Is Hackett junior varsity?

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Frankly, the whole front office/coaching staff on paper is JV relative to the rest of the league, although I think they have had a great offseason and things look good for this season. Here's to hoping, for the 15th time.

Defensive staff is one of the best in the NFL. O staff is IMO question mark.

 

But our offense somehow produced pretty average stats even with all the injuries and youth. Im really not sure why there is so much hate for Hackett out there. Not like they were at the bottom on offense. Points scored was the same as the great Pettine allowed.

[Best Player Available]

 

 

Well I agree on the one point which has now been well documented: that EJ does a poor job of letting plays fully develop, this by his own admission, even.

 

But, when the shortcomings of your best quarterback limit your playcalling abilities AND your offensive line limits your playcalling abilities (as has also been documented) AND your hobbled running back limits your playcalling abilities AND your receiver corps is arguably the worst unit on the team (name a worse one), then what--praytell--is expected of our rookie OC? On top o that, what's expected when the best quarterback goes down? Then the second?

Interesting statement that last years receiving is arguably the worst unit on the team. Also, the O-line limiting play calling.

 

So, One year ago there were comments here after the draft that at our receivers were possibly going to be one of the best in the league.

posters after huge doses of kool aid were debating who would the team cut. The team was now so DEEP. Now this year after trading the house for Watkins we are once again claiming how awesome the receiving corps will be. Well, maybe so. Since EJ at times looked very much like trent with dump offs, a Watkins speciality, passes around 3 yards past the LOS.. So is OBD tailoring the offense to mask EJ's obvious shortcomings? We shall see. Smells like the Gailey/Jaaron era in some respects.

 

As for the O-line IMO that mess falls on both Whaley and Marrone, They gave Hackett sub par talent and it showed. Lets hope one of the rookies break out because their free agent signings this year sucked IMO.

[The Big Cat]

Interesting statement that last years receiving is arguably the worst unit on the team. Also, the O-line limiting play calling.

 

So, One year ago there were comments here after the draft that at our receivers were possibly going to be one of the best in the league.

posters after huge doses of kool aid were debating who would the team cut. The team was now so DEEP. Now this year after trading the house for Watkins we are once again claiming how awesome the receiving corps will be. Well, maybe so. Since EJ at times looked very much like trent with dump offs, a Watkins speciality, passes around 3 yards past the LOS.. So is OBD tailoring the offense to mask EJ's obvious shortcomings? We shall see. Smells like the Gailey/Jaaron era in some respects.

 

As for the O-line IMO that mess falls on both Whaley and Marrone, They gave Hackett sub par talent and it showed. Lets hope one of the rookies break out because their free agent signings this year sucked IMO.

 

Last year's receiving corps at this was exceptionally deep....with exceptionally mediocre talent.

 

And while Stevie may have been the best Bills receiver since Moulds, even at his peak, he was clawing to get into the league's top 15.

 

Stevie's gone and he's been replaced by Mike Williams, and this will show itself to be a huge upgrade, IMO.

 

Watkins was the consensus best receiver in what was touted as one of the deepest drafts for receivers in a generation. Another big upgrade over...who was our number 2 last year, even?

 

Woods proved to be the receiver we hoped him to be. Smooth, polished, reliable, we know what we have in him.

 

Goodwin demonstrated a knack not only for running circles around defenders, but catching the ball, too (take notes, TJ), so we have a proven asset there too.

 

So, IMO it's apples and oranges to compare this year's enthusiasm to last year's (though I don't recall the same level you do).

[Beerball]

They were counting on Kolb to start as a vet QB while EJ could have time to learn.

That was a poor plan wasn't it? Counting on an oft injured QB to carry the load...Plan B was even worse because there was no Plan B.

[bladiebla]

It is depressing. I used to have a friend record games for me and send them in the mail, but that was years ago. I hear one can find games streaming online in real time (pirated), but I can't find them on game day. I do see replays of key plays on ESPN, but never whole games. Take it as a measure of my loyalty to the Bills that I've been following them very closely for decades while rarely watching more than two games a year (I'm in Pats* country). Maybe it is pathetic, clicking Refresh every five seconds, but there it is.

 

Thanks for the kind and informed replies.

 

Why arent you getting https://gamepass.nfl.com or even just gamerewind? I'm able to watch every game of the Bills, even pre-season games from Europe.

 

It is depressing. I used to have a friend record games for me and send them in the mail, but that was years ago. I hear one can find games streaming online in real time (pirated), but I can't find them on game day. I do see replays of key plays on ESPN, but never whole games. Take it as a measure of my loyalty to the Bills that I've been following them very closely for decades while rarely watching more than two games a year (I'm in Pats* country). Maybe it is pathetic, clicking Refresh every five seconds, but there it is.

 

Thanks for the kind and informed replies.

 

Why arent you getting https://gamepass.nfl.com or even just gamerewind? I'm able to watch every game of the Bills, even pre-season games, all whilst being in Europe.

[YoloinOhio]

That was a poor plan wasn't it? Counting on an oft injured QB to carry the load...Plan B was even worse because there was no Plan B.

I feel like they expected EJ to beat him out in camp though (which he did) and for Kolb to be the "vet backup" so the likelihood of him getting injured as a backup would have been lower than as a starter. Those darn mats though... they'll get you every time.

[chris heff]

I felt that Hackett was limiting Manuel not the other way around. Manuel appeared to me to be so worried about turn overs that he would check down, so worried about ball placement that he would aim the ball. Manuel's best drives came in crunch time. He would stop thinking and play instictivly, way less checking down no more aiming the ball. This tendency started in the first preseason game.

[Best Player Available]

 

 

Last year's receiving corps at this was exceptionally deep....with exceptionally mediocre talent.

In retrospect a very spot on point. But the enthusiasm was off the charts for that group. I do have higher hopes this year for the group. And, will not surprised that Nix pick which we moved up for will be a casualty, which a lot of people would have no problems with. The SJ13 trade still blows me away that someone would actually take on his contract. That was one of Whaley's best off season moves.

[YoloinOhio]

In retrospect a very spot on point. But the enthusiasm was off the charts for that group. I do have higher hopes this year for the group. And, will not surprised that Nix pick which we moved up for will be a casualty, which a lot of people would have no problems with. The SJ13 trade still blows me away that someone would actually take on his contract. That was one of Whaley's best off season moves.

I don't remember that... maybe it was just excitement over the fact that with drafting Woods and Flash we were fielding something other than 2 UDFAs (Jones/Nelson), a 7th rounder (SJ) and TJ Graham. Edited June 5, 2014 by YoloinOhio

[chris heff]

I don't remember that... maybe it was just excitement over the fact that with drafting Woods and Flash we were fielding something other than 2 UDFAs (Jones/Nelson), a 7th rounder (SJ) and TJ Graham.

How about when Jones and Nelson went down? Who were the receivers? Martin and?

[YoloinOhio]

How about when Jones and Nelson went down? Who were the receivers? Martin and?

no clue, lol. Was that guy from UB here?

 

Buffalo Rumblings ‏@BuffRumblings 33s

#Bills OC Nathaniel Hackett is a ball of energy, and he wants his offense moving as fast as possible: http://sbn.to/1tLhZq3

Edited June 5, 2014 by YoloinOhio

[Wagon Circler]

Adding 2 good RB's and beefed up OL means back to "ground chuck" (Knox) , take some pressure off EJ . Gives our defence some rest by control time of possession.

Why can't you Canadian people spell 'defense'?

[The Big Cat]

In retrospect a very spot on point. But the enthusiasm was off the charts for that group. I do have higher hopes this year for the group. And, will not surprised that Nix pick which we moved up for will be a casualty, which a lot of people would have no problems with. The SJ13 trade still blows me away that someone would actually take on his contract. That was one of Whaley's best off season moves.

I don't remember that... maybe it was just excitement over the fact that with drafting Woods and Flash we were fielding something other than 2 UDFAs (Jones/Nelson), a 7th rounder (SJ) and TJ Graham.

 

I don't remember it that way either.

 

I do remember after Jones and Nelson were shipped off, most fans looked around saying "okaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...now what?"

 

Then we drafted Woods and Goodwin and brought Rodgers in and fans looked around saying "okaaaaaay...this might not be sooooooooo bad."

 

But please please please count me among the posters who expected the offense to undergo a noticeable regression in 2013. I personally never saw this receiving corps of mostly rookies, being thrown to by a rookie and running routes drawn up by a rookie OC as a bright spot going into the 2013 season. Then they managed to fall short of my already low expectations.

 

So yes, this year, I'm expecting more. It won't be hard from them to improve.

[LB3]

That was a poor plan wasn't it? Counting on an oft injured QB to carry the load...Plan B was even worse because there was no Plan B.

 

Are you suggesting that they should have kept TJax or traded for another journeyman? Plan B was EJ because he was (and still is) their guy as evidenced by where he was drafted.

 

Let's look at a similar situation in Cleveland. If Hoyer goes down and Manziel has to start, does that mean, to you, that they have no Plan B?

Edited June 5, 2014 by KikoSeeBallKikoGetBall

[The Big Cat]

Are you suggesting that they should have kept TJax or traded for another journeyman? Plan B was EJ because he was (and still is) their guy as evidenced by where he was drafted.

 

Let's look at a similar situation in Cleveland. If Hoyer goes down and Manziel has to start, does that mean to you that they have no Plan B?

 

General statement here:

 

Given the vastly shallow resource pool from which all 32 NFL teams draw their plan A's, it annoys me to no end the frustration some fans express over the Bills strategy to secure a plan B.

 

Newsflash, folks: rare is the NFL team who marches right along once their starter goes down.

[Big Turk]

 

 

Are you suggesting that they should have kept TJax or traded for another journeyman? Plan B was EJ because he was (and still is) their guy as evidenced by where he was drafted.

 

Let's look at a similar situation in Cleveland. If Hoyer goes down and Manziel has to start, does that mean, to you, that they have no Plan B?

 

TJax mostly sucked...well, except that time we knocked Favre out of the game in Minnesota and he came in and lit us up...

[YoloinOhio]

TJax mostly sucked...well, except that time we knocked Favre out of the game in Minnesota and he came in and lit us up...

He still sucks, as evidenced by Seattle bringing in the great Tattoos Pryor to replace him in Seattle.

[BigBuff423]

General statement here:

 

Given the vastly shallow resource pool from which all 32 NFL teams draw their plan A's, it annoys me to no end the frustration some fans express over the Bills strategy to secure a plan B.

 

Newsflash, folks: rare is the NFL team who marches right along once their starter goes down.

 

In general, I agree with your overall point...I don't think the BILLS should take as much heat as they get for *not* having a Veteran back-up IN FRONT of Manuel...Kolb was brought in to be the 1st and possibly 2nd year starter for the BILLS, with the idea they would nurse EJ along and allow him to mature into the starter; exactly how many Vet QBs were the BILLS supposed to bring in?? And how many would want to know there would be competition with Kolb at the beginning and then EJ in the second year, along with Kolb? Vet QBs want to go somewhere they feel a really good to guaranteed chance to play, which is why Kolb chose Buffalo, he knew their plan and wanted to play and at least, prove to the NFL he could play long-term, even if the BILLS didn't think so...as it turns out, he cannot...but who else should the BILLS have brought in?? What other better options were there?? And for the same fans who blame the BILLS for not brining in another Vet QB to back-up Kolb and step in when he was injured - how many of those same fans would be screaming about letting EJ play to "find out" what the BILLS have in him? I can hear the fans saying, "Might as well! What could it hurt?!".....long way of saying, the BILLS did their diligence and then made the most of what was left after the injuries occurred, IMHO of course...

[LB3]

 

 

General statement here:

 

Given the vastly shallow resource pool from which all 32 NFL teams draw their plan A's, it annoys me to no end the frustration some fans express over the Bills strategy to secure a plan B.

 

Newsflash, folks: rare is the NFL team who marches right along once their starter goes down.

 

Agreed

[thewildrabbit]

Defensive staff is one of the best in the NFL. O staff is IMO question mark.

 

But our offense somehow produced pretty average stats even with all the injuries and youth. Im really not sure why there is so much hate for Hackett out there. Not like they were at the bottom on offense. Points scored was the same as the great Pettine allowed.

I kinda disagree about the defensive staff because we really don't know if Schwartz will be another Wannstedt or better then Pettine, which is what everyone expects to see. Just about everyone here thought Wannstedt was going to build a great D because of his storied history of coaching, and we all know how that turned out. This is the fourth DC for the Bills in four years. The defense does have way more established talent then the offense, and fan expectation for the defense is very high again this year. So, who really knows until the actual games begin.

 

I don't see any real hate for Hackett, but what I do see is some very concerned fans who want to see better results then 6-10. Pettine's defense would have been greatly helped had the Bills been able to keep the offense on the field longer then they did last year.

 

This year the Bills are talking about building a "power run scheme" with multiple TE's, RB's on the field at the same time for more blocking. While past stats show that Spiller is actually less effective with more blockers. My take is that was because his blockers were less then effective last year. This year the line should be better with a beast at RT in Cyrus Kouandjio, and here is hoping that OG Cyril Richardson also has an impact this year.