[EJ's first two games in comparison to other recent rookie QB's]

I'm trying to put EJ's outings in context of other Bills' youngster QBs, and so far it looks promising.

 

I think that comparing him to JP is probably the most apt, as both came in with raw athletic talent and expectations that it would take them a little time to learn thew pro game. So far based on two outings, I'd say that EJ is already light years ahead of JP and hope that the learning curve continues on this path.

 

Both QBs struggled a bit in their openers, JP won, EJ didn't - but JP played against a worse opponent and needed a lot of help from his teammates. T

 

The bounceback in the second game is even more important. JP just couldn't get over the hump against an average Tampa team and then failed to capitalize on many opportunities against Atlanta in week 3. Each of those games had an "almost" feel to it to entice positive feelings about the team's future, but JP never rose to the occasion despite having a pretty good team around him. And the rest, as they say is history.

 

I think that the major difference between EJ and the past (granted with a very small body of work) is that he has the ability to lead a drive when it's really needed. There are still warts in his game, but there's also a lot about his future to be very optimistic about. The Jets game is the next test in a hostile environment.

Please don't compare ej to jp. It makes me feel kind of nautious.

[A Few Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....]

Geez I read the entire thread think it took over an hour ha ha.

Good posts everyone... i enjoyed the read and agreed with most of em.

 

[Steve Smith Trash Talks Andre Reed on WoF Day]

Paging Barbara Billingsley. Barbara Billingsley to the translation room, please. Barbara Billingsley to the translation room, please."

 

GO BILLS!!!

Ward was a little rough on the beaver last night?

[Mario deserves praise for his game]

I almost feel bad for bashing him on the " Mario's toes are hurting" thread.

[Another Stevie Johnson thread]

True he's not Calvin or aj green. Maybe we need a receiver like that to put on next years wish list along with tight end. He's a good slot receiver and his loyalty to the organization helps. His stupid comments are what brings heat on himself. Whoever sold him the suit he after the game has a wonderful sence of humor.

[Superstitions]

It could be the hideous "shout" song. It must be put to rest

Eye yay eye yey......eye yay ehay a yay...

[Dareus' chance for revenge on Carolina this Sunday]

I liked how he announced himself as "big daddy" in the warm ups last week. What was funnier was the play where pettine dropped him and he broke up that pass..

At least he seems durable. If we can send that big lug out there to clog the middle for five more years it will be worth the pick..

[Caption this photo: Coach Marrone]

Obviously I wish I had a different #1 receiver.

[Let's give Stevie Johnson some negative attention]

This year when he was coming back from his ANNUAL hamstring injury in training camp that he needed to get his "herky jerk" back.

Some comments on this thread touched on his apparent miscommunications with fitz in the past.

Maybe his improvisation with his herky jerky basketball moves account for some of this.

He should just run the stinking routes until Manuel gets used to our own "herky jerk".

[Robert Woods or Stevie Johnson]

I didn't understand woods' td celebration last week. Did he really try to stuff himself like a thanksgiving turkey with the football?

When ej Manuel was asked who is going to keep the ball he sarcastically said "he can have it".

Nice choice EJ.....

[Let's give Stevie Johnson some negative attention]

 

 

When he chucked his man, he game him a real good chuck. It actually looked like he should have been flagged for it.

 

Therefore, I think there's some legitimacy to the excuse. When you are trying to get back up to speed after giving a full chuck to a DB and the ball's moving faster than you are then it's not necessarily an "easy" catch. The physics might have been working against him there.

 

Now, having said all that...at some point and time this season, Stevie Johnson (and CJ Spiller) must be expected to consistently be giving this team great performances. I think that Stevie Johnson has top five NFL receiver potential. The Bills look to finally have the QB that can propel Stevie Johnson to the upper tier. Become this era's Andre Reed, but even better. I'm not going to get on him for that drop, but I think that he needs to know what the expectations are for him this year.

Mentioning him in the same universe as Andre reed is a quantum leap

[The Bills lost because...]

Everything was hunky dorie till the old lady got home from the mall. I was trying to concentrate on the game, bills were winning and she kept asking me these stupid questions and it all went down hill from there.

[1 sack for the D-line]

Maybe I've been too tough on Kyle Williams. That sack was huge but he cancelled it out with that boneheaded off sides that gave them a big first down. I won't admit I was wrong for bashing him for a couple more weeks if he keeps showing up.

[A few questions about the game, in a very particular order]

I remember it being the Bills 49 but I could be wrong as well.

Anyone still have it recorded? I deleted it last night.

I recorded it was watching last night then all of a sudden the dvr switched to record women's tennis on CBS. Damn direct tv.Was the weirdest thing but I wasn't too upset to lose that recording haha

[Fred Jackson - Hard to sit the guy]

Everyone thought Fred was done two weeks ago hahaha. They said they were gonna use them both back there, I guess not. They didn't use summers to lead block. You have to get spiller the ball in space with screens and tosses. Fred is better between the tackles and pass blocking. C'mon Hackett!

[Mike Pettine Is Brilliant, Hackett I am Concerned About]

What happened to summers lead blocking for spiller on the short yardage stuff like we saw so much of in the pre season? I like the no huddle but not late in the 2nd half. No screens,end arounds , play action or bootlegs. Was the play calling that simple to protect ej?

[Marrone - this loss is on you both]

I was thinking just let them them score on that last drive and save time. Clock management and situational play calling were suspect. Penalties. Did we see a screen pass or end around today?

I like marrone though, still undecided on Hackett. Give them the benefit of the doubt ,its week one. if it doesn't improve by mid season then, ya know. Getting pettine on the his staff was the best thing he could have done. It would have been ugly with the Stache.

[Let's give Stevie Johnson some negative attention]

 

If SJ would just produce at critical times and shut his fu$$ing mouth he would get less critique, but over the years come crunch time he has either critical drops or penalties and continues to run his piehole, and then morons defend him. Shutup or put up Steve Johnson, by the way Stevie makes him sound like hes' a ten year old, even if he acts like one.

Yep yep yep

[Russ Brandon should be fired]

 

JR, if you came in close contact with some of the people on this board I'm sure your first instinct would be to get away as soon as f******* possible. Some of what's posted here can only be the work of deeply troubled minds

 

I would bet a dollar to a donut Brandon is Ralph (el cheapo) Wilson's puppet. Ralph is still meddling in the football affairs, you can bet you butt on it. The old senile goat will never let go of control. You can still smell Ralph's stench on this team, he's still calling the shots, you can take that to the bank.

You bet your but that the only decision the 95 year old man is making is whether to go with the tapioca pudding or the cream corn.

[Bills 2013 Official Sentiment Poll -- Coaches / Management]

Seems like the coaches have done a good job so far, even as far as dealing with the media.

Tomorrow will reveal a lot. Good god I hope they are better game managers than chan. If they get every challenge wrong I'm gonna puke.

[Outer Harbor transferred to NY State from NFTA]

 

 

Seriously? Have you actually been down there and inside Cleveland Stadium? If you are way up in the nosebleeds and on the corners you can get a bit of a lake view but otherwise it's like any other stadium. The endzones are parallel to the lake so you really don't get much of any view. The wind in Cleveland is seldom like the winds in Buffalo, even next to the lake.

 

There are not lots of restaurants down there, no stand alone ones I can think of. The rock and roll hall of fame and science museum are what bring people down there, and other than a couple special events, that's about it. The area is cut off from the main city by the shoreway (highway) and the rail lines. The stadium spends the majority of the time shuttered until football season rolls around. It's a basic NFL stadium not some multibillion football and entertainment complex. There's also a lot of port authority docks and buildings on 2 sides of the stadium for that "industrial look".

Yes I have been there and Pittsburgh and It reaffirms my belief that the stadium should be downtown in the city that the team represents. Cleveland's lakefront district has come a long way and is no where near finished being developed. The stadium is modest and rightfully so. City's like buffalo and Cleveland don't need cowboys stadium. Lets face it, if we get a new stadium the price will have to be reasonable. Get it done reasonably and keep the team here!

Ideas about building in Niagara Falls, Amherst, hamilton, Leroy, or the parking lot of the Ralph are crazy IMO. They are the BUFFALO bills...

[Outer Harbor transferred to NY State from NFTA]

Anyone ever walk to the FNC during a gale coming off the lake? 50-60 mph winds? Good times.

 

Now imagine trying to tailgate in that...

 

Or trying to kick a field goal in that...

 

Or try to keep that multi-million dollar retractable roof from blowing off.

 

The lake front is about the worst place you could build a new stadium.

 

And when they do build it don't waste hundreds of millions of dollars making it a retractable dome that is rarely used.

 

PTR

Where is buffalo, somewhere between northern Siberia and the North Pole?

They already schedule the games so there's only one or 2 in December. Besides the winters seem to be getting milder every year.

I'm sure tailgating at the Ralph would be at least 40 degrees warmer than on the harbor(sarcasm).

And oh gloom and doom the retractable roof is gonna blow right off! Dang engineers! Better do nothing again!!!!

[How will Marquis Goodwin do?]

 

That play drove me crazy because that is what the announcer, Tasker, who is criminally bad and wrong, kept saying. And it was total nonsense. That INT was 100% on Kolb. Yes, Goodwin didn't get separation and didn't get open, but the pass was two yards behind him regardless. If he did get separation he would have been further away. It was a terrible, terrible pass and not close to being Goodwin's fault (unless he went completely the wrong way, which Tasker, you and I would have no way of knowing). Tasker's explanation of that play was atrocious. It's absolutely amazing he has the job he does, because he's the worst analyst in the game, IMO, and I love the guy.

 

In training camp, Goodwin consistently made great reactions to the ball in the air, and showed pretty decent hands, too. In the Senior Bowl he consistently beat the CBs off the line and not with just speed. On his returns he showed some football moves in addition to straight line speed.

 

That said, I don't expect him to be much of a factor in his first couple games as a WR. I doubt he will even play much. I don't expect much from him in his rookie season. I'm not even sure he will be a very good KR. But he has some real talent and not just speed. I hope I'm wrong and he scores, of course.

Gotta agree with your take on Steve. There was a personal foul when dude got punched right in the head after the whistle and steveo didn't like the call , it was funny stuff. Hes a sdeline guy, same job they give the girls. Bentley wasn't bad other than sounding like a robot. Glad preseason is over.

I expect Goodwin to have a larger role. I'd like to see some end arounds and wide receiver screens to him now that the training wheels are off the play book.

[EJ Manuel Meter]

Kelly's arm, Fluties legs, Fitz's brain, J P's hair, Bledsoes ..umm.. arm again I guess...

I think Manuel will fit just fine...

 

[To defer or not to defer that is the question]

Always defer. It gives you the opportunity for 2 consecutive possessions, i.e. 2 consecutive scores. Plus it allows you to choose when to have the wind or sun at your back which can be a nice edge.

 

You can get just as much momentum from stopping them on the opening drive and then scoring as you can scoring first, then stopping them. Either way you have to score AND stop them from scoring. So that entire argument is a wash either way.

 

Its not about who wins the first drive. It's about who wins the entire game.

If its windy deferring lets ya choose to have the wind at your back in the fourth quarter, at the Ralph it will backfire cause it swirls so bad in there. I hope we don't miss Lindell...