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In posting a Buffalo Bills 2010 season preview, I looked at the prospects at each position. Here is part of the assessment of the quarterbacks:

“For better or worse, Trent Edwards will again direct the Bills’ offense this season. He had looked shell-shocked since suffering a concussion 2 years ago and was running for his life last year behind a patchwork offensive line. So far in preseason he looks a lot more comfortable, and that could be due to the fact that the O-line has done a good job of protecting him for the most part. Edwards also looks like he has bulked up since last season. Hopefully that will help his durability. Edwards still hasn’t shown that he can handle playing in bad weather, a top qualification of any Bills’ QB. It was interesting that after Fewell took over the Bills last season, he started having them practice outside for the first time. Could that be a reason Edwards hasn’t proven he can handle playing in the elements?  He still has a lot to prove, but he did win the starting job outright in camp. Look for steady progress from Edwards and in the end, a successful if not spectacular season from him, especially if his offensive line stays healthy and jells together. Ryan Fitzpatrick did a good job holding down the fort in some dismal conditions as last season wound down, and his presence on the roster as the backup is a positive. He is settling nicely into the role as the guy who helps out the younger QBs from the sideline, but is always ready when called upon to play.”

Yes, it’s true Fitzpatrick is a true professional who is always prepared when called upon to play. The Bills’ coaching staff, after 2 dismal offensive performances to start the regular season, has decided that time is now. Edwards did win the job outright in training camp but unfortunately, once the real bullets started flying, he immediately regressed into the tentative, unproductive signal caller he was when he lost the job last season. Bulking up may have helped him withstand hard hits, but it didn’t do anything to improve his pocket awareness. So the Bills announced on Monday that Fitzpatrick would start this week’s game at New England. This is a change that had to be made, and I applaud coach Chan Gailey for doing it now while the season is still salvagable. Players who underperform at any other position are subject to being replaced in the lineup, but coaches are always wary of ruining their quarterback’s fragile psyche by sending them to the bench. Kudos to Gailey for putting the good of the team ahead of worrying about Edwards being disappointed. Fitzpatrick isn’t exactly the second coming of Bart Starr, but the fact is last season, when the Bills had a 6-10 record, the team was 5-4 when Fitzpatrick started. The Bills’ players are not going to publically trash Edwards, but because of  Trent’s past record and the “deja vu” feeling that the first 2 games had of last year, you know this move is going to go over well in the locker room. The Bills’ offensive line has struggled somewhat in the first 2 weeks, so Fitzpatrick’s mobility will be an asset also. An offensive line can make a quarterback look great when they protect him well, but it’s also true that a quarterback can make an offensive line look better if that quarterback doesn’t panic at the first sign of trouble, makes good decisions, finds a way to extend plays, and has some semblance of pocket awareness. I have a feeling that fans will be surprised at how much the Bills’ O-line “improves” this week with Fitzpatrick behind center.