A Few Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order

[atlbillsfan1975]

Saw Gilmore with no cast/club on. I have to agree with Bill. This guy is not showing enough talent to be the number one OR number two corner. I expect a lot more from EJ. We'll get six to eight wins, but I'm starting to lean to the six win goal.

I was hoping for 6-8 wins.

But i fear with Hackett as OC and his playcalling every D the Bills face is going to look like the steel curtain!

[eball]

Easily the worst game of the season. Just painful to watch, but fans calling EJ a bust at this point don't have a clue. It remains to be seen whether he can fix the footwork issues clearly plaguing him, but I'll gouge my eyes out if he turns into another Captain Checkdown. I'd really like to see the coaching staff take their feet off the brakes and tell EJ to wing it around. At 3-7 the playoffs are not a focus; the remaining games should be about continuing to learn what we have in EJ and letting him build on-field rapport with his receivers.

 

Next week is a big game for this entire organization. Marrone needs to show he can bring the team back from their worst effort of the year against an opponent coming off a bye who has consistently gotten the better of the Bills in recent history.

[PolishDave]

It remains to be seen whether he can fix the footwork issues clearly plaguing him, but I'll gouge my eyes out if he turns into another Captain Checkdown.

Sharpen your knife and start learning braille now. He has been captain check down from the get go.

 

I'd really like to see the coaching staff take their feet off the brakes and tell EJ to wing it around.

 

In the first few games EJ played I thought the same thing. I thought the coaches weren't allowing him to open the game up with his arm.

 

Then I saw Thad Lewis chucking the ball a lot. And I saw Tuel winging the ball around. That answered my question about that.

 

Do you really think this offensive staff has one foot on the brake for EJ yet they are telling the other guys to chuck it? No friggin way. They want EJ to throw the ball down field. He just doesn't do it. He throws to the guy running a 2 yard route on 3rd and 5.

 

EJ doesn't move the chains well and he doesn't throw touchdown passes often enough. In my opinion those are the two most important things a QB is supposed to do for your team.

 

Those two guys backing up EJ may not have his pure athletic talent, but they are better football players and better team players in my opinion. If I lose a game I want my guy to go down kicking, scratching, clawing and fighting throughout the entire game. All we get out of EJ is "Oh well. I guess we lost. Ho hum. Loddy dah."

[BADOLBILZ]

I fully agree that Manuel should run and have said this time and again. As a runner, he is instinctive like Fitz but much more talented. Why not use a great asset such as this? The good news is that he slid a couple of times.

 

On the field goal drive following the interception he ran for a first down, but if he ran with the conviction he ran with in college he probably scores. Gannon started to question why he didn't take off for the pylon and then backed off, knowing why he did not. He had one man to beat and that man was trailing by two steps. It may have been very close and there was going to be contact but I like his chances. Knee did not appear to be a problem. That TD would have made a world of difference IMO. The Bills were outplaying the Steelers in the first quarter but when it became apparent that the Bills weren't going to be able to capitalize offensively I think it gave the Steelers a lift knowing that their gameplan was actually working like the coaches drew it up.

[xsoldier54]

#2... I'm not sure it's fair or correct to say the punter cost us. It was really windy. The terrible QB play cost us.

 

Gilmore is still coming back from injury. Every DB gives up plays. He's the real deal.

Disagree on both. Moorman mis hit punts all day, the wind had nothing to do with it. And Gilmore was putrid. He was beaten on almost every play.

[MOFO]

Sharpen your knife and start learning braille now. He has been captain check down from the get go.

 

 

 

In the first few games EJ played I thought the same thing. I thought the coaches weren't allowing him to open the game up with his arm.

 

Then I saw Thad Lewis chucking the ball a lot. And I saw Tuel winging the ball around. That answered my question about that.

 

Do you really think this offensive staff has one foot on the brake for EJ yet they are telling the other guys to chuck it? No friggin way. They want EJ to throw the ball down field. He just doesn't do it. He throws to the guy running a 2 yard route on 3rd and 5.

 

EJ doesn't move the chains well and he doesn't throw touchdown passes often enough. In my opinion those are the two most important things a QB is supposed to do for your team.

 

Those two guys backing up EJ may not have his pure athletic talent, but they are better football players and better team players in my opinion. If I lose a game I want my guy to go down kicking, scratching, clawing and fighting throughout the entire game. All we get out of EJ is "Oh well. I guess we lost. Ho hum. Loddy dah."

 

I am thinking we need to draft a BEAST WR or TE who will go up and fight for balls...

[Fan in Chicago]

Easily the worst game of the season. Just painful to watch, but fans calling EJ a bust at this point don't have a clue. It remains to be seen whether he can fix the footwork issues clearly plaguing him, but I'll gouge my eyes out if he turns into another Captain Checkdown. I'd really like to see the coaching staff take their feet off the brakes and tell EJ to wing it around. At 3-7 the playoffs are not a focus; the remaining games should be about continuing to learn what we have in EJ and letting him build on-field rapport with his receivers.

 

Next week is a big game for this entire organization. Marrone needs to show he can bring the team back from their worst effort of the year against an opponent coming off a bye who has consistently gotten the better of the Bills in recent history.

 

In yesterday's game, the tone was set very early on O. When Byrd's INT gave great field position and we could not drive it in on EJ's errant throw, LeBeau must have seen that EJ is looking skittish. He crowded the line, dared the Bills to pass and EJ came up small. From there on out, there was not much that play calling could do. And the D were constantly on their heels. So what I am coming to is that Hackett has little optimism to take the foot off the brake. Unless EJ shows some level of competence, our O calling will be severely hampered. We can blame the lack of Woods all we want but you did see EJ miss on even the basic throws. The Steelers line is experienced but shown to be vulnerable in earlier games. But even then, a one-dimensional offense can get smashed by schemes with a genius like LeBeau.

[BADOLBILZ]

I am thinking we need to draft a BEAST WR or TE who will go up and fight for balls...

 

Roethlisberger has been very successful with the same type of receiving personnel the Bills have now. It is about the QB. A great QB would make chicken salad out of what appears to be a POS receiving corps. The guys they have aren't bad. They could use David Nelson back in the worst way now, but if they had a good QB they would be fine with what they have.

[vincec]

8) I am not going to bash Gilmore today. We all saw what we saw. But I would like to hear from those who bash me, sing his almighty praise, and load up the excuse wagon week after week. Hey, what's up?

The problem with Gilmore, IMO, is that he HAS to play the receivers very physically to be effective and he walks a very fine line between getting a penalty and not getting having sound coverage. I'm not sure there's any other way for him as he doesn't have the athleticism of someone like McKelvin. He just has to get it right. Also, his tackling has not been good which is strange for a physical cornerback. Maybe the injury is partly to blame for this.

 

4) By the way, Byrd impressed me today, and not just with the pick. He was encouraging other defenders, and he smacked Kyle Williams on the head after a good play. In short, he played like he really cared.

I agree about Byrd. He has improved as he has become more familiar with the defense and has played well the last two weeks. He's a bid step up from Jim Leonhard, IMO. It will be a shame to lose him after this season.

Edited November 11, 2013 by vincec

[MDH]

Gilmore was horrible yesterday, there's no other way to state it. He was behind his man most of the day and played soft which I dont' get because his strength is getting up in guys faces and jamming them at the line. He's not quick enough to stay with guys if he gives them a clean release and he did so yesterday time and time again.

 

The Bills D line was also bad. They got pushed around, Mario peeked inside on more than one occasion and lost his edge contain and nobody looked like they came to play.

 

Overall I'm just not impressed with the D. Yeah, sure, its' better than the putrid crap we've had to watch the past few seasons but that doesn't make it good. There is too much talent on that D to be average like they are. Everybody is laying into the offense (and I agree, they suck) but I cut them some slack because of the young QBs, young WRs and Colin Brown was manning a G spot for most of the season. But the D, I expect more from them and time and time again they fail to deliver.

 

On the field goal drive following the interception he ran for a first down, but if he ran with the conviction he ran with in college he probably scores. Gannon started to question why he didn't take off for the pylon and then backed off, knowing why he did not. He had one man to beat and that man was trailing by two steps. It may have been very close and there was going to be contact but I like his chances. Knee did not appear to be a problem. That TD would have made a world of difference IMO.

 

Yeah, I think he scores on that play too. I actually think he looked much faster on his runs yesterday that what we saw earlier in the season when I was far from impressed with him as a runner. It looks like his legs are feeling better, let's hope he uses them without putting himself in too much danger.

[bills44]

Gilmore was horrible yesterday, there's no other way to state it. He was behind his man most of the day and played soft which I dont' get because his strength is getting up in guys faces and jamming them at the line. He's not quick enough to stay with guys if he gives them a clean release and he did so yesterday time and time again.

 

The Bills D line was also bad. They got pushed around, Mario peeked inside on more than one occasion and lost his edge contain and nobody looked like they came to play.

 

Overall I'm just not impressed with the D. Yeah, sure, its' better than the putrid crap we've had to watch the past few seasons but that doesn't make it good. There is too much talent on that D to be average like they are. Everybody is laying into the offense (and I agree, they suck) but I cut them some slack because of the young QBs, young WRs and Colin Brown was manning a G spot for most of the season. But the D, I expect more from them and time and time again they fail to deliver.

yep. IMO, the D, collectively, is not greater than the sum of its parts. Not sure of the reason why, but that's my feeling.

[marcre]

Disagree on both. Moorman mis hit punts all day, the wind had nothing to do with it. And Gilmore was putrid. He was beaten on almost every play.

 

Really, the wind had nothing to do with the punting?

 

Putrid is strong. He didn't have a great game, but people calling him a bust is ridiculous.

[CodeMonkey]

One thing that bothered me a little yesterday was watching this Gragg guy celebrate the TD in garbage time. I understand him being happy due to the fact that he probably won't be getting many in his career, but come on. Your team got its ass handed to it all day and in every way and you are celebrating making the score a little closer with a few seconds left?

 

The fact that I was still watching the game at that point bothers me as well

[Luxy312]

My thoughts in no order of importance:

 

1 - EJ is not playing scared or shell shocked. He is playing to not make mistakes though and teams know this. If I see another 2 yard checkdown pass on 3rd and 7, I'm going to puke.

 

2 - The defense is for real on this team. Pittsburgh didn't real off many big plays at all. Mario was doubled on practically every play and was still disruptive.

 

3 - Roethlisberger didn't have much better of a day than Manuel. However, he at least took some deep shots. 100 of his 204 yards came on 3 plays. I guess maybe check that. 80 of EJ's yards came in garbage time when the game was essentially over.

 

4 - The play calling on offense wasn't very good at all. While I don't like that EJ's checking down on 3rd and long, I also don't like that the offense is even giving that option on the field. I ask myself over and over again why an OC would have anyone running a 2 yard curl to Jackson or Chandler on 3rd and 7, and I come up with no answer that makes any sense, other than ineptitude.

 

5 - I reflect to the preseason comment that "we're going to give CJ the ball until he pukes". Then I look at the game yesterday and see a team basically taking turns between backs running the ball for a total of 20 carries for the entire game. CJ has 8 carries on the day.

 

6 - Down 2 TD's in the 4th quarter and it's 4th and 5 on the Steelers 36 yard line, and they punt. Ridiculous decision making by this young coaching staff, and more playing to not make mistakes than playing to win.

[l< j]

I don't think yesterday was representative of this football team. Nearly every team, and certainly every team in rebuilding mode, plays a stinker now and then where nothing goes right and they just aren't competitive from early in the game. Up to this point, this team has been in every game except the Saints and Jets, and even there, they gave us some things to like. To me, yesterday was an outlier and I am putting that one away.

 

That said, I don't think things are looking all that rosy right now. There are real problems in all 3 phases of the game that have me worried. Improved in some areas, but we still are not really utilizing talented players on offense, still give up too many 3rd down conversions on defense. And we don't have a QB.

 

So the team is somewhere between the 2 major poles (cuz it's bipolar) that dominate this board: this team is garbage and everything about needs to go to the curb, and there is no reason this team can't run the table. I do think we can put the "Bills get no respect in the media" complaint to bed, at least until August.

 

A question: can anyone point to a QB with problems similar to EJ's (bad footwork leading to poor accuracy) who got it corrected and went on to have a good or even decent career? I don't know enough about this stuff to diagnose a QB's problems, so I certainly can't answer that question. I do know that lots of rookie QBs look like crap and turn out okay, but are there lots of QBs who turn out okay with this set of issues?

 

kj

[atlbillsfan1975]

My thoughts in no order of importance:

 

1 - EJ is not playing scared or shell shocked. He is playing to not make mistakes though and teams know this. If I see another 2 yard checkdown pass on 3rd and 7, I'm going to puke.

 

2 - The defense is for real on this team. Pittsburgh didn't real off many big plays at all. Mario was doubled on practically every play and was still disruptive.

 

3 - Roethlisberger didn't have much better of a day than Manuel. However, he at least took some deep shots. 100 of his 204 yards came on 3 plays. I guess maybe check that. 80 of EJ's yards came in garbage time when the game was essentially over.

 

4 - The play calling on offense wasn't very good at all. While I don't like that EJ's checking down on 3rd and long, I also don't like that the offense is even giving that option on the field. I ask myself over and over again why an OC would have anyone running a 2 yard curl to Jackson or Chandler on 3rd and 7, and I come up with no answer that makes any sense, other than ineptitude.

 

5 - I reflect to the preseason comment that "we're going to give CJ the ball until he pukes". Then I look at the game yesterday and see a team basically taking turns between backs running the ball for a total of 20 carries for the entire game. CJ has 8 carries on the day.

 

6 - Down 2 TD's in the 4th quarter and it's 4th and 5 on the Steelers 36 yard line, and they punt. Ridiculous decision making by this young coaching staff, and more playing to not make mistakes than playing to win.

Very good job of summing it up.

WAY to conservative by everyone yesterday.

The Bills are 3-7 with little to no chance at making the playoffs. Cut it lose for crying out loud. Let EJ throw 12 picks over the next 6 games. If it means he also throws 12 t.d's and avg 250-300 yds and 40 attempts.

Lets see what EJ is.

Also give the ball to Spiller 20+ times a game every week. See if he can handle it over the next 6 games. if can not you got your answer for how to approach his contract talk.

[MOFO]

Very good job of summing it up.

WAY to conservative by everyone yesterday.

The Bills are 3-7 with little to no chance at making the playoffs. Cut it lose for crying out loud. Let EJ throw 12 picks over the next 6 games. If it means he also throws 12 t.d's and avg 250-300 yds and 40 attempts.

Lets see what EJ is.

Also give the ball to Spiller 20+ times a game every week. See if he can handle it over the next 6 games. if can not you got your answer for how to approach his contract talk.

 

amen....

[Luxy312]

Daunte Culpepper.

[RuntheDamnBall]

A question: can anyone point to a QB with problems similar to EJ's (bad footwork leading to poor accuracy) who got it corrected and went on to have a good or even decent career? I don't know enough about this stuff to diagnose a QB's problems, so I certainly can't answer that question. I do know that lots of rookie QBs look like crap and turn out okay, but are there lots of QBs who turn out okay with this set of issues?

 

kj

Brees?

[Dibs]

As someone who has watched Manuel play for a long time, this was not normal. Something was up and I'm not sure what. My guess is that he needed another week to get ready. If it helps, I don't expect to see something like this ever again. The man could get the ball downfield to some great FSU receivers. I expect he will rise to the level of this game. He's still better than the other two we have.

 

Oh yeah, FSU's problem wasn't offense while he was there. Their defense (secondary) was awful.

 

I hope you are right. If EJ comes out next week and plays much better, showing the things he showed earlier in the season, I'm sure a lot of the understandable angst about him here will be greatly reduced.