By Justin Worsley
After starting the season off in an 0-2 hole, the Buffalo Bills are now looking in a new direction at quarterback.
The Bills announced on Monday that the team will now move on with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback, benching the ineffective Trent Edwards in favor of Fitzpatrick for the second straight season.
Edwards, 26, is entering his fourth season, all with Buffalo. So far this season, Edwards has completed 29 of 52 passes for 241 yards with one touchdowns and two interceptions. His 55.8 quarterback rating is the lowest of his career.
Edwards won the starting quarterback job over Fitzpatrick and third-string quarterback Brian Brohm this preseason. Buffalo entered this season with hopes of a franchise revival under new head coach Chan Gailey. The team, however, is off to their usual losing ways and their offense has not produced as hoped. Gailey was hired mostly due in part to his ability to create powerful offenses.
Fitzpatrick, 27, was 5-4 as a starter in Buffalo last year, his first season with the team. The Bills acquired Fitzpatrick last offseason after he started 12 games for the Cincinnati Bengals when starting quarterback Carson Palmer went down. Last season, Fitzpatrick completed 127 of 227 passes for 1,422 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
In his rookie season in 2005, Fitzpatrick became just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards in his NFL debut. While playing for the St. Louis Rams, Edwards replaced injured quarterback Jamie Martin during halftime of a game against the Houston Texans. Down 24-3 when he entered the game, Fitzpatrick passed for 310 yards and led the Rams to a 33-27 overtime victory.
The Buffalo Bills have not had a winning season since going 9-7 in 2004, mainly due to their lack of a leader at quarterback. The last consistent starting quarterback for the organization was Drew Bledsoe who last played for the team in 2003. Buffalo has not made the playoffs since 1999, when they lost in the opening round to the Super Bowl-bound Tennessee Titans in a game that is remember for a dramatic ending now called the "Music City Miracle."
Buffalo travels to New England this Sunday to face the Partiots (1-1.) Buffalo has not won a road game against New England since 2001.
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