Thad Lewis Is A Better Option Than EJ Manuel Right Now

[first_and_ten]

I have no confidence in Hackett right now so I honestly don't think it matters who is playing QB

 

I think Hackett has improved. In the Cleveland game, we saw some draws and some reverses that worked so he called them at the right times. We can only hope that Hackett continues to learn and improve. I am optimistic that he will because he seems like an intelligent person.

[Homey D. Clown]

I don't understand all the doubt on EJ's abilities. The guy has literally just started his career in the NFL. I know it's been 13 years since the team has made the playoffs... we all know, but come on... let the kid play a little before we discredit him as the best option at QB.

[mattsox]

Still playing Cincy's D in Fantasy this week.

 

Hell Yeah! I don't see the Bills making the necessary adjustments to counter them.

[Gugny]

I don't understand all the doubt on EJ's abilities. The guy has literally just started his career in the NFL. I know it's been 13 years since the team has made the playoffs... we all know, but come on... let the kid play a little before we discredit him as the best option at QB.

This ... will never happen.

 

You're talking about a fan base who wanted Hackett fired .... AFTER THE PATRIOTS GAME.

[John from Riverside]

Hell Yeah! I don't see the Bills making the necessary adjustments to counter them.

 

What would those necessary adjustments be......

 

- Their offense is struggling.....our offense has been playing well and just got back key players (Gilmore and Jarius Byrd are going to play for christ sake)

 

- We have what might be the most dangerous return man in the league

 

- Hackett is completely unimaginative......but we still have pieces to win.

[2003Contenders]

In the glory days this would be a game where the rest of the team would rally. Remember Frank Reich's days -- or Jimbo's final season when the Bills beat the defending Super Bowl champs (Dallas!) with Todd Collins behind center?

 

I also get what the OP was saying (not trying to put words in his mouth). At this point in their respective careers, there may not be much difference between Thad Lewis and EJ Manuel. I love the potential that EJ presents. He has the natural leadership, seems to be a very bright kid -- and he has all the physical tools. However, he entered the league with remedial training at FSU (i.e very "raw") -- and I believe the Bills were even aware that it was going to take some time for him to develop. Playing behind this raw rookie with a dumbed-down playbook the Bills would probably be 3-2 if he hadn't gotten hurt in the Cleveland game. Given the improved health of the defense and the commitment to the running game with multiple able RBs, I have faith that Lewis should be able to perform on a par with what Manuel had demonstrated. Maybe -- just maybe -- it will do Manuel some good to sit and watch from afar for a few weeks.

 

I for one will be interested to see what the offensive game plan looks like with a new QB under center -- one who has at least been in the league (albeit in limited fashion) for more than just a few weeks. Since, his skills are close to E.J.'s, no reason to remove anything from the play book -- and possibly expand it some.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

new this was coming

[Reddy Freddy]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rU2o1dqLZuw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

I know a lot of people are gonna disagree with me. but when I watch this tape from what he did against the Steelers #1 defense last year. I see a player who reads the entire field and delivers the ball on time. yes he made a couple of bad reads but overall he made very good decisions with the football. EJ may have a bigger upside than Lewis but Lewis is still young too at only 25, If the offense is more productive with Thad I'd say we ride with him til the end of the season

 

http://youtu.be/rU2o1dqLZuw

 

Wow, it just goes to show that when it comes to QBs, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I came away from watching this clip thinking he looked terrible. Jittery and inaccurate, especially on deeper throws but even on short ones. Numbers aside, if he looks like this for us we will have one of the 2 or 3 worst starting QBs in the league, which I guess should be expected given his background, but to say he will play at a higher level than EJ is absurd in my opinion. I'll never understand how a guy like this gets a gig in the NFL over someone like Tim Tebow, who has had success whenever he has been a starter at every level of football, but I know I'm in the minority with that opinion to say the least.

 

All that said, go Thad - prove me wrong!

[K-9]

In the glory days this would be a game where the rest of the team would rally. Remember Frank Reich's days -- or Jimbo's final season when the Bills beat the defending Super Bowl champs (Dallas!) with Todd Collins behind center?

 

I also get what the OP was saying (not trying to put words in his mouth). At this point in their respective careers, there may not be much difference between Thad Lewis and EJ Manuel. I love the potential that EJ presents. He has the natural leadership, seems to be a very bright kid -- and he has all the physical tools. However, he entered the league with remedial training at FSU (i.e very "raw") -- and I believe the Bills were even aware that it was going to take some time for him to develop. Playing behind this raw rookie with a dumbed-down playbook the Bills would probably be 3-2 if he hadn't gotten hurt in the Cleveland game. Given the improved health of the defense and the commitment to the running game with multiple able RBs, I have faith that Lewis should be able to perform on a par with what Manuel had demonstrated. Maybe -- just maybe -- it will do Manuel some good to sit and watch from afar for a few weeks.

 

I for one will be interested to see what the offensive game plan looks like with a new QB under center -- one who has at least been in the league (albeit in limited fashion) for more than just a few weeks. Since, his skills are close to E.J.'s, no reason to remove anything from the play book -- and possibly expand it some.

 

Good post. I think we'll see the whole team rally around this challenge. It can galvanize a team in the process.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[DDD]

Especially because both of his knees work.

[HeHateMe]

Wow, it just goes to show that when it comes to QBs, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I came away from watching this clip thinking he looked terrible. Jittery and inaccurate, especially on deeper throws but even on short ones. Numbers aside, if he looks like this for us we will have one of the 2 or 3 worst starting QBs in the league, which I guess should be expected given his background, but to say he will play at a higher level than EJ is absurd in my opinion. I'll never understand how a guy like this gets a gig in the NFL over someone like Tim Tebow, who has had success whenever he has been a starter at every level of football, but I know I'm in the minority with that opinion to say the least.

 

All that said, go Thad - prove me wrong!

 

Agreed, also that game is quite meaningless as it was in wk 17 with the neither team having anything to play for.

 

I disagree with anything Tebow related, he throws like a girl.

[reddogblitz]

Let's just wait and see what he does Sunday. From the 2 game vids I saw, against Steelers and against Lions, he's looked OK. Not great but not horrible either. Looks like he may have the ability to make stuff happen running and rolling out etc.

 

It is hard to imagine him being less accurate than EJ or turning the ball over more, but we'll see. I also think the guys will rally around him like they have with EJ.

 

I'm looking forward to it. Should be fun. I suspect a lot more fun than if Tuel Time was starting.

[bigK14094]

When I saw Lewis in the preseason, his arm did not impress me. Of course, Manuel's arm has not yet impressed me either. Maybe not a keeper among those two.

[Big Turk]

We will see, won't we? He remind anyone else of Fitz?

 

Lol, first thing that came to mine...ball comes out quick, decisive, catchable balls but not perfect passes...

 

Dont see anything that leads me to believe he can not be as effective as EJ...

[Orton's Arm]

 

 

I know the ship has sailed on this, but Tuel's ability to throw accurate deep passes is what would have really been intriguing to see. I think what the staff will do with Lewis is just what we saw in that film. Quick passes, roll-out playaction, some read-option. In between that, we'll see our favorite shotgun run right, left's into the back of the linemen.

 

Good post.

 

Up until a week or so ago, Thad Lewis was on the Bills' practice squad. No GM in the NFL felt he was good enough even to be a backup QB, let alone a long-term answer as the starter.

 

As for the game film of Thad: he was more accurate on short passes than on deep throws. Most of the short passes were to stationary targets. There was very little in terms of hitting moving targets in stride.

 

Even though his arm is stronger than Fitz's, he seems to suffer from exactly the same accuracy issues Fitz had. Except maybe even worse.

 

He has good wheels, as he showed in the preseason. On the other hand, as others here have pointed out, he has a tendency to hang his receivers out to dry.

 

He's probably good enough to give us respectable QB play for the next few weeks. But a long-term answer at starter he clearly is not. If the Bills were committed enough to Manuel to take him 14th overall, there's nothing about Manuel's first few games which should cause them to end that commitment. Giving Thad starts when Manuel is healthy would be absurd.

 

I agree with you that Tuel showed potential in the preseason. There's a reason the Bills signed him rather than Thad Lewis. While I grant he played poorly in the regular season, the circumstances were about as bad as any rookie QB could ever expect to face. No pass protection. No running game. An outclassed coaching staff. Receivers who couldn't get open. No snaps in practice in the week leading up to the game. A hostile stadium. Even the weather was bad. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single thing which could have gone wrong for Tuel but didn't. If we're not writing off rookie Manuel after four mediocre games, why write off rookie Tuel after 1.5 bad quarters?

[clearwater cadet]

Maybe the network will start giving him brian hoyer type love.

[atlbillsfan1975]

I wonder if people who post stuff like this are also the same people who get the most disappointed when it goes all wrong.

Thad could be great and he could be ok and he could be awful. The chances of him being ok to awful are much higher then him being great.

Hope the D plays awesome and Thad can manage the game. This provides the highest chance for the Bills to win. .

Thad running one in and throwing one in and passing for 200yds with no turnovers would be huge. If this happens the Bills will have a great chance to be right there at the end.

[John from Riverside]

Agreed, also that game is quite meaningless as it was in wk 17 with the neither team having anything to play for.

 

I disagree with anything Tebow related, he throws like a girl.

 

Then why was Pittsburg's starting defense on the field?

[chris heff]

No

 

This is an automated response please do not reply.

[John from Riverside]

Good post.

 

Up until a week or so ago, Thad Lewis was on the Bills' practice squad. No GM in the NFL felt he was good enough even to be a backup QB, let alone a long-term answer as the starter.

 

As for the game film of Thad: he was more accurate on short passes than on deep throws. Most of the short passes were to stationary targets. There was very little in terms of hitting moving targets in stride.

 

Even though his arm is stronger than Fitz's, he seems to suffer from exactly the same accuracy issues Fitz had. Except maybe even worse.

 

He has good wheels, as he showed in the preseason. On the other hand, as others here have pointed out, he has a tendency to hang his receivers out to dry.

 

He's probably good enough to give us respectable QB play for the next few weeks. But a long-term answer at starter he clearly is not. If the Bills were committed enough to Manuel to take him 14th overall, there's nothing about Manuel's first few games which should cause them to end that commitment. Giving Thad starts when Manuel is healthy would be absurd.

 

I agree with you that Tuel showed potential in the preseason. There's a reason the Bills signed him rather than Thad Lewis. While I grant he played poorly in the regular season, the circumstances were about as bad as any rookie QB could ever expect to face. No pass protection. No running game. An outclassed coaching staff. Receivers who couldn't get open. No snaps in practice in the week leading up to the game. A hostile stadium. Even the weather was bad. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single thing which could have gone wrong for Tuel but didn't. If we're not writing off rookie Manuel after four mediocre games, why write off rookie Tuel after 1.5 bad quarters?

 

To me Thad is a system QB.....but here is the thing....I feel like Hackett's offense IS the correct system for him....

 

Keep in mind that we traded for him...he was not a street free agent. We traded for him late after rosters were already decided.

 

I am not expecting him to be great....but just how great does a backup QB need to be? They need to move the chains.....give our defense a breather.....and keep the other defense honest so we can run the ball......Thad isnt gonna win this game by himself.