Bills WR Evans questions offensive play-calling

By JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Turns out, receiver Lee Evans had good reason to duck out of the locker room and avoid addressing reporters immediately following the Buffalo Bills’ latest loss: He didn’t want to say anything he might regret.

From the sound and look of things after practice Wednesday, Evans still wasn’t entirely over his frustrations after what happened two days earlier during a 29-27 loss to Cleveland.

With his head down and speaking in a monotone, the usually upbeat Evans questioned the offensive play-calling. He wondered how he was held without a catch for the first time in 67 games, and why it took Trent Edwards throwing three interceptions in the first quarter before the Bills finally switched to the run against a Browns defense that was intent on protecting against the pass.

“When they do that, you’re able to run the football effectively. And I think that’s what you saw later in the football game,” Evans said. “But it came so late that we really didn’t have too many opportunities, and I think that’s the difference.”

The lack of a catch was secondary to Evans, the Bills top receiving threat who signed a four-year contract extension last month. What bothered him more was an offense that lacks identity, and is suddenly a big reason behind a four-game losing streak that’s dropped the team from first to worst in the AFC East as Buffalo (5-5) prepares to play at Kansas City on Sunday.

Evans declined to direct his blame at anyone specifically. “It’s not so much directed at one person in particular. It’s not one person’s fault. It’s just us as an offense: We haven’t been playing very well,” he said.

And he maintained his confidence in Edwards, the second-year player, who’s now thrown eight interceptions, lost two fumbles and given up a safety in his past four games.

Evans, instead, questioned why the Bills haven’t been better prepared.

“It doesn’t matter what they do. You have to come out there and play,” Evans said. “If it’s running the football, it’s running the football. If it’s throwing, it’s throwing. You’ve got to be able to just make it work.”

Coach Dick Jauron said he wasn’t aware of Evans’ concerns, but noted that the Bills did finish with a season-best 186 yards rushing against Cleveland.

“We ran the ball effectively,” Jauron said. “We’re just not playing well enough to win.”

The Bills finished with 334 yards offense, but it came against a defense that had surrendered nearly 1,000 yards in its previous two outings. The trouble was how the passing attack put the team in too big of a hole in a game Buffalo nearly won before Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt with 38 seconds left.

Edwards dropped back to pass on seven of his first 13 plays from scrimmage even though the Browns were providing a three-man rush while dropping eight players into coverage. All three of his interceptions occurred on intermediate routes, with his third coming on a third-and-1, and after Buffalo had gained 9 yards rushing on its previous two plays.

Edwards acknowledged he’s having difficulty reading defenses after only 19 career starts. And he was disappointed in not getting Evans more involved.

“It’s very discouraging,” said Edwards, whose first interception came on an attempt to Evans over the middle. “The fact that he’s our best offensive play-maker, we need to get him the ball to get our offense to go.”

Evans’ numbers are suddenly dropping. After being among the NFL leaders with 31 catches for 637 yards through his first seven games, he’s managed just six catches for 63 yards in his past three.

“I think it’s definitely frustrating being the fact that I think we do have a very talented offense,” Evans said. “I definitely think we have a lot of potential and we haven’t played that way as of late.”