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The backup qb issue


dave mcbride

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I have said all year I think the Bills should draft a Quarterback early on day 3 and sign a low price vet to compete with Barkley this offseason. I get why he got a free swing last year... but now it is time to make him really compete for that position. If he wins out, fine. But I am far from convinced he will. 

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- Barkley couldn’t score on the goal line vs the Pats to win the game

 

- Barkley couldn’t score a TD against the Jets in the season finale

 

However...

 

- Barkley is a great team mate and helps Josh Allen learn the position of QB

 

- The Pats defense was on a crazy streak at the time of not allowing a TD

 

- Darnold also struggled that day as the weather seemed to be an issue for offenses to move the ball

 

in conclusion:

 

- Keep Barkley

- Draft a QB late and see if he can stick around 

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11 hours ago, whatdrought said:

Mariota is an intriguing one to me, but he’ll likely end up fighting for a job somewhere, or at least going somewhere with the door open.

That would be my ideal candidate.  He's more athletic and has a stronger arm than Barkley.  He may take a calculated risk knowing that Allen might not be the answer.  Similar to how Tannehill took his job.

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Just now, NJKBillsfan said:

I LITERALLY can't believe people want Barkley replaced after one game where he played with BACKUPS.

 

Seriously people how many brain cells do you have? LOL

 

Enough to known Matt Barkley is not better than Josh Allen. Let's start there.

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7 minutes ago, NJKBillsfan said:

How would anybody know that?

 

Barkley's only had one real start as a Buffalo Bill. 

 

In that game he played pretty damn good. 

 

Because anyone who has watched the rest of his career (he has started 6 other NFL games plus a fair bit of spot duty including Sunday) can reasonably conclude that the Jets game last year is an outlier.

 

I am not one saying Barkley must go. I think he should get the chance to compete for the backup job again next year. But there should be proper competition brought in this time. Not a free pass which is what he got last year.

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What did Allen do on the first three drive?? No single first down for 5 yard passing.  Josh would not survive in that game and bet that he would not thrown more than 250 yards.  Except for turnover Matt played well with backups.  There was constant pressure from Jets D line.

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8 minutes ago, kkim0904 said:

What did Allen do on the first three drive?? No single first down for 5 yard passing.  Josh would not survive in that game and bet that he would not thrown more than 250 yards.  Except for turnover Matt played well with backups.  There was constant pressure from Jets D line.

 

Well he only played the first two drives. He threw 2 screens, a swing pass and a deep ball Duke Williams dropped (tough chance admittedly). But are we really saying that if he had played the whole game at 100% effort he wouldn't have outperformed Matt Barkley? Have I slipped into a twilight zone?

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10 hours ago, SirAndrew said:

Good take. Analyzing a QB isn’t always about who they are playing with, or yards thrown. There is so much more that goes into it. Of course, Barkley wasn’t going to have a great game with our backup WR’s, but there are fundamental abilities he lacks. These issues show regardless of situation. 

His pocket awareness also leaves a lot to be desired. When forced to play a backup QB, you hope the guy limits mistakes allowing his team to stay in games. Barkley’s inability to feel pressure would make that very difficult. He’s the type of guy who’s going to take terrible sacks, and turn the ball over due to lack of pocket awareness. That’s not the play you want from a backup. Anytime a backup QB makes a play it’s a bonus, what you really ask for is mistake free football. I don’t think Barkley can do that with his arm, and subpar pocket presence. 

Half the starters in the league can’t play mistake free football.

 

Is this thread just repeating cliches to each other?

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12 hours ago, JR in Pittsburgh said:


agreed. You can’t judge him based on a game where he had to play with all the backups. 

As well as playing against one of the better defenses in the league. Playing all there starters and motivated to get into the off season on a positive note. So you take into consideration:

 

1. Rust (live bullets are much different than practice).

 

2. Playing with 2nd string.

 

3. Facing the Jets starting D 

 

4. He made some nice throws under pressure as well as some bad interceptions. 

 

The deep throw to Williams showed poise. Stepped up in the pocket with pressure coming and delivered a strike. 

 

-My only fear is how at times he doesn’t seem to “feel pressure” ie his lack of awareness on the sack/fumble. 

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25 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Well he only played the first two drives. He threw 2 screens, a swing pass and a deep ball Duke Williams dropped (tough chance admittedly). But are we really saying that if he had played the whole game at 100% effort he wouldn't have outperformed Matt Barkley? Have I slipped into a twilight zone?

Allen is our QB and i am not saying Barkley is better.  What I tried to say is, it was not easy game even with Josh playing whole game.

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1 hour ago, NJKBillsfan said:

I LITERALLY can't believe people want Barkley replaced after one game where he played with BACKUPS.

 

Seriously people how many brain cells do you have? LOL

I've been calling for an upgrade before this season and I thought it was absurd they gave him a contract after one good game (although this is the same regime that thought it was a good idea to make Peterman the starter at the beginning of last year).

 

Barkley's six starts with the Bears he went 1-5 throwing for 8 TD's and 14 INT's.  The Jets game last year was clearly an outlier.  Just the fact he was available in the middle of the season last year should tell you he may not even be good enough for a backup job.

 

I don't want to be in Pittsburgh's position next year when you have a great defense but have to rely on a reindeer and a duck in case Allen goes down.  It's especially important given Josh takes more hits than most QB's due to his scrambling ability.  If there's an upgrade out there then the Bills should pursue it aggressively.

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You can throw all the backup QBs in the league in a big box, blindly pick one out, and probably get the same performance out of them.  A notable exception being Bridgewater.

 

I thought Barkley looked bad, said so in the game thread.  If they can persuade say a Dalton to accept a backup role that could  be an upgrade.  But most backups are backups for a reason.

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He played with backups on both sides of the ball.  Played a heck of a game last year, and played OK against the patsies.  See no reason to get rid of him, especially for a guy who might challenge Josh like Bridgewater.

 

Good mentor to Josh, would hate to break up that Bromance!

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