hondo in seattle

Anyone who thinks EJ played really well, or really badly, yesterday obviously went into the game wearing tinted glasses. His 87.7 passer rating would put him in the middle of the 2015 QB rankings if he had enough attempts to qualify. If you prefer the ESPN rating method, EJ's QBR of 56.9 is about average for a starting NFL QB. And my eyes - after watching football for 45 years - saw an average performance. We scored 21 points and this was supposed to be a team that was built to win when scoring over 20. Considering Rex is supposed to be a defensive guru and we have one of the highest paid defensive units in the league and our D is reasonably healthy (compared to our O), I just don't see how anyone lay the blame for this game at EJ's feet. During the second half, I kept muttering "We need a new defensive coordinator... Rex needs to try something different... What's up with our defensive line?... What the eff is wrong with our D?!?!"

I mostly agree with #1, #2 and #3. But I also see a more talented squad than the one he inherited. There's enough talent, IMHO, that good coaching could've/should've produced a winning record thus far.

Before the Cincy game, both Woods and Watkins said they've been getting open but not getting targeted. I'm not convinced that EJ can develop into a good starting NFL QB. I'm not convinced EJ is better than TT or has more potential that TT. But neither do I believe EJ leaves more plays out there by not finding open receivers. I actually think TT has the bigger problem finding open guys down field. This is a specious argument. EJ was on the run and threw the ball to a spot in the endzone between the Bengal defenders. Sammy is a world class athlete. I think EJ had a reasonable expectation that Sammy could make the catch without getting hurt. Every QB will ask his receivers to make catches like that sometimes. It's football. It's not a sport for ninnies.

I've always suspected that Rex said he would hire Roman to be his OC in the interview. That made him very tempting. Rex had a good track record with defenses and Roman was well-respected as a creative OC.

According to Collision Low Crossers, Rex was intimately involved in the D in New York and I imagine it's the same here. Thurman runs practices and certainly has input. But Rex is the de facto DC. Schwartz was offered a job by Rex but turned it down because he wants to be an independent DC running his own show. He didn't want to have a vague title to help with Rex's show. Rex won't give up his defensive philosophy (he's had good success with it over the years) and Schwartz won't give up his. I can't see the two working together. I feel ya.

If the team doesn't improve, we're an 8-8 - maybe even a 7-9 - club. Our D is ranked 16th while our O is ranked 27th in yards. And our ST have not been special either. But we ought to get healthier. And we have enough talent that our D ought to get better - if Rex pulls his head out of his axx. But that last qualifier has me nervous. I voted 9-7 but am still clinging to playoff dreams.

Yep. I understand the frustration but even if they replaced Thurman, it would still be the same D.

The fact that our backup QB completed 67% of his passes for 263 yards while throwing a pick, a TD, and running for a TD (while working mostly with the 2nd team wideouts) against an undefeated team just doesn't sound to me like one of our biggest problems.

What would have been better... A Hue Jackson/Schwartz tandem? Or a Roman/Rex tandem? Right now, it's hard to feel good about the latter.

Right now, a Schwartz/Hue tandem sounds awfully good. Schwartz did better with this defensive personnel than Rex has so far and Hue put up a lot of points on us (and a lot of points on some other teams).

This has got to be frustrating for DW. While he has made some mistakes, overall there's enough talent on this team that we ought to have a winning record. Roman has been doing the work with the O that he was paid to do. But on D, Whaley handed Rex the keys to a Cadillac that Rex transformed into a Yugo. Maybe he'll get this turned around - I hope so - but so far Rex's work here has been hugely disappointing.

This is what scares me more than anything else. The Jets have gotten better since Rex left. Our D has gotten worse since he's arrived. It's worrisome.

I had similar thoughts. Or what if we had hired Greg Roman as HC and he retained Jim Schwartz?

Maybe it's a matter of dismantling something to rebuild it. But right now, it's hard not to miss Jim Schwartz. Our D look overwhelmed out there. Rex ought to get the vets together and ask them: "Why were you more effective last year?"

It's hard to understand how a defensive mastermind can take over a talented squad and produce something this putrid.

And Sammy's calf. I'd prefer a match-up of healthy Bills versus healthy Bengals instead of banged up Bills versus 'the healthiest team in the NFL.'

12th paragraph of his 1905 monograph, "Über die von der molekularkinetischen Theorie der Wärme geforderte Bewegung von in ruhenden Flüssigkeiten suspendierten Teilchen"

For those who might be interested, here's an article about the origin of the insanity quote: http://www.news.hypercrit.net/2012/11/13/einstein-on-misattribution-i-probably-didnt-say-that/

I agree with your opening statement on motivation but... Despite whatever feelgood posters you may have seen, Einstein did not ever say that cliche about insanity. And young players improve all the time - especially QBs. Jim Plunkett played - by far - the best football of his career in his 30s. More recently, Carson Palmer at age 35 is probably playing the best football of his life. Drew Brees took maybe four years to evolve from a woeful rookie to a great NFL QB.

No NFL game is ever a "lock" and Chris knows that. The media uses these terms because it's more interesting/fun to talk in absolutes and superlatives. "Elo" - Nate Silver's model - says we have something like a 47% chance of winning. We might not be the probable winners, but there's a significant possibility we'll win. I'll be rooting for that. Chris will laugh and admit he was wrong if the Bills prevail and the media machine will go on.

Well, lets see.... Cincy is undefeated. Their D is only giving up 20 points per game while their O is rolling behind a formidable offensive line. The Bills, on the other hand, are all banged up and playing mediocre football. So, of course, I predict the Bills to win 27-13. I think EJ pitches well in relief and I think our D finally lives up to expectations in this big game at home.

Johnny will be Johnny. I feel sorry for his parents.

I'm with Maddog. I really don't care who starts unless TT's knee really is screwed up in which case I want him to sit. TT has a live arm and is a dynamic runner. But he needs better pocket presence and better vision finding open receivers. EJ looks much improved and I'd be interested in seeing what he can do in the regular season. Whichever one starts will hear me cheer him on - if he has extraordinarily good hearing since I'll be watching in the comfort of my home in the Seattle suburbs.

Do young QBs really get better with playing time? It's a novel concept!

I don't know if "fires" is the right verb here. But he did have a nice touch.