The sky is not falling

[thewildrabbit]

Kiko is not a pro bowler yet! so go vote for him on NFL.com

 

CJ, FJax, Stevie do not suck! All 3 have been injured all year and Stevie the most often.

 

EJ is not Jim Kelly...yet!

 

 

NFL football is a team game, and good teams need every aspect of their teams to play well to win games. Simply look at the Atlanta Falcons or NY GIants this year when you think that a top QB is going to change the team from from losing to winning by himself.

 

Stevie left the game with an injury again. Robert Woods is out injured. The Bills leading receiver yesterday was TE Chris Gragg with 4 catches...Who? Oh yea, the 7th rounder out of Arkansas.

 

Seriously guys, did you really think a rookie HC, rookie OC, and several rookie QB's were going to take this team to the playoffs this year? Not even Chuck Knox, Marv Levy did that in their first season.

 

 

So, what do we know so far? The defense is playing great this year!! When the offense supports them with a decent run game to help keep the defense fresh, and the offense can score at least 20 points.

 

Look what that NO Saints offense did to the Cowboy defense this week, 49-17! This years Bills defense has only allowed two teams more then 30 points. Saints 35 & Browns 37.

 

The offense has many players suffering different injuries, the QB's, RB's and WR's. The Bills offense has great difficulty in many areas against the blitz heavy 3-4 teams. Jets, Saints, Steelers. Plus they play the Jets again this week.

 

Not only do the Bills rookie QB's suffer because they have difficulty in reading those type of defenses, making hot reads, setting protections. The run game also suffers because they run blitz just as often as pass blitz.

 

Don't feel bad rookies ( EJ & Lewis) Cowboy QB Tony Romo went 10-24 128 yards one TD against that Saints D So even good QB's can fail against that defense!

[PearlHowardman]

This season is effectively OVER!

 

Thanksgiving is in a few weeks and Christmas/New Years after that.

 

April 2014 draft is the next item on the agenda for the Buffalo Bills.

 

Next year the Bills should have a healthy QB EJ Manuel from training camp and into the season.

[xsoldier54]

Couldn't agree more. I would like nothing more than for this team to be a playoff team, but simply put, they just aren't there yet. I have, however, seen enough good things to remain encouraged. Did they play poorly yesterday? Absolutely. Am I giving up on anyone, player or coach? Not yet. Too early to tell where Marrone and staff will take us and too early to tell how good EJ will be. Frustrating to watch no doubt, but not the end of the world, just a poorly played football game.

[nucci]

Sky is not falling but the sun is definitely not shining.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Sky is not falling but the sun is definitely not shining.

 

Well said.

 

looked like the offense didn't even try yesterday. Was hoping for some glimmer of sunshine to cling to, but nothing there.

[Someguywny]

Sky is not falling but the sun is definitely not shining.

 

Perfectly said!

[dubs]

You have way more patience that I do, and I commend you for that.

 

Yesterday's game gave my confidence in this team a huge hit. It's not the losing and it's not the record. What really bothered me was EJ's performance. He's really the only hope for this team to make the playoffs by next season. If he doesn't develop the way the FO hopes, then it's going to be at least another 3 - 4 years before the playoffs. His footwork was so poor yesterday that I was shocked. If he went 15 - 35 with 150 yards and 2 ints, but was zipping the ball around and just missing guys, then I could live with that.

 

What I saw yesterday was a guy with very little confidence in himself and very poor mechanics. This creates huge accuracy problems because he's placing the ball and short-arming passes. I think Gannon said it yesterday during the game and I totally agree, "EJ only throws to wide open receivers. In the NFL, guys are rarely wide-open and EJ needs to make throws that get them open." In other words, EJ needs more anticipation and more confidence. He's got the arm.

[mart]

 

The bills were non competitive yesterday.

 

A hangover from the KC game last week they should have won or just the Bills being the Bills

 

again and incompetent?

 

If you want to say the former, good teams bouce back from losses like last week, but other

 

teams find different ways to stay out of the playoffs for now 14 years.

 

Please don!t talk about injurys, a rookie QB, the game on the road, or maybe the entire team

 

suffered indigestion from the pre game team meal this week. You are what your record

 

says you are-period.

[8-8 Forever?]

So glad I disconnected DirecTV and the NFL Ticket. Has spared me much pain this year.

[NoSaint]

 

 

Look what that NO Saints offense did to the Cowboy defense this week, 49-17! This years Bills defense has only allowed two teams more then 30 points. Saints 35 & Browns 37.

 

 

Don't feel bad rookies ( EJ & Lewis) Cowboy QB Tony Romo went 10-24 128 yards one TD against that Saints D So even good QB's can fail against that defense!

 

man... what a blood bath that was... all the TD drives were 50+ yards, 6 of the 7 were 75+ yards, 5 of 7 were 80+ with the long being 93. thats about as dominating a performance as ive seen in a long time, and it was just efficient and consistent - not simply 3-4 blown coverages and a couple turnovers for great field position.

 

 

The bills were non competitive yesterday.

 

A hangover from the KC game last week they should have won or just the Bills being the Bills

 

again and incompetent?

 

If you want to say the former, good teams bouce back from losses like last week, but other

 

teams find different ways to stay out of the playoffs for now 14 years.

 

Please don!t talk about injurys, a rookie QB, the game on the road, or maybe the entire team

 

suffered indigestion from the pre game team meal this week. You are what your record

 

says you are-period.

 

sure but if you came into the season not expecting the playoffs and a lot of ups and downs, its a bit less upsetting. we have rookies all over on offense. The HC, OC, QB, backup qb, #2 wr, #4wr, and #3, 5, and 6 are all essentially rookies with regards to playing time..... this was a 6 win team from the get go and we were bound to have games like yesterday. hopefully we dont have a big string of them because THAT would be the "uh oh" situation. one week? it was bound to happen, and likely more than once over the season.

[thewildrabbit]

You have way more patience that I do, and I commend you for that.

 

Yesterday's game gave my confidence in this team a huge hit. It's not the losing and it's not the record. What really bothered me was EJ's performance. He's really the only hope for this team to make the playoffs by next season. If he doesn't develop the way the FO hopes, then it's going to be at least another 3 - 4 years before the playoffs. His footwork was so poor yesterday that I was shocked. If he went 15 - 35 with 150 yards and 2 ints, but was zipping the ball around and just missing guys, then I could live with that.

 

What I saw yesterday was a guy with very little confidence in himself and very poor mechanics. This creates huge accuracy problems because he's placing the ball and short-arming passes. I think Gannon said it yesterday during the game and I totally agree, "EJ only throws to wide open receivers. In the NFL, guys are rarely wide-open and EJ needs to make throws that get them open." In other words, EJ needs more anticipation and more confidence. He's got the arm.

I look at it this way. I never had great expectations for this season knowing that so many new faces are just learning their jobs at the NFL level.

 

EJ was just coming back from a 4 game layoff due to injuries. Although, he was still listed as probable meaning he wasn't 100% yet.

 

I'm going to cut EJ a mile of slack because I see his OC hanging the kid out to dry. This rookie QB isn't supposed to step in and play great all by himself, it is a team sport. Winning greatly depends on the entire team playing well.

 

I look at yesterday, and say heck yeah EJ had great difficulty! But, he also doesn't have receivers he can trust to run the proper routes. I can recall that one play where Easley clearly ran the wrong route. EJ threw a pass to a spot and the Bills receiver went the wrong way. How can a QB have trust in other players if they don't do their jobs properly. I'm glad that EJ doesn't trust his receivers and throws a bunch of picks.

 

I also see an offense that is almost totally relying on the rookie QB to carry the offense because the run game isn't working. This is just so freaking wrong in so many facets its not funny. Although the Bills O line played somewhat decently in pass protection they couldn't make a hole or move the line of scrimmage to save their lives. Again, Bills OC Nate Hackett called for 39 passes and only 20 rushes. Its like a not very smart Chan Gailey clone emerged as the new Bills OC.

 

The very last thing the ROOKIE QB just coming off an injury should be doing is to be forced to shoulder the entire offense by himself.

 

Hackett needs to find a way to make that run game work each and every week. To take the pressure off the QB. To keep the defense off the field and fresh. To keep the ball out of the the opponents hands. Hacket has 4 good RB's and two are super stars. Spiller 6.0 YPC & FJax at 5.0 under Gailey Those two need to touch the ball 20 times a game each. Then give Choice / Summers some touches in relief and in the red zone. Opponents may stop them for awhile but sooner or later both CJ & FJax will make some big runs and break the game open.

 

EJ should be back there just managing the game, and handing off. More play action, more runs. The QB needs to develop a rhythm and gain confidence, and he can't do that if he has no support from the run game. I mentioned in another thread that Marrone needs to seriously consider a new OC next year. This OC is "George Edwards" to the offense.

 

 

My take is this entire clusterfluck of a game against the Steelers falls entirely on BIlls OC Nathaniel Hackett. JMO

[Luxy312]

Telling me that the run game was bad because of run blitzing is like pissing in the wind and trying to convince me that it's raining. People make excuses for EJ's constant checkdowns (i.e. the "wind"), but fail to explain away his 39 pass attempts compared to just 20 combined carries for Jackson and Spiller. This team is young and the coaching staff are young no doubt. However, playing passive when you come into the week with 3 wins and 6 losses makes no sense. Unless of course you've already given up on the season. The Patriots had over 600 yards of offense on this Pittsburgh defense last week. The Bills barely topped 200. Pathetic effort.

[FLFan]

Nice to hear some realistic and objective comments on a day when the the vast majority of threads and posts will be the opposite. Yesterday was very disappointing, even if it should not have been a surprise. (although I have to say I was surprised) Of all of it, I am most concerned about Hackett. I am starting to be in the camp of those who have been saying all along that he is in over his head. He could well be. I place the totally ineffective and unimaginative offense displayed yesterday squarely on his shoulders. This is concerning. Unless this changes in a hurry, he will likely get taken to the woodshed again next week by Sexy Rexy.

[BADOLBILZ]

Define what "the sky falling" means?

 

Estro's thread about the probablilty of missing the playoffs for 14 straight year being less than one quarter of one percent says a lot I think.

 

This is an awful time to be a Bills fan. Aside from the laughs, it is utterly fruitless. Nothing to be proud of.

 

The fact that they aren't finishing 2-14 in the process is the only silver lining in terms of results, and that really isn't much to hang a hat on as a fan. Everybody has losing periods, but only a very bad organizations does this.

[mart]

I think most of us know Hackett is Marrone!s man, so if Marrone can not see what is what with Hackett,

 

it will be a big reason Marrone does not make it here. What worked at Syracuse, well lets just say this is

 

the big league, the big show, whatever.

[JPS]

How can it fall when it's been at our ankles for 10 years?

[dayman]

This season is effectively OVER!

 

Thanksgiving is in a few weeks and Christmas/New Years after that.

 

April 2014 draft is the next item on the agenda for the Buffalo Bills.

 

Next year the Bills should have a healthy QB EJ Manuel from training camp and into the season.

 

Lets hope we have a healthy QB better than EJ. Please God.

[AllDayADay]

I listened to Mike Tomlin before the game from his press conference and knew this game was going to very very difficult. Pittsburgh is a aging playoff team, people tend to forget. They got EMBARRASSED last week and Mike Tomlin wanted to send a message. I understand we should be able to win every game we play, but mix into the fact that they have one of the best DC of all time and your rookie quarterback is coming off of 4 week injury, the outcome would not surprise you.

 

I wish EJ showed more composure and not leave his receivers out to dry, but I give him a pass, as his favorite target was not out there.

 

Have some faith guys, this is a new coaching staff and they are still trying to figure things out.

 

Whats the point of being negative all the time? I beat myself up over these losses, more than I should, but you have to keep your head up.

[mart]

No one wants to be negative, but the hope is (although misguided) that someone who matters reads

 

all the comments and can find ways or a way to impove this football team.

[xsoldier54]

I listened to Mike Tomlin before the game from his press conference and knew this game was going to very very difficult. Pittsburgh is a aging playoff team, people tend to forget. They got EMBARRASSED last week and Mike Tomlin wanted to send a message. I understand we should be able to win every game we play, but mix into the fact that they have one of the best DC of all time and your rookie quarterback is coming off of 4 week injury, the outcome would not surprise you.

 

I wish EJ showed more composure and not leave his receivers out to dry, but I give him a pass, as his favorite target was not out there.

 

Have some faith guys, this is a new coaching staff and they are still trying to figure things out.

 

Whats the point of being negative all the time? I beat myself up over these losses, more than I should, but you have to keep your head up.

I know this is heresy, but at the end of the day, it's only a football game. I have been a Bills fan since the very beginning in 1960. I have lived and died with them every year. At this point in my life it is merely Sunday afternoon entertainment. If they win, great. If they lose, well, I've seen that before. I will be back next week and every week and hope for the best. Yesterday was abysmal, but guess what? It's over, so on to next week.