The Big Cat

Tickling fellow LARPERS

Right, which is why how he made my 'disregard' list after the 15th lap or so.

So? Also, way to trump up the stats by posting all 21 names, regardless of whether the last 13 combined don't even add up to 100K. But back to the original point, explain why this is bad. And what the Bills would do with this money if they had it.

His crusade has been simple and reasonable: draft a quarterback in rounds 1-7, every year, until you find a franchise quarterback. One need not know how to define 'franchise quaterback.' One need only devote every last resource to discovering 'it.'

I"m quite curious which plays you're referring to. I've watched the game twice again on the condensed broadcast, and it wasn't until well after the wheels came off that EJ had anything that even remotely resembled time.

These are the four plays I cited: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/169975-ej-showed-he-can-move-the-ball/page__st__100#entry322054

EJ's not perfect. If you expect him to be, you're foolish. EJ doesn't need a miracle to turn in a solid performance, but he's not good enough (yet) to carry the team by himself. So, when his passes are off the mark and there are obvious mis-cues with his receivers and the OLine can't keep Dlinemen out of the backfield and the Oline is getting dinged with blocking/holding calls on every drive and they can't get the running game going, then EJ is going to struggle, and the whole offense with him. It was painful watching the offense yesterday. But watching it a second time, it's clear that EJ was not fully to blame for yesterday's first half turd. I'll cite four plays: Following up on a nice first down catch on the sideline, Mike Williams let's another would-be first down bounce right off his arms. Wide open, Robert Woods drives his man 18 yards up field, and turns for the ball two yards passed the first down marker. The throw--a timing throw--is put right at the marker, where Woods probably should have been. Those extra two yards put him out of range of the throw, and made him late to turn for it. It was clear that EJ wanted him to look for it at the marker. Wide open down the seam, Robert Woods makes a Donald-Jonesesque mid-air adjustment only to whiff at the ball as the punting unit comes on. At the LOS, EJ released the ball with a defender parallel to the ground, burying his head in the QB's chest. All things considered, Woods, has to make a better play for that ball. A defender lines up across from Mike Williams and comes off the edge, completely untouched, he's barreling down on EJ, who first looks to Williams up the seam, then checks to his outlet, Fred Jackson who's positioned just on the other side of the blitzing defender. The throw is awkward, and out of Jackson's reach, tough throw by EJ, but it looked like he wanted to go to Williams who was running free after the blitz, but never broke off his route for what would have been an easy first-down catch. These miscues, combined with all the awful, terrible, horrible holding/blocking penalties. and yes, some errors by Manuel added up to one miserable looking offense. I'm glad they mixed things up with the playcalling and came back in and put two TD's on the board. While the blocking up front was better, as was the flow between Manuel/Woods, Manuel/Chandler (who wasn't tripping over the hash mark giving up picks rather than getting catches/runs for first downs inside field goal range). Folks blaming EJ have an agenda if they can't/won't/refuse to see these things.

Five pages and nobody's mentioned the mince meat the Lovie led talent on Tampas DLINE has made of EVERY opponent they've faced thus far?

well, then we'll have to agree to disagree, because in re-watching each preseason game, he has--in fact--shown steady progress in becoming more consistent, more accurate and more aware of the play developing.

I agree with all that, but I will challenge the comparison to Peyton, Brees. Brady and Rodgers--four quarterbacks with a combined 503 starts, all of whom have the stats and the wins to be in the conversation for greatest quarterback ever. They are much, much better quarterbacks than EJ Manuel, and nobody in their right mind would challenge that. So why make the comparison? Nobody expects EJ to be at their level in year two. Shoot, THEY weren't even at their level when THEY were in year two. Also, Buffalo is built to succeed in spite of their quarterback. EJ needs to not-lose games for them this year. The Bills have the defense and hopefully they built a ground game that can win this team games, if EJ can just put together a solid, mistake-free performance. With the amount of money those players tie-up alone, their teams are built to succeed because they can rely on the quarterback to carry them. They HAVE to be best quarterbacks in football, just to manufacture wins.

itsonlypreseason.png

So, you either think we'll get swept by the Jets, or lose to Cleveland, Minnesota or Oakland. And you also think it's impossible for us to beat the Bears, the Chiefs, the Lions AND the Texans? I honestly can't figure how you don't see six wins in the following: Jets Jets Dolphins Dolphins Vikings Browns Raiders Bears Chiefs Lions Texans

I think our floor is 6-10 and our ceiling is 12-4. Here are the six games I'm certain we'll win: Dolphins Dolphins Jets Browns Raiders Vikings Here are six more games I think we can win: Bears Jets Texans Lions Pats* Chiefs Then the four games for which I'm feeling doubtful: Pats* Packers Chargers Broncos Now how can you tell me you can't find more than 6 wins on that list?

I look forward to representing you at foreign soirees. Seriously though, 'going in the wrong direction' would imply the moves made in the offseason have set the team further back. How could that possibly be the case when our biggest concerns were run defense and WR and we went out and got the best run-stuffing MLB in the league and a defensive coordinator whose specialty is..stopping the run? THEN we grabbed something we've been lacking for quite some time, a red zone receiver in Mike Williams, AND we got he consensus-best WR in the draft who's only managed to distance himself from the scrum competing for second place. The only thing they might point to, from a personnel standpoint, is the loss of Byrd, which--until his bum hip was revealed--was a debatable loss.

Run defense. And as far as ranking our positional units, WR has gone from worst to first.

I don't understand how we're "going in the wrong direction." I will say that the majority of NFL Network goons are really, really down on EJ Manuel, to the extent that we, as fans, can expect him to get the same kind of respect from the national media that Alex Smith has received, and little more. He could be perfectly solid, and we could finish at 11-5, but unless he's statistically in the top-5, I'd expect the national types to refer to our quarterback position as a "situation."

Ah yes, projecting the future based on the past. How come you didn't account for our sweep of Miami in 2013? Or the fact that they have no linebackers? Or running back? Or haven't figured out how to effectively use their best/only offensive weapon? Why didn't you account for the utterly atrocious secondary in New York? Or their brewing QB controversy? Or what appears to be the twilight of the Rex Ryan era? Did you consider the woefully suspect defensive line in New England? The fact that they have no running backs who can't fumble? That their best offensive weapon has a broken back? It could very well play out like you say, but it's just as likely (more likely, probably) that the winds of change are blowing.

I believe it was the LA Rams...heard it this morning on an NFL Network podcast.

You mean to suggest the NFL hasn't seen a division this weak in 35 years?

I agree.

If the Pats* win the AFC East this year, it'll be their sixth consecutive division title. The last time a team won 6 straight division titles? 1979. Is this Pats* team a once-in-35-years team? Happy Thursday.

Well, it was an UDRFA who tore off our captain's helmet and started swinging. Any guesses as to where he'll be working this time next week? It's pretty clear where he won't be working.

It should be noted that there was a similar gush-level when asked about Schwartz. How's it been working with Jim Schwartz? GREAT! What's different about last year? Everything. The second response validates the rocky relationship he had with Pettine...that I always suspected.

Beat me to the punch too. Marrone puts a "we gotta get better" spin on EVERYTHING. That was not the case when he gushed about Henderson.

/thread