JESSEFEFFER

Let's assume this plays out as stated. Recall rex telling those covering Bills' training camp that he knew how the QB rotation looked but not to read too much into it. I guess they just couldn't help themselves and tried to do it anyways.

I tend to agree. Leave the training wheels on until we see if they can take the bicycle out of the driveway.

He will shred poor defenses that lack elite defenders. The Bills will be a matchup nightmare. I just hope he was keen awareness of everything that is going on around him and can avoid the big hits and injuries/turnovers that come with them.

I think Doug Marrone thought he made himself a hot coaching commodity with that 9th win. That and the $4m opt out made him think he had enough leverage to gain more power from Doug Whaley. He thought he had a strong hand but Terry Pegula didn't fold, i.e. give him everything he wanted.

Just got to this point in the thread and I am glad that someone else has posted on it. Marv once said that once someone got a reputation as an early riser they could sleep until noon. Same with EJ's accuracy. Every instance of the ball and receiver not meeting in time and space becomes evidence of what is generally believed to be the truth. Tipped balls, receivers bumped off their route or slipping on their break, a misread sight adjustment. It's been open season on EJ. Weird how that works.

I have seen this analysis far too often with regard to EJ. The instances of EJ's inaccuracy are greatly exaggerated. This particular pass was a TIPPED BALL! Just because Steve Tasker didn't see it does not mean that it wasn't.

The WGR host (Kollar?) was trying to "read the tea leaves" and predicting Cassel as the choice as implied by the Bills' QB usage throughout preseason. I say in a three man race, the normal rules don't apply. I will ask this, though. What NFL team plays their starter for only 4 series for an entire 4 game stretch of preseason? Matt Cassel is the measuring stick and Tyrod and EJ have been given every chance to show they have grown beyond what he offers. How could anyone say otherwise?

Serious question. As a scout team QB what do you think EJ's instructions were? Make safe throws, throw the ball away, scramble for a first down when pressured? Or did the coacing staff want him to throw into tight spaces, challenge the defenders even in tight coverage and see who can battle for the ball? Is the latter likely to make EJ look good in practice 100% of the time? Rex told the media more than once that he knew how the QB rotation appeared to them, but not to read too much into it. I wondered what that meant as it was rather enigmatic. Playing with overmatched offensive talent against the 1st team defense may have done both EJ and the D some good. Helped to speed up his decisions, get the ball out quicker and throw into small or nonexistent windows all the while letting defenders finish the plays by defending the ball. Maybe that's what was showing up on that last drive against the Browns.

He said that they'd keep their best 53 players on the roster and that he was pretty certain that would include 3 QBs. So is Simms 53 worthy?

Also, scout team reps vs. #1 are plays that aren't your own to players who are not likely to win their 1 on 1 matchups. That's alot of throws into tiny or nonexistent windows. When playing scout team, you pretty much have to execute the play to the end to do the defense any good. So, maybe when EJ struggles in that situation how could any casual observer infer much about his actual play? Rex said more than once that he knew how the QB pratice rotation looked to the observers but cautioned them to not read too much into it. Maybe they should have believed him.

I do not think the limited reps for the eventual starter mean that much in this game. No McCoy, Watkins, Woods, Harvin, Hogan. Maybe they could run their multiple TE stuff.

Yep.

They don't have the top 4 or 5 receivers to work with so it's not like they can build much timing with the guys that will actually play vs. the Colts. rex is probably aware of how much crap EJ has taken over the last 10 months, has seen him do and say all the right things, and wants to show him a little support. That might play well in the locker room and if messes with the mental minions of the media, all the better.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/06/22/houston-texans-offense-fear-the-beard/ https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/04/14/receiver-values-amish-powered-jets/ Some nice analysis about Fitz from PFF. I always thought he was a nice "template" QB. He will give all the parts of the offense a chance to function and improve to the point where the offense will mature, but will make too many mistakes in that process that lose games and will need to be replaced by someone better. Basically, these articles say that Fitz has a consistently good effect on the production of his teammates. As to the OP referenced article, I am pretty sure that the last GIF is an example of the flight of a ball being tipped.

When I watched Flutie play the thing that stood out to me was how good he was at avoiding big hits. His size and style of play made this essential to any success he had. I think Russell Wilson is the same. Agile but also aware and decisive. I never really liked Michael Vick's style because he seemed unaware/indecisive too often. He'd run himself into big hits and with that comes injuries and turnovers. That's what we do not know about Taylor and we won't until he plays against good defenses with elite defenders in tough conditions.

EJ has become something of a groupthiink joke after his last two games and Marrone's decision to bench him. it is open season. It's not duck, rabbit or Elmer season. It's EJ season. If you happen to see the evidence that EJ's game performances compare favorably to other young QBs at the start of their careers, that allowing your QB, any QB, to get hit/pressured/sacked in ~50$% of your dropbacks means they will have a bad day, that the way EJ was handled in years 1 and 2 was poorly executed and that Kyle Orton ultimatley offered nothing extra in terms of offensive improvement then that means that this EJ ridicule is UNFAIR. If it's UNFAIR then there will be a backlash from those who see it and are calling the others out on it. If it's the product of group think laziness then the backlash will come in buckets. My theory from the time of the HC search process was that Doug Whaley believes most of what I just outlined and wanted the new coaching staff to buy into keeping EJ on the roster and his proper development. That's why EJ never had a chance. Others were brought in to be the 2015 answer so as long as they showed what they needed to, EJ was never in the running. And he won't be unless there are injuries or major face plants from the other two. Cassel's limited playbook and recent 3 year history of poor play could mean he gets benched. Tyrod's style might mean that he takes one too many big hit and he gets hurt. If that happnes, then it's EJ's turn to show how much he may have improved.

I see know reason not to trust Matt Cassel to be the same QB he has been the last 3 seasons with KC and Minnesota. If you've looked at that body of work you'd know that is not a good thing.

Much like this advice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkoPq5AOCOA I think that an unaware and indecisive QB is an offensive killer. Big hits, turnovers, injuries and teammates that are under utilized is a prescription for an offense that gets you beat. This is how I felt about Michael Vick during most of his career. QBs that can move but do so superior awareness and decision making ability are winners. Flutie and Wilson are examples of this. You never see these guys take big hits and they keep their teammates involved. Which of these is Tyrod? This is almost independent of whom is on the field with him but I don't think the answer comes in a preseason game.

I can see a scenario where EJ was slated for #3 from the get go. Doug Whaley may have made it a condition of the coaching hire that EJ would stay on the roster which fits the stories we heard at the time. DW saying something like "I really believe in EJ and want the next coacing staff to properly develop him because I do not like the job the previous staff did in this regard." We heard Rex say things like "We really need to develop EJ" and " I foresee carrying 3 QBs on the 53 man roster." EJ just had to demonstrate to this coaching staff that he has enough upside to be worth a roster spot, which he probably has done.

I missed this: @john_wawrow More to come: Speaking to AP, #Bills QB Manuel doesn't dispute possibility his days in Buffalo might be numbered. pro32.ap.org/article/manuel… I guess it's this. JW asks if its a possibility. EJ thinks/says that it's not his decision, but he could see why the QB practice rotation might make it seem like that could be the case because he's not an idiot.

Answers always matter most in the context of the questions that are asked. Sees "the writing on the wall" implies it's a done deal. Acknowledging the coaching staff/FO might not have a roster spot for him is making an honest statement about the appearance of the practice rotation. We were told in the Spring by Rex that they were likely to keep 3 QBs. Although that could be including Simms on the PS who was brought in since. We heard that Whaley was talking up EJ during the hiring process and Rex mentioned a need to "develop EJ" when he was hired. Almost implying that he didn't think EJ would be ready but there was a longer term plan for him. My opinion: Show me anything that says EJ has produced less than the typical young NFL QB. Make any case that Matt Cassel has been a more productive NFL QB over his last 3 seasons (something like 6W and 12L, only 6 of those 18 with a tQBR of 50+) than EJ has (6 and 8, with 8 of those 14 games with a tQBR of 50+) in his first two seasons. You have to go back to 2011 to find a time when Matt Cassel played decently in 3 consecutive games. I do not feel good about putting this season in Matt Cassel's hands.

Second snap was on the C. The rest of the o-line was not moving and EJ was still reseting the formation. Only the C thought the play was starting. First snap was not as errant as I thought watching it live. It was definitley high and destined to be over his head, but in order to catch it one has to move their hands up which probably blocks their view of the ball much of the way. An even worse, higher snap can be seen the whole way and is probably easier to catch. I saw Winston bobble a similar snap in his first game. So, my theory is that it is in spot and at an angle/velocity that is tough to track.

Mettenberger? 0 and 6? Only 2 of those starts with a tQBR over 50. That guy? Three starts at sub 10? What makes him better than any of the guys we have in camp? I don't know what it would take to get him but the better question is "what would it take to want him?"

He's been making accurate, downfield throws in the blue/white game and last night. It might be a sign of some degree of improvement so there's that. I think back to the coaching search and how Whaley was reportedly talking up EJ and saying how the previous staff did him no favors. Rex is hired and says something to the effect that there was a "need to develop EJ." It's almost like buying into that was a condition of employment. Removing EJ from the competiton but keeping him on the roster would be consistent with that. Cutting him would not.