Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards might be on a short leash Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium.
Bills coach Dick Jauron was asked if he would consider a switch to backup J.P. Losman if the struggling Edwards got off to a slow start in a critical game for Buffalo's waning playoff hopes.
"Obviously, over the years, I've answered that question, other people involved," said Jauron, who dealt with plenty of quarterback controversies as Chicago Bears coach from 1999 through 2003, "and I've always answered it the same way because I do believe it's the truth.
"I don't think you can say. I know I can't say what I would or wouldn't do in any situation. It would depend on the situations. Do I intend to do it? Absolutely not. Do I have confidence in this young man? Absolutely. Neither you nor I can foresee every circumstance in a game."
The Chiefs are ball hawks. Only the Arizona Cardinals have forced more turnovers. The Chiefs rank second in the NFL with 11 fumble recoveries and have intercepted 10 passes. Their plus-9 turnover margin is second only to the undefeated Tennessee Titans.
The Bills are 5-5 and have tumbled into last place in the AFC East. They were in first place after starting 4-0 and then pushing their record to 5-1.
They have lost four straight games. In that drought, Edwards has been terrible, with a 52.6 passer rating. Edwards has thrown three touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has lost two fumbles and been sacked nine times.
"I think clearly, statistically, you'd say that he's not playing as well the last four games than he was earlier in the year," Jauron said Wednesday. "So I don't know if there is any more to be said than that.
"Though I know that he's four weeks more experienced. I know that he's four weeks smarter because I see him study. He's studying all of the time. So regression in that area, I would say no. I would say he's gone forward.
"So you see what I'm saying? You can take it either way. The bottom line is we're just not playing well enough to win, and he's one of the guys. He's one of those guys out there so he's part of it. So whatever all of that means, there it is. I don't see him in a slide backwards. But clearly, performance-wise, it hasn't been there."
Graham joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Miami Dolphins for the Palm Beach Post. He previously spent eight years at the Buffalo News, where he was an award-winning NHL and boxing writer. The Baldwin-Wallace College grad also has worked for the Las Vegas Sun and Boston Herald.
