5 Wide

Becoming a father 10 months ago makes watching EJ Manuel much easier. Whenever I watch him try to aim a football shotput or just bail out on a play, I look at my son playing happily on the floor and realize it's just a game.

I made you pee a little out there didn't I boy.

I wonder if Urbik kicked Marrone's dog or something. He has consistently been on Marrone's *#&! list for two years. He was serviceable under D'alisandres (or however its spelled) and certainly wasn't a liability.

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There's execution, and then there's awareness. Getting fooled by coverages and schemes and making bad decisions can be corrected. Inherently flawed accuracy issues cannot. The problem is not necessarily EJ's decision making, its his ability to execute when he does decide. Regarding awareness: Rookie Season: Manuel gets injured going for extra yards after he picked up the first down. Coaches tell him to be smart and not take the big hit. 2nd Year: Manuel runs out of bounds on 3rd downs without trying to turn it up field to attempt to get the first down. There is a difference between getting down or getting out of bounds after picking up the first and conceding the possession and trotting out of bounds. There is a difference between "be smart" and get down or out of bounds at all costs - which is what he is doing. At least twice this year, i have seen Manuel throw an illegal forward pass by being across the line of scrimmage when he throws. Once he was flagged, once he was not. This is not a need to grow and get experience, only 13 games in the NFL thing, this is a lack of football awareness thing. Last week, EJ took an intentional grounding call in the endzone for a safety. That is not a lack of experience, that is a lack of awareness. Sometimes he fires missiles at guys 5 yards away and lolipops a ball downfield that needs to be drilled in there. I just have the feeling of a guy that's in over his head when he is on the field.

15-20 yards in garbage time is not important enough as a healthy Sammy. On the glass is half full side of things, Sammy having a quiet day means that he didn't take any shots also... perhaps another step forward for the ribs to heal up.

Maybe I am just disenfranchised with EJ, but I just don't see the proverbial "it" with him. I think it mostly has to do with how I perceive his awareness on the field. I know he was hurt last year and was told to get down when possible, but is jogging out of bounds two yards short of the sticks acceptable? Is throwing widowmaker balls to his receivers acceptable? (Yes i know other QB's get their wideouts killed) but it seems more frequent with EJ. Intentional grounding in the endzone? I also never see him uncork the alleged big arm he has. I just see a whole lot of Losman in the guy.

Let me see if i have the mental capacity to lay this out. The Chargers had a single high safety most of the game with 8 in the box. This effectively neutralized the running game. The way to beat this tactic is to have your QUARTERBACK make some plays down the field to move the extra defenders away from the line of scrimmage effectively keeping the defense honest. Cover 1 typically can be attacked with intermediate throws which when executed can roll the other safety back out of the box opening up the run game. The quarterback is the one position that can single handedly bail out other elements of the game that are underperforming. If you can only win a game when all three phases of the team are clicking, then I will say you don't have a QB. For 3 games we have seen a conservative, remedial offense designed to hide the play of the Quarterback. You can't always scheme guys open, sometimes you need your QB to make a big time professional read and throw.

Turnovers, special teams, and field position won the first games. EJ made a few plays at key times and they won the first two as a team effort. Today, the Defense didn't take the ball away, Special teams was average, and EJ was terrible. QB is the key position on the team. QB literally dictates how the entire defense schemes against your offense. When your QB limits your offense in the way he did today, he is the one who loses the game for you. Other than the Center, the QB touches the ball on every snap, most important position on the team.

And i don't think the running game was very effective in all 3 games. 1 offensive TD against the Dolphins. 8 in the box doesn't happen when you start hitting a few deeper crossing patterns. EJ did just enough to win the first two game, but by no means did he WIN the game for the Bills.

If you want to crap on the running game, you also have to understand the defenses are now daring the Bills to pass. Opposing defenses are selling out on the run which makes it very hard to move the ball on the ground. Until Manuel can start backing the defense off the line of scrimmage, the running game will continue to falter.

Its simple. Complete team victories the first two weeks covered up for limiting quarterback play. EJ did enough to win the first two weeks. Today, they needed the QB to make some professional football decisions and throws and he couldn't do it. Awareness is an issue with Manuel.

Great day for some football. Does the weather conditions (wind and rain) favor the Bills?

Ol Chester Rosengold could really play some pigskin. I remember one play in back in the fall of ought nine, he singlehandedly beat a triple team, forever earning himself the nickname night train. That name seemed to stick with him for 3 or 4 games.

I've been looking for a video of the entire pregame ceremony as well... so far no dice

The deep ball to Watkins that was dropped in the endzone was a nice ball. Last year that ball was 5 yards out of bounds.

Week one: What is wrong with the Bears? The Bears lay an egg at home. Week two: The Dolphins clearly overachieved in week one against the Patriots and injuries took their toll as they overlooked the Bills.

Good win. Maybe it was just me but it seemed like they were rotating the D-line an awful lot today. It seemed like Jarius Wynn saw the field a lot today replacing Mario. Same thing with the rest of the starters too... hughes out a lot, Kyle Williams subbed out a lot.

Watching in the living room. On the menu... the Memphis style ribs are on hour #3 in the smoker already.

I also enjoy the reviews on this book http://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Huge-Ships-John-Trimmer/dp/0870334336

If you like dry humor, you will appreciate this

Point Nanker. I hope that was time well spent for you. There are more than a few H-backs you listed but we'll let that slide. The point I unsuccessfully was trying to make is that the offense, featuring a speed back who works well in space lines up in a lot more power formations than what the current trend is. I would bet that Frank Summers will get a larger number of offensive snaps than most of the special teamers you listed. If you feel like wasting your Monday evening pulling up snap counts from last year to prove me wrong, then I welcome the data. The fervor with which you engaged my post shows that you either A) like to perform internet reserach or B) are looking to defend the way the current Bills offense is constructed. I hope it is A.

In the era of spread offenses Hackett is one of the few with a true fullback on the roster. Hopefully something new comes around with the regular season but last year and through this preseason i have been very underwhelmed with the offensive concepts that are being deployed.

Those days really aren't very far apart