Rocky Landing

If we asked the players, themselves, who do people think they would want starting against the Packers?

I am most certainly not "rooting for Manuel to fail." I'm not declaring him a bust. Nor do I have any illusions of Orton being any sort of long term answer. I just have a memory. If there was some reason I should believe that Manuel is, right now, a better option at QB, I would change my mind. So far, at least on this thread, what I have read is a lot of selective criticism of Orton, paired with selective excuses for Manuel. That you have "convinced" yourself that people trying to look at the situation objectively, and with perspective (but just happen to disagree with you) must resemble your petty insult will do little to sway me. In fact, your petty insult is preposterous. I have not read one comment, in any thread-- not one-- in which someone could be described as idolizing Kyle Orton. I haven't even read anyone making excuses for him. Conversely, to read the people who, like yourself, bash him incessantly, one might think that Watkins had not fumbled the ball (or dropped numerous passes in the last few games, for that matter), that a sixty yard interception return had not been erased by a dumb penalty, that our O-line had been the slightest bit of help to our running backs, or that we had not been suffering from poor play calling.

Has it really been so long since EJ was on the field that so many people have forgotten how bad he was? When Orton took the field in week 5, having not played a single snap, and having only been with the team for five weeks, it was an instant, and obvious improvement. And, he won't really that good. Where were the EJ fans then? Rather quiet, as I recall. The Orton we have now is the same Orton we had then, and no one was particularly excited by it, but it was clear that he gave us a better chance for the season, and he has. And now the EJ fanatics, with some serious memory issues, are trying to sell EJ with a clean jersey. I almost hope they do play EJ against the Packers-- a game we have little chance of winning-- just so we won't have to hear from the EJ fanatics for the rest of the season.

Perhaps watching EJ get destroyed by the Packers would refresh your memory, but I highly doubt Morrone is going to go there.

Did I miss something? Improving at what? Holding a clipboard? What have you seen that would lead you to believe that EJ has improved as a quarterback? Lots of people saw it.

Regarding your point #1, I was wondering if it wasn't related to the altitude. Playing at over 5,000 when you live at around 600 feet above sea level will really take it out of you. I have always said that Denver has the best home field advantage in the league for this reason. No one who doesn't reside in Denver can breath in the second half. Regarding point #2, I think you are reading too much into it. Whether or not you consider him a competent coach, I think it is unfair, and inaccurate to question his dedication. I had some random thoughts, as well: Dareus chased down a running back (I forget which one) early in the third quarter after he had broken through the LOS. I had to rewind it to verify what I had actually seen. How does somebody that big run that fast??? I wasn't sure if Orton was capable of throwing on the run, as he almost never does. When he is running outside the pocket, he will usually stop, set his feet, and then throw. After today's game, it is confirmed that Orton can not throw on the run. This was a team loss. Or, rather, an offensive team loss. It should not, as many posters have remarked on other threads, be blamed merely on Orton. Orton had his share of mistakes, but several other players made some bad mistakes as well. Watkins' fumble, and some very unfortunate penalties, including the one that erased a 60 yard interception return, were deadly.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not an EJ hater, and I know there are plenty on this board. But, I don't think we are going to find a viable FA QB to replace Orton, I don't believe anyone at OBD has enough faith in EJ to start him, and I don't believe that OBD is going to sit on our QB situation as is. They have to be seen as moving forward on the position. The only way I see them holding onto EJ, is if they find another vet in FA that will replace Orton, and Manuel remains as backup. Otherwise, we draft a different prospect (and I have no idea who that would be), or we upgrade the back up position in FA, and wait until 2016 to draft a rookie. And, again, this is just my prediction.

My prediction for next season: Marrone, and Orton will stay. Hackett, and Manuel will be gone.

I beg to differ. If, the Bills want to continue to at least try to win their last three games, start Orton. If, they are looking to develop the likely starter for next season, that would likely be Orton. If, they still have some hope that EJ will develop into something, setting him up for failure in at least two out of the three last games isn't going to do much for him. Start EJ, why? I need some explanation. It's a very real possibility. But, if I had to bet on who will be gone next season, I would bet they will cut EJ. They went "all in" (remember that phrase?) on EJ, and lost. But, then what happens? Who do we get in the draft? Who do we get in FA?

Fred's value to this team is profound. Yeah, he's getting old. I wonder if this is his last season. But, the plays he makes, the safety valve he provides for every QB he has played for, his leadership, his heart-- these things are going to be hard to replace.

I'm having a hard time figuring out where someone's head would be at to "hate all Mannings."

A Patriots ugly sweater would be uglier.

Denver may very well be seeing this as a game in which to get some less utilized players up to speed for their more challenging, upcoming games. Maybe kick the tires on some plays, etc. Let's hope they do, and this becomes a trap game.

I was just pondering this myself when I clicked onto the site. I was just reading that Gregg Rosenthal from NFL.com had mentioned him as a possible pro bowl selection. My first thought was, "whaaa??? But, consider that he is standing next to rookie Cyril Richardson. and is working to keep one of the least mobile QBs upright. I've had some complaints watching games that he looked slow, letting a defender by, but those are usually blitzing CBs or OLB who are just much faster athletes. And, I'm much less likely to notice when he has contained such athletes. My bigger question mark is Kujo. Is he getting coached up, or what? Is he a bust? It seemed like he had real potential before turning into, in Marrone's words, "Venus de Milo."

We do have a real shot at winning this game. An upset is possible. If we have a game plan that knocks Manning out of his rhythm and our offense gets into one... things could happen. This could be a season changing win for us. Sure, it's unlikely. But, I'll say it's more likely we beat the Broncos in Denver than it is that we beat the Pats in Boston-- even in week 17. Trust in the Schwarz. https://www.youtube....h?v=UHw6KXbvazs

-10 probably seems about right. But, Manning does have an off game every once in a while (remember Indy last season?), and our front four might knock him down once or twice. We have a playoff caliber defense and I honestly believe that it will be up to Schwartz to game plan and that he is up to the task. If our offense can really click, and find some momentum (it does happen occasionally), this could be an upset. Beating the Broncos is not outside the realm of possibility. Not likely, but plausible. ... sigh... I hate myself sometimes for being optimistic...

And, he is miserable at blocking.

It was probably the chicken wings. He didn't understand what the blue cheese was for.

I was thinking the same thing. Still, it was a pleasant surprise to see Gray on the field. Chandler is a bowling pin who should never be thrown the ball behind the line of scrimmage, because he doesn't seem to be good for more than one yard after catch.

8-8, here we come.

relevantish...

This article strikes me as almost defeatist regarding the quarterback position. Or, maybe it's denial. Quote: "While quarterback continues to be the biggest question mark on the roster going forward, Kyle Orton has proven to be serviceable enough to be a holdover through the 2015 season." Really? That's it? He expects, Whaley, et al, to just ignore the position???

Hard to imagine the Jets getting a win this week. The Jets I saw on Monday had utterly given up in the second half. Vegas has the Dolphins favored by 6.5, and I think that's being kind. With Miami playing for a wildcard spot, and the Jets playing so uninspired, I'd expect another blowout. Can you even imagine what their locker room is like?

On the plus side: Bills win the turnover battle. They know how to shut down Vick. The Bills are a better team. On the negative side: No longer a home game. limited practice. Coaching. Were this still a home game, and Buffalo wasn't buried in snow, the Bills would be favored by 5 or more. As it is, they are still favored by 2, and I think that is a fair assessment. I believe that the Bills are still focused on winning games and haven't given up on the last six weeks of the season, regardless of their playoff hopes-- unlike many posters on this site. Bills by 2.

It'll be a tough game if EJ is starting.