Bills take a pounding in Steel City

Football Betting Lines

09/18/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Not even a serious injury to a teammate could will the Buffalo Bills to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday at Heinz Field.

With reserve tight end Kevin Everett laid up in a Buffalo hospital bed after a serious spinal cord injury suffered in Week 1, his teammates were a few hours away getting their behinds kicked around by the Steelers.

This game wasn't even close, as the Bills watched Mike Tomlin's Steelers race out to a 12-0 lead on four straight field goals by Jeff Reed. Buffalo would stop the bleeding with a field goal of its own, but Pittsburgh was too much on defense and continued to plug away for a 26-3 victory.

After losing in the final seconds to the Denver Broncos in Week 1 , Dick Jauron's Bills failed to establish the run game and quarterback J.P. Losman was sacked four times.

Buffalo's offensive line failed to provide the holes necessary for rookie running back Marshawn Lynch to run through on Sunday. Instead, the first-year player out of Cal was held to 64 yards on 18 carries.

Lynch is the future of the Bills, and when he is taken out of the game it's up to Losman to find the creases in the defense. Losman couldn't find Lynch at times, as he connected with his running back just once for 21 yards.

"We had guys open sometimes and (the Steelers) did some things to confuse us in the pass game and in pass protection," said Losman, who ended 15-of-25 passing for 154 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

The offense recorded just 223 total yards, while the defense couldn't stop Steelers running back Willie Parker. Parker had 126 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and burnt Buffalo's front four and linebacker corps all day. The Bills have allowed 100 or more rushing yards in 11 straight games dating back to last season, and also permitted more than 400 yards of offense for the second straight week.

Bills rookie linebacker Paul Posluszny finished the day with a game-high 12 total tackles in his homecoming.

"It was great being home, seeing the city and seeing the area," the Penn State product and Western Pennsylvania native said. "The game didn't turn out anything like we wanted it to be. Winning the game would have made this weekend a lot better."

Posluszny has been one of the lone bright spots on Buffalo's defense this year, with 23 tackles over the first two games.

With the Bills without injured defenders Ko Simpson, Coy Wire and Jason Webster on Sunday, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger picked apart Posluszny and the depleted Buffalo secondary by hitting nine different receivers and throwing for 242 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

WHEN WILL LOSMAN BREAK OUT?

After throwing for 200 or more yards in three straight games to close out the 2006 season, Losman has yet to pass for more than 154 yards in 2007.

Losman has been a project for offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild after enjoying a solid '06 season -- his first full year as a starter. But this year Losman has failed to establish a connection with star wide receiver Lee Evans.

Losman, who has one more year remaining on his contract, must prove to his coaches that he is the quarterback of the future. Even owner Ralph Wilson stated that Losman must improve each week and show some consistency. The only thing he is consistent at right now is producing mediocre numbers and being streaky. If there was an Allan Houston of the NBA, Losman would be a strong candidate.

I'm not sure how many chances Losman will get until the Bills work rookie quarterback Trent Edwards, who was selected in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft, into the lineup. Going to Edwards right away is the wrong choice, but when Week 8 rolls by and Losman is still missing receivers with inaccurate throws and making poor decisions, expect Jauron and Fairchild to start grooming Edwards.

"I think we are throwing the ball effectively, when we get those plays called," Losman said after the Pittsburgh loss. "Certain things are hindering us, like penalties and some protection issues. But we'll get those corrected. We understand we are 0-2 at this point. We understand the offense has gotten off to a slow start. We also understand we've played two great defenses so far."

Sounds like somebody has the case of the excuse bug. If Losman can't shoulder the blame and be the leader most NFL quarterbacks are, he can start getting re-acquainted with the clipboard he held so dearly his first few seasons.

UP NEXT: BILLS HEAD TO NEW ENGLAND

Losman will have a chance to quiet his critics when he leads the Bills against the New England Patriots this weekend in Foxborough. It's not an easy task going to Gillette Stadium and coming out on top. Just ask the high-powered San Diego Chargers, who were handed a 38-14 loss by the Pats on Sunday night.

If San Diego's Phillip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson had trouble against the Patriots, imagine what kind of success Lynch and Losman will have. It certainly doesn't look good for Buffalo, but stranger things have occurred.

New England has won 12 of the last 13 matchups with the Bills, including sweeps in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons.