I still believe in EJ Manuel

[Tcali]

Disagree. Manuel has real upside that those other guys don't - huge arm, quick release, athletic, and excellent size. This team avoided taking a QB with their first pick for far too long. Better to take a risk on one with upside than to draft a can't miss LB who will do nothing to help the team win (assuming it doesn't have a quality QB). Manuel would not have been there at 41. You can't win in the NFL without a top QB. Keep drafting them until you have one, I say.

 

huge arm?? show me one single film clip from this season which shows the huge arm. one.

[dave mcbride]

 

 

huge arm?? show me one single film clip from this season which shows the huge arm. one.

He does have a huge arm, and you can see it on his throws if you're watching. He has accuracy problems now, though, and that's not only limiting him, it appears to be inhibiting him.

[34-78-83]

I bet half of your posts are already written for If/when EJ "Fails" again this week with zero WR's in the lineup. You'll have him on the trash heap and half way out of town by then I'm quite sure.

[thewildrabbit]

Now that EJ is a Buffalo Bills, my issues are not with him. My issues are with the current Bills offensive coordinator / QB coach.

 

If Hackett were calling plays for Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, Tom Brady, Drew Brees et al. Then I think he would do alright as an OC. It just so happens he has a stable filled with rookies QB's so raw they make sushi look well done.

 

Everyone so focused on the rookie QB and his play. Howsabout the fact that this OC forces all these young QB's to carry the team. Just like the known morons Dick Jauron / Turk Sconert did with JP & Trent.

[BarleyNY]

 

 

I would suggest that every draft pick made by every team is an example of "we know something everyone else doesn't." Nothing is guaranteed -- particularly not at the QB position. It is simply too soon to make an assessment on EJ.

 

This kid -- and yes, EJ is still a kid -- has played 6 games of football against NFL pros. He had a bad day against one of the greatest defensive coaches in history. Time to throw that baby out with the bathwater all right.

 

The Pop-Tart mentality of so many on this board is frustrating.

 

There is truth here, but I'm not optimistic. Here's why:

 

Lebeau has had incredible success against rookie QBs. Did anyone catch the stats put up about that during the game? It just shows how good he is at his job. (And why I can't wait for him to retire.) But I digress. Lebeau is so good, in part, because he figures out weaknesses in teams and players. His plan against the Bills seemed to be to load up and bring heat to stop the run and move the QB. Then take away deep and intermediate routes leaving the short game. Contain the run, make the QB move and dink and dunk. Wow, did that work. The Steelers with their 5-3 alignment are well suited for that game plan, but I'd expect to see other DCs doing similar things. Watch how much Manuel gets moved now. He's going to have to learn how to throw on the move or it's going to be a long couple of months for him and the Bills.

[KGUNBILLS]

worked for Kelly

 

Seriously though what makes me excited about Manziel is his work ethic and willingness to work on improving his game. He has made great strides this year on his passing game from the pockett, he is much more than a scrambler as some here are claiming.

 

As I've said in the college thread his coach says he is the most competitive player he has ever been around . That is the "it" that the great ones have.

Don't forget that it worked for us fans, and maybe just a little bit for the city of Buffalo too. LOL

[ajzepp]

 

They won't though.. no matter what the fans want, this FO has tied itself to Marrone and EJ for the next 3 years, I believe. Unless there was a "can't-miss" QB in this draft (and there almost never is) they will not waste a top pick on a QB.

 

I would agree with this in the past, but I just don't feel this is the case right now. The front office has made it clear that this team is going to win, and win soon. They are also very high on the idea of competition. They are very high on EJ, obviously, but I feel confident that they will not linger on with him behind center if he's not getting it done. As we all know, this isn't the 1980s NFL anymore. Rooks are expected to contribute immediately and their leashes are much shorter than in years past. IMO, there's no way we'll stick with EJ for three years unless it's warranted, especially given how much less of an investment teams are required to make in their 1st round picks anymore. And it's not like EJ was a top 5 pick...he was the middle of the round.

[Garion]

I hope EJ lights it up in the last 6 games or at least shows that he's most likely a franchise quarterback.

 

And, if that doesn't happen, I hope he has 6 more games like yesterday.

 

I don't want any of this fair to middling kind of stuff where we then pass on first round QBs this year.

 

Agreed though the last option is more likely.

[ajzepp]

huge arm?? show me one single film clip from this season which shows the huge arm. one.

 

At the 1:10 min mark...

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

The all-22 is going to be really insightful this week re. EJs performance.

[Orton's Arm]

 

 

At the 1:10 min mark...

 

 

Thanks for the link. I watched the video, and you have proven your point that he has a big arm. 90 - 95% of what I saw fell into two categories:

 

1) Manuel running the ball

2) Manuel throwing to wide-open targets/his first read

 

I didn't see much evidence that he could hit his WRs in stride. Usually he was throwing to stationary targets. Granted, his strong arm/ability to throw the ball on a rope meant that they didn't have to remain stationary for very long.

 

There were also times when he threw to a guy running downfield, or (less often) to a guy with some lateral movement. There were a few cases in which his throws seemed well-timed. But more often the WR had to slow down or adjust his route.

 

The overall body of work I saw in that highlight video did not convince me Manuel deserved to be taken in the first three rounds.

[zow2]

Will Manuel ever be better than Tannehill? Because right now he clearly isn't and i don't think Tannehill will be a special QB at all. If EJ can't hit guys, downfield in a tight window, then he is cooked. I feel bad for him if he doesn't have that ability because he won't make it through 2 seasons. We need to see some throws this week. I don't care who is out there at WR. Tuel had a pretty good game (minus one horrific INT) and also had 6 drops against a #1 defense. EJ has got to do better.

[KGUNBILLS]

It's funny the extremes from the bust crowd to the apologists. He could still be a great quarterback someday, we simply don't know right now. My issue is with management drafting him where he was drafted. This type of "we know something everyone else doesn't" mentality has kept this franchise in a state of mediocrity for years. You simply can't get cute with the draft.

I agree with having an issue with where he was drafted also. You don't draft a QB in the first round, from a mediocre QB class at best. All the QB's drafted this year were only worthy of late second, to mid third picks. Should have waited until this year to draft a QB. A much better crop to choose from. I guess we missed the wagon train again.

[Like A Mofo]

I wonder how many of you who say 'its clear that EJ ISNT the answer' were thinking that after the Week 2 Carolina win.

 

Can we PLEASE just give him 6 more games and then assess?

[zow2]

I wonder how many of you who say 'its clear that EJ ISNT the answer' were thinking that after the Week 2 Carolina win.

 

Can we PLEASE just give him 6 more games and then assess?

 

 

I did say after the Carolina game it wasn't a great performance. Other people did too. In crunch time EJ had an INT and a strip sack fumble. He got fortunate to dink and dunk his way downfield then the big PI penalty. I thought it was a building block but it hasn't been so far. I'm fine giving him the final six games. Let's see him improve.

[dave mcbride]

Thanks for the link. I watched the video, and you have proven your point that he has a big arm. 90 - 95% of what I saw fell into two categories:

 

1) Manuel running the ball

2) Manuel throwing to wide-open targets/his first read

 

I didn't see much evidence that he could hit his WRs in stride. Usually he was throwing to stationary targets. Granted, his strong arm/ability to throw the ball on a rope meant that they didn't have to remain stationary for very long.

 

There were also times when he threw to a guy running downfield, or (less often) to a guy with some lateral movement. There were a few cases in which his throws seemed well-timed. But more often the WR had to slow down or adjust his route.

 

The overall body of work I saw in that highlight video did not convince me Manuel deserved to be taken in the first three rounds.

 

Yes, those receivers were generally always wide open except in a couple of instances.

[YoloinOhio]

Yes, those receivers were generally always wide open except in a couple of instances.

Most WRs are wide open in college... he isn't the only one to have the adjust to NFL defenses.

I did say after the Carolina game it wasn't a great performance. Other people did too. In crunch time EJ had an INT and a strip sack fumble. He got fortunate to dink and dunk his way downfield then the big PI penalty. I thought it was a building block but it hasn't been so far. I'm fine giving him the final six games. Let's see him improve.

WTH? Since when does a QB "get fortunate" to go down the field on a top 3 NFL defense and score the winning TD? Geez, give the kid a little credit. That's ridiculous.

[John from Riverside]

I find it interesting how naysayers so easily dismiss the good things EJ has done this year so they can heat up the tar and feathers......its laughable

 

You cant love or hate people in slices....you take the good with the bad (and vice versa) when you are developing a rookie QB

 

I did say after the Carolina game it wasn't a great performance. Other people did too. In crunch time EJ had an INT and a strip sack fumble. He got fortunate to dink and dunk his way downfield then the big PI penalty. I thought it was a building block but it hasn't been so far. I'm fine giving him the final six games. Let's see him improve.

 

Wait what?

[GG]

I find it interesting how naysayers so easily dismiss the good things EJ has done this year so they can heat up the tar and feathers......its laughable

 

You cant love or hate people in slices....you take the good with the bad (and vice versa) when you are developing a rookie QB

 

 

 

Wait what?

 

Your confusion is misplaced. Many people were forgiving of Manuel's play in the first part of the season. The troubling part is that he seems to be regressing as the season wears on. Part of it is that defenses have more tape on him, and part of it is that he has not elevated his game and in fact showed far worse tendencies against Pitt than he has in previous games.

 

The Jets game will be a big test to see if the Pitt game was mostly jitters and timing from sitting out 4 weeks, or if it's a continuing pattern of him not getting the fundamentals.

[Rob's House]

 

 

Your confusion is misplaced. Many people were forgiving of Manuel's play in the first part of the season. The troubling part is that he seems to be regressing as the season wears on. Part of it is that defenses have more tape on him, and part of it is that he has not elevated his game and in fact showed far worse tendencies against Pitt than he has in previous games.

 

The Jets game will be a big test to see if the Pitt game was mostly jitters and timing from sitting out 4 weeks, or if it's a continuing pattern of him not getting the fundamentals.

That's it right there. If he shows even modest proficiency next week I suspect that will buy a lot more patience from the fan base. Few expect him to play lights out, but most expect steady improvement. If he lays an egg again next week it'll be hard to call it a fluke.