1billsfan

This is officially an EJ thread with a big ol' 70s porn mustache on it.

Thanks, these guys obviously want people to pick a team. I think that Manuel had an average season for a raw rookie with upside. There's good, bad and ugly to EJ's game. None of us have a clue as to whether he'll be Nick Foles or "fill in name of a bust QB". If a guy like Bortles is there when the Bills pick then I won't throw a fit if they pick him. On the flipside, if they don't go QB in the 1st then I still have faith that the hard working Manuel will dramatically improve with a year under his belt, an upgrade at WR or TE and a couple of upgrades on the OL. That's why I mentioned Foles, his rookie season looked no better than Manuel's.

I don't think so. I know this may fly in the face of the perpetual pessimism on this board, but the Buffalo Bills are truly a team on the rise. Beating the Pats in a 4pm game with almost the whole country watching (it's the late game in NYC area) would be an eye opener result that would provide a ton of confidence for this team going into the offseason. If Miami gets in, then the Bills would have beaten two playoff teams from their division who had something on the line while they had nothing on the line. That would say a lot about the kind of players and changing culture on this team.

I'll answer it this way. Look up Nick Foles 2012 rookie season and compare it to EJ Manuels 2013 season. They are almost carbon copies. Currently Nick Foles has the #1 QB rating in the league, even over Peyton Manning. Now look at who each rookie had coaching them in their rookie seasons... Nick Foles / rookie season 2012 Head Coach: Andy Reed (14 year HC) Offensive Coordinator: Marty Mornhinweg (12 years experience as an OC) Top Five Receptions: Jeremy Maclin, Brian Celek, LeShan McCoy, Jason Avant, DeShawn Jackson EJ Manuel / rookie season 2013 Head Coach: Doug Marrone (rookie HC) Offensive Coordinator: Nathaniel Hackett (rookie OC) Top Five Receptions: Stevie Johnson, Scott Chandler, Fred Jackson, Robert Woods, CJ Spiller The point is that we don't know what EJ Manuel will become. But there is still the posibility that he can do what Nick Foles is doing if given competent coaching and an upgrade at who the targets he's throwing to are. Foles was a nobody after last year, really he was an afterthought regarding Chip's plans at the position.

After a year of coaching him in his rookie season and if he were able to stay healthy, do you believe EJ Manuel could eventually become an elite QB in the NFL?

He didn't add that. That kind of matters. If you were a Arizona Cardinal fan reading that, you would have no idea that EJ did look like a starting QB in four or five games. In fact you would think the opposite is true and the Bills Manuel is a train wreck of a pick. Doesn't the truth matter anymore? Or is it just plain cool to just dump on the Bills because it's funny even if you have to make the stuff up.

The ratings at the bottom are bs, but that wasn't even my beef. It's too bad this writer or maybe even his editors couldn't be be called out on this outright false statement. I don't know what EJ did to tick off this writer, but Manuel has had five games above 86 QB rating and three of those were above 100. He's even had a fourth quarter comeback and game winning drive against a team that is a true Superbowl contender and who without question has a top five defense. Then there is the Atlanta game were with the playoffs life and season on the line, Manuel came through twice with big time clutch plays at the end of the game. So why does nfl.com think it's ok to lie and say Manuel "didn't look REMOTELY ready when he started"? It's not even an opinion, it's a false statement and I wish that nfl.com could be called out on it. I clearly still don't know if Manuel is a franchise QB or not, but when I saw this comment I was angry that nfl.com let this writer get away with this. Very few in the country watch the Bills, so a lot of people reading that are thinking that Manuel has been a horrific train wreck when he's only had a very normal rookie up and down season.

They're the same people who were happy the Bills drafted EJ Manuel and were willing to give him time and live with the ups and downs of a rookie QB and who are now done with him even though he's given them the up and down season they were expecting at the beginning of the season.

So you agree with him that despite the fact that EJ Manuel has had three games above a 100 QB rating, that he didn't look remotely ready in those games? If you do then you are the one who is being biased towards your opinion of EJ Manuel. Because those are real statistics that have no relevance whatsoever to an opinion describing Manuel being a QB who's not even remotely ready to start.

…article. "The Bills are in a tough spot with Manuel. He missed too much playing time and didn't look remotely ready when he started." This is an article from nfl.com. This is not from some fanboy blog. What, there are no editors at nfl.com to tell Gregg that this comment on EJ Manuel was blatantly false? EJ has had FIVE games with a QB rating above 86. Three of those they won and a fourth game was the Atlanta game where he led the Bills on two game winning type drives that were blown up by receiver fumbles. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000304038/article/quarterback-index-yearend-rankings This is what passes for quality writing at nfl.com? I won't even get into the silly rankings of the bottom guys who he considers better than Manuel.

EJ has had a rookie season like Nick Foles did last year. Check the stats, they're very similar. Some people here are obviously brainwashed from Luck, RGIII and Wilson's dream rookie seasons last year. The Eagles are 6-1 in their last seven games due in large part to Foles' natural progression into a franchise QB. Not the anomaly of the 2013 class for which no one expected the raw Manuel to duplicate. I just wish these people would give it a rest already. To think that the Bills are looking for another QB high in the draft because Whaley didn't want EJ Manuel is pure fantasy land. If Whaley didn't want Manuel then he wouldn't be a Bill right now. Everyone at One Bills Drive signed up on picking this raw QB with a high upside, and since they used a 1st rounder on him, he will get at least until the end of 2014 to prove their decision right or wrong. I hope Manuel starts against the Pats because he's the only potential future franchise QB on the Bills and he needs the experience. Plus, they could win and he could have a great game. That would do wonders for this psyche of this team and franchise considering how great the defense is looking.

That would be an overreaction. The NFL is rich in history of backups having great games and it later being seen as just their "lucky" day. The Bills are riding with Manuel in 2014 no matter what the uproar would be from those fans wanting to see the backup Lewis become the starter.

Certainly propel Lewis to "cult hero" status...LOL Manuel is going to be given next year to establish himself as the Bills franchise QB no matter what Lewis does against the Pats. That's how it works in the NFL when you spend a 1st round pick on a QB.

Yes, seriously. The difference between being a starting NFL QB who's being counted on to perform well enough to get his team into the playoffs and that of a 3 year journeyman QB who's coming off the bench with literally no expectations of playing well from fans is an enormous difference. I like Thad and I think he'll be a very good backup to EJ, but Thad's pressure of earning a backup job on an NFL team is no where near the heightened amount of pressure on EJ Manuel. Even if Thad has to start this next game it's all gravy for him. If Lewis plays bad then it's completely ok because he's Thad Lewis "backup QB" playing on the road against Tom Brady and the Pats. However, if EJ Manuel starts and plays bad he's not going to get any slack at all because that's how it works in the NFL. Having pointed this difference out, Manuel will either deal with the pressure well or he won't and he'll be gone in a couple of years like former FSU QB Christian Ponder.

Lewis is a 26 year old, three year veteran who had no pressure to perform in any of his starts since no one thought he was any good to begin with. Manuel is a 23 year old rookie who actually had real pressure to perform as the Bills' 1st round franchise QB in waiting. He produced an average season for a rookie starting QB while still showing upside with his performances against the Falcons, Jets and Panthers. As long as he stays healthy, it's logical to think that Manuel at 26 will be a QB who's several levels better than what Lewis is today.

That's simply not happening. Here's the list of all the QB starved teams picking before the Bills pick in the 1st round... Houston St. Louis Jacksonville Oakland Cleveland Minnesota Not only will the Bills not get a sniff of Manziel or Bridgewater, they won't get a sniff of the next two QBs in line to be drafted. I wish fans here could just enjoy the fact that the Bills will have a great opportunity to draft a stud WR or OL since so many QBs will be being being picked ahead of them in the draft, this will push great talent at other positions to them. EJ Manuel is a raw talent who showed flashes of very good play and very bad play. He's had some accuracy problems, yet he would became very accurate in close games going down to the wire. What this tells me is that he has the accuracy in him, and the issue is mental and not physical. Year two he should be settled down and look much better in much longer stretches of games. Long story short, the Bills aren't picking a QB in the 1st round.

This thread is laughable. Thad is 26 years old and EJ is 23 years old. Thad is a three year veteran and EJ is a rookie. Thad has had almost no pressure or expectations (this is a huge factor) while EJ had a lot of pressure to perform as a 1st round selected franchise level QB. All the while having a rookie OC, Scott Chandler as his TE and his WRs being Stevie Johnson and a couple rookies. I get people worried about EJ being injury prone, what I don't get is the ridiculous fans who think they know that Manuel is not the answer and are ready to dump him because he didn't have a Luck, RGIII or Wilson rookie season. That's just plain silly. Last year was the exception to the norm. I think Manuel has done a good job as a rookie QB and has performed to the expectations of what most thought he would be in his first season. He does need to stay healthy and his game does need to progress to another level in the 2014 season. I see no reason why it wouldn't. I think the newness of the NFL game and the pressure of being a 1st round QB selection shook Manuel a little bit at the start of games. Once the game started and he was in the battle in the games that were close, he seemed to always step up in those situations. That's a sign that the guy has what it takes. What he needs to do next year is learn to stop over thinking and just let his football instincts and competitiveness take over.

I want the Bills to take the best player available and hoping that lines up with either a stud #1 WR or stud OL. However, if something crazy happens and a very highly rated defender like Clowney or Barr falls because a lot of QBs are getting picked ahead of them, then by all means pick him and make our defense an elite one!

I didn't mean to confuse you. I was never trying to compare the skills of Evans to Hardy, I was comparing the situation of drafting the "tall" Hardy over a smaller guy with far more exceptional WR skills. Watkins and Evans both seemingly have well established 1st round grades. So my point is that if the Bills are going to pick WR in the 1st, and both Watkins and Evans are on the board, then they should pick the guy with far more exceptional skills which IMO would be Watkins with no hesitation. As for the better all-around prospect you might be wrong there, the first three draft websites I went to have Watkins rated higher than Evans and it's not that close... CBS Sports - Watkins #6 / Evans #13 http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/story/24381286/big-board-underclassmen-could-make-it-another-banner-year-for-ots GBN Report - Watkins #6 / Evans #11 http://gbnreport.com/top100.html DraftTek - Watkins #4 / Evans #11 http://www.drafttek.com/ BTW, Evans could be a nice consolation prize if the Raiders pick Watkins (which they''ll probably do)...LOL I like Evans, just not nearly as much as Watkins.

So the Bills have a better WR plan than these recent Superbowl winning teams had? That plan being getting a "tall" #1 WR even though he's not nearly as talented as the 6'1" Watkins? There's a completely valid reason why people keep bringing up the James Hardy pick. Because it's the perfect example of the Bills blowing a high draft pick at WR because height was more important than actual skills and talent.

It's a myth that you need a tall WR to have a successful passing offense that can win you a Superbowl. Here's some recent history... 2012 Ravens - Smith/Boldin 2011 Giants - Nicks/Cruz 2010 Packers - Jennings/Driver 2008 Steelers - Ward/Holmes 2006 Colts - Harrison/Wayne Sammy Watkins has an average height for an NFL WR. With that being said, his skill set far outweighs the very tall Mike Evans. If you watch Evans, he falls down very easily once contacted by the defender. If you watch Watkins' video the guy has it all...great hands, jumps, jukes, speed, and can take it to the house on any catch. Watkins looks NFL ready and a future NFL #1 star receiver. As for his drug background, while a concern he appears to have turned that around... http://www.cbssports...enated-receiver

He's not going anywhere. Fred Jackson has 1/4 the amount of carries than Emmitt Smith and 1/2 the amount of carries than Ottis Anderson had. Both of these RBs had very long careers. At 33, Anderson was a key player in beating our heavily favored Bills in their first Superbowl appearance. What this tells me is that Fred Jackson has very low tread wear for his age and we can expect at least 2 and maybe even 3 very good years left in him. IMO the Bills are on the doorstep of their next great era of playoff appearances and Superbowl contention. I look around the league and see a lot of lousy teams making the playoffs. Even if Manuel can only become a top 15 QB then we're only a couple of players away from a possible Superbowl winning season. Something in the model of the Giants two recent "hot streak" runs to win it all.

I strongly disagree with this. The NFL is awash with inferior teams, even the playoff teams are inferior. Look at how bad the AFC playoff teams are looking! Look at how quickly the "good" teams fell and "bad" teams got good in just one year. The Bills just need another player or two, get luckier with avoiding injuries and gain a little confidence in themselves to propel them into the 2014 playoffs. This is a much different league than it was even five years ago. IMO the Bills are right there at the door even if their record doesn't show it this year.

Right now, I think I'd take Sammy Watlkins who isn't even on the list. If he wasn't there I'd take Evans. IMO a true solid #1 wide receiver is the missing piece of the playoff puzzle for the Bills. Sammy Watkins is obviously way more athletic and elusive than is Evans. Yes Evans is a tower, but he seems like a tweener TE/WR guy in the NFL. Evans also seems to fall down rather easy once he catches the ball (from the highlight I saw). With Watkins you have a guy that can jump, move and score on any play after he catches the ball. I know that Watkins was busted with weed a couple of years ago, but if he's turned himself around in that department I'd take Watkins. Just imaging having Watkins, Goodwin, Woods and Johnson! That's the makings for a possible Rams style "greatest show" crew of WRs. One final thought, Evans has that bust potential vibe (be it small) where Watkins looks good to go right out of the box in the NFL. Like I said though, I'd have no problem taking Evans if Watkins wasn't there.

I listen mostly to WFAN in NYC and The Fanatic in Philly. There you have hosts that back up their opinions with real football knowledge. I do listen to WGR after the Bills game for post game interviews and the opinions of the hosts and fans though. This is what I heard over and over on the Bills post game show yesterday... "After today's game, can I say that EJ is the guy? I don't know if I can. The first quarter was terrible, but then he looked ok I guess, the rest of the game. After today's game can I say that EJ is the guy? I don't know if I can. The first quarter was terrible, but then he looked ok I guess, the rest of the game. After today's game can I say that EJ is the guy? I don't know if I can. The first quarter was terrible, but then he looked ok I guess, the rest of the game. After today's game can I say that EJ is the guy? I don't know if I can. The first quarter was terrible, but then he looked ok I guess, the rest of the game..." That's analysis?????...LOL It was so boring and repetitive and depressing! You'd think they could have shown more appreciation and excitement for the rookie Manuel playing very solid the last three quarters and winning the game? That was a gut check performance that deserved notice and some enthusiasm. Just two weeks before Manuel put this team in position twice to win a must win game. There are signs there that Manuel IS the guy. You don't have to coronate Manuel. However, why sound like such sourpusses after a win and your first round QB nailing down a solid performance?