PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills
coach Chan Gailey talked to his team at the end of practice Tuesday,
then wanted to address one more issue before leaving the field.
So he marched over to a group of
teenagers in the stands and told them what he thought about their
heckling.
"If you dog one of us, you dog all of
us," Gailey said in a stern voice, loud enough to be heard 20 yards
away.
Gailey had another message for them,
too: He said he'd instructed his players to skip that section of the
stands for signing autographs on what was the final day of training camp
in suburban Rochester.
Gailey targeted those fans for
spending part of the two-hour workout getting on quarterback Trent
Edwards, who's attempting to reclaim the starting job he lost last
season.
One fan called out for Edwards to
prepare to lose his job to third-stringer Brian Brohm. Edwards also was
targeted for his haircut – he's grown out his hair and sideburns – and
for being a native Californian.
"They said some things during practice
that were derogatory to a couple of our players," Gailey said later.
"And if you say something derogatory to one of us, you're saying it to
all of us."
The group of fans – part of a crowd
that numbered more than 1,000 – did not say anything back to Gailey, and
had dispersed shortly afterward.
Edwards appreciated Gailey's support,
but took the heckling in stride.
"Obviously, I'm going to get some
criticism. Obviously, I hope there's more people praising me," said
Edwards, who signed autographs but avoided that one section of the
stands. "But that's nice that you have a coach that will fight for you.
We obviously have fans that want to win. I definitely want to win. And
they're more than willing to say what they need."
Edwards ended practice by
successfully running a 2-minute drill. He capped a lengthy drive by
hitting Chad Jackson over the middle for a 13-yard touchdown pass as
time ran out.
Doubters aside, Gailey praised the
fans who turned out during the 19-day camp.
"We're trying to play the game so
that we can get people excited and enthusiastic about pulling for their
team," Gailey said. "And their team's the Buffalo Bills. So that's what
it's about."