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For the curious....
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Losman is now in the driver's seat for Bills
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (Aug. 3, 2005) -- The kid has the keys. That's always a scary thought, even if the reference is only metaphoric. In this case, the young, first-time "driver" is J.P. Losman and the "car" is the Buffalo Bills ' offense.
Losman's youth and inexperience is evident the moment he sets foot on the practice field at the Bills' training camp at St. John Fisher College. You see a bit of uncertainty and hesitation as he drops back in the pocket. You see a quarterback whose speed and athleticism defined his collegiate career at Tulane and who still seems a little more comfortable with running than throwing. You don't see a commanding presence or take-charge personality that is normally associated with his position.
Not yet, at least.
Right now, the best that can be said about Losman is: One, he worked extremely hard in the offseason to develop a thorough understanding of the Bills' offense -- that he essentially parked himself in Buffalo from February through July to receive intensive tutoring from quarterbacks coach Sam Wyche. Two, he hasn't thrown an interception since camp drills began on July 30.
The second point might actually be more significant because Losman did serve up his share of pickoffs during offseason workouts. Linebacker Takeo Spikes swiped three alone. His dedication to learning the offense is admirable, but it also should be a given considering that he attempted all of five regular-season passes as a rookie last year and that acquiring such knowledge is a major part of his responsibility as a starter.
What Losman doesn't show is an appreciable amount of playmaking. True, it is very early in the process, but it's only natural to look for signs that he is, indeed, ready for the challenge of sitting behind the wheel. The fact he is so far keeping mistakes to a minimum is encouraging, particularly after the repeated struggles of his predecessor, Drew Bledsoe, who was sent packing after last season.
J.P. Losman will get as much work in the first preseason game as he did in all of 2004.
Yet you continue to want Losman to show you more. And he is well aware of that. He also is well aware that countless Bills fans are obsessed with the notion that he holds the key to whatever hope for success the team has in the near and distant future.
Just don't expect Losman, whose shaggy black hair and round face make him a dead-ringer for Adam Sandler, to obsess about that.
"I think you'd be putting too much pressure on yourself by going out there and trying to be perfect, or just because you're given the starting quarterback job, you automatically have to be the leader of the team," he said between practices in stifling heat and humidity. "That leadership and those things are earned.
"The quarterback has to go out there and try not to make as many mistakes as he can, and let the leadership role just progress as the season goes and let the accomplishments progress as the season goes."
The operative word is "progress." The Bills' fortunes for 2005 are tied directly to how fast -- or slow -- Losman develops into a mostly reliable starting quarterback. I'm not talking about the point at which he becomes the top-flight performer that the Bills declared he would become when they made him a first-round draft pick in 2004. I'm just talking about basic reliability and efficiency.
It's conceivable that Losman won't get there this season. It's conceivable the Bills, who were on the verge of being a playoff team last season, could take some steps backward as Losman works at ridding himself of the rough edges.
Ask Vic!
But that's a hard sell for a team with one of the NFL's best defenses and superb special teams. It's a sell that head coach Mike Mularkey steadfastly refuses to make. He fully expects the Bills to succeed this year with Losman at quarterback.
"The phrase ‘take a step back' has never really been a thought," Mularkey said. "We are full speed ahead. People have to understand, because our team does, that J.P. does not have to win games. We have to win games. He has an excellent supporting cast, especially with our defense and our special teams, which are very strong. And we've got some weapons offensively.
"As long as we, as coaches, are smart about how we scheme it with him, he doesn't have to be the guy to win it."
Translation: Running back Willis McGahee will carry the brunt of the Bills' offensive load, and the Bills expect his rushing success to set up the occasional big completions that Losman can make to receivers Eric Moulds, Lee Evans and rookie speedster Roscoe Parrish.
Still, the speed of Losman's development is foremost on the minds of most everyone connected with the Bills.
"Early on in the offseason, he looked like a rookie still," safety Lawyer Milloy said. "Progressively, he got better. Then, when we showed up here at camp, I think everybody on defense was kind of taken aback by how he matured over the last six weeks that we had off. He stayed in the classroom, worked on some of his ball placements, and he has been very sharp."
Losman is honest about his circumstances. He does not pretend to know it all. He admits that he constantly seeks, and receives, help from those around him. One of his greatest assets is his center, Trey Teague. The Bills view Teague as a possible option at left tackle if newly acquired Mike Gandy can't cut it there. However, they would likely do a giant disservice to their quarterback by taking away his sturdiest crutch.
"He definitely helps me out with cadence -- things he reminds me of, little checks here and there," Losman said. "Or he can tell, if I'm hesitating (to make a call), he'll spit the answer out."
Losman is making a conscious effort to limit the number of times he leaves the pocket too early, a typical trait of an inexperienced quarterback with nimble feet and an obvious threat to his health (a painful lesson he learned after suffering a broken leg midway through last year's camp in an accidental collision with defensive back Troy Vincent).
"And the more and more I do that," Losman said, "the more successful I will be."
The kid has the keys. Now it's time to see whether he can keep this car on the road.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8702112
-----
Losman is now in the driver's seat for Bills
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (Aug. 3, 2005) -- The kid has the keys. That's always a scary thought, even if the reference is only metaphoric. In this case, the young, first-time "driver" is J.P. Losman and the "car" is the Buffalo Bills ' offense.
Losman's youth and inexperience is evident the moment he sets foot on the practice field at the Bills' training camp at St. John Fisher College. You see a bit of uncertainty and hesitation as he drops back in the pocket. You see a quarterback whose speed and athleticism defined his collegiate career at Tulane and who still seems a little more comfortable with running than throwing. You don't see a commanding presence or take-charge personality that is normally associated with his position.
Not yet, at least.
Right now, the best that can be said about Losman is: One, he worked extremely hard in the offseason to develop a thorough understanding of the Bills' offense -- that he essentially parked himself in Buffalo from February through July to receive intensive tutoring from quarterbacks coach Sam Wyche. Two, he hasn't thrown an interception since camp drills began on July 30.
The second point might actually be more significant because Losman did serve up his share of pickoffs during offseason workouts. Linebacker Takeo Spikes swiped three alone. His dedication to learning the offense is admirable, but it also should be a given considering that he attempted all of five regular-season passes as a rookie last year and that acquiring such knowledge is a major part of his responsibility as a starter.
What Losman doesn't show is an appreciable amount of playmaking. True, it is very early in the process, but it's only natural to look for signs that he is, indeed, ready for the challenge of sitting behind the wheel. The fact he is so far keeping mistakes to a minimum is encouraging, particularly after the repeated struggles of his predecessor, Drew Bledsoe, who was sent packing after last season.
J.P. Losman will get as much work in the first preseason game as he did in all of 2004.
Yet you continue to want Losman to show you more. And he is well aware of that. He also is well aware that countless Bills fans are obsessed with the notion that he holds the key to whatever hope for success the team has in the near and distant future.
Just don't expect Losman, whose shaggy black hair and round face make him a dead-ringer for Adam Sandler, to obsess about that.
"I think you'd be putting too much pressure on yourself by going out there and trying to be perfect, or just because you're given the starting quarterback job, you automatically have to be the leader of the team," he said between practices in stifling heat and humidity. "That leadership and those things are earned.
"The quarterback has to go out there and try not to make as many mistakes as he can, and let the leadership role just progress as the season goes and let the accomplishments progress as the season goes."
The operative word is "progress." The Bills' fortunes for 2005 are tied directly to how fast -- or slow -- Losman develops into a mostly reliable starting quarterback. I'm not talking about the point at which he becomes the top-flight performer that the Bills declared he would become when they made him a first-round draft pick in 2004. I'm just talking about basic reliability and efficiency.
It's conceivable that Losman won't get there this season. It's conceivable the Bills, who were on the verge of being a playoff team last season, could take some steps backward as Losman works at ridding himself of the rough edges.
Ask Vic!
But that's a hard sell for a team with one of the NFL's best defenses and superb special teams. It's a sell that head coach Mike Mularkey steadfastly refuses to make. He fully expects the Bills to succeed this year with Losman at quarterback.
"The phrase ‘take a step back' has never really been a thought," Mularkey said. "We are full speed ahead. People have to understand, because our team does, that J.P. does not have to win games. We have to win games. He has an excellent supporting cast, especially with our defense and our special teams, which are very strong. And we've got some weapons offensively.
"As long as we, as coaches, are smart about how we scheme it with him, he doesn't have to be the guy to win it."
Translation: Running back Willis McGahee will carry the brunt of the Bills' offensive load, and the Bills expect his rushing success to set up the occasional big completions that Losman can make to receivers Eric Moulds, Lee Evans and rookie speedster Roscoe Parrish.
Still, the speed of Losman's development is foremost on the minds of most everyone connected with the Bills.
"Early on in the offseason, he looked like a rookie still," safety Lawyer Milloy said. "Progressively, he got better. Then, when we showed up here at camp, I think everybody on defense was kind of taken aback by how he matured over the last six weeks that we had off. He stayed in the classroom, worked on some of his ball placements, and he has been very sharp."
Losman is honest about his circumstances. He does not pretend to know it all. He admits that he constantly seeks, and receives, help from those around him. One of his greatest assets is his center, Trey Teague. The Bills view Teague as a possible option at left tackle if newly acquired Mike Gandy can't cut it there. However, they would likely do a giant disservice to their quarterback by taking away his sturdiest crutch.
"He definitely helps me out with cadence -- things he reminds me of, little checks here and there," Losman said. "Or he can tell, if I'm hesitating (to make a call), he'll spit the answer out."
Losman is making a conscious effort to limit the number of times he leaves the pocket too early, a typical trait of an inexperienced quarterback with nimble feet and an obvious threat to his health (a painful lesson he learned after suffering a broken leg midway through last year's camp in an accidental collision with defensive back Troy Vincent).
"And the more and more I do that," Losman said, "the more successful I will be."
The kid has the keys. Now it's time to see whether he can keep this car on the road.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8702112