By Matt Sohn
Sept. 15, 2008

With each passing game, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Trent Edwards has the goods to become the quarterback of the future the Bills so desperately want him to be. On Sunday in 90-degree heat in Jacksonville, Edwards delivered the most telling piece of evidence to date that he’ll realize all the expectations heaped upon him, completing 20-of-25 passes for 239 yards with a touchdown with no interceptions.

The PFW spin

For those who have yet to watch Edwards play but plan on catching a game to see what the second-year kid out of Stanford is all about, here’s a warning: Don’t tune in expecting to see something spectacular. Aesthetic and athletic excellence aren’t ingredients in Edwards’ game, and neither the Bills nor Edwards make any bones about it.

Edwards’ game is about intelligence, vision and accuracy. It’s about game management, keeping his offense on the field and exploiting mismatches in his receiving corps. When a deep ball is available, he’ll go for it, but against the Jaguars’ superb secondary and relentless pass rush, winging it downfield wasn’t the prudent play. Instead, Edwards kept the passes short, and even though the Jags knew Buffalo wouldn’t be going deep, Edwards’ superb placement allowed him to consistently move the sticks. With RB Marshawn Lynch finding the sledding tough against John Henderson, Mike Peterson and Co., escaping Jacksonville with a victory depended upon Edwards making it happen through the air.

Down by six midway through the fourth quarter, Edwards led the Bills on a 74-yard drive, culminating in a beautifully lofted seven-yard toss to 6-foot-5 rookie WR James Hardy in the corner of the endzone for the game-tying score. Edwards completed passes to four different receivers on the drive, including one the few downfield passes he attempted all game, a timely 37-yard sideline toss to speedy WR Lee Evans.

The primary reason Buffalo replaced J.P. Losman with Edwards was Edwards’ ability (and willingness) to quickly diagnosis the play and get the ball out of his hand before the defense could get to him. Mission accomplished vs. Jaguars. And with a 2-0 record in the season’s early stages, it’s looking like the future is now for Buffalo.