Buffalo Blunder in D.C.
By Matthew Parrino (Twitter – MPARRINO)

A new season kicked off for the Buffalo Bills on Friday night and things went as expected— Horrifically. The Bills looked inadequate in every phase of the game and made Rex Grossman look like a perennial Pro Bowler which, in my opinion, is a true accomplishment.
Fifth-year quarterback Trent Edwards picked up where he left off last season. He looked like a deer in the headlights at every moment of his quarter of play and continues to struggle to look downfield. Nothing is more aggravating than watching this guy continue to throw to the fullback because of his inability to go through progressions and find an open receiver.
The offensive line looked banged up in the first half and while I will wait to criticize the unit until Eric Wood, Demetrius Bell and Cornell Green suit up, they gave Edwards no time back there. With that said, Edwards still makes the wrong decision 95 percent of the time and it’s really hard to watch him continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.
Ryan Fitzpatrick put up decent numbers, but as usual, gave a forgettable performance with a few head-scratching pass attempts mixed in for laughs. What really bothers me about seeing Fitzpatrick play two quarters is that his playing time meant Brian Brohm stayed on the sidelines in street clothes.
Last season was the perfect example of why Fitzpatrick is not a starting quarterback in this league. To continue to give him all this playing time is puzzling. Brohm needs to see the field so the coaching staff can properly evaluate whether or not he might be a better option than Edwards.
Defensively the Bills looked out of sorts. Certain areas seem like they will be alright once the season starts but there are some things that must improve and quickly. The Bills defense still didn’t seem to have any significant pass rush. They have to force turnovers if they hope to compete and to let these guys just sit back in the pocket and survey the field for five to seven seconds wont do the job.
Aaron Maybin is a disaster and that he is not starting on this team tells you all you need to know. Coincidentally, he played opposite the guy the Bills should have drafted last season in Brian Orakpo. Maybin continues to leave a lot to be desired and if he can’t make an impact at some point this season it will be just another first-round bust for the Bills.
There were a few bright spots in the game. Fourth-year back Chad Simpson ran well and led the Bills in rushing with 67 yards on seven carries. Rookie undrafted running back Joique Bell also looked good averaging over 10 yards a carry in the 42-17 loss. Rookie Levi Brown looked alright even though he threw an interception late in regulation. I would like to see more of the seventh-round pick next Thursday against the Colts.
Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch left the game with injuries but neither seemed serious. C.J. Spiller looked solid in limited time and his development is one of the few joys Bills fans should look forward to in the coming months.
As the pre-season continues the Bills will continue to tune up for a throw away season. The journey towards a top-three pick in next year’s draft continues in a week where hopefully Edwards or one of the qb’s can start to play better and give this team a chance to win some games this year.