Losman Furious With Bills After Losing Starting Position

ghst187

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I bet some Bill fans are pretty jealous right now wishing they had DB back...
and that first round draft pick...

Lame-Duck Quarterback Taken Back by Decision to Start Holcomb
By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Oct. 9) - Bills quarterback J.P. Losman is upset and embarrassed, wondering what - and how long - it will take to get his starting job back.


"Yes, of course, you are very upset, you're mad, you're trying to find all these negative things and turn them into positives."
-J.P. Losman

"Yes, of course, you are very upset, you're mad, you're trying to find all these negative things and turn them into positives," Losman said after watching backup Kelly Holcomb lead Buffalo to a 20-14 win over Miami on Sunday. "All these feelings that you're feeling, embarrassment in front of your friends and family is probably the biggest thing. And it's just something you have to grow from and get over."

The comments were Losman's first since he lost his starting job to Holcomb this week. The switch, which coach Mike Mularkey tried to keep secret until gametime - but was leaked by several players - came after it was determined the Bills needed a veteran spark to revive an offense that sputtered in three straight losses.

Holcomb responded, finishing 20-of-26 for 169 yards passing and a touchdown, while engineering scoring drives on each of Buffalo's three possessions.

That's a big turnaround for Buffalo (2-3), which managed just 29 points - two touchdowns and five field goals - in its last 14 quarters under Losman.

The second of Buffalo's two 2004 first-round draft picks, Losman was awarded the starting job in February, replacing Drew Bledsoe, who is now the starter in Dallas.

Although it's unlikely Mularkey will make a switch, the coach refused to say whether he'd stay with Holcomb for Buffalo's next game Sunday, when it hosts the New York Jets.

Losman said he was informed of the decision Tuesday, coming two days after he was benched for the final quarter in a 19-7 loss to New Orleans. It was the second time in three games he was benched for at least a series.

In four starts, he is averaging 108 yards passing a game, completed less than 48 percent of his attempts and has acknowledged he's still hesitant at times in the pocket.

The decision still took Losman a little by surprise.

"Well, my mind was swirling on Tuesday and probably even Wednesday," he said, describing his reaction. "But you have to understand the situation that you're in, take your man pills and swallow them. It's going to be tough to swallow, but that's what you have to do."

While Mularkey still hasn't provided a reason for the switch, receiver Eric Moulds suggested earlier this week that the Bills couldn't afford to wait for Losman to develop.

Moulds' comments caught Losman by surprise.

"I haven't heard any of that," Losman said. "Everyone wants to win now. But there are so many things involved with that, it's not just the quarterback position."

The Bills were more efficient under Holcomb, who threw in rhythm, spread the ball to seven receivers and occasionally ran a hurry-up offense to keep the Dolphins off-balance.

"It feels good especially with the situation that we're in," Holcomb said, referring to the team's slow start.

As for Losman, Holcomb said: "J.P. was all right. I know it bothered him some, but sometimes that's the name of the game."

Losman spent the game watching from the sideline and had little interaction with Holcomb. Losman did, however, congratulate Moulds as he reached the bench following the receiver's 2-yard touchdown.

"This is not a straight road," Losman said. "It's up and down. And I have to somehow level it out and realize that I have a long career here, a lot of years left, a lot of games left."
 
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