National Football League

Week 1 preview: Edwards in for a wake-up call

Published Sep. 11, 2009 11:42 p.m. ET

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Cue Etta James.

At last.

After what felt like an interminable offseason of discussing which sentences were too long (Plaxico Burress), which were too short (Donte' Stallworth) and which were just right (Michael Vick) we can finally talk about football.

Get ready for the season

Whitlock: It's finally here. The moment you've all been waiting for. No, not the start of the season. The return of NFL Truths.

The Blitz: The NFL is back, which means it's time for The Blitz. Check out our hard-hitting guide to all Week 1 games.

Concha: These are the big ones. We've got 10 games that are going to decide exactly how the season plays out.

Schrager: The NFL is back, so let's play 20 Questions with NFL on FOX's Brian Billick. First up: Can Indy handle change?

Now when we talk about the "penalty phase" at least we'll be referring to the latest blown pass interference call.

I don't sleep much the Saturday night before the first Sunday of the NFL season. Too excited. Up late, up early. But I know one guy I'll be sleeping better than. And that's where we begin the Week 1 preview, staring at the ceiling with Trent Edwards.

Worst Week of Sleep Leading up to Kickoff

Trent Edwards can't catch a break.

First they shipped his left tackle (and the team's best player) Jason Peters to Philly with the plan of replacing him with converted right tackle Langston Walker. Then, after a lackluster preseason, Walker was released by the Bills. Next in line for the job of protecting Edwards' blind side is 2008 seventh-round pick Demetrius Bell, who has never taken a snap in the NFL. But that's only if Bell's balky back allows him to go on Monday night. If not, Buffalo will go with Kirk Chambers, who was released and re-signed last weekend. We'll see if Edwards can keep his eyes downfield while bracing for impact between his shoulder blades.

Now that it's come to light that Edwards was one of the players unhappy with offensive coordinator Turk Schonert in the lead-up to Schonert getting the axe, the 25-year-old QB is going to be under that much more pressure to move the ball for new coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Of course Edwards may find out that the offensive coordinator is fairly irrelevant when you're lying on your back.

If that weren't enough to worry about, there's also the 75 percent chance that Edwards will get berated on the sideline if he misses new No. 1 target Terrell Owens.

And finally there's the small fact that the Bills open at New England, a team that has beaten them 11 straight times, including by an aggregate 94-17 in the last two games Tom Brady played against them. You can hardly blame Edwards if he's needed Propofol to sleep this week.

Hottest Hot Seat

Abusively long hours. Alienation from family. Subordinates who get paid much more than you do. Zero job security.