Buffalo Bills 2014

[TrueBlueGED]

EJ seemed really young today. A safety, really?

 

As bad as EJ was, I'm not sold on our OC. I have yet to be even remotely impressed by him.

 

What the hell was Woods(?) thinking? He jumped to catch the ball and then struggled to catch it at his waist.

 

I'm guessing that a lot of money was put on the Bills today because once again, the officiating was abysmal. Two blatant pick plays on SD's opening TD drive went uncalled. Our DB was trying to make a play on the pass and was blocked off the ball before it was even caught. That's PI at the very least. Unreal.

 

Staying with the officiating, The NFL is almost becoming as unwatchable as the NBA because of it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCDUPenH6Xk

 

~40 second mark. It happens to the best of 'em.

[TrueBlueGED]

Peyton freakin' Manning! Wow!

[JJFIVEOH]

How much longer before they finally close the book on this Spiller experiment? He has one god run a game, it's a shame they had to ruin it with a holding call. If you take away his one long run per game I would bet his per carry average is below 3.

[qwksndmonster]

How much longer before they finally close the book on this Spiller experiment? He has one god run a game, it's a shame they had to ruin it with a holding call. If you take away his one long run per game I would bet his per carry average is below 3.

I'd much rather discuss closing the book on the Hackett experiment. Chan Gailey knew how to get CJ in space, he just needed to call his number a few more times a game. Hackett seems to think he just needs to get CJ the ball and it doesn't matter what play is called.

[JJFIVEOH]

I'd much rather discuss closing the book on the Hackett experiment. Chan Gailey knew how to get CJ in space, he just needed to call his number a few more times a game. Hackett seems to think he just needs to get CJ the ball and it doesn't matter what play is called.

 

Can't say I disagree with that either.

[deluca67]

Not beating many teams when you have more penalty yards (101) than rushing yards (87). For me, the story of this game begins ans ends right there.

[skaught]

As a Chargers fan, I agree with you guys, the reffing seemed a bit one sided, but I would place most of the blame on EJ, he was over-throwing and under-throwing everybody. My Dad was already calling for Kyle Orton... :blink:

[LastPommerFan]

I just watched ej's presser. In addition to being a QB with a mediocre ceiling, he is a terrible leader. Every what went wrong answer started with 3 problems other positions caused before finally getting back to something in his control.

 

Zero passes beyond the line of scrimmage for touchdowns. He didn't have a pick only because Watkins is awesome. All his accuracy and read issues were on great display. This team might be 8-8 with some luck. EJ will never play quarterback in a playoff game. He's just not good enough.

 

He's not Andy dalton.

[inkman]

As a Chargers fan, I agree with you guys, the reffing seemed a bit one sided, but I would place most of the blame on EJ, he was over-throwing and under-throwing everybody. My Dad was already calling for Kyle Orton... :blink:

Good QBs overcome the issues that were present in today's game. EJ isn't that nor will he ever be. That being said, I'm not sure Joe Montana could overcome this teams issues. Coaching is abysmal, CJ can't find a hole to save his life, Preston Brown and Brandon Spikes can't cover, every player that touches the ball steps out of bounds 1-2 yards before the first down marker minus Fred Jackson (so much so its a freaking epidemic with this team and probably cost them 2-3 games last year).

 

Doug Marrone and Nate Hackett are severely below average at game day play calling and adjusting to defenses. Marrone seems particularly poor at managing the play clock. He botches it almost every time.

 

All this combined with penalties up the wazoo is a recipe for a 6-10 team.

[Marvelo]

mistakes. errors, inept. the Bills always shoot themselves in the foot, it's their MO since day 1.

they can't play a clean football game...very undisciplined. this has always been the case.

football is all about blocking and tackling and the Bills have never squared up.

 

as for manuel, he makes plays once in awhile but overall he's not confident and his shaky

play shows. can't find the knack for eeking out a 1st down either...when it's 3rd and 7,

he'll complete a 6 yard pass.

Edited September 22, 2014 by 716

[TrueBlueGED]

I just watched ej's presser. In addition to being a QB with a mediocre ceiling, he is a terrible leader. Every what went wrong answer started with 3 problems other positions caused before finally getting back to something in his control.

 

Zero passes beyond the line of scrimmage for touchdowns. He didn't have a pick only because Watkins is awesome. All his accuracy and read issues were on great display. This team might be 8-8 with some luck. EJ will never play quarterback in a playoff game. He's just not good enough.

 

He's not Andy dalton.

 

Mark Sanchez played in two consecutive conference championship games. Are you really prepared to argue Manuel is so much worse that's he's incapable of even getting a team to the playoffs? Channeling my inner freeman: nonsense.

[LGR4GM]

EJ Manuel was 7-21 on throws to wide receivers yesterday and totaled only 49yards on those 7 throws according Howard Simon.

[Hoss]

EJ Manuel was 7-21 on throws to wide receivers yesterday and totaled only 49yards on those 7 throws according Howard Simon.

 

Nail meet coffin. EJ sucked yesterday.

[LastPommerFan]

 

 

Mark Sanchez played in two consecutive conference championship games. Are you really prepared to argue Manuel is so much worse that's he's incapable of even getting a team to the playoffs? Channeling my inner freeman: nonsense.

 

He doesn't have to be a lot worse just 2-3 games a year worse and he'll never get the chance to win a playoff game. And yes he is that much worse than Sanchez. I was holding out hope that he might be in that middle third of QBs who occasionally back their way in like Dalton or Sanchez. The last three games have shown me that he is not. Any chance Watkins can throw?

[TrueBlueGED]

He doesn't have to be a lot worse just 2-3 games a year worse and he'll never get the chance to win a playoff game. And yes he is that much worse than Sanchez. I was holding out hope that he might be in that middle third of QBs who occasionally back their way in like Dalton or Sanchez. The last three games have shown me that he is not. Any chance Watkins can throw?

 

Presumably you have seen Mark Sanchez play football, yes? Your analysis just blows my mind. I'd really like to know how you conclude Manuel is 2-3 games worse than Sanchez. Other than confirmation bias, of course ;)

[LastPommerFan]

 

 

Presumably you have seen Mark Sanchez play football, yes? Your analysis just blows my mind. I'd really like to know how you conclude Manuel is 2-3 games worse than Sanchez. Other than confirmation bias, of course ;)

 

If anything I'd be biased AGAINST Sanchez. He's a ###### Trojan.

[That Aud Smell]

I'm not getting too worked up. The Chargers look like legit SB contenders. Rivers is playing at an elite level with a system that suits his strengths.

 

This is the NFL, after all. The difference between the last two wild card teams and about 6 other teams that won't make the playoffs is razor thin.

 

There's still a good chance that we win 9 and sneak into the playoffs. That'd be fun.

[tom webster]

I'm not getting too worked up. The Chargers look like legit SB contenders. Rivers is playing at an elite level with a system that suits his strengths.

 

This is the NFL, after all. The difference between the last two wild card teams and about 6 other teams that won't make the playoffs is razor thin.

 

 

 

There's still a good chance that we win 9 and sneak into the playoffs. That'd be fun.

 

This is exactly where I am. When Rivers plays like he did yesterday, the Chargers are SB contenders. And yet, there were about three plays that could have made that game interesting if they went the other way .

[TrueBlueGED]

If anything I'd be biased AGAINST Sanchez. He's a ###### Trojan.

 

Okay, I laughed. But you still didn't answer my question, which was legitimate. I don't see anything Sanchez does better than Manuel: he has worse accuracy, a weaker arm, and turns the ball over more. His ability to read the defense and work through his progressions isn't any better either, and was one of his chief criticisms while he was starting.

 

Manuel doesn't have strong natural accuracy (and I don't see how that improves at this point) and may always struggle going through his progressions...but these flaws do not make him 2-3 games worse than Mark Sanchez.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Imagine this thread if the Bills were 0 - 3, instead of 2 - 1.

[nfreeman]

I'm not getting too worked up. The Chargers look like legit SB contenders. Rivers is playing at an elite level with a system that suits his strengths.

 

This is the NFL, after all. The difference between the last two wild card teams and about 6 other teams that won't make the playoffs is razor thin.

 

There's still a good chance that we win 9 and sneak into the playoffs. That'd be fun.

This is exactly where I am. When Rivers plays like he did yesterday, the Chargers are SB contenders. And yet, there were about three plays that could have made that game interesting if they went the other way .

 

I agree with the bolded parts in these posts (and btw I was at the game yesterday).

 

As for EJ -- he did some good things yesterday and some not-so-good things. I don't think he got much help from his teammates (other than Freddy) or his coaches, and Robert Woods made 2 critical mistakes in the 4th quarter that could have been difference-makers.

 

My bottom line on EJ is that it's crazy to write him off after 13 NFL starts.

 

Also, although the D played better from about halfway through the 3rd quarter until the end of the game, SD was playing more conservatively at that point. Until the halfway point of the 3rd quarter, SD did pretty much whatever it wanted.

 

One last point: I've said this before, but one of my pet peeves is complaining about the refs. The calls even out over time. I can understand how children don't understand this, but I cannot understand how adults can fail to appreciate this. The guy sitting next to me at the game yesterday is at least 45, maybe 50, and he spent the entire game complaining about the refs. Give me a freaking break already -- the Bills are the ones who have caused the Bills to miss the playoffs for the last 15 years -- not the refs.

[SwampD]

I also have a hard understanding how grown-ups can't see how officials can and do effect the outcomes of games (whether intentional or not is another matter). It's not why they lost yesterday, but that officiating was offensively one sided.

[dEnnis the Menace]

I agree with both nFreeman and Swamp. To say the officiating is the reason the Bills lost is silly, but to say that the calls weren't conveniently one sided yesterday is naive. There were several calls against the Bills where I just could NOT see the hold or whatever the ref called.

 

Can someone explain to me why Rivers' throwaway wasn't intentional grounding, but EJ's was? I thought EJ was being hit, and if you're being hit, it only needs to go back to the line of scrimmage? Also, I thought Rivers was still in the pocket when he threw his away. I'm not complaining about the difference, I just want to understand.

[nfreeman]

I also have a hard understanding how grown-ups can't see how officials can and do effect the outcomes of games (whether intentional or not is another matter). It's not why they lost yesterday, but that officiating was offensively one sided.

 

Which is it? Did the refs cause the Bills to lose or not?

 

Because if they didn't cause the Bills to lose (which of course is the answer), there is no reason to talk about it. It's a waste of time and a loser's lament.

 

The Bills lost because they were outclassed on both sides of the ball -- not because SD got MAYBE one or 2 more close calls (based on the limited replays that were shown -- and who knows what the other camera angles showed).

 

I agree with both nFreeman and Swamp. To say the officiating is the reason the Bills lost is silly, but to say that the calls weren't conveniently one sided yesterday is naive. There were several calls against the Bills where I just could NOT see the hold or whatever the ref called.

 

What does "conveniently one sided" mean? Was there a conspiracy against the Bills?

 

Of course not.

 

The Bills got more penalties because they committed more penalties.

[Hoss]

I get bored of the ref complaints. Both teams always hate the officiating every game. Win or lose.

 

It's part of the game. Always has been. Probably always will be (robotics?).

 

I'll complain about a call as it happens, but, unless it's a truly game-changing call very late in the game, I generally avoid discussing it after the games. Let's talk about what the Bills could've done differently because that's what matters.