalo shortly after they signed Terrell Owens. Parrish saw the writing on the wall. He was going to get balls thrown his way only after Owens, Lee Evans and Josh Reed got theirs, and probably after Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and whomever was at tight end, too.

Parrish didn't get his wish, and despite agent Drew Rosenhaus's attempts to orchestrate a trade by planting rumors Parrish was on the block -- even though Parrish later admitted the Bills didn't want to deal him -- he's still in Orchard Park. Parrish has one catch for 5 yards and muffed a punt inside the final three minutes to give the Cleveland Browns a gift field goal and 6-3 victory.

Edwards

Trent Edwards, Bills quarterback. Buffalo's supposed quarterback of the future seems to regress every week. Of course, it's not totally his fault. He's often scrambling for his life because he's (not) protected by a line that's thinner on talent than it is experience, and that's saying something.

Edwards was among the NFL's passing leaders a couple weeks into the season, but he's 19th now. He has been saddled with the unflattering nickname Captain Checkdown, reflected in his 58.1 completion percentage. But he's averaging 6.4 yards per attempt (23rd in the league). He has thrown five touchdowns and six interceptions.

Rising

Henne

Chad Henne, Dolphins quarterback. The sophomore from Michigan was pressed into service several months ahead of schedule when Chad Pennington suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 3. But Henne is 2-0 as a starter and introduced himself to NFL fans with a fantastic game Monday night.

In a thrilling 31-27 victory over the Jets, Henne completed 20 of 26 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He had a 130.4 passer rating, something Pennington didn't accomplish last year. And Pennington ranks in the top-10 all-time in passer rating.

Edwards

Braylon Edwards, Jets receiver. Edwards made a nice first impression by showing everyone exactly why the Jets acquired him last Wednesday from the Cleveland Browns. Edwards, a big-play threat who became known for his drops and off-field misbehavior, looked more like the player who caught 80 passes and 16 touchdowns in 2007.

In a game where the Jets scored three touchdowns, Edwards greatly influenced all of them. He caught five passes for 64 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown. He had another score reversed on a spot review. The Jets scored two plays later. He also drew a pass interference call near the goal line to set up another touchdown.

Miami's Wildcat offense. The Dolphins called their direct-snap offense 16 times for 110 yards from scrimmage, six first downs and the winning touchdown. Observers continue to wonder when defenses will catch up with the Wildcat and render it extinct, but the Dolphins keep using it with great success.

"That was our offense," Dolphins outside linebacker Joey Porter said. "So to all the Wildcat haters, and to say our offense is a fluke: Keep thinking it's a fluke if you want to."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Whether Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson minds is another story, but those who cared enough to submit a vote in this week's SportsNation NFL head coach approval ratings are even less impressed with Dick Jauron than they were last week.

Yes, it is mathematically possible. But barely.

Jauron

Jauron's approval rating dipped to 3 percent at times last week, but he officially closed the poll at 4 percent.

This week, he's solidly at 3 percent already with a large volume of votes cast. Jauron has elicited nearly 3,500 votes as of this posting Tuesday morning. Nobody else had more than 1,100 votes, while several coaches had generated just a couple hundred.

What makes the torrent of disgust against Jauron even more remarkable is that he's not a lightning-rod figure such as Bill Belichick, Eric Mangini or Wade Phillips, who draw votes from haters. Anybody taking the time to vote on Jauron almost certainly is a Bills fan or from the Buffalo area. Jauron doesn't have haters.

Miami Dolphins and New York Jets fans still must've been bleary-eyed after Monday night's tremendous game, a 31-27 Dolphins victory in Land Shark Stadium.

Jets coach Rex Ryan was 10th in the poll with an 85 percent approval rating. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was 15th at 75 percent, but only a couple of precincts had reported. I suspect those numbers will change quickly.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was in 18th place at 45 percent.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

I'm not sure what's more significant, Dick Jauron announcing he had lost two more linebackers for the rest of the season or the fact Jauron's still representing the Buffalo Bills.

Jauron remained in Bills gear Monday and maintained actual job responsibilities a day after his team evaporated at home versus the Cleveland Browns.

Bills fans were hoping they would wake up to news Jauron had been fired. The Bills are 1-7 over their past eight home games and haven't defeated a divisional opponent since December 2007.

The Bills get worse by the week, and discovering linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Marcus Buggs are gone for the year because of knee injuries in Sunday's loss make them that much less talented.

Like Lindsay Lohan, the Bills roster started out thin and has gotten frighteningly skinnier.

Original middle linebacker Paul Posluszny broke his forearm on opening night. Buggs replaced him for three games. Mitchell replaced Buggs on Sunday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Good afternoon, AFC East fans.

After a slow morning on the blog, I wanted to make a quick post to let you know I haven't called in sick after being forced to watch the Buffalo Bills out-sputter the Cleveland Browns in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

I just got off my flight from Buffalo to Fort Lauderdale for a much more attractive Monday night matchup between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in Land Shark Stadium.

As of this posting, Dick Jauron still has his job and I'm still hoping to witness a Week 5 touchdown.

If the Dolphins can beat the Jets, then the AFC East standings will be rather tight. The Jets and Patriots would be one game ahead of the Dolphins, but the Dolphins would be the only team without a division loss.

I will post more once I grab my rental car, swing by Dolphins headquarters to pick up my credential and parking pass and check into the hotel. Thanks for your patience.

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."

	Rick Stewart/Getty Images
	Terrell Owens has not delivered the stats, or the victories, Bills fans expected.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- This isn't a knock on the rest of the men in the Buffalo Bills' locker room, merely a fact.

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Jon Corto hurts more than anybody else in there. He's a reserve linebacker, about as deep on the depth chart as a body can get at the end of training camp. He doesn't make game-changing plays or game-breaking errors. As a special-teamer, he usually doesn't have those responsibilities.

But he has invested more of his life in the Bills than any of his teammates. He's from Orchard Park, N.Y., the team's suburban home. He grew up a Bills fan, played for the Quakers of Orchard Park High. He remembers his little brother crying after their Super Bowl losses.

On Sunday afternoon, Corto appeared nearly as emotional as he stood in his locker stall and tried to come up with answers for how to explain what has gone wrong with his team. The winless Cleveland Browns bused along the shore of Lake Erie to beat the Bills 6-3 in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Buffalo lost at home to a team that had dropped 10 straight games. Cleveland's previous victory occurred 11 months ago in Orchard Park.

Buffalo is 1-4, and times when fans have been more disgusted are tough to recall.

"I've been a Bills fan since I was born," said Corto, purple claw marks from the game still puffy on his left biceps. "We felt the pain when we didn't come away with those Super Bowls.

"Some people say 'I just want to see one Super Bowl title before I die.' I hear them. I feel what they're saying. It's tough. I do feel it."

Corto

Bills fans are angst-ridden by nature. They're terrified about losing their team to a bigger market some day and are on edge that home games are being exported to Toronto. Many believe there's a finite number of years left to cheer for their team in Orchard Park.

Another precious season is being wasted. This will be 10 straight years without a trip to the playoffs.

The Bills are doormat dreadful. Three straight 7-9 seasons under head coach Dick Jauron had loyalists inching toward revolt until the signing of celebrity receiver Terrell Owens, the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions of owner Ralph Wilson and defensive end Bruce Smith and a return to the no-huddle offense distracted them.

Fans, high on hope, purchased season tickets on a level seen during the Super Bowl years. With memories of the glory days flooding back and T.O. on the field, anything seemed possible.

Now, a 7-9 finish would appear to be a miracle season.

The Bills seem to play worse by the week. They blasted the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, but the Bills' roster has crumbled since. They are playing less and less disciplined. They seem increasingly unprepared each Sunday.

Pro Football Hall of Fame president Steve Perry was supposed to present Wilson with his ring at halftime Sunday, but the ceremony didn't happen.

Hall of Fame vice president of communications Joe Horrigan said the Bills called on Friday to cancel. On Sunday night, the front page of the Hall of Fame's official Web site still trumpeted the scrubbed ceremony.

Wilson likely avoided a torrent of boos by not taking the field. Instead, nothing took place at halftime. No band. No Pop Warner football game. No acrobats or dogs catching Frisbees. Not even a tumbleweed. The field was just a green, 120-yard vacant lot, suggesting that something probably was planned and canceled to avoid any humiliation.

Wilson, who was in attendance, also chose not to appear before the game, when former Bills receiver Andre Reed received the Ralph C. Wilson Distinguished Service Award in a muted ceremony. Wilson didn't speak to reporters after the game.

At the very least, Bills fans want Jauron gone and fast. Like, yesterday. Jauron pulled down an unprecedented 3 percent in last week's edition of the SportsNation NFL head coach approval ratings.

Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon was noncommittal when asked about Jauron's status after losing to the lowly Browns.

"I am not commenting on that," Brandon said. "Obviously, this is a low point for all of us. I feel for everyone in the organization and more importantly the fans. This is not where we expected to be right now."

What was left of the crowd at the end of the game booed as loudly as it could.

"They deserve more," Owens said. "Every week, when we practice, the guys are practicing hard. We come out and try to put forth a great effort and try to get a win."

Chances for success were minimal Sunday, even with the Browns on the other sideline.

The Bills were so inept. They lost even though Browns quarterback Derek Anderson completed only two of his 17 passes for 23 yards. Anderson had the second-worst completion percentage for a winning quarterback with at least 15 attempts since the NFL-AFL merger.

The Bills perpetrated 14 penalties, all but one of which was accepted. They committed an incredible nine false starts. Every member of the offensive line -- all five starters and replacement Kirk Chambers -- committed at least one penalty, most of them two.

"The penalties, you can't do that against anybody," Buffalo center Geoff Hangartner said. "We just killed ourselves today. ... We can't even talk about being good on offense if we have that many penalties. It's inexcusable."

Buffalo suffered two more injuries Sunday at thin positions. Middle linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Marcus Buggs were carted off the field with leg injuries that appeared serious. This after Paul Posluszny, the opening night starter at middle linebacker, didn't make it a half in Week 1 before he broke his forearm. Posluszny and Mitchell are the defensive captains.

Corto, undrafted out of Sacred Heart, might be in the starting lineup next week against the New York Jets.

Jonathan Scott, their second right tackle, limped off the field Sunday with an undisclosed injury. Scott replaced Brad Butler, who went on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Chambers, who couldn't make the team out of training camp and was later re-signed for depth, went in for Scott.

Bills quarterback Trent Edwards had another rough outing. He was 16 of 31 for 152 yards and one interception. He had a 52.1 passer rating.

But the offense seemed to have a pulse in the first half. Edwards completed four passes to Owens for 44 yards before the intermission, but none after. Lee Evans had two catches for 11 yards.

The alleged 1-2 threat of Owens and Evans have combined for 24 receptions for 361 yards and two touchdowns.

"We're not performing at a high enough level to win, obviously," Jauron said. "We moved the ball some in the first half and got the ball to Terrell, did some things, ran the ball pretty well.

"It's just we're not finishing."

Jauron might not finish the season, and while that might appease the legions of Bills faithful who want him gone oh so very badly, another painful season seems more unavoidable than the noise that probably would have poured on Wilson at halftime.

"I know what it's like to feel frustrated," Corto said in the locker room. "I've been a Bills fan my whole life. I tell some of these guys, 'Man, I feel the pain of the fans' because I'm a fan, too."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Not often does a quarterback have such an inefficient performance yet walk off the field a winner.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson completed two passes on Sunday afternoon and defeated the Buffalo Bills 6-3 in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Anderson's 11.8 completion percentage is the second-worst since the NFL-AFL merger for a winning quarterback with at least 15 pass attempts.

The Browns have been involved in the three most uneconomical-but-triumphant passing performances.

In 1970, Browns quarterback Don Gault was 1 of 16 (6.3 percent) in a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 1974, Steelers quarterback Terry Hanratty was 2 of 15 (13.3 percent) against the Browns.

Bills legend Jim Kelly has the fourth-lowest completion percentage in a win. He went 4 of 21 (19 percent) to beat the Carolina Panthers in 1995.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- I'm not saying that was the worst football game I've ever seen.

But it's certainly in the conversation.

Thanks to a Roscoe Parrish fumbled punt on his own 16-yard line within the final three minutes, the Cleveland Browns kicked a chip-shot field goal to beat the Buffalo Bills 6-3 in Ralph Wilson Stadium on a chilly and windy Sunday afternoon.

What else did anybody expect?

The Bills and Browns went into the game with a combined 1-7 record.

The Browns were winless. In fact, they haven't won since Nov. 17 -- in Ralph Wilson Stadium. They haven't scored a touchdown on the road since that night.

The Bills went into the game a wayward collection of rummage-bin parts with seemingly little direction or discipline. They had several reserves in starting roles. They were second-most penalized team in the league.

On Sunday, their roster got even thinner, losing linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Marcus Buggs to injuries that required them being carted off the field. Never a good sign. Starting right tackle Jonathan Scott also left the game.

But even more exasperating for Buffalo fans has to be the penalties.

Cleveland accepted 13 penalties for 75 yards. Every member of Buffalo's offensive line -- all five starters and Scott's replacement, Kirk Chambers -- were flagged at least once, four of them twice.

Buffalo was charged with nine false starts.

Punters Dave Zastudil and Brian Moorman were the best players on the field, and I'm not saying that flippantly. They really were.

Buffalo lost even though Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson completed 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards.

Trent Edwards 15 of 30 for 135 yards and one interception.

Terrell Owens had four catches for 44 yards in the first half, zero catches in the second half.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills went into Sunday's game with a ramshackle roster.

They're even more dilapidated now.

In Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, the Bills have lost three more players at the two positions they were thinnest: linebacker and offensive line.

Defensive captain Kawika Mitchell was carted off in the first half with a leg injury that looked serious. This week, Mitchell was switched to middle linebacker to replace Marcus Buggs, who replaced captain Paul Posluszny, who suffered a broken forearm in Week 1.

Buggs was carted off the field with a leg injury in the second half.

Keith Ellison is in the middle now.

The Bills also lost right tackle Jonathan Scott with an apparent leg injury. Scott became a starter when Brad Butler went on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered in Week 2.

Kirk Chambers, a veteran journeyman cut as the end of training camp, replaced Scott.

Buffalo also is playing without both of their regular starting safeties, Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott.