JESSEFEFFER

I know feeling this all too well. So many games where the Bills never hit him even once. It was like he had the red, practice pinney on. Sure, he's a HOFer but he looks much different when harassed. They all do. Super Bowl 42 was the blueprint and the Bills have never really been able to follow it. Here's hoping.

Yep. Similar play last year where SD's Kendall Reyes tipped a ball intended for Sammy. It came in at his shoetops and certain Bills fans talked about EJ throwing another "dirt dart."

How often during the season would reporters even observe scout team work? I think not much. When observing in camp and EJ is running scout team what types of mistakes might you see? They are theoretically running their opponents offense against a superior defense. What should happen? Should EJ challenge the defense with downfield throws into tight/nonexistent windows or throw checkdowns, scramble/throw the ball away and take sacks? The latter does him nor the defense any good. Does the camp media even take this into account? I would read reports saying EJ's with the 3rd team against the #1 defense without any context. Running scout team may have been the coaching staffs' idea to speed up EJs decisions, make him better utilize space and time and force him to challenge defenders once they decided he wasn't in the running for the #1 job. Sort of like taking batting practice at 50 ft. to help increase bat speed. That's much of the problem with camp reports -- the lack of context. Sort of like EJs horrible 4th and 3 pass. Well, it was tipped and the majority of observers missed it. That sort of thing happens alot, especially when one is predisposed to ripping EJ.

I suspect that someone significant won't be at practice and he is having a pre emptive strike media strike to explain the reason why.

I don't get the M & T angle and find Tim Graham's tweet about it to be snide . The ad campaign has likely been in the works for weeks/months. The ad buys as well. Are the Bills supposed to tell them before they tell Fred? Are they supposed to give their sponsor some sort of heads' up about the possibility that it might happen weeks before it actually does? I doubt the time difference between when Fred was told and the rest of world found out is less than the time it's taking me to post this. In retrospect, cutting him in February would have been much better for all concerned.

That would be odd since EJ did get 2 1st downs by running and the 4th and 3 pass was tipped. EJ was making making accurate throws and good decisions but once he was no longer with the first team "the writing was on the wall." What that writing said is not clear though and to EJs credit, he never acted like he was done. As far as the OP goes, let's play a game of logic from EJ's POV. If I am not taking 1st team snaps, I am not really competiing to start. If I am not the starter, the Bills may decide against keepinng me on the roster. If I am not on the roster then I will be elsewhere. Have I spent any time contemplating where "elsewhere" might be or what it might mean to my career? Not really. I am focused on learning this offense and trying to perform well each and every chance I get, whatever the circumstances. I do not see a story there.

Let's assume this plays out as stated. Recall rex telling those covering Bills' training camp that he knew how the QB rotation looked but not to read too much into it. I guess they just couldn't help themselves and tried to do it anyways.

I tend to agree. Leave the training wheels on until we see if they can take the bicycle out of the driveway.

He will shred poor defenses that lack elite defenders. The Bills will be a matchup nightmare. I just hope he was keen awareness of everything that is going on around him and can avoid the big hits and injuries/turnovers that come with them.

I think Doug Marrone thought he made himself a hot coaching commodity with that 9th win. That and the $4m opt out made him think he had enough leverage to gain more power from Doug Whaley. He thought he had a strong hand but Terry Pegula didn't fold, i.e. give him everything he wanted.

Just got to this point in the thread and I am glad that someone else has posted on it. Marv once said that once someone got a reputation as an early riser they could sleep until noon. Same with EJ's accuracy. Every instance of the ball and receiver not meeting in time and space becomes evidence of what is generally believed to be the truth. Tipped balls, receivers bumped off their route or slipping on their break, a misread sight adjustment. It's been open season on EJ. Weird how that works.

I have seen this analysis far too often with regard to EJ. The instances of EJ's inaccuracy are greatly exaggerated. This particular pass was a TIPPED BALL! Just because Steve Tasker didn't see it does not mean that it wasn't.

The WGR host (Kollar?) was trying to "read the tea leaves" and predicting Cassel as the choice as implied by the Bills' QB usage throughout preseason. I say in a three man race, the normal rules don't apply. I will ask this, though. What NFL team plays their starter for only 4 series for an entire 4 game stretch of preseason? Matt Cassel is the measuring stick and Tyrod and EJ have been given every chance to show they have grown beyond what he offers. How could anyone say otherwise?

Serious question. As a scout team QB what do you think EJ's instructions were? Make safe throws, throw the ball away, scramble for a first down when pressured? Or did the coacing staff want him to throw into tight spaces, challenge the defenders even in tight coverage and see who can battle for the ball? Is the latter likely to make EJ look good in practice 100% of the time? Rex told the media more than once that he knew how the QB rotation appeared to them, but not to read too much into it. I wondered what that meant as it was rather enigmatic. Playing with overmatched offensive talent against the 1st team defense may have done both EJ and the D some good. Helped to speed up his decisions, get the ball out quicker and throw into small or nonexistent windows all the while letting defenders finish the plays by defending the ball. Maybe that's what was showing up on that last drive against the Browns.

He said that they'd keep their best 53 players on the roster and that he was pretty certain that would include 3 QBs. So is Simms 53 worthy?

Also, scout team reps vs. #1 are plays that aren't your own to players who are not likely to win their 1 on 1 matchups. That's alot of throws into tiny or nonexistent windows. When playing scout team, you pretty much have to execute the play to the end to do the defense any good. So, maybe when EJ struggles in that situation how could any casual observer infer much about his actual play? Rex said more than once that he knew how the QB pratice rotation looked to the observers but cautioned them to not read too much into it. Maybe they should have believed him.

I do not think the limited reps for the eventual starter mean that much in this game. No McCoy, Watkins, Woods, Harvin, Hogan. Maybe they could run their multiple TE stuff.

Yep.

They don't have the top 4 or 5 receivers to work with so it's not like they can build much timing with the guys that will actually play vs. the Colts. rex is probably aware of how much crap EJ has taken over the last 10 months, has seen him do and say all the right things, and wants to show him a little support. That might play well in the locker room and if messes with the mental minions of the media, all the better.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/06/22/houston-texans-offense-fear-the-beard/ https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/04/14/receiver-values-amish-powered-jets/ Some nice analysis about Fitz from PFF. I always thought he was a nice "template" QB. He will give all the parts of the offense a chance to function and improve to the point where the offense will mature, but will make too many mistakes in that process that lose games and will need to be replaced by someone better. Basically, these articles say that Fitz has a consistently good effect on the production of his teammates. As to the OP referenced article, I am pretty sure that the last GIF is an example of the flight of a ball being tipped.

When I watched Flutie play the thing that stood out to me was how good he was at avoiding big hits. His size and style of play made this essential to any success he had. I think Russell Wilson is the same. Agile but also aware and decisive. I never really liked Michael Vick's style because he seemed unaware/indecisive too often. He'd run himself into big hits and with that comes injuries and turnovers. That's what we do not know about Taylor and we won't until he plays against good defenses with elite defenders in tough conditions.

EJ has become something of a groupthiink joke after his last two games and Marrone's decision to bench him. it is open season. It's not duck, rabbit or Elmer season. It's EJ season. If you happen to see the evidence that EJ's game performances compare favorably to other young QBs at the start of their careers, that allowing your QB, any QB, to get hit/pressured/sacked in ~50$% of your dropbacks means they will have a bad day, that the way EJ was handled in years 1 and 2 was poorly executed and that Kyle Orton ultimatley offered nothing extra in terms of offensive improvement then that means that this EJ ridicule is UNFAIR. If it's UNFAIR then there will be a backlash from those who see it and are calling the others out on it. If it's the product of group think laziness then the backlash will come in buckets. My theory from the time of the HC search process was that Doug Whaley believes most of what I just outlined and wanted the new coaching staff to buy into keeping EJ on the roster and his proper development. That's why EJ never had a chance. Others were brought in to be the 2015 answer so as long as they showed what they needed to, EJ was never in the running. And he won't be unless there are injuries or major face plants from the other two. Cassel's limited playbook and recent 3 year history of poor play could mean he gets benched. Tyrod's style might mean that he takes one too many big hit and he gets hurt. If that happnes, then it's EJ's turn to show how much he may have improved.

I see know reason not to trust Matt Cassel to be the same QB he has been the last 3 seasons with KC and Minnesota. If you've looked at that body of work you'd know that is not a good thing.

Much like this advice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkoPq5AOCOA I think that an unaware and indecisive QB is an offensive killer. Big hits, turnovers, injuries and teammates that are under utilized is a prescription for an offense that gets you beat. This is how I felt about Michael Vick during most of his career. QBs that can move but do so superior awareness and decision making ability are winners. Flutie and Wilson are examples of this. You never see these guys take big hits and they keep their teammates involved. Which of these is Tyrod? This is almost independent of whom is on the field with him but I don't think the answer comes in a preseason game.