NFL
Buffalo's woes continue with a 20-17 loss to Lions
by KEN BARTOLOTTA Reporter

Quarterback J.P. Losman and the rest of the Buffalo Bills will return home this week after a stressful two-week road trip to host the AFC East-leading New England Patriots.

Buffalo Bills Coach Dick Jauron and his team were going through the same things that every other Western New Yorker was going through last weekend - shoveling themselves out of the freak October snow storm, dealing with power outages and searching for generators.

So when the team walked on to Ford Field on Sunday to play the Detroit Lions, Jauron was hoping the Bills could win one for the battered season.

"It was disappointing because we've all been going through what our fans have been going through," said Jauron. "We wanted to bring a little sunshine to their lives for at a least few hours."

However, despite the 20-17 loss that saw a Lions team winning its first game of the season, Jauron still saw a few spots of brightness in the otherwise cloudy day.

"We're upset with the loss but not with the effort," said Jauron. "Our special teams were solid, and we had some highlights on offense but we just couldn't get it together overall."

It has seemed at times over the past two weeks, taking into account the team's blowout loss to the Chicago Bears last week, the Bills appear to be getting worse not better.

"It's the type of thing that's an issue for the whole team," Jauron said. "I've got to prepare them better

and they have to execute better on game day. A lot of guys are coming from different systems and this will be a learning process. They work hard at it, but it's different when it comes to the game, there's no time to think, you have to be faster and react better."

"As a club, each week you have to understand that each game is different," said linebacker London Fletcher.

"When you have a new regime like this it will take time, but I don't think it will take a long time."

Defensive tackle Larry Triplett felt the problem was communication on defense and a lack of ability for the players to stick to their roles.

"You just want to go out and make plays but in this defense it's different," said Triplett. "It's going to take a while to get disciplined, but we have good coaches and I know we'll get it down."

At a press conference on Monday, Jauron also announced that the Bills had acquired defensive end Anthony Hargrove from the St. Louis Rams in exchange for a fifth-round draft choice.

The move was less of a need at the position and more of the team capitalizing on an opportunity.

"In this league you can't find enough talent at this position," said Jauron. "He's got a great work ethic, he's fast and he's young so we belive it was a good pickup."

Hargrove will fill the roster spot left by Josh Stamer, who injured his right knee on Sunday and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

e-mail: kenb@beenews.com