Gerry

It's even worse, they play at Houston so there are 4 games out of the time zone.

Bills should definately draft another QB in rounds 2-4 if a good one is available, and let him come in and compete. Now that EJ and Thad have playing experience, this is a better option than signing some washed up vet, and who knows, he could wind up being the guy for the future. EJ is a huge question mark in terms of ability and durability. Wilson and Foles were taken in the 3rd round, 6 and 19 picks, respectively, after the Bills took TJ Graham (ouch!).

You are on target with this; Marrone should have said that it will be an open competition next year since Thad has played at EJ's level. It may have provided some motivation for EJ.

The Bills were/are lucky to have him-an undrafted UFA with minimal experience and no camp/preseason who came in early in the season and played at EJ's level (higher QB rating, same W/L %). Thad's play should raise more questions about 1st round draft pick EJ's future than about his ability to be a backup.

Tougher travel schedule, with 3 games out of EST vs. one this year, and we know what kind of a road team the Bills are.

Jury still out on Marrone after his honeymoon year, by mid-season next year we will have a better idea of whether he and EJ are the right guys. His future success or lack of it is tied to EJ, just like Chan's was tied to Fitz.

The Bills have a shot at this if Thad doesn't fumble and Marrone uses the running game and the speedsters, but I think they will fall short 24-17 Pats.

Thad has played at EJ's level this year and gives the Bills just as good of a chance to beat NE, especially if they use his mobility.

I agree; he has his faults but seems to bring some "life" into the offense that is lacking when EJ is out there. He is green, but seems to have command of the offense when he is out there, which is something that cannot be taught. If he plays this weekend, he will have had 5 regular season games of experience; combine that with a full camp next summer and the least that you get is a solid backup. Even if EJ is the starter, Marrone should consider using him to run the wildcat in certain situations next year.

Thad has shown a lot for someone who came in early in the season and did not have the benefit of training camp. He is a smart guy with a good skill set; I am much more confident of him as a backup next year after he goes through camp than I am of EJ as a starter.

I pose this question: how productive do you think CJ would be under a head coach like BB or Payton? How many screen passes do you think BB would throw to him (just like he did with Faulk for a decade, especially vs. the Bills)? CJ went from being one of the rising stars in the NFL last year in Chan's offense to being an aftertought with the current offense (despite the ankle). Here's a thought that scares me: the Bills let him go, the Pats scoop him up (exactly the kind of player they look for, similar to when they picked up Antowin Smith, Corey Dillon, etc.) and he winds up haunting the Bills for 5+ years. Can't happen? I wouldn't count on it.

Not very high. Ironically, despite the difference in pass attempts, EJ's rating (77.7) is nearly the same as Thad's (77.8). I don't think that EJ could have done better yesterday; in fact, I thought it was a break for the Bills that Thad played in the messy weather. Thad is quicker and more mobile, EJ bigger and stronger; both have strong arms but also accuracy issues. Thad has proven himself to be a solid backup, but EJ has yet to prove himself as a legitimate starter. If you look at their ratings and W/L record, these guys are about equal, which is very discouraging considering one is a 1st round draft choice and one an UFA. Personally, I like the way Thad runs the offense; it seems to be more lively when he is in there. We will know more about EJ at mid-season next year, but clearly he needs to step it up. A good place to start would be this week at NE.

Despite the difference in pass attempts, TL (77.8) and EJ (77.7) have almost identical passing ratings. TL has established himself as a credible backup, while EJ is still a question mark as a starter. I seriously doubt if EJ would have done a better job than TL yesterday in the wind and rain; the fact is, it doesn't seem to matter which one of them is in there, which is troubling. EJ could ease some of the fears if he leads the team to a win next week, but the chances of that are slim to none. Assuming he stays healthy, we won't know more until mid-season next year.

Thad's stats are a little better (EJ's haven't changed much since he returned) but this is really a wash; based on what we have seen this year these guys are about equal. EJ has to be the starter becasue he was drafted in the first round.

After 14 games, I am not sold on Marrone either. The 3 games from Atl to Jax were particularly troubling, all winnable games against bad teams and the Bills were lucky to get one. He did not have the team ready to play in TB; no reason why they shouldn't have blown out one of these teams and EJ pass for 250+ yards. Great coaches (like BB) maximize the use of their offensive weapons; to me, this is an area where Marrone has fallen short. Teams' fortunes can change quickly in today's NFL, but right now it is hard to imagine him getting the Bills out of the 5-11 to 7-9 rut.

At least should have kept him another 2-3 years as he was no where near finished. Had the pleasure of meeting him about 7 years ago, a nice guy who was very patient taking pictures with my son.

With the current weather forecast looking sloppy (warm with rain) for Sunday, I think that Lewis gives the Bills a better chance to win. If EJ had trouble throwing in 5 out of 8 quarters in the FL games, how would he be able to perform in messy weather?

I don't know how much, if any, Brandon can be blamed for. The Bills are, and have been for years, a disfunctional organization and Brandon is just a piece of the disfunction. Marrone is his hire, so we will know more in a year or two, when we find out if he will be another "three and out" HC.

Flynn throws for 300 yds., 4 td's, brings his team back from a 23 pt. deficit on the road with very little advance playing time. I don't care how crappy the Dallas D is, that is a great effort. Could you imagine what the reaction would be if Manuel accomplished this? Would people be talking about how bad the Dallas D was or his performance?

Depends on what you predicted. I predicted 5-11, so I have to decide which of the next 2 games I expect the Bills to win, which is not easy.

The Bills had opportunities the last 2 weeks to make a statement and failed miserably. Most troubling was that the team was not ready to compete in TB, that game was over as soon as Rainey ran 80 for the TD (and maybe before that play because they were not ready to defend it). The last two games raise serious questions about Marrone's ability to get his team read to play and to motivate the high paid veterans on the team. Two more opportunities await, this week and next week, and there is no reason whatsoever for the Bills not winning both of these games. Throw another screen to CJ (hope for no penalties), use one of the speedsters on a reverse, throw to them downfield, let Fred do the inside running, etc. Almost everyone is healthy, go out, show something and get the W's. The excuses are starting to wear thin.

"Bolder picks?" Name one other GM in recent memory (or all time, for that matter) who drafted a running back in the 1st round with a completely tore up knee (and had to sit out a year) when he already had a solid back (Travis) on the roster. Ironically, the player drafted with the pick after McGahee was Dallas Clark (ouch!), who could have solved the Bills longstanding tight end problem.

If you recall, the Bills had David Lee as a QB coach for Fitz last year. He was supposed to be "the difference maker," training camp reports indicated that he was straightening out Fitz's footwork and delivery and was FItz was gushing about Lee's teaching. As for EJ, I think he really is a guy who could benefit from a guy like Lee, although Lee doesn't seem to have helped Smith much. I do think one guy that could have helped tutor EJ was Jackson, and I still think it was a mistake to let him go and sign Kolb, who the Bills staff thought was better.

This was more than just a bad loss; it could turn out to be the point at which reality set in and many Bills fans began to realize that Marrone and Manuel are not going to be able to right the ship. The team was not prepared to play, the game plan was terrible, the execution horrible and there was no reason for any of it. Marrone's statement that he has to "simplify the offense" for Manuel after 9 starts is a real red flag. Yesterday's game was another opportunity for the Bills to make a statement that they are an up and coming team, and they failed miserably. They have two more chances in the next two weeks and I expect them to win one of those games, but after 13 games I have seen nothing that leads me to believe that the results under this coaching staff are going to be any better than the results under the last two or that Manuel is the QB of the future.

No way this is going to happen, he has 3 years like Chan.