AFew Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....

[Canadian Bills Fan]

After the draft, Todd McShay took a lot of grief for saying that EJ had "slow eyes" on the football field (myself included). I'm now starting to see what he means...

 

I was thinking the same thing

 

 

 

Anyone else think that the Bills were not prepared for this game?

 

Maybe it was the sting from the Falcons loss but it appeared that after the Rainey TD run, the Bills seemed to have packed it in

 

CBF

Edited December 9, 2013 by Canadian Bills Fan

[Bufcomments]

Thanks for one of your better posts. I wish there was a way to dispute it but I can't find one.

 

I am NOT ready to declare that EJ is a bust but in a sense, it doesn't matter if he is. They got the extra pick for him, and there is always next year and the year after that.

Additionally, position players are easier to get these days as UFAs. How many players will a team such as the Ravens have to cut in order to pay Flacco 21 million dollars? Same applies to the Packers, etc.

 

Rookie qbs, even if their last name is Luck, cost 50 cents. There is absolutely NO reason not to grab one. In fact, I think that the Bills should draft one even if their opinion of EJ is higher than mine.

 

I think the Bills should have another QB comp in camp next year because both Thad and Tuel have played better than EJ at times this season. As a matter of fact if Thad can hold on to the ball better he should be given a chance at starting next season if E.J. doesn't play better the rest of the season.

 

But that being said how can you judge EJ when his line cant open holes in the running game and cant pass protect??

[BuffaloWings]

Yeah. Credit the Packers for trying to transition from the (as of 2005) 36 year old Favre when they took Rodgers 24th overall. Cincinnati had Jon Kitna when Palmer was taken first overall. You don't spend first rounders on a QB, have nothing but a concussed Kevin Kolb behind him, and not expect that first rounder to get the starting nod.

 

I'm fairly certain that the plan was to start Kolb and have EJ sit behind him for a little bit. As much as I cringed at the idea of Kevin Kolb, the examples provided by BillsVet prove the point that it's not such a bad idea to sit your first round QB for a while. In September, I was excited at the idea of seeing EJ start and seeing what he had. Suffice it to say, that excitement isn't there so much anymore. It's looking more & more like EJ was rushed into this too quickly, though not the fault of him or the coaches, really.

 

As to the "slow eyes", I'm agreeing with that more & more now. EJ waits until he sees a receiver open before the throws the ball. That's already too late. For anyone that didn't watch the Saints-Panthers last night, NBC showed a perfect angle where Brees threw the ball to Jimmy Graham *before* he made his break and *before* he even looked for the ball. Brees knew Graham's route and knew when he'd need to catch the ball. Someone needs to find that shot and send it to Hackett & Marrone to show EJ how it's done. He has to trust his receiver to run the correct route and make a play for the ball. If they're not on the same page, then nothing good will happen out of that.

[tennesseeboy]

I've got to go back to my position at the beginning of the season. 6 wins is a minimum for this team and if we don't get it...get rid of Marrone. 6 to 8 wins (8 being a stretch) he's welcome to come back and get us to the playoffs next year. More than 8 (ha ha)...We have to re-sign Byrd for sure and get a tight end and some offensive linemen. QB? I'll wait until the end of the season, but Bill's comments about EJ yesterday are well taken.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I am starting to get the feeling that the Bills drafted a QB this year just for the sake of drafting a QB.

 

CBF

[mannc]

 

9) Most of you have a higher opinion of Marrone than I do. I always suspected that he was a Brandon crony, and I have little respect for Brandon as a football man. Well, Marrone went down a few more notches today from where I sit. This was not a good team that disgraced us. He did not have his team ready to play. They looked distant, like they weren't concentrating. It was disgusting and the head coach needs to take a big chunk of the blame.

This is the most disturbing thing about the last two weeks--realizing that the Bills hired another Jauron/Mularkey/Gailey-quality HC. I have no idea whether the Bills could have hired Chip Kelly if they wanted to, but it would have been totally out of character to hire an innovator with fresh ideas about how to win football games.

 

I am starting to get the feeling that the Bills drafted a QB this year just for the sake of drafting a QB.

 

CBF

I had that feeling the second Goodell called EJ's name.

[BuffaloWings]

I've got to go back to my position at the beginning of the season. 6 wins is a minimum for this team and if we don't get it...get rid of Marrone. 6 to 8 wins (8 being a stretch) he's welcome to come back and get us to the playoffs next year. More than 8 (ha ha)...We have to re-sign Byrd for sure and get a tight end and some offensive linemen. QB? I'll wait until the end of the season, but Bill's comments about EJ yesterday are well taken.

 

Really? Give up on a coach and staff after one year? C'mon...who knows if Marrone is going to be the guy, but this is a bit short-sighted. You probably would have fired Bill Belichick when he didn't win the Superbowl with Bledsoe.

[RevWarRifleman]

I'm fairly certain that the plan was to start Kolb and have EJ sit behind him for a little bit. As much as I cringed at the idea of Kevin Kolb, the examples provided by BillsVet prove the point that it's not such a bad idea to sit your first round QB for a while. In September, I was excited at the idea of seeing EJ start and seeing what he had. Suffice it to say, that excitement isn't there so much anymore. It's looking more & more like EJ was rushed into this too quickly, though not the fault of him or the coaches, really.

 

As to the "slow eyes", I'm agreeing with that more & more now. EJ waits until he sees a receiver open before the throws the ball. That's already too late. For anyone that didn't watch the Saints-Panthers last night, NBC showed a perfect angle where Brees threw the ball to Jimmy Graham *before* he made his break and *before* he even looked for the ball. Brees knew Graham's route and knew when he'd need to catch the ball. Someone needs to find that shot and send it to Hackett & Marrone to show EJ how it's done. He has to trust his receiver to run the correct route and make a play for the ball. If they're not on the same page, then nothing good will happen out of that.

Good post. It's clear to me that EJ needs to put in extra time with all the receivers, TE's, and running backs, even study film together the rest of this season & during the off-season to reduce this "slow eyes" problem. When I say reduce, I mean right down to nothing. If Drew Brees puts in time on his day off to be sure he gets thing right, so should Mr. Manuel. Go Bills!

[RCOHEN13]

And yet a simple and obvious quick-fix is there if the front office has the guts to do it. The price tag would be about $20M per year though. Jay Cutler, anyone?

 

THIS IS THE ANSWER...

 

then use draft to shore up WR and OL and re-sign Byrd. We have the cap space to do so, and if we signed Cutler, it would be easier to attract a vet WR to come along too and would NOT be like the Bledsoe signing. Cutler is 10 times the QB Bledsoe was. He has plenty of football left in him and has played in 2 cities where the elements are an issue in Denver and Chicago. He would be the PERFECT QB for us and a guy like Woods can be extremely effective but we must get a top flight WR. Best chance to do so is via the draft. There are some studs out there and much easier nowadays to find a guy in 2nd or 3rd who drop and can be extremely effective. Look at Jeffery, ppl questioned his speed cuz of his 40 and has been HUGE deep threat and great possession WR cuz he;s huge and runs great routes. Keenan Allen, who i wanted in 2nd over Woods cuz i thought we has best WR in draft to be a legit #1. Woods is more a top #2 if he develops right and think he will.

 

Guys like M. Evans who is a larger version of Jeffery or Marquis Lee is isnt huge but is a game breaker and a great possession WR and the chemistry between him and Woods would make a great tandem with Goodwin as deep threat and hopefully a reliable, sure handed vet FA.

 

We made the investment in the D with Mario signing, its time to stop scewing around, GET A DAMN QB!!!!! There will be no after thought to this, we would be set for next 5 yrs and make sure to have a solid back up in place. EJ cost us a first round pick, but cuz of the trade down and getting 2 guys in 2nd who will both be starters for yrs to come, softens the blow. But what won;t, is if they think EJ is the guy. We wont go anywhere with him. Pats are in decline, Phins are always a mess and find a way to screw things up and Jets are much more than just a QB away. Their skill position players are a joke. We have weapons but no one who can get them the ball and a serious issue in play calling. WOODS NEEDS TO GET STEVIE'S CALLS. Every game Stevie lets a nice slant (that is thrown WAY too hard by EJ) go right thru finger tips and this week it was the 1st int of game.

[RCOHEN13]

If it wasn't for all the new faces every three years, I would swear we were living the movie Ground Hog Day.

 

LOL.. we also find "new" ways to lose games every yr. I must admit, we are VERY creative... I always think we have lost every conceivable way, then we find ways to top it every yr!

[atlbillsfan1975]

Bill-

Like you i was not happy about the Marrone hire. Then the Bill's PR dept released all these people sayin ggood things about him.

Parcells, Peyton, and Brees to name a few. I decided to hope for the best. Now i realize my gut was right. I actually realized it at one point in Septemeber. Marrone is another Mularky. The way the Bills played is an indication of a team giving up.

Look at the way the Falcons played against the Bills vs how the Bills just played against the Bucs.

I have no clue about EJ and neither should any of you. EJ has Hackett and Marrone as his coaches. I feel bad for EJ. Hackett and Marrone need to go back to college coaching at a school with very low standards. The fact that they won some games at Syracuse was and is silly credentials for hiring a HC in the NFL.

Guys and Gals as long as Marrone and Hackett are here get use to 4-12, 5-11, or maybe 6-10. These guys are brutal. We can only hope that the Bills lose so bad the next 3 games that Brandon is forced to do something drastic.

[Gordio]

Joe B was spot on about Manual last April. I remember his first words when asked about EJ he said "stay away"

 

Yep. I called it when they drafted him. This guy is not accurate & he does not go thru his progressions. Look at FSU's offense this year when they have a real QB under center compared to last year. It is like night and day. If we lose out we will have a top 3 pick. Hopefully we will have the guts to pull the trigger on a guy like Bridgewater.

[Campy]

I think Bill should re-name his postgame threads "Put Your Kneejerk Over-Reactions Here."

 

EJ's playing his what, 9th game as a pro? And didn't we all know he was raw? Also, the O-line gave up QB 13 knockdowns and 7 sacks. What QB would be effective against that? Drew Brees? Recall the Seahawks game from a week ago.

 

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of work to do in a lot of places, but I think some of y'all's frustration is based on having unrealistic expectations. It was one game in what most rational fans and observers felt would be a transition year.

 

Just. Relax.

[peterpan]

Id say trade or sign Cutler but if we cant get him why not just take Josh McCown he is lighting it up in Chicago!!!

[Sisyphean Bills]

I'm fairly certain that the plan was to start Kolb and have EJ sit behind him for a little bit.

I don't know about that. I think that was one possibility, but the noise out of camp was a steady PR stream of how awesome Manuel looked and was doing. Kolb was the 1b option, at best, until he got his egg scrambled.

As much as I cringed at the idea of Kevin Kolb, the examples provided by BillsVet prove the point that it's not such a bad idea to sit your first round QB for a while. In September, I was excited at the idea of seeing EJ start and seeing what he had. Suffice it to say, that excitement isn't there so much anymore. It's looking more & more like EJ was rushed into this too quickly, though not the fault of him or the coaches, really.

 

As to the "slow eyes", I'm agreeing with that more & more now. EJ waits until he sees a receiver open before the throws the ball. That's already too late. For anyone that didn't watch the Saints-Panthers last night, NBC showed a perfect angle where Brees threw the ball to Jimmy Graham *before* he made his break and *before* he even looked for the ball. Brees knew Graham's route and knew when he'd need to catch the ball. Someone needs to find that shot and send it to Hackett & Marrone to show EJ how it's done. He has to trust his receiver to run the correct route and make a play for the ball. If they're not on the same page, then nothing good will happen out of that.

[peterpan]

I think Bill should re-name his postgame threads "Put Your Kneejerk Over-Reactions Here."

 

EJ's playing his what, 9th game as a pro? And didn't we all know he was raw? Also, the O-line gave up QB 13 knockdowns and 7 sacks. What QB would be effective against that? Drew Brees? Recall the Seahawks game from a week ago.

 

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of work to do in a lot of places, but I think some of y'all's frustration is based on having unrealistic expectations. It was one game in what most rational fans and observers felt would be a transition year.

 

Just. Relax.

 

Most of those I attribute to EJs inability to identify the blitz or an open 'hot read' receiver. Our OL was clearly not making the correct blocking adjustments, but more of that falls upon the QB than you realize.

[Gordio]

I think Bill should re-name his postgame threads "Put Your Kneejerk Over-Reactions Here."

 

EJ's playing his what, 9th game as a pro? And didn't we all know he was raw? Also, the O-line gave up QB 13 knockdowns and 7 sacks. What QB would be effective against that? Drew Brees? Recall the Seahawks game from a week ago.

 

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of work to do in a lot of places, but I think some of y'all's frustration is based on having unrealistic expectations. It was one game in what most rational fans and observers felt would be a transition year.

 

Just. Relax.

 

I hear what you are saying but the problem is a lot of the posters on this board who watched Manuel play @ FSU had very real concerns about his game. What concerned me most was his accuracy & that lack of accuracy has shown up in most of his games. I am a firm believer if you are not accurate you have very little chance of succeeding in the NFL & I don't believe this can be taught. Either your accurate or your not. It is the main reason why I never bought into the Losman hype. A good QB in the NFL does not throw the ball 10 yards out of bounce like Losman or Manuel consistently do on your typical 15-20 yard sideline route. How many times have we seen Manuel do that this year? Van Miller once told me before Losman ever started a game for the Bills "that this kid will never make it, he is just too inaccurate." He nailed it on that one.

[Nitro]

As talented as Stevie Johnson is has attitude is a cancer on a team that has a fragile psyche. Shrugging off his tipped pass that turned into an INT as being early in the game. After last week, you would think he would finally get it. He has not. I admire that he worked his way into be a good WR but his time in Buffalo is about over. He has worn out his welcome and EJ needs better WRs. This was one of the worst offensive performances by the Bills in years and that is saying a lot. Marrone has his work cut out for him.

[thebandit27]

Most of those I attribute to EJs inability to identify the blitz or an open 'hot read' receiver. Our OL was clearly not making the correct blocking adjustments, but more of that falls upon the QB than you realize.

 

Correct...it's the QB's job to beat the blitz, not the OL. There were open players, EJ just wasn't hitting them.

 

He can get better at that; it's a question of whether or not he will.

 

If he doesn't show signs of doing so in the final 3 games, then I have no problem with the team drafting another QB to compete for the job.

[Campy]

Most of those I attribute to EJs inability to identify the blitz or an open 'hot read' receiver. Our OL was clearly not making the correct blocking adjustments, but more of that falls upon the QB than you realize.

 

The majority of those knockdowns came from a 4-man rush, according to one of the articles shared on TBD. And I'm well aware of, and "realize" the importance of a QB in beating a blitz.

 

Look, I'm not trying to defend EJ's play, it wasn't good. But for fans to damn him so soon into his career is idiotic. Perhaps more than you realize.